Rector wasn’t stupid enough to mention that it was Yaozu’s theory, and the other two boys kept that particular piece of information quiet as well. He’d been warned that the princess hated the powerful Chinese man who ran most of the Station. And even if Rector hadn’t liked her, he didn’t want to anger a woman who wore that many sharp things attached to her clothes.

So all he said was, “A hole, a crack … something that lets things out, and lets things in.”

Houjin added, “There must be someplace where people see Blight-sick animals more often. Now that I think about it, we really should’ve followed that fox.”

Rubbing at her chin under her mask, Angeline said, “You’d never have caught him. There’s plenty of strange goings-on here in the wall these days, boys, I tell you what—it gets weirder by the day.”

Intrigued, Rector asked, “Why do you say that?” But he did so in a normal speaking voice, and everyone else shushed him. “Sorry! Sorry,” he said much more softly.

“That’s right, boy. Don’t ever forget where you are.” She came in close to the three of them, gathering them around her as if she meant to shield them. “Always keep your voice down low. Always. We can talk between us, but keep it quiet.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Zeke and Houjin said.

Rector nodded, then he said, “I was trying to ask: Did you ever hear of something called an inexplicable?”

She frowned. “Nope. What’s that word mean?”

Houjin told her, and she said, “All right, I’ll remember that. And let me answer your other question, Red,” she said, perhaps misremembering his name, or just having decided to call him that. “Actually, how about I show you, rather than tell you.”

He hemmed and hawed. “Aw, we were just heading back down to the Vaults, like we said.”

“Yes, and I heard you. You’re heading over to the Sizemore House?” she asked Houjin, who bobbed his head.

“Down through the basement, and back to the Fifth Street tracks.”

“Good plan, good plan. I’ll come with you, and on the way, I’ll show you what I mean. It’s only a quick detour.”

“Give us a hint?” asked Zeke.

“Hard to hint, dear boy. Except to say, I’m not sure the rotters are all escaping. Between us … I think something’s killing them.”

Rector did not say that she might be right, and that she’d just hit on part two of Yaozu’s theory.