The Creative Fire: 1 (Ruby's Song) Read Online Free PDF Page A

sleep every night.
    “I met her ten years later. She’s very focused. That’s what it takes, you know. Focus. She never stops practicing and working on new things.”
    “I’ve only heard three of her songs.”
    “I think there are four in your catalog.”
    The anger came back, a little, even after singing and even though she was hearing about Seren Gold. “So we don’t get all the songs either.”
    “No one gets all the songs.”
    She breathed in and out with as much control as she could exert, not wanting to stay angry with him. Surely hours had passed, and surely Ix would send someone for them soon. Fox’s head was turned far enough toward her that she could see his eyelashes, pale against the curve of his cheek. Everything about him felt different than the grays. He hadn’t run out of hope or energy or lost his soul.
    He knew real singers.
    She swallowed. This was a chance, a gift. He hadn’t said what he thought of her voice, but Bari had said that it was a great voice, and people did stop and listen to her practice.
    “So take me home with you.” She didn’t expect the words until they were out of her mouth, but they sounded good and right. “Take me.”

 
    4: The Jackman
    The crowd in the corridors stank of fear. Lines of people restless with waiting shifted and re-formed, inched closer to each other and drifted apart. Onor worked his way to the outer edge of the crowd, avoiding two more strings of reds converging on the transport station. The enforcers looked as scared as the grays they were herding.
    He struggled the wrong way through people still streaming in, many clutching large sacks, extra clothes, or boots. He shuffled his feet to avoid tripping over discarded possessions, a sure sign of the total lack of discipline that had descended on the pod. They knew better; stuff became projectiles in a gravgen failure.
    Thirst clawed at his throat, along with his fear. The energy gels were supposed to be consumed with water, but he didn’t have any.
    He stopped and sucked on a gel anyway, letting the corridors around him finish emptying. A red in full uniform came around a corner, brandishing a stunner. Onor quickly turned and knocked on the nearest door. The red stopped him, this one a rare woman in red. She had dark gray eyes that looked like a storm and didn’t hold any trust in them. “What are you doing here?”
    “They told me to look for stragglers.”
    “We can use the security cameras for that.”
    Onor dropped his eyes and did his best to sound earnest and biddable. “I’m just doing what I was told.”
    She pointed down the hall with her stunner. “Go on.”
    “I don’t want to make the red who sent me mad. Besides, what if someone needs me?” Like Ruby. “Could be old, or sick.”
    He thought she wasn’t going to buy it, but then she shook her head and said, “Be quick. I want to see you at the station before the last in line gets on the train. If you miss it, you might be stranded here when we power down the life support to do repairs. Do you understand?”
    He nodded.
    As if he hadn’t nodded, she stared at him and said, slowly, “You’ll die if you don’t come back.” Like he was stupid.
    He nodded again and she left. He headed for The Jackman’s door.
    It opened just as he reached toward it, throwing him off balance. The Jackman stood in the doorway, so tall his head just missed the top. His long, white beard fell over his ample belly, and he had a wide grin on his face. “Onor! About time.”
    Before Onor could ask The Jackman anything, he found himself sitting down with a glass of water clutched in his hand, tilting the blessed sweet stuff into his mouth and feeling how it made him functional again. He drained the glass. “You’re supposed to be at the transport center right now. Both of us are. They’re herding folks to the other pods.” He remembered the red’s insistent voice. “They’re gonna blow air on this one.”
    The Jackman raised a bushy eyebrow