The Scythian Crisis

Chapter Two-2

AFTERWARD, THEY LAY together on his narrow bunk. Ethan’s cabin was tiny but he was lucky not to have to share it with anyone. The Mistral was packed with babies and young children, heavily pregnant women, and the old and disabled. He’d been thinking of giving up his room and sleeping in the hold or some other out-of-the-way place. He was glad that he hadn’t.

Ethan’s face was pressed into Cariad’s frizzy black hair as he curled around her, sleepily musing on how he’d forgotten the softness of a woman’s skin.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Cariad said. “I was certain you were dead. I came looking for you, you know, and I couldn’t find you.”

Her words sparked Ethan from his doze. “You came looking for me? When? And how did you know where to look?”

Cariad explained that she’d been tracking his flitter signal while he’d been gone on his expedition.

“Then one day the signal disappeared,” she continued. “At first I thought it might be a mistake, something wrong with the satellite feed. But then when the signal didn’t return, I was really worried about you. So I went to the signal’s last location before it cut out to try to find out what had happened.”

“Where and when was that?” Ethan asked.

Cariad told him she’d gone to the river where he’d been held captive and the date it had been.

“I lost track of time when I was down there,” said Ethan, “so I’m not certain, but I think I’d already been in the threads’ cell for a few days by then. The flitter must have continued transmitting while it was submerged. Maybe the signal died when the threads finally figured out how to break into the transmitter casing.”

“So I was at the right spot?” Cariad asked. “You were exactly where I was looking, only under the water?”

“I think so. After the flitter disappeared I walked beside the river for four or five days, trying to reach the mountains and pass over them to return to the settlement, but I had to go near the riverbank to drink. I knew threads were living in the river because they’d already tried to drag me in, but I had no other source of water. My luck ran out and they caught me, and I remember being dragged way back downstream to the place I’d originally landed the flitter. It was at that spot they put me in the chamber they’d built.”

“If only I’d known it,” Cariad said. “You were right there! I could have tried to rescue you.”

“You wouldn’t have succeeded. They would only have caught you too. Then we would have both been trapped.”

“But we would have been together,” Cariad said. “You wouldn’t have been alone all that time.”

“I wouldn’t have wanted you in there with me, Cariad. Not for anything. Not even for the pleasure of having you for company.”

“Was it that awful?”

Ethan cuddled her closer. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“Okay. Is your leg feeling better now?”

“It’s fine. Doesn’t give me any pain at all. Kurtz told me he thinks he’s found something in the Guardians’ medical equipment that regrows body parts. He was suggesting that I try it, but that if I do I’ll probably have to stay in bed while my leg regrows.”

“You’re kidding me,” Cariad said. “That would be amazing. I wonder if it could help Woken who were injured during their revival? Maybe it could regrow Vasquez’s spinal cord or Anahi’s eyes.”

“Maybe. You should speak to Kurtz. You’ll understand what he’s talking about better than me.”

Ethan felt Cariad stiffen.

“Is something wrong?” Ethan asked.

“I guess I might understand an item of medical equipment better than you,” Cariad replied. “But you’re putting yourself down again. Why do you always do that? I would have thought that after everything you’ve accomplished you would be more confident.”

“Everything I’ve accomplished?” Ethan chuckled. “You mean getting myself captured and nearly dying? I didn’t escape, you know. The threads let me go.”

Cariad turned over to face him. Her deep brown eyes were only centimeters from his own. He wanted to kiss her but her expression was serious and slightly annoyed.

“You survived out in the wild on an alien planet, alone, for weeks,” she said. “I couldn’t have done that. I came back after one day outside the settlement by myself. I didn’t want to spend a night in the open unless it was inside a moving flitter, and even then I was terrified something would get me. And I was only out there because I was worried about you. You chose to leave and explore the continent. Then you returned alive after being held captive by alien organisms who only had the barest idea of your physical needs. There aren’t many people who could have lived through that. Very few, in fact.”

“Aw Cariad, you don’t have to exaggerate to make me feel better about my own foolishness,” said Ethan.

“Who’s exaggerating?” Cariad asked. “I’m stating the facts. All the time I’ve known you... Everything you’ve done, you’ve been exceptional. I just wish you would accept it.”

Her boldly stated opinion made Ethan uncomfortable. “Well I don’t agree, but let’s not argue. It doesn’t matter anyway.”

“Of course it matters,” Cariad said, her expression turning earnest. “Ethan, we have an impossible fight ahead of us. Of all people this colony needs, it needs you the most. Osias is dead, but as good as he was he wasn’t half the Leader you would be. You’re smart. Common sense smart. And resourceful. And brave. You believe in the right things and you never give up. The Gens have always looked up to you, ever since the First Night Attack. The Woken respect you. What more do you have to hear to convince you to take the place you deserve and lead us? You have to do it, Ethan. We all need you, now more than ever.”

Ethan drew away from Cariad. Her statements were making his guts squirm. “That’s a crazy idea.” Then a horrible thought occurred to him. “Is that what this is about?” he asked.

“What? What do you mean?”

“This,” Ethan replied. “Here and now. Us here, together. Is this some scheme you hatched?” Cariad’s praise had embarrassed him, and his embarrassment was quickly transforming to anger. He hardly knew what he was saying as the words flew out. “Is it because you want to persuade me to take on the leadership?”

“What?!” Indignation made Cariad’s eyes so wide the white showed around her irises. “No! Of course not! How could you even think that?”

But Ethan had already swung his legs over the side of the bunk and was standing up. His ire and confusion made him forget he was missing one of his lower legs, and he fell, landing heavily. He sprawled on his stomach and face.

“Ethan! Are you okay?”

He cursed and struggled onto his hands and knees. Cariad was sitting up in the bunk and peering down at him. He reached for his clothes, which lay on the floor, and began to pull on his pants. He shuffled awkwardly into them.

“What are you doing?” Cariad asked, umbrage edging her concerned tone.

Ethan’s pants were on. He gripped a desk to help pull himself to his feet.

“Are you leaving?” asked Cariad. “Wait. Let’s talk. This is ridiculous.”

He grabbed his shirt and his prosthetic leg and hopped twice to reach the cabin door. He pressed the release and hopped outside. Cariad called out to him but the door cut off her words as it closed.

Ethan leaned against the bulkhead, his thoughts and emotions dancing crazily. Pulling up his pants leg, he attached the prosthetic. He set off unsteadily down the corridor, putting on his shirt.

Leader? He couldn’t be Leader in a million years. He didn’t want to be Leader. The idea was preposterous. What the hell was Cariad thinking?