This Gulf of Time and Stars by Czerneda Julie E

Author:Czerneda, Julie E. [Czerneda, Julie E.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: DAW
Published: 2015-10-14T07:00:00+00:00

There was more. By the end, Morgan buried his face in his arms on the table, his mind overflowing with a dead man’s pained confession. No, whatever fault this Marcus took for himself wasn’t deserved; by his actions, he’d proved himself a decent, good person, a hero.

If only to a few. “Marcus knew the consequences,” Morgan said slowly, raising his head. “His reputation would be ruined; his family suffer for it. This was never about the Clan protecting the Bowmans.”

“It was about us protecting the Clan.” Bowman leaned back, arms across her stomach. “Now you know.”

Something was different about her. All at once, he realized what it was. She’d lowered her guard, possibly for the very first time. Morgan wasn’t sure if he should be flattered.

Or worried.

He settled for curious. “How’s that been?”

“Easier herding toads in spawning season, let me tell you.” She grew serious. “We knew their history, how they’d come to make this choice. Turned out they didn’t. Something stripped their memories, and they arrived every bit as naive and vulnerable as Marcus feared and made—let’s say the Clan fell in with the wrong people and never looked back.” A shrug. “We did what we could. Harder once they scattered, but a Bowman always had the ear of the current Speaker. Sometimes they listened. My time came.” Her mouth twisted. “I thought I could change things for the better—that I had.”

He’d been part of that change; looking back, knowing what he now did, so much more made sense. Morgan shook off the past. “That’s why you came to the Claws & Jaws that night. To meet with the new Speaker. Why didn’t Sira know about this?”

“Good question.” Bowman picked up the halves of her noteplas, snapping them back together. “Each Clan Speaker is made aware of his or her obligation to Marcus’ descendants. I’d assumed Sira had been, till Plexis. Afterward?” Her face hardened. “Cartnell’d poisoned most of the Trade Pact against me.”

“You thought Sira believed the news reports.” Explaining why Bowman hadn’t answered her com, why she hadn’t contacted the Fox. “You thought Sira—the Clan—had abandoned you.”

“I had to consider the possibility.” Her eyes chilled. “One thing I’ve learned about today’s Clan? They aren’t the same as those my grandfather helped.”

They’d been, what had Marcus called them? Om’ray, once. The Om’ray of Cersi. Their world had had a name, not just a designation in a file.

Another name, spoken with aching tenderness. Aryl di Sarc. First to ’port through the M’hir; the one who’d gathered those like her, the M’hiray; and the one who’d fought to prevent her world from being destroyed by their very existence.

Whose descendant he feared faced the same terrible choice. “Sira.”

“Sira,” Bowman repeated, with sincere warmth. “Her, I didn’t see coming. You’ll tell her.” With no doubt. The warmth left her voice. “As for the rest of it—you can guess what Cartnell dangled.”

“The Hoveny site.” The final piece: how the Clan had appeared in the Trade Pact with such wealth and power, how they’d kept their secrets so long, even why they’d feared Humans.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.