CHAPTER 10

The leader of the okrana, a man named Ivo, stood in the doorway. Or, more accurately, he dominated the doorway. His shoulders were so wide that they left only a few inches of space on either side. Marin recoiled. She’d always found him menacing. As a little girl, she remembered staring at the pockmarks along his chin and throat, wondering why his face was so badly scarred.

At the moment, Ivo was deep in conversation with Anton, who was a full head shorter. It took several seconds before Ivo realized that Marin was there. When he did, he stared at her probingly.

“Is this her?” Ivo asked. His black wool sweater was caked with mud and torn at the elbows.

“Yes,” replied Anton, placing an arm protectively around his daughter’s shoulders. “This is my daughter, Marin.”

“I will ask her a few questions.”

“Of course.” Anton sounded amenable enough, but he was studying Ivo intensely.

Ivo cleared his throat. “Alone—if you please.”

Marin’s father frowned, but he clearly couldn’t think of a suitable reason to object. He glanced inside and saw Tarae waiting in the foyer, biting a fingernail.

“It won’t take long,” said Ivo.

Marin walked past her father, shrugged at him as if this were a perfectly normal situation, and then closed the front door behind her. She stood alone on the doorstep with Ivo. In the distance, more okrana with wick torches waited by the edge of the woods.

“You know that the ships have arrived?” asked Ivo.

“Yes, I saw them.” Marin shivered. It was no longer possible to be outside without a sweater, and she had left hers inside.

“So you know that we are pressed for time,” he said.

Marin nodded.

Ivo stared flatly into her eyes. “I am glad you understand.” He paused. “There is a problem. Quite serious.”

“What is it?”

“A boy has gone missing,” said Ivo. “He disappeared, probably within the last twelve hours.”

“Disappeared?”

“Yes,” said Ivo. He looked at her expectantly.

“I’m sorry,” said Marin. “But I don’t see how . . . I mean what does this have to do with me?”

“You know the boy.”

“Who is he?”

“Line.”

Marin took a step back. She felt a cry building in her chest, but quickly suppressed it. Where could he be?

“You do know him—correct?” asked Ivo.

Marin nodded.

“How?”

“He’s my friend,” she replied. Her voice felt pinched, as if someone were taking her vocal cords and squeezing them.

“More than a friend, yes?” pressed Ivo.

Blood rushed to her cheeks. “Does it matter?”

“If I am asking, it matters.”

“M-more than a friend,” she stammered.

Ivo nodded with satisfaction. “When did you see him last?”

“Yesterday,” she quickly replied, thinking that the speed of her response might prevent follow-up questions.

Ivo leaned closer. He had a strong, almost animal-like scent. “When yesterday—what time?”

“Just before midnight, I guess.” Marin imagined her mother’s shocked face.

“Don’t guess,” snapped Ivo. “Be certain.”

“A quarter to midnight.”

Ivo nodded and rubbed a hand across his chin.

“What were you doing at his house?”

Marin forced herself to hold his gaze. “The envelopes came. I was helping him get ready. He put his brother to bed and fell asleep. I was downstairs, cleaning, and let myself out.”

“Was anybody else with you?”

“No,” said Marin in a low voice. She heard her parents whispering behind the door, but neither intervened.

“Did Line mention plans to go anywhere?” Ivo asked.

She paused, recalling more of their conversation. “He did mention something about gathering mushrooms in the woods, maybe searching for lekar.”

Ivo glanced at an old brass timepiece that hung from a chain attached to his jacket pocket. “It’s now three in the afternoon,” he announced. He paused to clear his throat and spit on the ground. “The boy’s brother showed up at the neighbor’s house upon waking and reported him missing. That was over seven hours ago. Do you believe he is still picking mushrooms?”

“I don’t think so,” said Marin tentatively. She felt sick to her stomach. What the hell was Line thinking—running off now? “I doubt it.”

“Did he seem upset? Angry?”

Marin shook her head.

“Is there anything else you’re not telling me—anything at all?”

“No,” she replied.

Ivo took a step closer. He was so close that, when she looked up at him, she could see the stubble growing along the many tiny indentations on his pockmarked face. “There is precious little time left to find this boy. And if we leave without him, may God help him and may God have mercy on our wretched souls.” His voice became a snarl. “Now think hard, girl. Do you have any idea where he might be?”

Marin struggled to remain calm. She did not want to break down in front of this man.

“I don’t know where he is,” said Marin. “I don’t.”

Ivo glared at her for several seconds, then stalked into the darkness. Marin watched as the distant torches of the okrana moved along the edge of the forest.

The door opened. “What did they want?” demanded Tarae. Anton stood just behind her. Marin could tell that they had both overheard everything.

“It’s Line,” said Marin. Her body was beginning to shake. “He’s missing. They thought I might know where he was.”

“Do you?” asked Tarae. She moved in closer, forcing Marin to meet her eyes.

Marin shook her head. “No.” But her mind was less certain—Do I know where he is? Random conversations with Line began floating through her mind. Was she overlooking some clue, some suggestion?

“Are you sure?” her mother asked. “Think, child. Nightfall is here, and instead of preparing, you’re spending time with that boy. In his house—alone!”

“All right, all right,” said Anton, stepping between them. “There is time later to discuss these matters. On the boats. For now, I will check on Line’s brother.” He addressed Marin in a voice that brooked no opposition. “Stay here. Help your mother and Kana finish our packing. Understand?”

Marin nodded.

Tarae took Marin’s arm and, in a calmer voice, said, “Come along. Everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

“I should go look for Line,” said Marin. She pressed her fingernails into her palms, fighting to keep her panic under control.

“No,” said her mother firmly. “The okrana will find Line. In the meantime, there’s still work to be done. I need you and Kana to return a box to Deep Well.”