Chapter Five

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15 digits

That's what Foxy had managed to scavenge. It had taken her all morning and it was enough to give her one meal. Obviously, she had to bargain.

Foxy sighed, she thought about the seventy-five digits that she had lost. She could have easily been able to afford multiple warm meals. Her thought went back to the clean man. What did he have for breakfast?

He didn't strike her as luxurious man. At the same time, he was not poor, she could understand that. She was not naive.

He had said he wanted to change the world and yet he was in the slum, talking to a slum dweller. The slum was a very, very small part of the world. He didn't make sense. None of his action made sense. He didn't like the Moon and he didn't mind the slums.

"Ah, second day in a row. I am impressed, Foxy." Emma grinned when she spotted her. Foxy smiled.

"I may not have enough." Foxy said.

Emma frowned, "You know the rules."

Foxy tried to go close to Emma, but in the crowd, it was hard. "Only one digit."

"No." Emma shook her head.

"Please."

Emma gave her a look, sighed, and then motioned her to stand in one corner that was comparatively empty. Once, Emma was done giving her customers food, she came to Foxy.

"The suppliers need the money, Foxy, or they won't let the business survive."

"You steal from restaraunts and sell it here. There are no suppliers." Foxy said. She didn't like being considered a fool.

Emma raised an eyebrow. "How do you think I have not been caught?"

"I don't know." Foxy admitted.

"I pay people who spot me." Emma smiled.

"One digit." Foxy begged. She let the tears come in her eyes. Thank god, she was tiny, she could act smaller than her age.

Emma rolled her eyes, "Go ahead, kid. You don't have me fooled but that is some great acting."

The tears dried out just as they came. Foxy smiled slightly in gratitude. Emma might be the only decent person in the slums.

They walked, squeezing past people, to her stove area. Emma gave her the dish and then watched her silently as she ate. Foxy gave her a look. "What?"

"What did the man do after both of you left?"

Foxy hesitated, for some reason she wanted to keep information related to the man for herself, "We talked."

"Really?" Emma raised an eyebrow. "He is not the most talkative man. He has been coming to the Kitchen every day from the past week. He comes, watches, and leaves." She gave a customer her dish. "What did you guys talk about?"

"The Moon."

Emma chuckled, "The Moon?"

Foxy nodded, "He does not find it beautiful."

"Ah, those thoughts are luxury in itself. The fact that he has the time and money to think about the beauty of the Moon." Emma smiled. "We can't do that. We think about food, and more food, and our thumb, and digits. I don't remember the last time I looked at the sky."

"I didn't look at it when he was looking. I don't think we are made to look that far above." Foxy said, realising that the words were true as she said it.

Emma shook her head, "Oh, we are made to, we just couldn't find the right resources." She handed someone else their dish. "What else did you talk about?"

"He wants to change the world."

This made Emma laugh, loudly, "Tell him to stand in a line. And tell him, it is a rather long line."

Foxy took the last bite of her dish. "I think he can."

Emma watched her in silence, with a strange look on her face, "Odd fellow, isn't he?"

"He is not like those people." Foxy did not have to mention the once-in-a-year people. She was not the only one who despised them.

"No, but at least they are harmless. He is not harmless. He is different."

"Dangerous." Foxy added.

Emma nodded, and then looked above Foxy's head, "And he is here."

Foxy turned and there he was. Wearing the same green overcoat as the night before, looking as clean, and if he came closer, she was convinced that he would smell the same way too. She smiled at the sight but he didn't look at her. In fact, he was back at observing things that surrounded him.

It was obvious that he wanted something from the slum dwellers. He had said so himself. What was it?

And then a strange thing happened. Another man appeared beside him. He was the oddest looking fellow she had ever seen. And she had seen many of them. He was a large man, and stood at least a foot taller than the clean man. He wore a white shirt like the clean man, and black coat, but he wore a hat, that was so tall. It made him look taller than he was. He also wore spectacles.

The clean man was surprised to see him, Foxy could see, but then he smiled. It was so genuine, it made him look handsome. Foxy smiled at him smiling.

But the other dwellers were not as kind. The men's appearance had silenced the slum. Everyone was gawking at them.

"Hullo everyone!" The big man waved a beefy hand. "I'm Kez. This, here, is a man." He pointed at the clean man. "You can call him anything."

None of the slum dwellers replied.

Foxy looked around, she could not help but feel that the people were being rude.

"Hi." She squeaked. It took her all the courage. She thought she was scared of the clean man, but the big man, Kez, instilled raw fear in her.

His gaze met her's easily.

He had blue eyes, she noticed, behind the golden rimmed glasses. She had never seen anyone with coloured eyes. It looked beautiful.

"Hi." He smiled at her, showcasing his one crooked tooth, as he limped his way to her. He had a cane in his hand that he replied on. The cane's handle was a silver rose. Was that real silver? Foxy could not help think. But then she was far too intimidated by that to man to even think like that.

"You must be Foxy." Kez said.

"I . . ." she stopped. She looked at the clean man, he was looking at her too. He had talked about her? Of course, his gaze was void of any emotion.

"Yes." She finally said.

"Cute thing, you are," he looked at the clean man, "I agree."

Foxy felt herself going red.

"Brave too." Kez added.

"All right, we are here to make an offer, so listen to me closely people of the slums." Kez's voice boomed. Foxy could feel the strength of his presence. He was not like the clean man. He could not be ignored. "But first, there is fresh food, fresh clothes and some rations outside waiting for you. Go grab it."

This ticked the dwellers and the people started scrambling to get out of the slum.

"STOP!"

Kez's voice boomed. People froze.

"Decently, please." He said. "Just because we live like animals does not mean we have to act like it, eh? Form a line, everyone will get your things. One of you, go summon the other idiots." He said pointing one thick hand at one of the kids. The kid nodded and ran out. "You . . . " he pointed at another kid, "start stacking them in a line." The other kid nodded and start arranging the people. He grabbed Foxy put her behind Emma.

"What is happening?" Emma whispered.

"He is changing the world." Foxy replied. It seemed like an apt answer.



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