Page 37 of The Bone Season

‘Good ear.’

‘What brought you to London?’

‘Just looking for a job. Scion mostly uses the north for heavy industry. It’s dangerous work – mining, weapons manufacturing, shipbuilding, that sort of thing. Not sure if this is better or worse.’

Tilda took another puff. She had the dab hand of a courtier – someone who used purple aster on the regular. I had never seen anyone tolerate it this well.

‘My keeper gave me some pills,’ I said. ‘Did you get them, too?’

Tilda nodded. ‘The little white one is a contraceptive. It will stop your period.’

Now I wished I had taken it. Mine was due in a few days, and having to cast about for tampons was all I needed.

‘Okay,’ I said. ‘The red one?’

‘That’s a food supplement.’

‘And the green one?’

Tilda shook her head. ‘You’ve lost me. I didn’t get a third pill.’

My stomach clenched.

‘If you bring it to me, I can have a look,’ Tilda said. ‘I can’t promise I’ll know it, but I might be able to give you an idea.’

‘Thanks,’ I said. ‘I will.’ She was about to take another drag when I spoke again: ‘You went with Carl at the oration, didn’t you?’

‘I don’t associate with him. He’s already turned nose,’ Tilda told me, her face tight. ‘That palmist, Ivy – with the blue hair?’ I nodded. ‘He saw her sneaking out after curfew and dobbed her in, the little scab. You should see what her keeper did to her.’

‘Who is her keeper?’

‘Thuban Sargas. He scares the shit out of me,’ she said. ‘Ivy picked a lock and hightailed it, apparently. Our residences are right across from each other. Carl spied her going down Grove Lane.’

‘What, and told your keeper?’

‘Terebell wasn’t there. He ran to the day porter, and she ran to the staff at Corpus. Absolute scum, the pair of them.’ Tilda blew out smoke. ‘Ivy didn’t hide in time. Thuban brought her back.’

‘Did he hurt her?’

‘He beat her and shaved her head,’ Tilda said. ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ Her lips thinned. ‘If that’s the price of surviving here, send me to the æther. I’ll go quietly.’

Rain pattered on the shelter above us, dripping near our booted feet.

Ivy was either brave or desperate, to have made a play for escape this early. I had to wonder what had been going through her head.

‘When we arrived at the Detainment Facility, I was sitting with someone in that holding cell,’ I said. ‘Do you know where he went?’

Tilda tilted her head. ‘The bald guy?’

‘That’s him.’

‘Yeah, he’s at Trinity. The main entrance is on the Broad, but if you go down Parks Road, you’ll be able to see the gardens,’ she said. ‘A few people were training out there yesterday.’

‘Thanks.’ I stood. ‘I’ll bring you that pill, if you don’t mind.’

‘Yeah, any time.’

I left her to light up again. Before I headed off, I returned the bowl and spoon to the performer.

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