And All the Stars

"You've been singing along with us, Porthos,"Madeleine pointed out, relieved because Min's tone had lightened, growingamused rather than acidic.

"Just humouring the natives," he said, butsmiled. "I started at Rushies with no interest whatsoever in acting. But it's hard not to get caught up, and alittle addicting playing Spy, Turncoat, Hero. Very elaborate lies, just my kind of thing. You, however, are totally transparent, especiallywhen trying to cheer people up. Go tobed."

Uncurling, she headed upstairs to the lamp-lit library. Fisher's favourite place was the window seat,and she wasn't surprised to see him still awake, but it was unusual for him tobe gazing steadily out the window instead of reading.

"Is there something out there?"

He turned his head, making one of his unhurried studies ofher.

"Take a look."

It was an unremarkable exchange, but Madeleine instantlyfilled with a total awareness of him, tucked snugly in a corner of the seat, abook set on one raised knee, posture relaxed, weary smudges beneath hisglasses. She would have to lean acrosshim to see in the direction he'd been looking, and the way he kept hisattention on her as she hesitated, and then slowly approached, made herextraordinarily conscious of her hair falling loose from its usual knot, andthe cheap, rumpled tracksuit hiding almost all her stars.

One knee on the edge of the seat, she rested a hand on thesill, leaned forward and saw...light. Apathway dancing across the black sheet of the bay, leading to a low, heavy moonsinking into the horizon.

"Beautiful."

"Very."

There was a hint of laughter to the word, and she turned herhead to see the scene reflected in his glasses, twin moons which obscured butdid not hide eyes focused on her face. Acharged moment, chained lightning. ThenMadeleine decided she was tired of small steps and took a big one, dropping herhead to press her mouth to his.

Barely a kiss, simple contact. He exhaled as she drew back, and she felt thefeather-touch of his breath. They staredat each other, then uncertainty turned into forward motion, and this time theyboth moved, found lips, discovered the tingle of tongues entwined.

Technicalities. Whatfelt right, what didn't. A stop-startexploration of reaction, then relaxation into sheer enjoyment. Madeleine shifted her hand from the sill tohis shoulder, and Fisher moved his to her waist. As their kisses grew deeper, he pulled herforward, and she slid into his lap.

Like all Blues, Fisher's palms were covered with stain,though most of his fingers were free of it. Breath coming faster, he slid both hands from her waist to the small ofher back, where her tracksuit top and the shirt below had ridden up. The contrast of sensation, velvet and flesh,made her shiver and tighten arms around his neck. Encouraged, he moved further up her back.

Sitting as she was, Madeleine was completely clear about theeffect she was having on him. This wasno longer merely a big step, was becoming an outright leap, and she found shewas fine with that, though maybe not on the library window seat. She slowed her kisses, then drew back, andthe small noise he made was all about her weight shifting.

She had to smile, because his glasses had steamed up, and helooked ruffled and owl-like, but when she lifted them carefully away hisci

Her shirt, form-fitting and dark green, had been rucked up byhis exploration of her back, and the very tips of his fingers brushedglimmering skin.

Moth song.

They both leapt as if struck, Fisher so violently thatMadeleine would have been propelled into a nosedive if he hadn't caught at herarm. She staggered to her feet, ready torun, to hide, and was turning toward the study when she recognised a quality ofdistance.

"It's the Spire."

Only the second time the Spire had sung. The Moths mightn't be near, but thissuggested a change, perhaps new instructions for the Greens. Muffled, hurried footsteps on the floor belowrevealed Min's reaction, and down the hall the door to the Wonder Woman roomwas wrenched open, though Noi had slowed to a less urgent place by the time shereached the library.

"Well that was better than an alarm clock," shesaid, looking at them both standing by the window. "Do we dive for the study yetagain?"

Fisher was frowning ferociously, head cocked to one side, butresponded after a pause with a quick headshake. "Prepare for it, perhaps. I'll see if I can spot anything on the city webcams." He went into the study, mouth set in a grimline.

"I was feeling peckish anyway," Noi remarked, andtugged Madeleine's shirt down.

ooOoo

Most of Sydney's webcams were set in uselessly scenicplaces. They had two views of theskyline, three of the Bridge, one of Bondi, a couple in Circular Quay, butaround Hyde Park where the Moths were most active, only the hastily-rigged campointing at the Spire. At night, thatdidn't tell them anything.

Dawn added little.

When the Spire stopped singing mid-morning, Madeleine went tobed, too tired to care anymore. She wokesour-mouthed and headachy in the late afternoon, feeling cheated of somethingshe'd wanted. A long shower eased hertemper, and she dressed with care, nothing out of the ordinary, butneatly. The Spire's interruption hadthoroughly shattered the moment for her and Fisher, but the step had still beentaken. As often as she'd looked at himsince, she'd found him looking back, and Madeleine was surprised at thecomfortable acceptance she felt. Mutualliking thoroughly acknowledged, action postponed.

She had tried to think about the situation in wider terms,with words like love and belonging. Butit was difficult to look beyond the now of allies facing an incrediblesituation. Too soon and too strange tobe sure of more than wanting there to be another moment.

Stomach rumbling, she headed downstairs. The buzz of a newsreader's voice was the onlysound, and everyone was gathered around the television. No surprise – it was around the time when, ifthey stuck to schedule, the Moths a

Everyone was so still. Statues, faces stiff with shock, staring at the screen. Only Emily looked around, and she jumped toher a feet with a cry and rushed to throw her arms around Madeleine'swaist. But by then Madeleine had joinedthe others in being frozen, staring at the newsreader, and the over theshoulder graphic clearly labelled "SYDNEY CHALLENGE".

The image was the figure of a girl, cut off at necklevel. A noodle-like figure in shortshorts and a crochet halter neck top, and all the rest of her, stars.

Chapter Sixteen

"Okay, enough freaking out. We need to think this through."

They had responded to the a

"At minimum, one hundred and fifty-five Moths," Noiwent on, eyeing Madeleine with open concern. "About sixty of them with Rovers, if they're allowed to bring themalong. Maybe the dragons as well, forbetter coverage. Given the first Roverfound us at the garage, I think the wharf party's over guys. Time to run."

"But," Nash said.

Noi looked at him, sitting tensely upright on the oppositecouch, and sighed. "Yeah, bigbloody but. I think we can guess whatthe Spire was singing about last night."