by Kris Moger
Caden jerked the shirt away. “No, it’s too large for you and it’s mine. Too bad you didn’t find any pencils. Mine are all stubs. Can’t draw too much with stubs.” She wandered over to a chair and sat, her face pale under her sepia complexion.
“I’ll keep a lookout for some next time,” he said and turned toward his mother, and she met his gaze.
Ma took him by the arm and led him to his room. “Come, Teddy, let’s see how these pants fit you.” Henri wasn’t around. Pa needed his assistance to secure the secret door.
“I like the bed you made yourself,” his mother said, pushing on his airbed. “You sure it won’t fall?”
He pulled off his old pants, tossing them on a box in the corner. His shirt covered enough of him to make him less uncomfortable about undressing in front of her. “It’s fine, Ma.”
“Oh, I’m certain it is. You are a copy of your father, always inventing things,” she said with a smile. “You might not be blood, but you are your father’s son.”
The thought made him happy. “How is she?”
His mother sighed and sat on his bed, tweaking the leg of his trousers. “Caden? The day has been difficult for her.”
“Ma, you gotta take her to the doctor. I understand he doesn’t help anyone unless they can pay, but there must be a way.”
“It’s not just paying, Teddy.”
He tugged at his pants. “We found all this new junk; we could use some to see him.”
“He doesn’t treat Underlings no matter how much they offer him.” Her voice stuck in her throat. “And he doesn’t have to. He doesn’t have to. No laws exist to make him and he is the only medical person in the city. No one else possesses the knowledge he does. The profession was a tradition passed down from his ancestors, which they didn’t share with anyone else.” She threw her hands up, her eyes glistening with tears. “There’s nothing we can do except love her and comfort her.”
“Not right,” said Henri as he appeared, filling the doorway.
“Oh, Henri, yes,” Ma said. Weariness hunched her shoulders as she stood. “I know, but some things no amount of muscle can alter.”
His open, happy face crumpled and Teddy clasped his shoulder.
“I don’t understand either. No one seems bothered by a few slugs thriving off the suffering of others. I think things were different once. At least, that’s what the books I’ve read say. It’s possible those are only stories or myths. I don’t know. Not important, I guess.”
“It matters.”
Ma kissed Teddy on his forehead. “Yes, but a good night’s sleep will help. The pants are good. Wear them out a little before you venture beyond our walls. Don’t want to stir up any attention.” Her tired voice cracked as if she wished they didn’t play so many games to survive. She patted Henri on his broad shoulder as she left the room, and he swayed his head.
“Teddy?”
He sat down in the hammock and let it swing. “Yeah?”
“We can fix?”
As Teddy laced his fingers behind his head, he contemplated the giant who stood wringing his hands. The jacket fit him and made him seem a little tougher, but too much kindness and emotion shone from him. His eyes danced as though searching his brain for a thought, a plan. “We’ll try.”
“We’ll try what?” Jolon asked, sauntering in. He didn’t carry any bugs or food and his new clothes almost made him appear as though he belonged up top despite his slight limp.
Henri dumped himself on the bed. “To fix this.”
He made a face. “To fix what?”
“Our situation,” Teddy said, knowing he was vague, but not certain how to share the thoughts crowding his brain. “Where are the others?”
His brother plopped in his chair. “Deb is attempting to read Caden a story. She is enduring it because she can rest and the parents are in the warehouse dealing with a visit from the Mercury brothers. Someone wants to purchase a wedding dress and four matching bridesmaids’ dresses and they must get them now.”
Teddy snorted. “Luck with that.”
“Yeah, finding a matching anything these days is almost impossible, but it’s one of greenhouse baron’s daughters marrying one of the water barons. She’s sixteen, and he’s something like fifty. He was the guy who turned up last week complaining he shouldn’t have to go through any middle people; he should be able to purchase things direct from us. Now Ma and Pa need to soothe ruffled feathers and assure Mercury Brothers Inc. They have no intentions of going against convention.”
Frowning, Teddy sat up. “We should go help.”
“I can fix.”
“Na, they want to appeal to them on a more passive level. Any show of strength may cause them to think we’re hiding something,” Jolon said.
Henri bounded to his feet, pacing. “Why hire brute if I can’t brute?” He jabbed at his chest. “I fix.”
For a moment, he almost believed him except his eyes were glistening. “We don’t need impulsive actions; we need cool, calm planning.”
“Don’t get wired, big guy.” Jolon patted the brute’s leg. “You’ll get your chance. Don’t want to tip our hand too fast.”
Teddy laughed. “You look like a cheap gambler,” he said as his brother put his feet up. “You were sneaking off to the games at Under Smith’s again?”
He spread his hands and tried to appear innocent. “Speaking of gambling, you and Pa find anything interesting aside from clothes today?”
“Dead bodies, skeletons. That sort of debris.”
Jolon’s eyes were wide, and he moved to the edge of his seat. “Honest?” He sat back, blinking. “Bet you were scared shitless.”
“Was not.”
His brother laughed. “Yeah, bet you tossed your cookies.”
“Did not,” he snapped though he could feel his face flushing. “Okay, let’s go and see how you do.”
“Yes.”
The two of them stared at Henri, surprised by the brute’s word.
“What do you mean? Yes, what?” Teddy asked.
“Yes, go. Explore. We know here. Nothing for likes us. Might be something there. Don’t you want find out?”
“We, we can’t,” Jolon insisted, his voice shaking. “Pa never lets us go into the tunnels without him, and Ma will skin us and feed us to the dogs.”
Henri stared at them, expectant and serious, his jaw clenched, but his eyes innocent and hopeful.
“So what do you think, shiny knight syndrome or boredom?” Jolon asked.
“Either that or love at first sight, but I think that’s a plot device to save time.”
His brother cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, you need new books to read, don’t you? Plot device, okay, but we can’t go exploring alone. Pa says we need to be careful.”
“Yeah, but a little more research shouldn’t hurt much,” Teddy decided with a shrug.
Jolon choked. “You’re kidding.”
He shook his head. “Come on, Jol. It’s time to show me just how brave you are.”
“Funny. You know I don’t own a brave bone in my body.”
“Well, maybe it’s time we found one.” Teddy hopped to his feet and took Henri’s hand. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
The brute took on a toothy expression. “K.”
Chapter 4
Once they were certain everyone slept, Henri helped them uncover the door, and they entered the tunnels. They continued in silence for a while, inching their way through the passages. The darkness seemed deeper without their father’s presence. Their footsteps boomed as they reverberated all around. It was as though all the ghosts of the past lingered behind them in a drawn-out procession to their doom.
“You are joking,” said Jolon when they got to the lower level of the mall.
“This not so bad,” Henri said, striding behind them with his light held high over their heads.
“It’s dark. I hate dark. I lived in dark for too long,” his brother went on, his voice warbling.
“We all have,” Teddy said,
feeling uneasy too. “I understand, Jol, but things are not too horrible down here or up here. I’m not sure. We went down the stairs, but we went up and up before we got here. Those passages back there go through so much rubble nothing makes much sense even with the map. This place was a lucky find. I don’t like the dark either, but here we are. We can’t escape the darkness. We can’t do anything. At least, that’s what they say. That’s what they all say. Could be true or we’re all wishing for a different destiny. This is all ridiculous. We’re here because our ancestors wanted to save themselves. Well, if this is saving themselves, maybe this wasn’t the right choice. I don’t know.”
“Ted.”
“Hey, what kind of life is this? We only live by the whim of people who only want to parade around acting all wonderful.”
“Teddy, calm yourself.”
“And they’re not. They’re not. They are people like us. They possess as much value as anyone else. This is ridiculous. In fact, they are less because they can’t see other people are as good as them.” He jerked around as Henri yanked his arm.
“Done?”
Panting, he shook himself, all the tension in his body dispersing at once in a ranting stream of words. “D... d... done,” he gasped trying to regain his composure. “Sorry. Don’t know why I did that.”
“’Cause you’re weird,” Jolon said, clapping him on the back. “But we all are, so relax. Besides, you made me feel better.”
“That’s good, I guess.”
“Yeah, after your freak out, I realized I didn’t want to seem like a baby like you.”
“Funny.” He shook himself again and nudged his brother’s shoulder. “Come on.”
“Shouldn’t we explore these a little more?” Jolon asked while they passed the stores.
“Nah, Pa and I searched these before,” he said as he hurried to keep up with their brute. “Besides, I think Henri’s on a mission. Henri? What do you think you’ll find? Can we slow down a bit? You might not be aware of this, but our legs are not as long as yours.”
“Yeah,” Jolon added with a hand to his side. “And this exercise thing is a heap of garbage. No, it’s a mountain of garbage mixed with toxic waste, cooked in a volcanic river, and thrown up by the belly of the earth.”
“Imaginative. Finished?” Teddy asked, with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes, in fact, finished, finished. I should be guarding the door back at safety central. And thank you. I’ve been working on my imagination. You can’t be the only one making up stuff.” He stopped and bent over, puffing. “What you seeking, Henri? Something good, I hope ‘cause I ain’t going through this for anything less than something good.”
“A way out,” the brute admitted, pacing. “This can’t be all. Stories, tales people tell. Can’t read, but listen and must be more—for all. Nice place where all okay.”
Teddy turned to Jolon, dubious.
His brother shrugged. “That’s something good.”
“Can’t get much better.”
They grinned and went forward again, searching for even one clue to a real life. Most of the stores they passed carried clothes. He guessed their ancestors had an obsession with garments and shoes, which they found in abundance. Everything seemed surreal. The plastic people didn’t bother him now though he still didn’t like the ones with heads—too life-like. Soon, they reached what seemed to be the end and another set of glass doors. Something glowed beyond them. They all stopped and stared.
Teddy’s heart raced.
“You think?” Jolon asked, nudging him.
“Seems too easy.”
“Too easy? The last ones to go out burned alive. I don’t call that easy.”
“No, I mean the glow, if that’s outside, shouldn’t it be harder to get at than stepping through a door?”
“Don’t care,” Henri said and strode forward.
“Wait,” he shouted, but the brute didn’t listen. The door pushed debris to the side as he shoved it open. Teddy rushed to put on his mask but was too late. The stale air hit him hard. He tried to hold his breath while he fumbled for his respirator. His sight dimmed, and he began to see stars. He went under, his mask in hand.
When he opened his eyes, Henri’s huge face bobbed before him, his bulbous nose inches from his.
“K? K? Ted? Teddy. I sorry. I not think. Oh, wake up.” He shoved the mask on Teddy’s face.
He swatted at the brute’s hand. “Don’t shake. I’m okay. Stop.”
Henri pulled off the oxygen mask. “What?”
“I said stop.” He coughed and sat up, taking a breath or two from his tank. “How’s Jol?”
“Alive,” his brother moaned not far from him. “The hulking pack of muscle shook the death right out of me.”
“Sorry, sorry,” Henri said over and over. “Didn’t mean to. Didn’t think.”
“Okay, all is good,” said Teddy, his head throbbing a fraction. “Slow down, ‘k? Sometimes when you open a sealed area, you get hit with bad air. Kinda like a punch to the jaw.”
“Well, I was right,” said Jolon, rubbing his temples.
“’Bout what?”
“This was too easy.”
Teddy laughed. Still a little wobbly and light-headed, he rose to his feet. He took another shot of oxygen. The door was still open; the air must have stabilized. He gazed at Henri. “How come you didn’t go under?”
He gave a timid grin and held up his mask. “Bigger person, more air in me. Had time. Sorry.”
“Always thought you were somewhat of an airhead,” Jolon muttered but patted Henri’s arm. “So, do we go on, or go home? It’s gotta be getting late by now, and they’ll discover we’re gone if we’re not at breakfast.” His stomach grumbled, revealing his real concerns.
Teddy took a crisp biscuit from his supplies. “Here, nibble this.”
“Oh, perfect, cookie power. Got another?”
He grinned and gave his brother one more. “Okay, by my figuring we have been down here for about three hours... two hours to get here and another hour searching around. So, we can afford another hour before heading back in time to get a moment’s sleep before Ma comes for us. Do we go or do we come back tomorrow night?”
Henri shifted from foot to foot and pulled at his trousers.
“Do you gotta go?” Jolon asked.
The brute blushed. “Yes.”
“Uh, huh,” said his brother and stood. “So do I. I’m finding a corner before continuing. Saves any embarrassment in case of flight.”
Teddy went and located a pillar off to the side to relieve himself. Between the debris and decay, he figured a little urine wouldn’t cause much more work to clean up if Underlings came to live here. As he did up his pants, he paused, certain he heard movement in the store nearby. He told himself it was something small, but the nagging voice inside his head didn’t agree. The sound was too human. Keeping his eyes glued on the eerie room, he backed his way to the others.
“Ummm, walking works better when you face where you’re going,” Jolon said, touching his back.
“I heard something,” he admitted, and they all peered in the direction he had come. The three of them waited, staring.
“It was a rat,” Jolon whispered.
“Sure,” Teddy whispered back.
“Yes, rat,” agreed Henri.
“Wait. Rat, rat or ratdog?” asked his brother, his voice panicked. He nudged Henri. “You’re the brute; you check.”
“Don’t like rats or ratdogs.” “Maybe something else?”
He scowled. “That helps. Let’s go the other way.”
“And if we’re followed?”
Teddy jerked his thumb toward Henri. “He can deal with it.”
Doubtful, Jolon glanced his way and Henri attempted to appear menacing.
“Let’s go.” He sighed and went forward.
They entered a walkway almost identical to the one they travelled through to the mall the first time. The walls were glass in the past; they could tell by the frames an
d shards scattered about. Now, they were blocks of mud and rubble. They were not outside, but the light still glowed at the end of the tunnel. Moving together, they approached the next set of doors while keeping an eye behind them in case the noise was more than a rat. Their feet crunched on shards of glass, but no other sound pursued them.
“Masks on,” Teddy said, not wanting a repeat of the last time, but he didn’t need to worry. Jolon had his on already, and Henri fished his out too. For a moment, Teddy wondered if this was the best idea. What if they discovered nothing? What if they did end up outside and the sun fried them alive? They would be dust their parents would never find. Fatigue was messing with his head—fatigue and fear—that was it. He was fine. They were okay. He took a deep breath and tilted his head toward Henri, who picked up a piece of metal and smashed the glass.
Teddy threw his arm up, protecting his face. He glared at the brute who donned a sheepish grin. “You’ve wanted to do that for a while?” he asked, his words muffled by his mask.
“Break fun.”
Jolon pushed on the bar across the frame, and the door swung open, scraping on the shards spread over the floor. “Fun, yeah. Unnecessary, definitely.”
Sick of wondering if it was safe, Teddy went in. If he fried, he fried. His boots crunched on the glass as it ground into the tile.
“What’s the glow?” asked Jolon, joining him.
“Couldn’t say. Kinda like the same glow in Uppercity, but that’s during the day. It can’t be day yet. Might be dawn?”
“What’s that?” Teddy asked.
“Don’t know. Heard a drunken Upperlord talking about it. He said dawn was the glimmer of the morning coming, the dawn of the day. Sounded magical.”
“Sounds mushy.”
“He was drunk.”
“Yeah, they always are.”
The area was similar to the last section with a lineup of stores, which appeared to carry the same kind of content as the last one except for one glowing difference, which made them step forward and stare upward. Glass in the roof. Rows of panels shimmering with what Teddy could only decide was the morning light. Shocked at the sight, he took off his mask, forgetting to analyze the quality of the air. It barely registered they could breathe.