An Immortal's Favour

Gale- Their Talk

*

"Have you, by any chance, met a little girl with a big temper? Light brown hair and eyes? About this tall? " He lifted his hand until it was level with his shoulders. "How in the world she knows you or managed to set fire to one of Pa's branches I have no clue..."

I jolted at the word 'fire' and slunk back into my chair slowly. Karlton's eyes closed, and he rubbed at them, pressing his fingers hard against his eyelids.

"Karlton, what exactly is going on?"

"The girl's involved in the vandalism of the restaurants, along with others. Did you know about this?"

"I don't 'know' her if that's what you're implying. If you think I had anything to do with the restaurants-"

"No, no. I'm not suggesting that at all," he reassured, voice steady. "What I'm trying to say is...The thing is, the police can't find much on her, or her family for that matter. What with her living so close to the slums...we need to...some officers will talk to you..."

My mind was racing so fast; I could hardly focus. "Wait. She talked of me?"

Karlton, peeved at being stopped mid-flow, clicked his teeth in impatience. "She said nothing at first. But when she accused you 'the wind caster woman', as she put, of having her arrested- and your eye, of course..." His eyebrows dipped down as his words dwindled into silence.

"Where is she now?"

"I don't know. The girl gave one of the officers a nasty burn and got away while-"

"And you want me to help you find her?" Perhaps this might've been what it took to get the man to open up again and lighten his burden.

"That's right."

"Then that's what I'll do."

The sun had started to set by the time Karlton, the officers, and I arrived at the edge of the slums later that day. Old, crumbling apartments sat squashed between the grander, stone apartments that stretched towards the heart of the city and the derelict tin hobbles that climbed over dusty hills in the opposite direction.

"This is it. This is where I met her." We paused, and I glanced up at the tall towers that closed us in.

"Do you remember which they way left?" the shorter of the officers asked, giving a sidelong glance at the many, many narrow streets branching off into the distance.

"I don't remember. But this city's small; shouldn't it be easy for you to find who you're looking for?"

The other officer sighed and scratched at his dark stubble. " The city may be small, but there are always people coming in and out. With the current system, it's difficult to know who's in the city at any given time and it's much easier for them to slip away than you'd think." Shaking his head, the officer continued, "It's a big problem."

"I see. And the other's involved in the vandalism, the other children and adults-" I caught the officer's solemn look.

"It's a mess."

"I think we'll take it from here, Bo. Thanks," Karlton affirmed.

"I...fine."

Karlton, who was a few paces ahead of me and the officers, swivelled around and studied my face. He moved nearer, so close that his vanilla scent was all I could smell.