Page 94 of The Bone Season

Julian nodded. ‘So that’s how some people have been here longer than ten years.’

‘Aye, even if their numbers say otherwise.’

Liss paused to cough from her chest. Julian and I gave her worried looks.

‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘There’s yet another cold in the Rookery.’

‘Here.’ I offered my canteen. ‘I got it from Duckett.’

‘Oh, thank you.’

Julian held the lantern for her. ‘If you were a late arrival, how are you number 1?’

‘The original 1 was dead by the time I arrived. Gomeisa gave me her number.’ Liss drank. ‘Since things were back under control, the support Vigiles were transferred to a new outpost, Winterbrook.’

‘Nashira must have been rattled, to shake things up that badly.’ I pocketed my hands. ‘Liss, did you ever hear about any Rephs being involved in that rebellion?’

She frowned. ‘What makes you ask that?’

‘David heard a rumour. It might explain why she came down so hard on the rebellion.’

‘I’ve not heard that myself. Why would they revolt against their own?’

I had wondered the same.

‘I think she just wanted to wipe the slate clean,’ Liss said. ‘I don’t know how future Bone Seasons will look, but yours was smaller than we expected.’

I exchanged a glance with Julian.

From what I could sense, about three hundred of us were imprisoned here. In contrast, there were between thirty and sixty Rephs at any given time. Some only visited for a few days before leaving.

I wasn’t fool enough to think our numbers would even the odds, but our Bone Seasonhadbeen small, considering how many people must have been killed on Novembertide. Even with Gallows Wood shrinking it, Oxford was too big for this skeleton army.

The Rephs were holding on to the bare minimum of humans. Just enough of us to keep the city running. I didn’t know exactly what that meant, but it was interesting.

Gallows Wood was made up of thick Scots pines and knotted oaks, interspersed with birch and horse chestnut. Liss lit two oil lamps for me and Julian, then pulled on a pair of mittens and unhooked a pair of blunt clippers from her belt.

While she tackled a jumble of nettles, I went up to the trees and plucked moss from a trunk. This was the closest I had ever been to the forest that surrounded our prison. It looked unremarkable, but I could have sworn the night was colder at its edge.

There had been a few sirens over the last few weeks. Each time, by a stroke of luck, I had already been in Magdalen.

‘I need chickweed, if you see any,’ Liss called. ‘Do you know it?’ I nodded. ‘I wish I could get willow bark. It’s so good for headaches.’

Julian picked a few dandelion leaves. ‘Why can’t you now?’

‘A cold spot formed near the old willow. I can’t risk it.’ Seeing our confusion, she said, ‘I’d better let Warden and Aludra tell you about that.’

I brought her the moss. ‘If Warden ever deigns to speak to me again.’

Liss took it. ‘Did something happen?’

I almost told her. It would feel good to betray him, but a secret like this could be dangerous. Better not to involve Liss and Julian, for now.

‘No,’ I said. ‘He’s just a dryshite.’

Julian grinned, while Liss laughed herself into a coughing fit. It was so unexpected that I smiled, too. I had rarely seen her cut loose before then.

We stayed there for a while, looking for hedge garlic and bittercress. I sniffed every leaf, hoping to find the herb in the green pill.

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