Read Online The Baba Yaga by Una McCormack - Free Book Online

to herself.
    Maria stroked the child’s hair and watched her husband. Kit’s mouth was set in a thin straight line; his eyes were fixed on the displays; his knuckles were white where they gripped the controls. “That’s it!” he whispered, suddenly exultant.
    “You’ve shaken them off?”
    He turned to her and gave her a tired smile. “Yes. Well, for the moment. Long enough to give us a head start.” His eyes fell on the child in her arms. “Jenny,” he said. “Sweetheart.”
    But the little girl shook her head and burrowed deeper into her mother’s arms.
    “Leave it for the moment,” Maria said softly, and he nodded. She stood up, Jenny still in her arms, to carry the child to bed. From the doorway, she mouthed, “I love you.”
    It took a little while for Jenny to settle, but eventually exhaustion did the work, and the little girl fell asleep on the cot she was sharing with her mother. When she was sure her daughter was in a deep sleep, Maria went back to join Kit.
    He was still sitting in the same place, staring at the display, but he was holding a toy in his lap: a grubby little teddy. He held it up as Maria came towards him. “I found this in the bag,” he said. “I know it’s not Monkey...”
    She bent to kiss the top of his head. “She’ll be fine. She’ll be pleased with Bear.”
    “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean—”
    “I understand. These things happen. This is not... it’s not the easiest of situations.”
    “I’m only trying to keep us alive.”
    “I know.” They sat in silence for a while, and Maria listened to the gentle humming of the ship’s engines. Regular. Steady. “Where are we going?” she said.
    “Shuloma Station.”
    “Where’s that?”
    He looked away. “On the edge of the Reach.”
    Her blood went cold. “But not in the Reach?”
    “Not quite.”
    “Kit, I don’t want to take Jenny there—”
    “Love, please! We don’t have many options—”
    “So how have we settled on this one?” When he didn’t reply, she pressed on, “It’s this contact of yours, isn’t it? Whoever he is. Are you going to tell me who it is?”
    Kit looked at her steadily and then, very slowly, shook his head.
    “You can trust me, Kit.”
    He leaned forward in his seat, and reached out to put his hands around hers. “It’s not about trust, love. It’s about your safety.”
    “Oh, Kit, darling. What are we mixed up in?”
    Again, he didn’t answer.
    “I wonder if there’s anything I can ask you that you’ll answer.”
    He gave a watery smile. “Try me and see.”
    But she turned away, afraid to ask the questions that were most pressing on her mind, because then she might have to admit more truths about their situation than she would like.
    “Please, Maria—perhaps I’ll be able to answer.”
    “They’re there, aren’t they? On Braun’s World?”
    He gave a puzzled frown. “Who?”
    “Not who. What.” Her voice dropped. “The Weird...”
    She felt his hands tighten. “What makes you say that?” he said, his voice light and false.
    “I’m not an idiot! Fleet bombarded the planet! I watched them murder millions! What else could it be? Some kind of portal...”
    His fingertips were tapping against her wrist. “Would it make any difference if that were true?”
    “A difference? Of course it would make a difference!” Her voice had crept up, so she lowered it again. “They’re parasites too, aren’t they? The Weird. They get into your head. You don’t know you have them but they’re inside you, making you do things you don’t want to do until you’re not yourself any longer. You’re...” She shuddered. “You’re one of them.”
    He was looking at her in frank horror. “How do you know all this? It’s meant to be classified!”
    “Oh, Kit. Some secrets are too big to keep, you know.” She swallowed. “But if there’s a chance we’re infected, the slightest chance, then we shouldn’t have left—”
    He let go of her hands.