Page 8 of Night in a Waste Land

He lifted his head, hand tightening on Rose’s arm, and saw the girl conduit crouching over against the mailbox fronts. She shivered, and stared at them with obvious, open fear – he’d never seen that emotion on a conduit. It had to be an act: a clever angel who’d learned to stall for time. To lure humans in close for the kill.

He dragged Rose into his chest – and she didn’t come willingly. Planted her feet and tugged – but, again, he outmatched her for brute strength. He got an arm around her, like he had that night months ago, and she finally stopped resisting.

The conduit had risen unsteadily to her feet, but hadn’t rushed toward them. She lifted a hand – and Lance tensed – but only to brush hair from her face.

“Why were you fighting with him?” Rose asked.

The conduit looked at the dagger with naked fear, and then at Rose. He’d never seen one display such emotion; such humanity. Before, he hadn’t even known they’d breathed or eaten – save whatever sustenance they drew from draining the life from human sacrifices.

The conduit dampened her lips, and spoke, her voice full of an intense, human hesitance – but resonant in a way a human voice could not be. That chime of something celestial and otherworldly that imbued all conduit voices. “He shouldn’t have been holding these people here. Trapped. I told him to let them go.”

“Why?” Lance demanded.

Her gaze shifted toward him; the knowledge of centuries shining out of what should have been a naïve face. “Because they’re innocent.”

He pulled Rose tighter against him; she protested with a full-body twitch, but didn’t try to wriggle free. “I thought you guys didn’t go in for that. We’re all sinners. Nobody’s innocent, right?”

The conduit cocked her head. “Humankind will always be full of sin. It’s the very nature of humanity. That doesn’t mean all humans deserve to die. You are created, after all, in His image.”

“You were here to stop him?” Rose asked. He really shouldn’t let her, but he didn’t protest. “You were going to let all those people upstairs go?”

“Yes.”

“And we’re supposed to believe you?” Lance asked. “That you’re different from the others?”

“Iamdifferent.” A challenge, now. “I won’t harm you.”

Rose still had her arm free, and she twirled the dagger. The conduit’s gaze followed it – not exactly frightened, now, but not indifferent.

“Stick her and let’s be done with it,” Gavin suggested.

Lance ignored him, his thoughts spinning. They’d never before encountered a conduit who was willing to speak with them like this. Who professed humanity’s innocence. And maybe it was a ploy, but it was the first time it had been used, and there was something distinctly less eerie about this one.

“In a minute,” he said, “I’m going to radio for backup, and others like us are gonna come and transport these people out of here.”

“They won’t have to,” the conduit said. “The threat is passed.” She nodded toward the slumped, very human body that lay on the floor between them.

“Becauseyouaren’t a threat to them?”

“I just told you I wasn’t.”

Lance dragged Rose back another few paces – and turned her loose. He caught her shoulder, though, and gripped until she glanced up to meet his gaze. “What do you think? Is she telling the truth?”

For a moment, she looked startled that he’d asked. A quick flash, there and gone again. Then her expression smoothed, and she glanced toward the conduit; scrutinized her.

The conduit stared back.

“I think she is,” Rose said after a long moment. “And if she isn’t” – she brandished the dagger – “I’ll take care of her.”

~*~

Captain Bedlam did a lot of shouting.

“Your first fucking day!” she fumed at Rose, who stood impassive, boots still caked in mud, hands folded demurely in front of her. There was nothing demure about her expression, though; there was nothing about it alive, really. If her eyes had glowed a little, Lance would have thought she was the conduit they’d brought back from the field. “And not only do you operate without orders, refuse to stand down when your superior tells you to, but you engagehand-to-handwith a fucking conduit with a fucking knife!”

She sucked in a breath, still pacing behind her desk, and Lance knew it was only a pause, that she was gearing up for her next assault.

But Rose – brave, stupid Rose – said, “It’s not an ordinary knife, ma’am.”

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