Shadows of Glass (37 page)

“Amazing,” Levi says. “It looks as if they simply built the dome around an existing
city.”

“Dr. Stewart would be beside himself,” Lyon agrees. “Here’s hoping we can get him
inside.”

“How about if we hope we can get back out first?” James says.

We have come to where the dome curves and a series of ladders lead down into the smoke.
“Where does this come out?” I ask Pace.

“The industrial side, below the coal lift. There’s an access on the royal side also.
I thought this one would be less conspicuous.”

It also led us a far piece away from David and Lucy’s, but I know he was correct in
using this one. We would be spotted as outsiders immediately in the royal section.

“Zan is going to have a long, cold wait,” Levi says as we begin the long, downward
climb.

“I told her to leave at dawn if we weren’t back,” Lyon says. “She’ll probably sleep
most of the time anyway.”

“Poor Zan,” James says. “She’s missing out on all the fun.”

The smoke surrounds us and we are suddenly quiet. I cannot see Pace beneath me or
Levi above me. All I can do is concentrate on the rungs of the ladder. They are rusty
and they shake with our weight. I have no idea how high we are, but I can feel the
ominous presence of structures around me and I imagine windows with people watching
us, even though we surely cannot be seen.

After climbing down for what seems like an eternity I step onto a rooftop. A stench
rises around us, part of the smoke. I take my kerchief from my hair and wrap it around
the lower part of my face. “What is it?”

“The slaughterhouse,” Pace explains. “Without the fans, there’s no place for the smell
to go.”

“Or the smoke,” James says. “Good. I’m glad they’re suffering.”

“Some of them are our friends,” I say. “And a lot haven’t done anything to deserve
this.”

“We also lost a lot of friends in this,” James returns. “And you’re worried about
people you don’t know being inconvenienced? Maybe if they suffer enough they’ll rise
up, just like we did.”

I know James is expecting an argument out of me, but I see the wisdom of his words
in the same way I now look at him in a new light. “You’re right,” I say. “Maybe this
is what everyone inside needs.”

“We should just give them all sledgehammers,” Levi observes. “And tell them to break
the glass.”

“It’s so easy when you say it like that,” Pace says. “But you’ve yet to meet Wren’s
father.”

I cringe at his words. Because I had not been confiding in Pace, he did not know that
I omitted telling Lyon who my father was.

“What does Wren’s father have to do with this?” Lyon asks.

“I thought you were an orphan,” Levi echoes.

I see the apology in Pace’s eyes, but once again, there is no turning back. “Wren’s
father is Sir William Meredith. The man in charge.”

*   *   *

I have never seen the streets so deserted, not even at this time of day. I have a
sinking feeling in my gut that has nothing to do with Lyon’s obvious disappointment
that I was not totally honest with him. Everything around us is eerily quiet and the
heavy smoke that lingers at street level gives the area a mystical dreamlike quality
that does nothing to help our mood.

“I got a weird feeling about this,” Pace says as we come to a corner. We have stuck
close to the side of the dome, coming up the street that is parallel to the coal lift
and I can see it to the right as we stop. We are close to Scarabtown but we’ve seen
no sign of anyone on the street.

“So do I,” James agrees. “Aren’t there usually people around here? Scarabs?”

“They pick up the coal that falls off the carts,” I say. “Look at the street. There’s
nothing there.” The streets are picked clean. It looks as if they’ve even been swept
for coal dust. The lift hangs at an awkward angle, damaged, no doubt, by the explosion.

“We should check the body lift,” I say. “Peter thinks some shiners could have gotten
out this way.”

We turn that way. We startle a cat and it runs for the coal lift with its ears flattened,
as if we are its mortal enemy. I am hesitant to cross the street to the lift. My skin
prickles as if a thousand eyes are focused on me, yet there is no one about, and it’s
impossible to see any distance in the cloud of smoke.

We check the lift. The chute is empty, and even with my and James’s exceptional night
vision we see no sign of the car as we peer down into the depths of the mine. James
flips the lever and nothing happens. But why should it? There are no engines running
because there is no coal to power them. The eerie quiet is because the fans aren’t
running, but there is more.

“I haven’t heard a dog bark, or a voice,” I say. “I don’t even remember hearing the
sheep or cows when we walked by the stockyards. I haven’t even heard a bird.”

“Is it because the fans are down that is seems so quiet?” Pace asks. “Maybe we haven’t
heard any birds because they’ve all flown out of the hole in the dome.”

“I think there’s more to it,” I say. “Maybe we can find something out from the scarabs.”

We move onward, cautiously, peering around corners before we take to the next street
as we work our way to the part of town where Lucy and David live. We will have to
pass through the center of the dome and cross the promenade and I want to do it on
this end of the dome before we get into the central business district.

I stop. Pace does too and James slowly turns in a circle. We are in an alley. An alley
that used to be crowded with people.

“What’s wrong?” Levi asks.

“Everyone is gone,” I say. “The people who lived in this alley. They are gone. Even
their homes.”

“Homes?” Lyon asks.

“Scraps of wood and canvas mostly. Some nothing more than fabric walls. Everything
is gone. They were the street people. We call them scarabs because they had to scavenge
for everything. They were descendants of the ones who snuck into the dome before it
was closed. There was no allowance made for them, so they lived on the edge of our
society. Generations of them with nothing ever gained,” I explain. “Jon is one of
them.”

“Good Lord,” Lyon exclaims. “What could they have possibly done with them?”

“I’m afraid I know,” I confess. “I think some of them are the bodies that are staked
outside.”

We move onward, even more cautiously than before. We are silent, each of us lost in
our own thoughts of where the scarabs have gone. I’m afraid mine are the most dire
because I know what my father did to Alex. Surely he wouldn’t do that to an entire
group of people. But where does someone like my father draw the line?

A noise startles us. It is hard to identify. It could be the slamming of a door or
a crate falling over. We stop and turn, trying to discern the direction through the
heavy cloud that surrounds us. Lyon and Levi both pull their pistols from their jackets.
Pace shakes his head. “A shot will bring everyone down on us,” he whispers.

“Maybe not,” James says. “Remember, the bluecoats have guns too. Maybe they’ll think
it’s another one keeping the law.”

“Keep walking,” Lyon says. “The sooner we’re at your friends’, the sooner we can relax
and know what’s going on in here.” We cross a street and I lead everyone into an alley
that opens into the promenade, which we have to cross at some point.

We hear another noise behind us and together we pick up the pace, walking quickly.
The end of the alley is nothing more than haze. A sound erupts above us. Pigeons frightened
of something. They arise as one from a ledge and fly into the smoke before us.

“Stupid birds,” James says. “Freedom right above them and they’re still hanging around
inside.”

“Kind of reminds me of us,” Pace says in his dry way, and I grin at him.

The end of the alley is in sight, and then suddenly our way is blocked by a bevy of
bodies. The smoke clears a bit and I see the leather masks.

“Filchers,” I gasp.

“Behind us too,” Lyon says.

“Run for it,” James yells. “Right through them.”

“Don’t be afraid to shoot,” Lyon adds. James and Levi take off with their pistols
in their hands. Lyon pushes me forward and Pace grabs my hand. I latch onto it, wrapping
my fingers around his, just as we did when we were being chased before.

We run. Lyon turns and shoots at a filcher coming up behind us and he drops like a
stone. The rest of us barrel into the promenade, crashing through the filchers who
grab for us. James and Levi shoot and knock arms away while Pace and I dart through,
dodging and dancing away. A hand catches in my hair and my head is yanked back. Pace
pulls out his pistol and shoots the filcher who holds me and he drops too.

“Go! Go! Go!” Lyon yells and we careen onward with filchers right on our tail. There
are so many of them, at least a dozen, and another group joins the chase. I try to
think where we should go. I don’t want to lead them to David and Lucy’s, and we are
on the opposite side of the dome from our secret hatches that might even be gone now.
We cross the promenade and dash into another alley. This one has crates against the
wall, and we shove them as we go by to slow down our pursuers.

I have to do something.

“I’m out of ammo,” James says.

“Me too,” Levi announces as we run. “No time to reload.”

“There’s too many of them,” Pace says. “We’ve got to do something.”

And just like before, I know what to do. I might not know my father well, but I know
him well enough. And I know Pace too. I know what he was thinking when he said good-bye
to me the night before. His sacrifice will accomplish nothing. But mine can accomplish
a lot because I am, after all, Sir William Meredith’s daughter, whether he likes it
or not.

“James,” I say as we run. “You’ve got to get Lyon out of here. He’s the only one who
can get us out. Levi too.”

James looks at me and nods. It’s just like before, when I told him to save Pace at
any cost, even if it meant someone else got caught. He knows what I’m thinking and
he knows what to do.

“Wren?” Pace says.

“Maybe we’ll find your mother this time,” I say.

“What are you thinking?” Levi asks.

“We’re trapped and we’ve got to get you out.” We dash around a corner and stop. Levi
quickly reloads his gun and Lyon sends some shots down the alleyway. I know we only
have a few moments. “James will get you to safety.”

“And what are you going to do?” Lyon asks.

“I’m going to have a talk with my father.”

Lyon shakes his head.

“It’s the only way and you know it,” I say.

“She’s right, Uncle,” Levi says.

“Go,” Pace says. “I have to stay. I have to find my mother.”

“I will negotiate for your release,” Lyon promises. James grabs his arm and they fade
into the smoke.

“Levi?” Lyon calls out.

Levi finishes reloading.

“Go,” I say.

“No,” he replies. “I’m going to see this through, with the both of you. Perhaps your
father will see my value as a hostage.”

The filchers are closing in. We can see them behind us, and I hear them coming around
from the other side. I can only pray that James and Lyon are gone and will find their
way back to the outside.

“Let’s make them work for it,” Levi says.

“I’m right by your side.” Pace has his pistol in his hand.

“If we’re going to do this, let’s make it count,” I say and take off running again.
Only this time I have a certain destination in mind. I head back to the promenade,
darting down the next alley. The filchers are on our heels once more and Levi and
Pace keep shooting at them, hitting some, and hopefully killing some. I know the shots
will draw attention. I just hope I can keep the bluecoats from killing us with their
weapons when they find us.

I turn onto the promenade and run with all my might for my father’s building. It is
much easier to run now, even with the smoke, because my lungs are clean. They have
been breathing free air for days. They know what it feels like and they never want
to lose it.

Sometimes the path to freedom is not a direct one. Sometimes it is blocked and you
have to work your way around it. Freedom is not appreciated unless it is earned. Everyone
needs to know that they have a choice, and it doesn’t have to be the one my father
has made for them.

We run past the fountain where Alex died. Lamps are lit on the corners now and around
the fountain, casting a warm glow against the grayness of the air.

“Get them!” a filcher yells. “Don’t let the bluecoats have them. We won’t get the
reward.”

I grin as I run up the steps of my father’s building with Levi and Pace by my side.
A squadron of bluecoats spins and aims their weapons at us. We’ve surprised them.

“My name is Wren MacAvoy, and I’m Sir Meredith’s daughter!” I yell. “And I surrender
in the name of my father.” I drop to my knees and put my hands behind my head.

“My name is Pace Bratton, and I surrender to Sir Meredith!” Pace yells, drops his
gun, and does the same.

“My name is Levi Addison, and I surrender to Sir Meredith!” Levi echoes.

My heart is racing and I pant, trying to catch my breath. I see Pace kneeling on one
side of me and Levi on the other; several bluecoats surround us with their own guns
pointed at our heads.

“Well, well,” a deep voice says, and I recognize it as belonging to my father. I look
up and the bluecoats part as he walks to me. “Stand her up,” he instructs, and I am
hauled to my feet by two of his men. “What have you been up to, daughter?”

I am pleased that he’s called me daughter. It means he’s acknowledged me in front
of his men, and, I notice, in front of some royals because I recognize the cut of
the cloth of the two men and a woman who stand in the doorway of the building with
looks of horror on their faces.

I smile. “I’ve been outside, Father. And you were right. It is a frightening place.
But it is also very beautiful and new and we can have a life out there. All of us
if we work together.” A dash of color catches my eye. Something bright yellow against
the drab gray stone of the building. Pip warbles a song and then he takes off in flight
for the top of the dome.