“Stealing from the gods indicates insanity.”
Dante had the strong feeling that he was not being hyperbolic. “Most non-Kowri don't believe in gods. They assume that because their gods are imaginary your gods are the same. The only thing they fear is Kowri technology.”
Cidbe touched a control and a ladder appeared. “Even so, Kowri technology was more than able to defeat them.”
Dante climbed. From the doorway, the ship had seemed small, but now, it seemed two or three times larger than a jet.
Ter’s voice came through the radio, “The pirates don’t care about Kowri technology or they wouldn’t be inside the empire. They will overwhelm your larger ships with numbers. Do not get arrogant and assume that your superior technology means anything when you are so arrogant that you refuse to make logical preparations and you hesitate in the middle of battle.”
Dante sighed. “Ter’s people believe bluntness is a virtue.”
“Perhaps I should relay technical information.” Vk’s voice was tinny on the radio, but Dante could still hear the sharp edge. No doubt she was worried.
Dante settled into the seat in the narrow nose of the fighter before Cidbe lowered the canopy. “Helmets secure,” he said, and Dante double- checked his own. “Launching now.” The ship slid forward toward a gaping hole at the far end of the room, Kowri ducking to run under the stubby wings to get to their own craft. A fighter came from the left and vanished into the darkness.
There was something viscerally terrifying about heading into the shadows, and Dante’s butthole tightened, but he clampeddown on any words that tried to escape. He wouldn’t back down. He would make sure Cidbe found Regi, and he would not be ruled by his fears.
Their ship reached the tube, and instead of following the others, the fighter dropped straight down. Dante screamed, and then the ship fired the engine, and he was pressed back into his seat. It was like the worst roller coaster he had ever been on. Dante barely managed to avoid throwing up as they flew past the rolling edge of the giant ship.
They dodged a debris field and out toward the stars. Dante ignored the voices as Ter and Vk guided Cidbe toward Regi’s ship or as other Kowri called out locations as they towed ships back to safety. He had developed a case of car sickness that rivaled anything he’d suffered when he’d been six and his father had the grand plan of driving an RV across the country. He focused on not letting his insides out through his mouth. “I am receiving a signal,” Cidbe said, “but it is alien in nature. Is Regi a’Divashi another outsider exalted?”
“No. He's Kowri. He left the Empire a long time ago because he pledged himself to Poque, but he's one of yours,” Dante answered. He swallowed bile as his stomach tried to revolt.
“Odd. This signal is not Kowri in nature.” He must have transferred the signal to Dante's radio because Dante was now listening to ‘Johnny B Goode’ by Chuck Berry. Why was he hearing Chuck Berry? Dante's brain went off-line.
“The translator says that is a huuman language,” Ter said, “but the trajectory is from deeper in Kowri space. Do huumans have exploratory ships?”
Dante still found no words in his head. His whole brain was full of static. They didn’t have exploratory ships. They didn’t have ships that could reach past Uranus where the deep space station was being built. All Earth signals would be coming from Earth’s solar system.
“I have located Regi a’Divashi’s ship,” Cidbe said.
“Earth,” Dante whispered.
“What about Earth?” Regi asked. The words didn’t filter through the static the first time Regi asked, so he asked again. Louder.
“That’s a signal from Earth. If it’s coming from Kowri space, then Earth is inside Kowri space.” Dante felt like his brain was full of cotton fuzz.
“If huumans have infiltrated the Empire, the gods will not be pleased,” Cidbe said.
“But...” Dante had no idea what to say. He closed his mouth, and after a few seconds, Ter insulted him or insulted someone. It was sound flowing over him, but he couldn’t understand it.
“Earth is inside Kowri space,” Dante whispered.
“No doubt it is some passing huuman ship that has wandered into unknown territory. Kowri space is inhabited only by Kowri,” Cidbe said with confidence. Space was black, the gods loved the Kowri, and only Kowri lived inside the borders of the Empire. Dante hadn’t known Kowri long, but he knew they held those last two beliefs without a speck of doubt.
But it wasn’t true... or the last part wasn’t, anyway.
“Earth is inside Kowri space,” Dante repeated. His brain was stuck in a loop.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Vk met them on Bekdi’s ship, which had turned out to be more properly called Sared a’Gavd’s ship. She was an elderly exalted with a yellowish tinge to her gray stripes.
“Let us collect all which belongs to you so you may transfer to Kanbil a’Retav’s ship and be properly his problem,” she said, sounding both amused and rather harried.
Dante wasn’t sure if that last part was related to the damage her ship had taken in the attack or the fear of having Dante on the ship any longer than necessary. “I shall take myself and my god’s first blessing elsewhere as quickly as possible,” he promised.
She huffed and studied him, ignoring Vk who stood at his side, her elongating and shrinking nose the only signal of her intense discomfort. “The Retav ship is sturdy enough to survive more blessings or I would have no qualms about accepting you into our temple. Know that Bekdi a’Gavd has lost our faith.”
