Engn II

XVIII

XVIII“That's it,” said Whelm from beside the spindle reader. “Power's all gone. We won't be able to see any more.”

Finn still stared at the empty orb, trying to make sense of what they'd seen. These had to be old images. Perhaps the oldest of all. Connor had surely included them because they showed another turning point. He must have found a journal of the Baron from somewhere and overlaid a transcription of the man's thoughts and observations.

“Will you be able to charge the cells up in Engn?” asked Diane.

“Perhaps. There's still power to be found if you know where to look.”

“Maybe we can see more when we get there.”

“So now you want to see the pictures, do you?” said Whelm. The exasperation was clear on his face despite his bruises. The tone of accusation in his voice was obvious, too. The two of them just couldn't get along.

“Of course she does,” said Finn. “Why wouldn't she?”

“Oh, I don't know. I just thought, with everything that's happened…”

“What do you mean? What are you accusing her of?”

“Me? Nothing. I'm not a master anymore. I don't get to accuse anyone of anything. It's none of my business, even if it is left up to me to repair everything afterwards.”

“Look, if you have something to say, then let's hear it, Whelm.” In the confined space, Finn's voice boomed off the metal walls. The air was suddenly hotter and heavier than ever. He was overreacting, he knew, but being inside the engine unsettled him. It was wrong to take it out on Whelm, but he couldn't stop himself.

“Finn,” said Diane, her voice quiet.

“No,” Finn replied. “I want to hear what he's got to say. Let's have everything out in the open.”

“Finn, leave him,” said Diane. “Please.”

He turned to her. There was something in her voice that troubled him. “Why should I? Just because he rescued us doesn't mean he can go around accusing you of things you haven't even done.”

“Finn … the thing is, he's not. Accusing me of something I haven't done, I mean.”

The whole turn of the conversation threw Finn. He wanted to talk about the images, discuss what they might mean. “What do you mean?”

“He's talking about the reader,” said Diane. “How I tried to destroy it. Twice.”

“What?”

“I smashed it up when I rescued it from the first earthquake, and then later on when I threw water into it to short it out.”

It took Finn a moment to take in what she was saying. “But why?”

“I didn't want you coming back here. Didn't want anything to threaten our lives in the valley. I was happy, don't you see? For years I'd been on the run, living wild, afraid of dying every day. And suddenly everything came right and fitted together, like the happy ending of a story. And I didn't want anything to change. I didn't want to lose you.”

“And now?” His voice was shaking as he spoke.

“Now I know the story hasn't ended. Or perhaps we're inside a whole new story. Now we have to see where this one takes us.”

Finn stared into the darkness where Diane sat. “And you couldn't talk to me? I thought we told each other everything.”

“I did tell you, Finn. I told you to stop being so obsessed with the spindle a hundred times. But you wouldn't listen.”

“So, you decided to smash up the machine I'd been building all that time?”

“I did. I'm sorry. I thought it was for the best. For both of us. I thought you'd forget about the whole thing and we could move on.”

“And I thought I could trust you.”

“You can trust me.”

“But I can't, can I? Not now. You lied to me.”

“Please, Finn. You can. Of course, you can.”

“It's too cramped in here,” said Finn. “I need to get some fresh air.”

Snatching the spindle from the reader, he clambered out of the moving engine, half falling to the ground. He stood for a moment on the grass of the plain, chest heaving, the pain sharp in his knee. Anger burned through him. His mind whirled with great, unfocused thoughts. How could she have done that?

Without looking back, he strode away from the moving engine, filled with fury.

“Finn!” Diane had climbed out too. She ran after him and put a hand on his arm. “Finn, come on. I shouldn't have wrecked the machine. I see that now.”

Finn shook her free. “Leave me alone. I'm going.”

“Going where?”

“To Engn. On my own. Don't try to follow me.”

Not looking back at her, he limped away across the grass of the plain.