Part 34 (1/2)

Tally paused. The truth, that the Smoke had been destroyed by an armed invasion, seemed too far-fetched. A few months ago, she wouldn't have believed what her own city was capable of. And if she admitted that the Smoke was gone, the rumor would make its way down through generations of uglies.

Dr. Cable's work would be complete, even if a few rescued Smokies somehow managed to create another community in the wild. ”Well,” she started, ”every so often the Smoke has to move, to stay secret. Right now, it doesn't really exist. Everyone's scattered, so we're not recruiting.”

”The whole place moves?” Dex said. ”Whoa.”

An frowned. ”Hang on. If you're not recruiting, then why are you here?”

”To do a trick,” Tally said. ”A really big one. Maybe you could help us. And then when the Smoke is back on its feet, you'll be the first to know.”

”You want us to help? Like an initiation?” Dex asked.

”No,” David said firmly. ”We don't make anyone do anything to get into the Smoke. But if you do want to help, Tally and I would appreciate it.”

”We just need a diversion,” Tally said.

”Sounds like fun,” An said. She looked at the others, and they waggled their heads.

Up for anything, Tally thought, just like she used to be herself. They were definitely seniors, less than a year behind her, but she was amazed at how young they seemed.

David stared at Tally along with the others, waiting for the rest of her idea. She had to come up with a diversion right away. A good one. Something that would intrigue the Specials enough to investigate.

Something that would make Dr. Cable herself take notice.

”Well, you'll need a lot of sparklers.”

”No problem.”

”And you know how to get into New Pretty Town, right?”

”New Pretty Town?” An looked at her friends. ”But don't the bridges report everyone who crosses the river?”

Tally smiled, always happy to teach someone a new trick.

Over the Edge

The two waited all day in the Rusty Ruins, patches of sunlight crawling across the floor through the crumbling roof, like slow searchlights marking the hours. It took Tally ages to get to sleep, imagining the leap from the hilltop down into uncertainty. Finally she pa.s.sed out, too tired to dream.

Awakening at dusk, she found that David had already packed two knapsacks with everything they might need during the rescue. They hoverboarded to the edge of the ruins, riding two sandwiched hoverboards each. Hopefully, they would need the extra boards when they emerged from Special Circ.u.mstances, escapees in tow.

Eating breakfast by the river, Tally took time to appreciate her Swedeb.a.l.l.s. If they got caught tonight, at least she would never have dehydrated food again. Sometimes Tally felt she could almost accept brain damage if it meant a life without reconst.i.tuted noodles.

As darkness fell, Tally and David reached the white water, and they pa.s.sed through the greenbelt at the very moment the lights winked off in Uglyville. By midnight, they were atop the hill overlooking Special Circ.u.mstances.

Tally pulled out her binoculars and trained them inward, toward New Pretty Town, where the party towers were just coming alight.

David blew into his hands, his breath visible in the October chill. ”You really think they'll do it?”

”Why not?” she said, watching the dark s.p.a.ces of the city's largest pleasure garden. ”They seemed into it.”

”Yeah, but aren't they taking a big risk? I mean, they just met us.”

She shrugged. ”An ugly lives for tricks. Haven't you ever done something just because a mysterious stranger intrigued you?”

”I gave my gloves to one once. But it got me into all kinds of trouble.”

She lowered the binoculars and saw that David was smiling. ”You don't look as nervous tonight,” she said.

”I'm glad we're finally here, finally ready todo something. And after those three kids agreed to help us, I feel like...”

”Like this might actually work?”

”No, something better.” He looked down at the Special Circ.u.mstances compound. ”They were so ready to help, just to make trouble, just to play a trick. At first, it killed me to hear you act like the Smoke still existed. But if there are enough uglies like them, maybe it will again.”

”Of course it will,” she said softly.

David shrugged. ”Maybe, maybe not. But even if we blow it tonight, and both wind up under the knife, at least someone will still keep fighting. Making trouble, you know?”

”I hope it's us, making trouble,” Tally said.

”Me too.” He drew Tally closer, and kissed her. When he released her, Tally took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It felt better to kiss him, more real, now that she was about to begin undoing the damage she had done.

”Look,” David said.

In the dark s.p.a.ces of New Pretty Town, something was happening.

She raised her binoculars.

A s.h.i.+mmering line cut its way across the black expanse of the pleasure garden, like a bright fissure opening in the earth. Then more lines appeared, one by one, tremulous arcs and circles sweeping through the darkness. The various segments seemed to sparkle into existence in random order, but they eventually formed letters, and words.

Finally, the whole glittering thing was finished, some parts of it newly sprung to life, the first few lines already starting to fade as the sparklers exhausted themselves. But for a few moments, Tally could read the whole thing, even without her binoculars. From Uglyville, it must have been huge, visible to anyone staring longingly out their window. It said:THE SMOKE LIVES .

As Tally watched it fade, breaking down into random lines and arcs again as the sparklers extinguished, she wondered if the words were really true.

”There they go,” David said.

Below them, a large circular opening had appeared in the largest building's roof, and three hovercars rose up through the gap in quick succession, screaming toward the city. Tally hoped that An, Dex, and Sussy had followed her advice and were long gone from New Pretty Town. ”Ready?” she said.

In answer, David tightened the straps of his bungee jacket and jumped onto his boards.

They rode down the hill, turned around, and started back up.

For the tenth time, Tally checked the light on the collar of her jacket. It was still green, and she could see David's light bobbing along beside her. No excuses now.

They gained speed as they climbed toward the dark sky, the entire hill like a giant ramp before them.

The wind pushed Tally's hair back, and she blinked as bugspinged against her face. She slid carefully toward the front of the paired boards, the toes of one grippy shoe sticking out past the riding surface.