Sometimes you find yourself in a moment that you have dreamed of more than once. And yet the words, the same ones you have spoken so suavely so many times in your head, never come out.
Niko stammered, “What? How are you here?”
Petalia said, “You look terrible.”
Niko gathered her wits long enough to signal the bartender for another drink, indicating the new arrival. He gave off wiping the counter with a dirty rag in his lower hand and switched to the upper to offer Petalia a special. They declined to roll the die and he shrugged and poured in a measure of clear liquid before handing it to them.
They took it and put it in front of them without sipping from it. “I am here because it seemed likely you would return once you also discovered Tubal Last is alive.”
“So you waited for me,” Niko said giddily.
Petalia’s face did not warm. “I may know you are my best chance against him, but don’t think that is welcome knowledge.”
“We have something…” Niko started, then broke off, coming to her senses. Who knew what sorts of ears might be listening, even here? Instead, she said, “Come back to the ship with me, and we’ll talk.”
She gulped her drink down before they left. Petalia’s remained untouched on the bar and the bartender drank it himself when he realized they were not returning.
“How does it work?” Petalia asked, staring down at the machine. “You said it is called the Devil’s Gun, and that would imply it shoots something.”
“A metaphorical gun,” Jezli said tersely. She and Petalia had disliked each other on sight, like fire and water introduced for the first time. Niko might have enjoyed seeing her discomfited, but it was clear Petalia felt the same, and the constant squabbling was getting annoying, even though the two had been coexisting for less than an hour now.
“Then how do I metaphorically shoot it?”
“When we are well away from the station, so they do not sense any fluctuations that might come from it, you will hold it and think of the person you want dead.”
Petalia scoffed. “It cannot be that simple!”
“You go through a Gate and come out elsewhere, and that is simple enough, but you do not question that!” Jezli snapped back.
Dabry looked to Niko.
She cleared her throat. “Enough,” she said. “Dabry, are the others back on board yet?”
He nodded.
“Are you sure you don’t need to get anything from the station?” Niko asked Petalia.
They shook their head. “I travel light,” they said.