Geoff Ryman - Air (or Have Not Have)

'Hello, Hatijah. Fifty-fifty chance of a Flood, so this is the last of my paper.'

Sezen hopped in, pulling on a boot. 'Mrs Chung-ma'am. Are you going to Kwan's party?'

'No, and neither are you, just yet. You are taking these to Lower Marsh Street, okay? The Macks, the Chus, the Hans.'

Sezen's lip curled. 'Couldn't we let An drown?'

'No time for jokes. I want to be back at my machine before Wing finds out I'm not there.'

'Oh, Mae. Just one drowned traitor. Please?' Sezen pretended to wheedle like a child. Her no-good boyfriend emerged sleepily. He wore no shirt and his plump, hairless belly wobbled.

'Tell your boyfriend he is enough to put people off their food, and to dress himself

Sezen giggled. 'We've just been fucking.'

'This is not a joke, Sezen!' Mae's voice was raised in warning. 'Look, the whole point of being wild is to have more style, not less.'

Sezen swallowed her grin, embarrassed. Yes, Mae was right. 'What can you expect, with my home background?'

'Better,' replied Mae. 'Move!'

Already the warm snow had filled in her footprints. Mae struggled farther up the hill to the school, where Teacher Shen lived. She pounded on the door. Why, why did no one ever answer? She pounded again. 'Yes?' inquired Suloi's voice.

'Suloi, please open up, just for a moment. I am so sorry to intrude.'

The little room beside the schoolhouse was full of candlelight and smelled of wine. Suloi was all smiles, but a screen had been pulled across the entrance and behind it her husband snored.

'Hello, Mae! Happy New Year. Are you going to the party tonight?' She wished everything was normal, she wished everyone could be friends. Mae passed her the paper in silence.

'Oh,' said Suloi, disappointed. She looked trapped, ashamed.

'I'm not saying necessarily, only fifty-fifty.'

Suloi looked sad. 'Are you going to everyone in the village with this?'

'Of course,' said Mae. 'What do you think, that I would leave anyone out?'

'I know you mean well, Mae.' Suloi sighed. 'Mae, you know what people used to do to eldritch women?'

'Cast them out,' said Mae.

'Into the snow,' said Suloi.

'Unless they told the truth,' said Mae. 'I must go.'

'Happy New Year,' Suloi said quietly, and went back to her snoring husband.

Mae marched down the hill to the first house on Upper Street.

The Okans were an old couple, all their children and grandchildren had moved to town. They were delighted to receive company. 'Happy New Year,' they chorused, and hobbled forward with the warm wine they were not sharing with anyone.

'This is so kind,' Madam Okan said toothlessly, under her best coloured headscarf.

Mae did not have the heart to make them feel deserted at the New Year, so she sat with them and sipped the warm wine and itched to be away throughout, sitting up straight on the diwan.

'She sits so prettily,' said Mrs Okan.

'Relax, sit back, drink with us!' said Mr Okan. 'Allah forgives on this day, and besides, it is not made from grape, eh?' He winked, his skin like old stained leather shrunk onto bones.

They began to talk about children, grandchildren, even greatgrandchildren. Photographs, a tumble of babies, and babies who now sat babies of their own on their laps.

'If…' began Mae, 'if you hear a funny noise tonight-'

'Oh! New Year's. We don't mind the noise.'

'There could be a Flood,' Mae said. 'If there is a Flood, you need to get to Kwan's.'

Their smiles faded, they grew confused. Mae tried to explain. Mrs Okan's heart plainly sank. Mae had not come to be social; she had come because there was some kind of trouble. It was good when someone came because there was trouble, but even nicer when someone came to have fun. They nodded, and tried to smile. But their little glasses were lowered. Mae felt awful for them.

'How are we to get to Mr Wing's?' said Mr Okan, smiling with a shrug. 'I can only shuffle.' He moved his slippered feet back and forth and his wife of fifty years chuckled and put a hand on his arm.

How, indeed?

'I have to go,' said Mae.

At the door, the Okans chorused, 'How nice to see you, Happy New Year!' On impulse, Mae leaned forward and kissed them both.

'Oh-ho,' Mr Okan joked. 'I have a new girlfriend!'

Next door was Mr and Mrs Ali.

Mrs Ali opened the door, looking sour.

'You know why I have come,' said Mae, and passed one of her papers.

'I fear I do,' said Mrs Ali, Sunni's old ally. 'Is that all you have to say to me?'

'Happy New Year,' said Mae. 'Say hello to Sunni for me.'

Ali will be off to the others like lightning. I know that, but it would be wrong to leave anyone out.

Next door, the Dohs were having a party.

'Ah! Madam Owl!' called out Mrs Doh, red-faced and friendly. 'Hello!' She took Mae's hand and pulled her inside. Her house was full of people – her large family, the Lings, the Soongs, and the Pings.

'Our favourite madwoman!' said Mrs Doh, and crumpled a paper hat onto Mae's head. 'Oh, look, another piece of paper from our Mae!'

'You just stop work and get drunk like us,' said Young Mr Doh, and thrust some rice wine into her hand.

The radiocassette was on, and the younger people were dancing. Young Miss Doh wiggled up, took all of Mae's papers from her, and made her join the dancing circle.

Mae danced, and calculated. This party had saved her having to visit three other houses. She warned Young Miss Doh, who was pressed next to her in the circle. 'The main danger on Upper Street will be rocks falling from the terraces. Houses like yours will take the full force of them. You must leave everything.'

'Stop!' said Young Miss Doh. 'Have fun! Life is short!'

Mae allowed herself one dance. Then she cut everything off with a nod of her head, got her papers back, and left.

Mae climbed up and over the steep arch of their bridge. The next house belonged to Hasan Muhammed. Mae swallowed hard and knocked on his door.

It was answered promptly. Tsang's deserted husband stood, clean, pressed, and proud. He carried his young son in his arms.

'Yes?' he asked, his head held back, away, as if from a bad odour.

'Mr Muhammed-sir, I am sorry to intrude. Just in case.' Mae held out a paper towards him.

He didn't take it. He pondered her for a moment, and then shifted his child to the other arm. 'I already have everything in the loft,' he said, entirely serious. 'When it comes, we shall all go directly to the house of Mr Wing, me and my children.'

Someone believed her.

'You are well prepared,' said Mae. She took hold of the little boy's foot and held it.

'Bad things happen,' said Mr Muhammed. 'As both of us know too well.'

'Keep an ear listening. Happy New Year!'

He merely nodded, and closed the door.

'Thank you, Mr Muhammed!' she added, facing the blank door.

She turned and began to walk up towards the Atakoloos'. As she came around the corner of her brother's house, she came upon a group of people struggling up Lower Street.

'There she is,' said Kwan.

A flashlight darted over Mae's face, making her squint. The Wings, Sunni, and Mr Haseem strode towards her.

'Mae,' said Mr Wing. 'This has got to stop.' They all wore waterproofs. Kwan – neat, slim, and in black – was in front of them, all with papers in hand.

'We mean it, Mae.'

'Are those my papers?' Mae demanded. Kwan was nearly up to her. 'Are those my papers?'

'You are not going to make a fool of yourself on New Year's. Now, give me the rest.'

Mae felt fury. 'You give me that paper. Who said you could have that paper?'

'We took it from Sezen, if you must know. She spat at us, but I expect no better from her. Give us the paper, Mae.'

'It is not your paper, it is my paper.'