It was still night in Darwin, and apparently overcast, so her one glance out the window failed to give her any sense of the size of the city, which seemed to extend to the south of whatever airport they flew into. And their path was east off the ocean. Besides, she was too busy comforting Yahvi, who had gotten hysterical at the news of Sanjay’s death. Even Zeds seemed shocked, retreating into his suit. Rachel knew that Yahvi had never warmed to Sanjay—that she barely knew him. But deaths were a big deal for the HBs, and death here, now, when the girl was feeling so vulnerable—it had to be shocking. So she curled up in the seat next to Rachel and sobbed all through the touchdown and the brief taxiing to a stop at what appeared to be a small executive terminal. Pav sat still and, to unfamiliar eyes, unmoved. But Rachel knew her husband; he was stunned, too. Xavier and Tea were behind them, not easily seen. Rachel would describe Tea’s response as stoic, though with some tears in her eyes.
