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“You’ll add the lizard to your team?” Luam’s eyes widened. “Won’t he eat the plants you’re planning to trade?”
“There’re enough plants for both of us.” She shrugged. “And we do have the same goal. Somewhat. I grow the plants to trade. He wants the plants to grow so he can eat them.”
“That’s true.” Her friend’s laugh sounded a bit strained. “But you might want to keep an eye on that lizard. You never know what his true plans might be.”
“I’ll do that.” She felt Luam’s unease over the addition of Drift to their team. “I included some of the herbs that helped you last time you went drinking with your buddies.” She handed him the container. “Is your head paining you?”
“Everywhere is paining me.” He rubbed his chest. “I don’t have the drinking capacity I once had.”
Her friend didn’t have much time left to live.
But then, neither did she. Unless her cyborg found an alternative to the Plan. “Maybe you don’t have to go drinking with your buddies. There might be other things you can do.”
There might be another way to rid the planet of the Invaders’ leaders and their cursed weapon.
“We’ve talked about doing other things.” Luam reminded her that they’d explored all the options. “Nothing else interests them. And you know me. If they ask me, I’ll go out drinking with them again.”
“You can’t say no.” She forced a laugh.
“I can’t.” He moseyed to a pile of metal parts and rummaged through it. “I finished that third digger you requested.” Her friend held up the planting tool. It had a handle she’d custom-designed. “It took me four tries to make this one.”
Every member of the team had crafted four similar handles. Those would be attached to their own tools.
“Thank you.” She took the digger from Luam.
The size of the handle appeared to be correct. It should be large enough to hold the explosives.
Fates knew it should be. They’d confirmed the dimensions multiple times with the other two diggers he’d crafted.
But she would test the design again. It was a key part of the Plan. If the handles failed, the Plan would fail.
And they had to be successful. They would have only one opportunity to stop the Invaders.
“I might have another request for you.” The requests were easy ways to convey information. “I’ll have the dimensions to you on my next visit.”
Those dimensions would relay a coded message to the team.
Each male would be assigned a position within the Invaders’ manufactured mountain. They had to ensure tools were left near every part of the Invaders’ weapon.
The males on her team would build relationships with the Cancris currently holding those positions. And on the planet rotation of the Plan’s rollout, they would trade shifts with those Cancris.
“I’ll take care of that request myself.” Luam met her gaze. “Some beings use robots to manufacture objects now. But I like to fabricate the tools by hand. It’s an ancient method, but I’m an ancient male.” His laugh was hollow.
The Invaders would soon be using robots. It wasn’t the first time Roshini had heard those rumors. “They would use a robot to build one tool?” She feigned disbelief. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I agree.” Her friend nodded. “If they were making multiple copies of a tool, that might be worth it. But one? Nah.”
Fates. Luam also confirmed the other rumblings.
The weapon the Invaders were currently forcing the Cancris to fabricate wouldn’t be the only one of its kind. They would be manufacturing more of them.
Using robots.
Every Cancri on the planet could and would die, and the enemy wouldn’t care.
It was a struggle to conceal her anger. And her concern. “Do you need any special herbs?”
“Something more for the pain would be good.” Luam rubbed his chest again. “I doubt I’ll be recovered by sunrise.”
