Botanicaust (13 page)

Tula reached the Liebert building in spite of her unsteady gait. The euphoric high from the alkaloids didn
’
t give her any pleasure at the moment, just blurry vision and a tiny headache at the back of her skull. She planned to do as much research on pre-Botanicaust culture as possible and find similarities to cross-reference what she knew about Levi
’
s people.

In her office, Vitus occupied her desk chair, his head bent over her gamma pad.

“
What are you doing in here?
”
She hoped her words were not as slurred as Mo
’
s sometimes were after a day on the Burn.

“
Dr. Macoby. So glad you could attend work today. I
’
m checking on your progress with that mongrel in Confinement. Seems he
’
s a bit opposed to cooperating.
”

“
I
’
ve been making great strides overcoming the language barrier.
”

“
Mmmm, yes, I see he has learned how to tell you how lovely your eyes are.
”

“
Parts of the face are the first thing any convert learns. Facial expressions are the universal form of communication
—
”

“
Yes, yes, I know all that.
”
The multi-colored nuvoplast bangles at his wrist clicked together as he waved her off.
“
But the real question is have you found out where he comes from? That was your directive from Councilwoman Arnica, I believe?
”

“
I have to gain his trust before he
’
ll tell me where his family is. Once he
’
s converted, I
’
m sure he
’
ll
—
”

“
I have yet to see reason to dedicate the resources to his conversion let alone CFTR therapy, Sertularia. Especially when you can
’
t even monitor the converts you have in your care right now.
”

The smug look on his face made Tula
’
s heart drop into the pit of her already churning stomach.
“
What do you mean?
”

“
While you were out on your non-business related jaunt, the Garden paged you.
”

“
Oh, no. Who?
”
She stepped forward and reached for the gamma pad still in Vitus
’
s clutches.

He twitched the pad out of her reach.
“
All three of your latest converts have disappeared, it seems.
One
—
Jobie
—
and the newest additions to the class.
Rho and Nika?
”

She didn
’
t wait to hear any more. Turning on her heel, she fled toward the Garden.

If the children had left the protective nuvoplast of the classrooms, they could be unconscious or dead from the UV exposure. The high from her afternoon sunbathing disappeared in a rush of adrenaline. She ran six blocks to the Garden, her eyes scanning every mirrored alleyway for signs of the missing children.

When she reached the building, Albert was conducting lessons as usual. She gulped air and rested her hands on her knees as the group of wide-eyed children stared at her.

Albert didn
’
t need her to ask. He nodded toward the glass walls at the desert outside.
“
Burn Ops has lookouts scouring the fences.
”

A strangled sob escaped Tula
’
s lips.

Rising from his desk, he directed the students to read from their gamma pads and cupped Tula
’
s arm to lead her aside.
“
I
’
m sorry, Tula. I had no idea they were conspiring to escape. The girls developed an obvious crush on Jobie from the start. They seemed content in each other
’
s company. I thought there were no issues.
”

“
Didn
’
t you get the transfer request? He wasn
’
t supposed to be in this class anymore.
”

“
He was to be moved today. That
’
s probably why they ran away.
”

“
I should have spent more time here on their Integration.
”
She paced a few steps away, wrapping her arms around herself.

“
Let Burn Ops find them, then we
’
ll assess the damage.
”

Tears blurred Tula
’
s vision.
“
I can
’
t stand around and do nothing.
”
She barely saw the door as she exited the building with Albert calling after her.

The multiple classrooms didn
’
t have privacy screens, so she could see inside at every angle. Where would three cannibal children think was safe? The Garden was in the center of the city, surrounded by a maze of mirrored walls. A skimmer whooshed past, the woman driving staring intently out the side, into the transparent walls of the classrooms.

Glancing down the paved street, Tula saw the front edge of the skimmer yard several blocks away. The skimmer equipment rose in hulking, solid forms, perfect to hide among. She stumbled that direction, aware of every ray of energy penetrating her skin. The children must be beside themselves by now.

She reached the yard and the attendant smiled at her, checking his gamma pad.
“
Another Burn emergency, Dr. Macoby? Heard the last one was a doozy. Sorry again about that skimmer pooping out on you.
”

“
Have you seen any strange things around the yard today? Any signs of things not where they should be?
”

“
Uh, I just came on duty. You
’
d have to ask Koil. Over there.
”
The attendant pointed to a skimmer underneath a metal frame of wires and tubes.

She spotted the man bent over a console at the far side of the structure.
“
Excuse me! Koil? Some youngsters left the Garden. Have you seen any signs of them?
”

He looked up and scratched his shock of black hair.
“
Not that I
’
ve noticed. You
’
re welcome to look around.
”

Stumbling, she scoured the yard for any clues. She looked underneath each vehicle in the rows. Jo Boy would have led the girls here, she was sure. He
’
d been infatuated with the moving cars. Maybe they were inside one of the
skimmers,
protected from the onslaught of UV, smart enough to wait for nightfall to journey wherever they thought they were going. God, she hoped!

No sign of the children. Her heart fell and her head spun. She couldn
’
t think straight with all this UV. What else might they look for?

Food
.

Of course, food.
Through the walls of the electronics store next door to the skimmer lot, she sighted a picture of the distinctive striped ribbon of candy she gave her patients.
The Candy Maker
’
s shop.

Head spinning, she forced herself to continue her search. Koil was looking mighty adorable with his mussed hair and smooth buttocks as he leaned inside a skimmer. Blinking hard and reminding herself it was just the sunlight, she flicked him a flirty little wave and purposefully strode toward the candy shop.

The walls of the shop were privacy screened, and the only advertisement of wares was the picture on the sign above the door. The pungent, green scent of boiling syrup wafted from the open door.

Mr. Schumaker wasn
’
t at the counter when Tula entered, so she took the liberty of looking around. They weren
’
t up front. Another set of privacy screens hid the rear portion of the store.
“
Mr. Schumaker?
”
she called.

The plump and glistening candy maker appeared from the curtain covering the door to the back room. Through his chloroplasts, his face was flushed from working over the hot syrup.
“
Tula! How are you? Out of candy so soon?
”

“
Three children ran away from the Garden this morning. Have you seen anything unusual around your store?
”

He mopped his forehead with a cloth behind the counter.
“
Now that you mention it, one of the crates I keep spent pines in was open this afternoon. I sealed it back up, of course.
”

Tula grasped his arm.
“
Take me there. Now.
”

He led her through the curtain, past a huge stove with three boiling kettles, and out the back door to a dusty yard. Several nuvoplast boxes as tall as her chest rested in one corner.
“
It was this one.
”
He pried the lid off and the scent of rotting agave struck her nostrils.

She leaned over and peered into the crate, her eyes watering. Underneath a layer of fibrous waste, she saw the smooth line of a child
’
s thigh.
“
Rhomy?
”
She pulled aside the contents of the box to find Rhomy and Nika curled together beneath the vegetation. Mr. Shumaker gasped. Tula didn
’
t look at him as she ordered,
“
Call Medical. Now.
”

Levi
’
s heart lurched at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. He remained on the cot, body tensed. In his mind, he
’
d run through possible scenarios a dozen times. They all felt horrible.

He had to do this.

But it wasn
’
t Tula. The sickly-green man Tula argued with sauntered straight to Levi
’
s cage. Levi
’
s heart picked up double time. Did they somehow discern his plans? The muscle in his jaw twitched as the man paced a full circle around the enclosure in silence. The man scowled and gloated at the same time, and a kernel of worry for Tula took root in Levi
’
s heart.

“
Tula?
”
His voice scratched from his throat.

A malicious smile crept over the green face. The man smoothed the beads hanging from his neck and stepped closer. He said something Levi couldn
’
t understand.

Levi grew truly concerned. All the Haldanian words he
’
d learned fled his mind. He rose, edging toward the bars.
“
Where is Tula?
”