Daz led them to a bulky tower with a steam cloud pouring from its bottom that went all the way up to the crystal layers of the city above. Despite the way he had stood up when he introduced himself, he walked on all fours for most of the short detour. Saul and Olivia followed him to what he had called the foodfall.

  The tower looked even more, rusty and battered up close. Rivulets of dark slime ran down grooves in its sides, and dripped onto the surrounding walkways or off into the abyss.

  The doorway to the foodfall appeared to have been broken off its hinges some time ago. Pitted spots of rust covered the threshold of the opening where liquid still dripped steadily.

  Saul touched Daz’s hairy shoulder. “What is that stuff?” He pointed at the liquid on the tower’s side.

  “Not sure,” said Daz. “It’s on all the big towers down here.”

  Olivia passed them and approached the wreckage and rust of the doorway. She looked up at the crystal structure a half mile overhead. Saul could guess what she was thinking, but they wouldn’t be able to get to the city without eating first. His stomach’s protests were growing painful.

  Daz followed Saul’s gaze. He sat back on his haunches beside Saul. “Your lady’s interesting.”

  “She’s not my lady.” Saul thought of Irene. Years ago, growing up, he recalled the first time they had been mistaken for a couple, by a servant at Father’s estate on Hidria. At the time, he had been proud at the slip. The embarrassment had been all hers.

  He could also remember the first time they had gone out as a couple, into a city called Sozia. They had eaten a fine meal and watched a play. He shook his head. Times past weren’t worth remembering right now.

  Daz turned his young face toward Saul. “You two can probably handle this from here.”

  “There’s food in there? What do you want in return for pointing us over here?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I don’t buy that.”

  “Buy what?”

  “Your story.”

  “My story is free. You’re pretty odd, yourself, man.”

  “This could be some kind of trap.” Saul folded his arms. “I’m not saying you’re not trustworthy, kid. But we just met you.”

  “I’ll walk in there with you, but I got places to be.”

  “Like where?”

  Daz gave him a lopsided smile. He shrugged with open bear claws. “That weird air boat of yours got my attention.”

  Saul shrugged. The winged boat wouldn’t be useful for getting home without some kind of world gate anyway. “You can have it. I’m not attached to the thing.”

  Daz rolled his eyes. “That’s downright generous of you.”

  “Maybe a little.” Saul awkwardly patted Daz’s furry back. “But first, show us to the food.”

  Daz shuffled forward on two legs. Saul still wondered as to what the boy might be. He moved and spoke with an uncertainty that made his age seem genuine to Saul, but he could still be bonded to the bear-like animal that he looked like. When makers bonded to art-children they gained more than appearances. And Saul doubted this boy was a maker. He sensed none of that familiar presence from him. Saul followed Daz and Olivia into the tower.

  Inside, the foodfall was warm and smelled faintly of decay. Flies flitted between piles of debris in the dim light from the doorway. Much of the broad square room was in shadow. Olivia picked her way past piles of detritus. She sniffed as she turned back toward Saul and Daz.

  “Place smells like a garbage dump.”

  “Foodfall is where Rokar drops stuff it doesn’t want.” Daz looked brightly at Olivia. “Lady, they throw away some good stuff.”

  Olivia’s nose wrinkled. Saul raised his eyebrows at Daz. “So it is a dump.”

  “Hey, we down here can’t be picky. If we protest, the city might tighten up and we’d all starve.”

  She shook her head in clear wonder and disgust at the conditions. Saul agreed with the sentiment. He noted the word, Rokar, a name Daz had used for the city. His stomach growled again, despite the smell in the room.

  Still, thrown away food was better than nothing. He clapped Daz on the shoulder. “Could you find us something good? Neither of us has done this before.”

  “Hey man, I think you’re getting attached to me. I need to go get that boat before someone else takes it.”

  Saul folded his arms and looked at Daz.

  “This place has plenty to eat. Just boil the liquids first.” Daz fell to all fours and then turned and headed back through the door. “Good luck.”

  Saul and Olivia watched the bear boy go until he slunk over the side of the walkway to continue underneath. Olivia whistled. “He may have a point. This place smells, but there’s probably something worth eating.”

  “I suppose.” Saul unzipped his pack. “Rult. Find me something fresh.”

  The little lion leaped onto a clear spot on the floor of the foodfall. He sniffed the air, then began to walk toward the center of the room where Olivia stood. She watched him, without changing position.

  Saul followed Rult. He craned his neck to look upward. The shaft of the foodfall went all the way up to a speck of light at the top. He grimaced. “That kid may have done us more than one favor.”

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  “What do you mean?”

  “If this is where the food drops there must be a way to the top from here.”

  Rult stopped just behind Olivia. He raised his tail. “Saul, come here.”

  Saul walked over to the cat. Olivia turned to look down. She crouched and picked up an oddly shaped can that Rult had been sniffing. She read the label. “Soup.”

  “Perfect.” Saul’s stomach growled. “This’ll do.”

  “Soup for two.” Olivia shook her head. “I don’t know what’s in it. There’s no ingredient list, see?” She handed the can to Saul.

  He turned it over in his hands. The image of a thick bowl of dark broth was plastered on its side. There were no words on the can. He walked to the door of the foodfall and stepped back out onto the walkway.

  Olivia caught up with him. “That place stinks.”

  “Yeah.” Saul took the surge bowl out of his pack and set it on the walkway, just a few feet from the line of rust spots at the door of the foodfall. He stood the can upright in the bowl.

  He touched the top of the can with the flat end of an oven rod. He closed his eyes and focused on his spark. The heat came slow and steadily into the can. The soup cooked

  inside and the can gradually deformed from the heat. The bottom lid popped open and boiling broth flowed into the bowl. Saul sat back, dizzy for a moment at the expenditure of spark while low on chemical energy.

  Olivia slumped down beside him. “Is that ready?”

  “Probably too hot. Give it a minute.”

  The chill breeze from the pit below the city blustered over the walkway, wafting steam from the soup out into the empty air. The small cloud broke apart just feet from the walkway.

  This place was so strange. Saul had never even heard of a city in between worlds. A city of exiles. A city of strangers.

  He looked up at the crystal that hung over them. “What made this place?”

  Olivia raised one shoulder, then lowered it. “If you don’t know, how would I?”

  “Yeah, I know.” Saul looked at her face. “This place must not belong to makers. I’m sure I’d have heard of it, otherwise.”

  “If it’s not makers, who lives here?”

  “Exiles.” Saul sighed. “But they must not be like the earth born. They have to know the rest of the realms are out there.” It was a scary thought. Exiles from Earth could be threatening enough, despite having only technological innovations. Saul wondered what the rulers of this city were like. There were always rulers, but who would build a place like this?

  Olivia put her hands on her knees and pulled her legs to her chest. “Saul, how big is the universe?”

  “There are supposed to be five original realms. Earth is the second. Hidria is the third. I don’t know much about what the others are like. I’ve been too busy studying how to make artificial worlds.”

  “Wouldn’t you study the originals to make your own?”

  “It gets complicated. Makers have built a lot of artificial universes, but they’re different from the originals. Artificial ones move, originals stay in place in relation to each other, for one thing.”

  “What kind of universes do makers build?”

  “What can you imagine? I’ve seen one where planets floated inside bubbles in an infinite ocean. I’ve seen one where all shadows talk to each other and give birth to stone soldiers. My father’s world—” He took a deep breath. “He made a place where plants fly through endless rain and huge monsters over limitless marshes below. But even I haven’t seen what lies beyond Hidria.”

  She looked down at the bowl of soup, eyes slightly wide. “You’re sort of in the dark too.”

  He grimaced. “I suppose I am.” His eyes moved to the bowl. He lifted the cooling can from the liquid. Its side was coated in brown liquid. Red and green shapes floated in the soup, vegetables. “Soup’s ready. You can go first.”

  “No spoons. Right.” Olivia picked up the surge bowl in both hands. She held it to her lips and drank.

  Saul looked away, back to the crystalline base of the city, as she drank.

  She touched his arm. “Your turn.” She held the bowl out to him.

  He took it and drank. The soup was hot and a little spicy. He liked the taste a little, but it left a lot to be desired.

  Saul handed the bowl back to Olivia. “Thanks.”

  She nodded to him, and then took another sip of the soup.

  He sighed. “I’m glad I’m not doing this alone.”

  Olivia lowered the bowl from her lips and looked at him. “You’d have twice as much soup if you were.”

  “Yeah. But I don’t know if I could keep going.”

  “You want that hilt.”

  Saul looked down at the half empty bowl. “It’s been a long time since I spent so much time with a person.” He shook his head. “I realized I don’t like being alone.”

  Olivia handed him the bowl. She took a deep breath. “You’re not the only one. Gern hunting isn’t exactly something I can share with people back on Earth.”

  “I understand.”

  “I suppose you do. You ever tell anyone else where you were from?”

  “No.” Even when I spilled about Hidria before, I lied and said I was from Earth.

  “So, why did you tell me?”

  “You had me in a bind. And I needed help.”

  “I’m still surprised it’s all true. The origin of monsters, the worlds other than Earth.” She looked down at her feet. “The dead people being reborn.”

  “It goes on like that, you know.” Saul took a sip of soup. “Nobody’s supposed to come back from the world after Hidria.”

  “So you makers don’t rule everywhere.”

  “I suppose we don’t.” He looked out at the empty gray. “I guess right now we’re probably closer to the next world than I’ve ever been before. The next world is called Fanar, but like I said, we don’t know a whole lot about it. World gates can’t seem to go there. Even the center is more accessible.”

  “The center?” Olivia inched toward him.

  “Supposedly the five realms are arranged like spokes on a wheel. But at the center, there’s a point, just a small point. There are worlds in there too, not as big as the realms, but still bigger than I can really figure out.” He turned toward her and found her close to his side. He shook his head. “The fact is, we’ll never know the way it all works.”

  “That doesn’t mean I don’t want to find out. Don’t you?”

  Saul raised an eyebrow. “I guess I do.”

  “More than you want to be a worldmaker?”

  “Olivia.” He rolled her name over. “Olivia, what are you getting at?”

  “You don’t need to chase Luther.”

  “I don’t know what he wants with the hilt. But I sure as hell won’t let him get it.”

  Olivia sighed. Her brows furrowed. “Is this really about that?”

  “Sure feels that way to me.”

  “Fine. So once you have a universe to yourself, then what? You gonna rule it?”

  “I don’t know. I’m playing this by ear.”

  “By ear. You had plans you didn’t tell me before.”

  “I’m being honest now.” Saul handed her the surge bowl. “You can have the rest. I’m done with it.”

  She had better take that as my answer. I don’t want to make her angry, but it’s the truth.

  Olivia took the bowl and drank another bit of soup. She turned away from Saul.

  He gazed out into the abyss. His eyes sought to pick out the exact shapes of the things moving in the darker gray. They were many, and they were large, but beyond that he could not discern their numbers or forms. Whether or not they were gern, he knew they were not human.

  She set the bowl on the walkway. “There’s still a little left.”

  “Leave it for my children. Rult. Nat. Get some food.”

  Rult needed no further urging. He butted his head into the bowl and drank. Saul watched his tongue lap up the soup from the bottom. Nat glided down and began to drink as well.

  Soon, the bowl was empty except for a few vegetable pieces too large for Nat and not interesting to Rult. Saul stood and picked up the bowl.

  Olivia rose and stretched. “So. How do we get up to the top?”

  “The foodfall is dark. Nat, maybe you can get us to an upper level.”

  “There are some shadowy halls about half a mile up.” Nat crawled down Saul’s ear. “I think I can get us all there, but it will be tough. I’ll need to rest afterward.”

  “Good. We need to catch up to Luther.” And the hilt. “If we can’t find him before he leaves this city we’ll be way behind.”

  He stuffed the surge bowl into his backpack. Rult climbed on top. He zipped the pocket most of the way shut. They walked into the foodfall. He reached out and took Olivia’s warm hand. Nat’s feet poked through his shirt into his shoulder.

  “Hold on, Olivia,” Saul said. “We’re going up.”

  She nodded.

  Then, they hopped.