Bright Lights & Dark Secrets: A Sci-Fi Anthology

The Deus Islands [Part 2/3]

No reply but a wave of nodding heads. Sarki's eyes rested on his friend's remains. Shinoda knew he'd hear Janus' yells in his nightmares. And Malcolm worked up the courage to sneer back at Beckett.

Janus walked away, and the high priority passengers followed.

***

First evening on Vessel 13. Beckett, Rita, and Janus hovered before the window, peering over the deck from their cabin. One of the perks of being high priority on a prison vessel was having the only view of the sea, an endless black void beneath a starry sky. Though Rita couldn't help but glare at the automaton positioned beside her.

"How long will this journey last?" said Beckett without looking away from the stars.

"The estimated arrival time is four days," said Janus.

"A lot can happen in four days. Only took one for my cousin to kill enough people to fill his entire church."

Beckett looked back at the room. There were three beds, and Tobin lay asleep on the one nearest the window. His arms and legs twitched, and his lips continued to move. Indevitatus, they said.

"How many people have you killed, Mr. Donnelly?" said Janus, and Beckett looked back.

"I don't really want to discuss that in front of the girl," he said.

"I bet I've killed the same," said Rita. "Or I've killed them worse."

Beckett rolled his eyes. "You've only killed one."

"Do you want to know why?" she asked. "He was like your Malcolm Balcom friend. Couldn't take no for an answer. I don't think any man in Novus Mundi can."

Beckett paused, imagining the mess he would've made of the man who'd approached his daughter. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" he said.

"No. He just kept insisting. I had to insist a little more permanently."

Rita retrieved her golden knife and gestured a throat slicing open, sticking her tongue out while pretending to choke.

"Please be careful with that, darling," said Beckett. "And don't make light of murder. It's supposed to be a vile dilemma, not an easy reflex."

"What was it when you did it?"

Beckett said nothing. He studied his cousin's fidgeting body, somehow more active when put to rest. He looked as if he were caught in a fight, though it couldn't be said who was winning.

"Hey," said Rita. "What the fuck was it like when you did it?"

"Watch it," said Beckett, and Janus stepped closer.

"Your father slit the throat of a man named Allen Olmstead," she said. "They were both inebriated at an alehouse called The Alluring Goddess, and the murder led to further investigation of the place's management. Which lead to the arrest of the proprietor at the time." Janus' head panned toward Beckett with a whir. "A thirty-eight-year-old immigrant from Saukar named Sarki Oluwusi."

"Bingo," nodded Beckett. "And Shinoda?"

"Much like you, Takahiro Shinoda was investigated due to prior connections to Mr. Oluwusi. His charges include possession and distribution of narcotics, as well as the murder of a known distributor."

"Odd. When the three of us roamed the streets, Shinoda was the first to try to go clean. And Malcolm Balcom?"

Rita snickered.

"It'd be easier to list the atrocities he hasn't committed yet," said Janus. "He didn't say anything about you before your arrival."

"Oh, but the others did?" Beckett said, and he nudged Rita with his elbow. "Your father's got so many friends, it's hard to keep track of 'em all."