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"Saashi!" With an apologetic gesture he turned, talking rapidly in a languageMadeleine didn't recognise, and walked a little way down the wharf.
"His sister," Pan explained. "He hasn't been able to get through toher, and wasn't sure if she was in Mumbai or still on location." At Noi's confusedlook he added: "Nash is from a big-time Bollywood film family. Mum's an actress, Dad is a producer. Saashi's juststarting out as a director."
"So which one is Nash aiming to be?" Noi asked,with an appreciative glance at the tall, well-made boy. "Are they the singing, dancing kinds ofBollywood movies?"
"Most of them. Nash dances like a dream, but he's a horrible singer. Not that he'll let that stop him – he'llprobably end up directing after a few years acting, then h-he'll–" Pan stuttered to a halt, his lively featuresfalling still.
After a moment, Noi began deliberately peppering Fisher withquestions, producing a brief lecture on decomposition, cholera andquicklime. Madeleine found herselfwatching, aware of a familiar sense of withdrawal and disliking herself forit. For the last few years people hadbeen something she loved to draw, but no longer allowed herself to be drawn to,which was not an attitude suited to current circumstances. But still she felt that distance.
The arrival of an apple-green Volkswagen – the curve-topmodel from the 2000s – was a welcome distraction. Madeleine took a box, and followed alongbehind Fisher, glad to see that while he moved with care he was no longerwobbly.
"What the hell is with your taste in cars, Gav?"Pan asked as they reached the roadside.
The strawberry blonde boy gri
"Maybe," Madeleine said, unable to not smile alittle.
"Cheerful, compact and zippy?" Noi asked, tuckingthe food box in the boot. "Is thatwhat you're trying to tell me?"
"Fuel-efficient, can go for hours," Gav responded,blush competing with an ever-widening grin. But that faded to solemn consideration. "Want me to come back for you two? We're getting pretty well organised, and we've sworn off re-enacting Lord of the Flies. You can even have an exemption to the uniformrules."
"I'm waiting for my cousin," Madeleine said, andwas horrified to find tears suddenly pricking her eyes. "He was – I should wait a couple moredays."
"I'll stick with Madeleine," Noi said immediately. "It'll give me a chance to go throughthe kitchens here."
"Exchange numbers," Fisher ordered, sittingsideways on one of the front seats.
"And call us without delay if there is a need,"Nash added, his candy-cream voice rich with concern and reassurance.
It took only a few moments to bump phones and contact-passnumbers, Twitter handles, email addresses. Pan added a quick explanation of their school's location, perhapsfifteen minutes away by foot.
"All right now?" Noi asked, waving as Gav pulledhis apple-green chick magnet away from the curb.
"Yeah. Sorry – Ireally hero-worshipped my cousin when I was a kid, and I...just wish Iknew."
Noi was silent and, aware of inadvertently prodding a wound,Madeleine turned and surveyed the long building jutting out into the bay. She wasn't quite sure why Noi had stayed withher, and, as usual, she had an overwhelming desire to find some space toherself and draw. But Noi and herreasons for being there brought forth a competing impulse.
"How many apartments are there on this wharf?"
"Not a clue. Afew hundred, I guess."
"If around a quarter of that school survived, there mustbe other people here. Probably Greenswho can't get about yet."
"Probably."
"Is there some kind of security office which would havekeys?"
The shorter girl stared at the enormity of the wharf, thenlet out her breath and resurrected her wry smile. "Never pictured myself as a ministeringangel. But I'm game if you are."
"Last thing I want to do," Madeleine said. "We'd better get started."
Chapter Five
"Science Boy must live on this site," Noi said, asMadeleine fumbled with keys. The girlwaved the tablet computer she'd brought along. "No wonder he fell down – no sleep."
"Did you find what's the best thing for Greens?"
"I found a big argument over it." Noi fell silent as Madeleine slotted one ofthe master keys into the lock and turned. The door opened an inch, then caught on a chain as sound spilled out: atelevision, the now-familiar voice of an Australian Broadcasting Corporationpresenter based in Canberra. And asmell.
"Should we knock again?"
"Not if you want to get through this entire buildingthis century. Watch out." After the Building Manager's office, they'dtaken a side-trip to a maintenance room in the garage for, as Noi put it, aMinistering Angel Toolkit. This includedan upright, three-shelf trolley they'd stacked with food, and a red and blackpair of bolt cutters, which nipped through the chain effortlessly.
Madeleine pushed the door open, but neither of them made anymove. The full impact of the smell wasenough to guess what was inside.
"We're going to have to check," Noi said. "If we're doing this properly."
Before Madeleine could say anything the girl lifted her chinand walked into the apartment. Madeleinefollowed, calling out "Hello?" in case the smell hadn't told thewhole story.
Two people were on the couch, sitting snugged togetherbeneath a blanket, one man's head resting on the other's shoulder. They looked to have been in their fifties or sixties,and Madeleine could almost think them peacefully asleep if not for the waxypallor, and the single fly which had found its way into the apartment, to spinjoyfully in the corner of the smaller man's mouth.
Gulping, and then trying not to breathe, Madeleine lookedaway and found Noi opening the nearest door.
"Look in all the rooms, check the hot plates, turn offany ru
"Hot plates?"
"Kitchen rules," Noi replied, shrugging. "But it's worth thinking fireprevention."
Madeleine moved to obey, finding no active hot plates, noru
"Wait."
The TV showed a van crammed full of people and personal belongingsdriving toward a roadblock. The thin humof the engine dropped, then picked up again. Then a tinkle, breaking glass, and the van screeched to a stop. Little chopped-off noises followed as ithastily reversed, turned, and accelerated away, one headlight punched out.
"Where is that?" Madeleine asked. "That's not here, is it?"
"That's everywhere," Noi flicked the powerswitch. "Come on."
Madeleine wanted to protest that Australians wouldn't dothat, but couldn't. She followed Noi outand closed the door as the shorter girl wrote "D2" on a diagram she'dfound in the building manager's office.
"I guess so long as we stay in the city centre we won'thave to worry about that," Madeleine. "Everyone here would have to already be infected. Teaming up with that school is probably stilla good idea, though."