The two waited all day in the Rusty Ruins, patches of sunlightcrawling across the floor through the crumbling roof,like slow searchlights marking the hours. It took Tally agesto get to sleep, imagining the leap from the hilltop downinto uncertainty. Finally she passed out, too tired to dream.
Awakening at dusk, she found that David had alreadypacked two knapsacks with everything they might needduring the rescue. They hoverboarded to the edge of theruins, riding two sandwiched hoverboards each. Hopefully,they would need the extra boards when they emerged fromSpecial Circumstances, escapees in tow.
Eating breakfast by the river, Tally took time to appreciateher SwedeBalls. If they got caught tonight, at least shewould never have dehydrated food again. Sometimes Tallyfelt she could almost accept brain damage if it meant a lifewithout reconstituted noodles.
As darkness fell, Tally and David reached the whitewater, and they passed through the greenbelt at the verymoment the lights winked off in Uglyville. By midnight,they were atop the hill overlooking Special Circumstances.
Tally pulled out her binoculars and trained theminward, toward New Pretty Town, where the party towerswere just coming alight.
David blew into his hands, his breath visible in theOctober chill. “You really think they’ll do it?”
“Why not?” she said, watching the dark spaces of thecity’s largest pleasure garden. “They seemed into it.”
“Yeah, but aren’t they taking a big risk? I mean, theyjust met us.”
She shrugged. “An ugly lives for tricks. Haven’t youever done something just because a mysterious strangerintrigued you?”
“I gave my gloves to one once. But it got me into allkinds of trouble.”
She lowered the binoculars and saw that David wassmiling. “You don’t look as nervous tonight,” she said.
“I’m glad we’re finally here, finally ready to do something.
And after those three kids agreed to help us, I feel like . . .”
“Like this might actually work?”
“No, something better.” He looked down at the SpecialCircumstances compound. “They were so ready to help,just to make trouble, just to play a trick. At first, it killed meto hear you act like the Smoke still existed. But if there areenough uglies like them, maybe it will again.”
“Of course it will,” she said softly.
David shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. But even if we368 Scott Westerfeldblow it tonight, and both wind up under the knife, at leastsomeone will still keep fighting. Making trouble, you know?”
“I hope it’s us, making trouble,” Tally said.
“Me too.” He drew Tally closer, and kissed her. Whenhe released her, Tally took a deep breath and closed hereyes. It felt better to kiss him, more real, now that she wasabout to begin undoing the damage she had done.
“Look,” David said.
In the dark spaces of New Pretty Town, something washappening.
She raised her binoculars.
A shimmering line cut its way across the black expanseof the pleasure garden, like a bright fissure opening in theearth. Then more lines appeared, one by one, tremulousarcs and circles sweeping through the darkness. The varioussegments seemed to sparkle into existence in randomorder, but they eventually formed letters, and words.
Finally, the whole glittering thing was finished, someparts of it newly sprung to life, the first few lines alreadystarting to fade as the sparklers exhausted themselves. Butfor a few moments, Tally could read the whole thing, evenwithout her binoculars. From Uglyville, it must have beenhuge, visible to anyone staring longingly out their window.
It said: THE SMOKE LIVES.
As Tally watched it fade, breaking down into randomlines and arcs again as the sparklers extinguished, she wonderedif the words were really true.
UGLIES 369“There they go,” David said.
Below them, a large circular opening had appeared in thelargest building’s roof, and three hovercars rose up throughthe gap in quick succession, screaming toward the city. Tallyhoped that An, Dex, and Sussy had followed her advice andwere long gone from New Pretty Town. “Ready?” she said.
In answer, David tightened the straps of his bungeejacket and jumped onto his boards.
They rode down the hill, turned around, and started back up.
For the tenth time, Tally checked the light on the collarof her jacket. It was still green, and she could see David’slight bobbing along beside her. No excuses now.
They gained speed as they climbed toward the dark sky,the entire hill like a giant ramp before them. The wi............