33
	The disguise was Catherine's idea.  Jess was quite prepared to simply walk into Jaspertree as she was, and damn the consequences, but Catherine and Sarah decided they were going with her, because Catherine had said she couldn't bear the thought of asking her to go alone, and that meant they had to use something like stealth to get in.  They took away her collar and dress and replaced them with a pair of heavy boots and an ugly brown shirt.  Somewhere in all the shuffle of the camp, Sarah found a pair of scissors and a comb.  But when she put the towel around Jess's neck, that was a step too far.  Jess jumped up out of the chair and knocked the scissors out of Sarah's hand.  They clattered off into the corner, and Sarah stuck her fingers in her mouth.
	“There will be none of that,” Jess said.
	“We have to.  They're still looking for you in there,” Catherine said.
	“I let you have my collar.  I don't like it, but I don't have a choice.  But it took me years to grow my hair out this long,” Jess said.
	“You're lucky we don't have the time to dye it or I'd make you do that, too.  We won't take it all, I promise, but you're going to have to part with some of it or you could be spotted at the gate,” Sarah said.
	Still rubbing her hand, the skunk fetched the scissors from where they had fallen.  Catherine pulled one of the cots over in front of a makeshift table and produced a small mirror from one of the pockets of her coat.  Jess let them sit her down in front of it, but she wouldn't let Sarah put the towel on.  She did that herself because she wasn't comfortable with somebody else's hands around her neck.
	“I haven't had short hair since I was eight,” Jess said.
	“You look it, too.  It's about time you got caught up with modern fashion.  I can't promise miracles, but I should be able to get you presentable,” Sarah said.
	She worked quickly, but with a delicate touch so that Jess didn't feel much except for the heavy strands of her hair falling away and a growing coldness on the back of her neck.  Jess kept her hands clenched in her lap and chewed on the side of her tongue in an effort to stay calm.
	“I haven't said thank you for helping my brother get here safely,” Catherine said.
	“I did it for him, not you,” Jess said.
	“Still, for what it's worth, I'm grateful,” Catherine said.
	Jess didn't want to believe her.  She had gotten used to not trusting Catherine, and she watched the girl for a long time, trying to find something that would give away the lie.  But the apology had sounded sincere and all of the superiority was gone from Catherine's face.  Jess's quick reply stuck in her throat, and came out only as a squeak.
	“I know I've been a bitch since we met, and I want to try to make it up to you.  That's why I want to go with you,” Catherine said.
	“And Sarah?” Jess said.
	“I'm not about to sit here and miss all the fun,” Sarah said.
	“What if I said no?” Jess said.
	“That's up to you, of course,” Catherine said.
	“Except you know I won't.  Because you're going to follow me, no matter what, so I might as well save myself that much trouble right away,” Jess said.
	“Somebody has to be around to pull your ass out of the fire again,” Catherine said.
	But Catherine' smirk was self-mocking, and it soothed Jess's temper as quickly as she could yank the towel from around her neck.  Sarah swatted her lightly on the back of the neck with a stiff-bristled brush, to get rid of the excess hair, and pushed her out of the chair.
	Catherine took a folded-up piece of paper out of her pocket and put it on the table between them.  Jess knew, without opening it, that it was a work permit.  She picked it up carefully, and held it up to catch what light she could from the lanterns around them.  It was still too dark for her to see the seal, but she felt it when she brushed her fingers across the back of the square.
	“What's this?” Jess said.
	“That's the plan.  You work for me now,” Catherine said.
	“If anyone's looking for you, they're looking for a House Girl.  But nobody pays much attention to people who work on the docks, because they rarely stay in the city long enough to be any trouble.  It's perfectly legal, with the right name on it and everything.  As long as you don't mind going by Alice for a while,” Sarah said.
	Jess threw the paper back on the table and wiped her fingers on the front of her shirt.
	“Not that one.  I'll wear any name you like, but not Alice,” Jess said.
	“But it's your name, isn't it?” Catherine said.
	“You don't know what you're asking,” Jess said.
	“Then tell me.  We can't afford to take any chances with this,” Catherine said.
	“I don't think you'd understand,” Jess said.
	Catherine knelt on the floor in front of her and took one of Jess's hands in her own.  It was a ridiculous gesture, and at any other time Jess would have felt insulted, but she shut her eyes, and let Catherine comfort her.
	“Alice is everything I'm not supposed to be.  House girls don't get angry.  They don't complain, or ever tell their clients the truth.  But it all has to go somewhere,” Jess said..
	“So you bottled everything up.  Everybody does that.  The only thing you did different was give it a name,” Catherine said.
	“It brought her to life.  Don't ask me why, or how.  I used to be able to control myself, but ever since...after what Marcus did to me, she slipped her leash,” Jess said.
	“It would just be for a little while.  A day or two couldn't do any harm,” Catherine said.
	Catherine tightened her grip when Jess tried to pull away, and a little stab of fear made Jess's stomach clench.
	“How would you know?  I think, over the last ten years, she has become something real.  Two months ago, she came out after I was... attacked.  I don't know what could happen when I go back,” Jess said.
	“It could be the edge you need to get your girl back.  Maybe Alice came out because you need her.  You've spent your whole life letting people convince you you're worthless, but now you can stand up and fight for yourself,” Sarah said.
	The girl spoke softly, and she didn't look dangerous as she stood there twirling her brush around in her fingers, but there was a dangerous edge to her tone that Jess had never noticed before.  Sarah spent so much time around Catherine that it was easy to forget that her life had been just as hard as any House girl's. 
	After another minute, Jess made herself get up and retrieve the work permit.  She felt the seal again and unfolded one half of the paper.  At the bottom, printed in red ink, was her name.  It couldn't be legal, no city clerk would have dared prepare such a fraud.  But nobody would dare argue with it, either.
	“Are we going?” she said.
	Catherine looked satisfied and Sarah went around the tent to blow out all the lamps.  Then they took her by one arm each and led her out of the darkness and into the eye-stinging afternoon sunlight.  It was freezing cold and there was still a thin layer of snow on the ground, but the wind had died and the sky was a pale, cloudless blue.  It would have been pleasant if not for Richard, who stood just outside the tent.  He had something clenched tight in one fist and he grinned when he saw her, but his smile faded when she didn't return it.
	“Going back home?” he said.
	“You know better than that,” Jess said.
	“Oh, come on.  I know you couldn't have been very happy in your old life, but it wasn't all bad was it?” he said.
	“Yes, it was.  Did you want something?  I have to get going,” she said.
	He hesitated for another minute, while Catherine fidgeted impatiently beside her, and tried to push her to go on.  Then, just as she was about to let herself be persuaded, he stuck out his arm and opened his hand.
	“I love you,” he said.
	She watched the sapphire pendant dangling from his fingers swing to a stop.  It was a pretty stone, as big around as the tip of her thumb, and must have cost him far too much.  She wanted to grab it and throw it across the camp, but she still had some of her old her self-control.
	“You're too late.  I'm not for sale anymore,” she said 
	“I don't mean anything like that.  I just want you to have it, as a little token.  To say I'm sorry,” he said.
	“That isn't going to do any good, either.  I don't want your apology, and there's nothing you can give me that would make up for what has been done.  Now go away,” she said.
	She pushed past him and didn't give him the satisfaction of looking back to see if he would follow her.  But he was too stubborn, or too stupid, to take a hint, and before she had gone more than a few steps she heard him running up behind her.  She was able to dodge his feeble attempt to grab her by taking a step to the side, but she wasn't able to avoid him when he fell to his knees in front of her.
	“Take the necklace.  I came all the way out here to give it to you.  Even if you don't think it'll ever mean much to you, do me that small courtesy,” he said.
	“Get up please.  And lower your voice.  I don't think Thomas would approve of your sneaking around his camp without an escort,” she said.
	“There, you do care.  I knew you still had a heart under all that frost.  Tell me you'll take it,” Richard said.
	“Nobody has ever given me anything without wanting too much for it in return.  You're not going to convince me you're any different,” Jess said.
	“All I want is one more chance.  I know what my father did to you, but I'm not him,” Richard said.
	“No, you're not.  You're worse.  Your father has the decency not to try to hide what he is,” Jess said.
	She might as well have kicked him between the legs.  His ears drooped and he fell back on his haunches in the mud.  He twisted the delicate silver chain in his hands until it snapped, and the sapphire fell at her feet, along with several tiny loops of silver.
	“You'll wish you'd said yes,” he said.
	The he was up and running in the direction of the unwatched forest behind the camp.  Catherine started after him, but Jess and Sarah caught her at the same time and wouldn't let her go until he was out of sight.  Catherine screamed at them, and probably would have called for the guards, but Jess slapped a hand over her mouth before she could do so.
	“Let him go.  He has to circle around for miles to get clear of Thomas's patrols, and we can go straight to the city.  Keep quiet and we could be done and out again before he even gets there,” she said.
	“Not likely.  We still have to find your girl, and that's not going to be easy,” Sarah said.
	“Yes, and we're wasting time,” Jess said, and she ran for the road.