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By all of Harmony’s calculations they were just a day away from arriving at the homestead; a day from seeing Father, Mother and Griffin. Had they already given her up for dead? She had lost count of how many days it had been since she had last seen them. Griffin had probably moved on with his life by now. If it had been him lost instead of her, though, she wouldn’t have given up until she’d seen his dead body, but then she didn’t know how deep his feelings for her ran. Maybe he didn’t care in the same way.
Harmony slapped her palm against the helm. “Damn it. Who cares anyway whether he waited or not?”
“Who waited?”
She turned to find Rat right behind her. Shit. She had sent him to straighten up below deck. The damned man never did anything she told him to. “Are you finished with your chores already?”
Rat nodded. “Boy helped. He said you were too ill tempered to be around today so he needed something to keep him busy and out of earshot of your ranting and raving.”
Harmony growled. “Really? He can’t stay down there forever.”
“But he says he can since he doesn’t have to eat or drink.” Rat took a step back when she growled again. “But I can go get him if you want me to.”
“You would give him up that easily, huh. Fine friend you are.” Harmony was surprised by the bright smile Rat gave her.
“Do you really think we’re friends?” He fingered the edge of his new shirt. It was a wonder he hadn’t already worn the fabric down to nothing. “I’ve never had a friend before.”
He made as if to sit in the captain’s seat so Harmony smacked the back of his head. “I’ve told you a hundred times to stay out of my chair.”
He moved over to Boy’s and sat there instead. Harmony would have insisted he get out of that too but knew Boy had a soft spot for Rat and didn’t mind if he sat in it when Boy wasn’t around.
Rat had cleaned up good. Years of eating whatever landed in the cooking pot had left his skin pallid and unhealthy looking, but after a few days of eating nothing but apples and cheese, his appearance was changing for the better. The bath and a set of decent clothes hadn’t hurt and Harmony suspected, after her mother fed him, he might turn out to be a nice looking young man.
It was easy to see he was trying to change his criminal ways for he always did what she told him to do the first time and hung on her every word, as if he couldn’t absorb enough knowledge. The young man was like a sponge. With any luck he was going to be someone she could trust and like. He still had a ways to go, but Boy also believed in him. She trusted Boy so she was doing her best to give Rat the benefit of the doubt. Time would tell, though. It usually did.
“Look over there.”
Harmony followed Rat’s pointing arm but couldn’t believe her eyes. “I’ll be damned.”
“What is it?” Rat stood and strained to see what was making her smile.
Without thinking, Harmony grabbed Rat and hugged him. She soon realized what she had done and stepped back, but the smile never left her face. “They came looking for us.” She jumped up and down, like she had when just a child, for there was too much joy inside her trying to get out to let her stay flatfooted.
“Boy! Molly! Come quick!” Harmony ran over to the port railing and waved.
Boy emerged from below deck just as Molly came from the galley, but it was Boy who asked, “What is it? We’re not crashing again are we? I cannot go through another one. I just can’t.”
Harmony hugged both robots, taking turns to plant a big kiss on both their heads. She pointed at an airship heading their way. “It’s Walker. He’s come for us.”