Alastair Reynolds - Poseidon's Wake

At no point could Kanu say he felt totally calm — there were still too many unknowns for that — but there was an easing in his mood, a sense that at least one challenge had been met. He realised, quite suddenly, that he was ravenously hungry. It would be good to eat, not knowing what lay ahead or when they might have the chance again.

Nissa agreed with him.

‘Thank you for allowing me to make that decision,’ she said when they were seated at their table. ‘Even if the idea was Swift’s.’

‘It was right to do something. My plan wasn’t a plan at all.’

‘You never told me that story about the snakes before.’

He thought back to the happy, golden bliss of their short few weeks together since Lisbon, before the reality of his mission came between them. ‘There hasn’t really been time.’

‘I mean during all the years we were married. I’m sure I’d remember.’

‘Really?’

‘The old Kanu was a good man. He told a lot of stories, but most of them were designed to put him in a good light. Subtly, I’ll admit, but admitting to weakness definitely wasn’t one of his strengths.’

‘I admitted to a weakness?’

‘Indecision is a poor quality, especially in a politician, a mover and shaker.’

‘Although sometimes it can be better than making the wrong decision in haste.’

‘Sometimes,’ Nissa conceded. And in a gesture that was outwardly small but which conveyed magnitudes, she allowed herself to add a measure of wine to Kanu’s glass. ‘But not always.’

He was not forgiven, he knew that. Perhaps there could be no forgiveness after the catalogue of injustices he had inflicted on her, from betrayal to outright kidnapping. But independently of forgiveness there was an unconditional kindness, a generosity of spirit, which she had always possessed, and for which he now thanked his stars.

‘I have said it before,’ he told her, ‘but I cannot say it too often. I am sorry.’

‘We saw the worldwheels,’ Nissa said. ‘No one else has. That doesn’t excuse what you did to me. But in this moment, after what we just survived? I’m glad to be here. And I want to go back, to find out what those worldwheels have to tell us.’

‘They frighten me,’ Kanu admitted.

‘And me. But I won’t rest until we’ve confronted them. Snakes everywhere, Kanu Akinya, no matter where you look. But sometimes you just have to step into the grass.’

Kanu lifted his glass and sipped his wine. It was as delicious as any vintage he could remember.

They left on a ghost of thrust, emerging from the Watchkeeper’s wound at a few tens of metres per second, more than enough to break the pull of its gravitational field, and for several minutes all was well. They had seen nothing of Poseidon for the ten hours of their concealment, but now the planet was visibly smaller and they were safely outside the weave of its moons. Swift made another course correction, lining them up for the transit out to Paladin. Kanu allowed himself to believe they had beaten the odds on this one, and for that he was grateful. Whatever they encountered around Paladin, they would take much more care not to stumble into danger a second time.

But that was when the Watchkeeper struck.

On its approach to Orison, Travertine directed the full bore of its mapping sensors at the little world’s surface. The instruments clarified a picture of a virtually airless planet, its grey-pink surface lavishly cratered, its magnetosphere extinguished, its atmosphere no more than a thin, attenuated relic slowly leaking into space. Nothing orbited Orison, no moons or stations or ships, and the planet showed no obvious signs of large-scale settlement. There were a handful of metallic features scattered within several hundred kilometres of each other, but few of them were large enough to be independent camps. Somewhere in the middle of these scattered signatures was a larger, concentrated cluster of objects and power sources, and this coincided with the origin of the most recent burst of transmissions.

They studied it at maximum magnification, picking out a small hamlet of domes and locks and connecting tubes, with hints of deeper structures buried underground. Even from orbit, it had a makeshift, unplanned look to it, as if thrown together in haste using whatever components were available. Scratchy trails led away from the camp, aimed in the rough direction of the other metallic features far over the camp’s horizon.

A surface expedition was soon made ready and a scouting party selected to go down in the heavy lander. Vasin would lead it, accompanied by Goma, Loring, Karayan and Dr Nhamedjo.

‘And Ru,’ Goma said.

‘She isn’t well enough,’ Vasin said. ‘I watched her stumbling around only a few hours ago.’

‘We’re all stumbling around, Gandhari. Ru’s no worse than the rest of us. Anyway — why the hell does Maslin Karayan get to come along if Ru can’t?’

‘He has every right.’

Goma folded her arms. ‘So does Ru.’

‘It took a lot of negotiation to talk Maslin into coming on his own rather than as part of a larger Chancer delegation. But if it means this much to you, I will speak to Saturnin again.’

‘Do so.’

‘I am not accustomed to taking instructions, Goma.’

‘I mean: please.’

‘You are very determined,’ Vasin said, not without approval. ‘There is more of her in you than any of us realise, I think. But be careful you don’t become her — I rather like you the way you are.’

Nhamedjo was initially unwilling, declaring Ru still much too frail for a surface expedition. But at the collective insistence of both Goma, Ru and — with a measure of reluctance — the captain herself, he eventually agreed to reconsider his position. While the lander was being readied, he brought Ru back to the medical suite for another series of tests. Whether it was stubbornness, or some late improvement in her condition, Ru scraped narrowly through. Nhamedjo conceded that she could cope with a spacesuit’s breathing system, and she was not so weak that the trip in the lander would cause her difficulties. In return for this concession, Goma agreed not to cause a fuss about the presence of Maslin Karayan.

‘Whatever persuasion you used on Doctor Nhamedjo,’ Goma said later, when she and Ru were alone in their room, ‘tell me you’re really well enough for this.’

‘I am.’

‘Good, because I need you around for the rest of this expedition. And don’t forget we have a return trip to make.’

‘Yes,’ said Ru, feigning surprise. ‘Somehow that had slipped my memory.’

‘I mean you have to be strong for that, too. No good wearing yourself out here.’

‘I know you mean well, but honestly, nothing could stop me being on that lander. Miss the chance to see you getting taken down a peg by your dear dead grandmother, or whatever she is?’

‘Glad to hear your motives are so pure.’

‘Scientific curiosity comes into it, too, of course. Tell me you’re as excited by that as I am.’

Despite her apprehension Goma forced a smile. ‘I am.’

It was true, or near enough. For the first time since Mposi’s death she had something else to think about. The prospect of having a few of their questions answered — albeit at the expense of dealing with the haughty reincarnation of her distant ancestor — could not help but excite her. She was desperate to know more, and soon she would.

But still — Mposi.

‘Ru… there’s something I need to tell you. I wasn’t happy bringing it up until you were stronger, but—’

‘If you’re breaking up with me, your timing is a little unfortunate.’

‘Please don’t joke.’

‘All right, sorry. Go on.’