Earth Afire (The First Formic War) Read Free Page B

mean us any harm. Maybe they’re peaceful.”
    “Maybe,” said Bingwen. “But you didn’t see all of the vid. The alien attacked one of the humans.”
    Even in the low light Bingwen could see Meilin grow pale.
    “Oh,” she said.
    “But maybe they won’t come here to China,” said Bingwen. “The world is a big place. We’re only a tiny, microscopic dot on it.”
    “You’re only telling me what I want to hear,” said Meilin.
    “I’m telling you the truth. There are a lot of unknowns at the moment.”
    “Even so,” said Meilin, “we’d be stupid not to prepare for the worst.”
    “You’re right,” said Bingwen.
    She nodded and looked more insecure than before. “Good luck. Stay safe.”
    They watched her ascend the stairs and waited until she was inside her home before they started running again. They stayed in the fields, jogging along the narrow earth bridges that crisscrossed the fields horizontally and vertically, creating a huge patchwork quilt of irrigated paddies. When they were almost to their own village, the first boy appeared behind them, several paddies back. Then a boy to their right appeared a few paddies over, matching their speed in a run. A third boy on their left appeared next, watching them as he kept pace with them.
    “We’re being corralled,” said Hopper.
    “Boxed in,” said Bingwen.
    Sure enough, the boys around them began closing in.
    “Ideas?” said Hopper.
    “They’re taller than us,” said Bingwen. “And faster. We can’t outrun them.”
    “You mean I can’t outrun them,” said Hopper.
    “No, I mean both of us. You actually have greater stamina than me. You have a better chance of getting through than I do.”
    “Plan,” said Hopper.
    “You run ahead and get my father. I hang back and keep them busy.”
    “Self-sacrifice. How noble. Forget it. I’m not leaving you.”
    “Think, Hopper. Stay and we both get pummeled. Run ahead, and we might not. I’m saving my skin as much as yours. Now go.”
    Hopper picked up his speed, and Bingwen stopped where he was. As expected, the other boys closed in, ignoring Hopper. Bingwen turned to his left and stepped down the embankment into the nearest paddy. The water was cold and reached his waist. The mud was thick and squishy beneath his feet. The rice shoots were packed tightly together and tall as his shoulders. Bingwen scanned the edge of the paddy until he found one of the paddy frogs half submerged near the embankment. He scooped it up, stuffed the frog into his pocket, and made his way to the center of the paddy. By the time he reached it, the boys had arrived. Each of them took up a position on one of the paddy’s sides, leaving the northernmost side, the side toward Bingwen’s village, unguarded. Less than a minute later Zihao arrived at that end of the paddy, breathing heavily from the run. It was almost full dark now.
    “Out of the water,” said Zihao.
    Bingwen didn’t move.
    “You ruined our time at the library, mud brain,” said Zihao. “How are we supposed to leave this hole if mud brains like you keep ruining our computer time?”
    Bingwen kept his eyes toward the village, looking for an approaching lantern light to appear.
    “I said out of the water,” said Zihao.
    Bingwen said nothing.
    “Get out now or I’m coming in after you.”
    Bingwen stood still and silent.
    “I swear to you I will break your fingers one by one if you don’t get up here now.”
    Bingwen didn’t move. He wasn’t about to leave a defensive position. The water wasn’t much, but it was all he had.
    The boys around him shifted uncomfortably.
    “You think you’re so much smarter than everyone, don’t you, Bingwen? I’ve heard you speaking English into your computer. I’ve seen what you study. You’re a traitor.” He spat into the water.
    Bingwen didn’t move.
    Zihao was shouting now. “Get up here and face me, coward boy!”
    Bingwen looked toward the village. No lantern light approached.
    “I warned you,”