“Corja!” someone shouted.
Avery didn’t react.
“Corja! Go home!” someone shouted again, this time from closer. This person was running, though not fast.
“I don’t make problems,” Avery started to say but was interrupted.
“Corja, you joking? Sure, you do. Being here, go home! You cannot stay here, you know we don’t know? Go home and come back a few days later when everyone at the central calms down. We have troubles, big troubles now, all asking questions, reporters everywhere. If they spot you, Corja, have mercy and go home. I will tell you all, but not now…”
Avery took that into account. Yes, it was not a good time. He could destroy their relationship if he insisted.
“Roger,” he said.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
It made this person sigh with relief.
“In two days, come back, and we’ll show you; we know why you want to know; we get it; we’re with you. Those families from Unio—ugh, they don’t know life at all. Two days…”
Avery nodded, turned around, and left.
There was nothing more to add. He would return in two days.
Meanwhile, he decided to write a reply to Luna. She had sent him a message saying they were shocked and that Si—the name of her future husband—would be looking into it.
Interesting. Recent changes there, on Planet One, were interesting.
Avery wondered if this would change anything in his situation as well.
Not if, but when his banishment would end.
Mari Hal. She had to know something.
Avery wanted to talk, in his own way, to the guards. He knew Mari Hal well enough to know that she valued her life. Someone had helped her to die—she was definitely silenced.
This was what he wanted to write to Luna about, but carefully. It was too bad they had only just met. He would have preferred to tell her in person.
Banishment. If the Hal family were indicted—their trial was scheduled to take place in less than two weeks—did he have a chance to appeal his verdict?
Interesting.
Two days to wait—he had time to think about how to ask questions to get answers.
