Page 158 of Seven Oars
“Fuck you, Anske.”
Fawn snored like a bear, fast asleep. It hadn’t taken her two minutes to pass out.
Exasperation rose inside Rosamma.“Why are we like this? We’re supposed to be in it together!”
It genuinely angered Anske.“We would be together if you opened your minds to the holy principles. You need liberation!”
“Fuck, yeah, we need liberation!” Eze exclaimed, sounding as angry as Anske.“From this godforsaken space station. Yet what do you do?”
“Yeah, what do I do?”
“Instead of working with us on escape plans,” Eze continued,“you peddle your bullshit wisdom to the dumbest alien in the Universe.”
“Not so! Xorris is dumber than him.”
“We need to think about sending out a signal!” Rosamma’s voice rose above the rest.“Not vote for the dumbest-alien-of-all-time award.”
Anske frowned at her.“Look who’s talking. You’re an alien too! It’s your brother’s fault that we’re here in the first place.”
Eze cursed quietly.
“Don’t curse!” Anske snapped.“And where’s your defender, Rosamma? Where’s Phex, huh? You were so chummy with him, practically begging to be his girlfriend. Hypocrites, all of you.”
Fawn slept through their argument, producing unladylike snores.
Anske used the bathroom and changed before leaving.
“We’re not together anymore. I’d rather stay here and work on Galan. It’s rewarding.”
“Snacks!” Gro waved around Anske’s half-eaten fruit strip that she’d dropped when Tutti zapped her.
Eze slapped her wrist, but she was laughing.
Rosamma lay down and put her crinkly blanket over her head.
Five weeks, they’d said.
It would be fun, they’d said.
Chapter 23
Anske hadn’t returned to the Cargo Hold, but Fawn still came around. She’d show up at random times, sometimes laughing and sometimes muttering to herself, with no regard for Rosamma and her friends who dwelled there.
On some visits, she was clear-eyed and boisterous, typical Fawn. Other times, she was completely befuddled.
She mostly came to collect her own and Anske’s food rations to go.
Gro and Eze would swap jokes with Fawn, but the conversations never touched on anything serious.
Rosamma had her period again, and it drained her.She felt weaker and more lethargic. Participating in the daily exercise regimen Eze had established took all she had.
She hadn’t seen Striker Fincros since he’d dumped her at the Meat Locker, and she didn’t think about him.
There was nothing to think about.It was done, his curiosity satisfied.
And hers?
And hers.
