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THE FIGURES APPROACHED on horseback, wading through plains grass so tall it obscured the horses’ legs. To Wilder, it was like watching a fairy tale come to life. Horses figured in old stories of Earth but she’d never seen any real ones.
She peered at each rider in turn but she couldn’t spot Kes.
Vessey, who remained aboard the Sirocco, had mandated they were not to stray more than thirty seconds’ running distance of the shuttle. Zapata hadn’t left the controls and was ready to take off at a moment’s notice.
“Stop!” yelled Aubriot through his helmet comm. “Don’t come any closer. Where’s our companion?”
“He’s on his way,” a member of the Global Advancement Association replied. “He should be here soon. We didn’t want to meet you where he was found. We preferred an open space, wh
