Izikiel by Thomas Fay Page A

you,’ Izikiel said.
    ‘ No thanks are needed,’ Te’Anne said. ‘Now come on, we need to move quickly. What Xavier just did was not exactly legal and we don’t want to risk a run in with the security forces.’
    Izikiel nodded his understanding. Te’Anne turned to Xavier and spoke to him in a hushed whisper. Unable to hear what they were saying, Izikiel turned his attention to the little girl. She appeared to have recovered from her collapse in the desert. Standing with her arms hanging by her side, she stared at the distant space platform. Her eyes moved slightly. Then she blinked. Before Izikiel could react, she took off. Running past them, she disappeared between two low lying grey buildings.
    ‘ Wait!’ Izikiel called out franticly. But the little girl did not stop. Turning to Te’Anne and Xavier, he said, ‘We need to find her before something happens.’
    ‘ Let Xavier go first. He knows these streets better than anyone.’
    Izikiel stepped aside as the towering figure of Xavier moved smoothly past him. Scanning the street, Xavier said, ‘She’s heading for the barracks.’
    ‘So much for avoiding a run in with the security forces,’ Te’Anne stated drily. Her lips trembled slightly as she said it.
    ‘ If we hurry we can cut her off at the next intersection,’ Xavier said.
    ‘ Lead the way,’ Izikiel said.
    They set off at a dead run. As they moved between two grey metallic buildings, Izikiel wondered about this latest turn of events. He still could not shake the feeling that he knew who the little girl was. A distant memory, buried so deep that he was unable to retrieve it. But he knew it was there. If only he could remember.

THIRTY
    The buildings had grown steadily closer as they made their way down a narrow street. Looking closely, Izikiel realised that each one was unique in some way. A small sign, a slightly different angle of the roof line or even the types of plants growing in front all acted to differentiate the buildings. At one stage he heard another ship taking off in the distance but the surrounding buildings were so close that he was unable to see the space platform. The very thought of it brought a smile to his face.
    ‘ There!’ Xavier called out.
    The three of them emerged from the narrow street into an open square. Beads of sweat trickled down Izikiel’s face as he scanned the square from side to side. Locating the little girl, he moved towards her.
    She stood in front of a man wearing a ragged looking black shawl and dark, composite leggings. Various implements, most of which Izikiel guessed were weapons, were strapped to his legs and boots. As Izikiel approached them, the man looked up. His sharp, angular features were covered in dense stubble. Long strands of black hair partially obscured his face. His steel grey eyes bore into Izikiel.
    ‘ Are you alright?’ Izikiel asked.
    The little girl nodded her head slightly as she continued to stare at the man with her now familiar vapid expression. Izikiel turned towards him.
    ‘ Allow me to apologise for the little girl. She’s not herself at the moment.’
    The man continued to stare at Izikiel without saying anything. For a moment Izikiel began to won der if he too was a silent one. The man’s eyes flicked from Te’Anne to Xavier and finally came to rest on Izikiel.
    ‘ No apology is necessary, stranger. In future you should watch her more closely or she could get herself into serious trouble,’ the man finally said.
    Turning around, he cast the little girl one final look before walking away. Izikiel watched him disappear down one of the narrow streets leading out of the square.
    ‘ Come on. We need to go,’ he said to the little girl.
    As they turned to leave , the sound of footsteps filled the street. Xavier and Te’Anne instantly dropped to a crouching position with their weapons in either hand. Izikiel spun around in time to see half a dozen men in composite body armour appear at the end of the street. Based on