The Streamer's Edge

Chapter 17 - Song of the Sirens

Darsan and Eri were already at the fountain when Finn and Kyra returned. In addition to his absurd hat, Darsan had donned a pair of shades and a tacky flower-pattern shirt that reminded Finn of Godot. Eri, on the other hand, looked the same as ever.

"You know, you didn't have to wear combat armor." Finn told him as he gladly sat down at one of the benches around the fountain.

"I know. Honestly, I just feel more comfortable with it on. Still used to Shangri-La, I guess." Eri glanced at the numerous bags Finn was carrying. "Getting some shopping in?"

"Oh, that's me," Kyra said as she sat down beside Finn. "He's been a real sweetie."

"Has he?" Eri gave Finn a look of mock surprise. "My word. And here I thought I was the only one who thought he was a 'sweetie'."

Kyra laughed at his response. Finn forced a chuckle as he shot Eri a venomous glare. It didn't work; there was a look of mischief in the sikassan's eyes that made it clear that Finn hadn't heard the last of this.

[Enquiring] "Where did you go?" asked Darsan.

"Set up the whole transponder changing thing and ..." Finn held up the bags. "I was hoping to stop by my old apartment, but-"

"Oh!" Kyra looked at him, her face suddenly distraught. "I'm sorry, Finn! I just got carried away with-"

"It's fine," he told her kindly. "Besides, it's not like we're about to take off. I'm thinking it best we stay here for a while and give our pursuers a little time to lose us now that they won't be able to identify the Ulasomorf."

"Unless Billy's bugged," Eri said. "He could be giving away our signal."

"I had plenty of time to scan Billy thoroughly during our little meeting," Kyra said, flashing Finn a glance as she bumped her shoulder against his side. "There are no signals coming from him."

"Nothing we could detect anyway," Finn mused.

Kyra and Eri glared at him. Blushing, he quickly added, "But we could spend forever worrying about what we can't detect. For now, let's take a little time to put our feet up, relax, and keep an ear out for any information regarding the people following us. I might see if Godot can tell us anything from the ship."

"Psh. Godot, man," Jake said, hopping of the fountain. "He'll take forever to tell us anything. You watch; he'll make us wait."

"I know where you're going with this, and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't," Finn told the mechanical dog, his eyes narrowing.

"You should've seen him in the old days, Kyra," Jake said, putting his front feet on her knees. "He'd call us into his office, and we'd wait and wait."

"Jake," Finn said in a warning tone.

"You could say we were always waiting for G-aack!"

A spark of electricity had jumped from the edge of Finn's omni-tool and zapped Jake on his tail end, making the mechanical mutt jump away from Kyra.

"Oops," Finn said innocently as his omni-tool faded. "Must be a short in the circuitry."

"Yeah, I bet," Jake said, the dog-face on his screen glaring.

Standing up, Finn clapped his hands together, "Well, now that we're all here, we should go get some lunch. There's a great little café just down the-"

"Wait a second," Kyra said, her hand on Finn's shoulder as she glanced around the fountain plaza. "Where's Sherle?"

With a start, Finn realized she was right. Sherle was still not there. 

"Well, she might've got caught up with her phone call," said Finn, but even as he spoke the words, his thoughts drifted back to how she had reacted to the discovery of Billy. She had been quite insistent on getting the ship to TerraStellar. He had assumed she'd let it go on the promise that they'd go to TerraStellar after New Elysia, but perhaps ...