Z 2134

many people here,” Calla shook her head. “Only us.”
    Jonah shook his head. “What do you mean, only us ?”
    “Me, the two boys from when we saved you, Father, an’ Verosh.”
    “Verosh?”
    “She’s my mom now. She’s from far away. She saved my father after he won The Games.”
    That might explain the accent, but something still felt wrong.
    “What about the others?”
    “What others?” Calla shook her head. “We’re here alone. Dad doesn’t trust the others in the villages or The City. He says we hafta live here.” After a second of silence, Jonah thought she had finished, but then Calla added, “It’s lonely most of the time.”
    “You mean there’s no council? No — ”
    Calla’s eyes fell to the floor, then drifted to the wall. “Oh. Uh…” she stammered. “I’ve gotta go.”
    “Wait,” Jonah said. “I won’t say anything to get you in trouble. I swear.”
    She turned, looking Jonah over from eyebrow to toe, obviously unsure whether she trusted him.
    “I’ll tell you whatever you wanna know about The City. Anything at all.”
    “Anything?”
    “Yes,” Jonah nodded. “Anything. But please don’t leave. You’re the only one here who treats me like a person.”
    She looked back at the ground, as if kindness were insulting, or an open invite to guilt.
    Calla stared at the man responsible for her mother’s death. “OK,” she said, squinting, “but I don’t wannna know about The City. I want to know ’bout somethin’ else.”
    “What?” Jonah said, stupidly afraid she would ask him about the birds and the bees, or some other crap he’d not even discussed with Ana.
    “I want to know about my real mom, and why Dad says you killed her.”
    He’d rather discuss the birds and bees.
    Calla asked, “What was she like?”
    “I didn’t really know her,” Jonah said. “But from the pictures I’ve seen, and when I saw her in court, she was beautiful. She had long brown hair, like yours. Big blue eyes, and a gentle voice; soft spoken, like you. You look a lot like her, actually.”
    Calla’s lips split into the first smile Jonah had seen on her since first coming down into the tunnel. Tears seemed to threaten his eyes.
    “What else?” Calla said, almost demanding.
    “She loved your father very much.”
    “How do you know?”
    Jonah wished he hadn’t stepped into that particular batch of quicksand. “She begged for the judge to show mercy on your father, to keep him from jail, like many wives begging for their husbands. But hers wasn’t the mindless whine of someone who didn’t care. The way she spoke of your father,” Jonah held the little girl’s stare, “with tears in her eyes and honesty in her voice — she truly loved him. It was in every note as she pled with the judge, swearing he was a sweet, dedicated husband and father; a good man incapable of the crimes assigned to his otherwise good name.”
    “Then why did they put him in jail?” she said, swallowing her tears. “Why did you lie?”
    He continued to hold her eyes. “What did your father tell you?”
    “Not much, but I listened outside in the hall when you two were talking a few times. I heard some things. I want to know more.” Her eyes were a fire on Jonah. “Why did you lie?”
    “At the time, my bosses told me your father was a bad man. Dangerous, they said. They asked me to say something untrue, but I didn’t know it was false when I agreed. It’s difficult to explain,” he cleared his throat, trying not to feel like a monster, “but the short answer is, I did as told. And I’ve regretted the lie every day since.”
    “So, what happened to my mom?” Calla asked, tears flooding down both cheeks as she wiped her nose with a dirty kerchief pulled from her pants pocket.
    “You don’t know?”
    “Only that she died; Dad never said why or how.”
    “Maybe you should ask him again. I don’t think it’s my place to say.”
    “Please, mister,” Calla begged. “Nobody tells me anything, and I deserve to know. She was my mother.”
    Jonah’s words were trapped in his throat. Everything had changed. Five minutes ago, he had pictured the tunnels packed with people, but now he knew that was a lie. Just like his trial. With no council or fair judgement, Egan would likely kill him without a thought.
    If Egan was about to kill Jonah, survival depended on getting out of the room and on the run immediately. Calla was his only chance. He had to persuade her to free him.
    “Are you