The Way Back (Champions of the Crystal Book 4)

Chapter 1.3

An hour and a half later, Sabrina, Scotty, and Ford were resting in the little sitting area between the control console and the main screen. The ship's interior resembled Khediva almost uncannily, Sabrina felt, except for the lack of potted plants and the other little touches that had made the Wayship feel more like a home. She sighed, rubbing at her forehead. She wanted Khediva. The three of them had been analyzing and arguing over the satellite record for the past hour, but the satellite was not equipped to observe the sort of things they most needed to know.

Though to be honest, Sabrina doubted it would have helped much if it were; she and Scotty had once known a great deal about temporal mechanics for humans, but even at their peak they would have been mere hindrances to Ford. If he had indeed built this ship, as he claimed, he certainly wouldn't need their input, at least from a scientific perspective. She glanced over at Rudolf, standing by silently in a corner, testament to Ford's skill in cybernetics. Well, the ship certainly operated like a Wayship, except that it seemed to need much more of the pilot's attention.

"I still can't believe Homeworld let you get away with this. It goes against everything in the treaty," Sabrina remarked, looking at him curiously. "They were so paranoid about it."

"Well," Ford said, looking momentarily abashed. "To be strictly honest with you, Miss Devon, they don't know."

Scotty snorted. "And how long're you gonna be able to keep that up?"

Sabrina cut off Ford's impatient reply. "But I can't believe Tirqwin would have let you do this, knowing what trouble it would cause."

"Well," Ford said again.

Scotty burst out laughing. "Hoo boy! I don't want to be there when he finds out! You better make sure Rina's there, Ford, she's the only one who can talk to him when he's in a rage!"

"But Mara must have known!" Sabrina protested. "How did you get away with it?"

"Mother's very busy," Ford said. "She knew I was building a ship. She didn't know the details."

"But she knows now?"

"Yes." Ford grimaced. "That's how I discovered she can tell when someone's been out of time. I made the mistake of coming directly home after a jaunt into the distant past. It didn't take much for her to figure the rest of it out. She said it must be kept a secret, even from Father, so that he didn't have to lie to Homeworld about it. She told the Prime Minister and Commander Mukryilla, though. They wanted her to destroy the ship, but I wouldn't let her."

"Wouldn't let her?" Scotty repeated in disbelief.

Sabrina shook her head. "Don't sound so surprised, Scotty. As a spoiled son yourself, you ought to understand. Ford, I take it you applied what you learned from your time on Khediva?"

"Yes. I don't think Father realized how much I would remember."

Sabrina frowned. "He probably hoped he'd taught you enough responsibility that you wouldn't endanger the peace for selfish reasons."

Ford looked affronted. "Homeworld wouldn't go to war with us for this. After all, I'm half Wayfarer!"

"If that's true, then things have sure changed!" Scotty said. "I always thought that's why Homeworld wanted to get rid of the Miahns, because they were too similar."

"Where did you get the crystal?" Sabrina asked.

"I was not aware that you have the authority to question me," Ford said angrily. "I am not accustomed to such—"

"Well, that's obvious!" Scotty muttered.

Ford, flushing, opened his mouth to retort, but Sabrina intervened. "Scotty, mind your manners. He may be our cousin but he's also a prince. Your highness, you must forgive our curiosity. It is understandable that we are concerned with this violation of a treaty we sacrificed so much to bring about." Unbidden images of Rayland's waxen face on his funeral bier and Tirqwin lying pale and still on the floor of a shuttle in a Pharon Way flashed into her mind.