Kingdom of Cages(51)

“I’m afraid those are the rules,” said Madra softly. “The value isn’t in the materials themselves, the value is in what they could be used for, and by whom. You are working, you are making money, and your labor isn’t being given to the village, so some of your money has to be.”

“I still work for the village. We all put in shifts.”

“Reduced shifts, and”—Madra raised her index finger—“you’re not doing the heavy labor.” She lowered her finger, and her gaze, so she was talking to the table. “I’m afraid these are the rules. It’s my fault that you didn’t know them and I’m sorry. But you either have to give the things back or you have to pay for them.”

Mom’s face had gone rigid. Her hands, still on the table, began to curl into claws. “May I ask you who decided to alert you to this shocking impropriety?”

“Well, I confess, that’s part of the problem.” Madra glanced at Teal and Chena, who were sitting there completely intent on the conversation. Mom’s gaze followed Madra’s.

“Girls, why don’t you start on the breakfast dishes?”

They moved obediently. Chena prodded at Teal to keep her going. They needed to hear, yes, but they didn’t need to call attention to the fact that they were listening.

“The person who told me was Experimenter Basante,” said Madra, as Teal and Chena carried the breakfast dishes to the basin by the stove. Chena waved toward the door, indicating that Teal should go get fresh water.

“From the hothouse?”

Teal made a show of stomping her foot, and Chena frowned at her. Teal made the piss-off sign and left to get the water.

“Yes,” said Madra.

Chena ladled hot water from the pot on the stove into the dish basin. Basante was the spy. They were talking about Teal’s spy.

“Helice, have the hothousers told you what kind of experiment they want you for?”

“Yes.” Mom’s next few words were lost under the sound of Teal banging open the door and grunting dramatically as she lugged in the bucket of water. “… after me for it since I decided to emigrate.”

Chena frowned hard at her sister and grabbed the bucket away, splashing water all over the floor.

“Girls,” said Mom warningly, without turning around.

Chena frowned down again at Teal’s stubborn face, almost ready to yell. But she didn’t. She just tipped cold water in with the hot.

Behind her, Madra said, “Helice, I don’t know if you fully understand the situation here.”

Chena swirled the dishes around in the water a little and then rubbed a thick cake of the omnipresent yellow soap on the rag. Teal was staring at Mom. Chena elbowed her to get her to stop.

“But I’m sure you will be pleased to enlighten me,” Mom said.

Chena’s throat tightened as she picked one of the bowls up out of the water. Her hands scrubbed at it without her mind paying attention to what she was doing.

“I’m not saying the rumors of the hothousers snatching people out of their beds are true, but I’m not saying they aren’t either. The complexes have been threatened, and as usual, we are the ones who are going to suffer.”

Chena dumped the bowl into Teal’s hands so she could dry it.

“Madra, I appreciate all the help you’ve been, but what business is this of yours?”

Chena scowled and forced herself to keep her eyes on the bowls remaining in the cloudy water. She heard the thunk as Teal put the dry bowl on the shelf.

“Because they may not just stop at making trouble for you. They may decide to make trouble for the entire village.”

“I hope you’re not saying that is my fault?” asked Mom indignantly. Chena gave Teal the next bowl.

“No,” answered Madra. “If you want to see me as an interfering busybody, that’s fine. You’re not alone. But I care what happens to the people in my village, and I don’t want to see anybody sold off for body parts.”

Crash! Chena jumped. Teal stood shamefaced beside the shattered remains of the bowl. She’d probably tried to put it on the shelf without looking.

“Vapor-brain…” groaned Chena.

Mom was on her feet, her face thunderous. “Both of you, outside, and close the door.”

Chena didn’t even dare to protest. She just grabbed Teal’s arm and dragged her out the door, kicking it shut behind her.

“Good job, you nit.” She turned Teal to face her. “Now—”

But Teal didn’t let her finish. “Shut up and come on!”

Teal ran to the back of the house. Chena followed, uncertain but curious. Teal skidded to a halt beside the tree trunk and grasped the thick rope lashings that held the house to the tree. Before Chena had time to ask any questions, Teal swarmed up the wall, using the ropes as a ladder, and disappeared into the unkempt growth that covered their roof.