Page 10 of Stellar Drift (Central Galactic Concordance)

Garamont, looking spry in a simple blue tunic, gestured to an empty seat.

Houyen expected the man would be easier to deal with than Axolotl Bend’s panic-prone administrator.

Phen and Koda were dressed in the stylishly practical layers that served as a walking advertisement for their fabrics business.

He owned one of their indestructible vests himself.

Sairy said nothing. She wore simple brown pants and a long-sleeved knit top in mottled shades of green that perfectly matched her eyes.

Her wavy brown hair was pulled back by a wide headband, and her expression was unnervingly neutral.

He couldn’t tell if she was annoyed, indifferent, or simply observing.

After the briefest of pleasantries, Houyen launched into his proposal.

“According to the ranger records, which are admittedly not as organized as they could be, Jalkapanga Mountain hasn’t ever been surveyed by any ranger since Makaan Reserve was first chartered.

I would like to remedy that soon, and asked Phen if she’d be interested in conducting an entomological study at the same time.

Specifically, of the wuzzy bugs that periodically plague the river towns.

Finding and monitoring their breeding ground would go a long way toward at least predicting the next infestation. ”

“Why wuzzy bugs, specifically?” Koda asked, her tone light but her eyes sharp. “They’re just another rainforest nuisance. Like swarming bees, or ant marches.”

“Because I think they’re the vector for a recurring disease,” Houyen said, glancing at Phen, hoping she’d had time to review the data he’d sent.

“What disease?” Garamont asked, leaning forward. “Like that pernicious mange that decimated the fox population a few years ago?”

“Infinity fever, right?” Phen’s voice was firm, her eyes full of interest. She was looking directly at Houyen. “The outbreaks look like they correlate to the wonky wuzzy bug seasons. I think the lack of a cold season messes up their schedule.”

Now came the delicate part. Houyen chose his words with care. “The Ranger Service Chief believes infinity fever is a myth. My only participation would be as a fellow traveler who is collecting botanical samples.”

Garamont looked astounded. Phen’s brow furrowed in a thunderous frown.

After a moment of silence, Koda rolled her eyes with an eloquent, weary grace, a mirror of the expression Sairy had worn when he’d told her of Matsurgan’s theory.

From her corner, Sairy appeared to be deeply engrossed in studying her fingernails.

“Obviously,” Koda said, her voice dripping with acid politeness, “we must invite your brilliant boss to our next outbreak. He can’t catch something that doesn’t exist, right?”

“How does he explain away the data you sent me?” Phen asked, her arms crossed over her chest.

Houyen let out a single, humorless laugh.

“He doesn’t. He stopped reading it a year and a half ago, after the first time I mentioned the possible connection.

” He blew out a frustrated breath. “I don’t want to wait for him to refuse to read the new data I found.

And I don’t want to wait for the fever to spread even farther.

Fourteen years ago, one family compound on Jalkapanga’s eastern slope reported a mysterious illness with a high fever and an odd rash.

Ten years ago, it showed up in the nearby hamlet.

Starting six years ago, it moved west and hit Wakaman Shire, then here, then Axolotl Bend.

The current wuzzy bug reach is all the way to Falco Joro’s construction site.

That’s forty kilometers from the river, which means it’s not just ‘fish piss from upstream.’” That had been his boss’s ludicrous explanation for the disease.

Garamont frowned. “Don’t you still have that entomologist on staff? Brandy or Benso or something? Why can’t he go with you?”

“Ranger Brannezzo won’t be available until well after this wuzzy bug season is over,” Houyen said.

Brannezzo’s parting shot yesterday had been, “See you all at the solstice.” Houyen had counted on his colleague’s determined avoidance of fieldwork when scheduling this meeting.

“I’m hoping Phen can use her insect-affinity talent and her experience. ”

Koda turned to Phen. “When does wuzzy bug season end?”

“It’s ending now,” Phen said. “The breeding site is probably underground. We’ve got maybe six or seven days to find the active site. Otherwise, we’ll have to wait until next season, whenever that is.” She met Koda’s gaze, her expression resolute. “I want to go.”

Koda spread her hands in a gesture of cheerful finality. “Then we’ll go.” She looked back at Houyen. “How about the day after tomorrow? We can afford to close up shop for a few days. It’ll be good to get out.”

Houyen blinked, taken aback by the speed of their decision. He was so used to bureaucratic inertia that decisive action felt foreign. “Yes. I can meet you at any time and place you want to launch from.”

Phen turned her attention to the quiet corner. “Sairy, you know the mountain area best. How long a trip are we talking?”

“What?” Sairy looked up, seemingly startled out of a deep thought. “Uh, maybe three days.” She gave her head a small shake, as if to clear it. “I haven’t seen the highest elevations. The cloud forest is kind of eerie.”

Koda turned her considerable charm on Sairy. “We’d love to have you come with us. We’d get your excellent company, and you could improve your maps. And we can help the Ranger do the right thing, even if his boss won’t.” She offered an inviting smile. “What do you say?”

Sairy’s face remained unreadable. At her silence, Houyen’s newfound hope began to sink.

He was increasingly certain he was the problem.

She wouldn’t go if he were part of the expedition.

The thought that his presence was a deal-breaker stung more than he cared to admit, a sharp reminder that it was his own damn fault she didn’t trust him.

Garamont swiveled his chair toward her. “Sairy, I’m more inclined to approve this expedition if you go with them. We’d never have found the rift where the Agsteldt twins got lost last spring without your maps.”

The memory of the boy in Axolotl, gasping for breath, flashed in Houyen’s mind. He wanted to be there, to collect the samples himself, but the mission was more important than his involvement. He could find a way to get the samples tested later.

Sairy cleared her throat, her gaze sweeping over the expectant faces before landing, for a brief, unsettling moment, on his. “I’ll go.”

It took everything he had to suppress the look of astonishment that threatened to break across his face.

“Great,” Koda said, clapping her hands together softly. “Let’s talk logistics while you’re here.”

Houyen listened, mostly in silence, as the other three quickly made arrangements. He interjected only once. “No need to provision for me. I’ll bring all my own gear.”

“Got it,” Koda said with a cynical smile that reached her eyes. “We’re thrilled you’ve agreed to come along for the ride to provide safety in numbers for the Irakat-sponsored scientific expedition that’s completely and totally our idea.”

“Yes,” he agreed, his face perfectly straight. “I’m grateful for the invitation. The Ranger Service will be gratified that I am maintaining good relations with our cooperators and saving our unit the added expense of mounting a separate survey.”

Koda and Phen shared a laugh. Garamont excused himself, promising to open the Irakat supply house if they needed anything.

As Houyen walked away from the meeting a few minutes later, his mind whirling with to-do lists, he felt a surge of unaccustomed hope.

Even if the samples disproved his theory, he would know he’d done his best. If Matsurgan found out later, the fallout would be epic, but Houyen had covered his tracks — and his ass — as best he could by sticking to policy.

And there was one other, more personal hope he barely dared to acknowledge. Maybe spending a few days with Sairy, working toward a common goal, could begin to repair the damage he’d done. He should be so lucky.