Hearts and Stones - Robin D. Owens Page 0,1

going toward CentralConglom. She figured the rare starship garnered a lot of attention from the gov types.

Quick spy eyes glittered over the city, zooming around, hanging mostly over the psi-ghetto where the ship must have landed. One spy eye shot toward the canyon and Levona flattened against the low side of the creek wall.

You do not SEE us! shrieked Pizi as the eye hovered near. The vibrations of the cat’s mind hurt Levona’s head. Then the spy sphere zipped up the canyon and back, all in the time it took for Levona to hold a long breath. She hoped she hadn’t been noted. Didn’t know if Pizi’s telepathic blast had affected the eye.

They moved deeper into shadows and down a narrower ditch before Levona stopped and shared her standard meal of re-hydrated protein with Pizi. Closing her eyes, she visualized the snow run-off gullies winding to the scummy pond. Two years past, one rugged slope of the pond had held a hidden entrance to abandoned culverts and tunnels carrying lost streams.

I don’t like those Images of Yours! Pizi stated. All dark, dark, dark, no sunlight on My eyelids to show warm. She sounded nervous and crawled into Levona’s lap to curl up.

Levona took a large cap out of her backpack and stretched the knit thing gently over the small feline, making a warm and secure nest. Not weighing more than three kilograms, the fine-boned cat was easy to carry.

Keeping her thoughts steady but with an underlying buzz of anticipation, Levona replied, The old republic made things to last, and the culverts did. Better than the corps and govs make now. It WILL be dark—

And smelly! Pizi added.

Probably smelly, Levona confirmed. But safe, the culverts will protect us. We will not be walking on the nanogrid and monitored. Won’t be seen or sensed until we get near the cross-roads with the newer city water system. We’ll have to watch out then.

I know, Pizi said, though she didn’t. She’d been born in the canyon, abandoned by her mother and littermates, and barely survived before Levona found her.

I’ve seen images from you, lots! Pizi stated. Especially when you dream, the old tall, tall buildings, your neighborhood. How you got to the canyon and lived and later found Me.

“A lucky day for both of us, to find a person to be a family.”

Yes, Pizi replied with a spurt of love that Levona felt and returned.

Then her mind turned to the immediate future. We’ll have to be quiet, even in the tunnels. And keep our thoughts to-from each other on a private channel. There are some mutants who can overhear thoughts. Or so rumors said.

Pizi sent an image of shadowy thoughts zooming back and forth between them, then something else, a silver bond connecting them heart to heart.

What’s that? Levona asked, as she scanned their stopping place with her senses to make sure she wouldn’t be leaving any physical, and only minor mental, residue behind.

Our friend bond, between our hearts! Pizi chirped.

“Oh,” Levona said aloud, as her mind devolved into sentimental goosh. Yet, a chill flicked along her nerves. She had someone else to take care of, other than herself. What if she failed? Terrible.

Pizi stretched to swipe Levona’s chin with a lick, then moved to the knapsack, found her side pocket and wiggled in. What will Our starship be like?

One starship here and available, and somehow Levona had to convince strangers to take her and Pizi away. More, she and Pizi had to stay out of sight of the state police, and out of any trouble while Levona found the people in charge of the departure. Now Levona had a beloved companion with expectations of her, an additional burden.

When will We leave in our starship? Soon? Excitement thrummed through Pizi, so much that Levona could feel her small body vibrate in the backpack.

Anxiety splashed in Levona’s gut, but she kept her emotions free of it, laced anticipation through her telempathy with Pizi. Yes, probably as soon as possible! No one involved with the starship would want to hang around. The longer they stayed, the more likely the gov would try to stop them, or confiscate the ship, or stir mobs against them. And every mutant in the psi barrio already had a target on their forehead, marked ready for a laser to fry their brains.

Pizi didn’t know this and Levona would strive to keep her companion innocent as long as possible.

It will be FUN! Going to another place.

“Yes,” Levona muttered.

Where My eyes will stay