The low links were abuzz with conversation when Norr arrived.  The others stood back from the hub of activity.  Norr saw Max at the centre of the group and moved into it to see what the fuss was.  Max was standing beside a girl with dark wavy hair that was braided to her waist.  She had a pretty face that was sprinkled with freckles.  She must normally have very fair skin, but it was deeply tanned from being outside in the sun.  Norr grimaced, if it was from the sun, then she certainly wasn’t from around here.  The girl had high cheekbones and cat-eye girl eyes. She wasn’t just pretty, she was beautiful and confident.  She was laughing with Max.  Norr decided that she hated her and moved forward into the crowd to meet the new celebrity.

As she got closer she saw that the girl was wearing a gray sweater that had Fox squad written on the front.  Norr had no idea what Fox squad did.  In Sen Fynnesca, there was Rock squad and Mud squad.  She caught Max’s eye and he smiled broadly motioning for her to come over. 

“How are you today?  I like your curl,”  he smirked playfully and searched Nor’s face with his deep brown eyes.  Eyes that always looked so caring and warm. 

Nor couldn’t help but giggle, “I’m fine thank you.  I’m so glad my hair is growing back so I can look like a proper girl again.”  She knew she was digging for a compliment.  She had always hated girls that did that, but she had not had one in such a long time, she wanted to see if she could get more than “I like your curl” out of him.

“You’re already a proper girl,” Max said furrowing his brow in confusion. 

Nor sighed inwardly, What a compliment.  I suppose I should take what I can get.

Max turned toward the other girl that had been standing patiently beside him to be introduced, “Nor, this is Lex.  She’s one of the leaders of the militant wing of the Band, the Fox squad.  I was attached to that squad over the winter and Lex was my contact there.  She going to be with us for a few months,” he gave Lex a wry smile, “To see how us pacifists are getting along.  The Band is fragmented.  Different groups have different goals, we’re part of a panel trying to see if there is a way to reconcile the goals toward the Cause.” 

Norr smiled and shook Lex’s proffered hand.  Nor noticed that Max did not tell Lex about her – he already had.  Max said he wanted to introduce Lex to some of the others and they moved off through the crowd.   

Nor wondered what he had said about her.  She also had to bite back hundreds of questions about the relationship Max had with Lex, what he had done with the Fox squad, what the Fox squad actually did.  Were there enemies of the band? The only news Nor heard was from Tommy during the morning briefing.  It typically consistent of local news.  

She knew an entire building in the east end had been dismantled.  A rousing speech by the leader of the cause was given on the ruins.  Once the rubble was cleared and grass planted, it would be known as the first field.  Original as ever.  She knew that the rooftops of buildings the would not get to for years were being made into gardens by the Green squad.  Nor was eagerly awaiting the day that her weekly pay of two potatoes, a single tea bag, and a multivitamin was supplemented by a carrot.  Or maybe even a tomato.  Tommy had also mentioned the demolition of the bridge over the Humber River, but any news from further afield she’d overheard other whispering about.  She’d heard that an army of fourth-tiers were defending Manhattan to the last person and had viciously repelled multiple Band attacks.  She’d heard that the Eiffel Tower was being dismantled.  She’d heard that many African nations were sending aid to North America and Europe.  Her first instinct was that all of the things she’d heard in whispers were ridiculous, but two years ago she never would have though she’d be standing on the dirt road that was once Union Street wearing a two-year-old coat and a toque with a pom-pom.  It was madness and times were truly mad.

Tommy hammered his chisel on the side of the large metal tea canteen to call everyone to order.  Nor looked longingly at the canteen.  She’d been so caught up in Max and meeting Lex she’d forgotten to fill her mug.  The chipped white ceramic mug had cost her 3 bobby pins and two pairs of socks – the socks had been hard to part with.  The tea in the canteen would be little more than hot water, but the crisp smell of winter was getting stronger each day and now that she knew she was missing the hot mug in her hands they were uncomfortably cold.

Tommy started to speak.  He told them today there were going to start north.  If they could reach the next block today, the whole team would get a bonus potato at the end of the week.  At least once a week Tommy offered them an incentive, but in the past six months the team had only gone home with extra “pay” once even though they always worked harder on those days.  The next crossroad wasn’t even that far away – only 100 metres.  But the street was 10 metres wide and the pavement was at lease a foot deep.  On a good day Norr could clear two square meters.  For the team of thirty, getting the bonus potato was impossible. 

Norr felt movement beside her and Max handed her a mug of tea.  It was his own stainless steel mug.  She smile up at him and gripped the mug tightly with both hands feeling warmth return to her fingertips.  He then held out a small dinner roll.  Norr’s mouth dropped open.  She hadn’t had breakfast in over a year.  The team was provided with a plate of stew for lunch, but never bread.  She reached out of it slowly, not wanting to appear too eager.  Holding the roll in her hand she was surprised to find it wasn’t rock-hard and stale like she expected.  She held it to her nose.  It was fragrant – it smelled like a cozy country kitchen with the early morning sun peaking through floral curtains.  She took a small bite – not wanting to appear too eager.  After a second small bite she put the rest in her pocket.  Her mother would be overjoyed at even a bite of bread.  Plus, it would supplement their meager food supply.  Nor murmured a thank you to Max as she put the roll away and she thought she saw a look of confusion pass over his face so she added, “For my mother,” and he smiled understandingly.  She wondered how high up you had to be in the Band to get fresh bread.

Tommy motioned for Lex to join him in front of the team, “Everyone, this is Lex.  She’s second-in-command of the Intelligence unit of Fox squad.  She’s here to observe how the city squads operate.  She’s also here to recruit people to Fox squad.  She will let you know if you’re a candidate for transfer.” 

He nodded at Lex and then wave his team toward the rusty red wheelbarrow that carried the chisels and hammers they used for their work.  Nor gulped back the now lukewarm tea that tasted mostly like the metallic canteen and handed the mug back to Max with a weak smile.  This part of the day was the hardest – willing herself to work.  Before joining the Band, the most work Nor had done in a day was pick out a dress for the Marmadel Charity Ball or some other event that occurred almost daily.  She must have tried on thirty dresses, all with corsets and layers of tulle, satin, or silk.  She needed two maids to help her get into most of them – it had been tiring.  She could barely believe that her life had been like that before.  It sounded ridiculous even inside her head.  She could never tell Max that she was a terrible spoiled wasteful girl – she wasn’t that same girl anymore.  She owned one purple cotton blouse, one green tank top, one pair of patched denim jeans, a pair of Nike sneakers a size too big (along with three cups of pasta traded for her fur boots last Spring), her jacket, toque, a steak knife, a mug, and food for her and her mother for few days.  The list of food they had was not impressive, they had one potato, a half cup of pasta, half an apple, six crackers, and half a dinner roll.  She’d get two more potatoes (hopefully three!) in three days’ time.  The sickness that her mother had during the winter had left her very frail.  Nor was sure it had been pneumonia, but her mother had never seen a doctor.  There were doctors attached to the squad, but only for the workers and there was no way her mother could work.  Even if she had been stronger, Nor had her doubt that her mother would even join the Band.  After six months of Nor toiling away like everyone else and the two of them living in a 20 foot square cubicle, Katriana still talked like they were better than everyone.  She thought that people should be giving food to them and that they should be getting the best side of each trade.  Nor told her that she should leave the cubicle and walk around to get her strength up, but her mother would snap that she would not leave looking like she did and wearing the rags Nor had dressed her in.

Nor walked away from the Rock Squad site as the sun was setting.  Some of the broken skyscrapers still had pieces of glass in them, and the glare was enough to cause her to squint and bow her head over.  She was torn, she wanted to pick up her pace and get home before dark so she wouldn’t have to waste any of their precious candle preparing dinner for her mother; however, she also wanted to give Max a chance to catch up with her - she hadn’t spoken with him since the morning. 

As if being commanded by her thoughts, she her footsteps come up behind her and felt someone fall in beside her.  Norr kept her head down and continued walking, waiting for him to speak first.

"Hey rich girl," the person beside her hissed in her ear.

Nor stopped abruptly.  The person stopped a few paces ahead of Nor and turned to face her. 

It was Tim..or maybe Cam, she wasn’t sure they were twin brothers in the Rock Squad.  They were lunks, but were strong and followed orders without question. 

"Your boyfriend went off with that Foxy girl," he grinned suggestively, "So how about you and me grab a few drinks at the Broken Fiddle and see what happens."

"No thank you.  I must get home to my mother.  Maybe another time," Nor said very quickly and moved to go around him. 

Surprisingly, he let her pass.  She looked back at him in shock and ran straight into another man blocking her way.

Of course it was his twin, "Cam isn’t good enough for you, love.  Come have a drink with me instead."  Tim had a look on his face that made Nor believe that no wasn’t an option.

As if to confirm this thought he continued, "Now if you must get home to your mother so urgently, we can have a quick date in the alley over there and then have an even quicker one with my brother."  Cam laughed out loud and then punched his brother in the arm. 

"So what do you say, love?"  The twins wore identical expectant looks.

"A drink sounds lovely," Nor barely found her voice.

Cam smiled amiably and linked arms with her like old friends who had not just threatened to rape her, while Nor thought she saw a flash of disappointment cross Tim’s face before he broke into a grin as well and grabbed her other arm.  The brothers began swaying and singing a lewd song as they march Nor toward the Broken Fiddle, in a manner that any onlookers would think they’d been at the pub all day.  The sun sank lower in the sky and the streets were almost in darkness.  There were few businesses in the city, but as they approached the Broken Fiddle there were a few candles in the windows of a barbershop, the Salvation Army, and the food depot.

Nor had not been back to the Broken Fiddle since that first embarrassment.  Max had asked her once, but when she told him what had happened on the verge of tears, he had not mentioned it again. 

The twins roared a welcome to their friend who were standing up at the bar.  Very little in this new world made sense to Nor, but she imagined that pub life had changed very little since the Collapse.  There was a three-piece band in the corner beside the crackling fire that few people were actually paying attention too.  The leader singer was playing an acoustic guitar and was sweating profusely, like due to both his enthusiastic playing and proximity to the fire. 

"Here, drink this," Tim or Cam shoved a mug of beer at her. 

Nor had never drank beer before.  It was the drink of the lower links.  She took a small sip and it was worse than she thought it would be, but the twin was watching, so she nodded at him and tried to smile.

"Nasty stuff isn’t it.  All the good brewers were trinks.  It’s a damn shame the cause recruited them to break down buildings.  Now even us lunks who were loyal from the beginning have to drink this swill."

Next Chapter: New - 2192