The Next Thing I Knew (Heavenly) by John Corwin

Author:John Corwin [Corwin, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harper Young Adult
Published: 2011-07-11T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Okay, maybe "doomed" was a pretty melodramatic word. But that's how I felt. It sucks going from hero to zero within the space of a few seconds. Zhrrii hated me now and I'd probably lost the support of her crew. I did find it odd that every other crew but one voted negatively. What had made the difference with them?

One of the crew leaders spoke up.

"We cannot understand this concept, Zhrrii. How would this not lead to our painful deaths by Shaval?"

Zhrrii made the Rrilk equivalent of a nod, which is to say she twitched one of her forward tentacles. I expected her to say nothing. After what I'd told her she probably held me in the same regard as Shaval.

"I have something to add," she said. "I was just told by one of the humans that they were responsible for the Sst attack."

Alarm spread through the holographic faces of the other crew leaders. The same one who'd spoken did so again.

"They are like Shaval? They wish our deaths?"

"No. She told me it was not intentional. She thought we were the ones who killed her kind."

"Never could we," he replied. Other crew leaders chimed in with their own assent.

"They can make the other Sst malfunction as well?"

"Yes."

"They do have power." His tentacles twitched as he mulled this fact. "Is it enough to defeat Shaval?"

"Shaval kills. Even if humans do not have more power, we should help. Earth is their Trrsha," Zhrrii said.

"We will vote again," the other crew leader said.

This time the votes returned unanimous. Tears of relief streamed down my face. People shouted and high-fived each other. Anil grinned at me.

"We did it, Luce," Kyle said as he picked me up and spun me around. "I can't believe we did it."

I looked across the room. Bethany was there, hugging Chris and jumping with glee. Chris was smiling too. His eyes locked with mine. He nodded. I wanted so much to believe that all was forgiven. That he would leave Bethany, walk across the room to me, and kiss me. But he didn't. He turned away after a few seconds and talked to someone else.

Kyle put his arm around my shoulder. "One battle at a time, kiddo."

I whimpered piteously and looked away from Chris.

"I swear if you don't celebrate with the rest of us I'm gonna kick your ass."

I mustered a weak laugh. "Guess I'm getting good at feeling sorry for myself."

"Oh you've always been good at that. I think it's about time you grew out of it."

"You're one to talk, nerd boy."

He laughed and turned to greet Anil as he walked over to us.

"Good job, Lucy," Anil said. "I've constructed something for you to commemorate the moment." He pulled a small marble statue from behind his back that depicted me shaking tentacles with a Rrilk.

I took it and laughed.

"That is so cool," Kyle said. "Man, I wish I could make stuff like that."

"Practice your meditation and you'll be doing it in no time."

I left the two of them and went back to Zhrrii.

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