THE GATES OF HAVEN: HEART'S HOME

CHAPTER 8

"How goes the reading?"

Elliot found me in the library a couple of days later. I hadn't even noticed him sitting across from me. He had a book in front of him that was so large it could have propped up a solid oak table if need. His head was bowed over it, and he glanced up at me through his long, ever messy hair.

"It's for one of my experiments. You're reading our history? Pretty boring stuff."

"It's a lot to take in," I admitted, closing the cover of The Book of Haven to show him what I was currently plowing through. "I was never a history buff," I said, grinning. "I do have one question, though."

"Shoot."

"No one has ever infected someone under the age of eighteen?" I asked.

A small, wry smile curled his thin lips, but he didn't answer.

That certainly would explain the eerie quiet I'd experienced when I first arrived. With no children laughing and playing in the streets, the silence was unnerving. At the same time, the idea of a child... feeding. I shook with revulsion.

"I am curious, though. How did you come to the conclusion that children's blood could slow the aging process? I mean, if it's against the law, how did you test?"

"Just a hypothesis, really. Never got to test it myself. Happened to notice that the Haveners who were particular to elderly victims tended to age differently than those who fed on people just turning of age. John spent a lot of time here. Liked knowing everything I did... Sorry, never did ask—you mind me sitting here? I don't get to sit and talk to people too often... Plus you're easy to talk to. Maybe because you're new. Maybe 'cause your his kid. But... do you mind? I mean... I'd love to hear what else you're learning about."

Elliot spoke in short, brusque bursts, like he was so charged up on caffeine that he had blown a fuse.

My grin widened.

"I'm glad for the break."

I bookmarked and closed the book. An impish smile spread across his face as he grabbed his long blond hair and quickly pulled it behind his head to get it off his face. The difference it made to his appearance was striking.

"'Kay, so... what have you learned?"

"Well, for the most part, it all seems to be similar to a regular city. Diverse cultures, traditions, jobs... Oh, I did notice—no money?"

"There's money," he said, grinning. "We just don't use it down here. Think about it. Difficult to produce. Annoying to use. We save it. Use it for stuff bought topside. Residents bring it down with them when they change. Don't go through it very fast, though. Plenty of time to save. No rent. No food to pay for."

"No rent or purchasing of houses?"

"Nope. Houses are assigned. You'll get one after."

"Question for you—did my father have his own house?"

"Yeah. He disappeared, though. It was reassigned. Don't know what happened to his stuff."

"Ah."

I tried to think of what else I could ask.

"I haven't seen anything yet about the laws that they were so adamant that I learn. Know where I can find that book?"

"Oh. One sec."

He headed for the area I'd been checking earlier and came back, a moment later, with another book of a less daunting size. The title was Haven Municipal Code. I opened it to the table of contents and scanned through the items. There were a lot of administrative topics like information about the library, a museum and something called the House of Records, and Municipal Council stuff about signing authority, construction and development, and heating, but the sections that drew my attention were titled "The Criminal Code," "Weapons Use," "Consumption" and "Noise Control." I took the next few minutes to read through these sections carefully while Elliot sat with me and answered any questions that I had.