him a quick smile.
As they prepared their food, Sharat noticed that there was something refined about her movements and the way she spoke.
“What are you doing living out here all on your own?” he asked. “Where’s your mother?”
For a moment Aya didn’t reply. When she lifted her eyes, they were heavy with pain.
“I don’t have a mother,” she said. “She’s dead.”
“Oh.” Sharat felt a pang of pity. “I’m sorry.”
He paused, not sure what to say next. “How did you end up with the sewer-girls?” he asked.
A shadow crossed Aya’s face. “I met them when I escaped from the
Zenana
,” she said.
Sharat stared at her in surprise. “What?” he said. “The
Zenana
inside Shergarh?”
Aya nodded.
Sharat remembered the screened ladies’ quarters inside the palace. His eyes widened. “Are you a
princess
?” he asked.
“No,” said Aya firmly. “My mother was a princess.
I
ran away.”
Sharat frowned. “But I thought the
Zenana
was guarded. How did you get out?”
Aya lifted her chin defiantly. “I got out through the latrine,” she said.
It took a moment for Sharat to understand what she was saying. “Do you mean you jumped into the
sewers
?” he said in disgust.
Aya’s face tightened. “I didn’t have any choice,” she said. “My mother was being murdered. If I’d stayed I probably would have been murdered, too.”
Sharat was shocked. He wasn’t sure what to say. “I’m sorry,” he ventured.
“Don’t be,” muttered Aya. “At least I’m still alive.” She turned to stir the pot that was bubbling over the fire. “Nara was the one that rescued me,” she added after a moment’s silence.
Sharat gave a short laugh. “I’m surprised she didn’tkill you.”
“Poor Nara,” said Aya. “She can’t help how she is. Terrible things happened to her above ground. She wasn’t dumped in the sewers like the other girls. She ran away.”
Sharat grimaced as he thought of the sewer-girl’s vicious, one-eyed face.
“The sewer-girls aren’t so bad once you get to know them,” Aya told him. “I learned a lot more from them then I ever did in the
Zenana
. They taught me how to survive in the city.”
“If you say so,” said Sharat.
He was unconvinced, but Aya’s story had given him an idea.
“Do you think it would be possible to get
into
Shergarh through the sewers?” he asked.
Aya shook her head as she ladled their food on to banana leaves. “The sewer-girls had the same idea,” she told him. “Nara even had a crazy plan to break in and raid the treasury, but the holes into the latrine are too far up.”
Sharat sighed. All he wanted was to find Emira and get her back, and yet it seemed as though every doorway was being closed to him. However, he was also beginning to see that his wasn’t the only tragedy to occur in the City of Jewels. He glanced over at Aya again.
“What was it like in the
Zenana
?” he asked.
She managed a smile. “I was happy living with my mother,” she said. “We even had a little garden … until it was destroyed by the lickers.”
Sharat paused in sympathy, but he couldn’t help beingcurious. “What about the other princesses?” he said. “Were they very beautiful?”
Aya wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I hardly ever saw them,” she said. “Most of the children were older than me. The only person who used to play with me was my mother’s lady-in-waiting.”
“Oh.” Sharat felt a little disappointed. He’d had a much more romantic view of the
Zenana
. For a moment he fell into a thoughtful silence while they ate.
“I never knew my mother,” he said after a while.
“Why not?” asked Aya, glancing at him.
“She died when I was born,” Sharat told her. “My father looked after me. He’s the circus ringmaster.” As he thought about Lemo, a wave of loneliness passed through him. For a moment he wondered what they were doing at the circus now. He swallowed his food with difficulty.
Aya gave him a curious
As they prepared their food, Sharat noticed that there was something refined about her movements and the way she spoke.
“What are you doing living out here all on your own?” he asked. “Where’s your mother?”
For a moment Aya didn’t reply. When she lifted her eyes, they were heavy with pain.
“I don’t have a mother,” she said. “She’s dead.”
“Oh.” Sharat felt a pang of pity. “I’m sorry.”
He paused, not sure what to say next. “How did you end up with the sewer-girls?” he asked.
A shadow crossed Aya’s face. “I met them when I escaped from the
Zenana
,” she said.
Sharat stared at her in surprise. “What?” he said. “The
Zenana
inside Shergarh?”
Aya nodded.
Sharat remembered the screened ladies’ quarters inside the palace. His eyes widened. “Are you a
princess
?” he asked.
“No,” said Aya firmly. “My mother was a princess.
I
ran away.”
Sharat frowned. “But I thought the
Zenana
was guarded. How did you get out?”
Aya lifted her chin defiantly. “I got out through the latrine,” she said.
It took a moment for Sharat to understand what she was saying. “Do you mean you jumped into the
sewers
?” he said in disgust.
Aya’s face tightened. “I didn’t have any choice,” she said. “My mother was being murdered. If I’d stayed I probably would have been murdered, too.”
Sharat was shocked. He wasn’t sure what to say. “I’m sorry,” he ventured.
“Don’t be,” muttered Aya. “At least I’m still alive.” She turned to stir the pot that was bubbling over the fire. “Nara was the one that rescued me,” she added after a moment’s silence.
Sharat gave a short laugh. “I’m surprised she didn’tkill you.”
“Poor Nara,” said Aya. “She can’t help how she is. Terrible things happened to her above ground. She wasn’t dumped in the sewers like the other girls. She ran away.”
Sharat grimaced as he thought of the sewer-girl’s vicious, one-eyed face.
“The sewer-girls aren’t so bad once you get to know them,” Aya told him. “I learned a lot more from them then I ever did in the
Zenana
. They taught me how to survive in the city.”
“If you say so,” said Sharat.
He was unconvinced, but Aya’s story had given him an idea.
“Do you think it would be possible to get
into
Shergarh through the sewers?” he asked.
Aya shook her head as she ladled their food on to banana leaves. “The sewer-girls had the same idea,” she told him. “Nara even had a crazy plan to break in and raid the treasury, but the holes into the latrine are too far up.”
Sharat sighed. All he wanted was to find Emira and get her back, and yet it seemed as though every doorway was being closed to him. However, he was also beginning to see that his wasn’t the only tragedy to occur in the City of Jewels. He glanced over at Aya again.
“What was it like in the
Zenana
?” he asked.
She managed a smile. “I was happy living with my mother,” she said. “We even had a little garden … until it was destroyed by the lickers.”
Sharat paused in sympathy, but he couldn’t help beingcurious. “What about the other princesses?” he said. “Were they very beautiful?”
Aya wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I hardly ever saw them,” she said. “Most of the children were older than me. The only person who used to play with me was my mother’s lady-in-waiting.”
“Oh.” Sharat felt a little disappointed. He’d had a much more romantic view of the
Zenana
. For a moment he fell into a thoughtful silence while they ate.
“I never knew my mother,” he said after a while.
“Why not?” asked Aya, glancing at him.
“She died when I was born,” Sharat told her. “My father looked after me. He’s the circus ringmaster.” As he thought about Lemo, a wave of loneliness passed through him. For a moment he wondered what they were doing at the circus now. He swallowed his food with difficulty.
Aya gave him a curious
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