Layla lands lightly on the balls of her feet. I land on the side of my leg and my right elbow. I guess when she said trust her, she meant physically as well. There is no time for me to feel the pain of the fall. Layla is pulling me up and forward through the square.
“Where are we going?” I ask her as she leads me through the crowd of people. I’m well aware that this is the longest I’ve ever held a girls’ hand. Actually the only time.
“Second lesson,” she calls back. “Never ask questions.” Layla weaves in between people with ease. I half follow, half get pulled behind her and bump into several people. I apologize constantly as we make our way through the square. Instead of going down the main street Layla heads into one of the alleys between the helix skyscrapers.
“Is it okay to be in here?” I ask.
“Didn’t I just tell you not to ask questions?”
Perhaps I’m not supposed to ask them, but my mind is racing with questions. Who is this girl? Why am I following a stranger? A single thought quells the doubt. If she can help me find Evan, it is worth the risk. She still has a firm grasp on my arm as she pulls me through the alley and into another street. We are moving higher up the tiers and as we do the streets grow nicer. There aren’t any empty crates or loose trash. The buildings are uniform, shiny and clean. As we go higher still there are less people on the streets. We go up one more tier and are clearly in the richest part of the Delphast. I guess higher is better. The few people that are on the streets move slowly, lazily. The woman closest to me is wearing a veil lined with silvery stones. She walks haughtily past me, probably trying to ignore the fact someone as dirty as me exists.
Layla pulls me into an alley and lets go of my hand. She rounds on me, pulling off her hood to reveal her face. “You have money in your little forest home?” Layla asks, seemingly out of the blue.
“Of course,” I say, ignoring the jibe at my village. It’s not unwarranted. We don’t use Kostosian currency in the Forsyth. Everything is traded for or created on your own. Dad had some gold coins and paper notes for emergencies. He kept them in a locked box and would bring them out for Evan and me to marvel at when we were younger.
“You have stones? And fur?” Layla asks. “And jewelry and paintings.”
I nod, but I’m half lying again. We have plenty of stones and furs in the Forsyth, though I’m fairly sure that’s not what Layla is talking about.
“That woman with the jeweled veil we walked past has enough money on her to feed you for a year. And inside her home? Oh the inside!” her voice is filled with desire. She points up at the building on one side of the alley. “The homes in there are practically the Kai’s treasury. And I’m not even talking about what’s inside their vaults.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I ask.
“Look, I said I would help you and I meant it. It so happens that I know a great deal about the trains filled with scared people. In fact, I’m looking for someone too, someone who is probably in the exact same place as your brother.”
“Where? Is it near here?” My heart starts to beat faster. I look around quickly, half expecting to see Evan in the window of a building.
“Listen up,” Layla orders me. “My help, my information? It comes with a price. Just like every other gods thing in the world. And it’s not just that. You’ve got to earn my trust. I’m not just gonna give away my knowledge to some kid. For all I know you’re a Kai spy.”
“I’m not,” I say earnestly, as if that will convince her. “Besides, I said that I trusted you.”
“And that makes it so?” she asks, leaning in to me. I stop myself from instinctively taking a step back.
“Yes?”
“Then prove it.”
Layla takes off a leather pack. I didn’t notice she was wearing it before. She puts it on the ground and starts rummaging through it. She pulls out a long, coiled rope. At the end is a sharp black spike. She hands it to me and goes back into her pack, throwing out an arm for balance. She grips onto my arm, teetering back and forth slightly.
I study the rope in my hands. There are knots every couple inches. I’ve used rope like this in the Forsyth. It’s meant for climbing trees where the branches start too high to reach. That’s usually where you can hunt the largest birds. But what could Layla possibly expect me to do with this?
It dawns on me suddenly. I look up the tall tower. All I see is shining glass and metal. I’ll never make it. I try to hand back the rope. “I’ll fall.”
“Nonsense kid,” Layla says, “I bet you’ve been climbing trees all your life.”
She’s right, but this was something else entirely. “I’m not sure who you think I am. I’m not a thief.”
“Neither am I,” she retorts. “I’m just doing my job.” She bends down and keeps rummaging through her pack. “Look, kid. These people have more than enough and, if you ask me, it’s time to share the wealth. You’re doing nothing wrong. No one will get hurt.” She pulls a thin, metal bar out of her pack and hands it to me. I almost drop it, not expecting the weight.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“I thought you said no one would get hurt?”
“You won’t need the blackjack, tree boy,” she assures me. “Just a precaution, eh? Come on, it’s easy. Climb up, be quiet, grab something that’s extra shiny and scurry on back down. A monkey could do it.”
“Well, I can’t do it. I've never done anything like this.”
“I know. You’ve been a good kid all your life. You never got into trouble and trouble stayed away from you. Until now. Now you’re an outlaw whether you like it or not. You better start acting like one. Besides, I can’t help you unless you prove you’re worth my time.”
Part of me wants to yell at her. To call her a bully. To throw this stuff in her face and run in the other direction. But I can’t. My body won’t let me move. The rational part of my brain is overruled by the smallest sliver of hope that she will lead me to Evan. I can’t walk away from that. “Fine,” I mutter. “How do I do this?”
She is looking at me knowingly again, her eyes locked onto mine. She reaches out and takes the rope from me. “Good choice,” she says, giving me that half smile I’ve already grown accustom to seeing. She takes the rope and positions it in her hands so the black spike hangs by her side. She points up the building. “You see that window? The one that juts out about three stories up?”
I see the window she is talking about. It looks different than the others, off kilter almost with a shadowy stripe down the side.
“The windows push open from the inside,” she says. “You can’t get in them unless they’re already open. Lucky for you we won’t have to break any glass this time.” She swings the rope over her head, the black spike circling faster and faster. When she lets it go, it flies with incredible accuracy, landing on the metal balcony of the open window. The black spike clanks loudly as it hits the metal. She tugs hard on the rope. It doesn’t budge. She picks the pack up off the ground and hands it to me.
“You just happened to have all this stuff with you?” I ask, taking the pack from her.
“I always carry the basics,” she says with a wink. “Put whatever you grab in the pack. We don’t want to attract too much attention after the fact, so just grab one or two things. I know you don’t have wild riches in the Forsyth, so just think shiny. Jewels. Gold. The shinier the better, eh?”
I put the metal rod in the pack and sling it over my shoulders. The climb looks tough, but I think I can handle it. My real concern is what will happen inside. “How do you know no one is in there?”
“I don’t,” Layla says and then laughs at my shocked expression. “Don’t worry. All these rich folk are at work this time of day. Just make sure you listen first. Above grounders are loud.”
“Above grounders?”
She shakes her head. “I’ll explain later. Up you go.” She hands me the rope.
I wrap my hands around the rope and pull. The metal claw seems like it will hold my weight. I take a deep breath.
“Oh come on already!” Layla snaps impatiently. She drops halfway to the ground and swings her leg underneath mine. I leap up on the rope to avoid getting knocked over.
“Not fair,” I tell her. She just rolls her eyes and gestures for me to climb. I grab the knot closest to me and pull myself up. Knot after knot I make my way up. Layla was right. It’s easy. I’ve been climbing all my life. When I reach the first balcony, I look down. Layla is watching me with crossed arms. She flaps her hand at me again. I keep climbing up and eventually reach the open glass. I pull myself up on the balcony and crouch outside the window. I leave the rope and hook where it is. Just as Layla said, the glass has been pushed open from the inside leaving a small gap. I peer through it and into the home. The inside is large and dark. I listen carefully. All I can hear is the buzzing of electric lights somewhere in the house. It’s now or never. I squeeze myself through the gap and land quietly inside. The walls are draped with dark blue and silver fabric. The ceiling is cushioned and the floor is covered in thick carpet. Puffy seats, which remind me of clouds, are spread out through the room. I take a step forward off the ledge, hoping the floor won’t creak. My feet land on the plush rug. I grin. On this floor I’ll be able to move like a ghost.
I scan the room, hoping that I’ll find something valuable right away. If only I was completely sure what valuable meant. I’ve read books about rich lands and buried treasures. Unfortunately there are no clearly marked treasure chests here. I follow Layla’s advice and search for something shiny. Nothing jumps out at me in this room and so I move on.
In the next room is a huge amorphous golden statue in the middle of the floor. I have to stop myself from laughing when I see it. What kind of people want stuff like this in their homes? It is much too large to carry, which is disappointing as it is practically blindingly gold. The walls of this room are covered in hundreds of tiny paintings, the size of my palm, all depicting golden clouds. At least I think they’re clouds. I can’t imagine they are worth anything. I leave this perplexing room, hoping to find something a little clearer.
Here at least I understand the function of the room. In the center of the circular room is a large, black table set with silver plates, bowls and cups. I pick up one of the plates. It is heavy and reflects my image. I haven’t seen myself since I left the Forsyth. I look worn, thinner. There are bags under my eyes and my cheeks are a bit hollow. There is a thin scratch along my cheek bone that I don’t remember getting and dark purple bruises along my neck. No wonder all those people told me to go to the slums. I look terrible. I weigh the plate in my hand. It might do. I’m determined not to disappoint Layla and so I keep looking.
On the other side of this room is a thin hallway. I take a step down the hall. There are several doors coming off of it. There is an open door at the end of the hall and a light is shining through it. I take a step forward towards the light and then freeze. There is someone here, an older man sitting at his desk. He is so hunched over I had thought he was part of the furniture for a moment. The man is illuminated by a sole light. I can see the deep wrinkles on his face. My heart races as I back away, entering the closest room to me. I need to get out of here. I frantically search this new room for something, anything that will satisfy Layla. This room is lined with shelves containing books and various objects. I see an ornate bowl on a high shelf. It is silver and covered in shining, green stones.
As quietly as possible I climb the shelves, carefully placing my feet in empty spots. It doesn’t take me long to reach the bowl. I grab it with one hand and then drop off the shelves. I used to drop from high tree branches to surprise Evan. I know exactly how to position my feet. I land lightly, silently.
“Don’t move.”