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The day after Maire takes ht to the deeph the stalls, listening to the air vendors, the ones who sell shots of pure, heady air flavored with scents and spices

Iattention to how each vendor sounds and to what they’re saying, wondering who to choose I finda placard that says: ENNIO, AIR MERCHANT Ennio is a slight young man, full of movement When he sees me, he holds up a small canister "Our most popular scent," he says "Lavender It’s restful, if you’re having trouble sleeping"

I shake my head at him "I need more air than that," I say "Plain air"

I don’t know if I’ht words--will Ennio knohat I’? He does His eyes shutter, and his voice becoone and that lets ht track

"No," he says "No I don’t sell that kind My air is for people ant to stay co to irl? Because he doesn’t like the sound ofin my way "How much would plain air cost, if someone were to sell that kind?" I press "A tank of it, pressurized? Can you tell me that, at least?"

I think he won’t answer, but he does "A thousand at best," he says, "and there’s no guarantee that you’re even getting what you pay for You ht have an eood because it hasn’t been pressurized correctly And you won’t live long enough to take o up on their own, and there are those who don’tfrom the stupidity of others But no one’s ever made it Above unless the Council’s taken them up"

A thousand coin Almost twice the amount Bay leftme "The Council likes to knoho asks these kinds of questions"

"There’s no need," I say "I wouldn’t try it I wanted to knoas possible"

"Going Above isn’t possible," Ennio says "You’re young Don’t throw everything away" I nod and do rined

He’s no siren He told e my mind

Aldo has pinned up the brackets in the usual place on the wall of thelanes I’ of excite to do with my body I’ve been restless since Bay left and I stopped swi to do--I have to get strong enough to swiet around the h coin to buy an air tank to take with me I don’t think Ennio will refuse to sell to me if I shoith a thousand coin in hand And the way he spoke about the air and the sellers tells me that he, at least, attempts to sell air that ork

But I don’t see my last naain and turn around to see Aldo walking in my direction He shakes his head

"They said no," he tells ets close "Neither the bettors nor the other racers illing for you to take her place"

"Why not?" I ask "Didn’t you tell the?"

"Yes," Aldo says, "and they know it anyway froether But you didn’t earn her place Bay did, and she’s gone"

I suppose I can understand this Although I’ve seen Bay and myself as two halves of the saht not feel that way "All right," I say "I’ll start at the bottom In the low brackets"