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"We’re here"

For a aze slides down to Marae’s h her eyes stare unblinkingly up, she’ll never see the planet

"I will take Marae’s body to the starsfirst-level Shippers here, on the Bridge, and start whatever process we need to begin planet-landing"

She nods "All the first-level Shippers are trained for this There are simulators, and the information has been passed down since"

"Since the ship left Sol-Earth"

"We were always ready for planet-landing, even when it was centuries beyond us"

"How much time will you need?"

Shelby stares at the control panel, thinking "The First Shipper runs scans"

Her eyes shoot to otten She’s First Shipper now

"I’ll run scans The first level is to ensure that the planet is habitable"

"I thought ays knew the planet was habitable"

Shelby nods "Before the mission, the probes from Sol-Earth indicated the planet’s environe of planet-landing is to ensure that’s actually the case I’ine has been diverted for this long because we’ve been in orbitwhy haven’t we landed already?"

My wonder at seeing the planet has slowly been replaced by this very question It’s possible we’ve been in orbit since the Plague--perhaps the rebellion that sparked the Eldest systeo as that Why didn’t the ship land before?

"Before we even think about landing, I want to make sure it’s possible," I tell Shelby

"I’ll do the scans myself They should take several hours I’ll know oodbye"

Shelby’s eyes drop to Marae’s body, still staring at the ceiling She nods silently

Shelby brings nets that ith the controls under the metal of the ship’s floors to easily carry heavy objects She snaps the box open It autoe, deep rectangle with a circuit board on the side to corav tube This transport has been used for some piece of machinery--it’s dirty, scratched, and srease I try to run my sleeve over it, but all I do is spread the dirt around I don’t want to treat Marae’s body like a piece of broken machinery to be throay, but I can’t bear the idea of prolonging her funeral arab some machinery towels to lay out on the transport

And then it’s time to move Marae

I lift her body by the shoulders; Shelby picks up her feet We have to bend Marae’s knees and curve her back so that she fits co her into the fetal position

Shelby’s slight body seems massive beside the shell of Marae’s I didn’t know life took up so much space Shelby bends down over Marae’s body, and it reer beasts fro flesh of carcasses

"I don’t kno to do this without you," Shelby whispers to Marae "But I’ll try"

And she doesn’t look like a scavenger anymore; she looks like an orphan

She bends swiftly, and I don’t know if she’s kissing Marae’s flaxen cheek or whispering in her ear, but either way, it’s not like Marae can feel it

The Shippers gather around as we pull the transport out For most of them, this is the first death they’ve seen When Eldest was in charge, death was a methodical, scheduled product of the Hospital

They stare at Marae’s body as I pass; I stare at the floor The hard lines of the rily with my hands

I force ht

I look directly ahead ofjaw to sho much this hurts

46

AMY

WITHOUT ELDER, THERE’S LITTLE POINT IN ME EXPLORING the stairs further Instead, I go to the garden behind the Hospital Bartie and his crowd have left, including Luthor The srass around the bench is the only re I peel the rass to the water’s edge I think about co so important I sit on the bank, my knees drawn up under my chin, and stare at the pond’s perfectly still surface I try to see through its depths--the water’s clear, and not very deep, but reen-brown rass tickles my neck My feet slip down the bank until my toes touch the cool water I slide my feet into the pond and close ht, but behind ht reddish blur that the Sun looked like on Earth when I’d lie down outside

A shadow crosses over htness dims--like the sun covered by clouds I open ht as he leans down over me

"Hey," I say, suddenly breathless Allthe ship disappear as he collapses beside ?"