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“They aren’t worried about it,” I finish for him.
Erik grins. “Sure, sweetie.”
“Did Maela know?” I ask him, gesturing to the strange site. “Did she ever mention anything about the mines?”
“Perfect example,” he says. “I don’t know, but I doubt it. You see, Maela doesn’t care about anything unless it directly affects her. She doesn’t care what you are weaving or why. She does as she’s told and she takes any opportunity she can to advance.”
“So she’s indifferent?”
“It’s the preferred disease of Arras,” Erik says, and his smile becomes anything but amused.
“We shouldn’t stay here,” Jost says in a low voice. “They must keep guards near here.”
“He’s right. Not that there are usually refugees from Arras running around the base of the slubs to worry about,” Dante says.
“Slubs?” Erik asks.
“You’ll feel it,” he says. “The areas near the drill are dead. The Guild has mined all the resources and left an irregularity in space-time.”
Loricel told me Earth was frozen around the mines, and I could feel the coldness creeping over my skin as we moved closer to them.
“I want to see the mines now,” Erik says, and before we can respond to him, he’s heading in the direction of the tubes.
“Me too,” I vote.
Dante groans but turns to follow him. “I knew why you wanted to come today, but I hoped you’d chicken out.”
“We’re too young and reckless to chicken out,” Erik calls back.
“He’s going to get us killed,” Jost growls, even as we follow him.
“Not if I get us killed first,” I say, trying to lighten the mood. He doesn’t laugh, so I take his hand and drag him after his brother.
We catch up with Erik, but no one speaks. There’s a sense of shared purpose in the silence, and we walk for so long that the sun shifts in the sky. F
irst it moves high and glares over us and then it begins to dwindle down. We’re hours from the crawler and the solar equipment, but I won’t turn back until we see the mines. The area we’re exploring is outside the mountain range, and by the time we finally reach the steel fence, the sun hangs low. Not far from the fence, I spot a small creek a short way off. The rushing stream seems so vital after being under the Interface, where everything is inert, lifeless, or artificial.
“I’m going to fill up a few bottles,” Dante says. “Water near the source mines is pure, and we’ll need it for the hike back. Stay here until I return.”
“I’ll come with you,” Jost says. “No one should be alone.”
I open my mouth to protest, but he holds up his hand.
“Please, Ad. You’ll draw more attention if there are guards,” he whispers.
I’m itching to get to the mining site and I don’t want to waste time refilling water bottles but I bob my head in agreement.
“Stay with her until we get back?” Jost asks Erik.
Erik looks genuinely surprised by the request but a little pleased as well.
“You look as out of place as she does,” Jost continues, as if he can’t bear to actually be asking a favor of his brother.
“Sure,” Erik says, but now he doesn’t look happy.
Dante and Jost stride off toward the water, and I fidget as their outlines grow small on the horizon.
“Promise me that you won’t let me clock him,” Erik says through gritted teeth.
