"If you want, mister," Jin whispered, "you can come along to my hideout.  I got some water bottles there.  Yani won't see you, he's gone to bed."

"That's," Miles gasped, "that sounds great."  He struggled to his feet; a firm young grip caught his stumble.

In a whining nimbus of whirling lights, Miles followed the friendly lizard.

#

Jin checked back over his shoulder to make sure the funny-looking little man, no taller than himself, was still following all right.  Even in the dusk it was clear that the druggie was a grownup, and not another kid as Jin had hoped at first glance.  He had a grownup voice, his words precise and complicated despite their tired slur and his strange accent, low and rumbly.  He moved almost as stiff and slow as old Yani.  But when his fleeting smiles lifted the strain from his face it looked oddly kind, in an accustomed way, as if smiles were at home there.  Grouchy Yani never smiled.

Jin wondered if the little man had been beaten up, and why.  Blood stained his torn trouser knees, and his white shirt bore browning smears.  For a plain shirt, it looked pretty fancy, as if—before being rolled around in—it had been crisp and fine, but Jin couldn't figure out quite how that effect was done.  Never mind.  He had this novel creature all to himself, for now.

When they came to the metal ladder running up the outside of the exchanger building, Jin looked at the bloodstains and stiffness and thought to ask, "Can you climb?"

The little man stared upward.  "It's not my favorite activity.  How far up does this castle keep really go?"

"Just to the top."

"That would be, um, two stories?"  He added in a low mutter, "Or twenty?"

Jin said, "Just three.  My hideout's on the roof."

"The hideout part sounds good."  The man licked at his cracked lips with a dry-looking tongue.  He really did need water, Jin guessed.  "Maybe you'd better go first.  In case I slip."

"I have to go last to raise the ladder."

"Oh.  All right."  A small, square hand reached out to grip a rung.  "Up.  Up is good, right?"  He paused, drew a breath, then lurched skyward.

Jin followed as lightly as a lizard.  Three meters up, he stopped to crank the ratchet that raised the ladder out of reach of the unauthorized and latch it.  Up another three meters, he came to the place where the rungs were replaced by broad steel staples, bolted to the building's side.  The little man had managed them, but now seemed stuck on the ledge.

"Where am I now?" he called back to Jin in tense tones.  "I can feel a drop, but I can't be sure how far down it really goes."

What, it wasn't that dark.  "Just roll over and fall, if you can't lift yourself.  The edge-wall's only about half a meter high."