The Collar and the Cavvarach

by Annie Douglass Lima

  Officer Shigo. What am I going to say to him on Monday when he asks about Ellie? But Bensin pushed the thought away. One problem at a time.

  Setting the new pass down on top of the old one, he adjusted it until the edges matched up. He pressed down as hard as he could until he could see through it to the one underneath. Slowly and carefully, he traced the curves and swirls of Mrs. Creghorn’s signature onto the new sheet.

  Ellie had both the energy bars unwrapped and was taking bites from each in turn, caramel smeared on her hands and around her mouth. Folding the forged pass, Bensin stuck it in his sister’s pocket for her. “Here’s your pass. Keep it with you just in case.”

  That was the easy part. Now for the hard part. Bensin went down the hall and into his bedroom again, pulling out the envelope from under the mattress. He dumped his money out onto the bed, added the coins from his pocket, and counted it, even though he already knew about how much he had. His savings now came to eight hundred forty-four imps and nineteen slivers. And I need two thousand.

  Maybe he could find someplace for Ellie to hide until after tomorrow, when he was more likely to have enough money. But where could she hide that would be safe and no one would find her? Not here in the apartment, certainly. And not out in public anywhere; it would be much too dangerous for a little girl to spend the night alone in some dark alley or vacant lot.

  Bensin stared out the window, trying to think. If only he knew anyone else who would be willing to help, to keep her for a little while. Well, Ricky might be willing, but there probably wasn’t anything he could do. It wasn’t as though he could stash her away in his owner’s house. He might know people who knew people who could do something, but it would take time to track down those connections, and they didn’t have time.

  But there was one more option.

  With a sinking feeling inside him, Bensin slid the money back into the envelope and stuck it all into his pocket. You have to do it, he told himself firmly. There’s no other way.

  Back at the desk, he searched through all the drawers in vain. “What are you looking for?” Ellie inquired with her mouth full.

  “Money.”

  Her eyes widened. “You mean, your owner’s money? You’re gonna steal it?”

  “Be quiet, all right?” he snapped, guilt making him short-tempered. “It’s the only way to get you free. You want to go back and let that man buy you?” She shook her head and clamped her mouth shut.

  Where would Coach Steene hide extra money? Surely he must have some at home. Ricky had told him he knew where his owner kept a supply of cash for emergencies.

  Maybe in his bedroom. Bensin went into Coach’s bedroom and checked under the mattress and in the pillowcase, but there was nothing. He searched through the row of boxes that held his owner’s clothes, careful to replace everything exactly the way it had been. Not that Coach Steene would be likely to notice.

  But he couldn’t find any money. Maybe Coach kept it all in his wallet; and Bensin knew he always had that in his pocket.

  Wait a moment. Hadn’t he stopped to get cash on the way home that afternoon? And he had changed his clothes before he hurried off to work. Bensin paused, staring at the T-shirt and shorts on the floor at his feet. Was it possible …?

  Slowly, hardly daring to breathe, he bent and picked up the shorts. There was a bulge in one pocket. Heart pounding, he stuck his hand in and pulled out — a wad of folded bills.

  He could hardly believe it. He counted out the money with shaking hands: four thousand imps, all in hundred-imp notes. It was more money than he had ever held before in his life. Much more.

  I can’t believe I’m doing this. Bensin had never stolen anything before except for an occasional snack from the Creghorns’ kitchen. He knew it was wrong, and it felt even worse because Coach Steene had treated him so well. He’ll sell me for sure when he finds out. But even that wasn’t as bad as picturing how betrayed Coach would feel, the look on his face when he found out. The thought made Bensin feel sick.

  But he couldn’t let himself focus on that. Ellie would be safe by then, and that was all that mattered.

  I could get my collar removed, too. There was enough here to pay for both of them. Bensin paused, considering it. He had never seriously thought about freedom for himself. Sure, he had dreamed about being free, like every slave did, but he had never actually thought of it as a realistic option. Getting freedom for Ellie would be hard enough. Besides, his life had been pretty good ever since Coach had bought him, collar and all.

  But Coach would sell him after this, and then life would probably stink again.

  Bensin stared at the money in his hand, weighing his options. If he paid Wenn to cut off both their collars, would he and Ellie be able to live together somewhere as brother and sister? Or would they be separated, sent to live with different families? Would her chances of convincing the Watch officers she was free but homeless be better if he came along, or worse?

  He reached a hand over his shoulder and felt his back. The old whip marks from the many times Mr. Creghorn had lashed him didn’t hurt anymore, but he knew the scars still showed. Anyone who saw them would know he had once been a slave. But Ellie had never yet been lashed. She didn’t have any incriminating marks.

  I can’t come with her to the Watch Station. If anyone made him take off his shirt, it would all be over.

  I’ll never be free. But that was all right, Bensin told himself, trying to make himself believe it. It didn’t matter what happened to him. As long as his little sister was free and safe, he didn’t care about anything else. Besides, knowing that he would be here to face the consequences made him feel just a little less guilty about stealing from Coach Steene.

  Still, he hated to take any of Coach’s hard-earned money. His owner wouldn’t be able to pay for the truck repairs without it. But we can drive that little white car to Red Arena tomorrow. He won’t sell me before then. And as long as I win at least third place, it will be more than enough to pay the mechanic. And then after he sells me he’ll get plenty to live on until his next paycheck. Bensin supposed that if he placed in the Grand Imperial, he would probably sell for a higher price. Maybe whoever bought him would want him to keep training and competing in cavvara shil. That wouldn't be so bad.

  His hands still shaking, Bensin pocketed one thousand two hundred imps, half in each pocket so the bulges wouldn’t show, and stuck the rest back into his owner’s shorts. As much as I need. No more. And he would pay Coach back for every sliver of it, he decided. Of course, Coach definitely wouldn’t let him keep the usual ten percent of his prize money tomorrow; not after this. But Bensin would save up, even after he was sold. Even if it took him years and years, he would hire out on every one of his days off and never spend a single sliver again until he could pay his former owner back the full amount.

  Not that that would keep Coach from being mad, but it would help Bensin feel a little better. That still didn’t make what he was doing right, and he knew it. But he had to save his sister.

  “You ready to go?” Back in the living room, he took the empty wrappers from Ellie and tossed them into the plastic grocery bag that they kept under the sink in place of a trashcan. “Now wash your hands and face, and wait here while I go get my jacket.” He wished he had one for her. It wouldn’t be as chilly as it had been the last time they had tried to escape, but if they were out late enough, even April nights could get cool. Well, she could borrow his if she needed to and wear it with the sleeves rolled up.

  “Where are we going now?” she inquired as he helped her wipe the crumbs off her face with a damp paper towel.

  “We’re going to visit that guy I know who can cut people’s collars off. You’re going to be free tonight!”

  “Tonight?” But Ellie shook her head. “No! I can’t go be free tonight. I didn’t bring Bunny!”

  “You’ll have to be free without Bunny. I’m sure your new family will buy you other stuffed animals. Now come on.” He opened the front door and gla
nced outside to make sure no one was watching.

  “But I don’t want other stuffed animals. I want Bunny. He’s my most bestest friend!” Her eyes filled with tears. “I can’t go without him.”

  Bensin closed the door again and sighed. “Okay, I’ll tell you what. After you move in with your new family, I’ll go get Bunny from the Creghorns’ house and bring him to you when I come visit. All right?” He had no idea how he was even going to find out where her new home was, or whether he would be able to visit without giving away her secret, or if he would have any way of getting Bunny at all. But there was no point in saying so now.

  “Okay, I guess,” Ellie agreed finally, sniffling. She wiped away tears. “As long as you bring him soon. I can’t go to sleep without him.”

  “I know.” Bensin reached for the doorknob again and hesitated. “Oh, I’d better write my owner a note. Maybe then he won’t realize right away that I’m gone.” He wondered what Coach Steene would do when he did realize. He might wait an hour or two, and then — what? Call the City Watch, perhaps. That was what Mr. Creghorn would do; had probably already done. Bensin wondered if Mr. Creghorn had called Coach Steene, as well. He must have guessed that Bensin had something to do with Ellie’s abrupt disappearance. But Coach kept his phone off at work, and even when he got home, he sometimes forgot to turn it back on right away. So he might not find out for a long time, especially if he thought Bensin was in his room.

  Bensin rummaged through the desk drawers again until he found one of Coach’s notebooks. Tearing a page out, he jotted a quick note saying he had gone to bed early. Then he ran down the hall to his room, stuffed an armful of clothes under the covers, and arranged them so that in dim light it would look like someone was lying in bed. He made sure to shut the bedroom door on his way out. If he were lucky, Coach might not even realize he was gone until morning. And Bensin planned to be home before then.

  “All right, it’s time,” he told Ellie. “Let’s go make you free!”

  Chapter Nineteen: Nowhere to Turn

  It was a long bus ride to Wenn’s, and Bensin realized on the way that he didn’t know how late the auto body shop would be open. Some places stayed open later on weekends, after all, while some closed earlier. In addition, he hadn’t told Wenn he was coming. But surely if he showed up with two thousand imps, the man would find a way to make tonight work. Bensin and Ellie could wait around out of sight somewhere until closing time or the middle of the night or even the next morning, whenever the mechanic decided would be a good time. Surely he would understand when Bensin explained that today was the only day they could come.

  He also realized that he had forgotten to check his bus route map to see the best way to get from Wenn’s to the right Watch Office. He and Ellie would have to take the bus all the way back to the Creghorns’ neighborhood and then all the way out again. He was certain there must be a more direct route that would probably save them an hour or more, but he had no idea what it was, and it was too late to do anything else.

  The sky had darkened by now, and Bensin was glad. It felt safer. But every time the bus door opened to let people on or off, the light on the inside came on so passengers could see their way to a seat. Every time it did, Bensin hunched down and stared at the floor, hoping no one would notice him and Ellie.

  After about twenty minutes, a woman got on and sat down just across the aisle from them. Something about the way her eyes fastened on Bensin’s face made him nervous. As soon as she was settled and the bus started on its way again, she leaned over. “Hey, do you do cavvara shil?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “You look familiar. Were you fighting in the Grand Imperial Cavvara Shil Tourney today?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I was.”

  “I thought so!” She smiled. “I saw you on TV earlier, but I don’t remember your name.” She waited expectantly.

  Bensin hesitated. But there was no point in lying; she could read the truth on his collar tag the next time the door opened. “Bensin, ma’am.”

  “Bensin. Wait till I tell my husband I met you! We were watching together this morning, and he was really impressed at how you won by switching your cavvarach to your other hand. Where did you learn that trick?”

  “My coach taught me, ma’am.” Bensin wished she would stop talking to him. He hadn’t counted on the fact that being in the Grand Imperial had made his face recognizable to the public. Another reason it wouldn’t have been wise to try to get freedom for myself tonight.

  The woman kept asking questions about his training and what it was like to compete in front of tens of thousands of people. It was a relief when they finally reached the corner where Bensin and Ellie were to get out and transfer.

  At least I’ll be back home before anyone can make one of those ‘missing slave’ posters with my picture on it. And she had barely glanced at Ellie.

  They crossed the street and then had to wait about ten minutes. The bus stop was well lit, so he led his sister back into the shadows of a nearby alley. When the next bus finally came, he found them seats at the very back. “Don’t look at anyone,” he warned. “You don’t want them to remember your face.” Every time the light went on, the two of them turned their faces toward the window. They did the same thing on the third bus after their next transfer, and no one else spoke to either of them.

  At last they arrived at the intersection he remembered, and Bensin got up and led Ellie toward the exit. He felt in his pockets to make sure the money that meant her freedom was still there as they stepped out onto the curb.

  “I don’t like this place,” she whispered, clutching his hand.

  Neither did Bensin. He hadn’t liked the looks of the neighborhood during the day, and it was worse now. A lot of the streetlights didn’t work, and those that did lit up trash, broken windows, and obscenities spray-painted on the walls of run-down businesses. Here and there he glimpsed teenagers smoking odd-smelling substances in dark alleys as they passed, and he and Ellie both jumped at the sound of a gunshot several blocks away. It wasn’t even eight o’clock yet. What would this place be like at midnight? He hoped they wouldn’t still be around to find out.

  “How come those shops have all the flashing colored lights?” Ellie wanted to know. “It’s not even New Year.”

  “They’re selling betel nut,” Bensin told her. “I guess they want to attract customers’ attention.” The obnoxiously bright lights seemed to be working. The shops they passed were doing a lively business, and Bensin steered his sister away from the noisy, spitting customers loitering out front.

  It was a relief to see that Wenn’s End was still lit up and to hear its music blaring from way down the street. “I can’t bring you in with me right away,” he told Ellie as they approached. “The man who’s going to cut off your collar has to keep it a secret, so he can’t let the other people who work there see, or he’ll get in trouble. Plus, they have cameras all around the front room. So you’re going to have to wait outside while I go in and talk to him.”

  “But I don’t wanna wait out here by myself,” Ellie protested, glancing around at the shabbily-dressed people passing by or hanging out on street corners. She gripped his hand tighter. “I’m scared.”

  “It won’t be for long,” Bensin assured her. “I’ll help you find a safe spot where no one will see you.”

  As they got closer, he could feel the sidewalk under his feet vibrating with each thump of the music. It was harder to talk, so he didn’t bother trying. There was a dimly lit side yard next to Wenn’s, full of rusty car parts and other junk. With a quick glance around to see if anyone was paying attention, he led Ellie into it and behind a pile of tires.

  “Okay, sit down here,” he yelled above the music. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll come right back out and get you as soon as I’ve arranged things inside.”

  He realized Ellie was shivering, so he pulled off his light jacket and helped her into it, rolling up the sleeves and buttoning it securely for her. She said something that
he couldn’t hear, so he just gave her a quick hug, smiled reassuringly, and hurried out.

  A man Bensin didn’t recognize was busy under the hood of a van parked near the entrance. He glanced up as Bensin came in. “Yeah?”

  “Hi, sir,” Bensin called. “Is Wenn here?”

  The man nodded and jerked his thumb toward the back of the garage. Peering around the van, Bensin saw Wenn and another man bending over a table on which sat what looked like an entire car engine.

  Both men glanced up as he approached. “Yeah?” Wenn grunted as the other man had, without any sign of recognition.

  “Hello, sir,” Bensin called over the music. “I wanted to talk to you about, uh, about doing some work for you.”

  The mechanic nodded. “Sure; we can always use some cleaning around here. Come on back with me.” He grabbed a spray bottle, a rag, and a broom, and led the way into the hallway. “So whaddya want?” he demanded when he had shut the door behind them and they could hear themselves speak.

  “Sir, you said to come back later when I had the money. I’ve got it now, and my sister’s here, too. I was hoping you could cut off her collar tonight.”

  “Tonight?” Wenn scowled. “I told you to come make an appointment and we’d do it another time.”

  “I know, sir, but I couldn’t. She’s about to be sold, so it has to be now. She’s sitting right outside, but we can wait till closing time or whenever you want.”

  The Nelirian paused, thinking it over. “You got the money?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “On you right now?”

  “Yes, sir.” Bensin patted his pockets.

  “How much?”

  “Two thousand, sir, like you said. Oh, and I checked her collar. No GPS.”

  “Okay. Where’s the girl?”