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.“We’ll take it as far as Madeira.We can use what’s in your pack to buy something else and send Vanya’s ship back here.”Jess shrugged.“I guess we don’t have a choice.”Kipper turned to Sancho.“Thank you.For everything.”She bent to kiss the top of his head, but the boy, sensing what was coming, wriggled free and ran off, calling, “Yuck!”26NO ONE SPEAKS MARSPERANTOKipper spoke to Jessamyn as the two boarded Vanya’s craft, “I apologize for how I handled things in Dunakeszi.I should have foreseen the danger of approaching the Vanyashin family for assistance.”“It’s okay,” Jess replied.“It’s over.” She pulled the ship up and out of the narrow street, punching in orders for a course to Madeira.“You were very brave,” said Kipper.“So were you,” replied Jessamyn.“And if it hadn’t been for Sancho slicing my pack, it might have worked out fine.”“If it hadn’t been for Sancho,” replied Kipper, “we wouldn’t be here now.”Jess nodded.“Fair enough.”“But I ought to have thought ahead and secured that tellurium,” Kipper continued.“With the tellurium crisis on everyone’s mind these past few days, it’s not wise to have it so … accessible.”“I should have thought of that, too,” said Jess.“The crisis is all the newfeeds talk about, because they use tellurium for rebodying.”“Yeah, I know what it’s used for.”“And there you were, with ten fingers—a whole kilo.” Kipper sighed, shook her head.“Well, we’re safe now, and in possession of a good vehicle,” said Kipper, “So it all worked out in the end.But I should have known better than to take both of us into that kind of situation.Ugh.I have an uncle of my own just like Vanya.”Jess’s eyes flicked to where Kipper sat at her side.“What I wouldn’t give to know what the worthless sand toad is up to now,” murmured Kipper.“I think I might know,” said Jess.“Is your uncle on friendly terms with your brother?”“My brother Cavanaugh? Yes.The two are thick as thieves.”Jessamyn took several minutes to describe the Terran fever that had gripped Mars Colonial, and its likely origin in Cavanaugh’s political faction.Kipper scowled, shaking her head.“How someone like my brother came out of Squyres Station, I will never understand.He’s been after me to join his little cabal for years.”“You don’t agree with his beliefs, I take it?” asked Jess.“Of course not.Holy Ares, Jaarda—he hasn’t taken you in, has he?”“No! I think he should be locked up and the lock-code erased.”Kipper grunted a short laugh.“Unfortunately, he’s a skilled orator.He knows how hard to push depending on what crowd he’s addressing.”“Kip, he set that fire to Rations Storage,” said Jess.Carefully, she explained how she’d come to know this darkest of Cavanaugh’s secrets.Kipper let out a long slow breath.“I warned the Secretary General about him.He finally crossed the line.The dirty water-grubber.I cannot fathom how we came from the same gene pool!”“I was hoping you could make a broadcast back to Mars,” said Jess.“Mars regards you as a … a … planetary treasure, Kipper.If you tell them your brother can’t be trusted, I think they might listen.He got off completely free when he was tried.”“The worthless ice-clod,” muttered Kip.“Of course I’ll do whatever I can.Although, there’s the chance the Terran government could intercept the message.That wouldn’t be good.”“It wouldn’t,” agreed Jess.“But my brother encrypts any messages we send, and he’ll have you read it out in Marsperanto, which we feel is safe.”“How did you know I spoke Marsperanto?” asked Kipper.“I didn’t,” said Jess, her eyes widening.“I was talking about my brother giving you a translation.No one speaks Marsperanto.”“I speak Marsperanto, thank you very much,” said Kipper.“I learned it back when Cavanaugh started in with Uncle Anthony.I learned the language as a way to demonstrate proper … patriotic feeling.As opposed to what my idiot brother was up to.”“Oh,” said Jessamyn.“Well, then you won’t need Eth to get a translation ready for you.”“I might appreciate a little help.It’s not like I get lots of chances to speak it.No one speaks Marsperanto,” she admitted gloomily.Jess glanced down at the nav panel.Less than an hour ‘til they reached Madeira.And Jess had several confessions to make.She decided to start with the easiest one.“So, Kipper, I should let you know we’re not on good terms with Clan Wallace at the moment.”Kipper turned and stared at Jess like she’d sprouted antlers.“Since when is Mars Colonial not on good terms with Clan Wallace?”Jess flushed.“I didn’t mean ‘We, Mars Colonial.’ I meant that Brian Wallace, who’s been helping me and Ethan and Pavel and Harp—well, helping all of us stuck here on Earth—had a falling out with his cousin Cameron.So none of us Raiders are on good terms with Clan Wallace.”Kipper shrugged.“I don’t see why that should prevent our paying a visit.Cameron is my cousin, you know.”It was Jessamyn’s turn to stare.“Cameron’s your cousin?”“We’re third cousins four times removed,” said Kipper.“Or maybe it’s fourth cousins thrice removed.I can never remember.”Jessamyn wasn’t sure she knew what either degree of relationship meant.“There—” Kipper pointed ahead at an island just appearing.“That’s Madeira.Or one of the chain of islands Clan Wallace controls.”“So you’re related to Clan Wallace?”“That’s what I just said.Lots of people from Squyres Station are Wallace descendants.How do you think Mars set up trade relations with them?” Kipper turned her attention to the mass of land growing larger in their view screen.Jessamyn had never considered how Clan Wallace had come to supply ration bars to the Mars Raiders.She’d probably been daydreaming about flying when that section of history was covered in school.She thought about what Kipper had said—that the Kiplings and the Wallaces were related.Did Cavanaugh see himself as continuing the fine tradition of his Terran ancestors in opposing the governmental status-quo? She shook her head.Drawing parallels which blurred the lines of good and bad was only going to unsettle her.Cavanaugh was the Ungrateful Wretch.Clan Wallace were trustworthy allies, however shaky the alliance just now.“Besides, even if I didn’t need assistance appeasing Vanya’s family, I would still want to consult Cameron.” Kip sighed heavily.“I’m afraid that in rescuing me, you are bringing a very dangerous person into your midst.”Jess’s brows rose slightly.“We’re all pretty dangerous to consort with, these days
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IndexChristine Wood [Life Plan 01] A Life Plan Without You (epub)
Cheryl McIntyre [Infinitely Infinitely (epub)
Clair Delaney [Coral 01] Coral (epub)
Christine Cody [Bloodlands 01 Bloodlands (epub)
Christina Ross [Unleash Me, A Unleash Me, Vol 3 (epub)
Christine Flynn [The Hunt for Once Upon a Christmas Eve (epub
Christian Fletcher [The Left Left on the Brink (epub)
Christopher G Nuttall [Royal The Royal Sorceress (epub)
Christina Ross [Unleash Me, A Unleash Me, Vol 1 (epub)
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