“They’re not all old,” Maurice said bitterly. “Look at that one!” He pointed at a man in a long checked coat and a mink hat who walked palely down the road, his hands clasped tight together, his face a battleground between calm acceptance and absolute terror. He was young, barely in his twenties, his beard too thin, barely covering his chin. His eyes darted towards Saskia’s, dark brown eyes miserable with fear, gazing at her in an unspoken plea for help.
“No,” Saskia said, letting go of Miss Rose and moving in front of him, blocking his path. “No, drop it!
One seed is going to make no difference at all!”
The man licked his lips. “Let me past, please,” he said in tones of utter misery. “I have to do this.”
Saskia looked back at the waiting crowd of people in the square. Dark lines wavered over them and around them, Dark Plants erupting from their quantum world.
“Let him go, Saskia,” Anna said kindly. “You are now endangering us all, and it’s what he wants to do.”
“He’s not fighting me very hard,” Saskia said, and those miserable brown eyes held hers. And then someone pushed her gently aside. Two red gloves reached out and clasped the hands of the young man.
“Miss Rose,” Saskia said. “What are you doing?”
“What I came here to do. Something important. Give it to me, dear.”
The man released his hold on the seed and Miss Rose clasped it tightly. Painfully she turned around and began to shuffle back down the road towards the square.
“But Miss Rose—” called Saskia.
“Good-bye, dear.”
“Come on, Saskia, you’re holding us all up.” Maurice took hold of her and gently pushed her forwards. He then tapped on the shoulder of the man whose life Miss Rose had just saved.
“Come on, get moving,” he said. “She saved your life, so you do something about it. Fair Exchange.”
Saskia walked backwards, watching Miss Rose hobble away, hands held tightly together. She reached out with the senses of her active suit, trying to touch Miss Rose, wanting to speak to her.
“Not a good idea,” said a voice from behind her. Judy had seen what had happened and come back. There was something like sympathy on her pale face. “Not a good idea to use your suit’s senses. Not with all of these Dark Seeds about. We don’t want to observe them any more than necessary.”
Saskia was crying properly now. Her face was cold with tears. Her active suit blew warm air to dry them.
“That’s it?” she said. “That’s why she came all the way here? To save one stupid man?”
“He’s not stupid,” Judy said. “Just programmed that way by the Watcher.”
“She entered into a Fair Exchange! She was supposed to do something important before she died!”
“She did,” Judy said quietly. “She saved a life.”
“Is that it?” Saskia asked incredulously.
“Why don’t you ask that young man?” Judy said quietly.
“She’s not dead yet,” Saskia sobbed.
They walked on, following the eerily silent crowd, walked away from the dark region that had opened up behind them. The first of a series of brilliant flashes came from behind, lighting up the surrounding buildings, sending their shadows briefly flickering into the distance before them. The flash was followed by an electric sizzle. Sterilization had obviously begun.
The streets were widening. A cold breeze picked up the snow and sent it blowing across their suits.
“I think we’re out of danger now,” said Maurice. “The flux is almost gone.”
Anna muttered something under her breath.
“What was that?” asked Saskia.
