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.There was no way she could fit into another Pathfinder unit, nor could she really go back to the infantry and serve as a Rifleman.She’d simply lost too many habits in her quest to be the best Pathfinder she could possibly be.It wasn't your fault, Doug said.You can't be blamed for our deaths.Belinda reached the edge of the pool and stopped, blinking away tears.She had never really come to terms with her team’s death on Han, let alone her guilt for being the only survivor of the brief, but savage engagement.And it had all been for nothing.Han had been nothing more than a brushfire war compared to the chaos that had swept over Earth.and, she knew, would be coming in the future.As news of Earth’s fall spread through the galaxy, countless independence movements would take heart, while ambitious military officers would start sharpening their swords.“Darling,” an elderly voice said.“Are you all right?”Belinda looked up.An old woman, easily old enough to be her grandmother, was standing by the edge of the pool, looking down at Belinda.Her face was kind and open, without any attempt to hide her feelings or her deeper character.She was old enough, Belinda realised, not to care what happened to her.“I’m fine,” Belinda said.“It’s just been a long day.”She looked past the elderly woman and saw an equally old man, following his wife with worshipful eyes.They were still very much in love, she saw, despite their age.Something tore at her heart as she wondered, suddenly, if anyone would ever look at her like that.And then she cursed herself under her breath for such sentiments.She couldn't imagine settling down with anyone.“My daughter was just the same,” the elderly woman said, as she lowered herself into the pool.“She would always stay out all night and never listened to me when I told her to concentrate on her studies.And when she was upset, she would never tell me about it.”“My mother always listened,” Belinda said.The thought bothered her more than she cared to admit.What had happened to Greenway, now the interstellar economy had come to a crashing halt? Would she ever see her parents again? “I could tell her everything.”The woman smiled at her.“And where is she now?”“A long way away,” Belinda said.She looked up as the elderly man joined his wife in the water, then sat up and pulled herself out of the pool.“Thank you for your time.”“My name is Clarissa, Clarissa Woodpecker,” the woman said.She reached up and squeezed Belinda’s hand, then smiled at her.“If you need to talk, you can just find me in my apartment.”“Thank you,” Belinda said, surprised.On Greenway, everyone knew everyone else.It was rare to not have someone to talk to, if she’d needed to talk.But in the Core Worlds, it was vanishingly rare to have someone just open themselves up and offer to serve as a listening ear if necessary.She was almost tempted to join Clarissa and talk.But what could she tell the elderly woman? “If I have time, I will.”She watched, for a long moment, as the elderly couple swam together, then walked away, feeling uncomfortably like a voyeur.They were still very much in love – Clarissa’s husband hadn’t snuck glances at her, despite the revealing swimwear – and she didn't want to disturb them.People like them were what the Marine Corps existed to defend.Shaking her head, she dried herself in the changing room and then headed back to her apartment.There was no shortage of data to study.All work and no play makes Belinda a dull girl, Pug said.I dread to imagine what Doug would have done to someone stupid enough to goof off on active service, Belinda thought back.Rumour had it that the MPs hadn't found all the body parts of a young operative who’d done just that, although it was probably exaggerated.And where would I go to play here?She stopped as a thought occurred to her.Thomas Augustus had bragged of his connections – and he’d given her a business card [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]