Chapter 25

“When are we leaving?”

Ray scrapes the last of the bean curds from her bowl and fast-walks it to the sink, remembering to push her chair under the table. She’s on her best behavior. Mostly because today they will go to the Tower and Taedan. And also because Trumble spent the night. Trumble had never even visited and his earthiness seems to permeate everything.

“Got everything in your backpack?”

Marla scritches her own chair back and collects her and Trumble’s bowl before heading to the sink. Ray’s stomach knots up and her lower lids pulse, just for a moment. Butterflies replace the knots. At least that’s what Ray imagines. It’s a phrase Marla uses for excitement. The fluttery felling inside that seems to lift her whole being up and sets her brain in hight alert. She studies Trumble and Marla for a moment to discern whether they feel the same.

Marla turtles her neck against Trumble’s breath as he whispers in her ear.

“I’m ready.” Ray’s voice sounds loud and a bit angry in the quiet of the room.

Outsiders donned, the threesome walk to the Tower. The route is direct; not like the circuitous path Ray took when she followed Taedan those weeks ago. Still, she feels like Marla and Trumble, walking shoulder to shoulder, simply replaces Taedan. Again, she follows.

As they climb what seems like hundreds of stairs, Ray goes over her plan. Like the last time, the monotony of the steps make Ray almost forget they have a destination. The nump, nump, nump of her footsteps up one stair after another; and a slight change in rhythm as she rounds each landing, and back to the nump, nump, nump. It’s almost meditative.

And then they stop. Footsteps decrescendo as first Trumble, then Marla, and last Ray come to the very top of the Tower.

Marla knocks on the door and waits. Trumble touches her low on her back. Ray tugs her Outsider straps and sniffs.

The door swings open in a flood of light broken only by the black cutout of what must be Taedan.

“I’ve been waiting,” Taedan says.

Ray’s butterflies take flight all at once and her stomach seems to jump into her throat.

---

---