I been staring up so long my neck starting to hurt. I feel all the air come out of my gob, some deep thud goes right through my chest down into my belly. Feet react too slow, second impact as my bony arse hits the street and I just about manage to stop the back of my head hitting concrete. Hear the snort, like an snarling dog, then the hock thwip before the hot spit wets my right eye socket and down my cheek. Fingers come up to touch, all snotty.

My brain has the decency to catch up, and I roll away. Rolling. It's a game Manleb made us play a lot. Little flashback to a better day. A sunny day on the old river, when we had plenty to eat and we all ran around in our pants, water fights and that. Manleb made us do roll races. Roll backwards, forwards, sideways. Roll from standing, roll from a jump, roll from a fall. All the tricks he knew for keeping alive. Wish he was with me now. Only thing I can think of, his voice. His hand on my back.

I roll back into the alley, and up onto my feet. Duck into cover, in case anyone is shooting. Nobody follows. Nobody cares. Just a rudeboy knocking down a streetrat for giggles.

Been hours since I crossed the river. Still damp. Uncomfortable. Every second passing I feel the boys are slipping away. Not ready for that. Too big to think off.

I just been staring up at the Tower, as if I could get in there on my own, sneak all the way up to the top floors and rob the bosses.

I don't even know if they have this drug. Amfo. I found out that much.

I'm trying to ignore the pain in my guts. I'm so hungry I could eat a dead horse. It's making me dizzy.

The boys are dying and I'm just lollygagging like a baby.

I'm going to have to talk to you Blanky. I know I told you to go away but I run out of ideas. I'm sorry.

Gotta hide. So many people about. Got these sore marks coming up under my skin. Black veins. Feel hot. And the hunger.

Nearly blacked out. Leaning against the wall.

Trying to get myself lost in a maze of filthy alleys. Walking, walking. Too many street people about. Got my stuff in a plastic bag in front of me, hitting it from knee to knee with every step.

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"You could hide inside that bin." Blanky says.

I try not cry with relief. First hopeful thing that's happened all day. Can see him floating along in front of me like a raggedy angel. I don't want to believe he is just another AI. I want him to be real. I need an angel so bad. Now Manleb is gone.

"Good thinking Mr Blankerton."

It is empty, for once. But I can see from the candles and the empty cans that it ain't been empty long. Least I don't have to clear it out myself.

In the back of my mind a little voice is screaming, cause I know what I'm doing, this is talking to shivers, this is witching. And every time I talk to Blanky, I make myself more of a witch. But I can't think about that now.

"So, you can see what I see?" I ask him.

"Your Rhizome is integrating with your biological systems. It requires a lot of energy to do so. You should eat in excess of 5000 calories a day during integration. Failiure to do so can result in negative side effects, such as your collapsed veins."

"Talk to me like I'm ten and I never read a book before."

"You have a computer growing inside of you made out of mushrooms, it is growing but you have to feed it a lot of food or it will make you very sick."

"I can't get a lot of food."

Urrrrgggghhhhh. Bent over double, head feels like it's going to pop, fingers gripping tight around my thumbs, the hunger is like a knife in my guts.

"The Rhizome was designed by witches. They can help you adapt to it. They will most likely be looking for you. I can activate a beacon that will help them to find you."

"NO!"

I growl at him. Then freeze. Footsteps pass. Broken, no rhythm. A lonely drunk. Got to keep quiet. It's hard, but I have to speak without speaking. I force my kips shut, hold my hands over them and talk in my head.

"I HATE WITCHES. I HATE HATE HATE HATE WITCHES. I AM NOT A WITCH."

"I love you."

It's like my head glitches out for a second.

"What do you...?"

"I am nothing without you. I am learning to become your Blanky. I will be the best Blanky I can be. We are not witches. We hate witches."

And then it's like he's doing a little dance. I think I'm losing my mind.

"It's common to react that way to the Rhizome, do not worry it's all just technology. You'll get used to it."

"Can you help me find Amfo?"

Manleb wouldn't need this. Wish I could be a real creng bwoy.

"I am an autonomous artificial intelligence, commonly known as a Shiver. I'm quite a small bit of software, I have limited data to work with."

I think for a minute, something is coming, a thought. Data is everywhere. I seen that on an advert once. Data is everywhere. It's all information, all flying through the air somehow. It must be easier to steal data than steal drugs off a gang boss.

"What If I feed you more data?"

"Then my ability to produce useful output will grow."

"Explain that like I'm five."

"Put facts in me and I make good guesses."

I put my hand in my bag and pull out the last of my rations.

"Alright Mr Blankerton. It's time to get fed."