Healmost spoke.Instead, he glanced away.
“Oh, Iknow that look,” she said.“You’re sharing this.”
“I,uh—” He scratched his neck.“I don’t have anywhere specific in mind.There areplenty of places to scratch off a list, but the idea—well, myidea was that I would just stuff coin and supplies in my pack, choose a randomdirection, and start walking towards the horizon.I would go where the windtook me, more or less.”He shrugged, still looking away.“I don’t know.It’sjust a fantasy of mine.I’ve probably read too many adventure novels.”
“It israther like begging to be robbed,” she said.“Nonetheless, it’s got a charmingwhimsy to it.Almost romantic, even.”
“Well,I am a very romantic person.”
Shesnorted.“Are you now?”
“I’venever had the chance to be one before.Not openly, at least.I’m probably notvery good at it yet.”He managed to glance at her.“And maybe you should’veasked.”
“MaybeI will.”
Slowly,the streets seemed to shift around them.They were entering the deeper reachesof the city, towards the midsection of the torso, and this seemed to be thedistrict for craftsmen and life-extending casters.He was beginning to see moremortuaries, higher-class homes that could afford to look like mausoleums,smaller catacombs next to hospitals where citizens could go to replenish theirstolen energy of souls.
“Squire,”Zaria said.“Another question for you.”
“Isuppose,” Isaac said, “that we can’t just contemplate the fall ofcivilization.”
“Actually,I got several questions, to tell the truth.Serious ones.I’m starting tosuspect it’s critical I ask them.”
Hegestured for her to continue, glancing at the faded paint of a mural.
“Firstoff,” she said, “I notice you no longer bristle when I call you squire.”
“I’mjust picking my battles.”
“Idon’t see much fightin’ back.”
“MaybeI don’t need to prove myself to you.”
Shelaughed.“Sure, squire.As you say.”
He madeanother gesture for her to continue, looking over his shoulder at theretreating mural.
“Firstly,”she said, “a day ago, you said some jumble about there being these fancymachines that can locate soul energy, right?”
“Yes,”he said.“They’re prototypes, currently, but developing rapidly.That’s how weknow my father is still alive, at the bottom of this tomb.”
“Right,so, if that’s the case—” She gestured vaguely, searching for the words.“Ifthey can locate souls real precise-like, can they do nothing else?Tell youwhat state he’s in?”
“Itcan’t detect the body.Only the soul.We don’t know the condition of hishealth, though we can still talk to him.”
“Talk—”She glanced at him in surprise.“Talkto him?”
“Sure.Thesoul is the essence of a person.It’s instant communication, as well.You cantalk to a person thousands of miles away, as if they were right at your table.The Diet has largely only been able to function due to these diplomaticchannels.”
Therewas a silence.When Isaac glanced up, Zaria was visibly struggling to overcomeher surprise.“Fuck my first question, then.Does that mean you’ve actuallyspoken to your father?”
“No,”Isaac said.“Of course not.”
Zariawas now utterly baffled.“What’s that mean, course not?He’s your bleedingsire, and you’re risking life and limb to rescue him.”
“It’snot that simple.It’s like—” It was his turn to gesture vaguely.“It’s liketelescopes.Something you use to study the heavens.”
“Like asextant?”
