This was her chance, Selena thought. Her one chance and she had to take it. She waited until Moll was pushing the last tray through to claim it as her own. But just as the old woman slid it through the grate at the bottom of the wall, she leaned forward, heart beating, and whispered,
“Hey, can you help me get a message to the outside?”
Moll looked up, her one eye sharp with skepticism.
“Why in the blue hell would I do that?” she demanded. Her voice was hoarse and scratchy, as though someone had grabbed her by the throat and squeezed until they broke something inside it.
“Because Big Horn is going to kill me—probably going to rape me first, but he’s going to kill me after that,” Selena said quickly.
Moll seemed to consider this, then she shrugged her bony shoulders.
“Males are shit, but that ain’t my problem, girly.”
Well, so much for appealing to her sense of sisterly solidarity. Selena tried again.
“I know but…but the person I want you to get a message to is rich!” she whispered. “So rich he lives in Ambassador’s Square, on the palace grounds!”
Moll made a face.
“If you really got friends in places that high, you wouldn’t be here,” she pointed out.
“You’re right, except he doesn’t know I’m here,” Selena said. “Please, if you could just get word to him, he’ll pay you so much money—so many annahs—you’ll never have to work at this awful job again!”
“Ain’t that awful,” Moll objected. “I get to fuck around with the males and they can’t do nothin’ back to me. Males are shit,” she added again. But Selena noticed she wasn’t leaving. She remained crouched down on the other side of the cell wall, looking at Selena sharply with her one eye.
“You don’t have to quit your job then,” she said quickly. “But think of all that money—you could go on vacation or…or save some for when you can’t work anymore.” She didn’t know what kind of social safety nets there were in Ma’shorkan society, but she was betting there were a lot less for single women than for anyone else.
“Well…it would be nice to have something to feather my nest.” Moll looked at her suspiciously. “But you want me to go all the way to the palace? That’s a long piece of walking. And how do I know once I get there, this fine gentlemale of yours won’t just turn me away? Then I’ll have gone all that way for nothing!”
“Not for nothing! I’ll pay you!” Selena said quickly, though she had no idea what she was going to use for currency. She literally had nothing on her but her ragged t-shirt, her jeans and tennis shoes—none of which were the Ma’shorkan fashion for women.
“What you got?” Moll demanded, frowning at her.
“I…I have a kill-pill.” Selena dug it out of her pocket and showed the tiny silver button to Moll.
The old woman scoffed.
“Don’t need that! I ain’t gonna off myself and I can’t go killin’ any of the males—much as I might want to. I’d end up in the High Court myself if they caught me.”
Selena’s heart sank and she shoved the kill-pill back in her jeans’ pocket.
“Then…I don’t know what else to offer you.”
“What about that?” Moll pointed at her face through the clear wall. “Your nose jewelry. That worth anything?”
“Oh!” Selena put her fingers to the right side of her nose reflexively. “Oh, you mean my nasdru?”
“Your what?” Moll frowned.
“My nasdru—it stands for ‘nasal scent detector and reproducer unit,’” Selena explained. To be honest, she’d forgotten she was wearing the tiny device. It was so light and comfortable, it wasn’t noticeable at all.
“Well, I don’t care what it’s called—is it worth anything?” Moll demanded.
“I know my Master paid a lot for it,” Selena said cautiously. “He got it for me at the spaceport.”
“Your Master, eh? Is that who you’re wanting me to contact for you?” The old woman raised her eyebrows.
“He was my Master.” Thinking of Valen, Selena inhaled deeply. Suddenly, the dark spice of his masculine scent filled her nose as the nasdru did its work. For a moment, it was almost as though she was safe in his muscular arms with his warm scent surrounding her. Then she sighed and the scent was gone.
“Well, Master or not, if you want me to take a message to him all the way to the palace, you’ve got to pay.” Moll held out her hand. “Let’s have it.”
Selena felt like crying—the scent of Valen’s spice had brought him back so strongly! She hated the idea of giving up the nasdru. It had so many memorable scents stored in it and all of them were tied to the big Kindred—the strange items in her vending machine dinner at the palace, the smell of the beach and the aroma of the delicious Ma’shorkan cheese fondue Valen had bought for her at Ice Table at the top of the mountain…her whole trip to Ma’shorka Centra was stored in the tiny device.