What is this place?
I dont know, she answered.
Thimble knelt to examine the bones and then glanced up at him. Theyre smooth.
Which means they havent been chewed on. A bright smile said she was pleased with him. It was the first time he could remember being praised for something other than his strength. So
they werent killed by Freaks?
I dont think so. They just look like theyve been dumped here. No respect in the handling, either. The bones lay in piles, as if bodies had been stacked.
Remember how the Wordkeeper was always talking about the disease that killed so many people Topside and how our people went down below because it was safer?
So many stories, it was impossible to know what was true. There had been legends that seemed very unlikely, and yet obviously something had left the world in a terrible state. These people hadnt died of violence, which left disease. That much of the Wordkeepers lore had been true then.
She nodded. I wonder if they just sealed up the bodies like this, out of sight.
A cold chill went through him Maybe. But this isnt how they came in.
Thimble followed his gaze toward the far side of the room, where crumbling stone stairs led up.
Chapter 11
They had more than Freaks to worry about now. Pretending a confidence she didnt feel, Thimble picked a careful path across the dead. The bones rattled and scraped, sometimes crunched, and she held a scream deep within her throat. Only Stones solid presence at her back kept her from panicking. The torch wavered as she walked, throwing terrible shadows on the stained walls.
To make matters worse, as she approached the far wallthis one intactshe saw faint red-brown letters smeared onto the pale surface. Most were too faded for their meaning to be clear, but two phrases had been dug into the rock with someones bloody fingers: first, save me, and then, lower down, running toward the floor as if in desperation, god has forsaken us. The truth registered at once. They werent all dead when they locked them in here. She could imagine few fates more horrible than to die in confinement, beyond all hope.
This was some kind of
plague ward, she said then.
Where they sent people to die. No hope. No food and water. Stone closed his eyes for a long moment, visibly controlling his reaction to the room where they stood. Maybe the enclave wasnt so bad after all.
Thimble moved away from the awful artifact of the wall, toward the stairs. It wasnt as bad as it couldve been, but it wasnt perfect either.
Do you think we should? By his expression in the flickering torchlight, he didnt want to go Topside.
Neither did she.
She reasoned, Its not far up
and we came down a bit to get here.
So it might take us back where we were? Or on the same level.
I suspect it connects to a different set of tunnels. Maybe these are cleaner, and the Freaks havent found them. They tend to hunt near enclaves.
Do you know where we are?
Not really, she admitted.
Then were lost.
She risked a half smile. You say that like its a bad thing. Consider us to be
exploring. I believe theres something better out there.
If we live long enoughendure long enoughto find it.
Right. But he smiled back, ready to follow where she led. There was an incredible, delightful power in it. She didnt let herself think about the kiss.
Not here. Not now.
Later, when she had a safe moment in the dark, shed relive it as she had done every time they stopped to rest. Each step hurt, but stopping wasnt possible yet, so she found a place in her head where it receded. Shed told Stone that she needed to rest, but there would be no sleep surrounded by so many dead. Press on. Well find safety soon.
But it was an empty promise, one in which she could no longer completely believe. How could the two of them survive when the whole enclave was lost? Thimble didnt permit her despair to show. When she reached the door, it was locked. Of course it was. And it must be barred from the outside or surely so many people would have broken it down with sheer weight. Unless they were so sick they lacked the power.
Can you She started to ask, but a noise stole her voice.
It was the sound of footsteps, someoneor somethingtrying to be quiet. Maybe its a survivor,she thought, but fear made her heart beat a little faster. Then the noise died away for a few seconds. Resumed in the scattering of some rocks.
Do we stay here to wait for it to find us or press on? Stone asked.
Thimble shivered. Do you want to fight in a room full of bones?
It would be hard to get my footing.
Then lets go.
He nodded. Take Boy23 and move down the stairs. Give me some room.
Because he never questioned her ideas, she paid him the same courtesy. Torch in hand, she sat and scooted down four steps and stayed on her backside, permitting her foot that much rest. The brat came to her with a pleased jumble of sounds, ahs and oohs that didnt mean anything. Stone swung his weapon wide, slamming the haft against the rusty door handle. His brute strength showed in each blow; the metal jiggled, and then bent. On the sixth strike, the knob snapped off and bounced away, down into the shadows and skeletal remains.
He crouched to peer through the hole. Theres a bar across the way, but it smells rotten. I think I can break it.
Without waiting for her response, he thrust the piercing tip of the weapon through the hole where the handle used to be. She heard a soft pop, and then he thumped his shoulder into the door. She winced with each impact; it must hurt him, but he didnt falter. Once, twice, and on the third try, it shoved open with a loud squeak.
Were free. Well, maybe not entirely, but he deserved that unqualified praise. Shall we go see what lies above?
Has to be better than that. He cast a glance behind him, and she knew exactly what he meant.
And Freaks trying to eat us. Do you think I should put out the torch?
To her surprise, he ducked and kissed her lightly on the mouth. She stared up at him in bewilderment. Why did you do that? Its
not an answer.
Did you like it?
Thats a different question.
Answer mine, and then Ill answer yours.
A hot flush washed into her cheeks, and in the light, he would see it. Thimble mustered her courage and whispered, Yes. Ive wanted that for ages.
I couldnt, he said softly. There were rules.
There arent any now, except the ones we choose.