by T. C. Edge
As I work my way through towards the entrance hall, however, I’m accosted by a familiar face staring at me from down the corridor.
I’m hardly surprised. Neither by the fact that it’s her, nor that her time-keeping is so typically precise.
“You were supposed to greet me at the door, Brie,” says Sophie, standing like a beacon in the dingy passage, her silky brown hair shining under the meagre allotment of light.
She comes towards me with a rising smile.
“I lost track of time,” I say.
“Well, that’s all well and good around here. But if you’re to make your mark in Inner Haven, it won’t do at all.”
She reaches out and lays her hand on my shoulder, before dragging me into a rather perfunctory hug.
“Congratulations, Brie!” she announces as I squirm in her grip. “I must say, it’s wonderful to see that you’ve come around. I didn’t think you enjoyed your trip to Inner Haven much. Clearly, my intuition isn’t as good as I thought it was. I considered that Tess would be far more interested in marrying up.”
I ease away from her embrace.
“Well, I guess I changed my mind when the invite came through. It’s an honour I can’t refuse.”
“No invite for Tess though, I see. She must be bitterly disappointed.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“You haven’t told her?”
“Not yet…”
“Told me what?”
Tess’s voice takes me by surprise. I look over Sophie’s shoulder to see her emerging from the entrance hall and making her way to the canteen for breakfast. I guess she was always going to find out.
“Tess, darling,” says Sophie, turning. “So good to see you. I trust you’re feeling better after last time?”
“What? Oh…yeah. Sorry about that. The apple wine went to my head.”
“And your stomach, no doubt!” laughs Sophie. “No apologies needed. You’ll learn your limits sooner or later.”
“Right. So, what are you doing here, Sophie?” she asks, her eyes narrowing.
“Well, Brie has some wonderful news to share with you.”
Jeez. This damn woman has no tact at all.
Tess stares at me from a few metres away, that frosty countenance sending chills in my direction.
“More secrets, hey Brie?” she asks bitterly.
“No secrets,” I say, defending myself. “I’ve been invited to a bachelor ball in Inner Haven tomorrow night.”
Her face curls into some unpleasant concoction of anger, jealousy, and confusion. It’s not a pretty look for her.
“You’ve been invited?! And you said yes?!”
“Well, yeah. Wouldn’t you?”
“Of course I would. But you hate the Enhanced!”
“They’re not so bad,” I say, glancing at Sophie. “I’m just going to see what the fuss is about, that’s all,” I lie. “I doubt anything will come of it…”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure,” comes Sophie’s voice. “From what I hear, you’re the talk of the town after the ceremony. There are plenty of bachelors after you.”
For crying out loud, Sophie…shut up!
This time, however, she does seem to take note of how inappropriate her words are, adding: “And so are you, Tess. Perhaps you’ll get an invite next time?”
Tess shakes her head, glaring at me.
“Whatever. I don’t even care. Have fun at the ball…”
She turns on her heels and disappears back through the door, her appetite seemingly abandoning her. I look to Sophie and offer my own admonishing look.
“You didn’t handle that very well, did you?” I say accusingly.
She appears to have realised that herself.
“Yes, well, this isn’t about Tess, so let’s not get bogged down with all that. This is your day of triumph, Brie. Perhaps Tess’s will come, but not today. Now come along, we have plenty to do.”
She leads me straight outside, remarking on how my appearance has taken a tumble for the worse since she last saw me a few days ago. Of course it has. Then, I was all dressed up like a mannequin, on show for all the world to see. Around here, I’m not exactly trying to impress anyone.
Parked a little way down Brick Lane, we find her car awaiting us, all blacked out and offering us privacy as soon as we step inside. As it whirs to life and begins moving south, Sophie begins explaining what today is all about.
“Preparation, my dear. Thankfully, you’ve been through a bit already, what with the celebration the other day. Having been to Inner Haven, you have some idea as to what to expect.”
“Good. So I guess it’s just a case of getting dressed up and looking pretty again?”
“Well, on the surface, yes. Of course, all the same principles of etiquette apply. I’ll take you through any specifics, and the procedures for the ball itself. It’s really a very exciting affair,” she beams. “I’ve very fond memories of when I attended mine.”
“When you met Rycard?”
“Yes, indeed.”
“And were there others?” I ask. “Or was it just, I don’t know, love at first sight?”
“A bit of both, I suppose. I met many bachelors that night, but it wasn’t until I came face to face with Rycard that I knew he was the one. It all happened very quickly after that. I wasn’t long for Outer Haven, I can tell you. If you go in with the right mindset, perhaps the same will happen to you.”
Yes...I’m fairly certain it will. For show, at least.
The car draws further south, to no surprise, passing Culture Corner, which remains out of action, and moving down Liberty Row with its multitude of fashion outlets and beauty parlours and fancy cafes and restaurants.
“We shopping for dresses again?” I ask, just as we pass ‘The Inner Circle’, the shop specifically designed for kitting out Unenhanced who are set to marry up.
Sophie shakes her head.
“We have our own collection all set and ready to go. All of you girls will be dressed the same, as will all the men. At a bachelor ball, it’s prohibited for anyone to try to out-do the competition through fashion and makeup and any other physical embellishments. The dress code is standardised for everyone.”
“Why’s that? We’re all unique, after all.”
Or not. Not in Inner Haven anyway.
“It’s merely a method of…”
“Control?” I cut in.
“Come now, Brie, less of that please. If you’re to marry an Enhanced and live in Inner Haven, you’ve got to stop with all these conspiracy theories.”
“Fine. So, why then?”
“Well, dressing the same merely makes it simpler to ensure we find personality matches. After all, that’s the most important thing in any functioning relationship.”
I guess it makes sense when she puts it like that. I know full well how people can shift their appearance quite dramatically with some creative makeup and interesting fashion choices. And not just the women either.
“And, how many people will be at this ball?”
“Oh, I’m not sure exactly. A few hundred, most likely.”
“That many?!”
“Of course. I myself am taking charge of 20 women. They’re waiting for us just down the street. I was told specifically to fetch you myself, given the lateness of your invite. The rest have been more officially scouted.”
She lets her pristine skin fold into a frown.
“Actually, I’ve been wondering exactly why you didn’t need to go through official channels…”
“Beats me,” I lie.
“Hmmmm. It can only be that someone rather important requested your presence. Let’s hope he’s a keeper, whoever he is.”
The car begins to slow, sweeping around a corner and coming to a stop. Sophie leads me outside, and straight towards a cream coloured and well maintained building, with pleasant looking balconies looking out over the southern quarter and a raft of colourful flowers adorning its sides.
“Right, this is it,” she says breezily
, leading me towards a set of warm oak doors.
“What exactly is this place?”
“It’s a training house for Unenhanced like you,” she says, pulling out a key and unlocking the entranceway. “Girls come here to learn about Inner Haven etiquette and so forth, and how best to assimilate into the ranks of the Enhanced as quickly and seamlessly as possible. Come now, the others are waiting.”
We move through a hallway and I quickly note that someone here likes floral displays. The colours are vibrant and varied, and the place smells unlike any place I’ve ever been. Natural and fresh, and so different from the many pungent aromas that spread through the city streets.
Down the hall, we reach a door that opens into some sort of large meeting room. Several dozen seats are lined up, facing a wall covered in a large screen. On them sit a host of young women, tidily dressed and made up and every one of them looking prim and proper. Quite the opposite of me.
Their eyes arch as one to us as the door opens, passing from Sophie to me where they linger. I immediately feel a similar frost as that back at the academy, an atmosphere of animosity lingering in the air.
I don’t exactly get a chance to inspect every face, but those that I do examine look upon me with a measure of disdain and displeasure. I think it’s safe to say I dislike them from the word ‘go’.
When their eyes turn back to Sophie, however, inane smiles rise again. In fact, they rather remind me of her, their expressions so forced and put on and well rehearsed.
Preparation for life in Inner Haven, by the looks of things, is already well underway.
“Good morning, ladies,” hums Sophie, buzzing into the room. “This is Brie Melrose. I’m sure you all saw her at the ceremony the other day. Please give her a nice warm welcome.”
A ripple of welcoming words spreads from the little gathering. It’s hardly warm, though. More like glacial.
“OK, Brie, please take a seat.”
I do so, dropping into a seat right at the back where the scornful eyes aren’t able to see me. Sophie, meanwhile, drifts to the front and looks upon us all.
“Right ladies, tomorrow night is the big one. Some of you have known about it for a while. Others are more recent additions. However, all of you are now on equal footing. You all have an opportunity of a lifetime, and need to make it count. Remember, though, that this isn’t a competition. Your job is to present yourselves to the bachelors as best you can. It is they who choose who they wish to court, not you.”
She moves over to the side of the room, and picks up a little remote from a fixed placing on the wall. Clicking it, the wall behind her glows to life, the first page of a slideshow appearing.
It’s titled: Preparing For Your First Bachelor Ball.
My eyes drop to the bottom right hand corner. There, in small print, it reads: 1 of 64.
I let out a sigh, and sink a little deeper into my chair.
Sixty-four pages.
It’s going to be a long morning.
5
By the time Sophie’s worked her way through the endless series of slides, my stomach is grumbling loudly and calling for lunch.
So vocal are its complaints that it draws the attention of the nearest girls, all of them flashing looks of disgust my way. It’s enough to lure little spots of blush to my cheeks, my eyes averting to my feet.
“Looks like someone’s hungry!” grins Sophie up at the front.
The girls laugh sycophantically, as my cheeks glow a little brighter.
“Not to worry, Brie. Lunch is forthcoming,” adds Sophie, dousing the laughter in the room.
I know she didn’t mean to put the spotlight on me like that, but it’s embarrassing all the same.
Still, I don’t care what these stupid girls think. If they knew why I was really here, and who I really was, I doubt they’d treat me like this.
It’s immediately obvious, just looking around, that most of them are from the southern quarter. Well brought up girls who have come from a higher class of Unenhanced than me. And here I am, invited here without even having to be scouted and tested by the Council of Matrimony.
I guess they’re just jealous.
Still, all I have to do is endure the next day and get to the ball. For these girls, all of this is the most important thing they’ll ever do. For me, it’s a means to an end, nothing but a gateway to something far more important.
Eventually, as my stomach continues to do cartwheels, Sophie brings the morning to a close. Having spent most of the time daydreaming, or feeling too hungry to concentrate, I consider the hours a total waste.
I mean, what do I need to do all of this for? I know who I’m going to be meeting? I could turn up in rags, a cigarette dangling from my bottom lip and a flask of whiskey gripped between my fingers, and it wouldn’t change a thing.
This Adryan, whoever he is, is still going to ‘court’ me and bring me right into the fold. All of this is just a very dull stepping stone.
Yet, I know I have to play it out and keep up appearances. Drawing attention to myself isn’t exactly part of the playbook, so I make sure to keep my head down and get through to tomorrow night without too many hiccups.
My conviction doesn’t last long. As they say, old habits die hard.
Because as we retire to lunch across the hall, I waste no time in plundering the buffet, taking this rare opportunity to fill up on the more succulent offerings that you find in this part of town. As I fill a plate and find a space by myself, I draw yet more attention from the girls for my rather unsightly dining style.
Sophie comes over, shaking her head.
“Brie, my goodness, have you learnt nothing?! You’re munching away like a beast!”
“I’m just eating. I don’t care what these girls think.”
“Well, it’s not a good habit to keep. I know you haven’t been brought up in the same surroundings, but you’re going to have to alter your ways if you want to live in Inner Haven. You’ll have to show proper manners during the courting process, and that’s assuming you’re chosen by someone tomorrow night. You can be sure you’ll be cast straight back to Outer Haven behaving like that.”
“Oh…spare me, Sophie. I’ll save it for opening night, OK.”
“No! Not OK. This reflects badly on me as well, you know. Please, Brie, just slow down, and use your cutlery properly.”
I take a deep breath and note that all eyes are on us. I offer a communal glare to the lot of them.
“Fine. I’ll try harder.”
She smiles in her customary style, reiterates how important manners are, and breezes off.
I spend the rest of the lunch nibbling like a ferret.
The afternoon drags on just like the morning. When we return after lunch, Sophie fills the back wall with a fresh slideshow.
This time, the title is: Preparing For Life In Inner Haven.
And the slides number 78.
Have mercy.
I make a better effort this time, though. While the outcome of the bachelor ball is in no doubt at all, it’s probably not the worst idea for me to forge a stronger grasp of how life goes down on the other side of the wall.
Depending on how my mission goes, I might just be spending some time there. And fitting in properly is going to be an important part of the subterfuge.
I mean, I wouldn’t be much of a spy if I stuck out like a sore thumb, would I?
So, I spend the afternoon listening more carefully and making mental notes. Mostly, Sophie drones on about etiquette and how we, as ‘ladies of the Unenhanced’, are supposed to act.
Of course, our primary function is to do little more than procreate. Unless they can offer some specific skill of benefit with regards to work, the women who marry up don’t generally have jobs. With little else to offer, most merely adopt positions as mothers and housewives and, in some cases, nannies and carers to Enhanced children.
For many of these girls, that’s highly appealing. A life of relative leisure and luxury, where they can consider
themselves active, and indeed important, in seeing to the growth of the ranks of the Enhanced.
Naturally, such a mindset is critical to any girl who wishes to be scouted. Other than tests to determine intelligence levels – tests which, looking around, must be in dire need of updating given present company – any potential candidate is required to prove their dedication to ‘bettering’ themselves and committing to life among the Enhanced.
Every girl here, therefore, will have proven their desire to join the ranks of Inner Haven, and do their part in proliferating the species.
I’m rather grateful that I didn’t have to undergo such a test. I’d have likely failed to an unprecedented and spectacular degree.
Which, considering recent revelations, is rather ironic. I mean, given how I’m part Hawk, part Dasher, and part Savant, it’s odd that I maintain such an aversion to their world.
Then again, it’s not the Enhanced I have a problem with. It’s only the Savants, and the Consortium in particular. The higher up the tree you go, the more crooked and dictatorial these people seem to become.
And despite the fact that my mother was one of them, I feel no affiliation with them at all.
The afternoon drones on as I attempt to maintain a tighter focus. As expected, a large portion of the slideshow deals with etiquette, something that most of these girls appear to be well versed in already.
Just the manner in which they’re sitting proves that, each of them doing so with perfect posture which refuses to deflate even as the hours stretch by. For my part, a more comfortable ‘slouching’ position is adopted, something that draws regular looks of rebuke from Sophie’s eyes.
And each time she looks at me in such fashion, I giggle internally. Truth be told, I rather enjoy provoking her.
Still, some of the lesson is familiar to me, given my day spent in Inner Haven a week or so ago. I’m well aware of how to walk and act and behave having seen it all first-hand myself. Actually mimicking the lifeless drones is another matter entirely, however.
To ease the transition, Sophie calls us up to run through a few role-plays. I groan at the thought, and sink deeper into the back of the room.
Unfortunately, there’s no hiding from Sophie’s eyes, which immediately pick me out.