Botanicaust

her arms around his bicep and urged him away from the carnage.

T hey limped north, leaving the river. Levi stalked ahead while the girls trudged in silence with Tula. She was worried about Levi. He wasn ’ t hurt physically, but something in him had changed. The passive man once captured by the Protectorate was gone. And she knew he despised himself.
    There ’ s no time for coddling . Cannibals could be on their trail, right now. Ahead, Levi halted at a dry creek bed, the golden spikes of his hair silver with moonlight. He gestured a change of direction, but didn ’ t wait for them to catch up.
    Ana released Tula ’ s hand, skipped a little ahead, and pivoted to walk backwards. Her eyes reflected the light from the moon. She ’ d scarcely looked away from Tula all night. “ Tell me the magic. ”
    Magic? Of course the girls would think that. Tula shook her head. “ Not magic. My green skin makes medicine. ” The child cocked her head and frowned. Tula clarified. “ You know the silliness you feel in the sun? That ’ s medicine. ”
    Ana seemed to consider, stepping absently over a rock without even looking. “ That ’ s why you don ’ t sex with Levi. ”
    The bluntness of her statement made Tula laugh. “ Partly. ”
    “ I have the Knowing, too? The Spirit Healing? ”
    Tula didn ’ t like the look in the girl ’ s moonlit eye. “ I don ’ t know. ” She wasn ’ t lying. She had no idea if the Fosselites had interfered with the girl ’ s chemical makeup. The children were remarkably immune to the sun ’ s rays. But Tula assumed that might be a developed tolerance due to their overexposure under the Fosselite lights.
    “ You told we did. ”
    “ I was trying to keep us safe. ”
    “ I ’ m going to try. ”
    Tula stopped walking. Eily stopped beside her. These girls were going to have enough trouble fitting into Levi ’ s community as it was. She hated to think they planned activities that would ostracize them. “ Ana, promise me you won ’ t. The medicine is dangerous. ”
    The child rejoined Tula, taking her hand. “ Don ’ t worry. I know Levi your man. ”
    Tula faltered. She ’ d never considered the girls might try to seduce Levi. “ When the medicine wears off, that cannibal will be angry. ”
    Ana glanced behind them. “ Only ‘ cause you didn ’ t sex with him. ”
    Eily chimed in for the first time. “ Ana, sexing puts the baby in you. Then you like Mama and can ’ t run. ”
    The girls were silent until they reached the creek bed and looked for Levi. He sat near some shrubs, and rose when he saw them and kept moving. “ Levi mad you don ’ t sex with him, ” Ana stated.
    “ No, he ’ s not, ” Tula answered. “ He ’ s shamed. He hurt that man. His people do not lift hands against each other. Or other people. ”
    Ana nodded. “ He broke the peace. ”
    “ More than that. With his people, you always keep the peace. They ’ re not cannibals. If you want to stay with us, you have to learn. ”
    “ What about the hunger times? ” Eily asked.
    Tula skirted a clump of amarantox. “ They don ’ t eat people. No matter what. ”
    “‘ Cept the dead. No wasting, ” Ana said.
    “ Not even the dead. ”
    Both girls snorted in disbelief or disgust, she couldn ’ t tell. How could she teach these girls about Levi ’ s peaceful ways when she ’ d failed to convert them in the first place? They were wild and willful, and in spite of her growing affection, she worried they would never fit in. She worried she would never fit in.

    Levi set his pack down and stretched his back. The sun cast long morning shadows, promising Tula and the girls a good day of photosynthesis. Tula stuffed her robe into his pack with a tired grin, and he didn ’ t admonish her nakedness. She needed her strength. They ’ d trudged the dry plains from sunset to sunup for four nights, keeping watch for the rising smoke of Blattvolk flame runners. This far east , he thought they might be safe.
    Ana returned from her foraging empty handed. “ I see hunters. They look for a Spirit Healer. ” She raised a skinny arm to point west along their back-trail.
    Levi stiffened. “ Where ’ s Eily? ”
    Eily chimed from Tula ’ s side. “ Here. ” She must have returned from the other direction.
    His heart hammered with worry. He no longer cared about violence. Only survival. They ’ d set a grueling pace, and the twins had probably doubled the distance during their food gathering. He