Wolf Boy, Chapter 12, Part II

The green of Earth unnerved Pan the most. The artificial gravity on Mars and the station was close enough to Earth gravity that he only felt the slightest unexpected heaviness. Quin said that even in his lifetime, artificial gravity had greatly improved to mimic what humans understood as “natural.” And improved artificial gravity took care of many problems associated with life in space—and on Mars.

His eyes had needed to adjust, but then everyone’s did after being on the ship for nine months. And he was unaccustomed to the speed of Earth vehicles. Mars had vehicles as well as satellites and GPS. But Mars had fewer reference points between destinations. Earth provided so many extra markers: houses and side streets and trees and fields and people and towns. Pan closed his eyes, only to open them again. He didn't want to miss an important milestone.

“Do you feel like you’re home?” he said to Kaiden.

Kaiden arrived on Mars when he was thirteen. He remembered Earth.

He said, “I grew up in Hawaii. So, sure, sort of. Hawaii is warmer and has palm trees though Wales does too. Lots of plants here.”

“Claustrophobic,” Pan muttered.

“Yeah.”

“Are you going to move back to Earth? Someday?”

Kaiden gave him that sideways look that said, The answer to that will embarrass me, which meant that Kaiden was thinking he would go wherever Pan went.

“Do you feel drawn to any particular place?” Kaiden said. “Aren’t Anthros supposed to migrate to forests at the end of their lives?”

“Based on your beliefs, I should want to go to Ancient Egypt.”

“Amunites believe Egyptian beliefs flowed beyond the country’s borders to spread throughout the entire world. Diffusion.”

“What about independent development?”

“Sure. Humans want answers, so societies come up with similar questions.”

“Jungian stuff.”

Kaiden nodded. Kaiden, Pan had decided, was the type whose religious beliefs didn’t require rational justifications. He wasn’t about “angels dancing on the head of a pin” (Lider’s phrase, and then Rhys would say, “Not unless one dreams them up,” and they would both laugh). Pan could see Kaiden’s perspective. Why fuss with reasons when one could concentrate on worship?

Whether Kaiden’s things-are-what-they-are attitude was a suitable trait for a bodyguard was debatable. Shouldn’t his Head of Security be more skeptical?

And now, I’m making up titles. Kaiden is a friend.

Guard.

Henchman.

An earnest woman on the other side of Kaiden leaned forward, her earnest gaze trained on Kaiden and Pan. Pan noted that the other bodyguards, the armed couple, straightened, eyes fixed on the woman.

The woman said, “You realize that Egyptian beliefs laid the foundation for Christianity—”

“Sure,” Kaiden said with a pleasant smile.

“—which superseded those heathen beliefs.”

Another woman leaned forward. “Now, now, Nanette, we respect all beliefs.”

Nanette’s mouth set mulishly. “We have a responsibility to educate the young.”

“I’m twenty-one,” Kaiden said, not defensively. “Born May 7^th. In the Kingdom of Hawaii. One of the Northwestern Islands. My name is Kaiden.” He leaned back, legs crossed at the ankles, ready to converse.

“Vera.” The second woman made a friendly, one-hand wave. “We are Sisters of Saint Mairead, the original name of Saint Margaret, you know.”

“She converted Siphons and Anthros,” Nanette said.

“Not all of them,” Vera said easily. “But she was kind and helpful to all. Are you young men joining the pilgrimage?”

“You are seeking for the truth,” said Nanette, who was apparently the kind of person who defined everyone’s lives in terms of a single narrative.

“We’re visiting Lady Margaret’s shrine,” Kaiden said.

Pan didn’t have to check out the security detail to know they had tensed. How far would Kaiden go in his disclosures?

“We came over from North America,” Kaiden added easily. “Lots of people there are interested in Lady Margaret.”

No mention of Mars, of Monseigneur Rhys and his connections with various Vatican officials, of assassination attempts. And Kaiden grinned at the official bodyguards, who gave him level stares back, only the faintest hint of approbation.

A most suitable henchman.

Head of my security.