moved forward down the broad tunnel as it widened into a market of sorts, a vast open room bordered by mud-brick and canvas dwellings, where Outroaders were swapping and trading goods of all kinds, chatting together over bits of food, and generally mingling. The Mesa Camp was much bigger than they’d ever expected. London guessed that all this time underground had left them untouched and allowed the camp to grow fat off the Mesa City outcasts of people and scraps.
Between the two and three story tiers of rooms, smaller tunnels shot off at varying angles, leading deeper into the mountain. People poured in and out of these casually. Some carrying baskets or cloth bags slung over their shoulders, some not. London’s curiosity burned to know where each led, but it was clear that this cavernous room was the place to be, the hub of the Mesa Camp.
It was much cooler in here than one might have expected. Outside, the sun burned dry against her skin, but in here London felt an easing stir of air swirl around her, like the mountain was breathing. Lanterns with golden candles glowed against doorposts and small cooking fires burned in little earthen hearths, casting the room and its inhabitants in a spectacle of angular shadows.
Stone chiseled stairs at the north end of this large intersection room met with a colorful curtain of fabric stretched across the doorway of a stand-alone abode. The way the other rooms were clumped together around the cavern made it clear that this dwelling was special. In front of it towered a middle-aged man in pointy boots, loose pants, and some kind of tunic. His light hair was uncut and gathered in multiple elastic bands and his blond mustache grew over and down both sides of his mouth. Behind him, a small child played on the steps with a handful of wooden blocks.
Everyone watched the man as London and her friends neared. He had that official air London had come to recognize on all the camp Elders and she figured this was the Mesa Camp’s leader.
Following the cues of the Outroaders around them, who waited and watched the man to see how he would react to the visitors, Tora stepped up to the stairs where the man stood. With a timid smile she started to introduce them. “We’re here—”
But the man put a hand out to stop her. His face was unreadable in the cavern’s glow. “I know who you are,” he said. “And I know why you’re here.”
“You do?” Kim asked, as perplexed as the rest of them.
London leaned guiltily into Zen. What else did the Elder know?
“You can’t stay here,” the man said firmly, folding his arms.
“But—” Tora started.
“You can’t stay here,” he said slower, this time before she could finish. His voice carried over the din of the room, which had quieted considerably during their confrontation. “We won’t have you destroying our camp like the others.”
London sighed. This was going nowhere. They’d gotten word of some kind and apparently it wasn’t good. There was no point messing with niceties now. May as well skip straight to the meat of the negotiations.
She elbowed her way in front of Tora and Kim and placed a foot on the first stair. Insolently, she glared up at the Elder. “Look, Elder Whatever, we don’t have anywhere else to go. But we do have a truck full of scrap out there that will make it worth your while to put us up for a bit.”
The Elder came down a step. “My name is Ash,” he said, “and you’ll address me by it.”
London grinned. “Okay, Ash. Do we gotta deal?”
This time he grinned, and she could see that his top front teeth were broad like a rabbit’s. “Sure, we gotta deal…
if
you can convince one person in here to trade their life for something in that truck of yours.”
That didn’t sound like a deal. London looked at the scowling faces around her. Would she trade her life for anything in there? What could she offer?
Hey, I’ll give you this empty bottle if you’d be willing to die for it.
It would
Between the two and three story tiers of rooms, smaller tunnels shot off at varying angles, leading deeper into the mountain. People poured in and out of these casually. Some carrying baskets or cloth bags slung over their shoulders, some not. London’s curiosity burned to know where each led, but it was clear that this cavernous room was the place to be, the hub of the Mesa Camp.
It was much cooler in here than one might have expected. Outside, the sun burned dry against her skin, but in here London felt an easing stir of air swirl around her, like the mountain was breathing. Lanterns with golden candles glowed against doorposts and small cooking fires burned in little earthen hearths, casting the room and its inhabitants in a spectacle of angular shadows.
Stone chiseled stairs at the north end of this large intersection room met with a colorful curtain of fabric stretched across the doorway of a stand-alone abode. The way the other rooms were clumped together around the cavern made it clear that this dwelling was special. In front of it towered a middle-aged man in pointy boots, loose pants, and some kind of tunic. His light hair was uncut and gathered in multiple elastic bands and his blond mustache grew over and down both sides of his mouth. Behind him, a small child played on the steps with a handful of wooden blocks.
Everyone watched the man as London and her friends neared. He had that official air London had come to recognize on all the camp Elders and she figured this was the Mesa Camp’s leader.
Following the cues of the Outroaders around them, who waited and watched the man to see how he would react to the visitors, Tora stepped up to the stairs where the man stood. With a timid smile she started to introduce them. “We’re here—”
But the man put a hand out to stop her. His face was unreadable in the cavern’s glow. “I know who you are,” he said. “And I know why you’re here.”
“You do?” Kim asked, as perplexed as the rest of them.
London leaned guiltily into Zen. What else did the Elder know?
“You can’t stay here,” the man said firmly, folding his arms.
“But—” Tora started.
“You can’t stay here,” he said slower, this time before she could finish. His voice carried over the din of the room, which had quieted considerably during their confrontation. “We won’t have you destroying our camp like the others.”
London sighed. This was going nowhere. They’d gotten word of some kind and apparently it wasn’t good. There was no point messing with niceties now. May as well skip straight to the meat of the negotiations.
She elbowed her way in front of Tora and Kim and placed a foot on the first stair. Insolently, she glared up at the Elder. “Look, Elder Whatever, we don’t have anywhere else to go. But we do have a truck full of scrap out there that will make it worth your while to put us up for a bit.”
The Elder came down a step. “My name is Ash,” he said, “and you’ll address me by it.”
London grinned. “Okay, Ash. Do we gotta deal?”
This time he grinned, and she could see that his top front teeth were broad like a rabbit’s. “Sure, we gotta deal…
if
you can convince one person in here to trade their life for something in that truck of yours.”
That didn’t sound like a deal. London looked at the scowling faces around her. Would she trade her life for anything in there? What could she offer?
Hey, I’ll give you this empty bottle if you’d be willing to die for it.
It would
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