Chapter 2
Bard came awake by degrees. His whole body felt sore, abraded, and raw. He was bundled in what he finally identified as a sleeping bag, or perhaps two, and they seemed to weigh him down. He wanted to shove them back, but he didn’t have that much strength. An even greater weight bore against him on one side. After a minute he realized it was another body, one that pressed against him from neck to ankles, closer than he had been to another human being since his last liberty on Quaydeshaar. That desert world was well-known for its talented prostitutes and dizzying drinks. He could only remember bits and pieces of his time there.
By slow degrees, the attack came back to his recollection. Of course, his suit had been shredded by the wasps’ obsidian blades. Though small, they were al
