Faai sprinted to Derce and grabbed her. “Thank you, thank you for watching her. Do you know where Mangal is? Did he leave her with you?”
“I don’t know what happened. They say there was a fight and the Sudawa took all the men. Gala save us.”
Faai looked at Derce. “It’s me. Can you hear me? Are you alright?” To Faai’s surprise Derce’s eyes focused for a moment and she squeezed Faai’s hand. “We have to find Mangal.” Faai pulled Derce and they pushed back through the crowd at the gate.
The sky over the group was a bright smoky orange. What had she done? The fire hadn’t been contained yet. A Sudawa passing the group yelled at them, “Grab something and help us put it out or the whole place will go up.” No one moved. Faai glanced around and rushed forward with Derce in tow. The Sudawa were tossing buckets and others used bowls and cups. Faai moved around back of the melee watching. Faai started to see lower quarter males trickling in among the Sudawas to help put out the flames. She squinted. “Please let me find him. Please let me find him,” Faai chanted. “There!”
At least it looked like Mangal through the haze and the figure disappeared as quickly. Hazare strode through the camp not five feet from Faai. She dropped back and ducked behind a tent. Peeking around the corner she saw Hazare grab someone by the shirt and throw him back. Faai sucked in a breath to yell when a figure darted past her. She followed it. He was heading for the lower quarter. Faai grabbed Derce and they ran after the figure.
“Mangal!” she yelled.
The figure stopped and whirled around. “Faai!” He ran back to her and hugged her as if she would disappear. “I was going back for Derce. I’m so sorry we got separated.”
“It’s okay.”
“We were being moved and then the fire broke out—”
“I know. It was me.”
Mangal gripped her hand. “We have to go.” He guided them back along the far wall further into the Sudawa camp. If they followed it eventually it would lead to the exit.
“Faai!”
Faai looked at Mangal thinking he’d yelled at her. Mangal had stopped.
Hazare stood before them. He pointed a finger at Mangal. “I thought you had something to do with this.”