The Sowing

Unslinging the medical backpack from my shoulder, I rifle through it. Aside from basic first-aid supplies, there are also some ration bars and a nav-glove that plots coordinates on a small screen embedded in its palm. That might come in very handy. I set it aside for now and pull out one of the first-aid kits before tossing the pack to Digory. “Can you check Talon out? Make sure she’s okay? You remember our Recruit training, right?”

A look flits across his eyes. Sadness? Pain? Then it’s gone, replaced by blue steel. He takes the bag from me and sets to work without so much as a glance my way.

Pushing thoughts from my head, I leave Digory with Talon and kneel beside Cassius.

His eyes flutter open and he tries to sit up. “You couldn’t…

do it… could you?”

He’s wrong. I could have finished him off if he didn’t have something I needed. After everything I’ve been through, everything I’ve seen, I’m almost immune to death. Hell, I killed Renquist with these same bare hands.

I shove Cassius back against the ground.

His body spasms as he coughs, his fingers rubbing the welts on his throat, tears streaming from his eyes. “Maybe you still have feelings for me?”

For a split second, the cockiness in his eyes flickers, replaced by something… else. Then it’s gone like so much static.

And it’s my turn to laugh, a hollow sound that echoes through the wreckage before it’s strangled by the wind. I lean in close. “The only feelings I have for you are disgust and pity.”

The look on his pale face shows I’ve scored a direct hit.

Digory’s shadow falls over us. He’s staring at Cassius, and the look on his face is one of pure hatred.

Before I can stop him, Digory lunges.

“Wait!”

Cassius tries to pry Digory’s fingers away, but I can tell it’s a lost cause. Digory’s eyes are blank slates. I definitely get his rage. But we still need Cassius.

I sidle up to Digory, touching his cheek, leaning in to whisper in his ear. “Please. He can get us back to the Parish. I need to get to Cole. For me.”

His eyes shift toward mine and thaw. He nods and releases.

“It’s okay,” I say. “I understand.”

Cassius hawks up a wad of nasty from his throat and spits it on the ground beside us. “I suppose you know he used to work for me.”

Digory takes a step toward him, but I hold him back. “He never worked for you.”

Cassius nods. “Right. A rebel spy. But not a very good one. I found out what he was up to—”

“Which is why you had us both recruited that day,” I finish. “A lot of good it did you.” I grab Digory’s hand. “We’re both still kicking.”

Cassius stares at us. “Yes. I see you two have found your way back to each other. Touching.”

I shake my head. “Looks like you’re just not having a great day, Cassius. First you lose your installation. Then you crash in this dump. And finally I find out that Digory isn’t dead like you led me to believe.”

He glances at Digory. “Who says the Digory Tycho you knew isn’t dead?”

His words hang in the air like a heavy cloud.

I turn to Digory. “How’s Talon?”

He shrugs.

“Assuming Cassius is telling the truth about there being a ship that can get us out of here, we can get Talon into a bio-scanner and check for internal injuries. For now, we’ll assume it’s just a concussion.” My eyes probe the bruising horizon. “Time to be on our way.”

Digory rummages through the medical pack and pulls out a pair of restraints, which he tosses over to me.

I smile at him. “Thanks.”

Cassius strains to sit up. “You won’t need—”

“Shut up.”

Ignoring Cassius’s protests, I cuff him before proceeding to give him a basic med exam. In spite of multiple lacerations and a sprained leg, he seems intact. Good.

I pull him up by the collar. “You’re good enough to walk. I’m gonna need you to help carry your fearless leader here.”

With Digory’s help, we use pieces of debris to fashion a crude travois made of two metal struts from the Vulture wreckage joined by torn fabric from the remnants of a seat’s upholstery. In no time, Digory’s carried the Prime Minister over and settled her onto the stretcher as I use some torn strips of seat belts to strap her down securely.

“Be careful,” Cassius warns. “She shouldn’t be moved in her condition.”

“She’ll live.” I glance up from Talon. “Besides, you’re the one who’s going to need to be careful.”

Then we’re strapping the makeshift litter to Cassius’s back, as if he were a caballus or some other beast of burden.

No. That’s insulting to animals.

I nod to Digory. “Let’s go.”

“Which way?” I bark at Cassius.

He shakes his head. “If I tell you the way, you’ll have no more need for me and will probably leave me to die.”

Digory and I exchange glances. There’s no use pretending Cassius doesn’t have a point.

Cassius clears his throat. “I’ll give you coordinates for the first leg of our journey. There’s a beacon not too far from the landing strip that my Vulture was headed to.”