Guardians (11 page)

She was already moving through the crowd as Silas tried to catch up. “You can't,” he called after her, but she ignored him. Finally, he caught up with her at the front door and grabbed her elbow. “It's all picked clean out there. Ain't nowhere left to look.”

Esther threw up her hands. “I've got no choice. I've got to feed Kai.”

“But you don't know where to go.”

Esther thought about it: He was right. Silas was in charge of Harvesting gasoline, gathering fuel from abandoned vehicles and buildings to power the generator; this had been one of their daily chores back in Prin. Silas had bicycled his way through most of Mundreel and, by now, knew his way around better than any of her friends. “Then show me,” she said.

Silas hesitated, then gave a quick nod.

Together, the two slipped through the front door, past a crowd of Outsiders who were desperate to get in with their newly Gleaned goods.

The merciless sun was directly overhead, so both Esther and Silas pulled up their hoods and put on the sunglasses they always carried. Then Silas nodded down the street, and they took off at a quick trot. Esther, who could run almost as fast as Skar, had to slow her pace in order for Silas, only nine, to keep up.

They ran side by side in silence for several minutes. To her chagrin, she saw that they were passing the house Aras had picked out for them. After they had left it behind and traveled for what Esther estimated to be three or more miles, she could
see that her friend had begun glancing around, checking for landmarks. “This way,” he said at last, and they swerved down a narrow street.

She saw what he was looking for halfway down the block. It was a group of small storefronts, set in from the sidewalk. Hung above them were signs written in strange symbols of gold and red that she did not recognize.

“I saw these the other day when I was Harvesting,” said Silas, panting. He bent over at the waist to catch his breath. “But I ain't had a chance to check them until now.”

Esther had already moved close to one of them and squinted to look in one dusty window. The only thing she could make out were the odd statues on the sill. One was a bald man, fat and smiling, who sat cross-legged. Another was a strange creature that looked like a colorful snake, with wings on its back. Nearby, a white cat seemed to be staring back at Esther; it was sitting up on its haunches with one paw raised as if in greeting. Nothing was disturbed, which made it a promising place to Glean, and Esther felt her hopes rise.

“Don't look like nobody broke in yet,” said Silas as he joined her.

It took them a few moments to find what they needed: a heavy chunk of masonry in a nearby alley. Older and stronger, Esther alone could carry it. It was craggy with dried mortar, yet she still had to throw it several times as hard as she could until the window finally broke with a resounding crash. She and Silas then climbed in, taking care to avoid the jagged glass edges.

Dust motes rose in the sunlight that now streamed in the small store, revealing empty shelves and counters that had been Gleaned long ago. Disappointed, Esther picked her way through the trash-strewn aisles, as Silas moved farther in.

“They got in through the back,” he called.

To Esther's disbelief, the same turned out to be true for the neighboring stores and the ones on the next block, as well. In all her years eking out a living from abandoned storefronts and restaurants, she knew that there was always something to Glean if you looked carefully enough: a few packets of sugar, a handful of dried beans. Yet by the time they finished searching all three buildings, it was well into the afternoon and they had nothing to show for their efforts.

Esther pushed back her hood to wipe the sweat from her forehead, which was now gritty with dust.

“I guess we should head back,” Silas said, resigned.

Esther thought of Kai and Sarah with a pang; she couldn't bear the thought of returning empty-handed. “You can head back if you want. But I want to try a little longer.”

Silas hesitated. “That case,” he said at last, “I got one more place to look. If you're willing.”

Esther nodded. As they took off again, Silas changed direction, now aiming for the northern part of the city, toward the mountain that loomed on the horizon. Esther noticed that the grade of the streets had changed; they were now toiling uphill. Soon, she could see the central part of Mundreel beneath them in the distance, the sun glinting off the tall buildings made of glass and steel. They were now in a part of the city Esther
had never entered before, a place of small three-story buildings with peeling and splintered wood set close to one another.

The streets were deserted, yet Esther had the distinct sense that they were being watched. She would spin around, but the empty windows and doors showed nothing: not a flicker of movement, no faces hiding in the shadows.

Finally, they stopped when the road in front of them ended.

She was about to speak, but Silas flashed her a warning look. Instead, she held her tongue and gazed about.

Esther heard it first: a faint whispering no louder than the wind blowing through the leaves of a tree. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something materialize in the darkened doorway of a house, as insubstantial as a wisp of smoke. The apparition stepped into the light, and she could see what it was: a boy Silas's age, dark skinned and impossibly thin, with eyes that seemed gigantic in his narrow face. Behind him was a girl who looked at most nine, with fine, dark hair that stood in vivid contrast to her pale skin. She was clutching what seemed like a filthy bundle of rags, but when it moved, Esther realized with a shock that it was an infant.

More and more Outsiders appeared. There were too many for Esther to count, and still they kept coming, children of every age. All of them were dirty and so malnourished, they were little more than skeletons draped in cloth.

Esther felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her.

“They won't hurt you.” Although Silas kept his voice low, it seemed loud in the silence. “You can ask them.”

“Ask them? For what?”

“For sugar. Maybe they know where to look. Where they get stuff.”

His answer was so innocent, Esther blushed, for it was clear that these children had no idea where to look; they had no food, no water at all. And as she stood there, she suddenly understood what should have become apparent when she and Silas had searched store after store in vain for something sweet.

It used to be possible to scrape out a living by Gleaning. It wasn't easy and the pickings were meager. Yet it was something. But now that Gideon had altered their glass system, all that had changed, for there was now nothing left to take. His prices were so high, he had essentially forced everyone in Mundreel to clean out the city, to scour every building for its remaining goods and bring them to the District. There they'd be exchanged for a tiny amount of glass and sold again. If Outsiders wanted to eat, they had to be involved in the unfair process or else be left behind.

The plan had been intended to help them, but it had only made them suffer. It was a betrayal of everything Esther and Gideon had agreed upon.

Impulsively, she spoke up. “Come with us.” Esther raised her voice and addressed everyone within earshot. “We have food and clean water. Enough for you all.”

She could sense Silas shooting her a quizzical glance, which she ignored. Esther knew better than anyone how little there was to spare back at the District. Yet right now, any objection seemed unimportant, a little mark in a notebook that didn't make sense. The reality was here, right in front of her. And
most important, she wanted Gideon to see with his own eyes the effect of his scheme.

To Esther's surprise, however, her words had no impact. A few looked frightened or suspicious. But most of them had no reaction whatsoever. Their faces remained blank and withdrawn.

Only the dark-haired girl holding the child spoke up. “I come with you.” After a pause, the boy behind her stepped forward, as well.

“Me, too,” he said.

No one else volunteered. Before she left, Esther made a point of noting where they were.
She would return later,
she thought,
with food and water
.
Maybe that way she could convince them to trust her
.

It was easier walking back to the District since it was mostly downhill. Still, Esther and Silas had to stop every block or so to allow the girl, Saith, and the boy, Uri, to catch up. Saith clung to the child in her arms and refused to let anyone else hold it, even though she was clearly tired and stumbled from time to time. Esther learned that it was her little brother, Gera. She found herself admiring the girl's loyalty and stubbornness. It made Esther happy to have her near.

For his part, Uri was silent, so much so that Esther assumed he couldn't speak. Then, suddenly, he raised a hand and pointed to one side. “We walk that way; it quicker.”

His voice was so soft it was hard to make out what he was saying. For a moment, Esther wondered if he was quite right
in the head; he was indicating a path that led in a completely different direction, and what's more, he had never been to the mall and had no idea where they were going. She dismissed his words and continued to lead the others on their way. Yet soon she realized that the road she had taken them on was a dead end. As they retraced their steps and headed the direction he had first indicated, she spoke up.

“How did you know where we're going?”

The boy Uri shrugged, a quick gesture. “You go where the tall buildings at. This way lead to the big road. It quicker that way.”

He was right. Thanks to his shortcut, Esther and the others found themselves on the main street that led to the center of downtown. They were home within minutes, and Esther found herself marveling at the boy's quick wits.

By now, it was late afternoon and Outsiders had begun streaming out of the District in swarms. In addition to small containers of water and food, many of them also carried or wore items they had clearly just traded or toiled for: new clothing, housewares, or trinkets. The air was full of laughter and chatter as they showed one another their new belongings. In the commotion, it was easy for Esther and Silas to slip the newcomers into the building.

Although Saith and Uri were fading badly, Esther needed them to make one last stop. Shepherding them before her, she made her way through the lobby and up to the floor where Gideon's office was.

Standing in front of the door were two guards, boys she knew.

“Is he there? I have to see him.”

One acted as if he hadn't heard and the other only glanced down at her for a fleeting moment.

“You ain't allowed in.”

Esther flushed.

Next to her, she could sense Silas and the others quail, yet she refused to back down. Keeping her temper in check, Esther raised her voice. “It's important. He's got to come out and meet these two. He's got to understand what's going on outside.”

The two refused to even respond. It was only when Esther attempted to push past that one of them moved; he blocked her hard with his shoulder, knocking her to the side. Esther, her stomach knotted with anger, turned back to the others.

“Let's go,” was all she said.

The long stairwell proved difficult for their guests, especially Saith. Silas held up a firestarter so she could see where she was going, but the light didn't help. The little girl clung to the banister and at one point nearly dropped the infant. Without thinking, Esther reached out to take him, but the girl pulled away.

“No,” Saith said. “I got him.”

By the time the five of them emerged on the top-floor hallway, the air was already filled with the smell of dinner. Esther was about to lead the strangers to a room of their own when Skar appeared, looking concerned.

“Esther!” she exclaimed. “We were all worried where you two were.”

Esther spoke a few private words to her oldest friend. Then she and Silas led the strangers to the large room where her friends had gathered. As they stood in the doorway, the chattering and the clatter of silverware stopped as everyone noticed the newcomers.

“This is Saith and Uri,” said Esther. “And Saith's little brother, Gera. They're going to stay with us for a while.”

Joseph made room on his side of the table and already Michal was pouring water into two goblets. The entire table watched as the strangers approached the table. Then the boy and girl seized the glasses with both hands and drank with frantic thirst. After a few moments, Saith attempted to give the remainder of her water to the child.

“Come on,” Esther heard her whisper. “Try to drink.”

In the meantime, Esther made certain that the newcomers had enough to eat. Since the portions for the rest of them weren't that large to begin with, she scraped her entire share onto their plates as well. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Uri examining the boiled squash and potatoes, spearing some on his fork and sniffing it.

Joseph sat next to him, watching. “It's vegetables,” he said at last. “I know they smell strange, but they're safe to eat.”

“They from the ground?”

Startled, Joseph blinked. “Normally, yes. We grow them on the roof.”

The younger boy seemed to be thinking. Then he nodded.

“Animals eat them,” he said as he put the entire forkful into his mouth and began to chew, “so it safe.” Tickled by the boy's obvious intelligence, Joseph smiled.

Saith, however, hadn't touched her portion. She was still focused on the child in her arms, murmuring over her brother as she tried to get him to drink.

Michal, who had a deep love for and understanding of all babies, no matter how fussy, had been watching with sympathy from the far end of the table. Now she picked up a spoon and stood to bring it over.

“Here,” she said. “Maybe he drink out of this.”

But the sound of her voice seemed to startle Saith. She turned to Michal so quickly the edge of her hood caught the child's blanket and yanked it aside. Michal gazed down at the infant with a smile that faltered.