looking like two little lambs about to make a meal for Shylock?"
"It's a long story." Charity wasn't quite prepared to trust anyone with the whole truth of where she had come from and why.
"I've plenty of time . . . unless you plan to leave right now." Amiee added softly, "You have to trust someone, sometime."
"It's hard to leave when we have no place to go."
"Then you can stay, and perhaps trust will come later."
"No," Charity said quietly. "It's time for decisions now."
She walked back to the bed and sat cross-legged in the middle of it. Amiee didn't move. Slowly Charity began to explain how Beth and she had gotten into the predicament they were in. Amiee didn't interrupt. The older woman was watching her so intently that
Charity's nerves stretched tighter with every second. When she finished the story, Amiee stood still, as if she were considering the implications of Charity's words.
"Why did you not just give him what he wanted? Think of how much you had to gain."
"He was a pig." Charity's chin went up proudly and her eyes glowed with anger. "I wouldn't sell myself to him like a toy for a few baubles."
"No, I suppose you wouldn't," Amiee murmured. "You're stronger than you know, Charity. Some people never understand that the stronger person bends with the wind and the weak, brittle person breaks. You'll do what needs to be done, and I feel you'll be good at it."
"Good at what?"
"Being believed."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Charity replied. "If you think I'm going to do for you what that beast in the alley wanted me to do for him, you're crazy. You can have your clothes back, and somehow I'll find a way to repay you for the food and the bed."
Amiee's laugh was full and free. "You think I am a whore?"
"I didn't say that."
"I am not a whore and none of my people are. The street was my home until . . . never mind about that. You may choose to stay or to go. Either way you will have to learn to do things that are necessary for survival."
"Where do you come from?" Charity asked.
"Who knows? It's not where you come from, but
who and where you are." Amiee finally walked close to Charity and sat down beside her. "When you ran, did you consider what you were running to?"
"I didn't have time for that."
"You didn't think it would be so ugly or so hard out here, and you didn't consider how you would care for your friend."
"I guess I didn't. But I had to make a decision."
"Are you up to making another one?"
"I can listen. I have few choices, and I don't relish the thought of going out on those streets and starving."
"You could go back and give in, or you could learn how to survive here."
"I won't go back," Charity said stubbornly. Her gaze met Amiee's. "And I will survive. I'll see that Beth survives too."
"Not unless you learn a lot more."
"I'm not exactly stupid."
"No, just green."
"Perhaps."
"But you are strong and determined, I'll give you that."
Charity knew she and Beth could not survive on the streets alone, just as she knew she could not go back. She had to swallow both her anger and the pride that would put her and Beth back in a situation that would drain the life from them both. She had to learn whatever it took to keep her and Beth safe. She had to.
"Amiee . . . what is it you're suggesting we do?" she asked quietly.
Over the next few days Charity began to learn just what was expected of her and Beth.
One night, when Beth and she found themselves alone in their sleeping quarters, they discussed their new friends.
"Charity, they're . . . they're thieves. They're pickpockets. They're . . . I don't know what else!"
"Highwaymen, bandits, swindlers, and sundry other things." Charity smiled. "And they only steal from those who can afford it. Better yet, they eat regularly."
"They steal the food they eat!"
"Yes," Charity said quietly, "and they stole the food that fed us and kept us from starving."
"I know. You should see how . . . adept Piper is," Beth
"It's a long story." Charity wasn't quite prepared to trust anyone with the whole truth of where she had come from and why.
"I've plenty of time . . . unless you plan to leave right now." Amiee added softly, "You have to trust someone, sometime."
"It's hard to leave when we have no place to go."
"Then you can stay, and perhaps trust will come later."
"No," Charity said quietly. "It's time for decisions now."
She walked back to the bed and sat cross-legged in the middle of it. Amiee didn't move. Slowly Charity began to explain how Beth and she had gotten into the predicament they were in. Amiee didn't interrupt. The older woman was watching her so intently that
Charity's nerves stretched tighter with every second. When she finished the story, Amiee stood still, as if she were considering the implications of Charity's words.
"Why did you not just give him what he wanted? Think of how much you had to gain."
"He was a pig." Charity's chin went up proudly and her eyes glowed with anger. "I wouldn't sell myself to him like a toy for a few baubles."
"No, I suppose you wouldn't," Amiee murmured. "You're stronger than you know, Charity. Some people never understand that the stronger person bends with the wind and the weak, brittle person breaks. You'll do what needs to be done, and I feel you'll be good at it."
"Good at what?"
"Being believed."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Charity replied. "If you think I'm going to do for you what that beast in the alley wanted me to do for him, you're crazy. You can have your clothes back, and somehow I'll find a way to repay you for the food and the bed."
Amiee's laugh was full and free. "You think I am a whore?"
"I didn't say that."
"I am not a whore and none of my people are. The street was my home until . . . never mind about that. You may choose to stay or to go. Either way you will have to learn to do things that are necessary for survival."
"Where do you come from?" Charity asked.
"Who knows? It's not where you come from, but
who and where you are." Amiee finally walked close to Charity and sat down beside her. "When you ran, did you consider what you were running to?"
"I didn't have time for that."
"You didn't think it would be so ugly or so hard out here, and you didn't consider how you would care for your friend."
"I guess I didn't. But I had to make a decision."
"Are you up to making another one?"
"I can listen. I have few choices, and I don't relish the thought of going out on those streets and starving."
"You could go back and give in, or you could learn how to survive here."
"I won't go back," Charity said stubbornly. Her gaze met Amiee's. "And I will survive. I'll see that Beth survives too."
"Not unless you learn a lot more."
"I'm not exactly stupid."
"No, just green."
"Perhaps."
"But you are strong and determined, I'll give you that."
Charity knew she and Beth could not survive on the streets alone, just as she knew she could not go back. She had to swallow both her anger and the pride that would put her and Beth back in a situation that would drain the life from them both. She had to learn whatever it took to keep her and Beth safe. She had to.
"Amiee . . . what is it you're suggesting we do?" she asked quietly.
Over the next few days Charity began to learn just what was expected of her and Beth.
One night, when Beth and she found themselves alone in their sleeping quarters, they discussed their new friends.
"Charity, they're . . . they're thieves. They're pickpockets. They're . . . I don't know what else!"
"Highwaymen, bandits, swindlers, and sundry other things." Charity smiled. "And they only steal from those who can afford it. Better yet, they eat regularly."
"They steal the food they eat!"
"Yes," Charity said quietly, "and they stole the food that fed us and kept us from starving."
"I know. You should see how . . . adept Piper is," Beth
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