Page 158 of Sky Song
“Lyle?” Cricket had seen him in action. She remembered the reverence of the Rix carrying him. “He is invincible.”
Simon made a sound that was almost a chuckle. “His ship was old and large, slow, and he had been the last one to leave the burning planet. Even then, true to form, he evaded the defenders that chased him. But with the ship’s condition he couldn’t do much, and he made a decision to go to Enzomora.”
“Toward his capture.”
“He came in brazenly, too, like he had every right to land on Enzomora. He sent a distress signal on approach and asked for an all-clear for a landing. He was denied. He crashed that thing in the water fountain behind the spaceports.”
A small laugh escaped Cricket. That sounded just like Lyle. “I am grateful your people didn’t shoot him down.”
“There were over seventy people in that spaceship with him, Cricket. He was the only adult male in that group.”
The dizziness intensified until she thought she was going to faint. “How did that happen?”
“He picked up all the women and children left behind by the pirates. The unfortunate ones that were discarded in the mad dash to clear the disintegrating place, and delivered them to Enzomora in one piece. Only one woman was dead on arrival.”
“Because of the crash?”
“Because she gave up her oxygen mask for him after his stopped working. One of his wives.”
“That’s terrible.”
“She chose to do it.”
Cricket started crying. “It makes it worse somehow.”
“Despite everything that he was, he knew how to care. About the females, at least. Rix Council spared his life in return for the women that he saved.”
Cricket wiped her eyes with the sleeve of the blue robe. “He’s a true defender, Simon.”
“Yes, he is,” he agreed easily. “He should have been one of us. But…” His energy withdrew just as Cricket realized he had relaxed his guard with her. “We can’t always choose what happens to us.”
It became too difficult to stand, and she leaned against the wall. “What is going to happen to him now?”
“The Council has freed him for the mission.” His energy got intense. “The Council will be apprised of the mission’s completion. Lyle can walk. If he makes it.”
“You are evil.”
“I’m proactive. And I want him to make it - I need the formula.” They were adversaries again.
“You don’t need the formula, Simon,” Cricket said tiredly. “But you want it. For Gemma.”
He didn’t respond.
The subtle intricate designs that textured all walls of the ship began to glow. “We’re about to take off.” Simon took Cricket by the elbow and pulled her out of Lyle’s med bay, securing the door behind them.
“What about Ren’s sister and the others? Phex?”
“Phex knows his way around a spaceship.”
“But I can’t… I can’t…”
Simon stopped, waiting for her to continue.
“Is there a way to write to my mama?” she blurted. She wanted her mama.
Simon issued a long-suffering sigh. “No, you can’t write to her now.”
“Please!”
