Title: Fleet Of Knives
Series: Embers of War, #2
Author: Gareth L. Powell
Genre: Adult, Sci- Fi
Publication Date: February 19th, 2019 by Titan Books
Excerpt Reveal
I asked the others to meet me in the galley.
Alva Clay turned up barefoot and hung-over, wrapped in a blanket and rubbing sleep from puffy eyes. Preston lingered at the door, refusing to look directly at me. Only the Druff engineer, Nod, seemed fully awake and attentive. It lowered itself to the floor in the middle of the room, and turned four of its six faces in my direction.
The Trouble Dog joined us via a projection of her avatar on the wall screen. Now we were back on active service, she’d dropped her earlier finery for a simple white tunic, coloured her lips black, and shortened her hair into a severe, businesslike crop.
Standing at the front of the room, I tipped back the brim of my cap.
“Okay, listen up. We’ve got a job. There’s a crashed freighter about fifteen lights from here, with a crew of ten.”
Clay stifled a yawn. “And the House wants us to go?”
“We’re the nearest.”
She rubbed her eyes. Her dreadlocks were tied back in a thick bunch at the back of her head. “I thought we were on sabbatical?”
I shrugged. “We’ve been recalled.”
“And you got me out of bed for this?”
I opened my mouth. I had expected excitement at the prospect of a new adventure.
“I wanted to make sure we were all in agreement,” I said.
Clay rose to her feet with an irritated huff. “You’re the captain, you don’t need our agreement. If you say that’s where we’re going, that’s where we’re going.” She pulled the blanket more tightly around her shoulders. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I haven’t slept in three days.”
We stood looking at each other. After a moment, it dawned on me that she was waiting for my permission to leave.
“Okay, fine.” I waved her away. “You’re excused.”
She smiled. “Thank you. Just wake me when we get there.”
She turned to the door, and Preston moved aside to make way for her. When she had gone, he looked directly at me for the first time.
“How long until we reach the crash site?”
“About a day and a half.”
“Then I’d better go and check our infirmary.” He pointed vaguely towards the corridor, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Make sure everything’s shipshape and ready for any casualties.”
“Fine.” I turned to Nod. “And I suppose you want to scurry back down to engineering, to check on the engines?”
The Druff regarded me with four sets of coal-black eyes. Two of its faces tilted to the side.
“Much work,” it said, using all four of its uncovered mouths. “Always work. No rest.”
I held up my hands.
“Okay.” Knowing I was beaten, I waved them away. “Go on, get out of here.”
I waited until they’d gone, then helped myself to another cup of coffee.
What kind of crew were we if we couldn’t bear to be in the same room as each other for more than a couple of minutes?
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