Page 93 of Alien Burn

There was anger in Hawn now, and Dhomhes was relieved to see it. Anger gave him something to do with his hands. They had stopped trembling.

“I can send males to the search supervisor,” Hawn said. “Experienced ones. They won't need someone carrying them away from a slope.”

“Let me have their names. The supervisor can assign them where they'll help.”

“Today.”

“Today.”

Hawn gripped his shoulder before he left. Hard enough that Dhomhes felt it through his jacket.

“Come again even if you have nothing.”

“I will.”

This time he made himself look at the old male when he promised.

On the flight back, Dhomhes called Ruthak. His father had the suspended orders open in front of him.

“These orders failed,” Dhomhes said. “The next attempt may not be an order.”

He had warned the supervisor to check approaches and keep the operator with the assigned team. No one would go out alone to inspect a convenient fault.

“Give me what you know as you learn it,” Ruthak said. “Have you been to Hawn?”

“I've just left.”

His father looked away. “Don't make him ask every time.”

Dhomhes thought of his mother. Of the questions he had been too young to know how to ask, and his father answering the few he could manage.

“No,” he said. “I won't.”

Dhomhes sat back, suddenly tired in a way no amount of sleep would have fixed.

His comm held a message from Sereya.

I'm in the lower garden with your brother. He says you owe him an apology for an incident involving a training rope. I have promised nothing on your behalf.

Another message followed.

If you have time, come and defend yourself.

He looked out at the gardens again.

Tell him I have witnesses.

Then he told the pilot where to land.

Tivek's voice reached him before he could see the bench.

“I'm saying the rope was badly placed.”

“Across the practice shaft?” Sereya asked.

“Precisely.”

“Where you were supposed to use it?”