Wine of the Gods 1: Exiles and Gods Read Free Page A

kitchen. It was pretty easy to learn the controls, and he produced cookies to share around with the other kids.
    Lillian snorted as he distributed them. "Did you notice they're not programmed for alcohol? They gave us a 'child safe' kitchen! They're still controlling us."
    "Never fear, someone is sure to start a still." Chris grinned. "I read how it worked once, I'll give it a try if we develop a desperate need to get drunk and rowdy."
    There were four boys under ten, five boys and four girls between ten and fifteen, the other twenty-seven of them were older than that. Chris wondered if the older bias reflected the growing unpopularity of genetic engineering. Or the younger the kids, the more likely the parents emigrated too. Or both.
    Mid-morning the government people walked the line, got everyone woken up and their vehicles started up. The driver and the nanny got off.
    Milly sat behind the wheel, and inched forward with the line. According to their instructions, she tried to stay close to the trailer full of cattle in front of her, as the line lumbered forward and built up a bit of speed.
    Lillian scooted up to Milly's seat. "Remember, hands off the wheel the moment we get to the wheel guides for the gate, get ready to start steering as soon as we pop through, and do not stop."
    Mill y nodded. "The cows will go left, I go straight ahead, the car behind veers a bit right, and everyone is happy . . . Oh. My. God!"
    Chris gawped at the spinning h oop of light and leaping lightening arcs. "Keep driving. Straight ahead. There are the guides, take your hands off the wheel . . . " The bus dived into the electrical whirlwind. A subliminal impression of a roaring torrent of light . . . and out into sunshine. The bus dropped at least a foot, the under chassis hit the ground and scrapped. Then they bounced over lumpy bumpy grass.   The cattle trailer ahead was wobbling badly. The driver wasn't about to try veering. "Edge to the left, I don't think that guy dares to turn at all." The bus jounced left, then she swerved hard as the trailer brakes lit. The bus swayed, and Milly turned the wheel back to steady it. Chris winced at a scrape and glanced back. Behind them, cars were appearing out of a glowing circle, but the circle was moving away from them, spreading the cars out further.
    "Okay. You can stop now." Chris took a deep breath, and stepped up to open the doors.
    And down onto a whole new world.
    "God damn it, you hit me!" The driver of the cattle trailer climbed down from his big Dodge doolie and stomped back to look at his cattle. Nothing showed on the pipe construction. "Stupid kids can't drive, no wonder your parents dumped you." 
    Chris traced the long scrape down the side of the bus. "I thought the gate would be holding still, not moving like that. I guess that made it impossible for you to turn left, like you'd been instructed. You're lucky we didn't rear end you. In as much as we'd been instructed to drive straight and not stop until we were way far away from the gate."
    "Listen you little shit . . ."
    Chris felt like every horrible moment for the last year was about to shatter his skull. From some detached observation point he heard himself talking. "Going to call the cops? You're the one who'd get a ticket. Call a lawyer? Sue us? You'll have to start a government, form up some courts, elect a judge, and pass some laws. And there's forty-two of us and only one of you. You're out voted." Chris turned back to the bus. "Asshole."
    "Why you little . . . " The man started toward him.
    The screaming body fell out of nowhere. Hit the ground between them. A man, naked but for some greenish slime all over and blocky cage-like helmet over his head.
    Li llian shrieked, and Chris was startled into motion. The man twisted on the ground, gasping for breath. He was big, muscular, looked like some weird Martian Warrior from a sci-fi story. All he needed was a big shiny sword and a loincloth.
    Lil lian screamed again, Chris turned in