Strange Noises Fiction by Rachel Greenham

“He’s lying,” Sam says, as we walk back down the hill through already-baking streets. I’m already beginning to wish we’d accepted the offer of the carriage. Going downhill is surprisingly hard work and the heat of the day is really starting to kick in. It makes me long to be out over the water, but then most things do, when I’m ashore.

“What do you mean, he’s lying?”

“What do you think I mean? That was Simon, and he lied to us, to our faces. Couldn’t you tell?”

“Why would he do that?”

“He must have been forewarned somehow,” Sam is saying, voicing her own reasoning. “Not to show any surprise. He must’ve known we we coming. He’s one of the city oligarchs, he probably gets reports on everyone that comes through the port.”

“Sam, maybe it just wasn’t him.”

“Then what was the fucking bird for?” Sam snaps. “Why lead us all the way here?”

“Wild falcon chase?” I say wryly. Sam just looks like she wants to hit something. “Maybe it really was just lost and we just took off after it because we didn’t know what to do about the Satthei.”

“I don’t believe it,” Sam mutters. “Well. The last part, I admit that.”

“What are we going to do now?” I wonder.

Sam looks thoughtful. “We got the women and children to safety,” she sums up, conveniently forgetting again that we are the women and children. “We checked up on Gyrefalcon, he doesn’t appear to be our friend,” she says carefully. I nod, getting her multiple meaning. Even if that man used to be Simon, it seems he doesn’t want to know us now. “We discharged our duties. Speaking for myself, I intend to get rat-arsed tonight. We can figure out what to do tomorrow while you’re tending my hangover.”

“Won’t Beni be tending your hangover then?” I ask, a deliberate wind-up.

“Shush you.” But she grins thoughtfully, if such a thing were possible. Then she sighs. “I think my sex drive is coming back,” she says darkly, apropos of nothing, it seems. The Satthei oil is wearing off.

“Uh-oh. Jeoda better watch out,” I say, trying to make light of it.

It works for now. She grins again.