Defying Mars (The Saving Mars Series) - By Cidney Swanson Page 0,56
Fong, what surprises most of us is the Secretary General’s decision to allow today’s festivities to continue.”
Fong laughed. “Well, it’s a planetary holiday. I don’t hear anyone complaining here. Who knows—maybe Pilot Jaarda just needed a little fresh air, Sadie.”
Sadie made a wise “hmm” sort of sound. “She’s Mars’s youngest Raider ever. Perhaps the pressure’s simply been too much. Well, there’s no pressure in space, eh, Fong?”
“I think that’s no sound in space, Sadie, but we’ll leave that to the science experts, shall we?”
“Sounds good to me! We have our raiding program correspondent here. Hakim, what can you tell us about the implications of this unprecedented theft upon Mars’s future?”
Jessamyn rolled her eyes and cut the newsfeed, leaving an echo of the irritating banter behind. She rested her eyes upon Crusty’s orchid. It almost had eyes, if you looked at it just so.
“What?” she demanded, staring the orchid down.
It seemed to return a baleful gaze.
“I’m not going to talk to you. I don’t care what Crusty said.”
But she did care, and she felt tears prickling behind her eyes. Jessamyn sighed and sat up a bit straighter. She was doing the right thing.
A familiar voice blaring over the ship’s comm jolted Jess from her reverie.
“What do you think you’re doing, Jessamyn?”
It was Mei Lo. And she was angry. Several degrees beyond mere anger, if Jess was any judge. In the silence that followed the Secretary’s question, Jess heard whimpering sounds that had to be coming from the planetary dog, Rover. Did dogs respond to strong displays of human emotion?
“Answer me, by Hermes,” said the Secretary, “Or I’ll send someone up to blast you out of the sky!”
“With all due respect, Madam Secretary,” replied Jess, “You and I both know there’s no ship left on Mars that could catch me now.”
The Secretary launched into a string of curses, most of which were unfamiliar to Jessamyn, although their intention was clear as fresh ice. When Mei Lo paused for breath—Rover now howling piteously in the background—Jess asked a question.
“Are you alone?”
“Am I what?” demanded the Secretary. “Alone? Why in Hades would I be alone when I’m dealing with a planetary crisis of unprecedented proportion?”
Jessamyn didn’t answer. If the Secretary wasn’t alone, Jess couldn’t disclose the real reason she’d stolen the ship. She couldn’t say, “Remember that secret conversation we had? I’m going to make sure what you said needed doing gets done.”
She couldn’t let Mei Lo could become implicated in the actions she and Crusty had taken. That might destabilize the Secretary’s hold on her position. Could she tell a sort of lie of omission? Reveal only enough of her plan that Mei Lo would understand?
“Pilot, turn that craft around at once,” the Secretary demanded. “We’ll discuss your motives once I’ve got you under lock and key.”
“Begging your pardon, Ma’am, but that’s not very motivating.”
“Jessamyn!” cried the Secretary in exasperation. “What are you thinking, for the love of Ares?”
And it came to her, a partial truth, a possible way to explain, a tiny something Mei Lo might understand and which might even give the Secretary courage and hope for the future.
“I’m on my way to Earth for that exact reason,” she said.
“What?” demanded Mei Lo. “What exact reason?”
Too vague, thought Jess. “For the love of Mars, Ma’am. I am going to retrieve my brother for the love of Mars.”
Was that clear enough? “My brother, who is a planetary treasure,” she added.
“Potions of Aphrodite!” yelled the Secretary. “You get your skinny hide—”
Rover interrupted with three very loud barks.
“Jess—” Once again, the Secretary was cut off by the dog. “Oh, good grief! Would someone take that dog out for a walk in his hamster ball?”
“Have you received Crusty’s message, Madam Secretary?” Jessamyn asked.
“Raider Crustegard is in the hospital in critical condition,” said Mei Lo.
Jessamyn could hear undertones of anguish in the Secretary’s voice.
“He sent you a message, Ma’am,” said Jess. “I would suggest you read it, by yourself, immediately.”
“You are in no position to be making suggestions, young woman!” shouted Mei Lo.
“Yes, Ma’am,” said Jessamyn.
Speaking to someone in her office, the Secretary demanded a copy of Crusty’s message to be brought to her at once.
There was an extended silence during which Jess assumed the Secretary was reading Crusty’s message.
“Bells of Hades,” murmured Mei Lo.
Then Jess heard another flutter of voices from personnel who must have just entered the room. She could hear the Secretary trying to deflect the persons who had interrupted her. Then, Jess made out the Secretary’s exasperated utterance of something like, Oh,