Free Whisper Gatherers by Nicola McDonagh

lowered her lids for a brief sec then looked at me all sweet of smile. “Well, yes something of course. It is merely a root that I dug up in the Wilderness. I am ashamed at keeping it all for myself given Elijah’s condition. But, it is a hard, glutinous thing. Had I offered him some, I dare say he would have expelled it in much the same way he did the water.”
    I narrowed my eyes and nodded. “Oh, right. It did indeed look strange to me when I saw it. What kind of root did you say it was?”
    “I did not, for, in truth, I do not know what it is.”
    “Really? Strange that you should eat a thing that may be poisonous.”
    “Oh, it is not at all dangerous. I witnessed a Wolfie chomping on a similar thing.”
    “I’m sure you did,” I said and left her to munch upon what could only be gristle and bone. I shuddered at the thought that Lilith was a Carnie. I attempted to dismiss such a notion from my nonce, but the evidence was too strong. I went to my restingroom wondering how many more of the Praisebees ate meat.
    I lay on the not so soft bed and closed my peepholes. Images of birdybirds being ripped limb from limb filled my head. I sat up ‘bruptly. The idea that I had to stay in this confined place with Lilith and her loathsome weakness filled me with dread. I reached into my trouser pocket and pulled out the comdevice. My fingers hovered over the ‘on’ button. Then I put it back, went into the hallway, and walked down the passage to the door Dreng had locked. I pushed it, pulled it and kicked it hard, but it did not budge. Neither they nor I could hope to escape from that source.
    With a yawn, for I was indeed fatigued from all that had passed, I ambled back to the communal room. I rifled through the grub box for something sweet. Pulling out a grainbar, I sat on the cosycouch and crunched down on the tasty sweet. The not so distant memory of Lilith and her gristle-chomping made me shiver. I looked to the hallway and vowed not to sleep. If Lilith could ingest dead meat of who knows what, then it would not be beyond the realms of feasibility that she could have notions of consuming my tender, living flesh. I dismissed the idea of her eating Elijah, not much on his bones to satisfy a Carnie.
    Not knowing how long it would be before the S.A.N.T.S. returned, I searched the room for some sort of diversion to help me keep awake. To my delight, I found a playslab on the shelf above the one where I took the grubbox. I sat back down, turned it on and spent some time playing my favourite game of ‘kittle-go-pounce’.
    Although an enjoyable pastime, I could not concentrate. Soon my thoughts returned to what had occurred earlier. Now that all knew I had the gift, my life would not be my own. A realisation came to me. I would not be able to join S.A.N.T. camp. I groaned out loud. The noise must have woken Elijah, for within a few secs he was standing in the doorway rubbing his sleep-encrusted eyes.
    “Are you ill? I heard moaning.”
    “Nah, not me, never get sick. I was just expressing the hopelessness I feel. I made a mistake. Now must accept the consequences.”
    Elijah nodded, yawned, stretched, then sat upon the chair. That was when I saw his feet. Yeuk and then some. Grey muck stuck to the soles and heels. Bits of leaves and grass where embedded between his toes and as for the nails? They were as black and soil filled as a newly dug hole. Despite my revulsion, I could not turn my head away. Elijah noticed where my stare landed and bent forward. Looking down at his feet, he giggled. “Sandals do not keep out the grime of the forest floor I’m afraid. There are no places of ablution where we settled.”
    “How did you wash?”
    “A quickly dip in the river once a week. Not so bad when the weather is warm, but when it is not, trips to said water are less frequent.”
    “It is a shame that there is no steamshower here. I would venture you would be pleased to stand beneath one.”
    “That I would. It has been many