The Bleeding Crowd Read Online Free

nodded.
    Claire, the hospital librarian in Fuchsia,
nodded, examining her. “I like it. How was last night?”
    Dahlia’s good-natured smile dropped. “I’d
rather not talk about it.”
    “That bad?” Georgia, the group's now sole
nineteen-year-old, looked apprehensive.
    “Well, nothing happened.” Dahlia shook her
head, taking a glass of water another saffron-dressed server handed
her. “I was tired. I went to sleep.”
    Cassandra frowned. “Nothing happened.
Lia—”
    “No, I understand,” Zoë said. “I’m so tired
after work most the time I call mine up from camp maybe once a
month.”
    “But on the night of your twentieth?”
Cassandra shook her head. “That’s just depressing.”
    “I don’t know.” Claire shrugged. “I still
fail to see the need of men to begin with.”
    “Thank you,” Dahlia said. “I was beginning to
think I was the only one who understood the futility of the entire
exercise.”
    “Okay.” Zoë held up her hand. “Time to stop
debate. It’s not exactly proper lunchtime conversation.”
    Cassandra sighed theatrically. “Fine. So,
Lia, what’s going on in your life of being a gardener?
    Dahlia sent her a look. “Watch it. I bet I
could find something deadly and untraceable to slip into your drink
there.”
    “Yesh.” Cassandra smiled. “One day with a man
and you’re already thinking murder. There should be a test to weed
out the easily corruptible.”
    Dahlia stared at Cassandra for a long moment
before changing the topic. “If you’re truly interested, we’ve found
a plant that appears to be a powerful contraceptive. If it works
throughout testing, it means we can take out the chemical version
we mix into the water.”
    Georgia smiled. “Side effects?”
    “We’re really going to talk about
contraceptives?” Cassandra looked between the two women.
    “Still in testing,” Dahlia responded to
Georgia. “Doesn’t seem to have any thus far. Even less than the
ones the one we have now. Also it seems to last for about a month,
so it wouldn’t be necessary to constantly pump it into our systems.
I’ve actually used myself as a test subject.”
    “Seriously?” Georgia raised her eyebrows.
    “Well, the only thing we really have left to
test is if it makes you sterile, and I really don’t give a crap
about that either way.”
    “What if you get maternal urges?” Claire
asked.
    “I’ll funnel them into gardening,” Dahlia
said sarcastically. “Anyway, if Genetics starts pulling their
weight, we won’t need birth control ever again. There’ll be no need
for contraceptive with in vitro. Honestly we’re just killing time
until Genetics makes the study obsolete.”
    “At least it isn’t your entire
specialization,” Cassandra mumbled.
    Dahlia grinned. “Let it go, Cass.”
    “I don’t know,” Audrey said. “I don’t think
I’d like a world without men... I mean, I’m really glad they aren’t
out here mucking about, don’t get me wrong, but unlike the rest of
you freaks, I actually like sex.”
    “Don’t group me in with them.” Cassandra
pointed across the table.
    “Oh, just get a vibrator.” Claire rolled her
eyes.
    “Without men,” Dahlia cut off Cassandra’s
retort, “it would free up the lesbians to do other things than work
at the camps. Maybe all you girls who still want company for your
recreational hours will just be able to switch your amorous
intentions to the other team.”
    Audrey’s nose crinkled. “The lesbians?
They’re just about as good as men. Why would I ever want to try to
become one?”
    “Well, without men...” Dahlia smiled behind
her water glass. “Personally I’m more than good with taking care of
myself.”
    “Agreed,” Claire said
    “All of you are freaks.” Cassandra shook her
head. “Why do something yourself when you can have someone take
care of it for you?”
    “Why not just make men full-fledged servants
then?” Dahlia looked at her.
    “And have them fight each other in the halls
of our