under a minute—and stripped a couple of the skunks’ semiconscious bodies,
I almost decided to stick with my hospital gown. Their pants, boots, shirts, and jackets smelled
that
bad.
At first I was convinced the clothes achieved what I wanted: they made me look—and smell—just like another Beta. But as I
buckled up my pants, I realized somebody wasn’t entirely buying the costume. Footsteps were coming up behind me lickety-split.
Now what?
I took a breath and got ready for another fight.
It was just the young girl though, and she was very pregnant indeed. Poor thing.
Chapter 28
NORMALLY, I DESPISED sentimentality—except when it came to Lizbeth and my girls—but I found that I couldn’t help myself. Maybe
my own recent circumstances were teaching me some compassion. I certainly hoped not.
The girl’s teeth were broken and decayed, and her skin pockmarked by some childhood disease, probably treatable at the time.
Sad to say, but hospitals and other medical care for the humans were substandard at best. It was a policy I didn’t approve
of, but the president had never asked my opinion on the subject.
“Can’t b-believe you got ’em
all,
” she stammered, with the slangy inflection of so many humans in these slums. “How’d ya do it?”
“Just dumb luck, I suppose. But I’m sure there are otherslurking around. You should go someplace safe. Don’t depend on me, girl.”
She laughed, exposing several more infected teeth. “Safe? In Beta-Town? You’re not from around here, are ya?”
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
“Come with me,” she said. “Going to storm hard soon. I got a place.”
She was right about the weather. The sultry air was thickening and held the promise of rain, and this was the time of year
that flash floods were common. I was bone tired too—my body wasn’t through with its healing.
Still, I was about to politely decline her offer when she moaned in pain and doubled over, clutching her swollen belly. Then
she started to fall.
I caught the girl in my arms and eased her down to the ground. After a minute, her face smoothed out. Actually, the face was
rather pretty, so long as she kept her mouth closed.
“When’s the baby due?” I asked.
“Few weeks yet. But those Betas, they punched me here.” She clasped her hands tighter around her stomach, cradling what was
inside.
I let out a sigh. “How far is your place?” I asked.
“Not far. I’ll show you. Don’t be afraid—you can trust me.”
As I scooped her up in my arms, I felt wetness drenching the back of her thin skirt.
Good Lord, the girl was bleeding badly. Her baby could die.
Chapter 29
SHE TOLD ME her name as we hurried along to her place. It was Shanna. I asked a few harmless questions, trying to keep her
mind off the pain—and the blood—as best I could.
Turns out, Shanna had been on her own since she was ten, living with various destitute groups of humans until Betas, disease,
or hunger forced her to move on. Shanna didn’t know where she’d been born, who her parents were, or even who her baby’s father
was. She said that she was a “Southerner” and a “Baptist” and a “Bible-thumper,” none of which meant anything to me.
“How old are you, Shanna?” I finally had to ask.
“Fourteen,” she told me. “I’m fourteen. Old enough.”
As we went farther into the human neighborhood, the air became rank with the sickly sweet stink of rot. All manner of insects
buzzed, fluttered, and scurried around Shanna andme. I was coming to realize that I’d taken several comforts of Elite life completely for granted. Also, that I’d given almost
no thought to the terrible living conditions of humans. This place was unendurable.
“Here,” Shanna said. She weakly raised a hand to point down an alley that had patches of high weeds thrusting up through its
cracked concrete.
As we entered the alley, the voice of a lookout shouted, “
Betas!
Two of
I almost decided to stick with my hospital gown. Their pants, boots, shirts, and jackets smelled
that
bad.
At first I was convinced the clothes achieved what I wanted: they made me look—and smell—just like another Beta. But as I
buckled up my pants, I realized somebody wasn’t entirely buying the costume. Footsteps were coming up behind me lickety-split.
Now what?
I took a breath and got ready for another fight.
It was just the young girl though, and she was very pregnant indeed. Poor thing.
Chapter 28
NORMALLY, I DESPISED sentimentality—except when it came to Lizbeth and my girls—but I found that I couldn’t help myself. Maybe
my own recent circumstances were teaching me some compassion. I certainly hoped not.
The girl’s teeth were broken and decayed, and her skin pockmarked by some childhood disease, probably treatable at the time.
Sad to say, but hospitals and other medical care for the humans were substandard at best. It was a policy I didn’t approve
of, but the president had never asked my opinion on the subject.
“Can’t b-believe you got ’em
all,
” she stammered, with the slangy inflection of so many humans in these slums. “How’d ya do it?”
“Just dumb luck, I suppose. But I’m sure there are otherslurking around. You should go someplace safe. Don’t depend on me, girl.”
She laughed, exposing several more infected teeth. “Safe? In Beta-Town? You’re not from around here, are ya?”
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
“Come with me,” she said. “Going to storm hard soon. I got a place.”
She was right about the weather. The sultry air was thickening and held the promise of rain, and this was the time of year
that flash floods were common. I was bone tired too—my body wasn’t through with its healing.
Still, I was about to politely decline her offer when she moaned in pain and doubled over, clutching her swollen belly. Then
she started to fall.
I caught the girl in my arms and eased her down to the ground. After a minute, her face smoothed out. Actually, the face was
rather pretty, so long as she kept her mouth closed.
“When’s the baby due?” I asked.
“Few weeks yet. But those Betas, they punched me here.” She clasped her hands tighter around her stomach, cradling what was
inside.
I let out a sigh. “How far is your place?” I asked.
“Not far. I’ll show you. Don’t be afraid—you can trust me.”
As I scooped her up in my arms, I felt wetness drenching the back of her thin skirt.
Good Lord, the girl was bleeding badly. Her baby could die.
Chapter 29
SHE TOLD ME her name as we hurried along to her place. It was Shanna. I asked a few harmless questions, trying to keep her
mind off the pain—and the blood—as best I could.
Turns out, Shanna had been on her own since she was ten, living with various destitute groups of humans until Betas, disease,
or hunger forced her to move on. Shanna didn’t know where she’d been born, who her parents were, or even who her baby’s father
was. She said that she was a “Southerner” and a “Baptist” and a “Bible-thumper,” none of which meant anything to me.
“How old are you, Shanna?” I finally had to ask.
“Fourteen,” she told me. “I’m fourteen. Old enough.”
As we went farther into the human neighborhood, the air became rank with the sickly sweet stink of rot. All manner of insects
buzzed, fluttered, and scurried around Shanna andme. I was coming to realize that I’d taken several comforts of Elite life completely for granted. Also, that I’d given almost
no thought to the terrible living conditions of humans. This place was unendurable.
“Here,” Shanna said. She weakly raised a hand to point down an alley that had patches of high weeds thrusting up through its
cracked concrete.
As we entered the alley, the voice of a lookout shouted, “
Betas!
Two of
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