Read Inferno for Free Online

Master Skywalker? When are we going to start?”
    Corran and Kyp shot each other a nervous glance, then Kenth said, “We’ll start as soon as you are ready, Master Sebatyne.”
    Saba flicked her tongue between her lips, trying to figure out why they would be waiting on her. “ This one?”
    “That’s right,” Corran said. He cast a glance over her shoulder toward Ben and Master Skywalker, then lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper. “You felt that disturbance on the upper access level a few moments ago?”
    “Yes,” Saba replied. “What was it? A newz crew trying to sneak holoz of the funeral?”
    “Not exactly,” Kyp said, also speaking softly. “It was a GAG squad.”
    Saba’s jaw fell. “A GAG squad? Inside the Temple?”
    “I’m afraid so,” Kenth replied. “They tried to arrest the Solos.”
    Saba thumped her tail against the slatstones, pondering, then finally shook her head in bewilderment. “Only a squad? That is not enough.”
    “Not even close,” Kyp agreed. “But we’ll talk about that later. The pursuit has already moved outside the Temple, and we have other things to worry about right now.”
    Saba nodded. “Of course. This one will inform Master Skywalker.”
    As she started to turn away, Corran reached for her arm—then seemed to remember what could happen when one grabbed a Barabel and quickly drew his hand back. Saba sissed in relief—she would have been embarrassed to find herself biting his wrist in front of so many dignitaries—and cocked her brow.
    “Do you think it’s wise to involve Master Skywalker?” Corran asked. “He has enough on his mind right now.”
    “This one thinkz he does not have enough on his mind,” Saba replied. “Mara would not want him turned inward like this.”
    “No, but she would understand,” Kenth said. “Humans need to grieve, Saba. We need to let him have this funeral.”
    “It’s the only way he’ll get better,” Corran added.
    Saba riffled her scales and looked away. There was that word again, grieve. She did not understand what good it was—why humans found it so necessary to swim in sorrow when their loved ones died. Was it not enough to hold them in one’s heart, to honor their memories in how one lived one’s own days? It was as though humans could not trust their minds to keep lost ones alive; as though they believed that a person was gone just because her life had come to an end.
    Saba returned her gaze to Corran and the others. “We cannot let the intrusion go unpunished,” she said. “Jacen is already swinging us like a tail.”
    “We won’t,” Kyp assured her. “We’ll do something right after the funeral.”
    Saba nodded. “Good. But somehow this one does not think you told her about the intrusion just to ask her not to tell Master Skywalker.”
    Corran shook his head. “Not really,” he said. “You see, Princess Leia was supposed to give the eulogy.”
    “Ah. Now this one understands why Jacen didn’t come.”
    “Jacen didn’t know,” Kenth said. “But that’s not really the problem.”
    “Of course not.” Saba had seen enough human funerals to know there was always a speech, that it was an important part of drawing out the tears that the service was to unleash. She glanced at the crowd of dignitaries, then back to Master Skywalker and Ben. “Now how are we to give Master Skywalker his grieving?”
    Corran and Kenth exchanged glances, then Kenth said, “We were hoping you would speak.”
    “This one?” Saba began to siss—then recalled that humans did not like humor at their funerals and bit her tongue. “You are serious?”
    Kenth nodded. “You were Mara’s friend,” he said. “If anyone understands what she meant to Luke and the rest of us, it’s you.”
    “But this one is not even human,” Saba said. “She doesn’t understand grieving. ”
    “That’s okay,” Kyp said. He locked gazes with her in a silent challenge. “We’ll understand if you’re afraid. I can always