No Passengers Beyond This Point(33)

“India Tompkins, you are in violation of code number seven-five-two-two,” they say. “You need to come with us.”





CHAPTER 18

THE MARVINS

One of the Marvins has India. There were six Marvins on the screen. All Boy Marvins, but I’ve seen Girl Marvins here too.

India is going to be mad. If that many policemen have you in custardy, that will definitely go on your record and you won’t be able to get your driver’s license.

I wish my arm didn’t hurt. I wish every time I wanted to cry, Bing didn’t tell me Don’t be a crybaby.

I tell Finn that we need to get in trouble so the Marvins will come and take us to India. Finn says that’s not a good idea. He says it will be easier to get her out if we aren’t locked up too.

Did they take India to jail? When I saw her on the big TV her hair needed brushing. Maybe they took her to the hair salon?

We have been walking a long time. When I ask Finn Do you know where we’re going? he walks faster and pretends not to look at the street signs.

Now Finn is asking a Marvin about India. “What did he say?” I ask when Finn comes back.

Finn pushes his hair out of his eyes. “Shhh, Mouse I need to think.”

“I can help, you know.” I raise my good arm. “I am good at thinking. I have a muscle for it right here.” I point to my brain.

He nods the way Mommy does when she is driving someplace she has never been before.

I take his hand and hold it tight. I am not a scaredy cat, but I would pretty please like to go home now. “When are we getting India back?” Bing wants to know. He’s not going any further until we have a plan. Bing likes a plan.

A new person flashes on the movie screen, but for a half a second in between I see India looking at a tiny screen buckled to her wrist.

“Did you see that?” I ask.

“What?”

“India on the screen.” When Finn looks up, she’s gone. There’s only the girl snowboarding.

“What was she doing?” Finn asks.

“Looking at her wrist, which had a funny watch on it,” I answer.

“She doesn’t wear a watch,” Finn says.

“I know,” I say. “But she had one up there.” I point at the big screen.

He scratches his head.

He doesn’t have a plan yet. I am going to have to help. “Finn, can I see the puzzle Mr. Chuck gave you?” I hold out my hand.

Finn wiggles his fingers into his pocket and he pulls out his wooden tree puzzle. It has a tiny green branch just like mine does. They are twins except they don’t look alike. We sit on the curb and snap the pieces together. We turn the two-thirds puzzle all around, but we can’t tell what it will be until we get India’s piece.

Just holding Mr. Chuck’s puzzle in my hand, I feel better. Bing feels better too.





CHAPTER 19

A CRANE

Where did they take India? The police station? The security office? The court? And why? What did she do?

Sparky could tell me exactly what’s going on. But I’m afraid if I pick up a white courtesy phone he will think that’s because I’ve decided to go work for him. Right now, I feel so discouraged I almost want to. What if the phone knows that?

The white courtesy phones are everywhere, tucked in alcoves, mounted on the sides of buildings, at the tram stations. You don’t notice unless you’re looking for them. They fit right in with the city.

Almost everyone here is in uniform and a lot of them are security. I hope they don’t decide to cart off Mouse and me. I talked to one security guy already and he didn’t arrest us but he didn’t tell me anything either.

The uniform colors clearly signify something. Weather seems to be a big theme. All of the brightly colored vests and tunics have embroidered badges that show rain, snow or sun, fog, clouds, lightning, hail, wind, or rainbows.

I ask a tall blond girl with a lavender tunic and a rainbow badge, “Where is everyone going?”

“To the welcoming,” she says. “All the welcomings are held at the amphitheater unless there are too many arriving at the same time,” she explains helpfully. “Are you looking for someone?”

“My sister India.”

“Long dark hair, about my age?” the tall girl asks.

I nod.

“She’s a welcomer now. Lucky duck. She’ll be wearing a blue tunic.” The girl smiles at me as if just having a sister as a welcomer has suddenly made me someone special.

I guess when we arrived, there were other people being welcomed, so they took us directly to our houses. I wonder who else arrived when we did. Falling Bird is a lot bigger than I thought. I could see that when I was in Skyline.

The streets are mobbed today—the crowd is so large not everybody can fit in the amphitheater, so people spill out into the nearby streets. The video screens are full of the face of the new arrival, singing karaoke, taking her first step as a toddler, doing tricks on her skateboard.