Alexander stood where the salt met the grass. No one had told him to go any further. He could see Riley screaming at the Dust Women. The wind blew away her words.
Lissie no longer rode Peach, but her feet did not touch the ground. Hers was the only voice he could hear.
“Your empire is dust. You worship the ashes of the fallen.” She rose a few feet higher.
Alexander reached into his saddlebag to find another bottle.
Wine. Wine. There we go, liquor.
He worked at the cork with his teeth. A small hand grasped at his trouser leg. He looked down into Tawn’s face. Alexander spit the cork on the ground.
“Are we safe?” Tawn’s voice was small.
“Never.” Alexander shot him a wild smile and took a pull from the bottle. “But we are together.”
Tawn held on tighter and said, “I like that.” The little boy scowled at the ground for a moment and asked, “Will there be class where we are going?”
Lissie’s voice echoed in Alexander’s head. “The box you left with the Duchess is filled with bitter ashes.” Lightning arced across the sky and thunder punctuated her words.
Ruskin let out a mournful howl.
Tawn started crying. “Why is she so angry?”
She lost her love? They are taking her identity? What could a child understand of loss?
“Her friend went away. Now they are telling her she isn’t allowed to go home again.” He took another drink. It stung his nose.
I find the one cheap bottle in that whole golden city.
“Lissie’s nice. Or she used to be.”
Alexander shook his head and grabbed Tawn’s shoulder. “She’s still nice. She’s just sad.”
Lissie rose higher. “You did not accept me before and you cannot cast me out now.”
He looked at the group of Dust Women. They were standing, defiant beneath her. Nomad warriors had managed to pull Riley away from them. It was hard to tell at this distance, but they were circling and seemed reluctant to stay near Riley. Swords had not been drawn.
I need to talk for her. This situation is as electric and explosive as I’ve ever seen.
Alexander knelt in front of Tawn and asked, “Did you make any friends? You seemed friendly with that girl in class. What’s her name? Zoe?”
Tawn blushed bright pink. “Zoe’s smart. You said that was important.”
He clapped the boy on the shoulder. “It’s the best quality a woman can have. Let’s go find her.”
Lissie’s voice shuddered. “If you want to do this without me, try it.”
Screams drew his eye. The Problem Cases had broken file. They were charging forward towards the Nomad ranks. He pushed Tawn faster towards the group of children and caregivers.
Young cries from the children, and soft weeping from the teachers.
Alexander put on his loudest, most cheerful voice and chirped, “Now this won’t do! Let’s get a song going!”
The young woman closest to him blanched. He took a deep breath and continued, “Johnny was a frog! And he liked to hop along! And he always sang his song.” He put a hand on the young woman’s shoulder. “You all know the words.”
Her voice came out in a croak. “Hop. Hop. Hop.” Some of the children hopped, though most still had their heads bowed and eyes red.
Alexander sang louder. “Flaky Jake was a snake and he liked to sing and shake!”
The children started wiggling their hips. More of the teachers joined in. One of the older ladies had stood up and was clapping her hands.
He glanced back toward the nexus of storm clouds. A wall of dust prevented the plague victims from reaching the Nomads. The Problem Cases pushed against it, those behind smashed into the ones in front.
Lissie rose higher. Flames danced around her.
He shouted at the children, “Great! You do know the words. I have to go!”
Ruskin weaved in between his feet. Alexander scooped the dog up and broke into a run. “What do you think, pup? Can we handle this?” He took another drink of the acrid brandy.
The dust wall was breaking down. “That’s right, puppo. Nothing for it but to try.”
Alexander watched Lissie flying, and from underneath her he shouted, “Remember the rabbits, Liss. The rabbits!”
Her voice in his head. The weight of it almost pressed him into the ground. “That’s the only reason I’m here at all.”
He replied, “Is it? Is it the only reason you’re here? I remember a lot happened before you ever met that man.”
Flames blocked her from sight. He put his head down and ran toward Riley.
Riley was being held by three Nomads. Their muscles buckled under their tight skin. Two of them had black eyes. One spat ruby blood on the salt.
“Riley, you have to talk to her. You’re the only one that can calm her down.”
Riley strained against the Nomads. “She’s right! They’re wrong. They’ve done nothing but sit out here in the dust.”
Alexander looked up at the sky in exasperation. Black faces formed, screamed, and melted back into the clouds. “There is no such thing as right and wrong. There is only now. There is only this.” He pointed at the clouds roiling above them. “This kind of seems wrong! Excessive, at least.”
Riley relaxed against her captors. “They want her to give up the Dust Box. Maribelle gave her that.” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “It’s the only thing we have left of her. Of Cora.”
Alexander glared at her. “We have stories. That box is just a thing.” He gestured to the men. “Let her go. She’s not going to fight.”
They looked at each other, and released her. Their arms were up, ready. But she just stood, then walked back toward Lissie.
Alexander let her go. He couldn’t hear what she said over the wind and fire and dust.
Everyone heard Lissie’s reply. “They cannot change what I am now.”
He watched it fall. The box trailed fire, and landed with an explosion of white dust. It rose into a wall. The plague victims lined back up.