Only Human (Themis Files #3)(38)

—You know. You have two apples and eleven friends. What does each friend get?

—Nothing. They get squat. I haven’t had an apple in five years. I’d shoot the eleven kids if I had to.

—Maybe you should be the one teaching her.

—I was until now.

—What are you talking about?

—Goddammit, Couture! Pay attention to your kid. She doesn’t have a day job, she has half a day job. The rest of the time she spends with that young guard trainee, some old man from the soup kitchen, that blue friend of yours.

—Esok? How do you know all that?

—I read tea leaves … Because she tells me, you idiot! She might tell you if you paid attention. She stops by my place every morning. She usually brings some yesketats she gets from the market.

—You like that red juice?

—Oh yeah.

—It’s too sweet for me.

—We talk, I show her things.

—What do you talk about?

—Whatever it is she wants to learn. She likes military strategy.

—You’re teaching her to fight?

—Do I look like a kung fu master to you? I’m out of breath after I tie my shoes. No! Strategy! Classical stuff: hammer and anvil, oblique order, blitzkrieg, flanking maneuvers—she likes that. We reenact famous battles, with beans and rocks. She’s a natural. She doesn’t know the names of things, but she has great instinct.

—I didn’t know that.

—I know you didn’t. You’re so busy trying to make all of this “normal,” making her feel like she’s back home, you don’t notice what’s happening here. I got news for you, son, this ain’t home. There’s nothing normal about it.

—I just want—

—I know what you want! You’re not getting it. Maybe it’s time you start wanting something else.

—I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.

—You’re not “supposed” to do anything, Couture. You decide. You have no idea what to do, well here’s one for you. Get your head out of your ass and get that kid of yours home!

—The Council might rule our way, I—

—The Council? You’ve been waiting for them for five goddamn years! They’re not helping us. How long will it take for you to get that through that thick head of yours? Eva’s fifteen now, Couture. Fifteen? Are you gonna wait until she’s thirty? Get her away from this place. We don’t belong here, son. She doesn’t.

—I don’t know—

—I don’t know what to do … Is there an echo in here? Boohoo. You find a way home, and you take it. I told you to make friends. You barely get out of your house. You can’t even see what’s right in front of your nose. I just told you your daughter spends all her days with an Imperial Guard trainee. What do you think these people do? They pilot big-ass metal robots, that’s what they do.

—He can’t do it on his own. I already asked. They control all the robots from one place. We’d need someone to let us go. We could try and take that command center by force, but I …

—You what? You’re afraid it might be dangerous? You don’t want to put her in harm’s way? She’s already in harm’s way, Couture. There are riots every day. Someone bombed—well, vaporized—a government building in Osk this morning.

—I didn’t know.

—This place is on the verge of revolution, and we’re smack-dab in the middle of it. One side blames us, the other one uses us.

—They know we have nothing to do with what’s going on.

—Oh, we’re involved. We’re involved whether we like it or not. Your daughter is. Don’t fool yourself into thinking she’s safe because they haven’t hurt her yet. You get your kid off this rock, you hear me? You need to promise me you’ll get her home.

—I’ll—

—Goddammit, Couture! You don’t try. You do it!

—Yes, sir.

—That’s my boy. Now hand me that loaf of bread, will you?

—What? This?

—Are you making fun of my bread?

—You made this … thing?

—You try making bread with what they have here.

—It looks more like a pancake. Did you use any yeast?

—And how would I do that? Go to the market and ask for fungus? Would you eat that?

—Probably not.

—That’s right. Could be someone’s athlete’s foot. I hate this place. There’s nothing good to eat. Not a goddamn thing. You know the first thing I’m gonna do when I’m gone?

—What?

—I’m gonna have the biggest goddamn steak anyone’s ever seen. What? I’m dying! You think that’s funny?

—You think there’s steak in Heaven?

—Oh, I don’t know if I believe in Heaven.

—You don’t know if you believe in Heaven, but you’re sure about the steak.

—Yes. Do you have anything to say about that?

—I …

—Be very careful with the next words to come out of your mouth, Couture. You’re addressing a brigadier general in the Earth Defense Corps.

—I hope it’s bloody as hell, sir.





FILE NO. EE151—PERSONAL FILE FROM ESAT EKT