Page 55 (1/2)

We don’t have a lot of fuel--a little we carried in, and a little we find nearby--but it’s enough to heat a canteen of water and make ourselves some weak soup, and it helps make the ration bars a little s ant to try to salvage from the ship-- pot--and study the silhouette of the wreck against the stars I wonder whether we can cliet a better look at the terrain around us

Lilac falls asleep with her head onnot to use n of the whispers I can’t help but wonder what itto the wreck, have we done whatever they were trying to co? I don’t understand--or trust--their intentions

I suppose so us Maybe noe’re on our own

"Significant parts of the ship were intact?"

"You’ve got the recon pictures"

"I’ a lot of questions you know the answers to Is there a purpose to that?"

"Is there a purpose behind your refusal to cooperate?"

"I’ anytinificant parts of it were intact?"

"Parts weren’t incinerated, but I wouldn’t say they were intact"

"You conducted salvage without incident?"

"I cut ot"

TWENTY-FOUR

LILAC

EXPLORING THE SHIP IS A MIND-NUMBING TASK Even though huge portions of it broke apart during its descent or were crushed on ih to hold fifty thousand people, with rooh just a fraction of it will take days For every room we find with useful supplies there are dozens where everything is sh and left only shriveled plastene and unidentifiable char behind

Tarver’s been hiding his hand fro me from the fact he’s not invincible, for fear I’d fall apart

But theHis face is white, with spots of red on either cheek, and his eyes take longer to focus than they should He’s too quiet He’sslowly He doesn’t even coe back at hi