“Aren’t you going to deliver your line?”
“No,” he says through gritted teeth at the same time I ask, “What line?”
“While you were off being tricked by your mother,” Avi supplies, “Lament’s friend Archmon delivered the compounder. We all worked together to add the final panels to Moon Dancer, then did a test run.”
“But…” I blink. “How? I thought she was still weeks away from—”
“Not weeks,” Avi interrupts. “Hours. Moon Dancer is finished, Keller. We got her flying.”
26
When I message RudyRivon (because I don’t have my mother’s number and wouldn’t have had the courage to reach out to her directly anyway), my fingers are less than steady.I’ve given it some thought, I type while the others hover around my shoulders like eager parrots.I shouldn’t have run out of there like that, and I want to apologize. But you surprised me—
“No,” Vera interrupts. “You can’t apologize and make excuses. It’s one or the other.”
I backspace.I want to apologize. I think I’m ready to join—
“You can’t say you’re ready to join yet,” one of the Youvu Hums protests. “It’s too soon for that.”
More backspacing.I was hoping we could set up a time to talk, maybe on The Parallax—
“Too blatant,” Avi objects. “They’ll know your angle.”
“You write it, then,” I huff, tossing the handheld at the group. Jester catches it, and they all huddle around, muttering about verbiage and length and whether or not to use an exclamation point. I try to exchange anAre you seeing this?look with Lament, but he’s removed himself from the conversationand is now sitting on the edge of his bed, pointedly ignoring me. Which I get. Even if it sucks.
At last, Vera holds up the device and says, “Done.”
“It’s a good message,” Toph notes preemptively, touching his tongue to his lip. “It strikes the right balance betweenI’m interested in making amendsandI’m definitely not attempting to infiltrate your spaceship.I expect we should be hearing back any—” The screen lights up in Vera’s hand.
As one, the group (minus Lament) pile around to read.
I’m glad you remain open to discussion, comes Rivon’s reply, in similarly conciliatory tones. I think I owe you an apology for how things went at the museum. Nina and I talked, and we realize we were probably a bit heavy-handed.
Avi snorts. “Speaking over someone is heavy-handed. Locking a person in a room iscriminal.”
The group starts to compose their reply (or, I should saymyreply), but a string of messages follows Rivon’s last one. Nina and I would like to set up another meeting.
I know you have questions about our movement and our mission.
We think it would be best for you to talk to Ran personally.
If that’s agreeable.
Everyone starts speaking at once, but Vera shushes them as she types furiously. It takes longer than it should for her to land onI think that will work.
Avi gives a slow clap. “You’re an artist.”
“Shh,” Vera hisses.
“He can’thearus,” Avi complains.
“Ican hear you.”
This time, Rivon’s reply takes longer. While most of the Sixers are watching the handheld for a message, my attention drifts, once again, to Lament. He looks… unhappy. In, like, a deep, in-your-bones kind of way. And… it’s my fault, isn’t it? Which means it’s also my responsibility to set things right. I should go to him. Ask what he’s thinking, what I can doto make it better. Only, confronting him here, now, would take a type of courage I don’t have on the best of days. And today has not been the best.
At last, Rivon’s reply lights up the screen. Excellent. I’ll send the location.
And just like that, we’re in.
