"Wotcha did that after we decided we weren't going to see either of them ever again. The situation has changed."
"Only if they say yes." Archivist told her firmly.
~oo00oo~
Yasi led Vincent and Connie through the Underside. They were content to follow until they reached the boat. The three of them sent a suspicious look to the water, but Yasi assured them that the nets were back in place, dragging The River with razor wire, keeping the monsters at bay.
The boat took them back to the ladders and stairwells. They took them as far as Archivist's Whisper Gallery, and then from there an elevator. Vincent tried to remember if this was the same route they had taken the last time he left the Underside, and decided not. Going up was so much more exertion than going down, but eventually the 'street lamps' that lined every corridor thinned out, before fading to nothing, leaving them in darkness.
"How do you find your way?" Connie asked, being led by the fingertips as Vincent had.
"We don't find the way, we know the way." Yasi answered. "There's a difference."
Vincent shut his eyes. His vision was useless in the dark, and it made it easier to use his other senses. As he gave up trying to peer into the dark, he became more aware of himself, of the crossbow slung under his arm like a gym bag, the long coat over it... and the goggles he took off the Riverfolk.
Curious, he pulled the goggles out and held them up over his eyes. Somehow, the pitch black opened to him, and he could see. The corridor was visible, if only just, and tinted in a bright ruby sheen, the same color as the red Riverfolk goggles.
Grinning like an idiot, he pulled away from Yasi, and put the goggles on properly. Suddenly able to see, he tried to creep past Yasi, but even if she couldn't see him, his footsteps were easily apparent to her sharp senses. "Vincent?"
"I'm okay." He called to her. "Do I want to take the left path or the right?"
"Okay, now you're just freaking me out." She commented, but he could see the smile on her face. She reached into her coat and pulled out the hand lantern. She and Connie paused a moment while she wound it.
Connie reared back from the sudden glow. Vincent half expected his vision to white out, like they would with night vision lenses, but he seemed to be able to look at the lantern normally.
Yasi's jaw dropped in disbelief when she saw him wearing the goggles. "Where the hell did you get those?"
Vincent shrugged. "Spoils of war."
"If you've got a light, why the hell are we creeping around in the dark?" Connie demanded, shielding her eyes from the light.
"Connie, the Labyrinth is our first line of defense. You find your way in, you try and find your way back. The darkness makes it harder to find your way without a guide." Yasi explained patiently, before sending a cheeky smirk at Vincent. "Well, unless you've stolen some Riverfolk Goggles, that is."
"You want them back?"
"Why? I don't need them." Yasi snorted, and led the way. "We try not to weigh ourselves down with a load of junk we don't need. That's why we decided against offering Connie a job at first."
Connie didn't even blink. "Is that why all two of your outfits are at least a century old?"
Vincent responded by being very very quiet.
~oo00oo~
Connie nearly gasped when they came out into the light. It felt like a million years since they had last seen the sky. Vincent came out right behind her, and a moment later the sound of a car filled their ears. It was the first engine either of them had heard in over a day, which was near impossible in New York City.
Then the screech of tyres, and they both spun to find they had climbed out of a manhole in the street. They both jumped at the sudden attack, and the car screeched to a halt at the sight of them.
Even as the driver leaned out his window and screamed a torrent of abuse that neither of them could comprehend. The guy seemed more interested in the fact that they were in his way, than the fact that they'd just risen out of the ground.
Clank.
They both noticed the manhole cover close tightly. Yasi had left them once they reached the surface. Connie put her arm in Vincent's and they both left the street.
The car moved on, the driver flipping them off as he went past.
"It's good to be back in New York." Connie sighed, her equilibrium restored instantly by the experience. "Come on, let's go see if anyone noticed what the hell they did to our apartment."
~oo00oo~
But when they got there, the door was fixed. Their key was under the doormat. When they got inside, the place was tidied up. Several of Connie's knickknacks were missing from their carefully chosen places on the shelves, but there were no shards on the floor.
Vincent looked the question to Connie, who held her hands up defensively. "Vincent, I swear, the place was trashed! A war went on in here."
Vincent looked around, and then bent down to get a closer look at the furniture. "You're right. This has been repaired. You look close, you can see where the wood was splintered... and where it was replaced."
"What'd you expect?"
They both spun and found Yasi sitting on the window sill. The window had opened and neither of them had heard.
She came in properly, and shifted over to stand against the wall, out of sight from the street. "We've been invisible a long time. We know the trick of it. We don't leave fingerprints." She sent a glance at Connie. "Afraid the Fixmen couldn't find replacements for everything."
"If I hadn't known what happened here..." Connie nodded. "Owen was right about that much... the things you guys can do..."
"We don't want to rule the world, we just want to make our way and not be seen doing it." Yasi promised her. "And that, in its way, brings us back to you." She nodded respectfully to Connie. "A friend in the Medical Profession, especially in the Free Clinics, would do a lot to help the kids. If they knew you already; that would be an advantage. Our kids don't trust easily, and Tecca thinks highly of you. There's always room for another teacher to tell our kids about the City..." Yasi inclined her head toward Vincent with a smile. "Recent events have shown how fragile our world can be; especially to someone in the City Planner's Office..."
Vincent was smiling. "How would it work?"
"You guys would be part of our world. Not Lostkind, just friends. Very few people come and go like you would. There have been very few people who could walk in both worlds; and for now; you'd be the only ones that do. Even The Watchers walked through your world without actually being part of your society. You keep your day jobs, you keep your apartment, you keep in contact, and every now and then you come down for a day or two. Think of it like taking an extra part time job on the side."
Vincent looked to Connie, who yawned hugely. A moment later he matched it, suddenly aware of how tired he was.
Yasi nodded swiftly. "Sorry. You guys should get some rest." She went to the window. "Think it over; an offer like this doesn't happen often."
~oo00oo~
"I don't think I ever fully appreciated the modern wonder that was a hot shower before this moment." Connie said happily, as she came out of the bathroom an hour later. She looked considerably more relaxed in her terry-cloth robe, and she joined him on the couch, cuddling up under his arm.
Vincent stretched his legs out and as far as they would go and settled with her. "So. We haven't really had a chance to talk about... any of it."
"I keep looking over my shoulder." Connie admitted. "Part of me expects to find the Lostkind kids hiding behind the towel rack."
"I went through the same thing." Vincent admitted with a chuckle. "I honestly thought I'd never go back there..."
"I know." Connie admitted sadly.
Vincent reacted to her tone. "What?"
Connie took his hand in hers, and kissed his fingertips. "If you'd gotten the job offer two years ago... you never would have given me a second look."
Vincent tensed; she could feel his posture changing where she leaned against him. "Connie... I love you."
"And I love you." She returned honestly. "But it's the truth."
Silence.
"This is New York City Vincent." She said quietly after a while. "If that's not interesting enough for you, I don't know what you could possibly find a hundred feet below ground level."
"It's not about boredom." Vincent told her. "But... I remember my dad, he told me that where he grew up was entirely different to New York. He said the feel of the place was different. The speed the pedestrians walked at, the way everyone looks at each other or looks away; the energy they put into their jobs, or their recreation... Y-" He corrected himself. "The Lostkind call it the Rhythm. When I got down there... I felt like I was walking at the same speed as everyone else. I felt like the feel of the place was mine."
Silence.
"Vincent, they say it's over now. They got Owen's dropbox, they've declared victory; but you know it's not over. I mean, Yasi and keeper and Archivist were making happy noises; but you know there's worse to come. I don't want to be there when it all hits the fan... And there's nothing down there that really interests me anyway."
"There's me." Vincent offered softly.
Now Connie hardened. She almost turned to stone under his arm. After a moment, she pulled away, sitting upright on the couch. "So. That's that then."
Vincent shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, that was... I didn't mean that."
"Yes you did." She retorted. "You just didn't mean to say it. Yet." She scrubbed her face with her hands. Vincent could see her eyes turning red with unshed tears. "I don't want to be Lostkind. You do. Is it really that simple?"
Vincent said nothing.
"You're supposed to be on my team." Connie pressed. "That's what you do when you love someone; you make them your top priority. Especially if you wanted to marry me."
Vincent looked at her tightly. "You said 'no' as I recall."
Connie's face hardened. "Is that it? You making me choose?"
Vincent glared. "You're making me choose." He shot back. "I'd be perfectly happy to marry you and work with the Underside. Are you making me choose?"
Connie stood up. "If I knew we were having this conversation, I would have worn something other than a bathrobe."
"Connie, I don't want to lose you." Vincent said honestly.
"Vincent, you didn't lose me. I lost you. I lost you the second Yasi took you Underground."
"There's nothing between me and Yasi!" Vincent protested, yet again.
"Not you and her. You and there. Who knows how many laws you might bend or break if you become one of them? Plus whatever risks there could be to your health living Underground, plus the Riverfolk..."
"If you're trying to scare me out of it, you can't." Vincent returned. "I've been living with the danger of this longer than you have Connie. Gill tried to kill himself because of Owen's manipulations."
"And that's not going to stop you?"
"Why? Owen's been exposed, he can't hurt us any more."
"See? This is my point. You're not a thrill-seeker, but this doesn't bother you? The Underside is worth more to you than your job, your safety... more than me."
Vincent didn't have an answer to that.
"Hope she's worth it." Connie said, with just the tiniest hint of bitterness.
"Connie... I am going to say this again." Vincent repeated, getting tired of saying it. "There's nothing going on with Yasi. I am not a teenager. I've been with you two years, the total combined time I spent with her was... what? Two days?"
"That's only half of it though." Connie shot back. "You want to be part of the Underside. I can walk away from it, and go about my life. I don't think you can. I think you only did two years ago because they told you not to come looking. The first thing you knew of that world, the first person you met of the Lostkind, was Yasi. When you think of the place, do you think of her? Because I'm betting you do."
Vincent felt his jaw drop open. "I... I honestly hadn't thought of it that way."
"Of course not, you're a guy." Connie shrugged. "I know how you feel about me. I know you'd never cheat on me. But I can't compete with another woman, and a whole world at the same time. You love the Underside. And Yasi is the Underside to you."
Vincent said nothing.
Connie nodded. "I hope you and the Secret City are very happy together." She said calmly. The sort of calm that came from having made a tough decision and accepted it. She leaned over and kissed him softly; before heading into the bedroom without looking back.
He didn't go after her
She was kissing him goodbye.
~oo00oo~
He had slept on the couch. He didn't want to sleep in the bed when he knew he would be there alone. Even so, he hadn't slept well. It was a warm night, but the weather wasn't the reason he'd left the window open.
Connie had packed a bag and gone to a friends' house. Vincent had implored her to stay until morning at least. Their relationship had been torn down the middle, but not in any way that made them hate each other. They could at least be allies about it. But Connie had insisted, because she knew Yasi would be back during the night, and didn't want to be, ‘in the way', as she put it.
Vincent lay awake wondering about their conversation, wondering what Yasi would have thought if she'd heard it...
Did he love Yasi? The thought came back to him now and then. Connie was right; he loved the Underside. When he thought of their wild tribal power, the energy, their beauty... Yasi was the first promise, the first mystery of the place...
But he'd just broken up with Connie after two very happy years, and Yasi was not the only reason why. For all the things that had happened, he was still the Outsider to the Lostkind; a helpful neighbor that ran errands for them from time to time. He still wasn't one of them. If he tried to approach Yasi so soon after losing Connie, it would not only make him a sleaze, it would…
Such thoughts chased him into sleep. The window stayed open all night, and after a long time, he looked up and saw a familiar shadow on the wall. Yasi had come in his window again. "Hey."
"Hey." She said, and sat on the end of the couch by his feet. "Connie?"
"Not here." He said shortly.
Yasi nodded slowly, having expected that. "So. How badly have I screwed up your life?"
Vincent stayed where he was and started counting on his fingers. "Well, there's the Riverfolk playing bongos on my ribs... There was Gill almost killing himself so Owen could get into his job... My ex-landlord wouldn't give me my security deposit back because I kept letting vagrants sleep in the building without telling him." He pretended to think for a moment. "And... oh yes, Connie walked out. You seem to be the common thread in all these things."
"Vincent, lots of couples break up because of work." Yasi offered. "You were her boyfriend, and you got an opportunity that meant you had to be absent for a while, work outside the city, keep a few things in confidence… and she couldn't handle it. It's not a new story, just a new setting."
Vincent blinked. "Put that way, I don't sound nearly as selfish."
"Selfish? You sacrificed your normal life and broke up with your girlfriend to save a bunch of people that you can't even talk about. Exactly where does the selfish part come in? Jeez, Vincent... You should hate my breathing guts right now."
Silence.
"By the way, just to end the suspense, I'll take the job." Vincent commented without opening his eyes.
Yasi nodded. "There's a shock." She drawled. "Grab your coat."
~oo00oo~
"Why are we here?" Vincent asked with interest as they entered the City Planner's Office.
"Well, I told you you'd be keeping your day job." Yasi said, leading the way toward his cubicle. "And since radios and cell phones aren't worth a damn to us, we'll have to show you a few ways to get in touch with us."
Vincent was quietly thrilled. "You could just get a cell phone. Come up to the surface now and then, check your voicemail."
"Ugh, how boring." Yasi scorned; and pointed to the elevators
. "Meet me in the Archives."
Vincent sent a glance toward the elevator, and then looked back at Yasi.
She was gone.
"One day I'm gonna stop falling for that." Vincent sighed, and headed downstairs toward the Archives Room.
~oo00oo~
She was waiting for him the second he stepped off the elevator. "This building used to have a pneumatic correspondence system. You sent a memo through a vacuum tube. Once email was invented, it became less than worthless, but it's still here."
Vincent nodded. "Too expensive to tear it all out; since it's not bothering anyone."
Yasi led him over to the far side of the archives, in the dustiest corner of the room. There was a tube in the wall, covered in cobwebs. "Send me a message this way." She told him. "That tube will take it down to the Underside, through the Whisper Gallery. From there it will come straight to me." She turned to look at him face to face. "I will send you messages the same way, so you'd better check this spot. Make sure nobody else finds them."
Vincent nodded, suddenly aware of how close they were, the narrow aisle between the stacks forcing them into tight proximity. She licked her lips and he knew she was aware of it too.
"She understood, right?" Yasi said suddenly. "Connie? She understood. I mean, it's not like we were asking you both to move Underground forever."
"She knew." Vincent acknowledged. "She just didn't want to come. She thought it would be dangerous."
"Not as dangerous as living in New York." Yasi shot back.
"Connie wanted kids." Vincent said suddenly.
Silence.
"Okay?" Yasi said, not quite getting it.
"I think she was picturing our lives suddenly being underground half the time… She was seeing kidnappers and ghosts and trying to fit the life and family she wanted into that…" Vincent shook his head. "Even if we agreed to keep our personal lives, let alone kids, up on the surface, it's still another big slice out of our lives that we wouldn't be together."
The Lostkind Page 25