But he seems real interested in you. Even back at the Register he was.’
‘You noticed?’
‘I notice a lot.’
Neither of them said anything more for a moment or two, letting the dance drumbeat fill the gap.
‘You’re here looking for someone, aren’t you? I mean like … someone who came before you,’ Rollo said, breaking their silence.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
He shrugged and frowned. ‘’S obvious you don’t really wanna be here. You’re a Seal, and not the rebel type Seal who wants to run away. You’re way too tight and rigid. And you’re not looking for this …’ He stroked her face.
She flinched.
‘See,’ he said.
‘It’s not that I don’t want …’ she protested. ‘It’s just that … you didn’t ask and I … I …’ She let the words fade. How could she tell him she found him unappealing?
Conversation lapsed between them again.
Rollo stared openly at the couple making out across from them, his expression envious. Retra thought about getting up and leaving but Modai still lingered at the railing near the lift.
‘What if I tell you about me? Will you trust me a bit more? I mean … I’m making most of the conversation anyway, I might as well.’ Rollo laughed then, just as easily he had frowned before. ‘I ran away from home.’
Retra stared at him. ‘We all did that.’
‘No … I ran away from home. Not to Ixion. See … my dad is … he’s on the Grave Council.’
Retra swallowed to wet a sudden dry patch in the back of her throat. A councillor’s son. She’d never met one before. Council lived in the wealthy part of Grave North, in rich houses behind the giant, growing wall that protected them from … everything. Not like the grim mesh fence of the Seal Enclave. No wonder Rollo knew so much about history. Councillors were allowed free reign of the library. They decided on what people learned. They made Grave’s rules. The Council had ordered the warden to keep surveillance on her family. ‘I d-don’t understand. Why did you leave then?’
‘He wanted me to be a councillor too. It usually works that way. Father to son.’ Rollo screwed up his face as if he was nursing a mouthful of bitters. ‘I hate what they do. My dad took me to court sessions to prepare me – all these creepy old men in wigs and masks. Making rules. Making people’s lives a misery. Telling what they can and can’t do. How they should think.’
‘Hush,’ whispered Retra, automatically. ‘Don’t speak of them like that.’
The air squashed from her lungs at the memory of the Council’s clicking electro-eyes on her nakedness.
‘Why? They can’t do anything to us here –’ Rollo broke off in sudden understanding. ‘You’ve been on probation, haven’t you?’
Retra crossed her arms over her chest in an involuntary movement.
‘See. You must understand. That’s why I don’t want to be one of them. They have no right to do that sort of thing. No right!’ he cried out.
Retra wished that he would go away. His vehemence frightened her, and his careless talk. He didn’t seem scared of anyone and she thought him foolish to be that way. He was like Joel. So confident and sure of what he thought. Why can’t I be like that? Why must I over-think and be so careful?
And yet, she’d attacked Brand when her anger had taken over. Perhaps she was not so different to Joel? Perhaps she was changing? ‘I hit a Riper,’ she said to him. ‘She was touching a girl called Krista-belle and I … picked up a stool and …’
Rollo’s eyes widened. ‘You’re the one who smashed the Riper with a chair? Everyone’s talking about it, but I didn’t believe it. What happened?’
‘Lenoir came and stopped Brand before she could punish me. But I don’t think it’s over. Modai said I’d caused trouble among them.’
‘Why did you get involved? That’s not a Seal thing to do.’
‘I … what Brand was doing to Krista-belle … she was scared … like when the warden gave me the obedience strip.’
‘You had a pain strip? Fross! How did you leave the compound then?’
Retra gave him a small, anxious smile. ‘I practised. The pain.’
Rollo’s expression changed. His eyes widened in a kind of admiration and he enveloped her in a comforting hug.
But Retra didn’t want comfort right now. She wanted to leave.
As she tried to edge out his grip he held on. ‘There’s something I’m going to tell you. The real reason that I came here,’ he said.
‘What’s