XYZT, 163–168

Chapter

The District: Nine West

EXCERPT

As they emerged onto another street, suddenly everything went blue. The cement walkway was painted a clinical blue, as were the walls of the buildings and the street poles. The sky, whited-out by the sun, was the only thing besides the pedestrians that was not some tincture of blue. Xiomara noticed a woman
walk by with a fresh bandage over her nose. Another passed with the same bandage. Everyone who passed in the other direction—men and women alike—was wearing a nose bandage.

‘Why they all bandaged up?’ Xiomara asked.

‘Nose jobs. Iranians get nose jobs.’…