Darkness Of The Light (The Hidden Earth Chronicles) by Peter David

Author:Peter David [David, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Crazy 8 Press
Published: 2012-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

The Five Clans Borderlands

Jepp knew of the Trull, but not in much detail, so Karsen took the time to fill her in on them. She listened raptly as he gave as much background of the race as he knew, interrupting here and there with a reasonably well thought out question.

Zerena Foux and the others quickly and efficiently broke down the campsite. Several times Karsen offered to pitch in, but Zerena kept assuring him that they had everything under control. Meanwhile Jepp seemed happy not only for the explanations, but for the company, and Karsen was only too pleased to oblige her.

“So they remain neutral while selling weaponry to all sides?” Jepp said, tilting her head a bit so that she looked like a small animal listening carefully to the sounds of the wind. “Is taking all sides the same as being neutral?”

“That’s just the point,” Karsen told her. “They’re not taking all sides. They’re taking no sides.”

“If they took no sides, wouldn’t they refuse to make their weaponry available to nobody at all?”

Karsen paused at that, not entirely sure how to respond.

“From what you’re telling me,” continued Jepp, “they are bartering quite deftly, since their underground home provides no practical supply of, say, food. And that barter comes from trading with all sides that have farmlands and such, or can bring them slaughtered animals to feast upon. They take all sides and profit from all, rather than truly taking no sides and charting their own, much more difficult, course in the world.”

“I doubt they think of it in that way,” he said.

Jepp hesitated for such a long time that Karsen noticed it. “Is there…something you want to say to that?”

“What? Oh…no,” Jepp quickly assured him. “No, not at—“

“I think there was.”

“I am telling you, Karsen, there was—“

He took a step toward her, scrutinizing her as if he could look right into the depths of her thoughts. “What goes through your mind, Jepp?”

“My mind? Nothing. There is nothing on my mind. Ever. I have no mind.”

“At last,” Zerena said, lugging a large crate under one arm that was filled with supplies, “something that we can agree on.” She mounted it on the back of their vehicle, the rest of the Bottom Feeders already having climbed in and taken their customary seats. “Come on, Karsen. Let’s go. Time to move out.”

“All right,” Karsen said guardedly, but he kept studying Jepp as they squeezed into the jumpcar. As before, there was some rearrangement and shuffling around required before everyone was inside. Zerena clambered into the driver’s seat and fired up the jumpcar. At first it started up with no problem, but then it went dead.

“Now what the hell—!” Zerena cried out, slamming her fist on the dash. “Mingo! I thought you had this thing up and running!”

“I did. I thought I did.”

She tried it again and this time the engine caught with more authority. She put the jumpcar in reverse, backed up, then rolled it forward and began driving it as quickly as it would go.

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