able to grow. Outside the wall there are too many people, but they’ve got one thing we don’t in here.”
“No Sweats?”
She nodded, and took a sip from her mug. “If,” wiping her lip, “we stay, then we will eventually die.”
“But the epidemic has to burn itself out some time.”
“It’s been here for a year. And though it has its lulls, it has not shown any intention of giving up.”
It had been partly what Pym expected, but their situation was brought home by how direct Budiman had been. If he’d any hopes of riding the Sweats out with the Fay, then this ended that idea. Sometimes he thought the warehouse wasn’t such a bad place and that whatever else he had here, he did have some small position and friends who would help him make it to the other side. Once there, he could build on what he had created here and carve out a good life for himself, something he needed badly in order to put what happened before he’d gotten on the boat behind him. This news of Glenna’s, however, made that nearly impossible to believe. He’d be starting all over again on the other side of the Wall. He would have to deal with the famine, but he would be alive and had a better chance of staying that way if he were there rather than here.
As they pulled up to the north end of Makati, Glenna didn’t move to climb out. They were still a couple of streets above the gated district, in some ways a minor version of the Wall. After an uncomfortable moment, she turned to the man. “Titus?” Unfortunately she got no further and turned back to stare emptily out the window and about the shabby houses.
“What is it?”
“Do you want me?”
“I’m not sure...”
“I don’t mean sex. Do you want me?”
“Glenna, I don’t trust what it is you want. Until...”
“I want to be safe—let’s move in together, somewhere away from this place,” waving in the general direction of Makati.
“We could do that, but you’ll have to start trusting me.” Smiling, the woman wrapped her arms about the man and kissed him. It didn’t make him feel any better.
“Timog is still a nice place to live—no matter what they say in Makati.”
The rains, yet again, had just passed and the humidity had fallen, but Pym did not think by much. Nor did Glenna—she was wearing a thong and nothing else. Lying on the bed, he looked at the toned back of the woman and the slope of her ass. She worked hard at both—watched what she ate; exercised; did yoga; ran; didn’t smoke; didn’t drink; didn’t club. There was a lot she did to take care she stayed looking the best she could. It was plain to Titus she was maintaining her most effective weapon. At the same moment, as she turned to smile and the smooth deep brown of her skin opened into a brilliant white, he understood how unfair that assessment was.
“Why don’t they like it?”
“Most have moved up from here. My own family, for instance. Being where they came from, they are frightened about backsliding.”
“I see.”
“Do you?”
“You didn’t invent social climbing.”
“But it is more important here.”
“No, it only looks more important. Still important where I come from—only thing is, people work harder at hiding their fear.”
“How do you know?”
Again with the questions about his family. They’d survived the rainy season together, but the woman had never let up on the questions about his past. He didn’t respond and she turned, hands on her hips.
“You still don’t trust me? I’ve left my family to be with you!” Titus chuckled and rolled off the bed, grabbing a bottle of water.
“We’re together a couple days a week—and you never spend the night. I wouldn’t call that leaving your family.”
“Near enough.”
“Not horseshoes.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Why don’t you trust me?”
“I do—more each day. I might ask the same. You’ve kept me at arm’s length from your group, and I cannot help wondering why?”
“My
“No Sweats?”
She nodded, and took a sip from her mug. “If,” wiping her lip, “we stay, then we will eventually die.”
“But the epidemic has to burn itself out some time.”
“It’s been here for a year. And though it has its lulls, it has not shown any intention of giving up.”
It had been partly what Pym expected, but their situation was brought home by how direct Budiman had been. If he’d any hopes of riding the Sweats out with the Fay, then this ended that idea. Sometimes he thought the warehouse wasn’t such a bad place and that whatever else he had here, he did have some small position and friends who would help him make it to the other side. Once there, he could build on what he had created here and carve out a good life for himself, something he needed badly in order to put what happened before he’d gotten on the boat behind him. This news of Glenna’s, however, made that nearly impossible to believe. He’d be starting all over again on the other side of the Wall. He would have to deal with the famine, but he would be alive and had a better chance of staying that way if he were there rather than here.
As they pulled up to the north end of Makati, Glenna didn’t move to climb out. They were still a couple of streets above the gated district, in some ways a minor version of the Wall. After an uncomfortable moment, she turned to the man. “Titus?” Unfortunately she got no further and turned back to stare emptily out the window and about the shabby houses.
“What is it?”
“Do you want me?”
“I’m not sure...”
“I don’t mean sex. Do you want me?”
“Glenna, I don’t trust what it is you want. Until...”
“I want to be safe—let’s move in together, somewhere away from this place,” waving in the general direction of Makati.
“We could do that, but you’ll have to start trusting me.” Smiling, the woman wrapped her arms about the man and kissed him. It didn’t make him feel any better.
“Timog is still a nice place to live—no matter what they say in Makati.”
The rains, yet again, had just passed and the humidity had fallen, but Pym did not think by much. Nor did Glenna—she was wearing a thong and nothing else. Lying on the bed, he looked at the toned back of the woman and the slope of her ass. She worked hard at both—watched what she ate; exercised; did yoga; ran; didn’t smoke; didn’t drink; didn’t club. There was a lot she did to take care she stayed looking the best she could. It was plain to Titus she was maintaining her most effective weapon. At the same moment, as she turned to smile and the smooth deep brown of her skin opened into a brilliant white, he understood how unfair that assessment was.
“Why don’t they like it?”
“Most have moved up from here. My own family, for instance. Being where they came from, they are frightened about backsliding.”
“I see.”
“Do you?”
“You didn’t invent social climbing.”
“But it is more important here.”
“No, it only looks more important. Still important where I come from—only thing is, people work harder at hiding their fear.”
“How do you know?”
Again with the questions about his family. They’d survived the rainy season together, but the woman had never let up on the questions about his past. He didn’t respond and she turned, hands on her hips.
“You still don’t trust me? I’ve left my family to be with you!” Titus chuckled and rolled off the bed, grabbing a bottle of water.
“We’re together a couple days a week—and you never spend the night. I wouldn’t call that leaving your family.”
“Near enough.”
“Not horseshoes.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Why don’t you trust me?”
“I do—more each day. I might ask the same. You’ve kept me at arm’s length from your group, and I cannot help wondering why?”
“My
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