Page 19 of Alien Burn

At the first explosion, he had looked toward the ramp. She had been standing at its upper end, watching the damage with her lips slightly parted. Silent. Then she had screamed and stumbled backward into a crew member's arms.

Two seconds, perhaps. He could not have sworn to it. People did strange things when frightened. He had drawn a knife before realizing there was nothing he could fight with it.

Still, he remembered her face.

“It must have been terrible up there,” he said.

“I had just come back from speaking to Graecey.” She hesitated. “She was very upset about the misunderstanding. The poor woman. I hope they find her.”

“So do I.”

He heard the roughness in his own voice and smoothed it before he spoke again.

“Can you tell me anything about what you saw?”

“The explosion. Everyone falling. And then we were waiting for them to get us off.” She drew in a breath. “I thought we were safe when it stopped moving.”

“You weren't alone in that.”

“And the way it went twice. The little one first, and then the terrible one. Like it was flushed—is that a word? I don't know why I said that.”

Dhomhes kept his expression sympathetic.

Sealed the charges. Flushed what was left.

The broker's voice was unpleasantly clear in his memory.

“There was a great deal of smoke,” he said.

“Yes. Exactly.” She looked relieved. “You understand.”

“Have you given your account to security?”

“No one has asked me.”

“They will. Details may help us establish what happened.”

Her fingers brushed his sleeve.

“You'll find whoever did this?”

He looked down at her hand. She took it away, slowly enough that he was meant to notice.

“That's the intention.”

“My father will want to know how we were treated.”

“Then let's give him something useful to hear. There's water here. The medic at the far end can check you, and a staff member will take your name.”

She thanked him, gracefully, and went where he had pointed.

Dhomhes waited until she was out of earshot before recording her words. He used precisely the phrase she had used, without substituting the broker's terminology for it.

It might mean nothing.

He was going to find out.

Later, he heard her voice again.