Sorry.’
Cora sighed and looked to Shyla and Lyle. Her burrowers had been traded and she really shouldn’t have asked for anything more, but it didn’t look like her friends minded much. Shyla ended up trading her meat for a pair of gloves and fragranced soap (which hardly anyone bought because of the lack of water), and Lyle traded both of his burrowers for a pair of fur boots.
‘What’s this?’ Cora stooped down towards the blanket covered in goods and pushed aside a few metal containers to discover a strange, circular object. When she picked it up, the pointer inside spun towards the side.
‘Ah, that’s rubbish,’ grumbled Rorian. He muttered something under his breath before saying, ‘Go ahead and take it.’
Cora looked up in surprise. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yeah …’ Rorian eyed the object distastefully. ‘I’ve had it lying around for a good six years or so. It never sells. It’s broken – see how the pointer moves!’ Cora did see, but didn’t have enough knowledge about the thing to know if it was supposed to do that or not. ‘Take it. It’s yours.’
‘Thank you.’ Cora slipped the object into the pocket of her jacket. ‘We’ll be back in a few days.’
Rorian grunted in reply and the three left the traders. They did not get very far when they had to stop again, this time by impulse.
A few Utopians were standing by the alley entrance, all dressed up in their protective, white suits. They were raiders, though only a few of them were present.
Stay calm , Cora thought to herself. Yet the raiders were headed straight to the back alley where the traders were stationed – where she and her friends were standing. Though, the Utopians passed them by without a single glance and the three were left breathless by the encounter, too terrified to move.
‘What do they want?’ whispered Shyla, looking slowly and cautiously over her shoulder. Cora did the same.
‘Trouble,’ replied Lyle with a low snarl.
It was a good thing they had finished their trading before the Utopians arrived, because soon after they entered the alley, loud bangs followed. Cora felt her quilt slip from her hands and she bolted towards cover. Her friends did the same, though their goods were already safely worn or stuffed in their pockets and did not end up lying helplessly in the open for anyone to steal.
Rorian fell first, tumbling over his wares in a puddle of blood. The other traders tried to run, but the weapons of the raiders were advanced and could shoot from a far distance. The alley became a place of death and Cora soon forgot to breathe.
The Utopians collected the weapons and wares of the traders and piled them into a box they had brought with them. Then they left the alley behind, passing by the mutants like they had done before, not bothering to acknowledge their presence. Cora felt a wave of relief rush over her. Moments before, they could have been the ones being killed, but somehow – by luck alone – they had not been in the alleyway.
Then Cora’s relief came crashing back down.
‘Lyle, no!’
Shyla’s voice was shrill and pleading, and by the time Cora acknowledged what was going on, Lyle had jumped out of hiding. He leapt up onto the back of one of the raiders and wrapped his legs around him, crushing the Utopian. Another sky-dweller had his weapon drawn, pointing it at the two strugglers, though he could not get a clear shot.
Cora felt her heart in her ears for the third time today, and she withdrew the knife at her belt, the one she had forgot to leave at Shyla’s home. The other girl was shaking her head, tears in her ears, but Cora knew if she did nothing, the raiders would easily kill her friend.
‘Damn mutants!’ shouted one raider, shooting at the ground near his companion’s feet. It startled Lyle, but not enough to him to release his grip on his prey. A moment later, Cora heard something snap and the
Cora sighed and looked to Shyla and Lyle. Her burrowers had been traded and she really shouldn’t have asked for anything more, but it didn’t look like her friends minded much. Shyla ended up trading her meat for a pair of gloves and fragranced soap (which hardly anyone bought because of the lack of water), and Lyle traded both of his burrowers for a pair of fur boots.
‘What’s this?’ Cora stooped down towards the blanket covered in goods and pushed aside a few metal containers to discover a strange, circular object. When she picked it up, the pointer inside spun towards the side.
‘Ah, that’s rubbish,’ grumbled Rorian. He muttered something under his breath before saying, ‘Go ahead and take it.’
Cora looked up in surprise. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yeah …’ Rorian eyed the object distastefully. ‘I’ve had it lying around for a good six years or so. It never sells. It’s broken – see how the pointer moves!’ Cora did see, but didn’t have enough knowledge about the thing to know if it was supposed to do that or not. ‘Take it. It’s yours.’
‘Thank you.’ Cora slipped the object into the pocket of her jacket. ‘We’ll be back in a few days.’
Rorian grunted in reply and the three left the traders. They did not get very far when they had to stop again, this time by impulse.
A few Utopians were standing by the alley entrance, all dressed up in their protective, white suits. They were raiders, though only a few of them were present.
Stay calm , Cora thought to herself. Yet the raiders were headed straight to the back alley where the traders were stationed – where she and her friends were standing. Though, the Utopians passed them by without a single glance and the three were left breathless by the encounter, too terrified to move.
‘What do they want?’ whispered Shyla, looking slowly and cautiously over her shoulder. Cora did the same.
‘Trouble,’ replied Lyle with a low snarl.
It was a good thing they had finished their trading before the Utopians arrived, because soon after they entered the alley, loud bangs followed. Cora felt her quilt slip from her hands and she bolted towards cover. Her friends did the same, though their goods were already safely worn or stuffed in their pockets and did not end up lying helplessly in the open for anyone to steal.
Rorian fell first, tumbling over his wares in a puddle of blood. The other traders tried to run, but the weapons of the raiders were advanced and could shoot from a far distance. The alley became a place of death and Cora soon forgot to breathe.
The Utopians collected the weapons and wares of the traders and piled them into a box they had brought with them. Then they left the alley behind, passing by the mutants like they had done before, not bothering to acknowledge their presence. Cora felt a wave of relief rush over her. Moments before, they could have been the ones being killed, but somehow – by luck alone – they had not been in the alleyway.
Then Cora’s relief came crashing back down.
‘Lyle, no!’
Shyla’s voice was shrill and pleading, and by the time Cora acknowledged what was going on, Lyle had jumped out of hiding. He leapt up onto the back of one of the raiders and wrapped his legs around him, crushing the Utopian. Another sky-dweller had his weapon drawn, pointing it at the two strugglers, though he could not get a clear shot.
Cora felt her heart in her ears for the third time today, and she withdrew the knife at her belt, the one she had forgot to leave at Shyla’s home. The other girl was shaking her head, tears in her ears, but Cora knew if she did nothing, the raiders would easily kill her friend.
‘Damn mutants!’ shouted one raider, shooting at the ground near his companion’s feet. It startled Lyle, but not enough to him to release his grip on his prey. A moment later, Cora heard something snap and the
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