Planet Earth is blue 4

Of all the places my grandfather took me, Rhea was the most beautiful – the distant sun setting, Saturn’s disc filling half the sky, its warm sandy colours reflecting off the ice fields. I longed to see it again and it seemed the obvious place to make for after our narrow escape from the prison ship. But I should have stayed well away. I certainly should never have brought her there.

She called herself Lily – not her true name I’m sure, but appropriate enough as she was indeed as pale as that flower of the valley and every bit as poisonous. Her eyes were deadliest of all; looking into them it was almost impossible not follow her to the world’s end. But all of this I realise only now when it’s too late.

As we landed on Rhea, the folk there welcomed us warmly enough. Some of the older ones remembered me from my grandfather’s days. But, thinking back, I should have paid more attention to their troubled expressions when Lily flew in behind me. With the younger ones it was different – in their eyes you could see them preparing for war, readying themselves to die for any old worthless cause.