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could put my finger on the moment we genuinely fucked ourselves, it was the moment we decided that data was something you could use words like believe or disbelieve around.”
He was an old man, she realized. Viejo, right? Living according to an ancient map of the world that no longer existed.
At some point Maria realized that her father’s words were dust.
“There’s a theory that if we don’t have the right words in our vocabularies, we can’t even see the things that are right in front of our faces. If we can’t describe our reality accurately, we can’t see it. Not the other way around.
was the same look every time. A tribe of people who had seen too much and had given up on pretending that the world was anything other than a wreck.
What does a place that falls apart look like? What did it mean? Nothing. It doesn’t mean anything. It just tells me how badly I want to live.
The maelstrom turned people into animals. Had almost turned her into the same. But now, finally, she thought she understood. The maelstrom of fear could drive almost anyone to become less than they were. To tear apart your neighbors, to string them up on fences. But now finally she thought she understood those few people who stood against narcos and cholobis, who stood up against money, and water knives, and militias—all the people who chose the right way instead of the easy way. Instead of the safe way. Instead of the smart way.
You didn’t judge people for caving under pressure; you judged them for those few times when they were lucky enough to have any choice at all.
“I think the world is big, and we broke it.”
Not all epic quests ended in success. Instead, paranoid and greedy people made stupid mistakes. People died and hurt each other and struggled, and in the end everyone came up dry.
“Let me go,” she said softly. “Just let me go.” Angel stared at her as she keyed on the bike. He thought of redemption and debts, remembering her kneeling over him, pulling him back from death. He wondered what good promises were. All the lies people told each other, all the promises lovers made.
