Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 188
stay."
A key rattled in the door. It opened and Axel poked his
head in. "She here?" he asked.
"No."
"Okay." The door slammed again.
Jordan sighed. "You'd better rest," he said to August. "I
have to go study."
Axel found Calandria on the manor's roof. He'd thought
she might be here; this was a good spot from which to signal
her ship. The Desert Voice maintained a high orbit, waiting for
its order to obliterate Armiger, and Calandria came up here to
listen for its pulsed radio beacon every day. She seemed to
need the reassurance of its presence, which was one of those
unlikely character traits that people who didn't know her well
would find hard to credit.
"How are you doing?" he asked as he settled onto one of
the crenels beside her. She was staring moodily out over the
estate.
"Fine." She shrugged. "Things are getting more and
more complicated, that's all. I was hoping we could get out
without impacting the local culture at all. That seems unlikely
now."
"These people are used to miracles," he said. "They're
part of the natural order here. Look." He pointed east, where a
pale crescent hung high in the sky: a vagabond moon.
Another made a tiny dot above the southern horizon. "We
aren't doing anything supernatural, as far as these people are
concerned."
"I don't like it," she said. "Especially after last night.
August's wound is almost totally healed. That's one miracle
already. The Desert Voice is going to nuke Armiger, which is