DEN003 was proud of his work. He knew that every time he cleaned that dock, he was doing it for his Pendrakon. He was so grateful to his Pendrakon that his heart could burst! He had given DEN003 everything he needed: the ability to breathe, to drive, and to keep his hands safe. He had given him his Helpers to enable him to show his gratitude for all he’d done for him. DEN003 had never been happier in his entire life! Except that a few minutes later, he felt even happier!

  The nights were getting slightly shorter now, so there was less time to serve. This was the only blot on his happiness – that, and the fact that he still had to stop serving to eat and rest and then eat again. How he wished he could just serve right through the day and night. Because his Pendrakon deserved everything he could give.

  DEN003 would happily sacrifice his own life for that of his Pendraken.

  And that horrified the tiny bit of Denzin that floated about in the back of his consciousness while his kind Helper gave DEN003 his food, and he cried yet again with longing for the rest of his face to be reattached and to have his hand wrapped intimately around his body again.

  DEN003’s hand lay on his lovely lap as he drank his food. The straw clung to his lip like a leech until his cup was empty. He willingly opened his mouth to have the mouthwash poured in, and spit it into the cup in anticipation that his longings would finally be fulfilled.

  At least it wasn’t long before he was caressing his body in a way that brought an ecstasy he couldn’t describe, and his beautiful face was once more restored. Once again, everything was as it should be. He was at peace.

  Never had he felt so loved, and never had he had so much love welling up inside of him.

  Who did he love? He loved his body. No, it was a … the only word Denzin could now find was that it his was his body. He loved the way his hands were safely attached to his body, bringing pleasure beyond anything he had experienced. And that comforting feeling from the warm tingle that held his face in place, allowing him to breathe.

  Denzin, your body is holding you prisoner.

  He was both horrified and fascinated at his own responses. It was as if someone else had taken over his being, and morphed it into a machine, trapping him inside.

  I love Senda, he told himself. I love Chimma. I love my Pendraken.

  He stopped himself. But it only worked for a moment, before the encoded messages took over once again.

  A new tool was fixed to his lap this time. And the voice of his Pendraken spoke into his ear and informed DEN003 that he had a new place to work. How could both exquisite joy and mortal dread come from so few words?

  The rim was lowered, and he drove his body at just the right speed towards the place that his Pendraken told him. He didn’t know where he was going, but he knew it was an honour! All was well!

  He was to drive towards the Boundary. And so he did. Two trees rose up before him. And with that, DEN003 knew exactly where to go.

  An instant later, he was across the Boundary! He had no idea how he’d gotten there, nor the route he’d taken to get there, yet there DEN003 was in the Over!

  He had never been to the Over before. Not even before he’d been given his body! Yet he knew exactly where he was supposed to be and what he was supposed to be doing. Removing ice and snow from a certain set of streets Over the Hill. Oh, he was so proud!

  It was always best to start the farthest away from Home and work his way back. When the wonderful reminders came to lovingly tell him it was time to return, he should be as close to Home as possible.

  He worked his way along the streets, scattering grit and salt to melt the ice. A little something kept intruding in his glee, though. There was something important he needed to remember. But his heart was so happy, he pushed it aside. Except that it kept coming back to him.

  After several dark hours, he knew it was time to start to clean up the grit and salt and the melted snow and ice, and took his wonderful body back to where he’d started, to begin the second part of his job.

  Cresting the top of the Hill, he looked up briefly. In the distance, he saw a Tall! He stopped for a moment. Talls in the Over were more likely to notice him than Talls in the Under had been. He’d been taught that. He remembered this. DEN003 needed to be more careful.

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  But then the Tall turned.

  And the Tall had a name!

  Chimma turned away from him and started walking down the hill.

  He tried to run to her, but his body would only go the right speed, not the speed he needed. With all his strength, he tried to cry out to her, but his wonderful face blocked any attempt to speak. His hands caressed his body, sending waves of excitement through him despite the fact that he wanted to clap them together to make a noise so she would notice him there behind her.

  Then another Tall came out beside her, small clouds forming around them as their breath hit the frozen air. This Tall drove quickly on those spindles they had instead of the lovely body he had, and caught Chimma’s arm.

  DEN003 froze like the air, hoping against hope that his poncho would hide him. But Denzin prayed to Senda that he would be found.

  The second Tall pointed in his direction. No, directly at him.

  He’d been seen!

  Dread and elation battled for dominance as Chimma turned and saw him, too.

  The two Talls drove towards him in the silvery light. The source of the light was beyond his understanding. All he knew that it was enough to see the face of the woman he loved.

  And his sister!

  DEN003 backed away from the Talls. But Denzin battled to ascend and halt himself, making his body stay right where it was. The sinews in his neck turned to stone with the effort. The exertion too great, he slipped away again, nothing but an observer once more.

  “Denzin!” Chimma called to him, kneeling beside him.

  Half of his face fell away! His mouth felt devoid of purpose, lips hunting for what she had stolen. Why had she done that to him? He trusted her, and she had torn his face to shreds!

  “Take some deep breaths, Denzin,” she told him. “Nice deep breaths.”

  It was impossible not to obey her. She asked him questions. Lots of questions. The first were simple yes and no questions. Then they took longer to answer.

  Haltingly, in fits and spurts, Denzin found the strength to take control of his thoughts again – two centimetres forward, one and a half centimetres back.

  Chimma turned to Kayda. “These days, he can’t speak until you ask him direct questions for a few minutes.” Those beautiful brown eyes turned back towards him, the lovely red birthmark between them marked with a faint star. “Denzin, I didn’t expect you here! I almost missed you completely. How come you’re here in the Over tonight?”

  His mouth was still longing for the other half of his face, but Chimma had twisted it around so it hung down his back. Didn’t she know he needed his face?

  No. Denzin had his face. She had freed him from … he didn’t know what. It was just his face.

  “I’ve been given a new job,” he whispered, his voice rasping, “cleaning the streets up here in the Over, I guess.” He knew he needed to keep answering her question to get his mouth working again. “It was so strange. I didn’t know where I was going at all, but then somehow I knew which way to go. I knew I needed to head for …,” he shook his head, “something, and suddenly I was over the Boundary. I’ve never been over the Boundary before, not even before I had my body. No, my … my,” he shrugged, “my body. Not even when I was a Tall like you.”

  Then he took a few more deep breaths and shook his head.

  “Kayda,” he said after a moment, squinting and shaking his head again, trying to tear his gaze away from the tool attached to his body and find her face. He wasn’t sure what else to say.

  “Hello, brother,” she answered, and knelt down next to Chimma.

  He finally got his eyes where he wanted them to be, and focussed them on his sister. She was crying.

  “What have they done to you?” she murmured, then broke out in a sob.

  Kayda was crying for him.

  “Long story. But once I get talking, isn’t it always?” He tried to smile, but his mouth was still so lonely, so incomplete.

  “Chimma’s filled me in,” Kayda replied, once she’d pulled her emotions back. “You look different. No birthmark drawn on that face. Oh!” And she was gone again.

  “What is your name?” Chimma asked him.

  “Dee Ee En ….” He shook his head. Then he thought for a moment. He shook his head again and thought harder. Then he found it. “Denzin. Walker, right? And I used to be able to, didn’t I? Walk, I mean. Not drive.”

  “Yes, yes you did, my love,” Chimma answered. “And you will again. We just have to figure out how.”

  Chimma showed Kayda how to take his hands away from his body. It hurt so much to not be caressing his body. But then he reminded himself Chimma didn’t realise it was his body. She placed his hands in his lap, and released them so he could move his fingers again. He reached up and caressed her face instead of caressing his body.

  Her left hand landed in his lap, where his had just been. Just as it should. So intimate. So loving. Which was one reason he had moved his.

  Denzin shook his head again.

  “So tell me how …” he waved his hand between the two of them, “this happened, then.”

  “Well, when you told me that Senda had said he was sending someone we could trust, it was obvious he meant Kayda.”

  “You’re joking, right?” Kayda said, obviously having battled herself to get her voice back and won. “Senda? Spoke to you? You’ve gone crazy on that gas, Denz!”

  “Oh, Kayda, you don't know the half of how true Senda is,” he insisted. “Anyway, go on.”

  The day after Chimma almost got lost in the fog, she had seen Kayda hanging around outside the caff. She’d just walked up to her and said, “I trust you,” and gone into work.

  “Then I went in and ordered some tea,” Kayda continued. “That was a few weeks ago. We’ve been comparing what we’ve learned when we’ve gotten a chance ever since. You know I’m working in the biology lab, right?”

  “No! Why that’s … that’s perfect!” Denzin said, trying not to shout.

  But he realised he hadn’t succeeded when Chimma said, “Shh! Hush, Denz,” and his voice went silent. “I know a place.”

  She took one hand, and his sister took the other, and he willed his body to go with them, despite the urge to clean those streets one more time. Because his Pendrakon deserved his best.

  He shook his head, trying to leave that thought behind him in the snow.