SAVANNAH FELT beyond tired.
In any other circumstance, she might have objected when Kenneth began petting her as though she were his pet cat.
She didn't like that.
He stroked her hair, not even aware of what he was doing.
She didn't even like that they leaned against one another.
She wanted to pull away, but the condition of her body made her think twice about it.
The crash had scared her more than she felt ready to admit. A bomb had exploded, then the ship she had entered suddenly plummeted to the ground. When it had struck the earth, she had been clinging so tightly to Kenneth that she'd left small purple bruises on his back from where she'd dug her fingernails into his flesh.
He hadn't complained, not even when the top of the ship had opened up like a can of tuna and the wind had poured into the cockpit. He hadn't even screamed or shouted, or wet his pants as Savannah had done. If he minded her having done that, he didn't say so.
So tightly had she held on to him that her muscles had all seized up until she felt she couldn't move any more.
By the time the ship finally stopped its twenty-minute skid across the ground, she'd found herself screaming.
She hadn't remembered opening her mouth, yet her scream had been the only sound left after the ship had tipped onto one side slightly, coming to rest a short distance away from the sea.
When she stopped screaming, she had let go of Kenneth, falling backwards to the deck. The impact had jarred her spine and left her sore all over her body.
Since then she'd been forced to ride on Unquill's shoulders as he hunted down animals for them to eat. Though she had always eaten meat like everyone else, she had never heard an animal's plaintive cry of terror just before death. Such pitiful wails reminded her of her own cries in the ship that she went numb all over.
Her mind had disengaged from the entire process of living. No amount of cajoling from Unquill or insulting from Kenneth could get her to respond. She lay on the ground next to the unlit fire for hours, trying not to think of anything.
Then something strange happened.
She had a brief moment of clarity where everything made sense.
It had happened when someone laid a haunch of cooked meat before.
Had it been in the morning?
She couldn't remember the exact time.
She had eaten the food, then nestled up against Kenneth. In turn, he had nestled up against her. Even though the stain on the legs of his pants hadn't quite come out by passing it through water, he still returned her affection in kind.
Now, with the giant from the Black Brigade sitting in front of the fire, Savannah wondered why she had done that.
She didn't particularly like Kenneth. He hadn't ever impressed her with his wit, or with his courage. He just been...there, no better than a decoration in the background.
In order for her to allow him near her, something must have changed. She didn't know what might have changed, only that something had.
The headache she had endured for the majority of her time in the future had gone away.
She had been surprised by that.
Surprised enough, in fact, to wonder whether breathing in the fresh air provoked enough of a change in her to get rid of the headaches.
She thought about that as the animal continued to spin over the fire.
She wasn't sure she wanted to eat any part of this one, even while her stomach made gurgling noises that only she could hear.
I'm not really sure of anything, she silently told herself.
Unquill and the Black Brigade man exchanged a few words.
Savannah didn't pay attention until the Black Brigade man said he had an unusual request. Savannah rubbed her eyes, sitting up. She hadn't wanted to move, yet she felt she ought to hear this part of the conversation.
As Savannah sat up, Kenneth pulled his hand away from her hair. He rolled his shoulder blades up and down. He started intently at the Black Brigade man and asked, "What's your request?"
Savannah found herself staring at the Black Brigade man as well. She noticed for the first time that his left arm lay in a sling made out of green cloth. Between hand and elbow, dark, angry bruises covered his arm.
If he minded the pain, he gave no sign.
He said, "I want to help you, if I can."
Silence greeted his words.
This had been the last request Savannah had expected to hear, though she could admit it was unusual enough. Just a short time ago, he had been ready to sling a fusion bomb in her face. Now, he wanted to help her. That incongruity woke her mind up by several degrees. She began to feel alert. She put a hand on one side of her neck while she craned it to the other side. Muscles loosened.
Unquill rested a hand upon his chin. He contemplated the Black Brigade man's words. He said, "What help can you give us?"
"My name is Winnow Unpo. I led the team that was supposed to capture you." Winnow held his broken arm. He licked his lips, then continued. "I can get you to the mainland. Let's say, for instance, that you've chosen to cooperate with me. We can cross the Lotus Lion Bridge. Then I'll get you to the Council of Thirds, if that is your desire."
Kenneth laughed, a low gruff sound that, to Savannah, sounded very unlike the happy noises he'd made whenever he pulled pranks in the school. "It's gone way past that now," he said.
Winnow Unpo leaned forward. His long, brown hair spilled over his good shoulder. He asked, "What do you mean?"
Kenneth pointed back in the direction of the ship. "We met a man. Hensen Var. He said we would fly in that ship to the council building. That didn't happen. So now, unless I'm wrong, all bets are off."
Winnow pushed his hair back over his shoulder. He looked at Kenneth with a quizzical expression. He said, "What do you mean 'bets?' I'm not aware of any wagers being placed here."
Savannah wasn't sure whether to smile or grunt at Winnow.
She looked up at the sky where the metal tapestry of skycraft tracks blotted out any view she might have had of the buildings and spaceships above them.
The sun beat down in rays through openings in the lattice, enough so that she felt grateful for having that much warmth to experience, at least. She said, "The future was all predicted before it happened. We changed all that. We don't even have to go the council building anymore. In fact," she motioned to Unquill, "The person that was Hinjo Junta may not even come to exist anymore. We've changed the future already, don't you see?"
Winnow adjusted his arm in the sling. He said, "Hensen might have been wrong. Or, he might have lied to you all. Events may still be playing out exactly as they should have been."
Unquill shook his head once, very slightly.
He looked off into the distance.
"I don't think that's the case. I know enough about future history to know that we've now entered unknown territory. Of course," he grunted, "Don't ask me to explain how I remember what I know about the future."
Winnow's eyes widened. He apparently hadn't believed Savannah or Kenneth, but a person of his time held more weight with him, Savannah judged. "Might that not mean that the events as recorded by future historians still happen, regardless of what changes may occur beforehand?"
Unquill took a single, deep breath. He considered Savannah for a long moment, during which she felt her stomach rumble a bit louder than it had before.
He said to Winnow, "That would be impossible. There are too many variables. The events of future history rely upon too many events interacting with one another. For instance, imagine --"
Winnow held his right hand up, interrupting Unquill. "It's okay, I get your point. The only question is, what can we do now?"
Kenneth grinned his malicious grin that made Savannah slide away from him ever so slightly. "What can't we do? We have the power of the Zeta Disruption on our side." He scratched his head. "Although, I suppose first we need to eat."
AFTER FEELING ANGUISH over the beast's death, Savannah felt guilty for enjoying sinking her teeth into the dark, juicy meat. Red droplets of blood spilled onto her chin. She wiped the blood away with the back of her hand. She took another bite of the meat. She decided that since she was hungry, it would be okay, just this once. She had grabbed a part of the animal's thigh while wondering how she and Kenneth would eat the beast between them. The animal had been larger than herself. She didn't think half of all the meat would fit into her stomach, even if she could bring herself to consume that much.
While Savannah ate, Winnow asked Unquill, "What happened to the robots?"
Unquill chuckled under his breath. He said, "The one was destroyed, as you saw. The other three went off together, looking for a way back to their master. I suspect they're at the bridge now, telling the army stationed there that they won't comply with any orders. I wish I could see it, myself."
Winnow looked down at his broken arm. He scratched it once, then stopped. He pulled his good hand away, clenching it into a fist. He said, "Then it's just us."
Kenneth reached over the fire and tore off a haunch from the animal's abdomen. He bit into it, chewed, then said, "Ish okay, doan worry."
Savannah recoiled from him. "Eww," she said, "chew with your mouth closed."
Winnow considered the roasting animal carefully. He said, "Then, if you don't mind, I'd like to implement my plan. I think our first goal ought to be getting up into the sky again. Then, we can straighten things out with the council, or the Constabulary, or whoever you like."
An explosion sounded in the distance before anyone could answer.