Children of Scarabaeus by Sara Creasy Page B

felt. Embarrassed, perhaps? Frustrated, no doubt. He’d wanted her, and that alone made her feel better.
    She leaned in the doorway, feeling as if she needed an invitation to step into his space. He was pulling on running shoes.
    “Did you sleep?” she asked.
    “A little. Going for a run.”
    “You sure you’re up for that?”
    “Yeah. May as well find out where that crew key will take me. Besides, I need to get the blood moving.” He looked up. “D’you want to come?”
    “Where is there to run?”
    “Deck F has some long stretches, according to the schematics I pulled up.” He nodded toward the console in the corner, where the holoviz displayed some basic information about the Learo Dochais .
    “Sure, I’ll come along.” After two weeks cooped up in the Peregrine , a year in cold sleep, and a week before that bedridden with neuroshock, her body was ready to heal itself. She returned to her room to dig out running shoes, then clipped back her hair.
    Outside their quarters, a couple of twists in the deserted corridor brought them to a lift. Alone in the car as it descended, Edie finally had the courage to look Finn in the eye. He gave her such a sweet, sad smile that she felt tearsthreatening again. And had to look away. This was no good. They had to find a way to be together without the tension and drama.
    The lift doors opened on Deck F. A short corridor branched into a longer one that curved to the left in the distance and looped all the way around the outer bulkhead.
    Finn set off at a brisk pace and they ran loops in silence. To keep pace with Finn, Edie ran a longer stride than felt natural. Her legs began to ache, not unpleasantly, and the endorphins kicked in. But after five loops she fell back and slowed to a stop to catch her breath. She expected Finn to continue without her, but he turned and walked back.
    “Had enough?” he said.
    “I need a moment.”
    “Let’s go back. No point in pushing it.”
    “Okay. I’m hungry, anyway.”
    They headed toward the lift. Edie rounded the corner a pace ahead of Finn and saw a flash of movement as a small figure darted into a side corridor.
    “Hey…there’s someone…”
    Edie jogged to the corridor but there was no one there.
    “I saw someone,” she told Finn. “A child.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Yes, I’m sure.”
    Edie checked for unlocked hatches and alcoves along the corridor. Something clattered up ahead. Finn heard it, too, and strode off in the direction of the sound. They turned another corner and pulled up sharply.
    A boy stood there in white PJs. His dark hair stuck out in all directions and he had a grin frozen on his face, like he’d been caught red-handed. His grin vanished as he stared at Finn and Edie and realized they weren’t anybody he expected to meet on this deck. He started to back away.
    Edie held out a hand. “Hey—don’t run. What’s your name?”
    The boy looked around for an escape route. Failing to see one, he boldly drew himself up and crossed his arms.
    “What are you doing out of bed?” he said.
    Edie held back a laugh. “Don’t be cheeky. Tell me your name and I won’t tell anyone you’re out of bed.” Maybe he was the child of one of the workers on board. But there was something disconcertingly familiar about his features—she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.
    “I’m Galeon.” The boy jutted his chin defiantly. “I know who you are. You’re Edie Sha’nim. I’ve seen you on the holoviz.”
    That took her by surprise. “How did you know?”
    “Miss Aila told us all about you.”
    “Who’s Miss Aila?”
    “Our teacher, of course.”
    Our teacher? “How many children are on board?”
    “Me and three others. The girls. They’re all asleep in the dorm. Well, not Pris. Pris is sick and didn’t even come to school today. Anyway, the others don’t know how to sneak out like I do. Who are you ?” He shot the question at Finn, who had relaxed against the bulkhead.
    “That’s Finn,”