“Dark markets are like the market in Leopard Knocks but nestled on Lamb grounds,” Chichi added. “This one doesn’t move around, but some other ones in Nigeria do. This one blends with the normal market, but you can only walk into it if you are Leopard.”

“Well, once in a while a Lamb will walk in,” Orlu said. “Usually sensitive Lambs. Those people are never the same afterward.” He just shook his head. “Nothing is perfect or absolute.”

“Yeah, except Library Council rules,” Sunny said.

As they walked, she could feel the hairs on her arm stand up. Only the rays of light that crept between the roof’s tin sheets lit their way. Nothing looked any different, not to her eyes. However, Sunny was sure there were . . . things around them. Small shadows in the corners kept moving right outside of her peripheral vision.

“Can we at least get somewhere?” Chichi impatiently said after another five minutes of walking.

Sunny looked back and indeed she could see the way they’d come in, just barely.

“Did you see the size of that ghost hopper?” Sasha asked.

“The one standing in that sun beam?” Orlu asked.

“Had to be over a foot long,” Sasha said.

“Wonder what it sounds like when it sings,” Orlu said.

“It probably sounds like a factory,” Sasha said. “The bigger they are, the worse . . .”

“Oh, screw it.” Sunny dropped to her knees. “I can’t take it anymore. Let’s just try it here.” She rolled the marbles like small bowling balls, and they tumbled smoothly over the dirt ground. “Come on,” Sunny said, jogging after them. They followed the marbles, which had begun to dimly—then strongly—glow light blue.

They ran and ran. Passing wooden booths, tables, medians, and stands. All empty. The marbles rolled straight ahead, maintaining their speed. Soon the corrugated roof ended, and they were in bright sunshine. They passed more empty tables, but there weren’t as many. There was a lot more space with even trees growing between the tables. Then there were no tables and only a dirt path that ran through a back alley. Sunny could hear the hustle and bustle of the Lagos streets not far away.

When the dirt path began to slope downward, the marbles rolled slower. They decelerated to a fast walk. Then a slow walk. Then the marbles stopped completely. Sunny bent down and picked them up, and they continued to glow brightly in her hand.

They were about eight and a half feet below ground level, red dirt overrun with green creeping plants on each side. Above and to the left was the side of a tall office building and to the right was a busy expressway with people walking along the sides. Sunny could make out people in the office building. A man looked out the window but he didn’t look down at them. And on the expressway, people walked on the narrow sidewalk without so much as a glance below.