Nora leaned forward and shook her head, rubbing her forehead on the steering wheel. “No, I don’t think so. His word is good. He won’t blab if he thinks he’s getting a deal.”
“How much?”
She sat up fully in the driver’s seat and rubbed her chest, leaning back against the worn fabric. Her head tilted so her face pointed toward the sky. “Gave us only half what we usually get. My poor heart, though. Max only knew because he already suspected I was doing something with an android from those parts I had been getting all these weeks to fix you up. My freaking luck.” She side-eyed him. “I don’t think anyone else will figure it out.”
After a few minutes, they arrived in the merchant’s area. Her intuition proved right, as no one questioned Simon other than a few suspicious glances at being new when she visited various merchants to buy syntho-gas, chicken feed, and a few dried goods.
Simon followed her, noticing Nora’s restless glances at the armed guards standing at the entrance to the shopping district, overseeing everything with hard eyes. He continued absorbing all the information as they drove, watching Nora begin to relax as they got to a different area of town that was better put together and furnished. People were walking more freely and openly on the road as they passed. Soon they pulled up to a little shop with a sign that read“Bakery Delights.”
Nora stopped the hover on the side of the building and turned to him, flipping the loud engine off. She sat there, staring at him as if for guidance. “Alright. We’re at Anna’s. How do we want to do this? You want to stay by the hover?”
Simon stared back, uncertain. “Do you need me to stay here?”
“Ah. I just . . .”
He cut her off and pointed at the dirt street continuing to wind around the shops. “I will walk the block while you are there. I wish to see around town. Would that be alright?” He saw others walking around slowly, but this was a new land. He didn’t want to do anything to make himself stick out.Maybe on my own I can find an internet connection.
Nora bit her lip. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Even after . . .”
He saw her hesitation and countered it, placing his hand over hers.I do not need a keeper.“Nora, I am sentient and, despite what I told Max, capable of protecting myself. I need to know more about where I am living now. I will not get close or speak with anyone. You enjoy time with your friend and we can meet back here together.”
Nora’s shoulders were hunched and her eyes remained on their connected hands.
Simon squeezed her hand underneath his, and was relieved she didn’t immediately pull away like she had been. Now that he had a suspicion of the reason behind her reactions, he was beginning to get a rush when he felt her heartbeat pick up under his touch. “I will not run off and leave you.”
At that, Nora huffed and Simon saw her posture sag even further. “Okay. You’re right. You look like a human guy so you should be fine. Just watch your neck to make sure it’s covered, and maybe stay away a bit with that cracked eye. This here, where Anna lives, is the middle part, with all the merchants. It’s fine to walk around.”
“Alright.”
Nora fished around in a little box where the pistol lay. She hadn’t bothered pocketing it like she did the first time they went out, but picked it up and slipped it in at her waist now. She took a little cloth square with the same design as the Tyra gang’s flag on the dash and handed it over to him. “Show that if anyone asks, but it’s early in the day, so you should be fine. A lot of the action around here doesn’t happen until the end of the day or at night.”
“Yes, thank you.” Simon slipped the fabric patch in his pocket.
Nora turned around and adjusted a tarp to cover their purchases. Then she sat and hesitated, sitting in the driver’s seat as if lost in thought.
Simon was already lifting Tilly out, placing her gently on the dust road next to the hover. He walked over to her and offered his hand. “Want help?”
Nora startled into action but still grabbed his outstretched hand for help, making the jump down from the hover’s side with ease. She squinted up at his face and covered her eyes to shade them from the sun shining behind him. “Do you . . . are you able to keep time? There’s solar clocks on posts all over if not. Meet me back here in around an hour?”
An hour is more than enough.Simon was already looking over her shoulder at the road. “Yes. I’ll be back.”
He watched her and Tilly leave and walk in the shop, then took off himself to explore.
Chapter twenty
Nora
Nora smiled when she walked in, seeing no customers, or Paul, in sight.
Anna quickly came around and gave Nora a side hug, around her stomach. “Oh Nory. There you are. Haven’t been here for well over a week. Making me get nervous and itching to check on you, and I hate traveling. Being pregnant makes me nervous about everything lately though.”
Nora sent a concerned look down at Anna’s belly, even bigger than it was the last time they were in. “Aw Anna, don’t want you to worry about me. Not like you really can travel either.”
She forced a smile as she took in Anna’s tired eyes.I’m glad we visited.I feel awful that she worries about me so much.
