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"Mindless vandalism is my forte," Pan said, hisspirits recovering with the prospect of action. "Guess we'd better wait till after midnight for the greatescape? Let the Greens get sleepy?"
"After three," Fisher said. He glanced at Madeleine. "After the moon has set."
Would they ever have another moment in the moonlight? "I'll help with the cooking,"Madeleine said, scarcely feeling real.
"First check the apartments for gloves, hats, anythingwhich looks useful for a boating trip in this weather. Right. Let's get started."
Fisher rose with the rest, but only to sit on the coffeetable in front of Madeleine, brows drawn together in concentration. Madeleine, half out of her seat, dropped backdown, and looked at him uncertainly.
"I wish I could make you promises," Fishersaid. "But I don't want to downplaythe danger we're in. I'd like you tomake a promise to me, however."
"What is it?"
"Fight. Alwaysfight. No matter how impossible theodds, no matter who you've lost, how you've been hurt. If there doesn't seem to be a way out, lookfor one. If you seem to have come to anend, start afresh. Never, ever giveup."
She stared at him, startled by the anger, the complex swellof emotion in his voice.
"You don't think your plan has a chance?"
Fisher looked away. "The Cores will almost certainly participate. Those of the higher ranked clans are sure tobe stronger than the Moths we've previously encountered. And tomorrow is just one day of two years. It's what comes after which frightens me mostof all."
He still wouldn't look at her, was watching Noi headingupstairs.
"It makes it easier for me," he added, voice muted,"to know that you won't falter. Canyou promise to try?"
Madeleine promised.
ooOoo
"What are you writing?"
"Thank you note for the owners of the house," Noisaid, frowning as she read it over. "Miss Ma
"I'll come back for it."
"That's the spirit. A big improvement over yesterday afternoon."
"I'm trying to keep focused on how glad I was to surviveSt James," Madeleine said. "Iwas convinced the dust would kill me, and I concentrated everything I had ongetting out, and painting the picture I'd been waiting months to start. I got to do that, by going on step by step,not giving up. And then I met you, andwe got through Bondi, and the seven of us have really..."
She gazed out the patio doors, to the moon being swallowed bythe sea.
"I've spent years thinking I was so self-sufficient,that I had all I needed. My art isalways going to be the most important thing for me, but this place hasbeen...good for me. I'm really proud ofthe portrait of Tyler, and I think the one of you and Emily might be the bestthing I've ever done. They havesomething my usual work lacks. And–" She smiled. "And I want to paint Fisher. When that Spire's no longer in Sydney, and Ican do something so indulgent as hit the nearest art supplies store, I will paint him."
"Preferably nude."
"Maybe." Madeleine refused to be embarrassed. "We better get downstairs. Two years of this still seems a near-impossibility, so I'm focusing onthe current step."
Noi nodded, folded her note in half, and stuck it in themiddle of the children's drawings on the fridge. "I'll miss this place," she said, thentugged a scavenged beanie over her riot of curls, and picked up her backpack.
They turned out the last of the lights, and rode the elevatordown to the garage, stepping into chill, pitchy dark. The open service door was a grey square ofillumination, and cubes of windshield glass crunched underfoot as they edgedtheir way toward the three shadows which interrupted the thin light.
"Won't be long," Pan murmured. "They're aiming for the slip closest tothe near entrance."
"I'll head down to check," Min said. "If I don't come back, they'reready. Or I've fallen in."
"We'll listen for the splash, Mi
"Tempting." Noi shifted the spare bag of food she was carrying. "When all this is over, I think somefull-throated yelling while ru
"Works for me."
"You'll join in, won't you Millie? Maddie?"
"Through Hyde Park," Emily said, firmly, and aftera moment they agreed to that, then Noi led Emily out and down the Wharf to thenorthern gate of the marina.
"I can't believe, with all the millions of dollars ofhigh-powered luxury boating stretched before us, this is the plan we've come upwith," Pan said. "There'ssomething inherently deflating about the words 'utility dinghy'."
"Rowing four kilometres in the dark," Madeleinesaid. "Racing dawn. Smuggling ourselves right beneath the nosesof the Moths."
"Stop trying to make it sound awesome. Utility Dinghy. Utility Dinghy."
"Let's go." Lifting her allotted share of the food, Madeleine stepped out of thegarage, and waited while Pan pulled the service door gently shut behindthem. They crossed to the corner of themain building and peered down the Wharf, all shadows and moonlit edges, andthen the soft glow of lampposts beyond the area where Pan had punched out thelights. No sign of movement. They slid around the corner, keeping close tothe high patio fences which hid the view into the lower apartments, and moved asquietly as they could, straining their eyes to spot the gate to the marina.
"I think it's here," Pan said, barely audible.
Finger Wharf didn't have safety railings, the edge ashin-high wooden board punctuated by the occasional pylon. The marina gate was transparent, opening ontoa ramp leading down to the floating dock, which had no rim at all. Even though they'd given their eyes plenty oftime to adjust, Madeleine still didn't dare do more than inch forward,searching with her free hand. They'dtimed their departure to use the last of the moonlight to get around the dockwithout torches, and she was able to make out shapes, but couldn't forceherself to move any faster.
"It's here."
The words were accompanied by the faintest metallic noise, asPan turned the key left by their advance boat-seekers, then pulled itfree. The ramp at least had railings,and Madeleine followed it down until there was nothing left to guide her, andshe stood clutching the end, trying to adjust to the faint bob of the dock.
"Directly left, Maddie,"breathed the night. "It's only ametre or so, so take one step forward, then kneel and pass me yourbags."
Nash whispered similar instructions to Pan from the next slipover. Obedient to Noi'scommand, Madeleine stepped, knelt, and held out the food bag, then heroverstuffed backpack, and by the time that was done she was more sure of whatwas in front of her, could just make out Noi, Fisher and Min. Then it was a matter of lowering herself,guided firmly by Noi, until she was sitting in the back of a small boat, shiveringmore from nerves than the chill lifting from the water.
"Put this on."
A bulky shape with confusing straps. Madeleine fumbled it over her head, and foundparts which clicked together. By thetime this was done, the moon was no more than a fading memory.