Chapter 52

Two Sides of a Coin

The door opened. Light came first.

The place had looked bright when they toured it. Living here had changed the smell and the look some. Same square main room, same windows on the lane—but their own things filled it now, and the curtains were heavy dark cloth Lila had dug up at an old fabric stall.

The two bedrooms went to Lila and Nova. Eren slept in the main room. It wasn't roomy, but at least it wasn't an inn where someone could kick them out on a whim.

Lila stood by the table, dark-brown curls tied back with an old cord, a few strands still loose at her brow. Not long back from the plant—faint dust on the cuffs of her gray shirt, standing like she'd only just caught her breath. One hand held a takeout wrap still shiny with grease.

Nova was already at the square table. The boy wore an old shirt cut shorter; the sleeves were still a size big, but they'd been washed clean.

Eren set his pack by the wall, shrugged off the mine-guard vest, hung it up, let his left shoulder drop, and rubbed it twice with his right hand.

"Not too late today." Lila set the wrap on the table, a little ease in her voice. "Stew from the corner place—grabbed it on the way. Still hot."

Nova peered at the wrap. "When I go, the boss usually throws in a little extra. Looks like less today, with Sister Lila buying."

"Yeah, well—I finally got off early for once. Figure I'd help." Lila pulled three rough clay bowls from the cupboard and shoved one toward him. "Next time you go. After overtime I'm hollowed out. No energy left to sweet-talk the boss."

Eren went to the basin. Water slapped twice. "So now you know wage work isn't easy."

"I'm not a kid." Lila pulled another bowl and pushed it his way. "You're not exactly coasting either."

"Me? I learned that ten years ago. Never figured the work would be easy." Eren shook water off his hands, sat, leaned into the chair back, tipped his neck. "One day at a time."

"Eat first."

Steam rose from the stew and the flatbread together. A few scraps of meat floated on top; underneath it was mostly beans and potato.

Eren lifted the bowl and drank. The soup was a little salty—just enough to cut the mine dust in his throat.

Once the soup was down, he didn't want to bring up the rockfall. He started with something that wouldn't worry them.

"Lately the shoot's been answering better. Long stretches of heavy work don't bother me much."

Nova's chopsticks froze halfway. "So your training's working?"

"Should be." Eren opened his left hand, then closed it again. "I use it when I can on the job, plus some weight work. You can see a little. Hauled a few cartloads of stone today—no trouble."

Lila passed him a flatbread.

"Good if it works," she said. "Just don't treat every shift like a workout. Push too far and you'll get hurt."

"I won't get stupid."

Lila eyed him. She let the boast stand.

"Why so much stone today? Mine guards shouldn't be hauling ore."

He hadn't meant to say. He put a bite of stew in his bowl, then spoke.

"A few rocks came down on the slope."

Lila stared at him.

He filled it in. "Nobody got hurt bad. One miner scraped up a little."

"Rocks came down, and it's just a scrape?" Lila asked.

"Mm."

Her brows drew down. "You? You're all right?"

"Fine. I was farther off."

That part was true.

Her chopsticks rested on the bowl rim a moment.

"Don't play hero. Mines eat people. I saw enough of that at the old mine."

"I know." He answered before she could press. "Any word on the revolutionaries?"

Lila looked at him, saw the dodge, and let it go.

"Nobody at school knows," Nova said. "I asked my deskmate Xiaoman, and a boy who always tells town stories. They've heard the name. Not where anyone is. Some say the revolutionaries left Rusak a long time ago."

"Plant's about the same." Lila picked it up. "I didn't ask straight—just listened when they talked unions and marches. Some say they've heard of them. Some say it's all talk."

Eren nodded.

"Same on my side. Nothing."

The table went quiet a beat.

Since they'd hit Rusak they'd been asking—mine, plant, school, people in market lines and shop queues, anyone who might know. Round and round, always the same rumors. Nothing that led anywhere.

Lila tore the flatbread into pieces and set them by Nova's bowl.

"No rush," she said. "Rusak's big. You're not going to figure it out in a day or two."

Eren looked at the food, then at the bright new room.

"Yeah. We've got a foothold now," he said. "We can ask slow."

Nova bit into the bread and mumbled agreement.

That was enough about the revolutionaries. Lila set her chopsticks on the dish rim and switched to the plant.

"Supervisor moved me today. Still burns a little in the throat, but at least I can keep up."

"Keep the cloth over your face. Dust isn't a joke," Eren said. "What'd they put you on?"

"Sorting Crystone blocks. Packing," Lila said. "Box the cut pieces by grade. Cracked ones, poor stuff—into the scrap basket."

She tapped the bowl rim once.

"I looked close today. Some of that scrap looks a lot like what's in the notes on explosive bolts."

Eren watched her. His brow tightened a little.

Lila smiled and dropped her voice half a notch.

"Don't give me that look. It's not stealing. They'd dump that scrap anyway. If I can stash a bit, I'll try a few bolts later."

"You'll have to test outside town," Eren said.

"Obviously. I'm not trying to blow up someone's house."

Nova laughed despite himself.

Lila rapped his bowl rim. "You? How's school?"

Nova sat up straighter at once.

"Teacher Ge says I learn fast, but I got two wrong today. She says I need to catch up on arithmetic."

"Learning fast is good. Finish your homework after we eat."

"I know," Nova said. "Not much tonight."

After the meal Nova took his books and notebook into his room. The door stayed ajar; soon pages turned inside.

Lila stacked bowls in the basin. Eren poured water beside her. It ran over the bottoms and pushed grease to the rim. One washed, one dried—already smoother than the first days after they moved in.

"I ran this month's numbers," Lila said. "After they dock your deposit and training fees, you won't take home much. I'm new at the plant—don't count on full piece-rate the first month. Rent, food, Nova's school—we split it."

Eren took a bowl and wiped it dry. "Nova's share isn't on you."

"What's the big deal?" She handed him a clean one. "Don't fuss."

"Fine."

"How's the rent loan?"

"We just couldn't put the deposit and first month down in one go. Not a huge number," Lila said. "They rolled it into the monthly rent. We pay together. First two months are tight; after that it eases. Deposit comes back when we leave, so walking early isn't a problem."

She paused.

"I figured it before we signed. As long as we both have work, we're fine. It's losing work all of a sudden that wrecks you."

Eren dried a bowl and set it in the low cupboard.

"Oh—and once the numbers settle, we'll have a little left." Lila passed him the last bowl. "When I get paid I want to buy something. Housewares shop on East Street has scent Crystones that scrub the air—a pair for the main room."

"All right," Eren said. "How much?"

"Sixty coins," Lila said. "Never saw these before the Impact. Boss says they block radiation, clean the air. Smell nice, anyway."

She laughed at herself first.

"Most of that's sales talk. Radiation? If they worked that well, the mines would've hauled them in by the cartload."

Eren put the bowl away.

"Whatever you say. We still go halves."

Lila's hands slowed half a beat. Her eyes flicked across his face. "New clothes for you and Nova? Or shoes? On me."

Eren didn't look up. He only hung the cloth back on the basin rim. "No need. I'll buy my own."

Lila laughed once. "Fine. Saves me the money."

She shook water from her hands, dried them, and remembered something else.

"Right—come back early tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Ran into Little Meng on the way home. He's treating us tomorrow. His cousin might come. He wanted me to tell you."

Eren nodded.

"Sure. Where?"

"We'll see tomorrow." Lila hung the cloth again. "He looked pretty happy. Probably wants to return the meal we bought him."

"Good. We'll go. Maybe we can ask around about the revolutionaries."

"Don't make it all about that."

After that the main room went quiet. The cupboard door shut. Lila pulled the curtains tight; lane light leaked thin through the cloth. Nova's room was still lit—his pen stopping on the page now and then, then writing again.

Lila stowed the basin under the stove and paused at her bedroom door. "You should turn in too."

"Mm."

She went in and closed the door, leaving a crack.

Only Eren remained in the main room. He sat at the table, rolled his neck, looked up at the wide bright ceiling, and almost smiled.