Starship Winter (David Conway 03) (11 page)

I glanced across at Matt; he was holding Maddie and she was weeping against his chest.

Heanor was removing the Epiphany Stone from its plinth and slipping it into the case. He smiled at us, “And now, my friends, perhaps it is time to repair to the shipyard?”

Together we moved from the exhibition centre and emerged into the dazzling winter sunlight.

— CODA —

Hawk’s starship sat proudly amidst the junked remains of less fortunate space-going vessels. Golden in the winter sunlight, it squatted on the haunches of its ram-jets as if eager to take off.

We stood at the foot of the steps that rose steeply into the bulbous body of the ship. I held Hannah. “Can’t wait to see you again,” I murmured.

The truth to tell, I was still in a state of shock following what Matt had just shown us… and the implications of his revelation… and now Hannah was leaving me.

“Just five days, David, and then I’ll be back. I’m looking forward to it more than anything in the universe…” She laughed. “Listen to me, I’m sounding like a love-sick teenager.”

Matt approached. He held out his hand. “David. I’ll be back in a week. Let’s talk about everything that happened over a beer at the Jackeral, okay?”

I gripped his hand, looked into his eyes. “We’ll do that,” I said.

I kissed Hannah one last time before she, Matt and the Ambassador climbed the steps into the starship. At the top, Hannah turned and waved down at me. Then she disappeared from sight as the thick hatch sealed itself with a pressurised hiss.

Maddie, Kee and I backed off to a safe distance and stood and watched as, five minutes later, the ship powered up with a thunderous roar of its ram-jets, rose, turned on its axis and moved, slowly at first, towards the distant, shining filament of the golden column. Then it engaged its main drive and leaped forward so that, seconds later, it was a rapidly diminishing speck in the distance.

I blinked away the tears and realised that I could do with a drink.

Maddie was of a like mind. “C’mon, Mr Conway, Kee. I think a stiff one at the Jackeral is in order…”

Then, considering the events of the morning and wishing away the days until Hannah’s return, I returned to my roadster and drove slowly up the coast road to Magenta Bay.

* * * * *

ERIC BROWN
began writing when he was fifteen and sold his first short story to
Interzone
in 1986. He has won the British Science Fiction Award twice for his short stories and has published over thirty books. His latest include the novel
Xenopath
and the children’s book
Guilty
. He writes a monthly science fiction review column for the
Guardian
.

He is married to the mediaevalist Finn Sinclair, and has a daughter, Freya. His website can be found at: www.ericbrown.co.uk .

Starship Winter

The right of Eric Brown to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Originally published in printed book form by PS Publishing Ltd in February 2012. This electronic version published in March 2012 by PS by arrangement with the author. All rights reserved by the author.

FIRST EBOOK EDITION

ISBN 978-1-848632-49-6

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

PS Publishing Ltd

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1 New Road

Hornsea / HU18 1PG

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[email protected]

www.pspublishing.co.uk

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