CHAPTER 24
Elana
brought a dish of hot food to the table and sat, joining October, Jake and
Tibbs. October was pleading the case for
the villagers, “These people need you, Jake.
They cannot stand up to Amasunto and his men. It would be a slaughter.”
“That’s not our problem,” Tibbs
chimed in.
Jake stared down at his hands.
“Does he speak for you, Jake?”
Elana asked.
Jake looked up at her. “No, he
doesn’t,” Jake said. “But I can’t help
you.”
“Can’t or won’t,” she said.
“However you want to look at it.”
“For once you’re making sense,”
Tibbs told Jake. “We’re not looking to
be heroes. We just want to get back to
New Romani and cash in.”
“I’ll give you my part share if you
stay and help,” October offered.
“You ain’t got no share to give,
old man,” Tibbs said.
“Tibbs, shut up, will you,” Jake
said and turned to October. “You’re still getting your share.”
“Won’t do me much good because I’m
staying,” October said.
“No one has to die if we get out of
here before they come.”
“This is our home,” Elana
protested.
“This is a row of huts in a
forgotten outpost on an asteroid that nobody cares about,” Jake said.
“That’s right!” Tibbs agreed
gleefully.
“It may be an asteroid that nobody
cares about, but this is where we live,” Elana countered. “My children were born here. My husband died here.”
“Do you want your children to die
here too?”
She looked at him with sadness in
her eyes.
He turned to look over his shoulder
and saw Lizzy and Toby playing with her swirler.
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