So, what next, Saba? More baby stealin?

I … uh … yeah, I says. Mercy’s gonna see these two through the night. You’ll be glad of her skills, so she’ll stay on till you ain’t got need of her no more. You should take every child they leave out to die. Return ’em to the parents, but only if they can be trusted. If not, you’ll hafta keep the babies safe an well.

Okay, he says. But there won’t be that many exposed. A handful at most. You’ll need a lot more babies than that to make any progress. This’ll take weeks. Months.

No, no, we bin talkin about that jest now, says Cassie. It’s obvious what we do. In fact, Rae was the one said it. We’ll need the help of the midwives to steal the babies to their parents. There ain’t no Tonton in the birthin room, jest the midwife. Mercy says they ain’t innerested in stillborns. They don’t wanna see ’em. The midwife’s in charge of the burial. So she reports a stillbirth an we take the baby. Cassie looks at Jack. Could you git Mercy back into the babyhouse she used to be at? The other midwife there was of the same mind as Mercy. She’s sure that she’ll help.

I’ll think of a story to cover it, says Jack. Whatever Tonton was there when Mercy was, they’ll be long gone. They’re on constant rotation so’s there ain’t no time to build factional loyalties.

We’ll work out how best to smuggle them away, says Cassie. We’ll hafta make sure they don’t cry, of course. Anyways, that’s only our first thoughts on this. I’m sure once we dig into it, we’ll have more. What if we have other ideas?

Talk to Jack, I says. If he agrees, then you do it. This is perfect, Cassie. It’s jest what I meant should happen. You git the idea, you make the plan, you make it happen. All of yuz workin together. Not me tellin you to do this or that. All I do is set you off, set you thinkin in a different direction. Then you pass it on, teach the others. You become yer own leaders, d’you see? Cassie, you’ve changed yer life tonight. Rae as well, an Noble. One step. That’s all it took an yer changin New Eden already.

Cassie’s all smiles an bright eyes. We’re the mountain, she says. An we’re on the move. I didn’t unnerstand when you explained this at the mill. I listened, but I didn’t hear, not really. I had to see it fer myself. Do it fer myself. It’s so simple.

Not everybody’s like you, says Jack. Or even Rae, fer that matter. You gotta be careful with this.

An remember, no weapons, I says. You use violence even once, you’ll be painted as the enemy.

We won’t be able to keep this secret fer long, says Jack. A baby’s cry carried on the wind could well be heard. Rumours here catch like a spark to dry wood. An there’s always some toady wantin to gain favour with the local commander.

If Rae an Noble git informed on, says Cassie, if anybody comes to take their baby, they’ll reach fer a gun. They won’t let her be took without a fight.

That means we gotta move quick on every front, I says. Before there’s a chance of word gittin out.

Before the blood moon, it seems. You keep askin when it is, says Jack. Why then?

Be careful. Be very careful.

Five nights ain’t too far, ain’t too near, I says. Probly jest about as long as we can keep this quiet. So we really gotta push. Move fast. The baby stuff’s all up to you now. I’m steppin back unless you wanna bring me in fer somethin. It’s slaves next fer you, Jack. I need you to play the Tonton commander an slip Skeet into a few slave gangs. A mornin here, a afternoon there. Quick, in an out. DeMalo ain’t got no support with the slaves.

Some of ’em used to be his Chosen ones, says Jack. They might think to git back in favour by turnin informer. Skeet’ll hafta be careful who he talks to.

I says, The main thing is, they need to be ready to move when they git the call.

Call to what? he says. Throw off their chains?

That’s right, I says.

Okay, how? he says. When?

I’m workin on that.

You better work fast.

They need to stand tall, I says. Look the Tonton straight in the eye. Make polite, do what they say, don’t give ’em no cause to come down hard. But look ’em straight in the eye. Man to man, woman to man. You act low, you believe yer low, an they do too.

High-minded words, he says. I’ll pass ’em on.

Cassie says, I better git home before Hunter comes to. She looks at me. A smile warms her. What we done tonight, it’s powerful. A kinda power I could never of imagined. Bram would be amazed. He’d be very pleased.

I’m choked. She didn’t hafta throw me such a bone. She’s a far kinder soul than I’d be in her place. This time she holds out her hand to me. I take it. Then she hugs me. Thank you, she says.

As she goes to mount up, Jack says, G’night, Saba. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Like I’m anybody. Like my kiss didn’t tell him, like my body didn’t tell him, like we don’t both know that I jest said to him, be with me Jack, burn with me till the dawnrise. His face is storm shuttered. This ain’t how we are, him an me. It ain’t how he is. Frantic hands rummage words on my lips. Quick, find the right one to make it okay. Remember, though, Cassie’s in earshot.

Well done fer tonight, he says.

Please, say somethin else, please, Jack. No, no, of course, no, he cain’t. Cassie’s here an she don’t know about us an she cain’t know. But a look, he could manage somethin. I could manage some little thing.

Don’t go, I whisper.

But he’s already on Kell’s back an they’re already turnin their horses an then they’re headin out along the field an I’m standin in the yard an watchin them go. Cassie, back to her man who ain’t Bram an her secret life that keeps her soul alive. Jack, to ride away from me when he shouldn’t. Could I be readin this wrong? Readin too much into it? Nobody can be fine all the time.

Then I remember. The look on his face, in his eyes, as we listened to the Tonton with the baby. We all got wounds that will never heal. Jack’s dead child is one of his. It must go deep. An it’s bin pressed on hard this night. Maybe he jest needs to be alone fer a while. I gotta stop thinkin that everythin’s always about me. I know full well that it ain’t.

I know another thing, too. Whatever else I hafta own to, or cook a story to cover, Jack cain’t never find out about me an DeMalo. I could never explain it. Never make him unnerstand. Some things are jest too big to fergive.

As I’m nearin home ground, with my eyelids at a half-mast, I realize we didn’t arrange our next meet. I need Jack, want him with me on the Edenhome recce.

I whistle Nero down an bring Hermes to a halt while I dig in the worn leather bag around my waist. I find the cherrybark roll that I’m after. A stick child inside a square with a moon above. Meet me at Edenhome tonight. A arrow drives through the middle. That means be ready fer action.

Nero flaplands on my head. I pick him off an tie the roll to his leg. Find Jack, I tell him. Then I throw him back into the air. He banks north an with a caw caw of farewell, he beats strong an steady towards Jack.

I do need him on this recce. But—selfish as always—every time I see him, it’s another chance to try agin. To try an git things right fer once.

An I’m in urgent need of somebody else too. I need Auriel. Auriel Tai. I need her an the best of her Snake River refugees. We need bodies in New Eden. We gotta rumble every last one of these fault lines. An fast.