Jessica hurried down the corridor a little while later. The food had done her good; she didn’t feel quite so sick any more. Now, while they were waiting for the Pengali to bring the pearls, there was just one thing left to do. If he wasn’t going to talk to her, she would talk to him, whether he liked it or not. He could not go on ignoring her. She entered the hall and stopped, staring at the empty spot amongst the councillors.
“Daya?”
“Not here,” one of the councillors said. “Maybe in one of the other rooms.”
The first room she tried was empty. Her footsteps echoed hollow against the high ceiling; every mattress on the floor lay abandoned.
Shit—did the councillor mention going somewhere? He was going to get the operator of the Exchange. Did Daya go with him? Was he avoiding her?
“Daya
