Part 29 (1/2)
”Vitar! It's me. Hoshma!” Soz tried to break his panic. I'm here! You're all right!
He gave a ragged sob and threw his arms around her neck, burying his face in her hair.
”Careful, careful,” Soz murmured. ”What is it? What scared you? Where is your father, honey? Where is Hoshpa?”
”Dead,” the boy sobbed. ”All dead and gone.”
”Vitar, no.” Soz struggled to rein in her fear. ”He can't be dead. We would feel it.” She was aware of Jai and Lisi behind her, their minds hyperextended now, as was hers, reaching, reaching for Jaibriol.
Finding nothing.
Somehow she kept her voice calm. ”Vitar, what happened?”
”Big silver bird came.” He was almost incoherent. ”Bad people in it.” He lifted his head to look at her. ”Shot Hoshpa, Shot at me. I ran away. They put Hoshpa into the bird and went into the sky.”
Soz whirled to Jai and Lisi. ”Get in the shelter now.”
Lisi hesitated. ”But Father-”
”NOW!” Soz shoved them toward their house, which was on the other side of the well. She took off running, Vitar in her arms, with Lisi and Jai running at her side, Jai still carrying del-Kelric. They raced into the house, making a thunder of noise as they ran across the main room.
Soz yanked up the trapdoor in a corner. ”Get down there. Fast.”
Lisi went first, followed by Jai, with del-Kelric. As they clambered down the wooden ladder, Soz knocked over a nearby shelf and swept everything she could reach into the hole. Trinkets and toys clattered in the darkness, pelting her children. She helped Vitar down after them, then lowered herself into the hole and pulled the trapdoor shut above them.
A deep rumble sounded in the distance.
”Get down!” she shouted. From Vitar's mind she picked up that he had reached the bottom and moved aside. She let go of the ladder and dropped the last two meters, landing with a jolt that made her fall to one knee. Del-Kelric wailed, his fear as tangible as a fog.
Soz lunged through the darkness, reaching out with her hands. As her fingers sc.r.a.ped the console, the rumbling outside grew louder. She stabbed at panels she knew by heart, from the libraries in her node and the drills she had made the family perform.
”Quasis field activated,” the comp said.
The rumbling swept above them.
It was as if a giant picked up the world and shook it in a huge fist. It slammed Soz against the rigid quasis s.h.i.+eld. Del-Kelric screamed and Lisi cried out, then called his name.
The shaking kept on, relentless, the world convulsing in an enraged frenzy. It threw them into each other, smashed them against the quasis s.h.i.+eld again and again, and churned up dirt until it uncovered the curve of the bubble beneath them.
Soz managed to get her arms around del-Kelric. Mercifully, he was still screaming, which meant he was alive and conscious. More frightening, Lisi and Jai had gone silent. Soz curled her body around del-Kelric, trying to protect him and her unborn child while the tumult threw her around like a ball within a ball.
Her node timed the wild shaking for twelve minutes, but to Soz it seemed forever. Finally the world tremored to a standstill. She lay on her side, gasping for breath, her arms still around the sobbing del-Kelric.
”Lisi?” she whispered. ”Jai?”
No answer.
Soz dragged herself forward. When her elbow hit a shoulder, she reached out and touched strands of long hair. Her fingers brushed a face she knew well. Jai. The whisper of his breath on her hand made tears well in her eyes.
Lisi was crumpled against Jai, both children folded around Vitar, protecting the boy. Lisi groaned when Soz touched her and Vitar cried softly. Tears ran down Soz's face. Alive. All four of them were alive.
”Hoshma?” Vitar whispered.
”I'm here, honey.” Sitting up, Soz drew him into her lap, with the whimpering del-Kelric. ”Jai?” she asked. ”Lisi?”
”I'm all right,” Lisi said.
”Does anything hurt?” Soz asked.
”All over,” Lisi said. ”But not bad. Like falling out of a tree.”
”Jai?” Soz asked.
Silence.
”Jai?” She touched his shoulder.
”Ahhh.” He stirred. ”My arm...”
”It's all right,” Soz said. ”Don't move.” She patted the ground, searching for the medkit-and a contraction caught her.
Soz cried out and fell back, releasing the children. Del-Kelric started to wail again and Vitar gave a startled cry.
”Hoshma?” Panic touched Lisi's voice. ”I don't feel the baby's mind anymore.”
Soz lay still until the contraction finished. Somehow she managed to speak without her voice cracking. ”Don't worry about that now. I need you all to help me.”
”How?” Lisi's fear permeated the darkness.
”Lisi, find the medkit,” Soz said. ”Vitar, see what else is in here. A lamp would be good.”
Vitar sniffled. ”I'll try.”
As Lisi and Vitar searched, Soz spoke in a low voice to Jai. ”How bad is your arm?”
”It's all right.” The strain in his voice belied his words.
”I found the medkit,” Lisi said. ”The laser carbine and the neutrino transmitter too.”
Soz reached for the kit, then groaned as another contraction hit her.
”Hoshma?” Vitar's voice shook, ”Why are you crying?”
”She's not crying,” Lisi said. ”The baby is coming.”
”Baby can't come,” Vitar said. ”Baby gone.”
”Vitar, don't!” Lisi sounded ready to cry herself.