Piv turned and collected Maya’s bag, passing it to her. She rummaged for a second, brought out her grandmother’s earrings, and put them on. She raised her eyebrows at Piv, “Better?”
He smiled, “Much. Don’t be too disheartened, the haze lasted long enough for you to read the book. Maybe just over a day?”
“Yeah, about that. Can you help me with something? Can you read the recipes for the refraction hazes for me? I wanna see if I understand it the same.”
“Of course!”
Piv lurched to take a seat next to Maya, and took the book. He rifled through to the appropriate chapter, and began to speak. As he progressed through the instructions on the page, Maya’s smile grew. Before long, her nervous excitement spilled into fidgeting that distracted Piv from his reading.
“Everything okay?”
Maya grinned and nodded, happily. “I still understand. I can still-“ Maya lifted her hands and offered air quotes, “-read between the lines.”
Piv stared, confused at the gesture. “What’s that about, the curly fingers?”
Maya laughed, “Oh nothing! Just an Earth thing.”
“You Terran’s are strange.”
The phrasing caught Maya’s attention, and reminded her of an old passing comment from Piv, “Us Terrans? Didn’t you say you’d met one before?”
“Yes, I have met one. He was a hazemaker too. He gave me these.” Piv pointed to his goggles, with a gentle smile on his face that hinted at sadness.
“You don’t have to talk about it, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s probably good that you know. We’re friends now.” Piv looked up to Maya as though it was a question, seeing her grin in response.
“So, Togi families are often quite big; I am the third of twelve siblings. When my father became ill, my oldest brother; Ahl, left our home in search of a hazemaker, for a cure. Shortly after, a hazemaker actually came through our town, offering services for board. He was a Terran, by the name Enmei, from somewhere called Nihon. Do you know it?”
“Nope. It’s not near Gedbury, I can tell you that much.”
“Well anyway, he stayed with us for a week, and tended to my father. He made a full recovery. We’d already explained that Ahl had gone, and Enmei agreed to help me find him, and bring him home. We eventually got word that Ahl had found a hazemaker, and had come to Misvir. Enmei and I travelled for a while, and tracked him to the Western coast of this continent. When we found him, he was working for a Olgan hazemaker, earning enough to pay for the-“
Piv spotted the expressions dancing over Maya’s face, and paused. Realising she’d been noticed, Maya spoke. “Olgan?”
“Oh, one of the other peoples. Tall, broad shoulders, quite muscular. Fur like me, but shaped like Terrans or Misvans. Ahl was working to pay off the cure. When we explained that my father was already cured by Enmei, the Olgan got angry. There were arguments about contracts, but obviously Ahl didn’t need the cure anymore. When Ahl tried to leave, the Olgan attacked Enmei. The fight spilled out into the street and caught attention, what with the hazes flying around. Fylguard were there in seconds, and… well, they killed them. The bodies of Olgan and Enmei were both dragged off. They didn’t even notice Ahl. They left him behind, in the street. For a long time I blamed myself. When the fight broke out, I ran and hid. I know there was nothing I could have done, but still. I lost a friend and a brother that day.”
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Maya sat, watery eyed and silent. Piv smiled again, that warm, brave smile, then cleared his throat.
“It is what it is. With Enmei gone, I was of course stranded. I tried to get back at first, but soon found Misvan hospitality had its limits as far as Togi were concerned. I lived on the streets of various cities, but it wasn’t until Nurba that I found any kind of friend.”
“I’m so sorry! I’ll get you home, I promise!”
Piv shook his head, “Like I said, this was a long time ago. Sad of course, but a distant sadness, not a fresh one. Having said that, the hope of seeing my family again has certainly re-intensified things slightly.” He rushed to qualify, “In a good way of course!”
“I’d love to meet your family, and see Togu.”
“You would be very welcome, and Togu is a beautiful world. Full of trees and-”
The pair started, as Spanner came bounding back down the stairs.
“Right, so quartz, pine cones, and matches; all fine. Apparently that plant is gonna be an issue. The only place in the city that’s likely to have it is the Outer Ring botanical gardens.”
Piv threw his hands up, “There’s no way we’re getting in there now. Does Mikus have people?”
“Annabelle is gonna check, but she seemed doubtful. She said it might be that they can source some from Mascos, but it’ll take a few weeks.”
Piv drooped, and slumped back onto the cushions, as Maya stood. She reached into her grandpa’s bag, and pulled out the yellow vial, presenting it as though a trophy, with a huge smile on her face.
“How about, we just take it? I know we shouldn’t steal, but we also shouldn’t be hunted by some weirdo army general for just existing, so sod the rules.”
The confidence in her stance held until she got uncertain responses from the others.
“It’s not like the rules are protecting us. I can do this. I need to learn about the plant though, what it looks like, and where it will be. Then I can sneak in and take some. Just enough for what we need?”
Spanner turned to Piv and raised her eyebrows and shoulders together, as if to defer to him. He shook his head.
“Too dangerous, if you get caught, the hierarchs will hand you straight over to the Fylguard. They don’t want the hassle.”
“But I won’t get caught! They won’t be able to see me!”
“You have no idea how long it will last!”
“Not true. I know it’s stronger than the last one, and that lasted a day!”
“The risk is too high! I know its tough being stuck here, but a few weeks wait is better than getting caught!”
Maya held Piv’s gaze. “It will work. I won’t get caught. Not if I’m careful, and not if I’m prepared.”
Spanner stepped up and rested a hand on Piv’s head, which he brushed off immediately.
“Kid’s gonna be a hazemaker, fuzzball. Might be, we need to let her act like one.”
Maya knelt down and took Piv’s hand. “I can do this. I can get us home.”
Piv bowed his head, and squeezed Maya’s hand tight. “Maybe, but we prepare properly.” He turned to Spanner. “We need another book, one on plants, with sketches. Can you go back to Annabelle?”
Spanner grinned, obviously energised by the excitement of a possible heist. “Absolutely, and I know the gardens. I mean, its been a while, but I reckon I can draw you a map-ish.”
She rushed back off up the stairs for the umpteenth time, skipping steps along the way. Piv turned back to Maya.
“So how exactly do you plan to do this?”
“Well, I figure if I learn to identify the plant. I learn all about it, how it grows and all that. Then all I need to do is get in. There must be gates. Spanner said the Outer Ring was all closed off except for hierarchs, but that means people still come and go. I just wait until the gates open, and sneak in. If I know what I’m looking for, and basic care of it, I should be able to tell where it would be. Even if it takes me a long time to find it, it doesn’t matter. Even if I’m wrong and the haze lasts only half the time of the Misvan translator one, that should still be plenty. I won’t take risks. I’ll take it slow, stay out of people’s way. In, grab the plant, out; simple.”
Piv applied his most sceptical look. “You’re going to need to factor in travel time. If we don’t want to risk being traced back here, you are going to need to use the haze before you leave. That’s going to eat into it somewhat. Ideally, you’d be back here before it wears off. You could sneak onto a carriage, but all the platforms in the Outer Ring are closed to every one but hierarchs at the moment, and they rarely use them. You could end up stuck.”
“I could get off at central, there must be a gate nearby?”
“Yes, there is, about a five minute walk. That’s your safest bet I think. It’s still an hour or so from the gate, inside the walls. Assuming you don’t have to wait long, I would imagine you could be at the gardens within two and a half hours. Same coming back, so that’s already five hours down. How sure are you the haze will last that long?”
“About as sure as I can be, considering I’ve never used one before.”