32: The Value of Life

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“We have that on pretty good record,” Tyk says, puzzled. “There were fourteen survivors, and if Myn and Haidn are dead…”

But Smon is shaking her head. “Fourteen of us were contacted by hives in this area. That does not mean fourteen survivors. In fact, those of us you know about need Rayjo Tau the least; we can already communicate through your hives once the wingsong stream is working again. But our javlyn went very fast over very big land, dropped boats all over. In the sleeplands, and in the ocean. Maybe even the North continent, or other continents. Path was… not straight for planet, javlyn was spinning, planet was spinning. That is why Rajo Tau must be very high, to talk far, and must be up North, to talk to ocean.”

“Oh, Smon. They… they would have died. Anyone not picked up by a hive is surely dead.”

“Oh? Why?”

“Because they don’t have a hive to help them! Even the Hiveless band together in groups, and their lives certainly aren’t safe! One to three people have no chance!”

“Why not?”

Tyk goes to answer that, and stops. What would Smon have done, had the hive not found her? She’d have… looked around and learned about her environment, built her water tank, built her farm. She wouldn’t know so much, she probably wouldn’t have travelled anywhere, and when she’d run out of living things nearby to put in her farm she’d have some trouble, but there’s no reason to think she’d be dead. Of course, she’d landed in a very safe area, but the others probably had the same killing tools that she did, so if something really dangerous came along they could protect themselves.

“O-okay, but on the ocean?”

“Falling into water is safer than falling onto ground,” Smon shrugs. “The things, the… plants… in the ocean are probably dangerous, but many would have survived. If I can talk to their Rayjo and tell them where land is, we can all gather together at the Starspire. All kinds of lorekeepers and workers and different sorts of people together, we can look after each other much better.” She stands up. “So, I must get moving. And we must get you safely home. If we go back to the boat crossing, would that be safe for you, or would the Green Hills Hive try to kill you?”

“No, I should be safe. Keyan went back to report the situation to everyone ashore, and they would’ve sent fliers for Redstone River straight away, so the Green Hills Hive can’t keep this quiet by killing us. They have every reason to make sure we’re as safe as possible; starting a war with our hive wouldn’t help anyone. Ayan would’ve sweet-talked them into keeping me safe if I turn up alive.” Of that, Tyk has no doubt – she and Ayan might not get along, but they’re both members of the same hive. And by the same logic, contact with the Green Hills Hive would be deadly for Smon – a boatload of Green Hills Hive people had watched her kill two of their own, and in this particular political climate, the chances of everyone waiting around to assess claims of self defense aren’t high. “But it’d be a lot safer for us to get home by going downriver. We can let Green Hills think we’re dead and get away from them as fast as possible. All we have to do is follow the river and it’ll eventually take us to the shore opposite the Redstone River Hive. Redstone River is much, much closer to the riverbank than Green Hills; there are people at the river all the time. We’ll find some way to get their attention and cross there.”

“I thought the whole reason that everyone was coming to Green Hills was because that’s where we had to cross?”

“Well, to get a caravan across, yes. The crossing is built near Green Hills Hive because that’s the best place to cross to trade with Glittergem; it minimises the amount of travel through the sleeplands. But for us, hugging the riverbank and going South is definitely a lot safer than getting you anywhere near the Green Hills Hive again.”

“And how would we cross, in the wet season? I thought we were racing the rising river?”

“Well… yes. We’d have to wait for the dry season to cross. But the men could fly things over to us, and we’d be close to home, within communication with the hive. We’d be like a temporary scout outpost; plenty of hives have those. It’s not completely safe, but it’s the safest option we have.”

Smon shakes her head. “The safest option is for you to go back to the boat. What they feel about me doesn’t matter; I’m not going back to Green Hills Hive or Redstone River Hive. I’m going to Glittergem.”

“To… to go on to the Starspire?”

“Yes. Somebody must build Rayjo Tau.”

“But you said it yourself! Myn and Haidn are dead! You’re going to do it yourself?”

“If I have to.”

“You said you don’t know much about how it works! Can you even make it?”

“I do not know, but my echo stone does. It has a lot of lore in it. I’ll find a way to get Glittergem Hive to help with the building. It can be done.”

“And what if Glittergem also decide you’re an enemy soldier and try to kill you?”

“Then I can’t stop them. But I have to try. Some chance is better than going back to Redstone River and having no chance. My people are like yours; we are much safer living in groups. Every day without Rayjo Tau is a day that everyone who landed North could be in danger.”

“Maybe they’ve found their own way to coordinate and banded together already.”

“Maybe. In which case we on the land will want to coordinate with their group. Either way, sooner is better. I can’t go back and wait most of a year to cross the river again and then try to figure out how to go back up North to build it.”

“Okay,” Tyk says. “I’m coming with you, then.”

“What? No!”

“You can’t do it alone. How are you going to bring your farm?”

“Tow it up the river until I have to leave it, then build a cart for it. You think my people can’t push carts? It’ll be slow, but I can do it.”

“And if you run into trouble? If you get injured, and somebody needs to help you until you heal? There are things about the land that could kill you that you probably don’t know about yet, but I do. Do you know what to do to avoid a dustwasp attack? I do. Me taking you to the Starspire was always the plan – ”

“With help! With a full caravan! This is too dangerous!”

“Oh, what, me being in danger is a problem but you being in danger is fine?”

“Yes! We’ve been over this, Tyk! I’m always in danger! This Earth – ”

“Yeah, yeah, the sun might burn you and the rocks might be poison and plant stings that don’t hurt us might turn your insides to goo or whatever. I’ve heard. But that doesn’t mean that you should take extra steps to put yourself in even more danger. You’ll be much, much safer if I come along, and much more likely to succeed.”

“I might be safer, but you won’t be! You’re more important, Tyk!”

“What? Why?”

“Because you are! I expected to be dead already, and my family are all long dead by now on my Earth, having grown old while I was sleeping on the way here. You have a family and a hive waiting for you, and a whole life ahead of you. Also, this is your Earth, your only Earth – my people are in many places. If everyone who fell from my javlyn dies, that is very very sad, but expected. And on other Earths – ”

“Oh, will you shut up about other Earths! I don’t care where other people like you are! This is my Earth and you’re the only ones of your kind here, and since everything is so far away up there and you weren’t even supposed to come here, no others of your kind are ever going to come here, are they? You were amazed and overjoyed to find a new kind of people down here; do you think we weren’t? To see a whole new kind of people fall from the sky like some star-sent miracle? And now you want to tell me that you don’t really matter; that it’ll be sad if you die, but fine? Why do you think my hive were ready to put so much into helping you? Why theGreen Hills Hive, fearing invasion and annihilation, couldn’t even put together a second escort caravan willing to kill one of you and had to pull that trick with the boat instead? All your arguments work in reverse, Smon; there’s only twelve of you plus however many survived on the ocean or other continents or whatever, and there are thousands of girls in the world like me. So if anyone’s life is more valuable – ”

“Only one of you,” Smon says. “Thousands of girls, maybe. But only one Tyk.”

“And only one Smon. Imagine this – imagine you never came here, never knew that people existed on my Earth. And one day, I fall from your sky, and you learn that there’s other life, other people, out there, and you can’t find our Earth, can’t go there, but you know we exist, because I’ve fallen on your planet. And then I tell you that it wouldn’t matter all that much if me and my hivemates died and you lost contact with us forever. Would you agree with me?”

Smon is quiet for a long time before eventually saying, “You’re right, Tyk. I’m sorry. But that’s also why I can’t go back to the Redstone River Hive; I need to get Rayjo Tau up as soon as possible. Or try my best, at least.”

“I understand. And that’s why I can’t go back to the Redstone River Hive either. It’d be much better with a full escort, but if it’s just you and me, then it’s just you and me. There are Hiveless out there, between us and Glittergem – ”

“And they’re dangerous, yes, I know.”

“No no, that’s not my point. My point is, that means that people can survive out here. And if they can do it, so can we. If we’re lucky, Glittergem Hive might even be sending a caravan down to intercept any sky people who were sent across the river before the start of the wet season, since that was the plan when the wingsong stream stopped working. If not, well, we’ll walk all the way ourselves.”

“I don’t like the idea of you taking this journey,” Smon says. “But you don’t like the idea of me doing it either, and I can’t make your decisions for you.” She holds out a claw, and Tyk touches a mandible to it. “So, we’ll just have to be as fast and as safe as we – ” she stops talking, staring up at the sky, tense. Tyk swivels her own eyes to see.

A scout is flying towards them, fast, from the direction of the Green Hills Hive, and it’s clear from his direction of travel that he’s already seen them. It’s far too late to hide.