Outcasts and Gods Read online

  They picked up a few more kids in Albany. Roslyn and Lance could drive, the rest were younger, or hadn't learned.

  By the time they got to the Trans World Travel headquarters, they were all relaxed and comfortable with the handling. They slept on the bus, lined up with a wild miscellany of vehicles. Just ahead of them, a mooing mass of cows was crammed into a trailer made of steel bars, two horses stood stolidly in a separate section at the front. The man driving it cursed not being able to drive through immediately and fetched water and hay for the animals. The bus driver and the woman who'd been minding the little kids wouldn't let the kids out either.

  Not that they needed out. They had two bathrooms, a fab machine and a kitchen in the back of the bus. The seats reclined till they were nearly flat, and swiveled to face either window or the seat across the aisle. Facing the aisle, the trays could be pushed up and shoved a bit to the side, so they all met in the middle. Chris temporarily swapped seats with Jamie so the four girls could play card games. Chris walked back and checked on Sea and Sky. They perked up to see an almost familiar face, and showed him the kitchen. It was pretty easy to learn the controls, and he produced cookies to share around with the other kids.

  Lillian snorted as he distributed them. "Did you notice they're not programmed for alcohol? They gave us a 'child safe' kitchen! They're still controlling us."

  "Never fear, someone is sure to start a still." Chris grinned. "I read how it worked once, I'll give it a try if we develop a desperate need to get drunk and rowdy."

  There were six kids under ten years old and nine kids between ten and fifteen. The other twenty-seven of them were older than that. Chris wondered if the older bias reflected the growing unpopularity of genetic engineering. Or the younger the kids, the more likely the parents emigrated too. Or both.

  Mid-morning the government people walked the line, got everyone woken up and their vehicles started up. The driver and the nanny got off.

  Milly sat behind the wheel, and inched forward with the line. According to their instructions, she tried to stay close to the trailer full of cattle in front of her, as the line lumbered forward and built up a bit of speed.

  Lillian scooted up to Milly's seat. "Remember, hands off the wheel the moment we get to the wheel guides for the gate, get ready to start steering as soon as we pop through, and do not stop."

  Milly nodded. "The cows will go left, I go straight ahead, the car behind veers a bit right, and everyone is happy . . . Oh. My. God!"

  Chris gawped at the spinning hoop of light and leaping lightning arcs. "Keep driving. Straight ahead. There are the guides, take your hands off the wheel . . . "

  Exiles and Gods