The Engine What Runs the World: Chapter 3, Page 3 (Unedited)

She looked around for a quick moment before motioning Smoke to come into the house. The place was quite tidy, better than he had expected. He didn’t know much about people on the surface, but he had always believed them to be a little disorganized. He was pleased to see he had been wrong.

He looked to a small toy chest in the corner of the room before looking back at the woman, “You have kids?”
The woman looked back toward Smoke, “Two of them, a boy and a girl.”

“How old?”

“I don’t see what this has to do with your investigation,” The woman replied with a slight hint of annoyance.

“I’m just asking questions,” Smoke said, “I am letting myself know the person I’m questioning. It’s a common practice; at least in the underground.”

“You’re from the underground? What level?”

“First,” Smoke said as he witnessed any alarm or distrust dissolving from her face. He didn’t feel it pertinent to flash the hand sign for indication. Not being from the underground she wouldn’t have understood anyway. He could have told her about how he grew up on the fourth below, though she wouldn’t have understood that either.

“So you’re not too different than us,” she said showing the beginning of a smile.

“The only real difference is the lack of sky for me,” he said with a slight laugh, “I’ve been up to the surface a few times and I still can’t get over how high the sky really is.”

“I’m sure you’ll get used to it in time,” she said as she grabbed two glasses from a cupboard.

“I’m sure I will,” Smoke replied quietly, “Is your husband out working?”

The woman poured herself and him a glass of water, “Yes, he should be back anytime now though. It’s pushing dinner time.”

“In that case I won’t keep you long,” Smoke said with haste as he pulled out his notebook, “Was there a young woman who stayed with you for any amount of time?”

He already knew the answer since he’d been invited into the house, but he wanted to be sure she’d comply. The woman handed him the glass of water and sat down at the kitchen table. Smoke joined her as she said, “Yeah, there was. She said someone would probably be coming after her. We expected the officers or someone like that.”

“I can assure you I mean her no harm,” Smoke said softly, “I really just need to find her to bring her home.”