Bad Timing by Rebecca Levene

Author:Rebecca Levene
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction
Publisher: Abaddon Books

13 / SECRETS

Ladybird tried to peer round the bodies of her fellow villagers to get a look at the figure lying on the bed in the Temporary Leader's house. She would have asked people to move aside, only she wasn't meant to be there in the first place, and if she drew any attention to her presence someone else might realise that too and kick her out.

There was a lot of activity going on, much of it self-important, but little of it purposeful. It wasn't the first time Ladybird had noticed how useless her people were when it came to a crisis. Three years ago, a stray spark from the blacksmith's forge had caught in the thatch of Brother Sunflower's cottage. Her people had run around like headless chickens and by the time anyone had thought to set up a line to pass water buckets from the well to the fire, two more cottages were ablaze and the whole village was in danger of burning down. Perhaps it had something to do with the sacred Weed which their holy books insisted be smoked as often as possible.

Finally, she managed to force her way to the front of the crowd. Her father, who was standing at the head of the bed, shot her an annoyed look but chose not to say anything. She imagined he would wait until they were back home before giving her his usual lecture. Didn't matter. She got to stay and watch and that was what mattered.

Not that there was much to see at the moment. The figure on the bed was absolutely still, lifeless. Of course, like the Glass People, he had always moved far more slowly then them - but now he wasn't moving at all. Painful as it were to contemplate, it seemed that Brother O'Blarney was dead.

Her father, rather half-heartedly, was attempting to give him the kiss of life. It didn't seem to be having any effect. Ladybird wasn't surprised. Whatever Brother O'Blarney was, she didn't think he worked the way normal people did. And when he'd been alive, she'd never noticed him breathing, so she didn't see any reason why he'd start now that he was dead.

And then there was a screeching buzz, and a blue arc of electricity shot out from O'Blarney's body and connected with that of her father, flinging him back against the far wall. O'Blarney's eyes snapped open, throwing out a grass-green light.

"Oh," he said. "Nice one."

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