Kingdom of Cages(69)

With Chena in the lead, they skirted the crowd until they got to the edge of the library’s sun-faded porch. From there, they ducked and shouldered their way through the mass of people, all of whom seemed to be straining to get a look at the same thing. A screen sheet with a pair of intersecting green circles emblazoned on the top had been posted on the public notice board.

Chena was ready to walk right past it, but Sadia saw the notice too. She froze in her tracks and grabbed Chena’s arm.

“Have you gone off-line?” asked Chena, pushing Sadia’s hand away.

“What’s it say?” asked Sadia hoarsely, pointing to the screen sheet.

“Out of the way,” ordered some guy, pushing Chena aside.

“Piss off.” Chena gave him the sign and ducked around him. “Says…” She paused, making sure she was getting it all right. “ ‘Voluntary Genetic Survey Request.’ ” She looked back to see if Sadia knew what that meant, but Sadia was gone.

Chena craned her neck to see over heads and between shoulders and waving hands. She caught a glimpse of Sadia’s pale red hair moving around the edge of the crowd.

“Hey! Sadia!” Chena jumped off the porch onto the boardwalk. But if Sadia heard, she gave no sign. Her wandering path turned into a determined beeline, away from the library and from Chena. Chena swore and ran after her.

As she did, Chena spotted what drew Sadia. A man stood in the shadow of one of the market tents. He was squat, short, and pale, reminding Chena of a mushroom. He watched the crowd carefully, scanning the people milling and talking. But what he was looking for, Chena couldn’t tell.

Sadia sidled up to him. Chena fell back, glancing around. No one seemed to notice them.

We don’t need this, Sadia, she thought to her friend’s back. We might get in trouble. What are you doing?

Chena gritted her teeth and strode up behind Sadia as she saluted the stranger. The man returned the salute and Chena saw how his hands had amazingly long, tapered fingers. The nails were smooth and even, and so clean they gleamed pink and white, even in the shadow.

Sadia flashed him a knowing grin that made her look like Shond.

“Sadia—” began Chena.

“Relax, Chena. There’s something here I need.” Her voice was fierce and hungry, like her grin. Chena fell back a step, but Sadia wasn’t paying any attention to her. She focused completely on the pudgy man with his long hands.

“What if I was to need a tailor?” Sadia asked him.

“What if you were?” he replied, waving at a fly with one of his long hands. “Where would a squirt like you get the money?”

Sadia dug in her pocket and brought out the chits Chena had given her. “Here’s a start.”

The man sniffed and flicked one of the chits over with the tip of one finger. “It’s a start,” he agreed.

“Sadia,” murmured Chena, pulling at her elbow.

Sadia shook her off. “Then you can help.”

His smile was wide but thin, spreading slowly out across his broad white face. “Help can be found.”

“Good.” Sadia nodded. “I’ve just got one question.”

“And what is it?” inquired the man mildly.

Sadia smiled, and Chena felt her insides go cold. “What did they do with Nasra Hasapi?”

The man’s eyes widened with unspoken recognition, but what he said was, “I don’t know—”

Sadia lunged at him. Her shoulder collided with the man’s chest. He wasn’t ready for the blow and they both went down. Sadia clambered onto his chest. She grabbed his arm and his hand, grasping his long fingers. “I’ll break your hands! I’ll break them! You tell me, you bastard! You tell me where they took my father!”

“Get her off! Get her off!” screamed the man. Behind them, voices rose from the crowd, which had flowed over to look at the new excitement.

“Sadia!” Chena wrapped her arms around Sadia’s shoulders, but Sadia wrenched herself away. Years of backbreaking work had made her too strong for Chena to fight. Chena threw all her weight against Sadia and knocked her sideways. Something snapped. The man screamed.

“What are you doing?” Chena tried to roll the bigger girl over, but Sadia got to her feet and charged again. Chena blocked Sadia bodily, and hands reached out of the crowd that had formed around them and pulled Sadia back from Chena.

“What’d they do with him, you bastard?” Sadia shouted past Chena to the man. “What’d they do?”

“Okay, okay. That’s enough.” A woman, tall and wide, with skin the color of polished oak, waded through the crowd. A blue armband had been sewn onto her tunic sleeve.