"Ow ow ow," Agni says,

  as Raz helps her down the stairs.

  "I think that climb finished me, I felt something tear --"

  "Rockwater," I say,

  holding up the jug.

  Her eyes go very wide. "Holy , you're kidding."

  She staggers free of Raz and

  grabs the jug, sinking against the wall with a grimace of pain but clutching it

  like a newborn infant. She unscrews the

  top with a shaking hand, tosses it aside, and starts guzzling. Theo, coming up behind me, gets a stormy look

  on her face, but Agni's eyes are closed in ecstatic relief and she doesn't

  notice. When the jug is empty she tosses

  it aside, a few precious drops scattering on the floor, and leans back against

  the wall. Her lips move quietly.

  "Still alive, still alive,

  still alive…" She trails off into

  mumbles.

  "This is Erasmus," I

  tell Owain and Theo, leaving Agni alone for the moment.

  "Go on," Quarter says

  behind Owain. "Tell 'im you're

  sorry."

  "I, um, may have kicked

  you," Owain says, staring at Erasmus' huge cloaked shape. "I'm really sorry. I was just … being an asshole."

  "He said you could have a

  free kick, like," Quarter says with a smile. "So there'd be no hard feelings."

  "I didn't --" Owain

  starts.

  "It iz not nezzezary,"

  Erasmus buzzes. "There iz no enmity

  between uz."

  "That's, uh, good to

  know," Owain says, still looking nervously up at him.

  "This is everybody?"

  Theo says. "Your whole crew?"

  "Quarter says he can pilot

  the ship while Raz works the engines," I tell her.

  "Right, so who's going to

  fight off the fucking cannibals when they start jumping on board? You?"

  "We were hoping to avoid

  that," I say, glancing at Quarter.

  "This cutter should be fast enough to outrun the trikes."

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  "Some, maybe. But all they have to do is follow you until

  something breaks down. Not like you can

  hide your fucking trail."

  "That's --" I shake my head. "This is the best chance we've

  got."

  "It's a dumb fucking plan,

  is what I'm saying."

  "Listen, girlie,"

  Quarter says, "we were out in th' desert with a day's worth of viscid and

  no water. Have you got a better

  idea?"

  "Obviously," she says,

  wiping crusted blood from her nose with the back of her hand. "You've got , which is a

  fucking lucky break. We can meet up with

  my family and they'll get the Sworn off your back. Probably throw you a party in the

  bargain."

  "Your family can get rid of

  a whole camp full of raiders?"

  She gives me a bloody smile. "I got a big family. Lots of cousins and shit."

  "Why should we trust

  ye?" Quarter says. "We don't

  know ye from roach dung. Ye could be

  makin' it all up to save yer skin."

  "I'm trying to save

  along with it, you dumb motherfucker," Theo says. "Does everyone from Dexter have shit for

  brains, or am I just unlucky?"

  "Enough," I say,

  putting some soldierly snap into it.

  I've never a soldier, but I've pretended to from time to

  time. To my surprise it works and

  everyone goes quiet. "Right now it

  doesn't matter. Theo, you just want us

  to set a course toward your family after we get out of here?"

  "Exactly. It's not far."

  "But --" Quarter

  starts.

  "Since we don't have any

  idea what course to plot," I interrupt him, "what's the harm in

  following hers? Better than just picking

  at random."

  "Unless her 'family' is more

  cannibals," Quarter says, "an' they're waitin' for us."

  "I'm gonna let that slide

  this once," Theo growls, "but if you compare my family to the fucking

  Sworn again I'll take your fucking teeth."

  "," I

  say loudly, "we've got to get out of here first. So let's start with that. Quarter, get started with the controls. Raz, you're in the engine room. Do you know anything about engines?"

  "No," the big man

  says. "But I can follow

  inzstructionz."

  "That'll have to

  do." I look between Theo and

  Owain. "That leaves the four of us

  to take care of whoever tries to get in our way."

  "Five of us," Agni says

  unexpectedly, pushing herself off the floor.

  Her breathing is a little ragged, but the edge of pain in her features

  has eased.

  "You're still hurt," I

  say. "Fighting might make it

  worse."

  "Getting eaten alive will

  make it worse," she says. "I

  can rest up once we're safe. Not going

  to be doing any cartwheels, but I can hold a gun."

  She looks around and her eyes

  stop on Owain, as though seeing him for the first time. He looks back at her wide-eyed, in clear

  recognition. His lips start to move, but

  Agni gives a firm shake of her head. His

  back stiffens and he goes silent.

  Some history there? The guard looks almost scared. Maybe he gave her worse than a kick when we

  were all back on the ship.

  "What do you mean, five of

  us?" Theo says. "You Dextrals

  suck at counting, too?"

  "Ah, right." I find myself smiling a little. "Let me introduce Mercy."