What the Birds Knew, part two

It was a mad press of bodies. They were suffocated by the sound of people shouting, overwhelmed by the sickening smell of sweat and mud and waste and something that might have been food. To make things worse, as Ed followed Vik through the crowd he realized that these people did not know each other. They lived elbow to elbow in this place and yet no one was alarmed by the presence of two dirty boys from what seemed like a different planet.

They did not want to run headlong into that sea of bodies. In fact, even the older, braver Vik was prepared to turn back until they heard heavy footsteps and shouting from the direction they had come.
The was little choice. Vik grabbed Ed by the wrist and yanked him across the dusty street between the crowd and the locked buildings they'd used for cover.

Most of the people in the street were as filthy as they were, and all were far too concerned with their own business to give the boys a second glance. The street Vik had chosen was the most crowded they could see. As they moved through, it was clear that the people there were engaged in some form of trade. Much of the bargaining concerned food or tools, but Ed could not understand the rest of it. Some of the traders were dealing in small vials, metal discs, and shiny trinkets.
Ed's attempt to puzzle it out was interrupted when Vik tugged his arm and led him into a small alcove between two shacks.
"Can't go back. Not yet," Vik announced between deep breaths.
"When?" Ed was frightened by what he had seen, but he was more afraid Vik's enthusiasm would getting the better of him. The older boy was the most adventurous of the village children. He had even been allowed to go with Dug and Mok when they ranged out to forage and hunt.
"They'll forget us. Then go."
"Hide here?" Ed nearly begged, but he knew it was too late.
"You hide. I want to see more."
They left their deerskin coats in the alley. It was hot inside the wall, and most of the children they saw ran about barefoot and shirtless. However, their hide pants and shoes were too muddy to be distinguishable from the threadbare and patched cloth garments which seemed the norm. Vik's belt with the pouches -- and whatever he kept in them -- was clearly too valuable to leave behind.

They did not run this time. It seemed Vik had already picked up on the frantic patterns, and so Ed allowed him to lead as they navigated currents of moving human beings.
Ed noticed that he could understand some of what these wall people were saying. He recognized the words for numbers, commands, and directions, but lacking context, he could not make sense of it.
They passed stalls and tables stacked with vegetables and meat, bottles and jars full of different colored fluids, clear glass bubbles pinched at one end by metal bands, even a few which featured large kettles full of some pungent substance doled out by the bowl.
Some of these were surrounded by dense crowds, all shouting and pushing while others were virtually abandoned. Ed was unable to comprehend why one could be so much more popular than the next.

A horn blast cut through the clamor. Vik halted and the crowed grew quiet. Then, in an eerily spontaneous manner, the crowd began to part. The boys were swept along, pressing themselves in with the wall people, clearing a path through the center of the dirty street.
A huge car was ambling down the lane -- a working car, all bright paint and polished metal. It made almost no sound other than the crackling of its wheels as they crushed the earth beneath. It hummed softly as it passed just inches from them, leaving a sweet odor behind. Its large open back section was stacked with crates. When it came to a rest, two men jumped down from the stack and began unloading it. Ed and Vik were still gaping at it when the crowd closed in around them and everyone went about their business.

The street came to an intersection with another, somewhat darker and less crowded. Vik took a moment to consider, but must have decided they were safer when hidden by the crowd, because he crossed quickly and continued along the same street. Although he could not see them from where they were, Ed knew they were headed toward the tall glowing structures they'd seen earlier.
After that, Ed noticed the stalls and shacks which lined the street were somewhat more solid than they were behind. Here and there, he spotted wall people in flowing robes dyed bright colors. These men and women were so large and pale, it was almost comical to watch them point and bellow orders, but they seemed to command respect from the disorganized mob.

They passed a crowd so raucous that even some of the fat wall people struggled to get close. Ed stopped. He decided to keep track of which items created the largest crowds, attempting to make sense of the strange customs beyond the wall.
Another horn sounded. Ed used the momentary lull to position himself closer to whatever was on the other side. When the small car passed, and the crowd expanded back into the middle of the street, he jumped in.
They were leaves. Stacks and stacks of broad green leaves in bundles. Oddly, they seemed to be from the very plants they had seen in the field.
He looked up. A girl about his age was standing behind the stacks. It seemed she had been tying the bundles up with string, but she stopped to peer at Ed with suspicion in her eyes. Ed wondered how long she had been watching him while he was worrying about foliage.
Ed froze. He met her gaze but only because he did not know what else to do. She knew. Just as in the village there were things only the children knew, it was the same here. The adults were too busy to notice a strange kid, but not her.
Ed felt someone grab his arm and yank him back into the street. Vik said nothing as he steadied the younger boy, just gave him the usual disappointed sneer. He stopped when he noticed the fear in Ed's eyes.
"She knows," he blurted, and they ran.

They did not get far before Ed started to notice more children following them. They seemed to emerge from nowhere, alerted by some inaudible call. It was hard to keep pace with Vik as he dodged and weaved through the crowd, but every time he dared to look over his shoulder, he saw at least one of the wall children in pursuit.
Vik looked back at him and jerked his head to the right. A second later, he turned and ran down an alley between two concrete buildings. At the far side was a wooden fence with bright light beyond. Vik got there first and began climbing, but Ed's wounded hand stung when he tried to grasp the planks and he could not keep up.
A rock smacked the fence just between the two boys. The alley was dark, but they could make out at least six figures blocking the alley from the other side. Vik jumped down and faced them.
"Are you lost?" one of them stepped forward, a boy around Vik's age. They were the same height, but where Vik was thin and wiry, he was thick with fat and muscle. Vik took a step forward, but made no reply.
"More muddy farm boys on my turf?" he said. "Didn't you learn last time?" The big kid moved toward Vik, fists clenched. His friends fell in behind him. "Maybe I should--"
Vik lashed out and found the big kid's eye with two fingers. He doubled over and covered his face with both hands. Vik hopped backward, but the other wall children seemed to have lost their courage.
For a moment, Ed hoped they might give up, but their leader's moans of pain turned into an angry roar. He charged at Vik while shielding his eyes with one arm. Vik dodged easily, however, and his attacker slammed into the wooden fence. Ed stepped away just as Vik crashed into the big kid, shoulder first. Rusty brackets creaked and the entire fence fell, sending Vik and his attacker tumbling into the light beyond.
Ed saw the stunned faces of a crowd of traders. Presumably they were bargaining with a purveyor of some kind, but that individual was likely trapped beneath the fence with the two boys wrestling on top.
Vik found an opening and delivered a chop to the big kid's throat. He released Vik and writhed on the ground, gasping. At this, his gang charged. Ed looked around for a way to escape, but the crowd that had gathered to haggle had pressed in even closer to watch the fight.
As Vik was scrambling to his feet, Ed noticed the items for sale. There were barrels full of small glass tubes packed with what looked like white sand. He had no idea what it was, but he had observed that it was in high demand whenever it was offered.
He kicked the nearest barrel, and send its contents spilling all over the gang's leader. He then upended a small box which sat on the table between them and the buyers which sent the objects flying in all directions like a rain of crystals.

Vik smiled at him as they slipped away in the confusion.