The Budding Metalinguist

LIV

Em poked Lillian in the side with a casualness that was almost startling. Lillian flinched. "What is it?"

Em pointed. "What do you think is in there?"

Lillian shrugged. The other girl was referring to a large structure off to their right. "We should look," she suggested.

Em nodded, and pulled Lillian eagerly towards the structure. They passed over one of the signs that had been added to the Alin Gap.

Every few hundred feet, signs had been tied to the walkways with arrows depicting which way to walk to get back to the general direction of the arena. But even near the arena, the arrows had pointed away. Lillian suspected that Em was trying to direct her away from another area. This wasn't concerning to Lillian; she knew that Ray and Em were probably staying in the Alin Gap anyway, and they likely didn't want to show her where they had been living for the last week.

The two girls stepped underneath a crumbling archway and into the structure. It was oddly shaped, with a surprisingly inclosing build. The walls and ceiling were set at unusual angles apparently to trap the greatest amount of air inside. Like everywhere else in the Alin Gap, the same odd light infused the entirety of the single-room building. And they cast no shadows as they stepped inside.

A large pile of objects lay in the center of the area. "Objects" was the best word Lillian could use to describe them. Most were small oddments, pencils, hairpins, the occasional book. Some were larger. Chairs, window frames, and even the corner of a mattress crowning the stack. Lillian stared, running her fingers across a worn T-shirt near the front of the pile. "What are these?"

"I don't know."

Lillian's fingers curled around an empty vial lying haphazardly on top of a brummagem watch near the front of the pile. She lifted it from the pile and uncorked it. A heady scent exploded into the air, and Lillian suddenly felt unusually energized. She was so startled she dropped the vial. It landed with a clink on the ground, unharmed by the slipstone. A final whiff of gas emanated from its neck before it rolled to the bottom of the pile and lay still. Cautiously, Lillian reached to pick the vial up. She tapped on its side to no effect. Recapping the vial, she slipped it into her pocket and turned to Em, who was staring thoughtfully at the pile.

"I'd heard that rifts sometimes appear at random. It's rare, but it might mean that objects occasionally come through. Do you think these might be from there?"

"I'm not sure. At least some of it, probably."

There was silence for a few moments.

"Maybe we should split up," Em suggested. "Use Idea of Communication? That way we can find more."

"Sure," Lillian answered.

Em nodded. She left the structure through the main entrance with a quick stride. Lillian gave a half smile.

❦

Dakota's phone buzzed, and he fished it out of his pocket. He didn't recognize the number. After a moment of consideration, he swiped to answer and held the phone to his ear.

"Hello, Dakota," said a familiar voice.

Dakota relaxed and smiled reflexively. "Hello."

"I'll meet you on the first floor of the tower tomorrow. Ten o'clock."

Dakota nodded. "I'll see you there."

"Good," Mira confirmed. "I understand that the twins are still angry with me."

"Yes," Dakota sighed. "They're not exactly in the mood to see you right now."

Mira emanated a clipped, disappointed noise. "I wouldn't expect them to be very happy with me at this point. It's going to take them time."

"So you admit it," Dakota realized.

"Yes," Mira snapped. The line went dead, and Dakota slipped his phone back into his pocket.

Just hearing the sound of her voice was enough to remind him how long it had been. He couldn't wait to be able to see her again.

Tomorrow. He would see Mira tomorrow.