Page 66 of Romancing Rem'eb

He might not understand my words, but I think he gets my tone. He grunts and is quiet for a moment, then whispers, “I wish I could be like Set’nef and Noj’me. They love this travel.”

Opening my eyes, I glance over at Noj’me, who is excitedly talking Colleen’s ear off while Natalie hugs her knees and gazes off into the distance. Tal’nef and his brother are a bit farther away from our small group, but Set’nef’s wagging tail—and the way he constantly looks around with amazement—makes it clear that he’s enjoying the journey.

But I guess Rem’eb doesn’t. “Not you?”

He glances down at me, his expression thoughtful. “I would give anything to stay in your hut forever. As it is, every step we take feels as if I am walking toward losing you. So, no, I am not enjoying this journey.”

Oh. My eyes fill with tears. I sniff, hating the wetness that cascades down my cheeks because it’s just going to freeze up. I press my face against his chest, hiding my sadness. “Then don’t leave.”

But I know it’s selfish even to ask.

It takes another day of travel before the sight of the old spaceship rises in the distance. It’s on its side, like a tipped-over box standing alone on a flat plain.

Chalath is the first one to spot it. “Is that decrepit hulk what we’re looking for?”

“The Great Oracle,” Noj’me squeals, thrilled. She clasps some of her hands beneath her chin, her others waving excitedly. “It’s so big!”

We all gather together to look at our first glimpse of it. Well, I’ve seen it before, but the others haven’t. I watch Rem’eb’s face as his gaze settles on the old spaceship, wondering how strange it must look to him. He doesn’t even have science fiction movies to go off of like I do.

“It’s so old,” Chalath says grumpily, crossing his arms. “I wouldn’t trust that tech to cook me a meal.”

“It’s on its side,” Colleen points out, staring. “Or am I wrong?”

“You aren’t wrong,” Natalie reassures her.

“There was a big earthquake several years ago that made it tip over,” Harlow agrees. “But a portion of it has settled into a trench so it’s no longer moving, and there are rope ladders in place where it’s too steep to traverse. Just be careful and rope yourself to a buddy.”

Rukh moves closer to the sled he’s been tirelessly pulling, nudging Harlow closer to it. He points at a shadow in the distance. “Sky-claw. Be on your guard.”

“And it’s probably a good idea to rope yourself to your buddy sooner rather than later,” Harlow points out.

“What is sky-claw?” asks Noj’me.

“A bird-lizard,” Colleen says, a hand shading her eyes so she can look up. “A friggin’ huge one if what everyone says is right.”

“Very big, and very dangerous,” I agree, sliding my hand into Rem’eb’s belt. “Tell the others, Noj’me. We all need to tie together because if someone gets swallowed, the other person needs to attack it to let them go.”

“You…you’re not serious, are you? You’re shitting me, right?” Colleen states. “They can eat us?”

“One ate Josie,” Harlow agrees. “She almost died.”

After that, no one can get linked up fast enough. Ropes are passed around and we’re tied in twos. I’m bound to Rem’eb, who keeps a hand on me at all times, as if he’s worried I might get snatched away if he turns his head. Noj’me ties to Colleen, the brothers to each other, and Chalath looks thrilled to be tied to Natalie.

Natalie doesn’t complain. She doesn’t say anything at all. It’s hard to get a read on her, and I remember that she’s one of the ones that has no memories from before. Even her name is one that Flor gave her just so we had something to call her.

After the sky-claw sighting, we hurry a little faster toward the fallen ship. As we approach the base of the ship, the size of it becomes far more obvious to everyone. I’ve seen it a few times before, but I’m always struck at how something so large manages to fly through space. It’s got to be the size of a cruise ship in length, though not nearly as bulky as the monstrosities that offer vacation packages back on earth. Noj’me falls to her knees as we come to the base.

“The Mighty Oracle,” she weeps, raising her hands to the sky. “How great! Surely all knowledge is contained within.”

“Who’s gonna tell her it’s a shitty computer that probably needs a good power cycle?” Colleen jokes.

“Not me,” says Natalie, and points to Noj’me just a few feet away. “And you just told her. She can hear you.”

Colleen frowns at Natalie, then turns her attention to Noj’me. Her voice is kinder as she touches the other woman’s shoulder. “Come on. You can’t worship that thing. It’s just a really old bucket of bolts with a half-functioning computer.”

Noj’me allows herself to be pulled to her feet, wiping her cheeks. “Com-pew-turr?”

“It’s like a brain,” Harlow tells her. “Full of knowledge.”

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