Read Earthfall (Homecoming) for Free Online

some way to be clever about it.”
    “Misdirection,” said Zdorab. “There’s a calendar program, for scheduling events during the voyage. Course corrections, and so on. But the Oversoul would be checking that often, I imagine.”
    “Think about it,” said Elemak. “It’s really not the sort of thing I do well.”
    Zdorab preened visibly. Elemak had expected that. Zdorab, like all weak and studious little men, was flattered to have the respect of someone like Elemak, a large, strong man, a leader, charismatic and dangerous. It was easy to win him over. After all these years of seeing Zdorab in Nafai’s pocket, it had been astonishingly easy after all. It took patience. Waiting. Burning no bridges.
    “I’m counting on you,” said Elemak. “But whatever you do, don’t talk about it afterward. Not even to me. Who knows what the computer can hear?”
    “As in, for instance, it’s probably heard everything we said here,” said Mebbekew snottily.
    “As I say, Zdorab, do your best. It might not be possible. But if you can do something , it’s more than Meb or I can do.”
    Zdorab nodded thoughtfully.
    He’s mine now, thought Elemak. I have him. No matter what happens, Nyef has lost him, and all because he or his wife didn’t keep their mouths shut in front of their children. Weak and foolish, that’s what Nafai was. Weak, foolish, and unfit to lead.
    And if he did anything to harm Elemak’s children, then it wouldn’t be just Nafai’s position of leadership that he’d lose. But then, it was only a matter of time, anyway. Perhaps after Father died, but the day would come when all the insults and humiliations would be redressed. Men of honor do not forgive their lying, cheating, spying, traitorous enemy.

    “Let’s take a walk,” said Nafai to Luet.
    She smiled at him. “Aren’t we tired enough already?”
    “Let’s take a walk,” he said again.
    He led her from the maintenance building where they all lived, out across the hard, flat ground of the landing field. He led her, not toward the starships, but out into the open, until they were far from anyone else.
    “Luet,” he said.
    “Oh,” she said. “We’re upset about something.”
    “I don’t know about us,” he said. “But I’m upset.”
    “What did I do?”
    “I don’t know if you did anything,” he said. “But Zdorab entered a wake-up date into the ship’s calendar.”
    “Why would he do that?”
    “He set it for halfway through the voyage. It was to wake up him. And Shedemei. And Elemak.”
    “Elemak?”
    “Why would Zdorab do that?” asked Nafai.
    “I have no idea,” said Luet.
    “Well, can you think about it for a minute? Can you think about something that you might know, that might allow you to figure it out?”
    Luet was getting angry now. “What is this, Nafai? If you know something, if you want to accuse me of something, then—”
    “But I don’t know anything,” said Nafai. “The Oversoul told me about finding Zdorab’s little wake-up schedule. And then I said, Why? And then he said, Ask Luet.”
    Luet blushed. Nafai raised an eyebrow. “So,” he said. “Now it all comes together?”
    “It’s the Oversoul that’s playing games with us.”
    “Oh, really?” said Nafai.
    “It shouldn’t surprise us,” said Luet. “That’s what she’s been doing all along.”
    “Do you mind letting me know what the game is this time?”
    “It has to be related, though I don’t see…oh, yes I do. Chveya heard me.”
    Nafai put his fingers to his forehead. “Oh, now it’s all clear. Chveya heard you what ?”
    “Talking to the Oversoul. Last night. About—you know.”
    “No, I don’t know.”
    “You can’t be serious,” she said.
    “More serious by the minute.”
    “You mean the Oversoul hasn’t even brought it up with you? About keeping the children awake on the voyage?”
    “Don’t be absurd. We don’t have enough supplies to keep everybody awake. It’s ten years!”
    “I don’t know,” said