Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 689
me some water," he commanded. When Hesty gave it to him,
he drank eagerly, suddenly realizing that he might have
allowed himself to die of thirst in his grief. Suicide by neglect.
He hated Hesty for reminding him of his duty. Scowling,
he said, "The Winds will destroy us when we've served our
purpose. We need to know what that purpose is."
"They won't speak to me," said Hesty. "The basts
consider you the commander. In your absence they've been
giving the orders."
Lavin was stunned. He had assumed that the army would
be well commanded in his absence. He'd had no idea that the
Winds had taken over directly.
"I... I will talk to them," he heard himself say.
Hesty looked at him, hope visible in his face.
"Knowing when they intend to discard us is only the first
part, Hesty. We need to act when that moment comes--or
before it comes. We need to escape them."
"But how?" Hesty gestured at the evidence all around
them of the omnipotence of the Winds.
"The basts will not be a problem. We can shoot them.
The swans are terrifying, but I'm not convinced they can do
much on the ground. And the Heaven hooks... well, I have an
idea about them."
Hesty grinned. "I knew you would, sir."
Lavin groaned. "Go get the engineers. I need something
made, and we have very little time."
With sudden energy Hesty leapt to his feet and snapped a
salute. "Yes, sir!" He sped out of the tent.
Lavin lay there for a while, staring at the canvas
overhead. His mind was utterly empty. Finally, he groaned and
stood up.
As he emerged from under the canopy he could hear a