Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 502
Apparently having Marya pretend to be a morph to steal the
horses hadn’t quite worked. A woman fitting her description
was being sought, as were the horses. Axel had been forced to
use the laser pistol to wound several of the militia so they could
escape. As if having mounted men after them wasn’t bad
enough, using the laser might have alerted the Winds. One
way or the other, somebody would find them soon.
"They probably know where we’re going," he said,
"since we’ve had to stop and ask directions six times to get
here. It’d be suicide to go to Turcaret’s estate now."
"But we may never get another chance! Don’t you see?
The Winds are putting Ventus in quarantine. They’re not
going to let any offworlders land again, maybe not for
centuries! Turcaret represents our last best chance of finding
out what the Flaw is. We can’t throw away the opportunity."
"You sound just like her. Responsibility be damned!
We may not get another chance to escape, have you thought
about that? Especially if you’re right and the Winds are
quarantining the place. I don’t know about you, but I don’t
want to die here. Which is what’s going to happen if we don’t
get out now."
"I sound like her? Is that what this is about, Mr. Chan?
Is this about her?"
"No, I... --don’t change the subject."
"You’re the one who changed the subject!"
"I--" Axel was right on the edge. He straightened up
suddenly, and walked away. Don’t think about it, he told
himself. Just stop.
He couldn’t stop, though. Calandria had run out on him.
She didn’t trust him; after all they’d been through together, she
didn’t believe in him. He was damned if he was going to take
it out on this... tourist whom he’d been saddled with.