Wandering Soul by Steven Anderson

Author:Steven Anderson [Anderson, Steven]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: adventure, Romance, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780999178829
Publisher: Steven J. Anderson
Published: 2018-02-26T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

SAM

I unrolled my pad across our laps and began sketching. “Before the Confederation, there were thousands of clans and they overlapped everywhere. Now, thanks to Hannah, there are only fifteen and they have defined territories. Which ones are still loyal to the Articles of Confederation and which ones are corrupt?”

Winn stared back at me. “All of them are corrupt. I think the Bovita will follow you because of who you are.” She glanced across the aisle. “We need your mom to join us on this. Our odds of success are much greater if she’s there, even if it’s just to initially provide you with legitimacy.”

I looked at her sitting next to my dad and could feel the anguish in her, swelling and then subsiding as she tried to overcome it, then overwhelming her again. It scared me that my biggest concern right then was whether I could use her for what we were planning, wondering if she would hold up to the strain. They humiliated her, a voice was telling me. You need to be with her and hold her and tell her how much you love her.

“Just one out of fifteen?” I asked.

“Well, the Roho should fall in line if we eliminate their current leadership, and the same with the Feraru. With that core, we can pressure the rest to join or face rebellion within their own populations.”

She was studying me. “When your mom united the clans and created the Confederation, she worked in the shadows. I was watching you in the market, Duse. There’s no one that looks like you, no one that sounds like you, and no one the people here will fall in love with like you. You need to be highly visible the whole time.”

“It’s about the ideas, Winona, which is good because I know damn well that no one is attracted to me.”

“No, it’s about convincing people that you can make the ideas real. In the Warrens, your appearance makes you rare and exotic; it won’t matter that you’re not pretty. And always remember that some people are attracted to you.”

“Sam.” The thought of him started to fill me and the hum in the back of my head receded for a moment. I looked at Winn, pleading. “Winn, help me. What am I doing?”

Then I pushed Sam back. There wasn’t time for him now. He had a role to play, but I couldn’t have him yet. When we were done, and the Government was defeated, then would be the time for Sam, then I could take him.

The shuttle ride was too short to finish even a rough outline of all we needed to do. Our first focus would be establishing a foothold with the Bovita. Finding a way back down to Bodens Gate was critical.

The shuttle docked and I was still talking to Winona quietly as we walked down the ramp, working on alternatives for how we were going to get back to the Warrens.

“Hey, MD.”

Sam was there.

The hum that had been filling my head vanished, pushed out by the only thing that mattered to me.

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