The inside of my head, let me show it to you
One man owns the world. One man rules the world. The accepted theory is that he’s telepathic, and can tell what everyone’s thinking, so no one dares think anything radical or revolutionary, or naughty.Whether it’s true or not is beside the point. People believe that it’s true, so it works, and the Man stays in charge.
From Earth to Kappa Crucis, from Kappa Crusis to Earth is not so far. The distance varies. This time has been the furthest.
On the way back we took on Honoured Calla’ae, amongst others, but with us all the way has been Director Rantretg.
I hate him.
One:
Cold Spring
The fire burned brightly on the edge of the surrounding darkness, close to the shore-line, next to the ocean.
The salt water licked dark, oily strokes across the dampness of the sand, gentle caressing fingers counting every grain, arranging each tiny particle with loving precision, then, unsatisfied, returned moments later to renew the task and improve on its delicate handwork.
The water threatened to engulf the fire, but the tiny blaze had been built with artful care a scant stretched-stride from the high water mark, and the tips of the exhausted waves grasped at it in futile frustration, out of reach, but only just.
San-San took another handful of the dried seaweed they had collected earlier and threw it on the fire. At first it hissed, as the ice crystals which had formed on its surface melted, boiled and evaporated all in the same instant, then it began to pop as the small bladders expanded and burst in the heat of the flames. San-San liked the noise they made, and he threw another handful on, just to hear it again.