fountain and talking to the other woman. “I think we found our town gossip,” Jess told Alison. She went down the steps to the edge of the water. “Hi,” she said in Hindi. “My friend and I heard a story about a local child that might be a reincarnation.”
The women waved their hands making it look like they were swatting at flies. “No, no, no,” the women said, Alison didn’t need a translation.
“Oh, I'm sorry to bother you,” Jess said, “It’s just that I heard about a baby who had been born here. The boy had horns like a goat and could speak from the womb. I wanted to see it with my own eyes. And you know this boy, he walked on all fours and said strange things.”
“No, no, you have it wrong,” the woman corrected Jess. “He had a tail like a monkey and spoke in an old tongue.”
Another woman added, “But he did walk on all fours.” Altogether the group of women agreed.
“You know, I think it was a girl,” the first woman said. “And she looked normal.”
“No marks or horns?” Jess prodded.
“No, no, no,” the woman was drawn in by the gossip. “But said things she shouldn’t know.”
“Yes, yes,” another woman cut in again. “I heard that she knew Puja's husband had been murdered.”
“And then she told everyone that Raj was stealing from them,” the first woman added.
“Where does this girl live?” Jess asked.
“She was born to beggars,” the woman answered. “If you want to find them, check near the river and ask for the Pandeys.”
“Thank you,” Jess Namasted and climbed back out of the fountain. “Easy as pie,” she said to Alison.
“Is that part of your abilities?” Alison asked. “Manipulating peoples’ minds?”
Jess laughed. “Ha, that's part of being Jessica Lang.”
It was the late afternoon, and the sun was getting ready to go down. The women decided to call it a day. They found a small restaurant on the way back to The One HQ. In the morning, they would have to requisition a car to get to the river.
The Next Day
Leaving early in the morning, Jess drove them east for what seemed like forever. After shrieking her throat hoarse, Alison closed her eyes most of the way. Families would charge across the four lane roads as cars sped by at sixty miles per hour. Her ability to see the near future wasn't helping her stay calm. But as far as Jess was concerned, there was no reason to worry. She drove along singing to the music that blasted out of the radio.
The river wasn't exactly what Alison expected. In her mind, she imagined something like the Mississippi; a grey-blue stretch of water cutting its way through the land. The river here was muddy brown. The water moved slow enough to wade across and was narrow enough to do it easily. All along the riverbed were what resembled homes. The lean-tos were built out of discarded trash and often were only a roof and poles. Here, like at the fountain, women were washing their clothes in the water. Further upstream children were playing, and adults were bathing. There were so many people here that Alison doubted they'd find the Pandey family or at least the right Pandey family.
Jess turned the car around and searched for a secluded spot to park. When she found it, she stopped and said to Alison, “Get ready.” Then to herself she began mumbling in a language that Alison had never heard.
The car shook a little then a light surrounded them, and a noise filled the air. Suddenly it was gone, and Jess sat there with a mischievous smile on her face. She rolled down the window, and a bird landed on the edge of the glass. Alison thought of it as a bird because it had wings, talons and a beak, but that was where the similarities ended. Its feathers were short and stubby. They were green and shimmered like pearls or maybe like scales. Its eyes were set more in front than to the side. In fact, as Alison looked at it she
The women waved their hands making it look like they were swatting at flies. “No, no, no,” the women said, Alison didn’t need a translation.
“Oh, I'm sorry to bother you,” Jess said, “It’s just that I heard about a baby who had been born here. The boy had horns like a goat and could speak from the womb. I wanted to see it with my own eyes. And you know this boy, he walked on all fours and said strange things.”
“No, no, you have it wrong,” the woman corrected Jess. “He had a tail like a monkey and spoke in an old tongue.”
Another woman added, “But he did walk on all fours.” Altogether the group of women agreed.
“You know, I think it was a girl,” the first woman said. “And she looked normal.”
“No marks or horns?” Jess prodded.
“No, no, no,” the woman was drawn in by the gossip. “But said things she shouldn’t know.”
“Yes, yes,” another woman cut in again. “I heard that she knew Puja's husband had been murdered.”
“And then she told everyone that Raj was stealing from them,” the first woman added.
“Where does this girl live?” Jess asked.
“She was born to beggars,” the woman answered. “If you want to find them, check near the river and ask for the Pandeys.”
“Thank you,” Jess Namasted and climbed back out of the fountain. “Easy as pie,” she said to Alison.
“Is that part of your abilities?” Alison asked. “Manipulating peoples’ minds?”
Jess laughed. “Ha, that's part of being Jessica Lang.”
It was the late afternoon, and the sun was getting ready to go down. The women decided to call it a day. They found a small restaurant on the way back to The One HQ. In the morning, they would have to requisition a car to get to the river.
The Next Day
Leaving early in the morning, Jess drove them east for what seemed like forever. After shrieking her throat hoarse, Alison closed her eyes most of the way. Families would charge across the four lane roads as cars sped by at sixty miles per hour. Her ability to see the near future wasn't helping her stay calm. But as far as Jess was concerned, there was no reason to worry. She drove along singing to the music that blasted out of the radio.
The river wasn't exactly what Alison expected. In her mind, she imagined something like the Mississippi; a grey-blue stretch of water cutting its way through the land. The river here was muddy brown. The water moved slow enough to wade across and was narrow enough to do it easily. All along the riverbed were what resembled homes. The lean-tos were built out of discarded trash and often were only a roof and poles. Here, like at the fountain, women were washing their clothes in the water. Further upstream children were playing, and adults were bathing. There were so many people here that Alison doubted they'd find the Pandey family or at least the right Pandey family.
Jess turned the car around and searched for a secluded spot to park. When she found it, she stopped and said to Alison, “Get ready.” Then to herself she began mumbling in a language that Alison had never heard.
The car shook a little then a light surrounded them, and a noise filled the air. Suddenly it was gone, and Jess sat there with a mischievous smile on her face. She rolled down the window, and a bird landed on the edge of the glass. Alison thought of it as a bird because it had wings, talons and a beak, but that was where the similarities ended. Its feathers were short and stubby. They were green and shimmered like pearls or maybe like scales. Its eyes were set more in front than to the side. In fact, as Alison looked at it she
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