Unstoppable--Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak by Charlie Jane Anders

Author:Charlie Jane Anders
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags:  
Publisher: Titan Books

31.

Undhoran flap-hoppers are morsels of deep-fried goodness—they remind Elza of coxinha. Wyndgonk heaps fire lacquer bowl with a dozen of them, and then finds a chair wide enough for fire insectoid body. Elza and Wyndgonk have the whole dining hall to themselves.

“I understand why those two were squawking,” Wyndgonk mutters. “They’re scared. But if we all get caught, they’ll be treated honorably, as prisoners of war. I’ll be herded into a cage and treated like a beast.”

“I know,” Elza whispers. She thinks of the Grattna and shudders from the nape of her neck to the soles of her feet. “I’m sorry we’re putting you in that kind of danger. You shouldn’t have to do this.”

“I know.” Wyndgonk’s whole body cringes for a moment, beetle legs folding inward. Then fire snorts and eats three flap-hoppers in one bite. “But you know what? I’m not complaining, unlike those two arkzahns, because the Compassion has to be stopped before they take over more planets.”

The two of them eat in silence. Elza thanks the Hosts of Misadventure fire is here, because she could use a friend right now.

“On Thythuthy, we learn the hard way to turn a toxic situation to our advantage.”

“Toxic.” Elza thinks back to when they first met. “You told me the Vayt seeded poisonous clouds in the atmosphere of your planet.”

“Yeah.” Wyndgonk belches fragrant smoke. “We almost died out, but over many generations, we learned how to grow food in those clouds, using the poison as fertilizer. These flying creatures called Dnynths naturally plant the seeds up there, and when they’re not, uh, depositing the seeds, they’re trying to eat us. They’re our main predator, but we’d starve without them. Our whole system is about keeping that balance.”

“So you can never be at the top of your own food chain.” Elza reaches for some fried Scanthian parsnips. “That would definitely give you a different perspective. So does your fire-breath help you defend yourself against the, uh . . .”

“The Dnynths? Nah. It merely looks cool. And maybe a little intimidating? But we invented special nonlethal weapons to fight off the Dnynths. My whole family are run-farmers: we run very fast and create a vortex to pull down the crops that are growing up there.”

She’s about to ask Wyndgonk another question. But Robhhan comes over, with little streaks on his neck.

“Hi,” Robhhan says in a low voice. “I was hoping I could ask you something.”

Elza feels her neck stiffen, remembering how Robhhan tried to cozy up to Naahay. But she keeps her face neutral. “Sure.”

“I was wondering about Dr. Karrast. The ship’s doctor on the Indomitable.” Robhhan fidgets. “We never got the body back, and it was a whole political thing back home. We can only have a new child on Oonia Prime when someone is confirmed dead.”

“Pretty sure she died.” Elza inhales slow. “That ship exploded into a million tiny fragments.”

“Yeah. That’s why I have a baby sister now. But I . . . I wanted to ask you, did you spend any time with Dr.

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