Deluge
- Автор: Маккефри Энн, Скарборо Элизабет
- Серия: The Twins of Petaybee #3
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «Deluge». Краткое содержание книги:
Meanwhile, the powerful and avaricious Company is making another attempt to take over the world of Petaybee for its resources, and the twins parents, Yana and Sean, along with the entire planet, must fight for the independence of their sentient world once and for all...
But then another group, this one of smaller kids, stepped between the two. To Murel’s surprise, one of them reached out and touched the big girl’s hand and said something to her in a musical language Murel recognized, hearing her name and Ronan’s in what the child said. The bully’s fist uncurled, but she advanced again on Chesney, who was on the ground and bleeding. Kneeling, she reached her hand out and grumbled, “Sorry, kid.” Then she turned to Dewey. “Sorry about your food too. You can have mine tomorrow.”
She looked up at Ronan and Murel. “Okay? No hard feelings?”
Before they could answer, she rose, jumped over Chesney’s legs, and disappeared into one of the huts.
The girl who had touched the bully’s hand said, “Kai’s just mad. She’s been like that all her life, I guess.
I’m Pele, by the way. Kai’s my big sistah. I get scared, Maia gets her feelings hurt, Ke-ola wants to understand what’s going on, and Keoki wants to argue. Kai gets mad.” She shrugged.
“You know Ke-ola and Keoki?” Ronan asked.
“They are my bruthas. Kai’s too. And we all know you two. You’re the se-” She stopped at Ronan’s shushing motion. “-the twins,” she finished quickly. Dropping her voice, she asked, “Have you come to save us again? Please save Kai too, even though she’s a pain. She’s not always like this, just when she gets upset.”
“She should learn to yell or hit a rock or something,” Murel said resentfully. “Not pick on people who are littler than she is.”
“When we got here, some of the big kids took our food,” a round-faced little boy said belligerently.
“Kai’s just doing it back.”
“It’s brave-if stupid-to do it back to the people that pick on you,” Ronan told him. “It’s mean and not very logical to treat other people the way you hated to be treated yourself.”
Spoken like a true Petaybean shepherd seal, Murel told him. Maybe it sounded bossy to other people, but really, it was basic stuff. Other kids ought to know it already, she thought, but evidently it hadn’t registered with some of them. She looked up and saw that the captain had come to the door of his hut and was watching them. He’d probably heard everything they said. It was a good thing Ronan had kept Pele from talking about their seal-selves.
As long as nobody knew they were selkies, they could use it to escape. Actually, the problem was that several people here already knew about them. Rory, for one, and all of the Kanaka kids had either seen them change or heard about it from the others, she was sure. If the powers that be here found out about them, she and Ro were likely to be in a bad way.
So far nobody had taken names or anything like that, though she supposed if the soldiers did want to use certain kids to make certain parents confess or follow orders or whatever it was they were supposed to do, they’d find out who was who. They had to know where they’d collected the different groups of kids, and in that, she and Ro were lucky because so far the soldiers hadn’t bothered to find out who they belonged to. She supposed they’d been too busy with the adults.
The captain was joined by Lieutenant Bunyon, who brought a whistle to her mouth and blew a short, piercing blast. All of the kids turned to look at her. “For you newcomers, indoctrination will take place in a half hour in back of the admin hut, followed by a special treat for everyone,” she announced. “We’ll be showing a special film. I’m making popcorn for everyone who attends.”
The reaction was mixed. Those within sight of the officers made what Murel felt were exaggerated expressions of excitement and enthusiasm. Some were going for the popcorn, which was apparently some sort of treat, and extra rations whether you actually thought it was yummy or not.
The lieutenant added, “For you newcomers, the film is mandatory. For the rest, curfew is extended until after it is over. Reassemble behind the admin hut at the sound of my whistle.”
Ke-ola’s little sister grabbed Murel’s hand and tugged her toward a hut. Huy gave her a dirty look.
Nobody was inviting the other new kids anywhere.
“Just a sec,” Murel told the girl, and turned back to Huy. “Look, these kids can tell us what the situation is here. I need to find out what they know. It’s not like I’m taking sides or anything.”
“Who cares?” Huy said. “You’re just looking out for yourself. You don’t fool me. We’ll find out soon enough what’s going on here when they tell us. But you and your brother, living with Madame up in her mansion, you’re used to special privileges. You certainly don’t want to hang out with the rest of us.”
“That’s not true,” Murel protested. “But I can’t explain right now. Okay? See you at indoctrination.”
She followed Pele into a hut filled with Kanaka relatives. There was no room for even one more person.
“Sorry,” Pele said. “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble with your friend, but we got to talk. You need to be warned.”
“What about?”
“Baths,” she said.
“Oh, yeah, that’s going to be a problem,” Murel said glumly. The minute the water touched her or Ronan and they changed, it was going to be all over.
“Don’t worry, big sistah. I have an idea,” Pele said, and with her brothers and sisters gathered around close so she could whisper, she told Murel.
INDOCTRINATION WAS MOSTLY about schedules. Mealtimes, curfews, bath days, immunizations, and other structured events that the orphans and children of social and criminal deviants should be happy the company chose to provide for them so their lives would not turn out as badly as those of their parents. Newcomers would not have to worry about finding a place to sleep until later. Tonight they were to sleep in an isolation hut. Tomorrow, after they were bathed, shaved, and immunized, they could be placed in quarters with longer-term residents who would assist in their assimilation to camp life.
All during her lecture there was a tantalizing smell of hot grease and grain that made the twins’ mouths water. Just before the film started, a shaved-headed older boy wearing a cut-down version of the Company Corps uniform went among them with a carry sack and dribbled a few hot, salty kernels into each outstretched hand.
Then the film began, shown against the backdrop of a large white piece of cloth, the texture of the reed hut showing through it.
I can see why she offered extra food, Ronan told Murel after the film started. This is so lame! It’s nothing but a recruitment ad for the Corps.
I know. Pele says they’ve shown one every other day since the Piaf arrived. Bunyon doesn’t always offer extra food. That seems to be for our benefit.
Yeah, but I didn’t get much, did you?
A couple of pieces. Why did she bother with the come-on, do you think?
Because we’re new, I guess.
Soldiers marched, singing loud songs whose lyrics were lost in the voice-over of the narrator extolling the brilliant training and physical perfection that those who joined the Corps would achieve. Shots of them eating delicious-looking food and enjoying recreational facilities came next. Then all the thrilling occupational opportunities. Pilot, engineer, communications expert…
Hey, let’s sign up to be one of those, Ro said. Then we could contact Marmie’s friends.
Uh, I think they’d catch on, since they brought us from the station.
Probably.
She told him about the baths and what she had discussed with Pele and her family. I don’t trust that Kai, though.
She’s not taking this well, that’s for sure, Ro agreed. But she knows we’re friends of Ke-ola’s and trying to help her people, so I can’t see why she’d mess with us.
Me either, Murel agreed. But I don’t trust her, all the same.