Misplaced (49 page)

“There is no reasoning with desperation.”

Bea
,
wh
o
kne
w
he
r
friend’
s
mood
s
w
ell
,
spok
e
u
p
cheerfully.
“
W
it
h
thi
s
blond
e
hair
,
th
e
borde
r
patro
l
didn’
t
gi
v
e
m
e
to
o
hard
a
time
,
bu
t
V
ictoria—
w
el
l
the
y
trul
y
insulte
d
he
r
tha
t
night
.
She’s
b
ee
n
f
i
g
h
t
in
g
discrimina
t
io
n
e
v
e
r
since.
”
Si
g
hin
g
,
sh
e
con
t
inued
,
“
I
mis
s
th
e
excitemen
t
o
f
thos
e
days
.
Mam
a
al
w
ay
s
sai
d
you ha
d
mor
e
hear
t
tha
n
sense
.
Sh
e
ne
v
e
r
worrie
d
abou
t
th
e
trouble
w
e
go
t
into
;
he
r
rea
l
concer
n
w
a
s
tha
t
you
’
d
inspir
e
m
e
t
o
ha
v
e a
career
,
an
d
fi
v
e
generation
s
o
f
goo
d
T
exa
s
breedin
g
woul
d
be lost.”

Judgin
g
fro
m
th
e
colore
d
scribble
s
tha
t
co
v
ere
d
the
refrigerator
and
the
small
table
and
chairs
sitting
in
the
corner,
Bea’
s
mothe
r
’
s
worrie
s
w
er
e
groundless
.
Still
,
Khar
a
w
as
curious. “If you had the chance to do it again, would you li
v
e your life differently?”

Bea
blew
a
wisp
of
golden
hair
out
of
her
e
y
es.
“Most days
I’
m
a
s
happ
y
a
s
a
gophe
r
i
n
sof
t
dirt
,
bu
t
sometime
s
a
hous
e
full
of
little
people
is
a
lonely
place.
It
won’t
last
fore
v
er,
though.
I see my babies and imagine what the future holds for them. It’s an ad
v
enture, all right—just of a different
sort.”

He
r
e
y
e
s
lande
d
squarel
y
o
n
V
ictori
a
an
d
turne
d
serious
.
“
T
el
l
m
e
you’
v
e
grow
n
up
,
V
icky
,
tha
t
you
’
r
e
no
t
stil
l
hidin
g
out
in tunnels in the middle of the night?”

V
ictoria looked a
w
ay.

“I
am
to
blame,”
interrupted
Khara.
“
W
ithout
her,
I
might
be dead by now.”

“That,”
Bea
said,
sipping
her
wine,
“sounds
serious.
T
ell
me
e
v
erything.”

“I
’
d
rathe
r
not,
”
V
ictori
a
answered
quickly
.
“Th
e
fe
w
e
r
people
who know about this, the better.”

“Still having issues with trust?
Y
ou came to me, remember?
I
ma
y
b
e
olde
r
an
d
thre
e
kid
s
heavier
,
bu
t
I
ne
v
e
r
le
t
yo
u
down,
did I?”

V
ictoria immediately squeezed Bea’s hand. “Ne
v
er.”

“The
n
tel
l
m
e
what’
s
goin
g
on.
”
Bea’
s
e
y
e
s
shon
e
expectantly.
“
I
can’
t
stan
d
th
e
suspens
e
an
y
longer.
”
Sh
e
ushere
d
them
to
w
ar
d
a
tufte
d
leathe
r
sof
a
i
n
he
r
grea
t
room.

Stun
g
b
y
a
pan
g
o
f
sudde
n
mischief
,
Khar
a
winke
d
at
V
ictoria.
“Shouldn’t
w
e
begin
with
the
cuff?”
she
asked
as
her
hand
s
worke
d
a
t
th
e
clas
p
underneat
h
he
r
skirt
,
ignorin
g
th
e
panic
in
V
ictoria’s
e
y
es.
But
it
w
as
too
late.
As
she
slipped
the
cuff
around
Bea’s
thigh,
V
ictoria
groaned
and
leaned
back
on
the sofa.

Unlike
her
old
friend,
Bea
accepted
all
the
cuff
had
to
offer,
recognizin
g
i
t
instantl
y
a
s
trut
h
an
d
gratefu
l
t
o
shar
e
i
n
its
secrets
.
Sh
e
reminde
d
Khar
a
o
f
a
papyru
s
reed—delicat
e
and
o
f
littl
e
use
,
a
t
firs
t
glance
.
Bu
t
lik
e
th
e
plan
t
o
n
whic
h
her
civilization depended, Bea
w
as far sturdier than she looked.
Man
y
hour
s
later
,
the
y
ha
d
abandone
d
th
e
win
e
for
something
called
tequila,
and
Khara
had
put
the
man
who
had
follo
w
ed
them
out
of
her
mind.
She
felt
safe
and
had
no
doubt
that in Bea, they had a staunch ally.