Endgame Read Online Free PDF Page B

it’s impossible for me to doubt his choices when parenthood so obviously agrees with him.
    “We’re not talking about you,” I assure him.
    “Then it’s sex stuff.” Sasha sighs.
    I’m not sure if I should show amusement, but March gives me permission with a nudge in my head, and pretty soon, all three of us are laughing like mad, loud enough to draw a few looks from other travelers, but this time, Sasha’s in on it, too, and he doesn’t mind the attention. From what I remember of being a kid, mood swings like that are normal. You’re surly, then not-surly, all within half an hour, thanks to the crazy hormone cocktail running amok in your bloodstream.
    “So where are we going?” March asks, for Sasha’s benefit. He’s gleaned everything he needs to know, and more besides, hanging around my head.
    “I’ve got a place.”
    Guilt surges. I refused to stay on Nicu Tertius with him, but here, I have my first dirtside residence since Gehenna, when I worked at Hidden Rue and lived in a garret above Adele’s place. I miss her so much; and I know that Vel is still hurting. It’s ironic that the same woman meant so much—in different ways—to both of us; doubtless she would argue that’s evidence of the divine. For him, the pain bleeds on and on until such a time when he doesn’t feel like it’s killing him,measured in tens of turns. He’s good at covering, but he’s heartbroken, and I make an imperfect consolation prize.
    I wonder what March will make of the fact that Vel and I are roommates. It made sense to take one place, divide up the space, and share costs. Loras, Constance, and Zeeka are there, too, so it’s not like it’s a romantic arrangement.
    It’s all right,
he tells me silently.
I understand
why
you’re here.
    Right. There’s a mission involved, and he knows that. It’s not like I decided to ground myself because the weather’s nice, and the scenery’s pretty. La’heng is a cold world; the flora and fauna are pretty uniform. The trees go brown if it’s dry, but they don’t shed leaves. Instead, needles drop during the drought. There are four seasons: Warm (Ferran), Cool (Ayfell), Dry (Taivan), and Wet (Shoofu). The weather definitely isn’t the same as New Terra’s because the patterns are more consistent, something to do with the moon and tides.
    In fact, I’m already going nuts here. March senses it. If I hadn’t augmented all the filing of motions with training Zeeka to jump, I might have lost my mind entirely; Dina was kind enough to provide us a nav-training chair and simulator before she took off. All told, it’s been a long, fruitless turn, and I can’t
wait
to get March home alone. That thought cheers me as I step out of the spaceport and fasten my jacket.
    “Is this yours?” Sasha asks, when a silver aircar zooms up to the platform.
    “Yep.”
    “I’ve always wanted to ride in one of these!”
    It’s a sleek model, sexy and aerodynamic, not boxy like some of the hover cabs. You feel like a million creds when you’re driving this thing, not that Vel let me more than once, after I scraped the paint. He’s rather possessive of this ride—and I don’t blame him. March cuts me an amused look. The door lifts up with a hydraulic hiss, so we can get in.
    “Good to see you again, Commander,” Vel says.
    “It’s just March now. And you, too, Vel.” He chucks the luggage behind the rear seat.
    “Sit up front,” I tell Sasha, who’s bouncing.
    I hope he’s learned better TK mastery in the last turn.
    “Really?” He doesn’t wait for confirmation, just scramblesinto the seat next to Vel. He’s definitely braver than the kid I met, because the Bug doesn’t spook him a bit. Instead, the kid studies the buttons and lights on the control panel, then he turns to Vel with a bunch of questions.
    Hope this won’t be awkward. I don’t want it to be.
    For a second, I forget that March is in my head. His surprise feels like a cool chill, then he asks,
What?
    Vel and I