so much history.” She sipped her tea. “You probably know all kinds of things about your ancestors.”
He nodded. “We’re proud people. We’re also storytellers.”
“I like a good story.”
“I’d like to hear yours.”
She shrugged before taking another bite of stew and stowing her spoon in the mug. She started to answer him but lowered her fingers. Eventually, she said, “There’s not much to tell.”
“I don’t believe that.”
She shrugged. “It’s true. My life has been mostly me following around my family and doing what I’m told.”
“Sometimes following orders is the safest option,” he replied. “You survived. That’s all that matters.”
“Is it?” she wondered. Ashamed, she dropped her gaze to the floor. “I’ve done things. Bad things.”
Cotton nudged her bare foot with his boot to get her attention. “We’ve all done bad things. It’s a hard world out there. We’re all just trying to make it through, Maisie.”
She supposed that was one way of looking at it.
“Fay says you were born deaf.” He changed the subject to one she didn’t mind discussing.
She nodded. “You?”
He shook his head. “I lost my hearing when I was four. We all got sick. Beggar’s Bloat,” he added.
“I know it,” she confirmed. “But I’ve always known it as Grimace Gullet.” She touched her throat and made a pained face. “I never had it, though. My mom had me vaccinated.”
“We didn’t get the vaccine here until Joonie came. It was too late for our family, but it’s saved a lot of others.” He raked his fingers through his pale hair. “Our Ma died, and one of our brothers. I woke up, and I couldn’t hear. Just this strange full feeling in my ears.”
“Like cotton?” she guessed.
Grinning, he nodded. “That’s one of the reasons everyone calls me that. Before they realized I was deaf, Pa asked if I had cotton in my ears. It sort of stuck after that.”
“Can you hear anything?”
He made a sort-of gesture with his hand. “I hear low tones. Very muffled. Impossible to decipher. I tune it out because it drives me insane if I don’t.”
“I can imagine.”
“What about you? Do you hear anything?”
She shook her head. “I’m missing all the nerves and other bits that help the brain understand sound. My parents had me tested when I was a baby to see if I could get an implant to help. There wasn’t any point.” She hesitated before asking, “Do you miss it? Being able to hear?”
“No,” Cotton answered honestly. “I don’t even remember what things sounded like. I was so young. I think that probably helped me adapt so quickly.” He tilted his head. “Why do you ask? Do you wish you could hear?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted uncertainly. “Sometimes, I think that it would make my life a hell of a lot easier.”
“It would,” he agreed. “For better or worse, we live in a hearing world.”
“Yes, but then I think about what not hearing has made possible for me. I’m not distracted by noise. I can focus. I have a great memory. I feel things differently. See things differently. Everything is sharper. Clearer.”
“I get it.” He gestured to her food. “Eat. I don’t think you’ll be here much longer.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“The mean looking one,” he said and gestured to his face, “with one eye?”
“Terror,” she spelled out his name.
“That’s a fitting name.”
“Right?”
“He managed to get through to one of their ships and arrange a rescue.”
Maisie scooped stew into her mouth and thanked him for the information. Cotton stood and patted her back before leaving. She hurried to finish her meal and then carried her empty mugs and the spoon toward the area where she expected to find the kitchen. She passed the large dining area on her way and watched as Terror, Grim and the general called Vicious discussed something serious. Heads low and bent over the map Terror had taken from her stolen backpack, they outlined routes and tapped the different bits of geography. She couldn’t make out their mouths, but whatever they were discussing didn’t bode well for the rest of her night.
In the empty kitchen, she found the sink filled with dirty dishes. Wanting to be helpful and to thank the Ryderwoods for their kindness and generosity, she pushed up the sleeves of her borrowed shirt and turned on the hot water. She found the sink stopper, soap, dish rag and towel in a drawer. When there were plenty of bubbles floating on top of the water, she shut it off and started to scrub the cups and