Captives of the Flame

ined again. These were the oldest structures in Toron. Thick with humanity and garbage, it reached from the waterfront to the border of the hive houses in which lived

ces, and the launch service that went out to the aquariums and h

ashore now, and that after passing their papers through the inspection of a row of officials who sat behind a wooden tab

front street, the noise was thunderous. Peddlers hawking, pushcarts trundling, the roar of

brown-red birthmark splashed over the left side of her face pushed among the new arrival

fine strong ones," she accosted a young man wh

y," he stammered, though co

nd aimed toward a man and woman who carried a bundle composed of a hoe, a rake, a shovel, and a baby. "A picture," she said, digging into her box, "of our i

palm-sized portrait of a vague young man with b

for it in person. Look at that noble face. It would be a real

s it?" the

sband

re," said Rara, "it's ver

aught the frown on the man's face. Sh

hand. "Here." He took the picture and handed it to his wife. As she l

touched, glanced at it long enough to see what it was, and said to the man she now faced. "I see you could certainly use a spool of fine

w shirt, and a bucket of gold." Suddenly he spat. "I've as much ch

pool of fine, s

om behind. "All right. Move on

whirling. "I've got my license righ

ddle in front of the immigr

r her shoulder as the officer forced her aw

dark-haired, barefoot boy broke from his place in line, ran to the wooden gate, and vaulted

officials stood up, waved their hands, shouted, then stood on their benches and shouted

ried to the corner, then melded with the h

ar

e said, joining a young girl who stood back from the c

what ha

ear, hunger, a little more fear, no work, more fear, and every last one of these poor s

ange combination of white hair, blue eyes, and skin that had tanned richly and quickly

im." A second surge of people rounded the corner. "Welcome to the New

all going to g

t. The lucky men will get into the army. But even that won'

ce came from halfway

tur

hat broke the fence d

does h

this afternoon I'd nev

ched, they saw that his eyes were water-green.

"What do you

mething to you." He was barefoot; his pants frayed into not

?" she asked, her voice d

ought out a rag of green flannel,

ns and yellows. Two had been rubbed down to pure mother-of-pearl, rubbed until their muted silver surface

ng but sea she

y're lovely," she told him. "Where did you get them?" They ranged in

fford to give him a centiunit, Alter. I hardly sold

ined. "I was hiding on the boat and I didn

Rara, her voice suddenly sharp.

" the bo

u want for them

ld it cost to get a mea

"Alter, come with me. This boy is going to talk you out

hells. "I've put holes in them already

said Alter, "you don't want money. You want fr

r a moment. "I come from the mainland coast. And I'm a fisherman's son. I thought when

rst of all you're

a good fi

say that there were a lot of jobs in the aquariums and the hydroponics ga

gged. "Well,

aid Alter. "Come

huf

we can get him some food. He can probably stay th

rawling with every shrimp in the Pot. And suppose he doesn't take a liking to him. Supp

e," said Alter. "

u can't find a kind word in your mouth for the old man when he threatens to

ase

eet, picked a shock of Alter's white h

e him. If Tel stowed away, that

ed with p

in her eyes. "You are not sup

get a job at the aquariums, even if they wanted him. So if Geryn thinks he can fit him into his crazy plan, Tel will c

t," snap

is it going to do? It's not a

nderstand,

if you want to keep going with

ut he needs someone who has no identification registered in the City. Now, if he thinks he can use you, you'll get free food and a place to sleep. He used to be the gardener on

go any further,"

rom him," said Alter. "

ne at all. Some people gave up; some only managed to get it in their heads that they had to work harder. I guess my father was like that. He figured if he worked enough, someone w

and with no mon

e that,"

sudden fit of maternal affection,

ed Tel, a

hand away. "Wh

," the boy said, rubbin

t? H

-he whippe

your own business. Anyway, I've never known anyone yet to do something for one

Or maybe I'd even give them my shells, and they would get the papers for me. But the guy ahead of me had a mistake in his. Some date was wrong, and they said they were going to send him back to the mainland and that he cou

were out of order, too. Or f

cynic, A

ractical

distant behind the wealthy roofs of merchants' mansions, themselves behind the hive houses and th

ould not pass through them with arms held out; the second, of the spreading, immense endlessness of the city. He tried to tell Alter w

pepper rocks, shoaling away and knobbed with periwinkle shells. He could see the brown and green fingers of seaweed clutching the sand when the waves went

rpreted. "No, boy," she said. "It'l

ed sharply twic

d Alter. "H

y stone building on the block. It was two stories, t

all was a counter. There was a large table in the middle,

was sitting, spraddle-legged, at the table. He had a long, flat, equine face, and a triplex of scars started on his cheek, veered down to hi

king out in all directions. Reaching the bottom, he whirled around, darting black eyes to every person i

ed to Tel, "T

e old man demanded. "

d Tel, Alter, and Rara. "You!" he demanded. His pointing fing

asked Alter, p

y. "What are you doing

ir," s

The black eyes were two sharp spots of darkness in a fac

He's from the mainland. And Geryn, he doesn

spy?" Geryn

," Tel r

you." He laughed. Then the laugh stopped short as if sliced by a razor. He put his hands over his eyes, and then brought his finger down slowly. "I'm tired," he said. "Rara, y

d again. Tel l

said. "He

do

," she

said

e green liquid, slammed the empty glass on the

e go," Alte

w why it's coming? Do you know how it's coming? We can't stop it, not now, not any more. I've received the signal, so there's no hope left. We mus

hich wasn't exactly tr

r. "Are we gonna get stories, gr

y. "Do you know what

ook hi

mpires, like Toromon, only bigger. And there were many of them. Often they fought with one another, and that was called a war. And the end of the final war was the Great Fire. That was over fifteen hundred years ago. Most of the world, from what little we

, "So what if it comes? It m

white hair. "What are we fighting? We don't know. It's something mysterious a

egan a bored vo

ll dig more tetron, that more citizens shall be jobless, and must therefore become lawless to survive. Ten years ago, before the aquariums, fish was five times its present price. There was perhaps four per cent unemployment in Toron. Today the prices of fish are a fifth of what they were, yet unemployment has reached twenty-five per cent of the city's populace. A quarter of our people s

hat?" a

t. According to the books, it is customary in a war to keep each side in complete ignorance of the other. Or give th

ur plan?"

nother laug

salvage some fragment from the destruction that will come. There are only a few

hat?" Tel

The quiet amusement and general lethargy disappeared as the peop

Tel asked a

tell you. But not just yet. Not just ..." He turned back again.

me, friends?"

clinking their glasses hard on the table t

ll had a glass? All of you? Another ro

bottoms turned toward the ceiling, t

?" A yell rose, and somebody had started a friendly fight at the end of the bar. Then Geryn's voice suddenly broke through the sound, low, in a grating whisper that silenced them for seconds. "Because you must be with me

a moment. Rara was beside him, her hand on his shoulder. "You're going t

nt who had been given a drink, now rose from the tab

teeth, and then allowed Rara to lead him

rinking men and women