Unsheltered Clare Moleta (book club books .txt) 📖

the damper Lucas had cooked in the ashes. But I was mostly looking out for trouble. They didn’t look like trouble, so I didn’t look too close.

After they’d eaten, Shaun and Stokes took off alone in the dark, driving gingerly on the stuffed wheel. No one commented. Li found a good river stone and sharpened her knife. Thought about the group Shaun thought he’d seen, adding up the days, trying to make it fit. She was about to get up and go to bed when Jasmine came and sat beside her. She was drinking some kind of turps out of a tin mug. Li hadn’t seen water to spare for making alcohol since makecamp.

Sorry about your kid, she said. The words came out like she’d run them in her head a couple of times. And. She shrugged. I was a bit of a dick. Before. She leaned in and her breath stung the inside of Li’s nose. Everyone here’s got a thing, you know? Shaun keeps the ute running, Stokes is food and water, organisation. Dev’s ex-Company, so he’s connected. Fuck knows what Mira brings but she’s Dev’s kid so, you know, not optional. Lucas is kind of new but he’s good with weapons. Another shrug. I’m the operator. No one taught me to patch but I get by. If you can do it too.

She was backlit against the fire and Li couldn’t see her expression. Probably she was full of shit but it made sense to protect your advantage in a group. Maybe Jasmine had worked out it was better not to alienate her too far – not give her a reason to muscle in.

Jasmine said, That call you wanted to make, back in town. That was about your kid, right?

I can pay for the call, Li told her. You saw my trade.

Jasmine opened her mouth, shut it again, shook her head. Drank. Li watched her trying to remember if she’d already made her big gesture. She pulled a phone out of her jacket. You don’t have to pay. You’re part of the crew now.

How many hours since this woman pepper-sprayed an unarmed man on his knees and tried to take Li’s salvage? But she needed this call. Her mind itched with it. If Jasmine wanted to build up some obligation in her head, that wasn’t Li’s problem. So she took the phone, waited until Jasmine said, I’ll give you some privacy.

She called the Agency hotline. Punched in language selection, her status number, the missing-minor claim number, their change-of-status claim number. Got comfortable in the dirt, left leg extended to take the pressure off. Shifted slowly through queues, tuning out the hold music, the ads, the official advice to call back in working hours or find a Source outlet. After twenty-five minutes she got a toneless notification that there was no update. She hung up, checked the battery and looked over at the fire, where Jasmine was talking to Mira, re-filling Lucas’s mug. Her generous streak holding.

He picked up on the second ring.

She said, I put you on the claim, said you were family. You’ll get the call.

Someone asking in the background. He covered the phone, said something and the other voice retreated. When he spoke to Li, he kept his voice low. I told you, they’re not going to call.

Then you call them. Let them know someone with sheltered status is looking for her. Or call the relief groups.

Li —

Goddammit, Chris. How many people you think I know inside?

He said, I have my own kid. I can’t claim another one, that’s the rules.

You have a kid?

Yeah. Aaron. He’s nine.

Pride in his voice, or softening. It was a crappy connection and she was wasting time being thrown by this – that Chris was a parent too, that they’d had kids so close together. Matti always pretended Robbie was her big brother, big cousin. She said, I’m not asking you to claim her. Just keep her safe till I can get there. We already have a change-of-status claim in the system – you’re not on that. I don’t need you to sponsor us.

You won’t get in if I sponsor you or not. Quota’s bullshit, there’s only buy-in. You got that kind of money?

Li pushed the phone against her ear, so hard it hurt. She tried to listen past the static, to make his life inside audible.

Where’s her dad?

Was this the first time anyone had asked directly? She had a sudden hunger to talk about Frank. He wanted to claim for the Deep Islands, she said.

Deep Islands aren’t in the XB.

I know that. You don’t get to choose but you can nominate a preference. He put the Deep Islands first, then any precinct.

Chris made a sound that could have meant anything.

That’s what he and Matti wanted.

Nobody tries that anymore, he said. Deep Islands haven’t opened quota for years – they hardly even deal with the Agency now.

You looked into it?

Yeah, I looked into it. His voice had got even quieter. You think Suyin and I want Aaron to grow up here?

Of course Li thought that. They were inside the wall. Well then, she said. I guess we’ll have to take our chances getting in.

Jasmine was standing up with her back to the fire, looking over at her. Calling time.

She heard the way Chris breathed down the phone, not impatient anymore, just trying to slow it down so she’d get it. You won’t. Listen, Li, you won’t. Your kid turns up, she might have a shot. What is she, seven? Eight? Probably got a better shot without you. But the life she’d have in here as an unaccompanied minor – I don’t think you want that for her.

She couldn’t keep her voice steady. Do you have any idea what it’s like out here? Chris? How fucking sheltered you are?

And what do you think it’s like in here? Walled up, waiting to get overrun or short-strawed for buy-in? What do you think happens when things run out? I promise you, Li, this is