Lorraine’s brow furrowed. “What’s this about?”
“Those people. Those children. You bought them—do you think you own them?”
“I never bought anyone.”
“You bought them and now you’re selling them. You’re a slaver.”
“That isn’t how it works. They came to me willingly. I’m their agent.”
“You’re their pimp,” Emma spat.
“Without me they’d have starved. Or been taken.”
“Taken by who?”
“You know who.”
“I want to hear you say it.”
The woman laughed. “That’s not a good idea.”
“Yeah?” I said, taking a step forward. “Why not?”
“They have ears everywhere, and they don’t like being talked about.”
“I’ve killed wights,” I said. “I’m not scared of them.”
“Then you’re an idiot.”
“Shall I bite her?” said Addison. “I’d really like to. Just a little.”
“What happens when they take people?” I said, ignoring him.
“No one knows,” she said. “I’ve tried to find out, but …”
“I’ll bet you tried very hard,” Emma said.
“They come in here sometimes,” Lorraine said. “To shop.”
“Shop,” Addison said. “That’s a nice word for it.”
“To use my people.” She looked around. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I hate it. You never know how many they’re going to want or for how long. But you give them what they ask for. I’d complain, but … you don’t complain.”
“Bet you don’t complain about what they pay,” Emma said contemptuously.
“It’s not hardly enough for what they put ’em through. I try to hide the little ones when I hear they’re coming. They bring ’em back roughed up, memories blanked out. I say, ‘Where’d you go? What’d they make you do?’ But the kids don’t remember zip.” She shook her head. “They get these nightmares, though. Nasty ones. It’s hard to sell ’em after that.”
“I oughta sell you,” Emma said, livid, trembling. “Not that anyone would pay half a farthing.”
I stuffed my fists into my pockets to stop them from flying at Lorraine. There was more to be gotten from her. “What about the peculiars they kidnap from other loops?” I asked.
“They bring them through in trucks. Used to be a rare thing. Lately it’s been all the time.”
“Did one come through earlier today?” I said.
“A couple of hours ago,” she said. “They had guards with guns all over the place, blocking the street. Made a big production of it.”
“They don’t usually?”
“Not usually. Guess they feel safe here. This delivery must’ve been important.”
It was them, I thought. A trill of excitement shot through me—but was immediately stifled by Addison lunging at Lorraine. “I’m sure they feel quite safe here,” he snarled, “among such perfect traitors!”
I snatched his collar and held him back. “Calm down!”
Addison struggled against me, and I thought for a moment he might snap at my hand, but then he relaxed.
“We do what we have to to survive,” Lorraine hissed.
“So do we,” said Emma. “Now tell us where those trucks go, and if you lie, or it turns out to be a trap, I’ll come back and melt your nostrils shut.” She held one burning finger just beyond the tip of Lorraine’s nose. “Agreed?”
I could almost imagine Emma doing it. She was tapping into a deep well of hatred I’d never seen fully revealed before, and as useful as it was in situations like this, it was a little scary, too. I didn’t like to think what she might be capable of, given the proper motivation.
“They go to their part of the Acre,” Lorraine said, turning her head away from Emma’s hot finger. “Over the bridge.”
“What bridge?” said Emma, holding it closer.
“At the top end of Smoking Street. Don’t bother trying to cross, though, unless you want your head to end up on a pike.”
I reckoned that was all we were going to get out of Lorraine. Now we had to figure out what to do with her. Addison wanted to bite her. Emma wanted to trace an S on her forehead with her white-hot finger, branding her for life as a slaver. I talked them out of doing either, and instead we gagged her with a sash cord from the curtains and tied her to a leg of the desk. We were about to leave her like that when I thought of one last thing I wanted to know.
“The peculiars they kidnap. What happens to them?”
“Mrrrf!”
I pulled down her gag.
“None have escaped to tell,” she said. “But there are rumors.”
“About?”
“Something worse than death.” She gave us a smile dripping with slime. “I guess you’ll just have to find out, won’t you?”
* * *
The moment we opened the office door, the man in the overcoat charged at us from across the parlor, something heavy raised in his hand. Before he could reach us, a muffled shout of alarm sounded from the office and he stopped, changing course to see about Lorraine. When he’d crossed the office threshold, Emma slammed the door behind him and melted the handle into useless slag.
That bought us a minute or two.
Addison and I bolted for the exit. Halfway there, I realized Emma hadn’t followed. She was banging on the window of the enslaved peculiars’ quarters.