“All of them.”
“It’s Sister Blessing in particular that I’m interested in,” Quinn said.
“She talks plenty.”
“About me?”
“Yes.”
“What did she tell you?”
“Oh, things.”
He gave her a hard look. “You’re giving me the run-around, Karma, stalling for time. It won’t do any good. Come out of there before I drag you out by the hair.”
“I’ll scream. I’m a good screamer and sounds carry in the mountains. They’ll all hear me, they’ll think you tried to kidnap me. The Master will be furious, he may even kill you. He has a terrible temper.”
“He may also kill you.”
“I don’t care. I have nothing to live for.”
“All right, you asked for it.”
Quinn reached into the back seat to grab her. She took a long deep breath and opened her mouth to scream. He cut off the sound by pressing his hand against her mouth.
“Listen, you crazy kid. You’ll get us both in a mess. I can’t possibly take you with me to San Felice. You’re going to need money, clothes, someone to look after you. You may not like it here but at least you’re protected. Wait until you’re older, then you can leave under your own power. Are you listening to me, Karma?”
She nodded.
“If I take my hand away, will you promise to be quiet and discuss this in a reasonable way?”
She nodded again.
“All right.” He removed his hand from her mouth and leaned wearily against the back of the seat. “Did I hurt you?”
“No.”
“How old are you, Karma?”
“Going on twenty-one.”
“Sure, but how far have you got to go? Come on, the truth.”
“I’m sixteen,” she said, after a time. “But I could easily find a job in the city and earn money to buy some stuff for my face so I’ll look like other girls.”
“You have a very pretty face.”
“No, it’s terrible, all these terrible red things that they say I’ll grow out of but I don’t. I never will. I need money for the stuff to make them go away. One of my teachers told me about it last year when I went to school, acne ointment she called it. She was real nice, she said she used to have acne herself and she knew how I felt.”
“And that’s the reason you want to go to the city, to buy acne ointment?”
“Well, that’s what I’d do first,” she said, running her hands along her cheeks. “I need it very bad.”
“Suppose I promise you that I’ll buy some for you and see that you get it? Will you postpone your trip to the city until you’re a little more capable of looking after yourself?”
She thought about it for a long time, twisting and untwisting a strand of her hair. “You’re just trying to get rid of me.”
“That’s true. But I’d also like to help you.”
“When could you get it for me?”
“As soon as possible.”
“How would you know it’s the right stuff?”
“I’ll ask the pharmacist, the man who sells it.”
She turned and looked up at him, very earnestly. “Do you think I will be pretty, as pretty as the girls at school?” “Of course you will.”
It was getting quite dark but she made no move to get out of the car and go back to the Tower. “Everyone here is so ugly,” she said. “And dirty. The floors are cleaner than we are. At school there were showers with hot water and real soap, and each of us had a big white towel all to ourselves.”
“How long have you been here at the Tower, Karma?”
“Four years, since it was built.”
“And before then?”
“We were at some place in the mountains, the San Gabriel Mountains down south. It was just a lot of wooden shacks. Then Mother Pureza came along and we got the Tower.”
“She was a convert?”
“Yes, a rich one. We don’t get many rich ones. I guess the rich ones are too busy having fun spending their money to worry about the hereafter.”
“Are you worried, Karma?”
“The Master scares me with his funny eyes,” she said. “But with Sister Blessing I’m not scared. I don’t really hate her the way I said I did. She prays every day for my acne.”
“Do you know where she is now?”
“Everyone does. She’s in isolation.”
“For how long?”
“Five days. Punishment always last five days.”
“Do you know the reason she’s being punished?”
Karma shook her head. “There was a lot of whispering I couldn’t hear, between her and the Master and Brother Crown. Then when my mother and I went to make dinner yesterday at noon, Sister Blessing was gone and Brother Tongue was crouched by the stove, crying. He just worships Sister Blessing because she babies him and makes a big fuss over him when he’s sick. The only one that acted glad was Brother Crown and he’s meaner than Satan.”
“How long has Brother Crown been a convert?”
“He came about a year after the Tower was built. That would be three years ago.”
“What about Sister Blessing?”
“She was with us in the San Gabriel Mountains. Nearly all the rest were, too, including a lot that have gone away since because they quarreled with the Master, like my father.”
“Where’s your father now, Karma?”
“I don’t know,” she said in a whisper. “And I can’t ask. When someone is banished his name can never be mentioned again.”
“Have you ever heard anyone here refer to a man called Patrick O’Gorman?”
“No.”
“Can you remember that name, Patrick O’Gorman?”
“Yes. Why?”
“I’d appreciate it if you’d keep your ears open for it,” Quinn said. “You needn’t tell anyone I asked you to do this, it’s strictly between you and me, like the ointment. Is it a bargain?”
“Yes.” She touched her cheeks, her forehead, her chin. “Do you really and honestly think I will be pretty when my acne goes away?”
“I know it.”
“How will you send me the ointment? The Master opens all the mail packages and he’d just throw something out if he thought it was drugs. He doesn’t believe in drugs or doctors, only faith.”
“I’ll bring the stuff to you myself.”
It was too dark now to see her face but Quinn felt her little movement of protest or dissent. “They don’t want you to come here anymore, Mr. Quinn. They think you’re trying to make trouble for the colony.”
“I’m not. The colony, as such, doesn’t interest me.”
“You keep on coming.”
“My first visit was an accident, my second was to give Sister Blessing the information she asked for.”
“Is that the honest truth?”
“Yes,” Quinn said. “It’s getting late, Karma. You’d better start back before they send out a lynching party for me.”
“I won’t be missed. I told mother I was going to bed because I had a sore throat. She’ll be busy in the kitchen until late. By that time,” she added bitterly, “I expected to be halfway to the city. Only I’m not. I’m right here. I’ll be right here until I die. I’ll be old and ugly, and dirty like the rest of them. Oh, I wish I could die this very minute and go to heaven before I commit all the sins I’ll probably commit when I get the chance, like having beautiful dresses and shoes and talking back to the Master and washing my hair every day in perfume.”
Quinn got out of the car and held the door open for her. She climbed out slowly and awkwardly.
“Can you find your way in the dark?” Quinn said.
“I’ve been up and down this road a million times.”
“Good-bye for now, then.”
“Are you really coming back?”
“Yes.”
“And you won’t forget the stuff for my acne?”
“No,” Quinn said. “And you won’t forget your part of the bargain?”
“I’m to keep my ears open if anyone mentions Patrick O’Gorman. I don’t think they will, though.”