SiSU: - Homeland - Cory Doctorow

Homeland
Even as we pushed through the crowd, part of my brain was already telling me a little story
about how it would all be okay: It's probably not even them. Those two guys probably have
EL wire all over their clothes, but they're saving battery. Boy, is Ange going to think I'm a
paranoia case when I tell her what I thought I saw --
The four were heading out into the dark of the open playa now, and there was someone
bringing up the rear, emerging from the crowd behind them. It was Carrie Johnstone, and
I saw her profile clearly now, silhouetted by the orange light of a flamethrower flaring a
fireball into the night as a mutant vehicle zoomed past. There was no doubt at all in my
mind now, this was her. She was sweeping her head from side to side in a smooth, alert
rhythm, like the Secret Service bodyguards that shadowed the president when you saw
him on TV.
Ange was saying something, but I couldn't hear her, and she was pulling on my hand, so
I let go of her, because I knew it was Carrie Johnstone, and I knew that Zeb and Masha
were under her power. I had been under her power. So had Ange. I knew what that meant,
and I wasn't going to let her snatch anyone else.
All five of them were vanishing into the night and I began to push and shove my way through
the crowd, not caring anymore if I stepped on someone's toes or bumped into them. People
swore at me, but I barely heard them. My vision had shrunk to a narrow tunnel with Carrie
Johnstone at the end of it. I patted at my utility belt and found my thermos, which was
made of hard metal alloy. It didn't weigh much, but if you hit someone from behind with it,
as hard as you could, they'd know they'd been hit. That's what I was going to do to Carrie
Johnstone.
I was making a wordless noise. It started off quietly, under my breath, but it was quickly
turning into a roar. No, not a roar, a battle cry. For years, this woman had haunted and
hunted me in my dreams. She'd humiliated me, broken me -- and now she was doing it
again to someone else. And I had her in my sights and in my power.
Someone on a playa bike nearly ran me down but swerved at the last moment and fell over
right in front of me, clipping my shin. I didn't even slow down. In fact, I sped up, leapt over
the bike and took off at a run.
-..-
But first, an interlude
This is a dirty trick. I freely admit it. I wouldn't blame you in the slightest if you scrolled
straight to the action, but before you do, I hope you'll consider‹buying a copy of this book
for a deserving school or library› ).
Or perhaps you've got a hankering to own a well-made, DRM-free, interlude-free print or
ebook version of this book. ‹This handy link› will find an indie bookseller in your neighborhood
who's got stock of it. And if you don't want to leave your chair there's always:
SiSU www.sisudoc.org/ 44