The Baba Yaga (26 page)

“Walker, I won’t let you harm these people.”

“You?” Walker looked her up and down. “I’m not sure you can stop me.”

Heyes shook her head. “Are you capable of anything other than threats?”

“I only issue threats when it becomes necessary,” Walker said.

“Yes, yes,” said Heyes, with contempt. “That’s always the excuse—”

“Ssh!” said Larsen. “No, I mean it! I think there are people coming.”

Walker reached for her gun. “Could they have changed their minds?” she said. “Could they be coming after us?”

“I wouldn’t blame them,” Heyes said. “But I don’t think they’d go back on their word.” She gave a toothy smile. “Perhaps your friends are catching up with you at last.”

Larsen blanched. “Christ,” she said, “I hope not.”

But the group that approached them were not from the Expansion. Going by their clothes, they were from the settlement. There were three of them in total, two human and a Vetch. Their leader, a small nut-brown woman, introduced herself as Feuerstein and said, “We are here to help you.”

“To help us?” Walker looked at her suspiciously. “How?”

Feuerstein looked back with serious jet-black eyes. “You want to go to the portal. We can take you there.” Turning away from Walker, she offered her hand to Heyes. “Mother,” she said. “Welcome at last to Stella Maris.”

Heyes stepped forwards and took the young woman’s hand in her own. “You took your time,” huffed the priest. “Didn’t you get my message?”

“I did,” said Feuerstein, “and I came as soon as I could.” She looked at the priest with concern. “You are not well, Hecate. You should settle here for good.”

Larsen and Walker glanced at each other.
Hecate?
Larsen mouthed.
Hecate Heyes?

Heyes didn’t miss the exchange. “Why do you think I turned to drink?”

Walker, turning to Feuerstein, said, “Your friends back there were pretty clear that we weren’t welcome. Why are you helping us?”

Feuerstein glanced at her group of friends. “I was there at the meeting,” she said. “My voice was heard, but I could not persuade them. They are frightened by your arrival, and want everything on Stella Maris to remain the same. But not everyone here takes such a narrow view. We”—she gestured around the little group—“understood the content of your speech; although we did not like the anger that consumed it. You did badly there. You did not understand us. Nevertheless, we agreed with what you said, and so we are willing to take you to the portal.”

Larsen said, “But what about the others?”

“What about them?” Feuerstein said.

“They were pretty clear that they wanted us gone. Won’t they try to stop us?”

“No,” said Feuerstein. “But it is a long journey, and we will not be helped.”

Walker did not move. “I don’t understand this,” she said. “They told us to go. They
ordered
us to go—”

“They asked you to go,” Feuerstein said. “They cannot order you. How could they order you?” She glanced down at Walker’s energy weapon, still tucked away under her jacket. “What threat could they issue that would have an effect on you?”

“They were clear they wanted us to go. But now you want to help us?” Walker said. “I don’t understand. What authority do you have to do this?”

“Authority?” Feuerstein looked genuinely baffled. “There is no authority. There is only my own will.”

I
T WAS WELL
into the night when they reached the
Baba Yaga
. Feuerstein and her people had brought small tents that provided cover during the afternoon, when they rested and waited for the cool evening. The night sky was a blaze of stars, unfamiliar to Walker and her companions. When they reached the ship, they were greeted with palpable relief by Maria and Failt, who grabbed onto Walker’s arm and wouldn’t let go for some time.

After they had eaten and rested, they met on the flight deck to consider their next move. Feuerstein’s people had made camp outside, but Feuerstein came on board, and she showed them on the viewscreen where the portal was in relation to their current position. “It’s some distance,” she said. “A few days’ walk, even for the fittest amongst us. More of the red plains, then a great river, which we have to cross. Along a wide pass between the mountains. Then up to the portal itself.” She eyed the crew of the
Baba Yaga
. “I would not advise bringing the children.”

“We don’t need to walk,” Walker said. “Yershov can move the ship.”

Yershov, who was lying in his pilot’s sling, cracked open an eye. “I’m not moving this ship anywhere.”

Walker ignored him. “How close can we land, Feuerstein? Mountainous, you said. There’d still be a walk, I guess—”

“I
said
I’m not moving the ship anywhere.”

Walker turned him. “Now is not the time to get mutinous. We’re nearly done. Then you can get paid and you’ll be free to go. One last trip—”

“And I’ve said—I’m not going. I’m done.” He swung round into a sitting position. “You’re crazy, do you know that, Walker? A Weird portal? What do you think you’re going to do when you come face-to-face with it? I bet you don’t know. You haven’t a clue. Well, I’m not interested in coming face-to-face with the Weird. I’ve heard about what they can do. Seen the same pictures and files you have—no, you didn’t think I was paying attention, did you? Stupid old Yershov, the drunk, the junkie—he won’t be listening. He won’t be watching. Well, I
have
been listening, and I
have
been watching, and I’m telling you, lady—I’m done. You paid me to bring you to Stella Maris, and here we are and that’s that. I’m not moving this ship so I can get my brains eaten.”

“Eaten further,” said Walker.

“Delia, that’s enough!” said Larsen. Walker looked at her in surprise. Larsen wasn’t one to lose her temper; more one to defuse with humour. “This man is in pain—real pain. He’s brought us this far. Leave him alone.”

“Yes, he’s brought us this far, and he’s going to be well paid for his trouble,” Walker said impatiently. “He’s brought us across star systems. I only want the damn ship parked up the road.”

But Yershov wasn’t budging. “You can whistle for it, lady! I’ve had enough. I’m leaving.”

“By all means leave,” said Walker, “but you’ll be in agony within hours.”

“No, he won’t,” said Larsen. “I can give him something for that. I won’t withhold pain relief. Not even for you, Delia.”

“Then he won’t get paid,” Walker said wearily. “Not until I get back. If you’re planning to rid yourself of those troublesome implants, Yershov, you’ll have to find yourself another client. And while these people seem to live the good life”—she jerked her head towards Feuerstein—“they don’t seem to be rolling in ready cash.”

Yershov rolled off his pilot’s sling, He came up to Walker, stared at her, and then he spat at her feet. She stepped fastidiously backwards. “I’ll see you in Hell before I move this ship,” he said. The anger and humiliation were unmistakeable. “Fuck you, Walker!” Then he turned and stumped off the flight deck.

Feuerstein turned to Heyes. “Who are these people? Why have you brought them here?”

“You can trust the doctor,” said Heyes. “She’s sacrificed a great deal to come here.” She sighed. “You need the full picture, Shel.” She turned to Larsen. “Tell her what’s going on. Tell her what we know about Braun’s World.”

In a neutral voice, trying not to over-dramatize, but unable to disguise her revulsion at what had been done, Larsen explained the secret of Braun’s World: the portal that had never existed; the excuse it had given the hardliners to take over the Bureau; the cover-up that had followed; and Kit and Maria’s escape, carrying the evidence to expose that cover-up.

Feuerstein listened carefully and without speaking. When Larsen done, Feuerstein sat for a while, studying the viewscreen, where Larsen had shown her a few of the files

“This here,” said Feuerstein, pointing at the Sleer and the Flyers on Cassandra. “This interests me. We have seen things like this on Stella Maris—these flying creatures in particular. I had doubted that what we had here on Stella Maris was what you were looking for, but... Yes, the Weird are here. But different here.” She sighed. “These people following you, Larsen. Will they come to Stella Maris?”

“I don’t know,” said Larsen. “I’ve done my best to cover my tracks, and I know Walker has done the same. But they’re clever people, professionals, with the weight of a big organisation behind them, and very good motivation to find us.”

“We don’t have any defences,” said Feuerstein. “We don’t even have firearms. The lorry that brought you here is the only vehicle in the whole settlement.”

“Your best defence is if we find a way of working with the Weird,” said Walker.

Feuerstein looked at her steadily. “We already have that,” she said. “But not in the way you mean.” She turned back to Larsen. “Should I alert the settlement that people may be coming? If they’ve killed as many as you say—killed that many of their own people—they’ll surely not hesitate to murder many of us.”

“I can’t answer that for you,” said Larsen. “Would it help them to know? Could they prepare some kind of defence? Would it only cause panic?”

Feuerstein thought a while. “There’s little we can do now. If there are people coming, we will need all hands to defend our own group, I think. The quicker we can reach the portal, the better it will be.”

They discussed their plans and, taking Feuerstein’s advice, agreed that Maria would remain with Jenny and Failt on the
Baba Yaga
. Again, Walker was surprised that Failt was willing to be parted from her, but she didn’t press. “Someone got to stay here and keep an eye on things, missus,” he said, cryptically.

Maria said, anxiously, “How long should I expect you to be away?”

“If we’re gone more than a month,” said Larsen, “assume we’re not coming back.”

Maria took a deep breath. “And what should I do then? Yershov isn’t going to wait forever. And there’s Jenny...”

Feuerstein said, “Go to the settlement. Go to my long-house. Tell them that Shel sent you. They’ll look after you.”

“Will they let her in?” said Walker. “Even though you’ve come with us?”

“You still don’t understand us.” Patiently, Feuerstein said, “Of course they would help a woman and two children.”

“Two women and three children,” said Heyes. “You shouldn’t come on this journey, Walker.” She looked at Larsen. “You’re her doctor. This isn’t right.”

“Do you think I can stop her?” said Larsen.

“She can’t,” said Walker. “Give it up, Heyes. I’ve come here to do this thing. I’m not giving up now.” She turned to Feuerstein. “That lorry that took us to the settlement? No chance of borrowing one of those?”

Feuerstein smiled. “You’ve not been listening. There is only one. Listen, Walker, and understand. We have very little in the way of material goods, and nothing in the way of defences. All we have is hope that you’ve brought nobody in your wake. Because there is nothing to protect our people, if your enemies land at the door.”

T
HEY RESTED THROUGHOUT
the following day, and waited until the sun had set before beginning their journey. Maria, Jenny, and Failt watched them leave. Maria had given up trying to settle Jenny to sleep, and the little girl dashed between Larsen and Heyes, to whom she had taken a shine, holding hands and bestowing occasional kisses. Yershov was nowhere to be seen.

Failt clung to Walker’s arm. “You take care, missus. You take care of you both,” he said, and Walker, unexpectedly, found tears springing into her eyes. She folded her arm around the child, and hugged him. “I’ll be fine,” she said. “Believe me, Failt. I’ve come through worse than this.”

At last their packs were shouldered and they were ready to leave.

“Goodbye,” said Maria, holding the two children to her, an arm around each one. “Good luck. I’ll be here, waiting. I know you’ll come back.”

They waved their farewells, and then Feuerstein and her people led them into the night. After five minutes or so, Walker looked back at the dark bulk of the
Baba Yaga
against the hillside. The road ahead sloped upwards, and then down, and when she looked back again, the
Baba Yaga
was gone, and only the bright stars ahead remained unchanged. Walker looked at the road ahead and moved on. After a while, she became aware of Heyes and Larsen, behind her, in quiet conversation. They were talking about her.

“Our leader,” said Heyes, “presents some puzzles to me.”

“Oh yes?”

“The loyalty of Maria; the love of Failt... There must be something about her to attract these people.”

“It’s not so difficult to understand, Mother. Walker is effective, but she isn’t cruel. And she doesn’t like waste. Life is messy, but killing is messier.”

“Does that explain the baby?”

Walker listened with interest to hear what Larsen would say. But Larsen only sighed. “Now that,” she said, “is a puzzle even to me.”

After an hour or so, they stopped to rest. As they sat in a circle around their lamps, eating from ration bars taken from the
Baba Yaga
and drinking from the water bottles, Walker took the chance to ask Feuerstein more about the Weird portal on Stella Maris.