The Venging by Greg Bear

Author:Greg Bear
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Science fiction, General, Science Fiction, American, Fiction, Short stories
ISBN: 9781585862283
Publisher: ereads.com
Published: 2001-05-15T21:17:53.030000+00:00

"Nobod dey neba treat Thinner dis way!" the boy howled. "You're lying to me," Jeshua said. "No! Stop." Thinner stood in the river and held up his hands. "You're right." "I know I am." "But not completely. I'm from Winston, and I'm speaking like a city chaser for a mason. And speaking

accurately, mind you." Jeshua frowned. The boy no longer seemed a boy. "Why fool me, or try to?" he asked. "I'm a free-lance tracker. I'm trying to keep tabs on the chasers. They've been making raids on the

farmlands outside of Winston. I was almost caught by a few of them, and I was trying to convince them I was part of a clan. When they were buried, I thought you might have been another, and after speaking to you like thatwell, I have an instinct to keep a cover in a tight spot." "No Winstoner has a tattoo like yours." "That part's the truth, too. I did find a way into the city, and it did kick me out." "Do you still object to taking me there?" Thinner sighed and crawled out of the stream. "It's not part of my trip. I'm heading back for Winston." Jeshua watched him cautiously as he dried himself. "You don't think it's odd that you even got into a city

at all?" "No. I did it by trick." "Men smarter than you or I tried for centuries before they all gave up. Now you've succeeded, and you

don't even feel special?"

(103 of 197) The Venging Thinner put on his scrappy clothes. "Why do you want to go?" "I've got reasons." "Are you a criminal in Ibreem?" Jeshua shook his head. "I'm sick," he said. "Nothing contagious. But I was told a city might cure me, if I

could find a way in." "I've met your kind before," Thinner said. "But they've never made it. A few years ago Winston sent a

whole pilgrimage of sick and wounded to a city. Bristled its barbs like a fighting cat. No mercy there, you can believe." "But you have a way, now." "Okay," Thinner said. "We can go back. It's on the other side of Arat. You've got me a little curious now.

And besides, I think I might like you. You look like you should be dumb as a creeper, but you're smart. Sharp. And besides, you've still got that club. Are you desperate enough to kill?" Jeshua thought about that for a moment, then shook his head.

"It's almost dark," Thinner said. "Let's camp and start in the morning." In the far valley at the middle of Arat, the Mesa Canaan citynow probably to be called the Arat citywas warm and sunset-pretty, like a diadem. Jeshua made a bed from the reeds and watched Thinner as he hollowed out the ground and made his own nest. Jeshua slept lightly that evening and came awake with dawn. He opened his eyes to a small insect on his chest, inquiring its way with finger-long antennae. He flicked it off and cleared his throat.

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