When citizens talked like that, Minya had learned to ignore them.

"These girls are twins. They've been together all their lives. They

should be given some hours to talk."

"I told you, it's forbidden."

"That would be your problem."

Dlonis glared in exasperation. "Go join the garbage detail. No, wait.

First talk to this Jinny, if she'll talk."

"Yes, Supervisor. And I'd like to be checked for pregnancy, at your convenience."

"Later."

Minya bent to speak directly into Jinny's ear. "Jinny, it's Minya. I've talked to Dlonis. She'll try to get you together with Jayan."

Jinny was clenched like a knot.

"Jinny. The Grad made it. He's at the Citadel, where the Scientist lives."

Nothing.

"Just hang on, will you? Hang on. Something will happen. Talk to

Jayan. See if she's learned anything." Treefodder, there must be something she could say . . . "Find out where the pregnant women are kept. See if the Grad even comes down to examine them. He might. Tell him we're hanging on. Waiting."

Jinny didn't move. Hen voice was muffled. "All right, I'm listening. But I can't stand it. I can't."

"You're tougher than you think."

"If another man picks me, I'll kill him."

Some of them like women who fight, Minya thought. She said instead,

"Wait. Wait till we can kill them all."

After a long time, Jinny uncurled and stood up.

Chapter Sixteen - Rumblings of Mutiny

GAVVING WOKE TO A TOUCH ON HIS SHOULDER. HE LOOKED

about him without moving.

There were three tiers of hammocks, and Gavving's was in the top layer. The daylit doorway made a black silhouette of a supervisor. He seemed to have fallen asleep standing up: easy enough in London Tree's gentle tide. In the dimness of the barracks, Alfin clung to Gavving's h~immock-post. He spoke in a whisper that wanted to shout in jubilation.

"They've put me to work at the treemouth!"

"I thought only women did that," Gavving said without moving at all. Jorg snored directly below him-a "gentled" man, pudgy and sad, and too stupid to spy on anyone. But the h~immocks were close-packed.

"I saw the farm when they took us for showers. There's a lot they're doing wrong. I talked to a supervisor about it. He let me talk to the woman who runs the farm. Kor's her name, and she listens. I'm a consultant."

"Clood."

"Give me a couple of hundred days and I might get you in on it too. I want to show what I can do first."

"Did you get a chance to speak to Minya? Or Jinny?"

"Don't even think it. They'd go berserk if wq tried to talk to the women."

To be a treemouth tender again . . . seeing Minya, but not allowed