Free Magic's Child by Justine Larbalestier Page A

shuddered. Metal in her mouth made her want to barf. She didn't even like accidentally touching a fork or spoon to her tongue. "Can you at least give me a general direction," he continued, "or do you want a scenic tour of the inner west?"
     
     
Reason stuck her head out the window, then her shoulders, and then started easing more of herself out of the cab, until Jay-Tee worried she was going to fall. She was just about to grab her when she slid back in. "South," Reason said, "and a little bit east. You need to do a U-ie."
     
     
"Consider it done."
     
     
The cab turned to the right violently. Jay-Tee clutched her seat belt and winced, expecting to be wiped out by oncoming traffic. It took her a second to remember about everyone driving on the wrong side of the road here.
     
     
Jay-Tee didn't much like cars, especially being in back. It made her carsick. Walking was better. Running was best. Not that she could run properly anymore, not without killing herself. She glanced at Reason. Well, Jay-Tee might never run or dance again, and she was about to go barking mad, but at least she wasn't glowing or moving like an alien or seeing stuff that wasn't there. She wished Tom were with them. He'd be bummed, missing all the excitement.
     
     
"So where are we going?" she whispered to Reason.
     
     
"We're following my mother. She's headed southeast."
     
     
"What's southeast of here?" Jay-Tee asked.
     
     
"I don't know. The ocean, I guess."
     
     
"You think she's going to get on a boat?"
     
     
"You got some kind of tracker on your mum?" the driver asked, and Jay-Tee wondered how he could hear them from the front seat.
     
     
"Yes," Reason said. Jay-Tee hoped the driver wouldn't ask to see it. "She's, um…she gets confused."
     
     
The driver nodded. "I saw where youse were coming from. Kalder Park. Must be hard."
     
     
Reason agreed that it was. Jay-Tee suppressed a laugh. The driver didn't know even the half of it.
     
     
"You know, the airport's south of here," he said. "Do you reckon your mum could have it together enough to catch a plane someplace?"
     
     
Reason looked at Jay-Tee. "The airport," she said. "Jason Blake couldn't have come through the you-know-what, could he?"
     
     
Jay-Tee shook her head. There was no way he'd come through the door. They'd been at Esmeralda's practically the whole time. But he could have come by plane.
     
     
"So you want me to head to the airport?" the driver asked.
     
     
"Yes, thank you."
     
     
"No worries."
     
     
"We should call Esmeralda. Tell her what's happening."
     
     
"There'll be a phone at the airport."
     
     
"That might be too late. What if we have to catch a plane or something?"
     
     
"Do you have a mobile phone?" Reason asked the driver. Jay-Tee was so embarrassed, she didn't know where to look. Reason didn't know anything! Only someone bone ignorant or bat-shit crazy would ask to borrow a taxi driver's phone.
     
     
"Sure," the driver said, as if Reason had asked the most normal question in the world. He handed it to her. "No calling overseas, mind."
     
     
"Thank you," Reason said, passing it to Jay-Tee.
     
     
"Okay," Jay-Tee said, wondering if this was just another thing they did differently in Australia. "What's Esmeralda's number, math girl?"
     
     
    * * *
Esmeralda didn't pick up on her work number, so Jay-Tee tried her cell. She answered first ring.
     
     
"Cansino. Who's speaking?"
     
     
"Hey, Mere, Jay-Tee. Wha— "
     
     
"Where are you?" Esmeralda said, sounding angry. "I came home for lunch and there's no Reason, no you, no Tom. I checked Tom's place and the other house. Why didn't you call me?"
     
     
"Sorry," Jay-Tee began. "We— "
     
     
"What happened with the social worker? She's left me messages at work and on the mobile. What did you three say to her?"
     
     
"Nothing. I mean— "
     
     
"Whatever it was, she wasn't very impressed. Where are you now? Is Reason with you?"
     
     
Jay-Tee told her as much as she could