Incarceron Part 58

Awkwardly he muttered, "Is Keiro still asleep?"

"Oh him!" She scowled. "Who cares?"

He watched her wander between the spheres.

"You can't dislike him that much. You stuck with him in the City."

She was silent, so he said, "How did you manage to follow us?"

"It wasn't easy" She tightened her lips.

"We heard rumors about the Tribute, so he said we should steal a flamethrower. I was the one who had to cause a diversion so he could get it. Not that I got any thanks."

Finn laughed.

"That's Keiro. He never thanks anyone."

Splaying his hands on the sphere, he leaned his forehead on it and the reptiles inside stared back impa.s.sively.

"I knew he'd come. Gildas said no, but Keiro would never betray me."

She made no answer but he became aware that her silence was charged with an odd tension; when he looked up, she was watching him with something like anger. It burst out of her abruptly.

"You're so wrong, Finn! Can't you see what he's like? He would have left you easily, just taken the Key and gone and not even cared!"

"No," he said, surprised.

"Yes!" She faced up to him, the bruises livid in the white skin of her face.

"Because it was only the girl's threat that made him stay."

He felt cold.

"What girl?"

"Claudia."

"He spoke to her!"

"She threatened him. *Find Finn,' she said, *or the Key will be useless to you.' She was really angry with him."

Attia shrugged lightly.

"It's her you should thank."

He wouldn't believe it. There was no way he would.

"Keiro would have come."

His voice was low and stubborn.

"I know how he seems, that he doesn't care about anyone, but I know him. We've fought together. We took the oath."

She shook her head.

"You're too trusting, Finn. You must have been born Outside, because you don't fit here."

Then, hearing footsteps, she said quickly,

"Ask him for the Key. Ask him. You'll see."

Keiro wandered into the room and whistled. He was wearing a doublet of dark blue, his hair wet, and he was still eating an apple from the plate in their room, the last two skull-rings gleaming on his fingers.

"So this is where you are!" He turned a complete circle.