{"id":1050,"date":"2022-12-10T01:18:56","date_gmt":"2022-12-10T01:18:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=1050"},"modified":"2023-12-01T00:31:05","modified_gmt":"2023-12-01T00:31:05","slug":"astronomers-heist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=1050","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"_3d-flip-book  fb3d-fullscreen-mode full-size\" data-id=\"1393\" data-mode=\"fullscreen\" data-title=\"false\" data-template=\"short-white-book-view\" data-lightbox=\"dark-shadow\" data-urlparam=\"fb3d-page\" data-page-n=\"0\" data-pdf=\"\" data-tax=\"null\" data-thumbnail=\"\" data-cols=\"3\" data-book-template=\"default\"><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA = window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA || [];window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA.push('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');window.FB3D_CLIENT_LOCALE && window.FB3D_CLIENT_LOCALE.render();<\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Astronomers\u2019 Heist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chapter Seventeen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There were a half-dozen fraisers total. They stopped their chase about three meters from Atlas, considering the black mace in his hand. Three of them appeared to be less than ten years old and of the six, only two didn\u2019t have any blood on them. Only two of them seemed short of breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGive us the kid,\u201d the biggest one said. He was holding a cutlass and a knife and looked to be in his mid-teens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou stole him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow does one steal that which only belongs to God?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAre we gonna have to kill you?\u201d the big one said, stepping forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t die here.\u201d Atlas swung the mace to and fro. \u201cAnd I dislike killing. I\u2019m thinking you have seen your fair share, hm? Is there a way we can talk through the situation without fighting about it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGive us the kid and nobody dies,\u201d the kid said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s start with putting away our weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou first.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atlas did, to the boy\u2019s surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNow you?\u201d Atlas said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The boy jabbed his bloodied cutlass into the dirt. The hilt was easily within reach. He whipped the knife point-first into the dirt as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStep back, everyone,\u201d Atlas said to the Astronomers who kept their eyes on the enemies as they yielded several feet of space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The boy waved his hand and a few of the fraisers behind him stepped back. Then the one that didn\u2019t move at first finally joined them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atlas took a step forward. \u201cMy name is Atlas Black. What is yours?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLeroy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLeroy, you want Coh. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMaybe he wants to join my crew. Maybe I can sell him to a bigger buyer and make a great deal of money. Maybe it\u2019s to get back at the cavs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDo you know why I want him?\u201d Atlas said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s always a sick motive behind adults wanting kids who don\u2019t belong to them,\u201d Leroy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAlmost no exceptions to that statement. But I am bringing Coh where he belongs and I am not doing this for money. It took me time and resources to locate this particular fraiser and now I am able to bring him back. It is imperative that he stays safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLeroy, I have had to take lives to rescue Coh and I don\u2019t want to keep taking lives. I am exhausted, I am wounded, and I am dangerous. I want you to continue living, but if you try to take Coh from me, I will kill you. Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leroy\u2019s eyes changed from fiery and bloodthirsty to reasonable with a dash of fear. He said, \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atlas nodded. \u201cWe\u2019re going to bring Coh where he belongs. You are going to go back to Stablefield. You\u2019ve fought enough today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leroy nodded slowly. Atlas extended an empty right hand. Leroy looked him in the eye and shook. Then he asked. \u201cAre you a fraiser?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atlas nodded again. \u201cProphet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They released hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atlas felt a strong sense of apprehension and distrust from one of the fraisers. There were incoherent thoughts probably jumbled by the earlier events of the day, but this particular fraiser was on its own agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou weren\u2019t kidding about killing all of us even though we probably could take you on?\u201d asked one of the smaller kids with a folding knife in his hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leroy looked over his shoulder and said, \u201cQuiet!\u201d Then he looked back at Atlas with a look of wonder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLook,\u201d Leroy said, touching his face like he was having trouble finding the words. \u201cI know what it\u2019s like to be waiting for someone to come back, and worse, I know what it\u2019s like for them to never come back. Get him home; not a lot of us have that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThank you. I\u2019ve done my best to this point and I\u2019ll continue doing just that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAre you fucking kidding?\u201d one of the kids behind Leroy said. \u201cThat kid could be worth a fortune! You\u2019re-\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leroy picked up the cutlass and threw it, hilt-first, and the butt of the sword hit the outbursting fraiser in the forehead. It knocked him in the head and down to the ground. The kid started crying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then Leroy took one more look at the Astronomers and then Atlas, to whom he nodded and then turned around, picking up the knife in the dirt as he left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atlas turned his back to Leroy and sensed the apprehensive kid wind up with a knife aimed high. <em>Aiming for the head? <\/em>Atlas guessed mentally and put his hand in his jacket. As he drew the barterrod, he transformed it into the frying pan and used it to deflect the projectile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leroy looked in horror at the fraiser and jumped on her, grabbing her by the collar. \u201cAre you insane? Leave him alone because I said so! All of you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The last three stayed unmoving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The barterrod found its way back into the jacket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Astronomers left and without another word Atlas led them, partly-walking partly-jogging, to the Tilted Mansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel and Color pattered heavily down the path toward the Tilted Mansion and when they arrived, they walked straight up the steps and into the front rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They stopped here and took in the scene. About thirty mirrors leaned against every wall, from one no bigger than a television screen to some bigger than themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWow,\u201d Color said, hands on her knees as she caught her breath. \u201cHe\u2026 collected all of these?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel just nodded and straightened the <em>katana<\/em> on her back. Color thought the dragon patch was an excellent touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall\u2019s footsteps tapped up the stairs behind them and he entered the open door. \u201cWhere are his mirrors?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color gestured first and then said, \u201cEverywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOkay, I can\u2019t\u2026 sense mirrors\u2026 so you\u2019ll have to be my eyes,\u201d Marshall\u2019s breaths were still coming in gasps. \u201cTo me, they seem like walls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thirty seconds later, Myles, Atlas and Coh joined the party. Atlas flopped into a sofa in the large living room with the tall ceiling and massive angled chandelier because of the mansion\u2019s tilt. Myles sat back in a loveseat and was soon accompanied by Color who sat back as well, eyes closed. Marshall unclipped his swords and dropped them to the floor, and sat in a large chair with thick arms and peeling leather ears. Jewel removed her sword and fell onto a sofa stomach-first. Coh lowered himself to the ground and laid his head on his hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atlas Black put his feet up on the small table in the room and situated himself so he wasn\u2019t in pain with his ribs. The cuts on his face weren\u2019t that deep or large, but they bled significantly and the streaks of blackened red still stuck out on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall Baker, the Guru, folded his arms and fell to one side of the chair like he was trying to sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel, the Walker, had closed her eyes as her face looked out from the couch, her short hair pressing against her left cheek. Her right arm fell to the ground and her breathing steadied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles Willis, the Sage, slouched heavily and put his feet up as the breaths still came quickly, like an assembly line he couldn\u2019t quite keep up with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color, the Star, was next to Myles taking deep controlled breaths through the nose and out the mouth. She then put her hand in Myles\u2019s limp one next to hers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles let go of her hand and put both his arms around her, drawing her head alongside his. She hugged him back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat was scary,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, that was scary,\u201d she agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They separated and Myles said, \u201cWe should move now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWait,\u201d Atlas said, only moving his hand up. \u201cLet me see if I can reach out to Eve and let her know we\u2019re coming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow long will that take?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTen minutes, but you need to put me to sleep,\u201d Atlas said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPut your fingertips on my head and close your eyes. Find the blue bubble and break it with your mind. That\u2019s the alert consciousness; it\u2019s what stays on while you\u2019re awake. And then wake me up in ten minutes; it shouldn\u2019t take me longer than that to make contact, and if I don\u2019t that\u2019s too bad. It will only feel like a few seconds to me, but that\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Atlas spoke, Myles heaved himself up, walked over, and did just that. He didn\u2019t feel anything special about touching Atlas\u2019s head aside from awkwardness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat am I doing again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cClose your eyes and focus on my mind, similar to how you listen to others\u2019 thoughts. This time you need to almost invade. You\u2019ll know what I mean; part of it you\u2019ll want to\u2026\u201d here he caught his breath and then continued answering. \u201cYou\u2019ll find the bubble. And if you\u2019re having trouble finding it, it\u2019s because it\u2019s all around you. Think outside of the mind. There isn\u2019t a way to describe it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles had closed his eyes when Atlas told him to and once he was told to think about it in mind-listening terms, his dark vision changed. He flowed through his fingers and went straight into Atlas\u2019s mind. There was a lot going on, but it was hard to navigate, like his thoughts and memories were either rock-solid or constantly changing. That blue tint\u2026 there was a blue tint to everything. <em>Maybe I\u2019ve gone too far,<\/em> Myles thought and mentally, indescribably backed away inside of Atlas\u2019s mind. There was the blueness, moving like Jell-O that hadn\u2019t quite hardened yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The breaking part came naturally; Atlas\u2019s body went limp on the sofa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles removed his hand with a small gasp and then studied Atlas. Yep, he was asleep, not dead. The Sage went back to his seat next to Color. Once he sat, Color leaned onto him and he put an arm around her. The nervous energy in their blood barred them from relaxing, so they just held each other in that enveloping silent terror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel stood up and walked to the door. Opened it and looked out. Nobody was there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019re you looking for?\u201d Marshall asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe cavs would have chased their most valuable asset, no matter how many people they lost,\u201d Jewel said. \u201cThey\u2019ll be here soon if they know about this place. Maybe even other fraisers. Its\u2019 not smart, sleeping here right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI agree,\u201d Coh said, raising one hand up high and then letting it drop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI keep forgetting you can speak,\u201d Jewel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2026 have no response to that,\u201d Coh said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel looked out the door again and listened intently. Not a sound, nothing out of the ordinary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhy didn\u2019t any hushes chase us?\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFatigue,\u201d was Jewel\u2019s answer. \u201cThey can only fly for so long; it uses as much energy as a fast jog for them. And if they were making sharp banking turns and carrying people and they weren\u2019t killed, they wouldn\u2019t have any energy to chase us, and even if they did, hangars aren\u2019t much for fighting. It takes a while to become precise at flying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall nodded. <em>Langley seemed pretty good at it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A tense five minutes passed in which Coh had clearly fallen asleep. Myles and Colors\u2019 eyes were open and stretched with trauma: tired, wishing they could rest, but barricaded by a barbed fence of adrenaline. Jewel was watching Marshall and the door, trying to figure out if Marshall was asleep when she heard something in the woods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel\u2019s eyes darted around the woods and caught the movement of metal. A helmet. Under the helmet, a cavalier, but by his movement he was wandering, looking. He was alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel whisked into the living room and shook Atlas awake. He was back in a second and said, \u201cNothing. Eve wasn\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color and Myles rose while Jewel was at Atlas\u2019s side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCavs,\u201d Jewel whispered. \u201cIn the woods. I\u2019m guessing they\u2019ll be here next.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atlas rose and took two silent steps toward the door as Jewel woke Coh next with a finger on her lips. \u201cCavs in the woods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That woke him up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atlas walked past the group and up the huge leaning double-staircase. \u201cFollow me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They followed him up the stairs and down a hallway and turned left into another bedroom with all the furniture bunched up on the tilted side of the room. The wallpaper was green like Atlas\u2019s jacket, but wrinkled and sad. There was a huge, uncovered mirror as tall as Marshall and as wide as a queen-sized bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles felt a need to touch the mirror and when he did, the mirror\u2019s history ran into him like he knew it all along, like he was remembering rather than discovering: it was used in a large bathroom in a classy restaurant, securely fixed, but after the Rise it was still undamaged. As he left his hand on the mirror, a different thing happened. He was able to see things elapsing in the mirror. He could see previous reflections: the mirror\u2019s memory. His hand darted away. Most of the time, nobody was in front of the mirror, but once someone came into view, Myles knew what was happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The weakened Coh walked in with Marshall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThink this one will do?\u201d Atlas asked to nobody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles had his hands on his knees. \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atlas said, \u201cCavs\u2019ll be in here any second. We\u2019ll all have to take a running start if we want to do this properly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles felt his fear leave for just a second as the next steps became clear; being unafraid was a rare feeling in these times. \u201cWhat? Get it flat on the floor with the reflection facing up and jump into it holding hands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atlas made a face of realization. \u201cThat\u2019s clever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI still don\u2019t know shit about jumps, so you\u2019ll have to lead us, Atlas,\u201d Myles said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFirst let\u2019s get this flat on the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyone moved for the mirror and eased it to the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It sounded like there was someone walking into the house now and intense whispers on the first level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGrab each others\u2019 hands and form a circle around it,\u201d Myles said. His right hand was in Color\u2019s and his left he put in Coh\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atlas knelt near the mirror and put his hand on it. Then he started whistling a certain note. Then he adjusted it, like he was listening as well as making the sound. Then he stopped and stood up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Coh\u2019s took Atlas\u2019s hand and Atlas\u2019s other hand went to Marshall\u2019s who went to Jewel\u2019s who went to Color\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Myles was in no mood to ask what Atlas just did, but it must have been important. He was thinking heavily in this moment, like time shifted to first gear on the highway of thinking. Then he moved his eyes and realized his thinking was inconceivably fast, like he was in-between the mirrors again. This time he understood the time passing and knew what Atlas meant about navigating the time-period between mirrors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe jump on three,\u201d Atlas said. \u201cDon\u2019t worry about the timing; just go with whatever flow you feel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHere we go again,\u201d Marshall said, squeezing both of the hands he was holding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOne, two, three,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jumped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All of their feet stomped onto the mirror which should have simply broken underfoot against the floor, but instead they fell through it like ice and again they fell right into that system of tubes. This time Myles looked behind him and saw the planet. Then he felt his arm being jerked and their direction changed. Atlas had hooked the wall and was pulling them back toward the same planet through a different route. This time, the connections on the world were fixed; they were no longer moving around or shuffling. Time didn\u2019t feel like it was flying; this must be what a good jump feels like. Maybe that\u2019s what the whistling was about? They\u2019d whisked back to the planet by now and<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>the group fell through and flopped heavily like cramming into a door too small for them and heard the glass, like an orchestra of chimes in a strong breeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyone shut their eyes and gasped as some of them fell on top; Atlas happened to be on the bottom along with Marshall and Color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMade it,\u201d Myles said rolling off of his friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atlas rolled to his knees, rose with a wince, and said, \u201cWelcome aboard the <em>Stone Compass.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Shepherd\u2019s neck straightened and he tightened his grip on Auric. \u201cSomeone new aboard the <em>Compass<\/em>. Again?\u201d He scowled at Eve. \u201cYou know anything about this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve shut her eyes in defeat and shook her head like a robot. What a terrible feeling, to lie. Hopefully he would believe it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Shepherd only rose and whooshed to the back door of the Great Room into the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve stood up, dejected, and started following.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When they came outside, they saw nothing. Then between two of the mansions appeared one figure, then four, then six.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One was a man, the rest were fraisers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve sensed the Shepherd feel relief and started running toward the group. One word, possible a name, ran through the older man\u2019s head: <em>Coh, Coh, Coh, it\u2019s Coh, thank heaven, Coh<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man leading the newcomers continued a slow walk toward the Shepherd. One of the fraisers had a blindfold on, but seemed to know where he was going anyway. Eve predicted he was likely a hush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the two groups were within several yards, the man in the green jacket stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Atlas Black,<\/em> Eve thought. His face had a chinstrap of fresh and drying blood on the right side. Eve sensed he had some internal wounds as well, and that the barterrod he had mentioned earlier was in his hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhoever you are, you have something I need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c\u2019Need\u2019 being a subjective term,\u201d Atlas said. \u201cI perceive you are referring to the human, Coh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s him.\u201d The Shepherd pointed Auric at the shaved-headed and shirtless boy. \u201cWhy did you come here? Surely there is something you would like in return?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Keep the offer open-ended<\/em>, Atlas thought under his shifting mind. \u201cThere is something on this boat that we need. Two fraisers, hidden away somewhere, probably locked up?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI have many fraisers on the boat, but none of them are locked up,\u201d the Shepherd answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atlas held out the barterrod and let it transform into a staff as tall as he was. \u201cRecently, two fraisers landed on your boat via mirror, the same way we did just a few seconds ago. They go by the names of \u2018Pretty\u2019 and \u2018Blink\u2019. Ring any bells?\u201d He leaned on the barterrrod\u2019s new staff form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPerhaps. You\u2019re expecting me to trade two fraisers for one?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m expecting you\u2019ll consider that trade,\u201d Atlas said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWait, Atlas, TRADE?\u201d Color asked. Jewel had a similar look of confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat wasn\u2019t part of the plan,\u201d Marshall agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf I told you that necessary part, you would have disagreed,\u201d Atlas said. He addressed the Shepherd now: \u201cUnless you think that an unfair trade, we can leave the way we came.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt may be fair,\u201d the Shepherd said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow about showing us the fraisers in question to inspect the damage you\u2019ve done to them?\u201d Atlas said. Then he seemed distracted for only a second, his gaze jumped to Eve,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(In that second, Eve had quietly let a few words slip into the front of her mind: <em>They were put into mansions<\/em>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>then his gaze returned to the Shepherd. Now Atlas\u2019s eyes were blazing with suspicion; the Shepherd\u2019s eyes began burning with suspicion as well, only because he was dealing with a prophet. Goodness knows what he already knew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Shepherd looked to his right side at Eve and then back at Atlas who had risen from his leaning pose. Myles hadn\u2019t caught the message that had been on the front of Eve\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhere are they?\u201d Atlas said. The barterrod turned into a regular, straight stick. He pointed at the Great House. \u201cIn there? Or maybe your goorang put them somewhere else?\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Shepherd\u2019s face began scowling. \u201cThey\u2019re alive if that\u2019s what you were wondering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Atlas took an inhale and had a confused face for a second; the Shepherd was telling the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Behind Atlas, Myles let out the breath he didn\u2019t realize he had been holding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo take us to them!\u201d Marshall said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a long fucking day and we\u2019re tired of waiting!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the sides of the ship, three hangars <em>zwooped<\/em> into view and made a few swinging arcs before landing just behind the Shepherd. Their landings and flying was even neater than the Stablefield-fraisers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEven if some of you were hangars, you are outnumbered and outmatched. Even with the barterrod, Atlas, you\u2019re no match for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou know who I am then?\u201d Atlas said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAtlas Black, an overrated jumper and credit-stealing half-measure of an adventurer. I know all of the staff-bearers and I\u2019m sure you know them too. I believe I have a house in the same neighborhood as yours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou haven\u2019t been home for a long while,\u201d Atlas said. \u201cYour lawn could use some love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGive me a reason to visit and I will. And it seems like all of you, save Coh, have no reason to visit <em>The<\/em> <em>Stone Compass<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re a businessman and a murdered, but a businessman first!\u201d Atlas barked. Myles sensed fear in that sentence. \u201cYou make trades; you\u2019re no pirate. Every trade is an investment in trust on this planet, no?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re not from this planet and your small troupe won\u2019t be missed,\u201d the Shepherd said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur village will!\u201d Color shouted. \u201cAnd they\u2019ll hunt this boat down and destroy it! You know how the cavaliers hate these kinds of deals!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHave you taken a step back and looked at your group? You have the similarity of a charcuterie board; you didn\u2019t come from the same village. You,\u201d the Shepherd pointed at Myles, \u201chave the same attitude as the boys who landed here. You\u2026\u201d the Shepherd looked at Jewel. \u201c\u2026You\u2019ve lived decades, yet haven\u2019t been on your menstrual cycle for more than two.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhy the fuck would you put it like that?\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re too well-adjusted!\u201d the Shepherd interjected, indicating to Marshall and finally pointing to Color. \u201cAnd you are simply too imbalanced with these others to have been with them for long. And I seem to remember a message from the cavaliers not too long ago saying there were only three other villages that thrived on the Great Hook and that they were planning on hunting them down. Now, that was a few months ago; I\u2019m sure they\u2019ve finished the job by now, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Color swallowed hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat about him?\u201d Jewel pointed to Coh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Shepherd scoffed like an old man. \u201cTrust me, Coh would not have survived with any of you for long. It\u2019s a miracle you\u2019re still alive. That\u2019s the price of a high legacy bond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re here for the boys, unless you\u2019ve killed them and are stalling with these useless readings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe hasn\u2019t killed them,\u201d Myles said. \u201cI would have known if he was telling a lie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s more than one way of killing someone; some of them leave you alive for much longer,\u201d Atlas said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat are you implying?\u201d the Shepherd said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Come to my side as I transform Altis,<\/em> Atlas thought aloud to Eve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m implying,\u201d Atlas said as his weapon slid into a broadsword. Eve started taking a few steps forward and Atlas finished with, \u201cthat you resigned them to their deaths in a couple of these mansions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve scurried over and stabilized her footing behind Atlas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEve, what are you doing?\u201d the Shepherd said it with such stern confusion that Myles found himself genuinely wondering what she was doing by leaving the Shepherd\u2019s side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want to live with you anymore,\u201d Eve said, tears welling up in her eyes. Her voice was frightfully steady. \u201cI want to leave here. Leave this planet. Stand on solid ground somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Shepherd shook his head and waved his hands. \u201cWhat?! When did we decide on this? You are a part of me, and I, you. You\u2019ll lack the thriving portion of life out there without me. You and I are a team, Eve; two halves to the leadership of <em>The Stone Compass<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve had tears streaming down her face now, but her voice, as steady as a tree in a tempest, said, \u201cI know! And I\u2019ve made up my mind. I\u2019ve considered it for too long and this is what I would like. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSorry for leaving this guy?\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShut up!\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAtlas,\u201d the Shepherd said quietly. \u201cYou now have one thing that I want and one thing that I need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd you apparently have nothing we want or need,\u201d Atlas returned. \u201cWe can leave and you can go fuck yourself, you nerveless cur. You murderous pedophile, you twisted and sick, manipulative devil! An inanimate and soulless\u2026 incubus like yourself does not deserve to carry that staff!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve decided I\u2019ll kill you,\u201d the Shepherd said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou plan on fighting <em>me<\/em>?\u201d Atlas spat, recalling just how battle-worn he was: blood splatters from multiple enemies, broken ribs, a bleeding face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Shepherd dropped his outer-layer of robe and stood before Atlas and the Astronomers. \u201cWe all will.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d Atlas said. \u201cJust you and me. Keep these children out of it. Don\u2019t you remember your own childhood? The peace that came with being a kid?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI,\u201d the Shepherd started twirling his staff and then slammed it, bottom-first, into the ground. \u201c\u2026know what it is to be abused. Regardless of my childhood, I\u2019m not here to be clever, I\u2019m here to win. One doesn\u2019t gamble a deal like this in a one-on-one match.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCoward. You have no sense of adventure,\u201d Atlas said. The barterrod was still in the broadsword form at his side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd you are a fool! And you have no sense of strategy,\u201d the Shepherd returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStrategy is what you get when you have no options,\u201d Atlas said and ground his feet into the ground. \u201cAre we just going to sit here gossiping?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Shepherd first turned and yelled, \u201cPet! <em>FASS! FASS!<\/em>\u201d at the Great House. Then he faced Atlas and charged without another noise. The hangars behind him, however, soared into the sky with a battlecry and all of the Astronomers aside from Coh and Eve recalled that sound all too well from the recent battle in Stablefield.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Astronomers\u2019 Heist Chapter Seventeen There were a half-dozen fraisers total. They stopped their chase about three meters from Atlas, considering the black mace in his hand. Three of them appeared to be less than ten years old and of the six, only two didn\u2019t have any blood on them. Only two of them seemed short &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=1050\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1050"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1395,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1050\/revisions\/1395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}