Scavenger Alliance Page 8

  I answered half a dozen questions from Tad on the way downstairs, and greeted Aaron, Julien and Luther with my best smile as they came to meet us in Reception. I was struggling to keep smiling as we went to join the food queue though. The wind had changed direction to one that didn’t suit our makeshift chimney, so small clouds of smoke kept hiccupping back into the room. It stung my eyes, and the acrid scent triggered bad memories of struggling to breathe, while the sounds of people screaming and the roaring of flames filled my ears.

  Tad turned his head to stare at the cooking fire too, though his attention was on the chimney rather than the smoke and flames. From the look on his face, he hated that chimney nearly as much as I hated the fire.

  We collected our breakfasts. It was soup again, but thicker than yesterday. I was disconcerted when Aaron, Julien and Luther only escorted us as far as our table, before hurrying off to sit with Donnell and his other officers. I told myself there was no reason for me to worry. They had to organize this morning’s hunting groups, but they’d be back to help me within seconds if anyone tried attacking the off-worlders.

  “Blaze, where will we be fishing today?” Tad interrupted my thoughts.

  I gave him an irritated look. “Yesterday, you said that you came across the Unity Bridge to get here from Manhattan, and you noticed the river had fish in it. Make a wild guess where we’ll be fishing.”

  Phoenix laughed, and I heard a strangled sound from Braden.

  Tad spoke in an overly dignified voice. “It seemed possible we’d go sea fishing.”

  I pointed out the blindingly obvious. “The sea is much further away.”

  “What kind of fish do we want to catch?” Tad asked.

  I stared at him in disbelief. “Anything edible.”

  “You’ll need to tell us about the predators Donnell mentioned,” he said.

  I groaned. “I will. After I’ve eaten my breakfast.”

  “I just …”

  “Tad,” Phoenix said sharply. “You remember you said I should warn you when you were being annoying? Well, I think you’re annoying Blaze right now.”

  “I apologize,” said Tad.

  As I ate my breakfast, I was vaguely aware of a whispered exchange between Tad and Phoenix. Most of it was so quiet I couldn’t make out the words, but then Tad spoke in a more audible, wounded tone. “But why doesn’t she like me?”

  I felt guilty. Donnell wanted me to be friendly to Tad, and trick him into betraying his secrets, but I was failing miserably. A second later, a crash to my left made me swing rapidly round in my seat, looking anxiously for a threat. I spotted a table lying on its side over in the Manhattan division area, and children running to get clear of where two angry men were standing, confronting each other. The first punch had barely landed before there was a shout from Donnell.

  “Enough!” He strode towards the fighters, right arm outstretched, and the red targeting light of his gun flashing. “If you must settle your argument with a brawl, you can do it this evening in the Manhattan wing. This isn’t the time or the place.”

  The Manhattan division leader, Wall, stepped forward to meet him. “Agreed. I’ll deal with it.”

  Donnell walked away, while Wall turned to glower at the guilty parties. The two men immediately moved to stand with their backs to each other, in the accepted manner of acknowledging a fight wasn’t over but merely postponed. I noticed Cage was standing suspiciously near them, and the odd smile on his face made me wonder if he’d somehow triggered the fight. Whether he had or not, the situation seemed under control now, so I returned to eating my breakfast.

  There was a tense whisper from Phoenix. “Was that fight about us?”

  I felt the same reluctant sympathy for her that I’d felt yesterday. “No, that was just a Manhattan division status dispute.”

  There was silence for the next couple of minutes. As soon as we’d finished eating, I stood up, fastened my coat, and put on my hat and gloves. The off-worlders copied me, and stood waiting expectantly as I stared thoughtfully at them.

  “Is something wrong?” asked Tad.

  “It’s important to wear the right clothes in this weather. Those look like good coats. Your boots should be a little too big so you can wear extra socks for warmth.”

  “We’re all wearing extra socks,” said Tad.

  I nodded. “Show me your hands.”

  The three of them held out their gloved hands for inspection, and I checked them in turn. “It’s vital that your gloves are waterproof and tight fitting. If you have to keep taking them off to do jobs like baiting fishing hooks, then you’ll get frozen fingers. Phoenix, you need gloves two sizes smaller than these, while Braden needs a warmer hat.”

  “People have been very generous giving us these clothes,” said Braden hastily. “I’m not complaining about the hat.”

  “Finding you better hats and gloves isn’t a problem,” I said. “We’ve got vast stores of all sorts of clothing in Sanctuary.”

  “What’s Sanctuary?” asked Tad.

  “There are six wings to this building. Each of the five divisions has its own wing, and we use the spare one, Sanctuary, for hospital and storage areas. I’ll find someone to stay here with you while I get the gloves and hat.”

  “Can’t we go with you?” asked Phoenix nervously.

  “That would be dangerous,” I said. “Sanctuary is common ground like Reception, but people still wouldn’t like you going in there. Remember that everyone here thinks of off-worlders as thieves and leeches. If you enter Sanctuary, even with me as an escort, you could be accused of planning to steal from our stores or harm the patients in our hospital area.”

  Braden looked appalled. “Why would anyone think we’d harm a patient in hospital?”

  I sighed. “People are very defensive about the safety of patients in hospital because of something that happened in the early days of the alliance. A Manhattan man sneaked into the hospital area, and strangled an unconscious patient belonging to the Queens Island division. The murderer was caught in the act and executed, but Manhattan and Queens Island have had a bitter feud about it ever since.”

  I went over to the table where Donnell was sitting with his officers. “I need to get a couple of oddments from stores. Can someone sit with the off-worlders for five minutes?”

  Everyone pointed at Luther and he groaned. “Why do I always get stuck with the menial jobs?”

  “I had to do them when I was the newest officer,” said Julien smugly. “Now it’s your turn.”

  Luther frowned at him. “I wish you’d stop rubbing my nose in the fact you’ve been an officer for longer than me.”

  “And I wish you’d stop undermining my leadership authority in my hunting party,” said Julien.

  “Are you still sulking about yesterday?” Luther sounded exasperated. “I just made a few helpful suggestions.”

  “I’m not just talking about yesterday,” said Julien. “I keep getting stuck with you in my hunting party, and you regularly contradict my orders. It seems as if you’re intent on destroying the division men’s respect for me.”

  “I told you that I was trying to help.” Luther was on the edge of shouting now. “You use the same tactics day after day.”

  Julien glared at him. “I use the same tactics because they work. We’re trying to outsmart geese, not …”

  “Quieten down!” Donnell interrupted them. “I can’t have my officers arguing with each other in front of the division men.”

  There was a grudging silence.

  Donnell turned to Julien. “The reason I’ve been sending Luther out with your hunting party on most days, Julien, is that you’re closest to his age and I thought you two were friends. It clearly isn’t working well, so I’ll take Luther in my own group in future.”

  “I should be leading a group myself,” said Luther. “Now my father’s dead, there are only seven of us left to lead the regular six hunting parties, and Machico’s the first to admit that he isn’t a gifted hunter.”<
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  “I’m a completely inept hunter,” agreed Machico cheerfully. “There’s also the point that I’ve got more than enough work on my hands keeping the electrical and plumbing systems in this building working, without leading hunting parties as well.”

  Donnell’s other two senior officers, Vijay and Weston, had been watching the argument in silence, but now Vijay spoke. “Be very careful, Sean. Remember what happened the last time you overworked Machico. By sheer coincidence, your apartment plumbing and lighting were the first to break down.”

  Donnell ignored them. “It won’t be long before Luther’s leading hunting groups and you can go back to your technical work, Mac.”

  “You should let me take a group out today.” Luther’s voice held a sulky note.

  “I know you’re finding the situation frustrating,” said Aaron, in soothing tones, “but every new officer has to wait a few months before leading hunting parties.”

  “You and Julien only had to wait three months,” said Luther. “I’ve been waiting five.”

  “You have to wait until you’ve gained the respect of the division men,” said Julien. “Aaron and I achieved that in three months. Given your progress so far, you’ll be lucky if you manage it in three years.”

  “Julien, stop stirring up trouble,” said Donnell. “Luther, you have to wait a bit longer to lead hunting parties because the division men are targeting you after your father’s death. You aren’t to blame for that. In fact, the truth is that their attacks are aimed at me as much as you. Now go and join the off-worlders.”

  Luther muttered something inaudible, and slouched over to join the off-worlders.

  Weston laughed. “Vijay and I have both had helpful hints from Luther on how to improve our failings as hunting group leaders. I’ll be interested to hear Luther’s thoughts on your faults, Sean.”

  I didn’t wait to hear Donnell’s reply. There were three curtained doorways on each side of Reception. The centre curtain on one side was marked with a blue planet and led to the Resistance wing. The centre one on the opposite side was marked with a red cross and led to Sanctuary. I hurried through it, paused for a moment to stamp on a few cockroaches by a leaking water pipe, and then took the left turn that led to the big outdoor clothing storeroom.

  The storeroom door was sticking as usual, and I was wary of yanking at it too hard in case I hurt my arm, but it finally creaked open. Hanging rails of coats lined the walls, and there was a group of huge plastic containers in the centre of the room that held smaller items. I started sorting through a box of gloves, quickly found one that was perfect for Phoenix, but had to hunt for another couple of minutes before I found its partner.

  Finding a hat for Braden was much easier. I thrust the gloves and hat into my pockets, and headed out of the room, but froze when I saw the male figure standing in the corridor with his back to me. I’d have happily walked past anyone else, secure in the knowledge that the inviolable law protecting the safety of people in the hospital area extended to the neighbouring supply rooms as well, but this was Cage. If he caught me alone in here, he was bound to pressure me about his offer of marriage, and there was the hideous possibility that he’d try to kiss me.

  I backed into the clothing storeroom again. I could hear the sound of footsteps approaching, so I looked round frantically for a hiding place, but couldn’t see anywhere easy. In desperation, I fought my way behind one of the rails of coats, and crouched down in the narrow gap between it and the wall.

  I held my breath as I heard the door creak. Cage had come into the room! I daren’t risk peeking through the coats to see what he was doing, but it sounded as if he was pacing round the room. Did that mean he’d seen me come in here and was searching for me?

  The sound of movement stopped, and there was dead silence. I was sure Cage hadn’t gone, so I stayed huddled against the wall. There was a minute or two of silence before I heard the creak of the door again. For a second, I thought that was Cage leaving, but then I heard footsteps unnervingly close to me. Cage hadn’t left the room, so someone else must have come in.

  Cage’s voice spoke from the other side of the heavy winter coats. “I’ve done what you wanted. In return, there’ll be a point where you cast your division leader vote as I wish.”

  “You said you’d ask for a small favour,” said a petulant voice that I recognized as belonging to Major, the leader of Queens Island division. “Controlling my division leader vote isn’t a small favour.”

  Cage laughed. “It’s a little late to argue the price for my help now, isn’t it? You’re already unpopular with your members. If I tell them about our arrangement, then you’ll lose your position as leader.”

  There was a choking noise of disgust, and the sound of the two men leaving the room.

  Chapter Eight

  I didn’t know exactly what Cage and Major had been talking about, but it was clear that Cage had done something that gave him power over the Queens Island division leader. If they caught me here, they’d know I’d overheard their conversation. I could imagine that situation ending in me suffering a fatal accident, so I stayed in my hiding place behind the coat rack for several minutes longer, before wriggling free and making my way cautiously out of Sanctuary.

  When I was safely in Reception, I hurried back to the Resistance tables. I wanted to tell Donnell what I’d heard, but he’d already started calling out the names of people in his hunting group, so there’d be no chance of me talking to him in private until the evening.

  Luther was standing by the off-worlders’ table. He gave me an impatient look as I rejoined them. “What took you so long?”

  I’d been feeling sorry for Luther, remembering how devastated I’d been when my mother died and picturing him just as grief stricken over his father’s death, but I resented his withering tone of voice.

  “I had trouble finding matching gloves.”

  Luther shook his head as if he couldn’t believe my stupidity, and hurried away. I glanced round for Hannah, saw she was sitting alone at our regular table again, and beckoned her over to join us. She stood up and came towards me, an odd expression on her face.

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t sit with you this morning,” I said.

  “Everyone knows Donnell’s appointed you to stand guard on the off-worlders,” said Hannah. “Obviously that means you have to sit with them during meals rather than with me.”

  “Yes.” I hesitated, worried by her oddly monotone voice. “Have you been told about the change of fishing partners?”

  “Natsumi said the off-worlder woman will be fishing with her, and the boy with you, so I’m to go fishing with her sister, Himeko.”

  Hannah’s voice still had that flat note to it. I could tell something was badly wrong, and wanted to ask her what it was, but I couldn’t speak freely with an audience listening to every word I said. “I need to give the off-worlders a quick survival lesson outside. Can you come with us and watch my back?”

  Hannah nodded, and the off-worlders hastily stood up. Hannah didn’t seem in the mood for chatty introductions, so I just recited everyone’s names before leading the way towards the side exit. Marsha was sitting by the row of knife and bow tables as usual. I noticed the winter fever had left its mark on her, adding extra grey streaks to her hair, but she greeted us with one of her usual wide, tranquil smiles.

  I had mixed feelings about Marsha. I admired the way she’d survived after being rejected by all the divisions, and gradually carved out a position of power for herself, but I wasn’t happy about the way she used that power. I was always careful to be polite to her though. Marsha’s smiles were misleading. Despite her friendly act, she was notoriously easy to offend, and could be an implacable enemy.

  “Marsha, we’ll need knife belts for the off-worlders, please.”

  “I have some ready on the Resistance table.”

  I turned to the off-worlders. “Marsha is custodian of the knives and bows. You have to collect your knife belt on your way out and return it
immediately you come back in. I shouldn’t need to explain why Donnell doesn’t want people wandering round Reception carrying knives.”

  Tad was studying the array of multicoloured knife belts on the table next to him. “These all have exquisite miniature paintings on them. Do you do these paintings, Marsha?”

  She aimed her smile at him, but I noticed her eyes were coldly hostile. “Yes. I paint personal tags on each bow, belt, and knife, to make sure they can’t be accidentally confused or deliberately swapped for different ones. All of the personal tags are unique, and nobody here has the skill to copy my paintings.”

  “Each division has their own table,” I said. “The Resistance table is at the end nearest the door.” I went over to it and picked up my own knife belt.

  Tad was still looking nosily at the first table. “These belts all have two paintings, and one is always a clock face.”

  “You’re looking at the London table,” said Marsha. “The clock face is their division tag. Manhattan has a skyscraper, Queens Island has a boat, and Brooklyn has a bridge.”

  Tad frowned. “There’s a Staten Island in New York, but not a Queens Island.”

  For an off-worlder, Tad seemed to know a surprising amount about the geography of New York, and he was demonstrating that knowledge at the most tactless moment possible. Marsha’s smile didn’t falter, but I knew she’d hold that innocent question against him.

  “Queens Island was formed by several divisions merging.” I tried to move the conversation on to a safer topic. “The Resistance tag is the blue planet Earth, but Donnell and his officers have a white circle instead to show they have a duty to act with impartial fairness to everyone in the alliance.”

  “That can’t be easy. Do they manage it?”

  “Mostly. If anyone is unhappy about an officer’s ruling, they can refer it to Donnell. Everyone knows he’s scrupulously fair.”

  Tad glanced at the belt I was buckling on over my coat. “I see your personal tag is flames, Blaze.”

  “Yes,” I said tersely. I hated the fact that Marsha had painted flames on my belt, constantly reminding everyone of my fear of fire, but I wasn’t the only one in this situation. Many of Marsha’s tags had an edge of cruelty to them, and no one, however powerful, was safe from being a target.