Threader War by Gerald Brandt

Author:Gerald Brandt [Brandt, Gerald]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: DAW
Published: 2022-01-04T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

• • •

Morning came far too quickly. Darwin woke as the heat in the tent rose, and when he unzipped the entry as quietly as he could, the sun shone almost directly overhead. He crawled out into a barren world of dirt and sand and scrub brush.

The other few who were awake greeted him with a nod of their heads. They’d only been traveling together for a short time, and yet each and every one of them had jumped in to help rescue him. Without them, he would still be at the bottom of the Hoover Dam, moving water so that Las Vegas could keep running. Working until the Threads took his mind, or he died of slow starvation.

Baila leaned over the fire pit, blowing softly on the few embers that remained. One flared into flame and she fed it, growing it into fire larger than they had built last night. When she noticed him watching, she shrugged. “No one will see it in the daylight, and I need more tea.”

He grinned back at her.

“Is Teresa up yet?”

“No. I didn’t want to wake her.”

“Good. Let’s give her the extra time. She was out of her comfort zone yesterday. We all were.”

“I know. I . . . thank you.”

“You are welcome. Teresa was a huge part of that decision. The others would have done what I asked of them, but I didn’t have to. She convinced the ones that were recalcitrant to come out here. There weren’t many of them, but the one or two that required it, she dealt with. Don’t forget to thank her as well.”

“I won’t.”

“Good. Now help me make some tea.”

They worked in silence, with Darwin happy for the task. It drew his thoughts away from everything that had happened. He watched as the water came to a boil and Baila stirred in the dry leaves. When it was done, he helped pour it into cups and served those who came by the fire. The last cup was taken by Teresa, her hair still tousled by sleep.

“You missed your first lesson,” Baila said.

“Lesson?” Teresa asked.

“Part of meditation is all about losing oneself in a task. Whether it is making tea in the morning or watching your breath as it enters and leaves your body, doesn’t make much of a difference. The simple act of not stressing over anything else is enough to bring peace to your mind.”

“I’m sorry.”

Baila just smiled. “There will be time. Drink your tea. We start heading to Mexico today.”

“Mexico? Why?” asked Darwin.

“For one, it is far from here. Tijuana is my home, our home, and we feel safe there. We had hoped to perform at a few more places before we went back, but no worries. It will be good to be home after all that has happened.”

“I’ve heard Tijuana can be pretty rough,” Teresa said.

“It can be. But most of the stories you hear are told to keep the riff-raff out.”

Teresa laughed. “People like us?”

Baila kept as straight of a face as she could when she nodded.

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