City of Time by Eoin McNamee

of bandits."
    "Please!" Cati said. "Do we look like bandits?"
    "You do," Rosie said.
    Cati folded her arms firmly and stared ahead out the window.
    Dr. Diamond suppressed a grin. "There's some chocolate in the back," he said. "Why don't you get it, Owen?"
    Owen found the massive bar and broke it into four. Rosie sniffed her piece cautiously, then bit into it and devoured it with an expression of ecstasy.
    "Enjoy that, did you?" Cati said.
    "Ain't had any for years. Not since rationing."
    "There's rationing in the City?" Dr. Diamond asked.
    "Not for ordinary food, but for anything posh, like chocolate. I reckon it all goes to the Terminus."
    "What is the Terminus?"
    115
    "Where the ones are as is in charge."
    It was now completely dark outside and Owen found himself yawning. Up ahead Dr. Diamond spied a rotting wooden noticeboard that showed a picnic table under trees. He turned there and they saw a tumbledown building that might at some point have been a toilet. Of picnic tables there was no sign.
    "Time to stop for the night," Dr. Diamond said. "I'm not sure how safe it is to travel in the dark."
    "Are there Albions around here?" Owen peered into the dark.
    "You get them in the mountains," Rosie said, "and there's a different gang near the city. Should be safe enough here, though."
    Dr. Diamond killed the engine and they climbed through the hatch into the back of the truck. Rosie looked around her with approval. "Not bad," she said, nodding.
    "You mentioned rationing in the City," Dr. Diamond said. "Are things bad there?"
    "They're not good," Rosie said, "and that's a fact. Everything's low. Magno stocks are drying up. There's only the likes of me goes up to the old mines and finds a little bit. Then there's the time famine."
    "What's that?" Dr. Diamond asked.
    "Ain't no time coming in. They got nothing to trade in the Bourse. Reckon it's all bought up or stole."
    "The Bourse?"
    "You know. Where they buy and sell time."
    116
    "How can you buy and sell time?" Owen said.
    "That's the problem," Rosie said. "If there ain't any, you can't. The City isn't happy. There was riots last year. Now the Specials is on the street all of the time. Looking for your papers and that sort of malarkey."
    Owen took a large hunk of cheese from Dr. Diamond's rucksack. "I'll make cheese on toast for supper," he said. "Here. Cut this up with that knife of yours."
    He threw the hard lump to Rosie. She caught it, then flinched and gasped with pain, which she tried to disguise as a cough.
    "What's wrong?" Cati said.
    "Nothing," Rosie said.
    But Dr. Diamond could see the tears in her eyes. He moved to her side. "Let me see your hands." The scientist seemed to tower over Rosie and his voice was full of authority. Rosie looked as if she was about to resist, then she met his stern gaze and slowly stretched out her hands.
    With great gentleness Dr. Diamond removed her rings, then slid off the black gloves. Owen gasped. The girl's fingers were twisted and distorted, and ugly sores and cankers covered every inch.
    Cati's look softened when she saw the terrible injuries. "What happened?"
    "The magno, I'd guess," Dr. Diamond said. Rosie nodded dumbly. "In its raw state, magno is a dangerous thing. And volatile. It emits a force that penetrates flesh
    117
    and bone. I presume you're picking it from slag heaps at those mines?" Rosie nodded. "I've heard of this. Burns, distorted bones, eventually ..."
    "Your hands have to be took off else they fall off," Rosie said, her voice almost defiant.
    "Yes," Dr. Diamond said with a pitying look.
    "Why do you do it, then?" Cati burst out.
    "No choice." Rosie shrugged. "My brother got took hostage in the Terminus. They left me free to raise the ransom. That's what they do."
    "That's terrible," Cati said.
    "Works two ways," Dr. Diamond said. "They raise money on the ransom, and it keeps the population quiet."
    Rosie put her head down so they couldn't see her eyes, but Owen caught the glint of tears. She started to pull the