Goddess of Gotham Read Online Free PDF

her head. Helping her down, the man kept his grasp tight.
Kumari, however, was beyond running, beyond anything except black despair. She was taken through a doorway into a dim lobby. Before her stood a large wooden desk and behind that another man. This
one, too, wore a uniform, similar if less pristine. He peered at her from over the desk and tapped his pen against his teeth.
    ‘So this is the kid who accosted Santa Claus?’
    Then she was being handed over and led away down a corridor. She did not bother to look back; one captor was becoming much like another. They placed her in some kind of cell, barren, bleak and
cold. Sinking down on to the solitary bench, Kumari cradled her head in her hands. People came and went; occasionally they spoke to her.
    Their words were beginning to make a bit more sense, which meant she was starting to tune in. She hated to admit it but the RHM had a point. If she’d applied herself to the Gift of
Tongues, none of this would be so hard. She’d have had instant communication instead of this fuzzy noise in her ears. Been able to speak their tongue instead of struggling to be heard.
    What kind of place was this, anyway, where they incarcerated a kid? OK, so they left her door ajar. It was not exactly a great welcome. She could try and make a run for it but the odds were
pretty lousy. Outside she could see them sitting at their desks. It would be impossible to get past so many. Besides, they all had guns, parading them proudly. Given that her strike rate on magic
was not so hot, it seemed she was pretty much stuck.
    Eventually, two female guards brought some food, or at least that was what she assumed. Kumari stared as they mimed eating. These people were insane.
    ‘Cheeze-birrgirr,’ said one.
    ‘Frahze,’ said the other.
    Kumari glared at the package they handed her. This had to be a joke. Food served in a bag? Not even peasants ate out of paper! She could forgive the lack of deference. Obviously they had no idea
who she was. But making her eat like this was tantamount to torture.
    She glanced up at the women. They motioned towards their mouths again. Kumari rummaged inside the bag and pulled out a box. Opening it up, she saw an object. It was the only way to describe it.
A circular object. They expected her to eat this? Gingerly she poked at it. Her finger sank into a bread-like disc. Ever so carefully, she raised it. Eugh! Her nose wrinkled in
disgust.
    A yellow ooze spilled from underneath. She scraped at it experimentally. Beneath it lay something else. Kumari bent close. She could not believe her eyes. They wanted her to eat this shrivelled,
grey-brown thing. Pushing it away, she shook her head. The guards looked at one another. Shrugging, they left the cell.
    ‘She don’t like cheeze-birrgirr?!’ said one, clearly mystified.
    Kumari’s stomach let out a rumble. Despite herself, she was hungry. Should I risk it?, she wondered, bending forward again to take a cautious sniff. Digging in the paper bag she
found another sack. Inside that, pale strips, possibly some sort of vegetable. Alongside the strips, a tiny pot, its contents red and sticky. Emboldened, she stuck her finger in and, extracting it,
licked. A smile creased her face. The stuff was exquisite!
    Picking up a yellow strip, she inspected it. It looked pretty harmless. Shoving the strip inside her mouth, she crunched. The thing was tangy with salt. Stupendous. Throwing caution to
the wind, Kumari dipped the strips in the red sauce. A few moments later, she was sucking her fingers, delirious. Whatever these things were, she needed more. At once.
    Dubiously, she eyed the bun thing again. It looked positively dangerous. Her stomach let out another growl. What the heck, thought Kumari. Holding her nose, she took an enormous bite. The
‘cheeze-birrgirr’ was not so bad, a little bland but edible. Determinedly, Kumari chewed. She would need all her strength to escape.
    Outside, at his desk, Sergeant Rooney was in