Light From Uncommon Stars(19)

As a violin teacher, Shizuka knew exactly how to bring out a student’s best technique. As a performer, she could read a concert hall without thinking.

But how does one talk to a person as a person? She was never good at that. If she had been, she would never have needed to play the violin.

“So, what do you do when you’re not making donuts?”

“I take care of my family, and make sure they are safe.”

Lan closed her eyes and felt the sun on her face. Not too bright, not too dim. Good yellow star.

“Getting them here must have been difficult,” she heard Shizuka say.

“Yes,” she replied truthfully.

“But I am happy you’re here—I mean, for the neighborhood,” Shizuka added quickly. “Most corner lots get turned into mini malls—I’ve always liked the Big Donut. So I’m glad you’re here to build up Starrgate.”

“Thank you. It was—”

Wait. Lan had gotten lost in the sound of Shizuka’s voice. But she could have sworn she just said build the stargate.

Lan went on immediate alert. Shirley had said this woman could hear the warp field. And now she mentioned their journey and the stargate.

How could she know what the Trans were doing? What if she was from the Empire itself? The Empire’s intelligence network was vast. Some agents could even read minds.

Quietly, Lan reached for her phone and activated its weapon mode. If needed, she could stun this woman and leave immediately.

“Why exactly did you bring me here?” Lan asked. If she were a Galactic agent, it was better to know now.

“To enjoy the afternoon, and feed ducks,” Shizuka said.

“And?” Lan asked. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

Now it was Shizuka’s turn to be surprised. What did Donut Lady know about the violin world? Maybe someone had recognized her at the donut shop? Maybe she’d heard rumors that the so-called Queen of Hell was looking for a new student?

But even if that were true, how would Lan the Donut Lady know she had found a student here?

Why had she even asked Lan along? She should be focused on the final student. Could she have been charmed? Could Donut Lady be working with Tremon Philippe?

Just then, a duck walked up in front of her and shat.

Shizuka looked down at the duck turd. Seriously …

This was all so stupid! Just for once, could she not put the secrets away? Besides, how would Lan even know about Tremon, violins, and human souls?

“Yes. I am waiting for a violin student, who probably isn’t coming…” she let herself say.

“What?”

“Look, I don’t know what others have told you about me, and I won’t deny what they said isn’t true. But right now…”

The Queen of Hell shrugged. “But right now, I am enjoying my time with you.”

Lan was their captain. She was also their mother, and she should be protecting them instead of wasting an afternoon with this woman.

This woman … whose voice reminded her of those times sailing by stars and darkness, when the rest of the crew was asleep, whose voice made her feel as if within the wave of the ship’s engines, the whir of its life support, the rush of space about her.

“I think the ducks are still hungry,” Lan finally said.

They opened the bag of donuts. This time, they made sure to go slowly. There was no reason to rush, and all the reasons not to.

Shizuka listened to the basketball players, the softball players. Somewhere, a referee was blowing a whistle. From the gym was the light, rapid cadence of table tennis.

“Just tell me,” Lan asked, “how did you know we escaped the Galactic Empire?”

“You mean Vietnam?”

“Vietnam?”

“Cambodia?”

“Wait, what—”

Lan tried to cover up her mistake, but it was too late.

For Shizuka realized then that the stars she had seen in Lan Tran’s eyes were not figurative. They were real.





7


Ew.

What was that smell?

Oh, of course. Evan and his friends had been smoking and drinking all night, discussing what they could do to overthrow white privilege and oppression, and someone must have thrown up.

She touched her hair and frowned. Had she even showered? The week had been hazy. She remembered that the latest hookup wanted no condom, and she had almost said yes. Probably the next time, she wouldn’t be such a stuck-up bitch, right? The voices in her head were getting louder and louder.

Who do you think you are?

Freak.

Ugly.

You’re just another random queer. If you died, no one would care.

She looked at the contents of her purse spread out on the coffee table. From time to time, Evan or Skylar or someone else rifled through her stuff. But when Katrina asked them to stop, they told her she was being paranoid. In the end, she was always the one to apologize.

Katrina reached under the sofa for her violin.

She frowned. She checked. She checked again.

Her violin was gone.

“Where’s my violin?”

Evan shrugged.

“Where is it?”

Katrina launched herself at Evan, but he pushed her away. Her head hit the wall hard. Evan rushed forward, but Katrina ducked, spun around him, and pulled his head back by his hair. She noticed that Evan was lot weaker than her father.