in one, Tobias. Be here early tomorrow. I need you to do something for me."
"If I can. What did you have in mind?"
"Go back through the jungle to where we first crash-landed, find the wreck of the Sunstrider II, remove the stardrive, and bring it back here."
Moon lowered his eyebrow, and thought about this. "You have a use for a disconnected stardrive?"
"Oh yes. The Sunstrider II was fitted with the new alien-derived stardrive.
Whatever ship I put that drive into will be one of the fastest ships in the Empire. And I'm going to need that edge, to get to Hazel in time. Do it for me, Tobias. I need this."
"When do you want me to start out?"
"Right now would be good."
Moon considered the matter. All work had stopped as the lepers listened to see what he would say. Moon finally shrugged. He hadn't quite got the gesture right yet, but it was recognizable. "The tree felling is pretty much finished. My people can finish up on their own. Very well; I'll put together a small party, and go get you your stardrive, Owen. But please understand; when you leave here, you go alone. I share your concern for Hazel, but I cannot abandon the people here. I am their only link with the Red Brain, at present. I have…
responsibilities here."
"It's all right," said Owen. "I understand. I've always understood duty."
They smiled at each other, both understanding this might be the last time they were ever together. The lepers slowly got back to work, for once not driven by a tongue lashing from Sister Marion. Owen looked about for her, and finally discovered her sitting on a tree stump, staring tiredly down at the ground, her hands neatly together in her lap. Her shoulders were bowed as though by some great weight, and her head hung down as though it were too heavy for her neck muscles to support. Even the ribbons from her hat were hanging limply down.
"She doesn't look too good," said Owen.
"She's dying," said Moon. "She's in the last stages of the disease, and her strength is leaking out of her day by day."
"I didn't know," said Owen, honestly shocked. It was hard to think of the
invincible warrior nun being beaten by anything less than a sword thrust or a disrupter bolt. He knew she was a leper, but he'd always vaguely thought she was too stubborn to give in to it. "How long has she been like this?"
"Some time now. Don't feel bad for not noticing. You had your own problems.
There was nothing you could have done, anyway. It's just her time. Leprosy is a one hundred percent fatal disease. No one gets out alive. She insists on helping out here, making the most of what's left of her life before she has to be confined to the infirmary for her last days. She'll hate that. Just lying around, unable to interfere in everyone else's life. I asked her if she'd made her peace with God, and she just laughed, and said We never quarreled. I think I'll take her with me, when we go to get the Sunstrider II. One last adventure for her."
"Why, Tobias," said Owen. "I do believe you're growing sentimental."
"I'm working on it," said the Hadenman.
The trip through the jungle to the crashed starship went much more easily than the original trip from the crash to the Mission. This time the crimson vegetation writhed back out of their way, forming a wide path for Moon and Sister Marion, and the half dozen lepers they'd brought along to fetch and carry as necessary. The rain was coming straight down and hard, soaking the lepers'
gray robes, and plastering Sister Marion's purple streamers to the side of her hat. Moon wasn't bothered at all by the constant lukewarm rain, but had enough sense by now to keep such comments to himself. He linked briefly with the Red Brain, and wide purple palm leaves stretched out over the trail to deflect some of the rain. The ground squelched underfoot, and collecting rainwater squelched inside everyone's boots. Nobody had much to say. If the Deathstalker himself hadn't asked for this expedition, even the presence of Moon and
"If I can. What did you have in mind?"
"Go back through the jungle to where we first crash-landed, find the wreck of the Sunstrider II, remove the stardrive, and bring it back here."
Moon lowered his eyebrow, and thought about this. "You have a use for a disconnected stardrive?"
"Oh yes. The Sunstrider II was fitted with the new alien-derived stardrive.
Whatever ship I put that drive into will be one of the fastest ships in the Empire. And I'm going to need that edge, to get to Hazel in time. Do it for me, Tobias. I need this."
"When do you want me to start out?"
"Right now would be good."
Moon considered the matter. All work had stopped as the lepers listened to see what he would say. Moon finally shrugged. He hadn't quite got the gesture right yet, but it was recognizable. "The tree felling is pretty much finished. My people can finish up on their own. Very well; I'll put together a small party, and go get you your stardrive, Owen. But please understand; when you leave here, you go alone. I share your concern for Hazel, but I cannot abandon the people here. I am their only link with the Red Brain, at present. I have…
responsibilities here."
"It's all right," said Owen. "I understand. I've always understood duty."
They smiled at each other, both understanding this might be the last time they were ever together. The lepers slowly got back to work, for once not driven by a tongue lashing from Sister Marion. Owen looked about for her, and finally discovered her sitting on a tree stump, staring tiredly down at the ground, her hands neatly together in her lap. Her shoulders were bowed as though by some great weight, and her head hung down as though it were too heavy for her neck muscles to support. Even the ribbons from her hat were hanging limply down.
"She doesn't look too good," said Owen.
"She's dying," said Moon. "She's in the last stages of the disease, and her strength is leaking out of her day by day."
"I didn't know," said Owen, honestly shocked. It was hard to think of the
invincible warrior nun being beaten by anything less than a sword thrust or a disrupter bolt. He knew she was a leper, but he'd always vaguely thought she was too stubborn to give in to it. "How long has she been like this?"
"Some time now. Don't feel bad for not noticing. You had your own problems.
There was nothing you could have done, anyway. It's just her time. Leprosy is a one hundred percent fatal disease. No one gets out alive. She insists on helping out here, making the most of what's left of her life before she has to be confined to the infirmary for her last days. She'll hate that. Just lying around, unable to interfere in everyone else's life. I asked her if she'd made her peace with God, and she just laughed, and said We never quarreled. I think I'll take her with me, when we go to get the Sunstrider II. One last adventure for her."
"Why, Tobias," said Owen. "I do believe you're growing sentimental."
"I'm working on it," said the Hadenman.
The trip through the jungle to the crashed starship went much more easily than the original trip from the crash to the Mission. This time the crimson vegetation writhed back out of their way, forming a wide path for Moon and Sister Marion, and the half dozen lepers they'd brought along to fetch and carry as necessary. The rain was coming straight down and hard, soaking the lepers'
gray robes, and plastering Sister Marion's purple streamers to the side of her hat. Moon wasn't bothered at all by the constant lukewarm rain, but had enough sense by now to keep such comments to himself. He linked briefly with the Red Brain, and wide purple palm leaves stretched out over the trail to deflect some of the rain. The ground squelched underfoot, and collecting rainwater squelched inside everyone's boots. Nobody had much to say. If the Deathstalker himself hadn't asked for this expedition, even the presence of Moon and
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