Stormworld by Brian Herbert, Bruce Taylor Read Free Book Online Page B

irritated. Peggy’s own father and mother had been lifelong Republicans, working for state and national congressional candidates, so she had heard all the arguments at the dinner table.
    “Have it your way,” Belinda said, with a tight smile. “But while you’re thinking of your next move, I’ll just say one more thing. The real war our country should have fought was against industrial and auto emissions. Now we’re fighting a different kind of a war, against Mother Nature … and we can’t defend ourselves against her power.”
    Peggy castled her king, a defensive move. “I feel guilty for bringing Rosie into such a bleak world, but I can’t abort her.”
    “You Republicans are all alike,” Belinda said. Quickly, she moved her queen across the board diagonally, an attack that paralleled the aggressiveness of her political arguments.
    “I remember when snow was a beautiful thing,” Peggy said, ignoring the attempt to draw her into more debate. “I would have liked to have taken Rosie out to build a snowman, like in the old days … seeing her laugh at falling snowflakes and sled down a hill. Then in the spring, with the thawing of ice and snow, I would have shown her how to put seeds into the earth, all the wonder and magic of making young flower shoots come up from the ground.”
    “The old days are gone forever.”
    “At least we agree on that.”
    “I can’t remember the last time I saw the sun,” Belinda said.
    Peggy heard two raps at the door, and it swung open. Jimmy Hansik stood there holding two large bottles of wine, one in each hand. Abe Tojiko was right behind him.
    “We were rifling through some lockers and there was this dirty lab coat on the bottom of one and it looked bulkier than it should have been and lifting it up, we found these bottles of champagne.”
    Belinda took one of them from him, and studied the label. “A reserve Piper Heidsieck,” she said. “Expensive stuff, imported from France. Which locker?” She frowned, looking suddenly suspicious.
    “One of them by the front stairway.”
    “No name on the locker?” Belinda asked.
    “Nope.”
    “Hey, Peggy,” Abe said. He kneeled by her, examining the chess board. “Who’s winning?”
    “Don’t ask.”
    “No name on the lab coat?” Belinda asked.
    Jimmy shrugged. “If there was, I sure didn’t see it. Besides, the locker was unlocked.”
    Belinda frowned again. “Well, a lot of us never lock our lockers, and no one takes anything.”
    “Until now,” Jimmy said. “Think of it this way. Whoever hid this stuff has been holding out on us.”
    “He has a point,” Abe said. “The way this world is, who knows how long we have left, and we don’t want good champagne going to waste. Pop one open, Jimmy.”
    Jimmy looked with utter glee at the bottle he still held, as if it was a big game trophy. He checked the door of the room, made sure it was closed. Putting the bottle between his knees, he removed the stopper with a loud “pop!” that startled Peggy, a noise that caused her baby to kick.
    Foam gushed out of the bottle. “Whoa!” Jimmy said, putting his mouth around the opening. Then, lowering the bottle after the foam subsided, “Good stuff. Maybe I’ll keep this one for myself.”
    “Hand it over,” Abe said. He glanced around. “Any glasses or cups in here?”
    “No,” Belinda said. “Let’s just pass it around.” She set the unopened bottle on a table. “I suspect we’re going to get into this one, too.”
    Abe took a long sip. “Mmmm.” He extended it toward Peggy.
    “No thanks,” she said. “I have the baby to think about.”
    “Oh, right. Probably not a good idea, because your nutritional status is already compromised.”
    Abe handed the bottle over to Belinda, who swigged it like a wino on a park bench.
    “You’re all drinking too fast,” Peggy said. “Slow down, or you’ll make yourselves sick.”
    “She’s right,” Belinda said. She took a small sip and appeared to savor it,