Page 22 of Jhon

“You make it sound like magic or something,” Jhon said. “But I just explained the science in simple terms.”

“The science does not make it any less scary,” she told him firmly.

“Are you starting to regret your grand adventure?” he asked with a wicked half smile.

“Grand adventure,” she laughed bitterly.

“You won’t suffer from boredom here,” he told her. “It’s not glamorous, but there’s plenty to keep you on your toes.”

“The cold alone is dangerous,” she said, trying not to let herself worry about fuel costs.

But there were no real trees here to burn. Whatever they used for heat could cost a fortune to import.

But Jhon wasn’t even wearing a cloak. Plenty of his bare skin was exposed to the elements.

“Dragons don’t get cold?” she asked him thoughtfully.

“No,” he said. “We can self-regulate our temperature. And we tend to run hot anyway.”

“And you said Bo is a chameleon-like race?” she asked.

“Only as far as what he looks like,” Jhon replied. “Imberians are very adaptable. He’s better suited than you, but he can still get cold. You’ve got to keep him well-bundled.”

“Oh,” she said, disappointment landing hard on her.

She fought back the tears that threatened.

“Hey,” Jhon said.

She looked up at him, willing herself not to cry.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I was just wondering how we would heat the house,” she admitted. “There are no trees, and it probably costs a fortune to ship in fuel.”

Jhon gave her a strange look.

“What?” she asked.

“There are solar cells,” he told her, pointing to the sky, where Sol shone brightly, uninterrupted by trees or clouds.

“Really?” she asked.

“Of course,” he told her. “Why would you burn wood or fuel when you can use starlight for free?”

“Solar cells are expensive,” she muttered, suddenly feeling ashamed of her poverty, though it wasn’t her fault.

“It’s an investment,” Jhon said, clearly not understanding. “But over a short time, they pay for themselves. Besides, your adoption agency wouldn’t want you and the whelp to use up finite natural resources, and create smoke and exhaust. I mean no offense, but didn’t those things add to the suffering on your home planet?”

She nodded, fixing her eyes on the sky islands again, and hoping he would change the subject.

She knew all the reasons solar cells were better, obviously. But there were plenty of beings in the system who couldn’t afford them. That didn’t make them bad or wasteful. It just meant they didn’t have those options.

“The islands are actually kind of beautiful, once you get used to them,” he told her as they drove on. “The privately owned ones are tethered, of course. But some the ones that haven’t been claimed can float freely. They generally don’t go anywhere, but when they sway in the winds, some say it’s like they’re dancing.”

She repressed a shudder at the thought of something that massive dancing in the wind.

“You’ll get used to it,” he said without looking at her. “All of it. It’s different from what you know, but you’ll adapt. And it will make you a stronger person.”