peers out at the drizzle. “I have to go,” she says.
“I should come along with yous,” Maude suggests, ignoring me completely and looking sideways at Alina. “I know the whole area, dun’ I? There’s about a gazillion drifters and I know where they’re at and … and …” She runs out of ideas.
“ And you tried to kill me, you witch.” Alina rolls up her sleeves like she’s preparing to fight. I stand between her and Maude.
“Why wouldn’t they replant the earth? They’re growing trees in the biosphere,” I whisper.
“Tokens!” Maude barks, pointing a twisted finger at me.
Alina sighs. “They pretend they’re the only ones who can grow anything. That the earth is so scary, even the trees would rather be in the pod.”
“Bring me along. I ain’t useless,” Maude whines.
“And they kill the trees on purpose?” I keep my voice even, but inside I’m coming apart, and I realize suddenly that there was never any way I was going to make it into the Leadership Program, not after what I said in the debates about the trees and how much they matter.
“They’ve capitalized on a very ugly reality,” Alina says.
Quinn puts up a hand in protest. “Okay, but Breathe didn’t cause this .” He tugs on his facemask. Then he gives me a pleading look like there’s something I could do that would stop what they’re saying from being true.
“They’re after you because you did something,” I say to Alina.
“I need to keep moving,” she replies. “Stay here, if you like. I’m off.” She moves toward the door.
Quinn’s face is pale. He jumps in front of the door, barring Alina’s way out. “What did you do?” he asks.
“I stole cuttings from the biosphere. That’s what I did. And they’ll do anything to stop the Resistance from replanting the earth. That’s why I have to get out of here.” She pushes Quinn easily aside but doesn’t leave.
“They don’t want the world to get better because then we’d be free,” I say.
Alina nods sadly, like she’s full of pity for my lost innocence. “People are dying. People who try to grow things are being killed. If I’d stayed—” She pauses. “It’s a long story.” She reaches for the doorknob.
“Maude will die if we leave her,” I say. “We need to get her somewhere safe, at least. Maybe find other drifters who can feed her.” Alina turns around, looks at the old woman and then at me. Her eyes have lost some of their fury.
“Leave me ’ere and I’ll holler up a hurricane as soon as the first Breathe convoy rolls by,” Maude says. No one responds. It isn’t a serious threat.
“She’ll attack us on the road. It’s too dangerous.”
“Not if we’re with you,” Quinn suggests. “We want to help.” I have little interest in helping Alina, but how can I go back to the pod when there’s so much I don’t know? I need to know everything. About the pod. About the Ministry. And about what the alternatives are to it all.
“We’re coming,” I tell Alina. “If you say no, we’ll simply follow you.” I keep my chin up, trying to look tougher than I feel. “And we’re bringing Maude Blue.”
15
QUINN
We’ve been walking for more than two hours, and I think I’ve spent one hour looking at Alina’s ass and another hour trying not to look at it. I have to be careful though, when Alina glances around, not to let her see me staring. She’s the kind of girl who’d be likely to sock me if she caught me.
Old Maude Blue with her stench and knotty hair is gasping in her mask, but Alina won’t slow down, and Maude has to keep up with her because the airtank she’s now wearing, my spare, is tied to Alina’s wrist. I was pretty impressed when Bea came up with the idea: there’s no way the old woman’s going to bolt and then turn up and attack us later when her air supply is attached to Alina. Compared to the soggy air she’s been breathing, the stuff in my airtank probably feels golden, but even so, she’s old and
“I should come along with yous,” Maude suggests, ignoring me completely and looking sideways at Alina. “I know the whole area, dun’ I? There’s about a gazillion drifters and I know where they’re at and … and …” She runs out of ideas.
“ And you tried to kill me, you witch.” Alina rolls up her sleeves like she’s preparing to fight. I stand between her and Maude.
“Why wouldn’t they replant the earth? They’re growing trees in the biosphere,” I whisper.
“Tokens!” Maude barks, pointing a twisted finger at me.
Alina sighs. “They pretend they’re the only ones who can grow anything. That the earth is so scary, even the trees would rather be in the pod.”
“Bring me along. I ain’t useless,” Maude whines.
“And they kill the trees on purpose?” I keep my voice even, but inside I’m coming apart, and I realize suddenly that there was never any way I was going to make it into the Leadership Program, not after what I said in the debates about the trees and how much they matter.
“They’ve capitalized on a very ugly reality,” Alina says.
Quinn puts up a hand in protest. “Okay, but Breathe didn’t cause this .” He tugs on his facemask. Then he gives me a pleading look like there’s something I could do that would stop what they’re saying from being true.
“They’re after you because you did something,” I say to Alina.
“I need to keep moving,” she replies. “Stay here, if you like. I’m off.” She moves toward the door.
Quinn’s face is pale. He jumps in front of the door, barring Alina’s way out. “What did you do?” he asks.
“I stole cuttings from the biosphere. That’s what I did. And they’ll do anything to stop the Resistance from replanting the earth. That’s why I have to get out of here.” She pushes Quinn easily aside but doesn’t leave.
“They don’t want the world to get better because then we’d be free,” I say.
Alina nods sadly, like she’s full of pity for my lost innocence. “People are dying. People who try to grow things are being killed. If I’d stayed—” She pauses. “It’s a long story.” She reaches for the doorknob.
“Maude will die if we leave her,” I say. “We need to get her somewhere safe, at least. Maybe find other drifters who can feed her.” Alina turns around, looks at the old woman and then at me. Her eyes have lost some of their fury.
“Leave me ’ere and I’ll holler up a hurricane as soon as the first Breathe convoy rolls by,” Maude says. No one responds. It isn’t a serious threat.
“She’ll attack us on the road. It’s too dangerous.”
“Not if we’re with you,” Quinn suggests. “We want to help.” I have little interest in helping Alina, but how can I go back to the pod when there’s so much I don’t know? I need to know everything. About the pod. About the Ministry. And about what the alternatives are to it all.
“We’re coming,” I tell Alina. “If you say no, we’ll simply follow you.” I keep my chin up, trying to look tougher than I feel. “And we’re bringing Maude Blue.”
15
QUINN
We’ve been walking for more than two hours, and I think I’ve spent one hour looking at Alina’s ass and another hour trying not to look at it. I have to be careful though, when Alina glances around, not to let her see me staring. She’s the kind of girl who’d be likely to sock me if she caught me.
Old Maude Blue with her stench and knotty hair is gasping in her mask, but Alina won’t slow down, and Maude has to keep up with her because the airtank she’s now wearing, my spare, is tied to Alina’s wrist. I was pretty impressed when Bea came up with the idea: there’s no way the old woman’s going to bolt and then turn up and attack us later when her air supply is attached to Alina. Compared to the soggy air she’s been breathing, the stuff in my airtank probably feels golden, but even so, she’s old and
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