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Madeleine shivered at the mere idea, and looked around atworn, shadow-eyed faces. Some of themhad tried to sleep during the gap between the challenge a
"Right." Noidumped her food bag on the nearest work surface. "Iced Blues it is. But first snacks, hot showers, a warm meal,and then we'll see what we can do about making a freezer habitable.
ooOoo
An elbow to her ribs. Madeleine started awake, and came close to falling off the edge of thetriple-stack of mattresses set in the centre of the refrigerator. Emily, beside her, shifted and groaned untilNoi, on her far side, turned to rub the girl's arm.
"She's trying so hard," Noi murmured. "She's not even thirteen-going-on-fourteen,has only just stopped being twelve. Idon't know how to convince her that she's allowed to be overwhelmed andfrightened sometimes. Just like the restof us."
Madeleine blinked in the orange glow of the emergency exitbutton. "I spend half of each daybeing overwhelmed. What's thetime?"
"Ten minutes till midnight. How's your breathing? Feeling headachy? Stifled?"
"I feel like I'm in a refrigerator," Madeleinesaid, tucking the quilt back under her side, then contemplating the metalceiling. "I guess it worked,then."
"Yeah, looks like Science Boy was right. I had my doubts, I admit it."
"I think he did too," Madeleine said, rememberingFisher's expression as he asked for her promise.
"Twenty minutes before we get to check what's going on. Distract me by describing exactly what you'regoing to do to Science Boy first opportunity you get."
"I think I'll leave that to your imagination." Madeleine's own imagination caught her up,and she paused to enjoy it before adding: "The rooms in this placeare–"
"Yeah. Lap ofluxury, fallen into it. And did you seethe big room half done up in decorations? We'll be able to use them for Pan's party."
"Much as I liked that apartment, there are some definiteadvantages to this move. And we haveenough food to last us maybe for the rest of the year."
"Pity we'll be leaving it behind." At Madeleine's confused look, Noi continued:"Once the fuss from this hunt dies down, we really need to get out of thiscity. No matter the problems we'll havedealing with the uninfected, it's clear that you – all of us really, but youparticularly – are way too interesting to the Moths. We need to get out of dragon range."
"But can we do that without anyone helpfully pointing meout while I'm still within reach?"
"If Nash's sister has come through, then the Moths willhave been flooded with sightings – a few more won't hurt. Though a judicious makeover is probably agood idea. A tub of peroxide should dentyour serious arty girl look."
Emily's voice rose, small but defiant: "How can we fightif we run away?"
Noi blinked as the girl turned to her, then said:"Leaving doesn't stop us from returning. To fight, we need to both learn to confidently control all these fancynew powers, and come up with a plan. Getting out of the city will buy us the time and freedom to dothat."
"If we leave, we won't come back." Emily spoke with a furious certainty. "We'll be like the rest of them, cowardswaiting two years for it to be safe again. Don't you want to make the Moths pay?"
"You know I do." Noi was a rock against the tide of Emily's anger. "I want it enough to not run shouting atthem before I'm ready. They've takeneverything that was precious to me away, and I will find a way to hurt them forthat. I know you miss your family,Mil–"
"No!" Theirmounded quilts were pulled away as Emily sat up, her slender body rigid withever-increasing anger. "I don'tmiss them! You think they're dead, don'tyou?"
After a swift, astonished glance at each other, Noi andMadeleine struggled into sitting positions. Noi reached out, hesitated, then changed direction to take Emily'sgloved hands in her own.
"I did," she said. "They're not?"
"They left." Two words and a world of emotion. "When the dust started, they went straight to my brothers' schooland then out of the city. I couldn'teven get home – a girl from school took me to her house. My parents are the worst people in theworld."
The tears came, bringing with them violent, wrenching sobs,and Madeleine and Noi could only clasp Emily between them until the storm hadeased.
"Emily." Madeleine shied away from asking if the girl's parents even knew she wasalive. "You know that, whateverhappens, we won't leave you behind. We'll come for you."
"No you won't." The words had an exhausted, bitter certainty. "I know it's all a lie, just play-actingto make each other feel better. TheMoths will get us one by one, just like they got Gavin, and we can't doanything at all."
"You're underestimating us there." Noi spoke with quiet assurance. "We know that we can fight. I'm sure we could hurt some of them. It's just a matter of hurting themeffectively which we've yet to figure out." She stroked Emily hair. "I think you're not being quite fair toyour parents as well."
"They left."
Noi took a deep breath. "Millie, when the dust came, my Dad was up at Kellyville, well awayfrom the cloud. He drove back in. The traffic was madness, people driving thewrong way down the roads, and it took him hours, but he got home. My Mum, and my No
"I guess maybe it helped Mum, him being there. And because he got sick later than the restof us, he was able to look after everyone, for a little while. And, with Mum and all his brothers and all ofour family gone, maybe he would have preferred to not have to be aroundafterwards. But me, I'd rather stillhave a Dad."
"Th-that's different."
"If you say so. And it's different again to get ourselves out of the reach of the Mothsuntil we can find a way to hurt them. Nor is it just play-acting to give it your best shot. And that's what we're going to do. I'm not going to guarantee that we'll win,but I promise you we'll try." Shepaused, studying the stubborn set of Emily's shoulders. "About time for breakfast, don't youthink? Ah, and check-in time – almostmissed it." She fished a tabletcomputer out of one of the bags set alongside the mattresses.
Keeping devices off was more about preserving battery lifethan the possibility of being tracked, but it still gave Madeleine an uneasyfeeling as Noi, complaining about the poor signal, slid off the bed and heldthe tablet toward the door.
"Pass me the thermos?" Madeleine said to Emily, andwas pleased to find the tea clinging to a lukewarm state. They set out a miniature feast as Noireported that the challenge was still underway.
"Next check-in time at seven," Noi said, returningto accept a cup. "Science Boy saysif it goes much past that we might have to risk opening the doors to try andcycle the air, and we're to keep alert for any headaches, muscle twitches, orturning new and original colours. Anything to report?"
"Just cold," Madeleine said, around an oatmealbiscuit. "I'd hate to be in Pan andNash's shoes."
While the Southern Sky had four restaurants, it had proven toown only three walk-in refrigerators, with both ground floor restaurantscatered out of the same kitchen. Fisherwas in the top floor restaurant's refrigerator, and Min in the one on theMezzanine level, while Pan and Nash were stuck with the biggest freezer at itswarmest temperature setting. Since thewarmest temperature setting of the refrigerator was still making Madeleine wishfor another hot shower, she hated to think how they were coping with the longnight.