Descending Road - ONLY THEIR NAMES by Dana W. Paxson

ONLY THEIR NAMES

1551 4D

Ezzar awoke in the Monford hospital, swathed in dressings, suspended in the regen tank, a tight mask on her face. Her flat belly bore a huge rip stitched shut across it. She traced the scars written on her torso. “My babies,” she croaked against the tubes in her throat, “My babies are dead. My husband.” The empty space in her slowly began to fill with rage.

A tiny woman wearing surgeon’s greys reached in and took her hand. “I’m so sorry. We had to reassemble your heart and liver, and we’re ready to reattach the breast you lost. It’ll regrow just like this never happened. We can even rebuild it from cells if you want, make it firmer.”

Ezzar shook her head. “No. No, never. Just put back the skin.” She would never sleep again without weapons by her. And she would learn to fight.

A few days later, a Novander Wye coll representative visited her in her bed. “There were seven of them,” the woman said, staring at the floor. “They were sent to kill a rapist and his family — it’s our law. They came to the wrong home.”

Ezzar tried to swallow, coughed; her seamed body wrung her with pain. “What! They—" She couldn’t speak. It was a mistake? Choking, gasping for breath, she turned her head away to glare at the wall beside her bed.

“It’s also our law that such a terrible thing must be repaid to the perpetrators,” the woman said, her voice flat. “We will execute them if you tell us that’s what you want.”

Ezzar shook her head. Nothing these people could do would bring back Boren and Shirin and… Nothing. What would killing these men accomplish? The fury rose up in her to wash away the question. Maybe, after all, blood would put out the overwhelming fire in her. “No,” she said. “I want only their names.”

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	ONLY THEIR NAMES 1551 4D Ezzar awoke in the Monford hospital, swathed in dressings, suspended in the regen tank, a tight mask on her face. Her flat belly bore a huge rip stitched shut across it. She traced the scars written on her torso. “My babies,” she croaked against the tubes in her throat, “My babies are dead. My husband.” The empty space in her slowly began to fill with rage. A tiny woman wearing surgeon’s greys reached in and took her hand. “I’m so sorry. We had to reassemble your heart and liver, and we’re ready to reattach the breast you lost. It’ll regrow just like this never happened. We can even rebuild it from cells if you want, make it firmer.” Ezzar shook her head. “No. No, never. Just put back the skin.” She would never sleep again without weapons by her. And she would learn to fight. A few days later, a Novander Wye coll representative visited her in her bed. “There were seven of them,” the woman said, staring at the floor. “They were sent to kill a rapist and his family — it’s our law. They came to the wrong home.” Ezzar tried to swallow, coughed; her seamed body wrung her with pain. “What! They—" She couldn’t speak. It was a mistake? Choking, gasping for breath, she turned her head away to glare at the wall beside her bed. “It’s also our law that such a terrible thing must be repaid to the perpetrators,” the woman said, her voice flat. “We will execute them if you tell us that’s what you want.” Ezzar shook her head. Nothing these people could do would bring back Boren and Shirin and… Nothing. What would killing these men accomplish? The fury rose up in her to wash away the question. Maybe, after all, blood would put out the overwhelming fire in her. “No,” she said. “I want only their names.”