Wings of Saturn

Part 4

Finally, the girl muttered her amens and stood up. She moved slowly so as not to trip over her own overcoat. She brushed off her knees and said, "Hello there. Thank you for waiting."

Jenny blinked. "Er, no problem. Though when someone kicks in your door and starts yelling for you, don't you think that you should get up and do something about it?"

"Perhaps," the girl said with a short giggle. "But cutting off a conversation seems like poor manners, especially when it's with God."

She turned around then. Jenny wondered if this was really the person responsible for all this – she seemed too young and her eyes a bit too wild to believe she had spent a fortune to set up a floating dome with a lighthouse. Though her skin was pale, her cheeks still had some color. She just didn't seem like she saw much sun.

"Well, despite your rather...abrupt entry and the fact that you're holding a weapon, I suppose that since you're not offering me immediate violence your intentions are not hostile?" the girl asked.

"Only if I have to," Jenny said, trying to maintain some semblance of a threat. "But no, me and my friend washed up here, and we really need some directions. Also, food. Definitely food."

The girl nodded. "A couple of travelers who have lost their way. There seems to be no lack of them here."

Jenny wondered how anyone could even find this place, let alone more than one group of them, and then she got it. She rolled her eyes. "Oh, for crying out loud. Look sister, I really don't have time for your religion. If you can help us, that would be great. But save the preaching for someone else."

The girl studied Jenny's face. Jenny, who felt herself growing more irritated by the second, stared back. "Yeah?" she snapped. "You got something to say?"

"Lost indeed," the girl sighed. She shook her head and let a small, sad smile touch her lips. "Well, it would be unbecoming of me to turn away those in need, though I don't know what assistance I can offer." She held out one grimy hand. "Tendolin Shafire's my name, but just plain 'Sha' will do. Pleased to meet you, Jenny Thain."

Jenny almost took the offered hand, but fortunately her brain caught up. "Hold up!" she shouted, jumping a step back. "How'd you know my name? You're...Aw crap, are you working with the folks who sent those bots after us?"

Sha smiled. "No, but I do make it a point to research anyone who shows such a particular passion for entering my private domain." Sha then pulled back one of her sleeves to show a holoprot on one wrist. Outside of the open square that generated the image, the item looked like a fancy bracelet with some of the same patterns that were glowing on the walls. Sha caressed one of the points, and a projection shone up of a slightly healthier version of Jenny – likely taken before her recent trip.

"Great," Jenny murmured, "then I suppose you know I have a strict no autographs policy."

Sha's eyebrows lifted at the comment. "Given I understood you left Earth in part because of the scandal surrounding your stardom, I'm surprised you would bring that up."

"Oh, and I suppose that means you used to be a fan too? Look, I could really..." and at this point Jenny's stomach rumbled once again to add emphasis to her point, "really use some food. Private performance afterwards if you insist but..."

Sha waved a hand. "No, I happen to be aware of the reason behind your cover story. I will be happy to provide food and shelter as long as I can in return for a few answers – for my own curiosity of course." Sha began moving to the staircase, and then began going down it.

"As long as you can?" Jenny asked only a couple steps behind.

Sha didn't turn around, but answered, "This dome is listed, on the official records, as a resupply dome. The lighthouse uses some cloaking technology..." Sha tapped one of the symbols as she continued down the stairs, "... well and some other tricks to try and keep nosy intruders out. I hadn't thought to add any visual camouflage because of my location, but it appears I may need to rethink that."