Ruins (Pathfinder 2)

“We can’t make any decisions until we know more,” said Param, “and we can’t know more until we make those decisions.”

“Why not have one of us go back and look?” asked Umbo. “I send you back, and snap you home to us if something goes wrong?”

Rigg nodded, but it was the nodding of thought, not a decision. “That’s good. Safer in some ways. But then I’m the one seeing them. And what if I change something back then that affects us now?”

“You don’t want to face them alone,” said Loaf.

“I don’t know if I’ll understand enough of what I’m seeing,” said Rigg. “And I don’t know how seriously they’ll take me if I’m alone. I’m just a kid.”

“Not so young as you used to be,” said Olivenko. “And never just a kid even then.”

“I’m an experienced old soldier,” said Loaf. “Experienced enough to know that when somebody is cautious about his own ability to judge, it means he’s much better prepared to judge a situation than people who don’t doubt their ability to judge.”

“I’d like to be able to quote you on that,” said Param, “but I’m not sure I know what you said.”

“I said Rigg isn’t as young as he thinks, but he’s also right. We should all go together.”

“Back to a time when we have no control over the flyer?” said Umbo.

“Who’s being cautious now?” asked Param.

“We didn’t have control over the flyer until the very end of our time in Vadeshfold,” said Rigg. “We can handle a few weeks without it now.” Rigg rose to his feet and held out his hands. “A few weeks ago, there was a group of three people—and their paths look as human as anybody’s, if that helps. They came ashore here, then walked up near the river. Maybe they were harvesting river mussels or something, but they could have done that from the water.”

“They still walk,” said Umbo. “That’s something. They haven’t turned into seals or dolphins or some other aquatic mammal.”

“Otters,” said Rigg.

“Sharks with hands,” said Olivenko, and the reminder of Knosso’s fate stilled the nervous merriment that Rigg and Umbo had started.

They joined hands.

“Any mice with us?” asked Olivenko.

“Three,” said Loaf.

“Eight,” said Rigg at the same moment.

“Stealthy little bastards,” said Loaf.

“No secrets anyway,” said Rigg. “They know they can’t hide from me, and we have no need to conceal what we do from them.”

“Do you have the path we’re jumping to?” asked Umbo.

“I do,

” said Rigg. “Take us back.”

“You can do it yourself,” Umbo reminded him.

“I’m not sure I can take all of us at once,” said Rigg. “And you’re stronger and better practiced. I’ll aim, you loose the bow.”

So Umbo did.

There were three women near the river, their backs to the group of Ramfolders. Standing over them was an expendable. Larex.

“I guess this means that the expendable knows more about the Larfolders than the other expendables thought,” murmured Umbo.

“Or they held back the knowledge from the mice,” said Param.