The Frost Child by Eoin McNamee

grin to themselves.
    "When you are quite finished," Samual said coldly. Rosie subsided.
    "I don't believe the child traveled all this way just to warn us, brave as she has been," another, gentler voice interjected.
    Cati turned to see Contessa standing behind them.
    "Is there another reason?" Contessa asked.
    "Well, yes, there is," Rosie said. "I came to ask for help.... Hadima is ..." Rosie bit her lip and stopped.
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    "What is it, Rosie?" Cati said.
    "Hadima is ruined!" Rosie blurted out. "The Harsh froze it from top to bottom. Everybody left is living on rooftops and in ice caves and stuff. We need help!"
    "I don't believe this nonsense," Samual said. "I'm not even certain that Hadima exists."
    "Of course it does," Cati said angrily. "Ask Dr. Diamond. He was there."
    "The doctor has many fine qualities," Samual said, looking down his long nose at Cati and Rosie, "but he is easily taken in. No doubt you brought him to some filthy hamlet pretending to be a city in time."
    "It used to be a city in time," Rosie said sadly. "It used to."
    It took a while to get the story out of Rosie. It seemed that the Harsh, with the help of Headley and his men, the evil City police, had diverted the river that ran to the south into the City. There was panic as large areas were flooded. Cati was pleased to hear that her friends, the Dogs, had emerged from their tunnels and had helped many people. She explained to Contessa that the Dogs were homeless children who had formed themselves into a pack. They wore dog masks and took on qualities that were peculiar to dogs, like a good sense of smell. The Dogs were thieves and scavengers, disliked by most people. But when they were needed, their resourcefulness and knowledge of the secret places of the City had saved many. Contessa looked at Cati thoughtfully. She had heard a garbled
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    tale about Cati running with a gang of children who acted like dogs.
    Then, Rosie went on, the Harsh had unleashed storm upon storm. The waters froze, and froze again, rising every time so that all that was left of the City were the tops of the tallest buildings, protruding from the ice.
    Cati gasped, thinking of her other friends in the City.
    "Mrs. Newell is okay," Rosie said, seeing Cati's worry. "And Clancy and the other Dogs are keeping everybody fed."
    "The Harsh have grown in power," Contessa said.
    "They have," Samual said, "and they've grown in nerve too, sending their spies into the Workhouse."
    "She's not a spy, I said." Cati's voice was low and dangerous.
    "I know a thief and a liar when I see one."
    "I'm not a thief!" Rosie said. "Well, only a little bit when I have to be. But I'd never spy for the Harsh."
    "Will you vouch for her?" Contessa asked Cati.
    "Of course I will," Cati said.
    "Then we will leave it at that," Contessa said. "We don't have time for this."
    Samual turned away with an expression of disgust.
    "Excuse me, mister," Rosie said. Samual glared at her. "Can I have my hairpin back, please?"
    Samual's face blackened. He looked at the hairpin in his hand. Then he raised the hand. Faster than the eye could see, the pin flew through the air and embedded
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    itself in the tree trunk just behind Rosie's head. Samual stalked off.
    "Be careful," Contessa said. "Samual is not to be trifled with. Cati, give your friend some food."
    "I can work with the rest of you," Rosie said defiantly, then swayed on her feet and would have fallen had Cati not caught her.
    "Feed her, then make her lie down, Cati. After that come back to work," Contessa said.
    With her arm around Rosie's shoulder, Cati helped her into the Workhouse and down into the kitchens. Sitting in the warmth of the cookers, Cati spooned her out some gruel, which Rosie wolfed down as if she had never tasted anything better.
    "Where are Owen and Dr. Diamond?" Rosie asked.
    "There's a lot to explain," Cati said.
    "Great food," Rosie said, licking the plate, "but what I really need is to fix the war paint."
    Cati fetched a small mirror. Rosie