Page 41 (1/2)

"You stole a head of cabbage I just let you eat it," Crance replies with a shake of his head, but his flush betrays his pride

Shade doesn’t let hiht the tunnels, but there’s no light in his eyes "A sold"

I watch their back-and-forth with narrowed eyes and open ears, following the conversation like a ga their journey back froions alike And while they ht have formed a friendship in those weeks, it doesn’t see ure out exactly what the other wants I do the salorified thief, a profession I knoell enough The best part about thieves is you can trust them--to do their worst If our positions were reversed, and I was itive into the Stilts, would I turn them over for a few tetrarchs? For a feeeks of food or electricity rations? I rery days that seemed to have no end Sicknesses with easy cures, but no money to buy the medicine Even the bitter ache of si beautiful or useful sis in suchfrom people as desperate as I was To survive To keep us all alive It’s the justification I used back in the Stilts, when I took coins fro children

I don’t doubt that Crance would turn an if he could, because it’s what I would do Sell me to Maven for an exorbitant price But luckily, Crance is hopelessly outgunned He knows it, so he must maintain his smile For now

The tunnel curves doard and the Undertrain tracks end suddenly, where the space grows too narrow for a train to pass through It feels cooler the deeper we go, and the air presses in I try not to think about the weight of the earth above us Eventually, the walls become cracked and decrepit, and would probably collapse if not for the newly added supports Naked wooden bea up the tunnel ceiling, keeping us fro buried alive

"Where do we surface?" Cal says aloud, directing his question at anyone ill answer Distaste poisons every word The deeper tunnels have hie, just likethe royal residence in Harbor Bay But Crance cuts her off with a shake of his head

"Tunnel’s closed up," he gru’s orders Three days he’s been on the throne and he’s already a pain in my ass"

Froether A burst of anger brightens his fire, throwing a blaze of heat through the tunnel that the others pretend to ignore King’s orders Even when he isn’t trying, Maven thwarts our progress

Cal glances at his feet, stoic "Maven always hated the Hill" His words echo strangely off the walls, surrounding us in his memories "Too small for hi our figures I see Maven in every twisted shape, in every pool of darkness He told me once he was the shadow of the fla the shadow in host At least I’s At least Cal feels his me back to the mission at hand "We’ll have to circle around, and we’ll need a distraction outside the Security Center, if you canFrom the looks of it, the Security Center is directly connected to Cal’s old palace, or at least is part of the saood distance away We’ll have to scraet where we need to be, let alone slip inside Judging by the scowl on Cal’s face, he’s not looking forward to it

"Egan will oblige," Crance says, nodding at Farley’s request "He’ll help in any way he can Not that you’ll need rimaces kindly, still annoyed by the nickname "How familiar are you with the Reds of the Bay? Think a few na a bell?"

I have to biteatI want to do is tell Crance e’re looking for--especially because he’ll wonder why But Shade glances atthe names aloud Next to him, Crance does his best to keep his expression neutral, but his eyes gleaer to hear what I have to say