The Dream Thief, Kari Kilgore [reading well TXT] 📗

than a quarter mile. No one else was out so late into the evening, and hardly anyone would come out that far anyway. Karl didn't like standing so close to that boundary, though he was a little less afraid after his experience with natural fog in the Northlands.

From barely three feet away, he could hear things in there. Things that did not sound remotely human.

"Will they be eaten?" he said, trying to keep his stomach under control.

"That's what I think will happen," Loretta said. She sounded like she knew more than she let on. "Even if they don't, no one's going to go in there looking for them."

Bill stared into the Fog. "The soldiers go in there to kill monsters, but I hear they never get all of them. Whatever's in there is probably hungry."

"Hopefully Rhysto won't make them sick," Loretta said, shuddering. "If you throw them in far enough, no one's going to see them even if the Fog recedes a little."

Loretta stood by the wagon for a few seconds, staring at the pilot and the girl. She darted forward and grabbed a knife with a solid black blade from somewhere near his waist. Their lanterns caught coppery flashes as she tucked it into her own belt.

After that signal no one realized they'd been waiting for, Karl grabbed Rhysto's shoulders while Bill got the feet. After a couple of swings, they launched the corpse out into the Fog. Karl guessed he went several feet.

The girl went quite a bit farther.

The noise level rose immediately.

Chapter 43

Karl met George for lunch in the crowded cafeteria the next day, wondering how he was going to ask yet another favor of his friend. Loretta and Gemma planning to arrive that same night didn't give him much choice, but he still had no idea how to bring it up.

"Spill it, Gilmore," George finally said. "Playing with food this bad only makes it worse."

"Okay, you asked for it. Can you get me out to that house? Sooner rather than later?"

George sat back and crossed his arms. "Everyone's in such a hurry to get into this place all of a sudden. Never would have expected that. I won't really have a chance until the weekend. Can your folks stay put until then? Stash their fine furniture and party clothes in one of the empty sheds by the docks?"

"They can," Karl said. "Not sure how long we'll be able to stand quarters as close as mine, but we'll have to manage. Is this something I can find myself?"

"Well sure, once I show you how to get out there. You never quite lost the habit of using the tunnels to get around, did you?"

Karl raised his eyebrows, not wanting to admit he'd already smuggled Loretta through them.

"I still use them," he said. "Do they go all the way out there?"

"Sure do. There's no other way to get where you're talking about. These are locked corridors though, and they're in even worse shape than the ones on this side. The ’sters never seem to get in, if that's what you're worried about."

Karl groaned. "I hadn't thought of that. Thanks, buddy. I was more worried about me or someone else getting lost under there and wandering around until they have to add us to the list of permanent residents."

"You've got a good memory," George said. "Too good for your own good. Think everyone else does, too?"

"I think one will stay at the house. The other probably has a better memory than I do. I appreciate your help, Georgie, I do. Are the tunnels sound enough to push a cart through?"

"Mostly. We'd have to pick it up in a few places. You need a cart all the time or just for moving day?"

"Just for moving day, I think," Karl said. "We'll have a bit of equipment to deal with. Nothing too big, but a lot of it."

"Making something special?"

Karl blinked, remembering something Loretta had said the night before. Gemma was working on his project now, not Loretta's. That must mean the new gyro-compass was ready.

He wouldn't be able to pretend Loretta didn't use people the way she did anymore, that her stealing didn't send people out here sometimes. People she used to keep her profit margins high. He shook his head.

"Just a bit of Tinkering to keep everyone busy," he said. "Listen, let me know what time you can make it out there. We'll all be raring to go after a few days together."

"Yeah, togetherness does that to me, too," George said. "With anyone. That's why it's best for everyone that I live alone."

Chapter 44

Loretta wished she could be as excited as her grandmother still was at the idea of using a shared bath, one they had to sneak around to use. Camping out here in Karl's rather spartan apartment hadn't sounded like much fun in the first place. The reality several days in was wearing on her nerves, and her patience, even more than she expected.

"Your turn in the bath, Gemma."

"Thank you, bobbin. I'll be as quick as a flash!"

Loretta watched Gemma open the door, look left and right with exaggerated care, then grin before she closed the door behind her. She sighed and walked into the bedroom.

"You're awake early," Karl said, stretching.

"We both needed our turn in the bath. Just as easy to do that early instead of late."

"None of this has been easy," he said. "George will be here in a couple of hours. We'll finally see if his idea of a hideout is better or worse than being cramped in here together."

"About that, Karl." Loretta sat beside him, enjoying how warm he still was from sleep when he put his arms around her. "How much does your friend know about all of this? Gemma has never been particularly good at keeping things to herself. If I have an idea what the secrets are, I might have a better chance at keeping them."

"He doesn't know much, honestly. He knows one of you has a