14

  Purpose

  The work absorbed Oren’s full attention for hours. By the time he stopped, the sun was resting just above the mountains. For whatever reason, Khalil hadn’t interrupted him to train or spar for chores.

  Using some makeshift stone tools he picked up around the camp, Oren split one of the long branches of wood until it resembled a “Y” shape. Mid-way down the split, he lashed a ten inch long piece of wood across the gap using strangleweed. He lashed another across the gap at the top. Lastly, he bound the wood tightly where the split began, to prevent it from dividing further. Oren was about half way through the second one when he realized how late it was. He looked around and saw Khalil preparing dinner.

  He stood up and stretched before making his way to the cooking fire. “You made dinner.” It was more of a statement than a question.

  “You appeared…preoccupied.”

  Huh, Oren thought. First time for everything, I guess.

  Once the keraba roots had stained the water purple, Khalil doled out servings into two bowls and handed them to Oren.

  Oren nodded thanks, and stood to deliver one of them to Clementine. This time he simply walked up and set the bowl down in front of her shelter, then headed back toward the fire.

  “Hey!” Clem’s voice came from behind.

  Oren paused, bracing himself for further rebuke. He turned around and waited.

  “Thanks,” she said, before promptly ducking back in to her shelter.

  He stood there for a moment, shocked. Once it wore off, he smiled to himself and walked back to join Khalil for the meal.

  The next morning, Oren continued working on his project, uninterrupted as before. By mid-morning, he was finished. He placed one under each armpit, gripping the wood lashed part-way down the split. He tested them, gingerly allowing them to support more and more of his weight. He winced as they creaked, then relaxed when it became clear they would hold. He tested them further, using the crutches to walk with just one leg. They were a little short for him, but they’d be perfect for Clem.

  He leaned them against a rock and nodded with satisfaction. Clem was on the other side of the camp. She had asked him to face her toward some unusual plant life, which she had been sketching for the past couple hours. He walked over to her and looked over her shoulder.

  “Wow,” he said. “That’s actually really good! I didn’t know you could draw.”

  She snapped the book shut and turned her head toward him. “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.” She looked at him, waiting for him to say something, which he didn’t. “Is there some reason you’re here bothering me instead of out playing desert ranger?” Her words held the same bite as before, but there seemed to be slightly less venom in her tone, at least he hoped it was so.

  “I, uh…” he stammered. Why didn’t I plan what I was going to say?

  Clem rolled her eyes. “If you actually have something to—”

  “I have something to show you…for you. If you want,” his words came spilling out. “I mean you seem busy so I can come back la—”

  “What is it already? Spit it out.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Oren turned and jogged over to where the crutches lay. He picked them up and jogged back to her.

  “I came across some decent wood out in the desert and thought, ‘Hey Clem’s probably sick of being stuck in one spot all day. So maybe I can make something that would help.’ If you want, you can try them out. I’ve tested them and they hold me pretty well, so they should work for you.” He held them out to her, a little embarrassed.

  She awkwardly pushed herself onto her good leg. He put an arm around her and helped her to get a crutch under each arm. She put her good leg down and lifted the crutches, using them to step forward. She wobbled, and Oren steadied her.

  “They might take some getting used to. I got the height as best I could but—” Before he could finish she was off, swinging between the crutches as she made her way around the camp site. When she made it back to where he was, she was wearing a huge grin. It was the first time he’d seen her smile since he left New Arcadia, and it felt amazing. Once again, Oren was struck by her beauty. She must have noticed because she stopped in front of him, raising an eyebrow. Oren looked away and cleared his throat.

  “So ah, looks like they work! That’s great,” he said.

  “Yeah, they’ll do.” She said wryly. “Really, it was the least you could do, considering you’re the reason I’m in this mess to begin with.”

  Oren wasn’t sure how to respond. “Okay, well I should probably get back to work. Khalil will only cover my share of the chores for so long before he makes me pay for it.” He laughed nervously and waved.

  Clem’s jaw dropped, and her eyes went wide with shock.

  “What is it?” he asked. Oren followed her gaze to his missing finger. “Oh…OH! No, I don’t mean that he…Khalil would never—this happened before. He actually saved my life. If not for him there’d be a lot less of me left—”

  Clementine exhaled in exasperation. “Okay, I get it. Your ‘friend’ doesn’t punish you with amputations. Good to know.”

  “Right. Anyway I should get going.” He started to wave again, then stopped and used the other hand.

  “Hey Oren,” she said, “Thank you.”

  “Yeah, no problem.” He smiled and walked back to Khalil.

  “Sifu,” Oren nodded.

  “Ah, Sa’di. I see you have finished your project.”

  “Yeah, I just thought, you know, maybe if I show her that I’m not a horrible person…that maybe she would…” he trailed off. “That she might tell us what she’s doing out here,” he finished awkwardly.

  “Mhm,” Khalil responded, looking at him with that slight smile that never seemed to leave his face. “Well you have some catching up to do, but first, we must see who will do the evening chores.” He tossed Oren’s sword to him and launched into an attack.

  Oren, caught mostly off guard, stepped back, barely deflecting Khalil’s first blow. They battled across the campsite, driving one another back as the advantage shifted back and forth. Khalil and Oren had fought so many times that their sparring had become a dance; an exchange of attacks and counterattacks. They both used the environment to their advantage, leaping off rocks and running across the vertical walls of the butte.

  Sweat dripped down Oren’s brow. This was one of the better sparring sessions he’d had. He was matching Khalil strike for strike, and nearly had him in the last bout. Khalil was bearing down on him, but Oren managed to slip out from under him and flank, going on the offensive. This is it, he thought, finally, I’m going to win! Clack, clack, clack! The sound of their sheaths connecting echoed off the surrounding rocks.

  Oren heard a noise off to the side. He glanced toward it, and realized for the first time that they had an audience. Clementine was watching from beside her lean-to. She looked on with wide eyes, obviously impressed.

  Clack clack clack thwump!

  “Ah!” Oren rubbed his shoulder, panting hard.

  Khalil showed signs of exertion as well, which was rare. He held his sheath to Oren’s neck. “You were doing well Sa’di. It is a shame you are so easily distracted.” Khalil looked at him flatly. “You may begin by collecting firewood and food for dinner. See if you can find something other than keraba roots, yes?”

  Oren sighed, performed the bao quan, and set about his tasks.

  When evening came, the smell of sizzling meat wafted over their small campsite. Oren had gotten lucky, nabbing not one but two desert hares in the early afternoon. Neither had an exorbitant amount of meat, but they were a treat none the less. When Khalil saw the catch, he produced two fat yams from his pack, which Oren cut up and threw into a pot of water over the fire. He turned the makeshift spit as Khalil sat on a nearby stone.

  The hares were nearly finished and Oren’s mouth was watering. This promised to be a better meal than they’d had in weeks. Something stirred at the other end of the camp behind Oren; he turned to look over his shoulder, and blinked. Clem was up on her crutches, and coming toward them.

  Oren looked at Khalil and raised his eyebrows. They had placed a third sitting stone around the fire, but Oren gave up on ever expecting her to use it. She made her way over to the stone and lowered herself down, leaning her crutches against the side of it. They sat in silence for a long moment before Khalil spoke.

  “I am pleased that you have chosen to join us, Clementine.”

  “Thank you, Khalil,” she responded politely, “It is good to be out of my shelter. The night sky is truly…prodigious.”

  Oren watched with furrowed brows, trying to figure out what she meant.

  Khalil responded, “Indeed. The Miralaja holds many wonders, not the least of which being the remarkable view of our place in the galaxy.”

  Oren took a moment to look up. The first few stars were beginning to twinkle as the sun dipped behind the mountains.

  Khalil continued, “It occurs to me that despite sharing camp, we have failed to share our reason for being out here. For this, I apologize. But come, let us leave the conversation until after we have dined.”

  Oren pulled the meat from the fire and divided it among three wooden plates while Khalil removed and drained the boiled yams and divvied them up. They each sat in silence, savoring what would surely be the best meal they’d have for a long while.

  Once finished, they sat in silence, enjoying the feeling of being full. Khalil lit his pipe and stretched his legs, gazing into the fire. Oren watched the flames as well, trying to think of what he could say to Clementine. She piped up before he could think of anything good.

  She looked at Khalil and said, “Thank you. That is undoubtedly the best I’ve eaten since I left the city.”

  “It is our mutual friend Oren you should be thanking. It was his resourcefulness that made it possible.”

  Clementine glanced at Oren, but didn’t say anything.

  Khalil continued, “As I mentioned, we have not discussed our reason for leaving the relative safety of home, and venturing so far into the Miralaja.” Oren perked up, having only the slightest idea of why himself.

  Khalil puffed on his pipe. A thin trail of smoke rose from it. “Oren and I are journeying toward New Arcadia. Once there, we plan to infiltrate the Ministry C-SEC.” Clementine was looking at him intently, and Oren sat up.

  “You’re…Ko’jin?” Clem asked.

  Khalil raised an eyebrow, “And what would bring you to this conclusion?”

  Clem looked away. She seemed a little embarrassed by her impulsiveness. “Oh, it’s just that, I know the Ko’jin have been…in conflict with the Ministry, and not many people stand up to them. No one else does, actually.” She recalled her final conversation with Hatch, and felt another pang of regret for not staying behind to help him.

  Khalil nodded. “You are astute, for one so young.”

  Clem sniffed. “Young?” she muttered under her breath.

  “We are Ko’jin,” Khalil stated, gesturing toward himself and Oren.

  Clementine looked at Oren with shock. He returned her gaze flatly.

  “Our mission is to infiltrate C-SEC Tower, and obtain a document containing plans for…something they are building. We cannot say for sure what it is, but we are concerned that it may be some kind of weapon.” Khalil leaned forward and lowered his voice, emphasizing the gravity of his words, “We have reason to believe this device poses a threat so great, that the very existence of our world hangs in the balance.”

  Oren’s face went pale. “Global Ascension.” His voice was barely a whisper.

  Clem looked over to him, then back at Khalil. She clutched at something under her coat and asked, “Do you know a man named Hatch? Hatch Dewanji?” Her voice was shaky.

  Khalil leaned back. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Hatch? One of the best men I have known. He also brews the best tea. Grows it himself, you know. I am quite surprised you are familiar with his true name. Either he trusted you deeply, or something terrible has happened to him.” He looked expectantly at Clementine with concern.

  She looked away. “It’s both, actually,” she said quietly. Her brow furrowed, and she pursed her lips. “We were…attacked. I think…I think it was a Breaker.” She shivered. “He told me to run…and I did. I left him there to die. I should have stayed, I should have helped him fight, but I…he…” Her efforts to hold back her tears were failing.

  Khalil stood and put a hand on her shoulder. “Doha ya doha, tifl latif.”

  She took a few ragged breaths. Khalil seemed to have calmed her somewhat.

  Gently, he said, “Hatch is a resourceful man. I would not be surprised to learn that he found a way to survive. Do not punish yourself needlessly.”

  Clem looked up at him. Her face was blotchy. “You…you think he could be alive? That thing, it was so strong. The things they can do…”

  “I think it is possible, and I know you would not be alive had you stayed with him.”

  Clem took another deep breath and continued, “I think Hatch…that he was Ko’jin too. Before it happened, he asked me to do a job for him. I said no, but it seemed really important to him, and he’d helped me so much…” She sighed.

  “A job?” Khalil asked when she did not continue.

  She nodded. “Infiltrate C-SEC Tower and steal a hidden canister.”

  “He asked you to do this?” Khalil was shocked. “He must have been desperate indeed to have risked your life in this way.”

  “Hey! I can take care of myself okay? It’s not like it was the first place I’d ever gaffed.” She crossed her arms.

  It was Oren’s turn to be surprised. Khalil was right. She had grown in ways he hadn’t expected. “You rob people?” he blurted out before realizing how it sounded.

  She turned to face him, thoroughly unimpressed. “So what if I do? If you had stuck around maybe you’d have seen that I didn’t have much of a choice.”

  Oren winced.

  “At least not to begin with,” she muttered.

  Clem turned back to Khalil.

  “As I was saying, I can take care of myself, and that’s exactly what I did,” she said defensively.

  Khalil nodded. “Obviously you have survived, which speaks volumes for your capabilities.”

  Clem sat up a little straighter and nodded.

  He continued, “Tell me, were you successful?”

  Clem hesitated, looking from Khalil to Oren. She nodded.

  “Incredible,” Khalil smiled, “Then you have beaten us to it! Well done, Clementine.”

  “Before Hatch…before we parted, he asked me to bring it to a town at the foot of the Shattered Peak Mountains, toward the lowest star in the Jackal’s Head constellation.”

  “You mean Masada, right? That’s where we came from.” Oren was glad to have something useful to contribute.

  She nodded at him.

  “Then we can return together! This is great news!” Oren grinned.

  Clementine looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

  “I mean, ah, great that you got the plans, and now we can head home.” Oren stammered, running a hand through his hair.

  Clementine rolled her eyes.

  Khalil was watching her. “This is most fortuitous. May we see it?” he asked.

  Again Clem hesitated, then slowly pulled the tube out of her coat pocket and held it up to the firelight. Khalil nodded for her to continue. She pulled the cap off, removed the schematics, and held them up. The firelight flickered through the complex technical patterns printed on the large transparent film.

  “Incredible,” Khalil said gravely. “We must get these to her with great haste.”

  “Her?” Oren asked.

  “Al’ama,” Khalil cursed under his breath. He took a deep breath and turned to Oren. “We must take these plans to Magdalene Medeia.”

  “What?” Oren’s jaw dropped. “She’s alive?”

  Clementine nodded. “That’s what Hatch said, too. It was his last request. It’s why I’m here.”

  Oren’s shock wore off, and was replaced with fury. He stood up and faced Khalil. “I can’t believe you! How could you keep this from me?”

  Khalil looked at him calmly. “I did not raise it because I knew it would be difficult for you. It is a distraction.”

  “Oh no, don’t you try to play this off like you were doing me a favor. You”—Oren pointed—“didn’t tell me because you didn’t want to have to deal with the fallout. Well that’s just fine, great to know we’re keeping secrets from each other. I’ve got a few secrets of my own you know. Maybe I’ll spring them on you when you least expect it.” He picked up his sword and stormed off into the night.

  Clementine watched his silhouette fade.

  Khalil took a deep breath. “He will be fine. He just needs some time to cool off.”

  “What was that all about?” she asked.

  “Did he not tell you?” Khalil looked at her questioningly.

  “Tell me what?”

  Khalil sighed. “Oren lost his parents. They were killed by the Ministry, two years ago.”

  Clementine covered her mouth.

  “The Ministry sought retribution for the recreance of a close family member.”

  “Magdalene?” Clem whispered.

  Khalil nodded. “Before now, Oren had no knowledge of what had become of her.” He took a drink from his canteen. “To be honest, he is partly right. I did fear how he might react, and it appears my fears were not unfounded. I just wish I had not been so clumsy in revealing her existence.”

  “That’s why he left New Arcadia?”

  Khalil nodded. “He didn’t want to leave, but staying would have meant his death.”

  Clementine sank from the edge of her sitting stone onto the ground. She leaned back and pressed her palm to her forehead. “Oy.”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106