Page 69 of Tyton: The Spider and the Dragonfly
“This is about Talia.”
Siku shook his head with a weak smile.“There you go trying to take down the whole system again.I told you that you wouldn’t be able to stop.”
Sesi shrugged.“I never promised I would.”
Siku pinched the bridge of his nose.“What happens if he decides to show force instead?”
“Oh, I’m expecting him to.But he’ll be right behind them.He’s only going to gamble a limited number of men.”
Siku nodded slowly, but didn’t say anything.Sesi already knew what the issue was.She lowered her eyes to the desk.
“It goes against everything you are.”
“I know.”
“You can’t just give them the part?”
Sesi laughed, mirthless.“There are no surgeons left and I can’t use a DocPod.That’s kind of the point.”
“Does she know?”
Sesi shook her head.“You know she’d never let me.”
Siku sat in silence, bobbing his head, counting the seconds and chewing the inside of his cheek.“You know what’s going to happen if you do this right?”
“Aside from the obvious?”
“Sesi,” Siku reached out to take his sister’s hand.“You are an amazing planner.You think of contingency upon contingency.Nobody fucks with us.”
“But?”Sesi asked.
“But.”Siku sighed.“But you have a massive blind spot when it comes to them.What do you think Callie is going to feel when she finds out what you’ve done?What do you think Talia is going to do?”
“They won’t be happy with me, I know.”Sesi narrowed her eyes, annoyed that Siku would bring this up.It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought of that.
Siku stared Sesi down.“Talia will burn the world trying to get you back and Callie will follow her doing it.This.Won’t.Work.You need to think of something else.”
Sesi turned away and frowned.Siku was right.She hated it when he was right.
“And quickly,” he added, “because they’re going to be here soon.”
“Fuck,” she muttered.Sesi buried her head into her chest and breathed.Long, calming breaths, focusing.Siku waited, a slight curve to his lip.He knew his sister worked best under pressure.And she always rose to the challenge.
She had done it when Siku injured his leg and she took over the trap lines.She had done it when Georg had been ambushed and someone needed to take over.She had done it when Tethys and Coeus had teamed up to try and take Rhea.And she would do it again.
Sesi lifted her head and stared at her brother.“What can be done to cells in a lab without a DocPod?”
“A lot.You’re going to have to lead me somewhere specific if you want me to get there on time,” Siku waved impatiently.
“DNA harvesting?”
Siku nodded.
“Removal of organelles?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”Sesi bit her lip.
