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Jason lay on his back with his eyes closed in a vain effort to fall back to sleep. How many days had it been? He counted slowly back. Three days. No make that four. For four days, he'd been lying on a hard, cold, cement floor, unable to stand, walk around or do anything but eat, sleep, and twice a day relieve himself in a pot provided for that purpose. On a few rare occasions, he'd had a brief conversation with Seattle. Evidently, she had spread the word that no one else was to talk to him; including Tinker, although Jason had caught the boy in the floppy hat staring at him from a safe distance.
His new lifestyle sucked, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what to do about it. His one remaining hope was Mu-Monk. Jason hadn't seen his little companion since the small monkey had disappeared just before the four men jumped him. If Mu-Monk had been able to make his way back to Casey's or Emerald Eyes' apartment, then someone on the surface would know something had happened to his owner. The question that haunted Jason's late nights of insomnia: would anyone care enough about the cocky gambler to do anything about it?
People in the Gambling Zone and everywhere else were private and stand-offish, rarely taking any real interest in anyone else's life. Jason smiled as he realized he was the same way. Would I go out of my way to find Emerald Eyes, or Casey, or any of the other dozens of people who he casually called friends? Maybe, but probably not. It just wasn't done. Everyone was on their own. That's just the way it was. People didn't interfere with other people's business, so why would anyone bother to come looking for him? The question troubled him.
Jason started to turn on his left side in an attempt to get more comfortable. Already, in just four days, sores were popping up on various pressure points on his back and sides. The trick was to find the position with the least amount of pain. It was the only challenge left in his life. As he turned his head to make a move, he felt something brush up against his earring. He opened his eyes in time to find Tinker scampering away.
"Hey, Tink, what's happening? Don't run away. I was just rolling over," Jason said, shocked by the pleading sound of his voice, and even more surprised how pleased he felt when the boy stopped in his tracks and turned around, once again safely outside Jason's reach but close enough to talk.
"Been on any good outings lately?" Jason asked, then chastised himself for asking such a stupid question.
Tinker hesitated as he glanced around to be sure no one was watching. Finally satisfied that everyone was still asleep except the person on watch who hadn't noticed him, he returned his gaze to Jason.
"Not really."
Great. Think of something, J. J., my boy. This kid may be your only hope of getting out of here or at least helping keep you from going insane while being held captive.
"You have an unusual family," Jason said. Damn, another dumb statement. He'll probably think I'm insulting his clan and will run and snitch to Seattle. But Tinker didn't run away, nor did he say anything, only shrugged again. Shrugging seems to be a family trait, Jason thought as he felt the sweat bead on his forehead despite the cool temperature. Somehow he had to get on the kid's good side, but how? Jason realized he hadn't tried to carry on a conversation with a kid in...well, ever. At least not since he was one himself. The only kids he ever saw were either gambling their newly allotted life-credits or were panhandling for the Church. Then he remembered Celeste. She was a kid at first, and they'd gotten along okay. But how?
Just be yourself, the thought popped into his awareness. Find out what this kid is interested in. Then it came to him what Tinker was interested in. He was interested in Jason. Why else would he be hanging around and risk being caught by Seattle? What did he find so interesting about him? Jason found himself shrugging.
"What were you looking at a few minutes ago, Tinker? Was it my clothes, my hair, what?"
Tinker frowned at the question and looked as though he was about to run off. Jason held his breath. Finally, the boy pointed to Jason's right ear.
"My ear? What's so interesting...oh, my earring," Jason exclaimed in a loud whisper, resulting in a couple of the lumps around him stirring as Tinker turned around, ready to bolt into the darkness.
"Shhh, it's okay, Tinker," Jason whispered, cursing himself for his stupidity. The two of them didn't move or speak for several minutes, waiting for the forms around them to settle down again.
As Jason waited, he continued to study the boy, suddenly realizing Tinker's interest in his earring. Tinker didn't have one. Did anyone in Seattle's family? He hadn't really noticed, but now that he thought about it, he couldn't remember seeing one. He remembered how on first seeing Seattle he'd thought she had short hair because it had been pulled back in a braid. Jason closed his eyes to bring the image back to him and was surprised how vivid the memory was. Apparently, she'd made a strong initial impression. More importantly, he was certain she wore no adornment on either ear. How about Wompun and Cinder? Cinder's hair had covered her ears so he couldn't be sure about her but he was pretty sure Wompun hadn't had an earring either.
Funny, everyone on the surface was required by law as well as by religious custom to wear an earring. They were so much of everyone's appearance that it simply blended in. But as far as he could tell, no one in the family wore one. That made sense. Children received their earrings in the first week or two of life while they were in their assigned Ward as a form of permanent identification as well as a sign that they'd been blessed by Holy Mother Church. But these kids had never been in a Ward. If they were, in fact, illegitimate, as Jason suspected, then there'd been no time to receive an earring.
"You like my earring?" Jason whispered when it was apparent everyone had fallen back to sleep.
Tinker shrugged again.
"What do you find interesting about it?" Jason persisted. Getting answers from Tinker was like digging through bedrock with a spoon.
Still, Tinker didn't say anything for several seconds. Jason had just about decided he wasn't going to answer when Tinker blurted out, "It's different."
Different? Different from what? Certainly not different from Tinker's since he didn't have one.
"I don't understand, Tink. Different from what?"
"Different from everyone else's," Tinker replied.
Wow, Jason thought. Four whole words—almost a complete sentence. The kid was becoming a real gabber. But what did he mean my earring is different from everyone else's? How would the kid from the Pipes even know what other people's earrings were like?
"How's it different?"
Tinker shrugged once more. Seriously? Another shrug. If the kid shrugs one more time, I will return to my original plan to eat him.
"It doesn't work," Tinker added a moment later.
What does he mean, it doesn't work? It's not supposed to work. It's just a charm, at most a form of ID and a convenient way to keep track of his life chip balance. It's not designed to do anything. Jason's patience was running thin, so he took a deep breath. Remember, this kid is about the only one around who will talk to me. Well, at least shrug at me. So what if nothing he says make sense, and it takes him forever to say it?
Just as Jason was about to ask Tinker to explain, one of the sleeping forms near Tinker stirred. Tinker glanced at the form, his eyes growing wide with fear, glanced back at Jason for a second, then disappeared into the night.
Damn, Jason thought. Just as the conversation was getting interesting. He reached up and toyed with the gold ornament that had been a part of him for as long as he could remember. He felt the smooth areas and the rougher areas of the etchings. He'd never given the earring a second thought. It was as much a part of him as a hand or leg. Everyone wore one. You couldn't even travel through the public transportation system without an earring.
It doesn't work. That's what Tinker had said, but what did it mean? Jason rolled over on his other side, wincing in pain when he hit one of the sore spots. He tried to fall asleep, but Tinker's words kept bouncing around in his mind. The next few hours were even more restless than usual.
––––––––
THE NEXT MORNING, IF indeed the time everyone woke coincided with morning on the surface, Jason found himself in a grumpy mood. His pressure sores hurt more than usual, he'd tossed and turned for most of the night, and he was no closer to understanding what Tinker had meant.
When Seattle approached with his cup of water and a bowl of stew, Jason decided it was time to let her know what he thought about being a part of her family.
"Good morn," Seattle said with a smile as she stood behind the line and handed him his cup and bowl. Jason took them from her but didn't return her salutation. Instead, he put his breakfast down beside him and rattled the chains.
"How long do you intend to keep me locked up like a damn animal?"
Seattle's smile evaporated. "My, didn't we wake up grouchy this morning?"
"I don't know how you woke up, but I awoke chained to a cement floor, unable to stand, unable to sleep because of sores covering every part of my body that comes in contact with the floor. No one will talk to me. No one will give me any answers. It looks like I'm doomed to a life of being some nutty woman's pet. Well, I won't stand for it. I just won't," Jason shouted. He felt everyone's gaze turn in his direction.
Seattle continued to stand behind the line, her hands on her hips, a smile slowly reforming on her lips.
"And what do you intend to do about it?" she replied.
Well, that's cutting to the nitty gritty, Jason thought, realizing she was right. There was nothing he could do. If this pack of illegitimate humans wanted to, they could keep him here under the worst of conditions for the rest of his life. He was completely under their control, or at least under Seattle's control. Throwing a temper tantrum about it wasn't going to work. He decided to try a different strategy.
"Seattle, listen. There must be a better way. I know you weren't expecting me in your life and making a visit to the Pipes wasn't on my agenda either. I don't have anything against you or your kids. I think it's great you've found a way to live down here free of the Patriarchy. I promise I'll never say a word about you to anyone. Hell, I don't think anyone would believe me, anyway. I could even help you back on the surface. I've done well through the years with my gambling. If it's worth-credits you need, I can get them. If it's life-credits, no problem...well, I guess you aren't really concerned with those, are you? My point is, I can be more helpful to you up there than I can be chained down here just eating your food and drinking your water."
Seattle laughed. "Well, you're right about not needing life-credits since we're not in the Patriarchy's system. As far as anyone on the surface knows, we don't exist, except as an urban myth. We like it that way. As long as we don't exist, we're safe and free. As far as I'm concerned, that's the only way to live."
Jason paused to consider what she'd said and realized she was right. As far as the Patriarchy or the ULC were concerned, her family didn't exist. All this time, he'd thought about how terrible it must be to have to hide out here on the fringes of society scrounging around for everything they needed to get by, never realizing that they had chosen this way of life. But he hadn't chosen to live this way. He decided to try once more.
"Okay, Seattle. Let me ask you this. What are you planning to do with me, keep me chained to this floor for the next twenty or thirty years until I wither away, a decrepit old man? What kind of lesson will that be for your kids?"
Seattle's smile faded.
Ah-ha, Jason thought. I've found her soft spot. This militant broad does have a chink in her armor after all—her kids.
"Listen, I'm not asking for much," he continued to drive his advantage home. "Maybe a little bedding, a longer chain so I can stand up and walk around. Give me something useful to do—something, anything. The main point, don't have your kids be a part of treating another person so inhumanely. It'll mar them for life."
As he spoke, Jason realized he'd never stopped to think about how humans treated other humans. That's just the way life was, right? How about the millions of people on the surface? How were they being treated by the Patriarchy? In some ways, it was no better. Well, not much, he thought.
Finally, Seattle spoke. "Okay, I'll consider your points and see what I can do to make you more comfortable, but I warn you. If you try to escape or in any way harm any of the children, you won't have to worry about pressure sores or anything else. I'll make it short and sweet. All your troubles will be gone, and one of my biggest headaches will be resolved. Is that clear?"
Jason nodded.