Crystal Keepers (5 page)

“Right,” Joe said. “Unless I get arrested.” Turning, he started toward the monorail station.

Picking up his pace, Jace marched toward the Gizmo Row sign, following a narrow footpath. Mira caught up to him. Cole and Dalton walked together.

“Think we'll find Jenna in Zeropolis?” Dalton wondered.

“I can only guess,” Cole said, looking around. “You know all the kids who were sent with you to Elloweer, so she's not there. I started out in Sambria, but never really searched it. She could be in any kingdom besides Elloweer. That means we have a one in four chance she's in Zeropolis.”

“Unless she stayed in Junction, between the kingdoms,” Dalton said.

“You all went there at first,” Cole said. “Did anybody stay?”

“Not that I know of. I'm just trying to cover all the possibilities.”

“Hopefully some of Joe's contacts here can help us,” Cole said. “Maybe they can search for her ID card or something.”

“It would be nice to catch a break,” Dalton said.

Up ahead, Mira laughed at something Jace had said, patting him on the arm.

“He's in heaven right now,” Cole said.

“Jace?”

“He has the biggest crush on her.”

“She's pretty great.” Dalton paused. “Does it make you think of Jenna?”

Cole inhaled sharply. He usually tried to downplay his feelings for Jenna in front of Dalton, though his friend seemed to see through it. “Yeah. Not that it really matters how I feel about her. She's my friend. She was kidnapped. I want her safe.”

“What if tomorrow we find out Jenna isn't in Zeropolis? Do we stay and help Mira, or do we move on to the next kingdom?”

Cole groaned. “I don't know. Who's going to help us in the next kingdom?”

“What if Joe and Mira teach us how to contact the Unseen?” Dalton asked. “What if they give us a note or something that lets us get help from the rebels anywhere? Wouldn't that be faster than sticking with them?”

“Maybe,” Cole said, feeling torn. “Why are you asking now? Because of that message from Trillian?”

“Don't tell me you haven't been thinking about it,” Dalton said.

“I have. I don't know. The guy is scary, but it doesn't mean he's wrong. Supposedly he can't lie. Maybe my help really is important to the rebellion. I've saved Mira before. What she's doing matters to this whole world. Her dad is a monster. And his shapecrafters keep building actual monsters. If Mira and her sisters can't defeat him, this whole world could be doomed.”

“You care about Mira,” Dalton said.

Cole felt unwanted tears sting his eyes. “Of course I do! I care about everybody. I care about her and Twitch and Jace. I care about Jenna and the other kids who got kidnapped with us too. I think me, you, Mira, and Jace make a good team. My first choice would be to find the others with their help. And to help Mira along the way.”

“And save the entire Outskirts,” Dalton said.

“Maybe,” Cole replied softly. “Especially if that means helping Mira.”

“It's nice to have friends,” Dalton said. “But it gets us into trouble. Her dad cares a lot more about finding her than he does about us. And helping her find her sisters leads us into ugly situations.”

“So we abandon her?” Cole said.

“I don't mean we leave her stranded and friendless,” Dalton said. “She has Joe and Jace. I'm sure wherever she goes she'll find other people to help her, like Skye. People with more skills than we have.”

“I don't know,” Cole said. “My power was looking pretty useful before it got blocked. Trillian seemed to think it would be crucial.”

“Are you going to let him plan your future?” Dalton asked. “Didn't you almost get killed the last time you visited him? Didn't he try to take you prisoner?”

“You think he's wrong?”

“I think it's easy to say you can't lie. What proof do we have? He's an evil menace they locked up years ago. People avoid him like the plague. He could be telling the truth, Cole. I'm just not in a hurry to believe him.”

Cole thought about it. “I don't know either. He might have just been trying to control me.”

“What if we find Jenna tomorrow?” Dalton asked. “Let's say we also have a way home. Do we go? Do we try to find all the other kids first? Do we wait to help Mira?”

Cole had fretted about similar questions. “I honestly don't know. I'd hate to ditch the other kids. I'd hate to run out on Mira.”

“It'll be hard to find all of them,” Dalton said. “I don't even know them all. And sure, this world has problems, but so does ours. That doesn't mean I rush out and join the army or the Peace Corps so I can personally solve everything. We're still just kids.”

“You're saying if we get the chance, we should leave?”

“I'm wondering what you think,” Dalton said.

“I want to help Mira unless it makes no sense to stay with her,” Cole said, feeling the truth of the words as he spoke them. “And I'm going to keep looking for Jenna. I'll save the other choices for when I actually find Jenna and a way home. Maybe when the time comes, Mira will be fine, and leaving won't be a big deal. Or maybe we'll never have the option to go home. Who knows?”

They emerged from the footpath onto the widest road they had seen. Shops and stalls lined both sides of the street. Other merchants sold from carts or off blankets.

“Welcome to Gizmo Row,” Jace said over his shoulder.

The shops all had open fronts, inviting customers to step close and inspect items or have them demonstrated. The street wasn't packed with people, but a decent crowd
of customers moved up and down the rows of storefronts, browsing, buying, and haggling. Cole noticed a lot of denim—jeans, shirts, skirts, and jackets. He wondered if he could find some jeans for himself. Did denim count as a gizmo?

One of the nearest shops looked full of strange aquariums. Closer inspection revealed that they were various types of water purifiers. Most were made from a mix of metal, plastic, and glass.

An older man with a curled mustache grinned from behind a counter at the front of the store. “Water is life,” he said, with a faint accent that Cole couldn't place.

“Don't you guys have water towers?” Cole asked.

“We do today,” he said. “For this I give thanks. Tomorrow?” He gave an indefinite shrug. “I hope so. For the sake of the children. Pause to consider—those towers only provide for the post. What if you go on an excursion?” He patted a small machine. “This condenser will strain water out of the air.” He pointed at another. “Feed this device mud, and cool, clear water will emerge. How can one put a price on such magnificent functionality? Such security against drought? Such profound peace of mind?”

“I bet you found a way,” Cole said.

“For you, a special price,” the man replied, stroking one of his smaller purifiers. “One hundred and fifty credits. I lose money on this. You make me a pauper. But it would pain me if you perished from thirst. I sell it to you as charity.”

“We don't need purifiers,” Jace said, coming up behind Cole and tugging on the back of his shirt. “Come on.”

“Who is this prophet?” the man asked Cole. “How does he know there will be no need for clean water? Would he be so kind as to speak my fortune? Perhaps reveal how I will meet my end?”

“It's a hunch,” Jace said.

The man gave a nod. “May your hunches guide you to prosperity. Consider mentioning my wares to your parents.”

“Will do,” Jace said as he and Cole left the store.

“A purifier could come in handy,” Cole said once they were out of earshot.

“If we were
walking
to the city,” Jace replied. “I have no plans to get lost in the wilderness here. Keep in mind, most of this stuff will fall apart if we take it out of Zeropolis.”

Cole, Jace, Mira, and Dalton moved along the row of shops. One place specialized in vehicle-repair tools, including a variety of jacks. Another shop featured lamps and other decorative lighting. A third had advanced tools like power saws and welding gear. Cole avoided getting close enough for the merchants to engage him.

Until they reached the shop with the robots.

“Whoa!” Cole exclaimed, his feet carrying him into the roomy store without much thought.

“Seriously?” Dalton asked.

Robots large and small moved around the area. Some rolled on wheels; some mimicked animals or insects; a few walked upright. They were mostly made from metal and glass.

A humanoid robot toddled up to Cole, all brassy metal and transparent panels. It was slightly taller than him and had a bronze mask for a face, with lights behind the eyes.

“How may I serve you, master?” the robot asked in a female voice.

“You tell me,” Cole said. “What can you do?”

“I can cook over three hundred meals using standard equipment,” the robot said. “I serve. I clean. I answer doors. I can handle all your domestic needs, freeing up your time for other pursuits.”

“Can you fight off robbers?” Dalton asked.

“I can sound an alarm and get in the way,” the robot replied.

“Can you sing?” Cole asked.

“I can be taught,” the robot replied. “It would require some minor upgrades.”

A husky man sauntered up to Cole. He wore jeans, a white shirt, a denim vest, and what looked like a leather baseball cap with mud flaps on the back. “Don't tease the domestic bots, kid,” the man said.

“What if I might buy it?” Cole asked defensively.

“You'd start by needing around eighteen thousand credits,” the man said.

“What's that in ringers?” Cole asked.

“Ringers? You from out of kingdom?”

“You're right by the border,” Cole said.

The man shook his head. “Kids are talkers these days. They love to yap. I don't take ringers, boy, but ten credits is roughly one copper ringarole. You're looking at about four platinum.”

Cole had much more than that but knew it would be foolish to reveal it.

“Why so much glass?” Cole asked.

The man huffed. “Boy, that is grade three bonded crystal. Harder than most alloys, and energy friendly.” He huffed again. “Glass would shatter. I'd like to see you try to break a plate of grade three. That would be comedy.”

Jace stepped in front of Cole. “How much for your hat?”

The guy scowled. “You cracking wise?”

“No,” Jace said in his most sincere voice. “I'm absolutely serious. I'd buy it right now.”

Weighing the reply suspiciously, the man brushed the bill of his cap. “Not for sale. I've had this hat for years. Too much sentimental value.”

“Where'd you get it?” Jace asked.

“Ordered it in from the city,” he said. “Place called Headgear. Synthetic leather with a waterproof sealant.”

Jace gave a nod. “Thanks.”

“Do you have anything we might be able to afford?” Dalton asked.

The man took a deep breath. “This is a bot shop. Nothing here comes cheap. It all depends on what you have to spend.”

“What about that little crab-looking guy?” Dalton asked, pointing at a robot skittering around on a countertop in controlled bursts of motion.

“Does that look like a plaything to you?” the man asked. “That's a workbot. Tinkers use it to track energy flow in vehicles and other systems. It can find and repair damaged panels on a magroad. You'd be amazed by the energy surges it can withstand, the extreme temperatures that fail to bother it.”

“We're sorry to trouble you,” Mira said, tugging at Dalton.

“Kids love bots,” the man said, waving a hand. “I get it. I don't have any toybots here. Some of the junkers on the row may have some. I can't vouch for the quality.”

Cole, Dalton, and Jace followed Mira out. She walked briskly down the road.

“What was the hurry?” Cole asked her quietly. “That place was cool.”

“Other shoppers were listening in on your conversation,” she said. “You were drawing attention. That's not the goal right now.” She glanced over her shoulder. “We're being followed.”

Cole turned and saw a grungy guy in denim overalls coming toward them from the direction of the robot shop. He waved when Cole met his eyes and jogged to catch up.

“I don't know your faces,” he said, his friendliness sounding a little forced.

“We're from out of town,” Jace said.

“Your folks are letting you wander?” he asked.

“They trust us,” Cole said. “You want something?”

“I'm Wilcox,” the guy said. “I overheard you asking about bots. You kids have ringers?”

“Our parents might,” Jace said.

Wilcox lowered his voice. “I've got a shop next street over. There's some great stuff down on the lower level. Want to check it out for your folks? Bots. Gadgets. Hard to find items. Really fun. Great deals.”

“Why aren't you at your shop?” Mira asked.

“Everybody comes to Gizmo Row,” Wilcox said. “I watch for clients here.”

“Are a lot of your clients kids?” she asked.

Cole was glad she had called him on it. The guy gave off a shady vibe.

Wilcox frowned. He tapped Dalton on the shoulder. “Noticed this one's a slave.”

“Our slave,” Mira said.

“Mouthy for a slave,” Wilcox said. “Saw him talking up a storm in there. You have IDs? Papers?”

“None of your business,” Jace said.

“Isn't it?” Wilcox asked, cocking his head.

“Is there a problem?”

Cole breathed a sigh of relief to see Joe step up behind Wilcox. Joe didn't look pleased. Wilcox turned to look at him.

“Hey, Dad,” Mira said.

“No problem,” Wilcox said. “The young ones were pestering Chuck in the bot shop. I thought they might enjoy some of my toybots.”