“Because we took the name. The name, the fame, the presence. That’s why.” False Nomun no longer seemed so frightened, as if some of his fear had burned away in the night. He took food and water, retired to the farthest corner of the shelter.
Nomun went to the entrance in time to see Scar Nomun stagger from the jungle, just ahead of the killmech. His right arm flopped; blood soaked the tattered sleeve of his unisuit. His left hand clamped the artery, but his face was white.
Dead Nomun stopped at the jungle’s edge. Five bags now hung from its clamps. Frayed silver cables sprouted from the new trophy’s neck. Blue Nomun’s face was as calm in death as it had been in life.
Nomun stood aside as Scar Nomun entered the shelter. Scar Nomun sat heavily on a cot, spoke through gritted teeth. “Get me a tourniquet.”
No one responded. Scar Nomun glared at each in turn, looked last at Young Nomun. “So you’ve learned wisdom.” He rose painfully, went to the provisions, and stripped a wrapper from one of the food packs. He twisted it into a band between his teeth and good hand. Then, with great difficulty, he tied it around his upper arm and twisted the knot until it slowed the flow of blood.
“I won’t die so easily,” he said.
“What happened?” Young Nomun leaned forward, took a healthy bite of his food.
SCAR NOMUN LOOKED up from his arm. “‘Predators,’ our late halfmech brother called them. Like a snake with many legs. Or a weasel with scales. When the Blood Moon rises, they gather into packs. The pack I met was a small one, but they have no restraint. They would slash at me and die the next instant, poisoned, writhing in a ball. I crushed a dozen of them. They kept coming until they were all dead and I was as you see.”
Jade Nomun laughed uproariously. “How appropriate; how satisfying. Eaten by your scaly brothers. I suppose they’re much like you–stupid, brutal, persevering. And you poisoned them?”
Oddly, Scar Nomun joined in the laughter, laughed until he drowned out Jade Nomun, who subsided uneasily. “I’m flattered,” Scar Nomun said finally. “Well, you’ll meet my ‘brothers’ soon, fop, and they’ll eat you up more quickly than they did me.” Nomun lay back, looked at the orange ceiling of the shelter. “You’re sleepy?” Young Nomun asked. “Rest. I’ll watch; I’m much stronger today.”
Nomun looked toward Young Nomun. A series of ambiguous emotions seemed to flow across the smooth face. Nomun could not bring himself to trust his younger self, but he decided to close his eyes and rest alertly. If Young Nomun attempted to betray him, at least he would learn a valuable fact.
NOMUN’S FATIGUE WAS deeper than he had realized, and he sank into dreamless sleep, until a sound disturbed him. It was a thrumming scrabble, covert, quietly violent. Nomun jerked himself awake.
In the corner, False Nomun was rising from Scar Nomun’s cot. Scar Nomun lay still, eyes bulging, a twisted food wrapper biting deeply into his throat.
Jade Nomun lounged on his cot, watching, face taut with amusement. He looked at Nomun. “One more down, eh, clone?”
Nomun glanced at Young Nomun. His face was impassive, relaxed. Young Nomun looked at Nomun, shrugged. “I decided to conserve my strength. That one’s no great loss, you will surely agree. And he had lost much blood; how could he have climbed the next node? A mercy, in a way.”
“And see, the timid one has developed a little backbone,” said Jade Nomun. “Isn’t that a gain?” He laughed and laughed, the ugly sound filling the shelter.
A little later Young Nomun spoke in a low voice. “Tell me the truth, Empty Nomun. Would you have defended him?” Young Nomun’s eyes were clear and guileless.
Nomun did not answer.
The remainder of the afternoon passed in watchful silence. Nomun felt no further inclination to sleep. Jade Nomun laughed occasionally to himself. False Nomun’s face was that of an animate statue, devoid of any purpose beyond the next heartbeat, the next breath. Only Young Nomun seemed able to relax, to doze lightly. Several times Nomun observed Jade Nomun casting a speculative look toward Young Nomun, but when Nomun caught Jade Nomun’s eye, the fop smiled and pulled a mask of innocent curiosity over his mad features.
At twilight the four survivors went out onto the glittering sand. Dead Nomun waited for them there, and on the black water the breathboats moved in slow grace.