Free A City Called Smoke: The Territory 2 by Justin Woolley

there?” Lynn said. “Bishop?”
    Nobody answered.
    “Barra?” Lynn said. “Randal?”
    Again there was no reply, no movement. Then, slowly, an upside down head appeared in the open gap, being lowered down from above. It was too dark to see much but it was clearly the head of a teenage boy, about the same age as them.
    “What are you doing in there?” the upside down boy said.
    “What are we doing in here?” Lynn said, aghast. “What in Ancestors’ sin are you doing on the roof?”
    The head disappeared momentarily before the boy climbed down, swinging his legs around and dropping in through the open door. The boy was tall and thin. Squid could see that he was dark skinned and dark haired, one of the Nomad people. They would come through Dust occasionally and visit the market to trade but they never stayed for long. Uncle had said they never stayed anywhere long. When Squid had asked why, he said it was because they were all criminals and thieves, but he’d said that about everyone so Squid had never been entirely sure he was right. The Sisters at the schoolhouse said the Nomads didn’t believe in Glorious God the Redeemer, they just pretended to whenever they were questioned by the Holy Order, and that was why they moved around, to avoid being caught in their lies.
    “Just stay there,” Lynn said, holding her sword threateningly toward their visitor.
    “I’m not gonna hurt you,” the boy said, holding his hands up. “I didn’t know anyone was here.”
    “What do you want?” Lynn asked.
    “Probably doing the same thing you are.”
    “Oh,” Lynn said, “and what’s that?”
    “Getting a ride east.”
    “Why were you on the roof then?”
    “I watched the trucks stop when they changed driver,” the boy said. “Just waited for dark and climbed on this one.”
    “Well you’re not the same as us then,” Lynn said. “Because you’re a stowaway. We’re paying our way east.”
    The boy eyed the inside of the trailer and sniffed. “You pay to ride in here?”
    “Yes,” Lynn said, “because that’s the way it works. You pay the crew to ride on a bio-truck.”
    “Well I don’t have any moolah, so this is what I’ve got to do.”
    “So what if we tell the crew you’re here? They’ll throw you off next chance they get, might not even stop.”
    “Probably I’ll just sneak on the next truck that comes along then, won’t I?”
    “Maybe you should do that then, because we don’t want you here with us.”
    Lynn and the boy stared at each other for a long time. Squid looked from one to the other. There was something passing between them but Squid didn’t know what it was. It was something like the way Uncle and Horse used to look at each other on the farm, two immovable objects staring each other down.
    “Look,” the boy said, “I just need to ride east. I’ll sit over in the corner and won’t even talk to you. I’m no threat to you. I’m just looking for something.”
    Lynn stared at the boy for a time. “This is what’s going to happen,” she eventually said. “You’re going to stay over in that corner. We should be stopping at the Red Plains bio-fuel plant the day after tomorrow. You get off then or I tell the crew you’re here and they throw you off anyway.”
    “Probably fair,” the boy said. He walked over to the opposite corner of the trailer and sat down against the wooden wall.
    Squid, from where he still sat on the small mattress, watched the shape of the boy in the darkness.
    “What’s your name?” Squid said.
    “Nim,” the boy answered. “My name’s Nim.”

CHAPTER 9
    Lynn jolted awake, startled by the fact she was even asleep at all. The trailer was filled with streamers of light that pierced in between the wooden planks of the walls, signalling that it was early morning outside. She was still sitting propped up against one of the wooden crates. She hadn’t returned to bed the night before, determined to stay up and keep watch on their intruder. She cursed