The Memory Keepers

by Natasha Ngan

Her expression softened the tiniest bit. ‘Shit. Why? What happened?’

  ‘Seven! Seven! Seven!’

  Just then, Mika came bounding down the stairs in a fuzz of black hair and bright red fabric. She would have barrelled straight into him were it not for Loe, who ran forward and scooped the girl up before she could hurt Seven without knowing.

  ‘Mika, for gods’ sake!’ Loe’s voice was hard. She set her down, cuffing her round the ear. ‘I told you not to shout out his name. The whole of Bankside will know he’s here the way you’re going.’

  Mika played with the hem of her dress. ‘Sorry, Loe.’

  ‘Now go upstairs and stay out of our way.’

  ‘But –’

  ‘Mika!’

  Sticking her tongue out at Seven, the girl gave him a little wave before dashing back up the stairs.

  Loe pointed to the back of the bus. ‘Sit down, then, you idiot – before you faint and throw up on my floor.’

  Seven followed her, collapsing gratefully onto a seat. Loe had made a sort of living room at the back of the bus, with a cluster of the original seats arranged into a big L-shape. He leant back, running a hand through his tangled hair.

  ‘Thanks, Loe,’ he murmured.

  ‘I haven’t done anything yet.’

  ‘Exactly.’

  They sat for a while in silence. A tinny patter picked up as it began to rain outside, merging with the sound of the water slapping against the sides of the bus. The shadows deepened, the rain growing heavier. Thick clouds clotted out the light. Loe got up, moving about to light the lanterns strung from the handrails. The bus filled with their amber glow.

  It would have been homely, comforting even, if Seven’s body didn’t feel as though it had been torn apart and stitched badly back together by one very drunk surgeon and a rusty pair of old knitting needles (which was almost what had happened).

  ‘So,’ Loe said finally. She perched on the edge of a seat, hugging her knees to her chest. ‘It’s really hit home that Carpenter’s dead.’

  The flash of a memory, like pain: Carpenter’s eyes rolling back, blood gushing from his mouth and the black hole in his neck.

  Seven swallowed. ‘Yeah.’

  ‘And our jobs are gone.’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘And we’re wanted by the London Guard.’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘And it looks like you’ve got no home any more ’cause they found out where you were staying. Am I right?’

  ‘Loe,’ he groaned, ‘you really are just one big shining ball of joy.’

  Scowling, she flicked her eyes away. Her shoulder tensed as she lifted an arm to run through her messy crop of hair. She drew a deep breath.

  ‘What am I gonna do?’ she said abruptly, speaking in a voice he’d never heard from her before. It was small. Defeated.

  ‘I’ve got Mika to feed,’ Loe went on. ‘She might be tiny but damn, does she eat like an overweight North banker after pay day.’ She gave a strangled laugh.

  Seven knew exactly why she was attempting humour: she was trying to hide just how scared she was.

  He’d been doing it for years.

  ‘You’ll find a way,’ he said.

  Loe didn’t turn round. The rain drummed harder on the metal skin of the bus. When she finally spoke, there was a hard edge to her voice.

  ‘That’s what I’m afraid of.’

  54

  ALBA

  When Alba got home and hurried up to her bedroom, she found Dolly waiting for her.

  She was sitting on the edge of the bed, hands folded in her lap. Dolly didn’t seem surprised to see Alba looking the way she did. She just tilted her head and said in a quiet voice, ‘Your mother called three hours ago to say you were coming home from lunch early.’

  ‘Traffic,’ Alba said, closing the door behind her.

  Dolly watched her. ‘Alba,’ she asked gently, ‘what are you hiding from me?’

  Alba bit her lip. ‘Nothing … ’

  ‘I know you, and this isn’t like you. What’s the matter?’

  Everything! Alba wanted to say. I’m being forced to marry some pig of a man and become North’s leading lady, and my friend from South might get captured any moment now by the London Guard and be executed right in front of my eyes.

  Instead, all she managed in a tiny, broken voice was, ‘Dolly … I’m scared.’

  At once, Dolly stood up and pulled her into a tight hug. Her arms encircled Alba in the same warm, safe way they had done time and time again since she was young.

  ‘I don’t know what to do!’ Alba sobbed suddenly. Tears traced wet lines down her cheeks. Her voice spiralled higher and higher, and she felt herself unwinding with each word. ‘My whole life has been turned upside down!’

  Dolly stroked her hair. ‘Tell me what’s happened.’

  Alba pulled away, her handmaid’s arms still around her waist. Blinking back tears, she saw the kindness, the fierceness in Dolly’s eyes, and knew then it was time to tell the truth.

  ‘There’s … there’s this boy,’ she said.

  Dolly’s eyes widened, but it was only for a moment.

  ‘He’s from South,’ Alba went on. ‘He’s my friend, and he’s hurt, and he’s wanted by the London Guard.’ Her voice shook. ‘He’s – he’s in a lot of trouble.’

  Dolly was still, watching her with her wide, soft blue eyes. It felt like hours before she eventually spoke, but whatever Alba had been expecting to hear, whatever words she’d thought might come out, it was certainly not the one simple question that Dolly asked. A question that both broke Alba’s heart and mended it again all at once.

  ‘How can I help?’

  55

  SEVEN

  ‘Who the eff are you?’

  ‘I’m a friend of Seven’s –’

  ‘Seven doesn’t have any friends.’

  ‘Then what are you?’

  ‘His fairy-fucking-godmother. Now get lost, before I call the London Guard.’

  ‘You’re not going to do that.’

  ‘Oh, yeah?’

  ‘Well, since you’re wanted for memory-thieving too, Loe, I highly doubt you’re going to want London Guardmen coming to your home.’

  A pause so tense it could wedge a door open.

  ‘How in the hell d’you know my name?’

  ‘As I said, Loe, I’m a friend of Seven’s.’

  At the sound of voices, Seven stirred blurrily, rubbing his eyes. He pushed himself up in bed. Or rather, he tried to, but pain spiked through his chest and he fell back, cursing.

  He was lying on the thin mattress of Loe and Mika’s bed on the upper deck at the back of the bus. Over the steady rush of rain outside, the two raised female voices floated up from below. Seven peered around in the darkness. By the lantern-light spilling up the stairs from the lower deck he made out a silhouette with a huge frizz of bushy hair peering down over the top of the stairs.

  ‘Mika?’ Seven called.

  She looked round, pressing a finger to her lips. ‘Shhh!’

  The voices picked up again.

  ‘I don’t know who the hell you are or how you know my name, but if you don’t leave by the time I’ve counted to ten, I’m gonna break your neck.’

  ‘Please calm down, Loe. I’m here to help Seven.’

  ‘One!’

  ‘His wound needs looking at –’

  ‘Two!’

  ‘Could you just tell him his girlfriend sent me?’

  ‘Thr— wait. What did you just say?’

  ‘His girlfriend, Alba.’

  ‘His girlfriend?’

  Seven slapped a hand to his forehead, letting out a low groan. Oh, for crying out loud. Pushing back the blanket covering him, he staggered to the stairs. He winced as he went; each step felt like fire was slicing through his torso.

  What the hell was Alba doing sending someone to him? he thought angrily. And why in the eff had she told them she was his girlfriend?

  ‘Loe, it’s fine,’ Seven shouted, st
arting down the stairs, his next words turning into a shout as he lost his balance and fell.

  Someone grabbed him just before his face made contact with the floor. Or rather, he grabbed someone, and judging by the sound of their annoyed oof as he landed on them, it was Loe.

  ‘Seven!’ she hissed, scrambling out from under him.

  ‘Here, let me help you.’

  A woman he had never seen before stepped forward. Lantern-light lit her pretty face, all slender cheekbones and large round eyes. She was wearing a long raincoat buttoned up to her neck. Its hood had fallen back to reveal two buns of purple hair twisted on the top of her head.

  Smiling, she reached out towards him, but he shrank back.

  ‘Alba said you didn’t like people helping you,’ she said, a sad look flitting across her eyes.

  ‘Alba doesn’t know eff all,’ he snapped.

  The woman smiled. ‘She also said you were rude.’

  ‘That effing –’

  ‘And that you like to swear.’

  Seven glared. ‘Well, that’s pretty rich, coming from her. She was banging on my door not long ago, and the language coming from that girl’s mouth … ’

  Eyes crinkling, the woman let out a laugh. It was a bright, easy sound, like the pealing of bells. Somehow it made Seven feel as though he could trust her.

  ‘I can’t imagine who she learnt that language from.’ She tilted her head, expression turning serious. ‘Now, let’s get you back to bed and I’ll see what I can do. Alba told me about your injury. You’ve lost a lot of blood, and it’s possible the wound is infected. And you’ll need a tetanus shot.’

  Seven grimaced. ‘Sounds like fun. But you still haven’t said who you are.’

  ‘I’m Dolly,’ the woman said. ‘Alba’s handmaid.’

  Then, without waiting for a reply, she leant down and tucked her shoulder under Seven’s, helping him up from the floor.

  ‘Oh, just come right in and make yourself at home,’ grumbled Loe as they started past her up the stairs.

  For a while, Dolly worked in silence, cleaning Seven’s wound and injecting him with various medicines. Even though it hurt, Seven didn’t cry out or swear even once. He sat topless on the mattress on the upper deck, Dolly beside him. Her fingers worked softly over his skin. From downstairs, the murmur of Loe’s and Mika’s voices sounded over the metallic patter of the rain.

  ‘You do this a lot, then?’ Seven said eventually. ‘Come to the rescue of all the poor South boys Alba’s made friends with?’

  Dolly was smoothing some sort of clear gel over his wound. She glanced up, raising her eyebrows. ‘What do you think?’ Finished with the gel, she pulled a pad of white fabric from her medikit and started taping it over his wound. ‘The stitches your friend made are very good,’ she said as she worked. ‘You’re very lucky he was around. If you’d lost any more blood, you might not have made it. Especially in your condition.’

  Seven made a scoffing noise. ‘My condition? What’s that meant to mean?’

  ‘There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Seven.’

  ‘Who said I was?’

  ‘I used to live outside London,’ Dolly said kindly. ‘In the unregulated land to the South. I know what it’s like to be hungry.’

  Seven watched her warily as she unrolled a length of gauze, pulling him forward so she could wind it round his chest.

  ‘You lived outside the city?’ he asked.

  Dolly nodded. ‘My family owns a small farm in the Sussex countryside. It was hard, without the established trade from the cities, and in the winter almost everything would freeze over.’ She paused. ‘As I said, I know what it’s like to be hungry. What it’s like to struggle every day to survive.’

  ‘How did you end up in London?’

  ‘The same reason everyone else comes to the city. In search of a better life, I suppose.’

  ‘And you found it with the White family?’ Seven said, snorting.

  She shot him a hard look. ‘There are worse places to be.’ She finished bandaging his chest, then began returning the equipment she’d used into the box. ‘The Whites have done a lot for me.’

  ‘Like they’ve done for Alba?’ Seven said sarcastically.

  He didn’t know why he was suddenly so angry. He glared at Dolly, something hot and red rushing through his veins.

  The medikit shut with a loud metallic snap. Dolly picked it up, standing. Her pretty face had hardened.

  ‘Seven,’ she began in a cool, stern voice, all pretence of niceness gone. ‘I don’t know what Alba’s told you of her life in North, but believe it or not, her parents do love her. They might have a funny way of showing it sometimes, and gods know I don’t agree with half the things they do, but they do it because they think it’s what’s best for her. Can you say the same?’

  Seven felt as though he’d been slapped.

  ‘I know I can,’ Dolly continued. ‘Which is why I’m asking you to leave Alba alone.’ Her eyes flashed. ‘I fully understand her need to rebel and, trust me, I’m going to do everything I can to help her out of this arranged marriage. To help her achieve her dreams. But in order to do that, you need to stay away. Whatever the two of you are doing with TMK – it’s too dangerous. She can’t be involved.’

  ‘You know something about it, don’t you?’ he said through gritted teeth. He took a shaky breath. ‘TMK. You know something.’

  Dolly looked away. ‘Not really. But Alba’s father often has business meetings at the house. Over the years, there’ve been snatches of conversation … From the little I’ve overheard, I know that it’s not something any of us should be getting involved with.’ A kinder tone touched her voice as she turned back to him, eyes softening. ‘Alba explained to me about your past, Seven. If you want to continue looking into TMK, then I understand. I cannot stop you. But I am responsible for Alba, and so I’m asking you, if you care at all about her – leave Alba out of this.’

  She fell silent. Outside, the rain seemed to roar louder, as though the raindrops drumming on the shell of the bus were trying to wash away her words. Seven wished they could be erased from his mind so easily.

  Despite himself, Alba had become important to him. He’d let her in. They were friends now. He couldn’t imagine never seeing her again. Just earlier that day, he’d held her hand; they’d run from the London Guard together.

  How could he just let her go after all that?

  But the worst part of it was, Seven knew, even though he hated to admit it, that Dolly was right.

  He looked away. ‘Fine. I won’t see her again.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Dolly breathed, sounding relieved. She paused. ‘For what it’s worth, I can see why Alba is drawn to you.’ She leant down and kissed him on the cheek before setting something down beside him. ‘Alba wanted me to give you this,’ she said, before turning and disappearing down the stairs.

  Seven glanced down. It was a small package, wrapped in embossed gold paper and tied with a ribbon. He didn’t pick it up. He wasn’t going to see Alba again, after all. What was the point? He wouldn’t ever get the chance to say thank you.

  Letting out an angry growl, Seven grabbed the package and threw it across the bus. A horrible, sick feeling was swinging through his body. Because he saw suddenly what an idiot he’d been.

  What exactly did he think would happen between him and Alba? That they’d sneak out at night to see each other for the rest of their lives? That if their friendship was strong enough, somehow nothing else mattered?

  Well, they couldn’t sneak out at night to see each other for the rest of their lives, and their friendship wasn’t strong enough that nothing else mattered. Seven would never be welcome in Alba’s home, or her life, or her family. Let alone her heart. His stomach twisted at this last thought. How stupid had he been to hope that the two of them would be the exception?

  Some lines could never be crossed. Some things were always going to be divided.

  North and South.

  Alba and Seven.
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  What he wanted; and what he got.

  56

  ALBA

  She had fallen asleep by the time Dolly got back to the house, exhaustion finally overtaking her worries about Seven. The next thing she knew she was being shaken awake. Dolly’s bright voice sounded from above her.

  ‘Come on, Alba. It’s Monday. You need to get ready for school.’

  Alba groaned, rubbing her eyes. She pushed back the tangle of hair that had fallen across her face. It was still half dark outside, the sun taking longer to rise in the mornings as winter came creeping closer. Pale amber light washed her bedroom. The sound of birdsong filtered through the closed windows. It was so peaceful …

  ‘Wait.’

  Alba sat bolt upright as she remembered where Dolly had been that night.

  ‘What happened? Is Seven all right?’

  Dolly shook her head. ‘We don’t have time for that now. We need to get you ready for school.’

  ‘Of course we have time! He was bitten by a dog, Dolly, and chased by the London Guard –’

  ‘Alba! That’s enough.’

  Dolly had never once raised her voice at her. Alba tensed, staring at her handmaid, who was watching her with a hard, unreadable expression in her eyes. Her heart thrummed in her chest. Everything seemed to go quiet, as though a giant hand had curled down around the room.

  She licked her lips. ‘What happened, Dolly?’

  With a heavy sigh, Dolly stepped back. She smoothed a hand down her uniform. ‘Seven is well,’ she answered. ‘You don’t need to worry about him. But I don’t think you’ll be seeing him again.’

  Alba blinked. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I told him … I told him to stay away from you.’

  It felt as though she’d been punched straight in the gut. Alba sagged forward, mouth falling open. She let out a low hiss of air.

  ‘You told him what?’

  Dolly shook her head. ‘I won’t let you see him again,’ she said, the usual soft blue of her eyes lit with a hard-edged fierceness. ‘It’s not safe! Aside from the fact you’re crossing into South at night and spending time with a boy you hardly know – all of which is risky enough – the two of you are looking into things you shouldn’t be. I don’t know exactly what The Memory Keepers is, Alba, or why your father and the London Guard are involved, but I’ve heard enough to not want to know. Anything they’re trying so hard to keep quiet is not something to be prying into. Seven is welcome to continue investigating it if he wants, but I’m not going to let you get involved too.’