Only Human (Themis Files, #3)(67)
—What is she doing?
—It’s just her face. That wall must be a hundred feet tall. All we see is her face, and the word Esant written underneath.
—Esant?
—Yes. I don’t know what it means.
—It’s a knife. A dagger. The…I forget her name. The…fortune teller in the blue tent. She has one. It’s an ancient thing. I think they used it in ceremonies a long time ago.
—Why would they call her that?
—I have no idea. People here call her a bunch of different things. Eva’s hard to pronounce, people don’t want to say Evat, that’s a man’s name. Her friends call her Yev. Maybe…
—Maybe what?
—Maybe nothing. The vowels are the same, that’s all. Did you ask? Did anyone say anything?
—No. I didn’t talk to anyone. I didn’t know what was going on, so I just ran back here.
—Could it be Ekim making some sort of grand gesture? You know, like a proposal on the giant screen at a baseball game?
—I don’t know, Vincent. He didn’t strike me as the grand gesture type.
—He might be. He’s not as shy when Eva’s not around. I think he just knows she’ll kill him if he puts her on the spot.
—That would qualify, don’t you think?
—Yeah, she’d be mad. I think he would have asked first, anyway. He asked for my permission before he bought her that necklace. Could Ekim even access these walls? Those are run by the government, right?
—They are.
—Maybe he knows someone? Someone who can hack the system, someone at the regional government?
—Vincent, I don’t think it’s Ekim at all. I think…
—What, Rose? You think what?
—I think someone is forcing our hand.
—The empress?
—Who else could do this? Think about it. It’s perfect. Either we go for it and give her names. She swoops in and arrests everyone. Or we don’t, she does it anyway, but now she has an excuse to get rid of us no matter what. Eva’s the poster child for what these people are marching for. Make her a terrorist, and suddenly everyone asking for more food starts to look suspicious.
—…
—Vincent?
—…
—Vincent, say something!
—We have to turn them in. We have to give the empress what she wants.
—…
—We have to find Eva, and we have to turn everyone in.
—They’ll kill them, Vincent.
—They’ll kill Eva.
—Are you sure about this?
—No matter what, Rose. That’s what you said.
—I know what I said. I just…
—We’ll have to move fast. Her friends will know she’s in danger. They’ll be hiding her. We have to get to her before the security forces do.
—We don’t know if the security forces are even after her, Vincent.
—Yeah, we do. They’re here.
FILE NO. EE464—PERSONAL FILE FROM ESAT EKT
Interview between Vincent Couture and Opt Enatast
Location: Assigned residence, Etyakt region
—Enatast! Why are you here? Why is security with you?
—Vincent, you and I have espent time together. I do not know how easy your people form reyationships. You are the one Terran I know good— —Well. Oh, that’s right, you still can’t do the l’s.
—I hope it is not bad for me to say you are my friend.
—Thank you, Enatast. I also think of you as a friend.
—Then you must understand that what I am about to say, I say as a representative of Etyakt and not your friend.
—What is going on, Enatast?
—Where is Eva?
—I don’t know. Just tell me why you’re here.
—She is wanted for acts of terror.
—The bombings in Osk?
—There have been more bombings in four regions. She was seen near one in Eskyaks.
—This must be a mistake, Enatast. Eva wouldn’t—She’s never even left this town, let alone the region!
—I have seen the images, Vincent. She was there.
—It doesn’t make any sense. Eva can’t even make soup. Do you think she knows how to make a bomb? Where would she get it? Why?
—This morning, every region received a message from a group caying itself Eposk Yetskots, Hand of Yetskots. They say they put the bomb. They have made demands. More represent…ation for part-Ekt.
—What does that have to do with my daughter? Why is her face on every wall in the city?
—We did not send that image, the Hand of Yetskots did.
—Esant? The dagger?
—Maybe they want to make her a…symboy.
—A symbol of what? She’s…We’re all alone here. There’re her, me, and Rose.
—What happened to Terra was a bad thing, Vincent. Many many Terrans dead who did nothing to the Ekt. It scared those with non-Ekt ancestors. It united them. They have been divided for many, many times. Some are from pyanets that make war with another. Your Terra has everyone’s sympathy. You are victims of a great injustice by the Ekt and, in their mind, want the same thing they want. Eva is young and…epust, and she is Terran. She is a perfect face for an uprising.