Sarah Zettel - Reclamation

Her eyes tracked around to the open threshold. With a smooth, mechanical pace, Cam walked in. It might have been a moving statue of peach-colored clay dressed in saffron overalls. At least that was what Eric had thought the first time he’d seen one.

Aria jerked backward as far as the chair would let her. Eric turned his face away and fought the urge to smile.

Getting her angry at me won’t accomplish anything.

“That is a human-copy. It’s another Skyman machine. It flies the ship at my orders and answers to ‘Cam.’”

“Ah.” She did not relax any.

Eric shook his head. “Return to the bridge, Cam.”

As soon as Cam was out of sight, Aria settled herself back into a normal sitting position and reclaimed her breakfast, which had dropped to the floor.

“I’ve been talking to a friend of mine.” Eric eyed her for a moment. She absorbed the statement calmly. All right. “ He thinks he might be able to find a place for you.”

“What kind of place?” She took a long swig of tea.

“Does it matter?”

“Not really. I just like to know what I’m getting into, when I can.” She stuffed the last of the square into her mouth and licked her fingers. Eric tried not to watch. Notouch table manners were apparently no better than their hygiene.

Stop that too, Eric. She wasn’t brought up to know better. It was amazing how quickly the old arrogance came back. For ten years he’d been a servant of one kind or another, and it still came back.

“I’d tell you if I could, but I’ve got no idea what will happen. Perivar, my friend, was one of the Skymen who took me over the World’s Wall. He was also my first friend once I got out here. On top of that, he owes me for a few years of silence. He’ll find some place to put you. It may not be pleasant, but it won’t be life-threatening either.”

“Did you tell him I’m Notouch?” Aria held up her scarred hand and wiggled her fingers.

Eric shook his head. “Not a soul out here would know a Noble from a Notouch, let alone care. You are beyond the laws of the Nameless Powers.”

She nodded, looking down into her tea. Her eyes narrowed a moment at whatever she saw in there before she drank the last of it down.

“There’re a few things we have to take care of first,” Eric went on.

She eyed him in silence.

“First, you must understand you can never mention where you came from.”

She set the cup down. “Why?”

Eric searched for the words to build an explanation. “Some of the Skymen, in their arrogance, or kindness, I have never really figured out which, have decided there are some worlds, or people, that cannot handle meeting them and their ways without falling apart. So they pass laws that label such places forbidden. No trade, no speech, no exchange of any kind.”

Aria snorted. “I’m a Notouch from a Notouch world then. I wish the King in Narroways could know!”

“Yes.” Eric snorted. “I’ve met King Sun. He deserves to know that one.”

Aria shook her head. “Sun after the Storm doesn’t hold the rule anymore. His granddaughter, Silver on the Clouds, became King, two, no, three years ago.” In the language of the Realm, there was only one word for the ruler of a city whether male or female. If a person could hold the throne of one of the twenty-nine city-states, they were called King. “It was during the siege,” Aria added.

The mention of the war dropped into Eric’s mind like a stone. He swallowed and picked up the broken thread of his thoughts. “Not all the Skymen think the same thing about…Notouch worlds. Some of them raid those places on a regular basis for talent or knowledge. There’s one group, the Alliance for Reunification, that try to bring isolated worlds into what they call ‘the Human Family.’ But"—he leaned forward—"what is important to you and me is that there are Skymen who consider being taken from a Notouch world a crime and any people from such a world that they catch"—he caught her gaze and held it—"are sent back.”

“I am not ready to go back yet,” said Aria flatly.

Eric hung his head. “Aria, try to understand. You are over the World’s Wall now, and you may never get back.”

Emotions flickered across her face too fast for Eric to identify. “I got over. I’ll get back when I’m ready.” She gathered herself together and managed a fairly casual shrug. “Until then, I’ll say nothing about my birthplace.”

Eric rubbed his palms together. Leave it. Let her believe whatever’ll give her comfort. She’ll learn otherwise soon enough. “ All right. Now, there’s only one thing left to do.”

“What?”

“Teach you how to look at someplace without walls without having fits.”

Very slowly, her hands knotted into fists. “I see.”

“The Realm of the Nameless Powers is the only place I’ve ever seen with a World’s Wall,” he told her. “All the others are open. Wide-open. I can’t take you to Perivar if you can’t walk outside.”

She hesitated, staring down at the backs of her fists.

“What do I have to do?”

She’s got all the nerve the Nameless had to hand out, Eric thought as he stood up. I’ll give her that for free.

“Let me tie you up again.”

“Why?” Her voice stayed calm.

“So you don’t hurt me, or yourself when I turn on,” he stopped and retranslated the term, “open up the window-wall again.”

“All right,” she croaked.

“We’ll start now.” Action, any action, was better than giving himself time to think about what might or might not be happening in the Realm.

He brought out the repair tape again and, as deftly as possible, tied her legs together and strapped her arms to her sides. Then, he trussed her tightly against the chair. He rummaged through the medical drawer and found a dry cloth. He held it in front of her mouth. “So you won’t bite through your tongue.”

Her teeth clamped together around the cloth and her eyes followed him as he crossed the room. He held his hand over the reader and braced himself.

The view wall switched on. Infinity peeked in at them and Aria went into spasms. Arms and legs tried to flail out. Teeth ground against the cloth and throat screamed. Her eyes clenched themselves shut. Her head thudded against the sofa back. Eric winced and turned his face away. At the same time, he was glad he hadn’t had the nerve to try to hold her himself. She would have gotten away, but not before they both had broken bones.

Eventually, she slumped against the back of the chair, breathing heavily.

“Aria Born of the Black Wall, look up.”

She was too worn out not to do as he said. Her eyes drank in the scene on the view wall and the whole thing started again.

It was a long, miserable circuit. She’d scream herself out, then get another look at the vacuum and start again. A couple of times she actually passed out and he had to get stimulants from the medical kit to shock her awake so she could start screaming and struggling again.

She’s not going to make it. He leaned against the wall. She may be the most incredible excuse for a Notouch in the Realm of the Nameless, but she doesn’t have the strength to get through this. She’s going to go crazy, and then I’m going to have to … to …He couldn’t make himself finish the thought.

Somehow, though, by force of nerves or desperation, Eric didn’t know, she held on to her sanity. She lifted her head from the lopsided angle where it had fallen and opened wide eyes that matched the blackness of the void. She looked out at the emptiness. She did not scream. Her hands twitched but she stilled them. Her eyes stayed open.

“Thank you, oh all Nameless Powers.” Eric rubbed tired eyes and ears.