“I know where she is,” said Vadesh to Rigg. “I have a perfect sense of time, and I know exactly how far she could have gone by now, even running.”
Rigg looked at Loaf, Olivenko, and Umbo. “Param made her own decision, it seems.”
“She’s going to get thirsty,” said Umbo.
“I don’t like splitting up,” said Loaf. “We can’t help each other then.”
“One thing is certain,” said Rigg. “We need to organize ourselves differently.”
He sensed Umbo growing stiff, resistant. Resentful.
“I agree with you completely, Umbo,” said Rigg.
“I didn’t say anything!” Umbo protested.
“When we started out, I was the one with the money. The jewels.”
“Still got ’em,” said Loaf.
“Do you want them?” asked Rigg. “You’ve had them before. I’ll give them back to you.”
“No!” said Vadesh sharply, before Loaf could answer.
“You’re not in this discussion,” said Rigg. “We can’t make you go away, and we couldn’t stop you from listening even if you left, but we’re not interested in your viewpoint, because as far as we can tell, you’re the enemy.”
“Those wild facemasks are the enemy,” said Vadesh.
“You’re their ally,” said Loaf.
“Please, let’s none of us respond to him, including me,” said Rigg. “I was making a point.”
“Wouldn’t want to interrupt your point-making,” said Umbo.
Rigg ignored Umbo’s dig, for now. “It made sense for me to pretend to be in charge at first because of the subterfuge we were using,” said Rigg. “Pretending I was a rich young heir and you were my attendants.”
“Oh, we were pretending,” murmured Umbo.
“Then I was captured, and Umbo and Loaf—you were on your own and you came to Aressa Sessamo to help me, and I’m grateful. I met Olivenko and brought him into our strange set of problems, and Param is my sister and she was in as much danger as I was. But at the end of it all, what I can’t figure out is why I should be in charge.”
“You’re not,” said Umbo defiantly.
“I’m relieved,” said Rigg. “The trouble is that Loaf and Olivenko defer to me whenever there’s a decision to be made. Which makes sense, because even though they’re the oldest and one of them should definitely be in charge, they don’t have any power over time, and they spend most of their energy sniping at each other anyway.”
“He does,” said Olivenko.
“You think you’re so smart,” said Loaf.
“Thank you for demonstrating my point,” said Rigg. “It’s asinine for the two of you to keep this stupid rivalry alive. Regular army against city guard—who cares? Loaf retired years ago and began two new careers—innkeeper and Leaky’s husband. Olivenko only joined the guard because his career as a scholar was wrecked when my father—my real father—died. An innkeeper and a scholar—but both of you large and strong and well-enough-trained to make anyone think twice about fighting you unless they seriously outnumber you.”
Loaf said, “He wouldn’t scare a—”
“Yes he would,” said Rigg. “Can’t you hear what I’m saying? Grow up, both of you, act like adults, and take charge of this expedition.”
“We can’t,” said Olivenko. “Not him or me.”
“Can so,” said Loaf. “Just don’t want to.”
Rigg glared at Loaf, who rolled his eyes like a teenage boy and looked away.
“It’s actually possible for each of you to allow the other to speak without contradicting him,” said Rigg. “The fact that you don’t seem to know this is why I’ve had to stay in charge, despite Umbo’s resentment.”
“I don’t resent—” began Umbo.
“‘I wouldn’t want to interrupt your point-making,’” Rigg quoted him. “‘Oh, we were pretending.’ I agree with you, Umbo. I have no right to lead, and I’m tired of it anyway.”
“Your father trained you to,” said Umbo grudgingly.
“Everything he trained me for has already happened,” said Rigg. “I got to Aressa Sessamo, I got my sister out of the house, and then with your help she and I got out of the wallfold before General Citizen and our loving mother could kill us. Beyond that, I don’t know what the expendable called Ram had in mind and I don’t care, because what matters now is what we have in mind. Only I don’t have anything in mind. The past few weeks have been all about survival and nothing else.”
“I thought you wanted to find out what happened to Knosso Sissamik,” said Olivenko.
“I do,” said Rigg, “but not so much that I think it’s worth dying for. I want to get out of this wallfold, that’s for certain, because I don’t trust Vadesh here any farther than I can piss, and even on a windless day that’s not far.”
“Where, then?” asked Olivenko. “Back to Ramfold?”
“No,” said Rigg. “I mean, you’re welcome to, but Param and I can’t.”
“I can’t go anywhere,” said Olivenko. “Unless one of you time changers takes me.”
“Maybe Umbo will take you,” said Rigg. “He proved a long time ago that he doesn’t need me to time travel.”
“And you just can’t get over it, can you?” said Umbo.
Rigg heard him and despaired. “Your ability saved my life. Saved my sister’s life. Saved all of us. I admit I felt weak and foolish when you could do it without me, and I couldn’t do it without you. But now we’re even.”
“Oh, definitely,” said Umbo. “You can go back eleven thousand years, and I can barely manage six months, which doesn’t get me through the Wall.”
“And you can stay rooted in the present and always come right back to the time you left,” said Rigg. “We’re different, and we’re both amazing. Now I’m telling you I don’t want to be anybody’s boss, all right? You be boss now. It’s your party.”
“Not me,” said Umbo. “I don’t want to be in charge of anything.”
“I know the feeling,” said Rigg.
“It seems to me you need impartial leadership,” said Vadesh.
Rigg didn’t even glance in his direction. “Loaf?”
“I admit I want to go home.”
“Then go. Please,” said Rigg. “You’ve already done far more than I ever hoped for. Leaky needs you.”
“If I don’t bring the two of you back to Leaky so I can prove you’re all right, my life won’t be worth a piece of bread surrounded by crows.”
“Why do we need anyone in charge?” asked Umbo. “Why can’t we just stay together as long as we feel like it, and split up when we feel like it?”
“Fine with me,” said Olivenko.
“Because you’re a scholar,” said Loaf. “I’m not picking a fight here, I’m just saying that one thing I learned in the army, either we’re together or we’re not. We need to know we can count on everybody who’s with us, or go it alone.”
Rigg buried his face in his hands. “You’re probably right but I’m just so tired of feeling responsible for everybody.”
“You’ve never been responsible for me!” Umbo said, leaping to his feet.
“Yes I have!” Rigg shouted back at him. “It’s my fault you had to run away from home. My fault you had to go to Aressa Sessamo, my fault you had to flee the wallfold, my fault you’re thirsty and under the power of this talking machine.”
“I made my own choices,” said Umbo stubbornly.
“It’s still my responsibility to make things right,” said Rigg, “but I’m not up to it, I can’t do it, I don’t even know what ‘right’ is anymore.”
“I know,” said Vadesh. “I tried to tell my people but they wouldn’t listen. I did what I had to do.”
“Param made a choice, all on her own,” said Rigg. “Without asking me. Which means she really isn’t my responsibility now.”
“She’s your sister,” said Loaf.
“She’s Knosso’s daughter,” said Olivenko.
“But not my responsibility,” said Rigg.