X decided that he himself was the only true danger. When Regent—it was too perilous to even think of him as Tariq—sent him to the Overworld to hunt the last soul, would he run to Zoe instead? Would he enrage the lords and obliterate his single hope for happiness? Could he stop himself? Even now, he could feel Zoe’s fingers on three very particular places: his lips, his hips, his shoulders. He shivered, as if she were in the cell with him, wrapped around him like a vine and breathing onto his neck. How could it be that the thing that made him strong also brought him to his knees?
A sudden noise interrupted X’s thoughts. The Russian guard was escorting someone down the corridor. X heard a voice say, “Chillax. It’s not like I forgot where my friggin’ cell is, dude.”
It was Banger.
X leaped to his feet. He had to know if his friend had seen Zoe, as he had asked him to—had begged him to, really. It was all he could do not to scream the question in front of the Russian. He held his tongue. He waited for the men to come into view. The guard strode in front. Rather than his usual powder-blue tracksuit, he wore a shining cherry-red one. He was so towering and wide—and strutted so proudly in his new finery—that X could barely see Banger behind him. But there he was. And he too was dressed in some new garment. It was so deeply blue it was nearly black.
X did not recognize it for a moment.
Then it struck him.
It was his own overcoat—Banger had seen Zoe.
The guard thrust his key into the cell next door. He waited for Banger to catch up, idly snorting up phlegm and then swallowing it.
Banger shuffled into his cell. X craned his neck, desperate to catch his eye, but the Russian blocked his view. X cursed silently. He was about to withdraw into his own cell when Banger leaned back out and looked directly at X. He flipped up the collar of the coat—and winked.
The Russian loitered for ages. Mostly, he paraded manfully back and forth in front of Ripper, who took a perverse pleasure in flirting with him.
“You have noticed new suit, yes?” said the guard.
“Oh, I have indeed,” said Ripper. “You cut a dashing figure. You will be the talk of the Lowlands!”
“You may touch suit,” said the guard. “Do not tell others. They may not touch suit.”
The guard reached his arm into Ripper’s cell. X shook his head as he watched. He was not in the least surprised when Ripper bit the man.
“You are monster!” cried the Russian, pulling his arm back and inspecting his cherry-red sleeve for rips. “You have teeth of animal!”
Still, he lingered at her cell another half hour. X had nearly exploded with frustration when he heard Banger whisper.
“Come to the bars,” he said. “Fast.”
X did as he was instructed.
“One, two—three,” said Banger.
He thrust the coat through the bars. X grabbed for it and pulled it into his cell.
“Zoe rocks,” said Banger. “She said she loves you, and I said you love her, et cetera, et cetera. It’s all good in the ’hood.” He paused. “There’s a candy bar for you in the pocket.”
“How can I thank you?” said X.
“It’s just a candy bar, dude,” said Banger.
“You mistake my meaning,” said X. “How can I thank you for being a true friend to me—when I was never much of a friend to you?”
The words must have meant something to Banger, for he was silent awhile.
“Ain’t no thang,” he said.
“You are wrong,” said X. “It is very much a thang.”
A thought occurred to him.
He took off the purple shirt with the curly white stitching. He folded it carefully, smoothing out the creases as best he could. It was a garish object, yet he had seen Banger covet it.
X crouched down by the bars.
“One, two—three,” he said.
He passed the shirt to Banger. He could hear him giggling as he slipped it on.
“Dude,” said Banger. “I look friggin’ hot in this.”
By the time the Russian lumbered away, Banger had fallen into a deep, animal sleep, exhausted by his adventures in the Overworld. X sat against the wall, the overcoat spread over his lap. It was wet from Banger’s fall into the river. Still, when X pressed his face against it, he could detect the faintest scent of Zoe’s skin. It went through him like a flame.
Thanks to Jonah, X actually knew what a candy bar was, and, looking for relief from his thoughts, he slipped a hand into one of the coat pockets.
Instead of candy, he found a piece of paper.
Both sides were covered with markings he could not identify. The mystery of what it said was unbearable. Maybe it was a message from Zoe?
He asked Ripper if she was awake. He spoke just loudly enough to ensure that he would wake her if she wasn’t.
“I am always awake,” said Ripper. “Surely you know that by now? My brain is like a fireworks factory.”
“Might you read something to me?” said X. “Something I have discovered in my coat?”
“Pass it to me,” said Ripper. “Quickly. That ridiculous Russian will soon be back for another bite.”
X maneuvered the paper through the bars. He listened as Ripper unfolded it, his heart racing.
“It is a list of some kind,” she announced at last. “Is this the hand of your blurting girl? Heavens, she scrawls like an unschooled child. She is incapable of spelling ‘raisins’—and her fondness for the capital Y borders on the terrifying.”
She studied the paper further.
“Wait,” she said. “The writing on the other side is not nearly so maddening.”
“Read it out to me?” said X.
Ripper cleared her throat, and began: