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There were very fine, very intricate tattoo swirls beneath both ears and disappearing down under the collar of his coat

"Who are you?" Jazz asked

"We ask the questions down 'ere," Stevie Sharpe said "In fact, you don't even talk Not a word This is our place, and the walls hear only our words"

Mr F pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow "Don't you think, irl's story before we start iirl said

"She could be, Faith But weren't you trouble as hen I found you?"

Faith shrugged, still staring at Jazz "Suppose"

"First thing I wanna know is how she found us," Stevie said

Cadge re her down Jazz could sense that he was tensed and ready tofoolish

"I really need to piss," Jazz said

Mr F frowned "We don't swear and curse down here, young lady Avoid vulgarity, please"

"Right Pee"

Mr F regarded her for a while, expression unchanging

"She does look a bit desperate," a short, chubby boy said

"Hmm" The tall man squatted and turned his head so that Jazz could see hih to take her to the loo?"

"No probleently, so that he didn't hurt her

Jazz sat up slowly, shifting her foot to test whether she had feeling back in her leg It seeain in front of these people So she waited awhile, looking around, trying not to appear as confused and frightened as she felt

"My name's Harry," Mr F said "And nobody here will hurt you" Jazz believed hi about his voice that made her suspect that she would believe it if he told her black hite It was sht, and the thought surprised her She looked down at the ground and stood, rubbing away a tear as she did so

Facing the the suspicion co off them in waves, she realized that there was no reason at all to lie

"My mum's dead," she said "She wasfor e, but the kids around him all reacted in some way

"Then you're lost too, just like us," Harry said

Lost, Jazz thought Can it really be this easy?

Hattie led her to the loos There was a narrow opening in the end wall of the tunnel, the sahts The walls were bare brick fes-tooned with cables and spiderwebs, the concrete floor damp from several leaks that looked decades old As they walked past a rooht, Jazz felt a draft that could only have coht froh for her to see several clothes-lines hung with drying laundry and an ironing board

Hattie noticed her looking and laughed softly "What, didn't think a bunch of tunnel rats would want clean clothes?"

"No," Jazz said, not wanting to offend Then she shrugged "The iron surprises s neat and tidy," Hattie said "A bit of cleanup eent on another dozen feet before opening into a large round room Jazz knew this place had been built as a bomb shelter but still found the charound At its center stood three roughly plumbed basins On one end were two curtained shower stalls, and on the other there were four toilet cubi-cles The roo that, the stench of old bleach

"Best we can offer," Hattie said "'Spect you're used to bidets and people handing you the toilet roll"

"No," Jazz said "Not at all" She went into one of the cubicles and peed, notoutside

"Sorry about your" Hattie said, unable to continue the sentence

Jazz could not reply She looked at the floor between her feet, reaching for small talk "Is Hattie your real name?" she asked at last

"No But I like hats, so Hattie it is What's your name?"

"Jazz" She realized that none of thee Surely a na anyone asked?

"Ha! You like ht," Hattie said, and Jazz could hear the suess"

Jazz finished and flushed the loo A trap vented into a flowing sewer, then slaain

"You'll want to use the spray," Hattie said, and Jazz noticed the cans on a shelf above her She sprayed the air around her, trying to screw her nose up against the stench

"That is fucking foul," she said

"Hey," Hattie said, "Harry meant it We don't swear down here" The ade

"So who are you all?" Jazz asked, stepping fro to wash her hands The water wouldn't get hot, and she shivered as she thought how cold the showers do smile But none came