by Helen Harper
I tiptoe to the end of the corridor and peer down the stairs. When I’m sure I can neither see nor hear anyone, I make my way down. When I round the corner, I finally recognise where I am: the large doors at the front and the uniformed guard make it clear.
I reach the bottom step and sidle round a corner so I can observe everything without being seen. All I need to do is wait until the guard is distracted before making my exit. Either that or wake up. Unfortunately, as I don’t know how to make myself conscious, I’ll simply have to be patient and hope someone comes through the doors so I can sneak past. No problem for Ninja Zoe.
I’m so focused on the lobby and what’s happening there that I almost don’t notice when a door less than ten metres away opens up. Only when I hear the familiar tones of the Mayor do I realise how precarious my situation is. The damn guard is still alert and there’s no way I can get out without making a run for it – which would be a stupid thing to do. I’d barely get three feet from the Department headquarters before being bodyslammed to the ground.
The Mayor is already coming out. It’s only because his head is turned into the room as he talks to someone there that he doesn’t spot me. I spin away. When I was brought here before and Bron led me out, we’d come up the staircase at the other end of this corridor. It leads down to the basement, which is the last place I want to go back to. Right now, however, I don’t have a choice. Keeping one eye on the Mayor (thank goodness he seems to enjoy the sound of his own voice) and one eye on the steps leading down, I run for them. I reach them just as the Mayor finally nods and begins to turn.
I stay motionless on the second top step, listening in case he starts heading in this direction too. Thankfully, I hear him move up the staircase I just vacated rather than along the corridor. I start to relax – just as a firm hand clamps round my mouth and another grabs me by the waist, pulling me backwards.
‘Playing hide and seek?’ Dante’s voice murmurs in my ear.
I jerk, biting his palm. He moves his hand and releases me. ‘You’re like a rabid animal,’ he says.
‘Piss off.’
‘What are you doing here?’
‘I have a secret meeting with the Mayor,’ I spit, keeping my voice low. ‘We’re planning to take over the world together.’ Without looking back at him, I stick my head back out into the corridor. The coast seems clear. Before I can walk out, however, Dante reaches out a warning hand.
‘Where are you going now?’
‘To tell him you’re here of course.’ I point vaguely down the stairs. ‘There are some comfy cells down there that I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to put you in.’
He looks at me speculatively. ‘He doesn’t know you’re here, does he?’
‘Does it matter?’
‘Either you’re playing both sides or...’
‘Or what?’
His eyes glint. ‘You really are a dreamweaver.’
I grimace. ‘So everyone keeps telling me. Look, Dante, I don’t have time for this. If you want to think I’m some sort of evil double agent, then go ahead. I have better things to do. I have to find the mares.’
He tilts his head to one side. ‘They’re not here.’
‘I know.’ I turn my back on him. I can’t see the lobby guard from this angle. I need to get closer.
‘You won’t escape that way.’ His voice is mild, which makes a pleasant change.
‘Watch me.’ A thought strikes me and I turn. ‘Anyway, what are you doing here?’
‘The same as you it seems’
I give him a sceptical look. ‘Right.’ I eye his all-black ensemble. ‘The grappling hook and the rope, that was you. Where did you get them from?’ If I was going to storm the building next to the Bubble, I’d need some equipment.
He’s surprisingly honest. ‘There’s a shop out by the Bubble that can be ... useful.’
‘Oh.’ I nod sagely, trying to make him think I already know it. ‘The haberdashery.’
‘Daberhashery.’
I roll my eyes. ‘That’s not even a word.’ Even if it’s the same word that Miller used.
Dante shrugs and grins and I want to poke out his eyes. There’s another noise down the corridor and suddenly I see the doctor motion in my direction. He raises his eyebrows and makes some complicated gesture. I have no idea what it means but when he calls for the guard and starts pointing at a spot in the wall and complaining loudly, I guess it has something to do with ‘I’ll make a cunning diversion so you can escape’.
I return Dante’s grin. Let him try and find his own way out of here.
‘Toodle pip.’ I dash off while the guard stares at Miller, puzzled. I sidle round the corner and escape out the front door.
***
Thanks to my rooftop survey, I have a better idea of the Dreamlands’ layout. I head in the direction of the Bubble, looking for the so-called ‘daberhashery’. It’s not long before I find it. Like the majority of the other buildings in this place, it’s a low-lying thatched cottage with a small chimney stack on the roof. What sets it aside is the sign hanging outside, proclaiming its status as a shop. I dig into my pockets. It’s not like I have any money on me. I wonder how on earth people pay.
I can’t make out anything from peering through the windows so I take a deep breath and walk inside. A bell announces my presence and a woman with close-cropped hair looks up.
‘Well, well, well. I was wondering how long it would take you to find me. You must be Zoe.’
I frown. She could be one of the people from Somnolence. I decide to tread carefully. ‘Yes,’ I tell her. ‘Who are you?’
‘I’m Esme, of course.’ She steps from behind the counter and takes my hand. Her touch is feather light and there’s something about it that feels wrong. I draw back without meaning to. ‘Ah,’ she says knowingly, ‘you sense it then. I wasn’t sure if you would.’
‘Sense what?’ I try not to let my suspicion show on my face but I have a feeling I don’t do a very good job.
‘I’m not quite like the other Travellers.’ She knits her hands together.
‘In what way?’
‘Let’s just say I’m more of a permanent fixture in the Dreamlands than you are.’
I step backwards, almost landing in the fireplace behind me. Esme isn’t frightening and I’m not getting any bad vibes about her like I did with the Mayor but her presence is oddly jarring though. However, if she doesn’t want to talk about it, then I won’t press her. I know what it feels like to be different to others and how annoying it can be to always have to explain yourself.
I glance around the shelves. There are all manner of objects here: smart phones, jewellery, several baskets containing what appear to be odd socks, and even a few rather fetching hats. ‘Where does all the stuff come from? Do other Travellers bring it?’
Esme smiles. ‘No. You can only bring in the clothes on your back.’
I think about the sugar cubes and wonder whether to tell her about them. I decide against it.
‘Things get lost,’ Esme continues, pointing to the sock baskets. ‘Have you ever wondered why so many socks get swallowed up in washing machines?’
I’m confused. ‘You mean they end up here? But this isn’t real.’
‘You’re here. I’m here.’
‘Yes, but...’ I scratch my head. There’s so much about the Dreamlands that I really don’t understand. ‘It doesn’t matter. I’m looking for something pointy. And sharp.’
Her eyebrows fly up. ‘Like a knife?’
‘That’d be perfect.’ I realise how eager I sound and backtrack. ‘I, er, need it to whittle.’ I force a smile. ‘I love whittling. Do you have anything that would work?’
Her expression doesn’t flicker. ‘Sorry, Zoe. The Mayor takes all potential weapons away as soon as they arrive.’
Of course he does. ‘How about something heavy then?’
She purses her lips. ‘There’s this,’ she says, nodding towards a gleaming statue of a Buddha.
I pick
it up. It certainly is heavy; I could probably hit someone over the head with it. It’s not very practical though.
‘Will that help with your whittling?’ Esme asks politely.
I look at her sharply but she is still smiling at me. Hmm. My eyes alight on a bag of marbles. They could work.
‘How about those?’ I cough. ‘If I can’t whittle then I can play marbles.’
She takes them off the shelf and passes them over to me. ‘They’re a new acquisition. I didn’t think we’d get much interest in them.’
‘How much are they? I mean, how do I pay? I don’t have any money.’
Esme laughs. ‘No one ever does. Usually, you would exchange something.’ I stare at her blankly. ‘You find something, bring it in and I’ll let you exchange it for something else.’
I chew on a fingernail. ‘The thing is...’
‘You don’t have anything to exchange?’ I nod. ‘It’s your first visit so I’ll let you have those for free.’
It’s a kind gesture but it does put me in mind of a drug dealer drawing in a new client. ‘Um, thank you.’
‘No problem.’
I stuff the bag awkwardly into my back pocket. ‘What happens when I leave? I mean, when I wake up. Will I have the marbles when I...’ I pause ‘...unapparate?’
‘Disapparate,’ she provides. ‘Yes, if you leave them somewhere safe they will still be there when you return. If you keep them on your person, they’ll end up back on the streets. Of course, that’s assuming you don’t lose them to a group of marauding small boys before that point.’ She smiles.
I file away the information. ‘Well, thanks again.’ I stay where I am, just looking at her.
‘Is there something else?’
‘Have you heard some strange noises recently? Like neighing? Or, um, whinnying?’
Esme stiffens. For a moment she doesn’t say anything then something flickers in her eyes as she seems to make a decision. ‘Three doors down. But you didn’t hear it from me.’ She jabs a finger at me. ‘I have enough things to worry about without the Mayor knocking down my door because I’m blabbing. Got that?’
I blink. ‘Yes. Um, thanks.’
‘Any time. And Zoe?’
‘Yes?’
‘Do be careful. We wouldn’t want to lose you when you’ve only just found us.’
I lick my lips and pretend that I’m not nervous. ‘Sure.’
I’m even more confused when I leave the little shop. I shake myself and spot the familiar figure of Bron on the other side of the street. Perfect. I can chat to him while I wait for my opening.
He doesn’t appear particularly happy to see me. ‘Hey, Zoe,’ he mutters.
‘Hey. How are things?’
‘Good.’
‘I wanted to thank you for your help the other day. I know I probably came over as quite ungracious.’ I laugh. It’s a high-pitched, false sound.
‘I guess you didn’t find the mares then?’ There’s neither surprise nor curiosity in his voice. Interesting.
‘Uh, no.’
‘It’ll be safer if you stay away from things like that, Zoe.’
I bristle. ‘Safer for whom?’
Bron sighs. ‘Go to the pub, walk along the river, pick mushrooms in the forest. Enjoy your time here.’ He’s certainly changed his attitude towards me. ‘I mean it, Zoe. Ashley was looking for you before. She’s round by the square.’
His eyes flick upwards, and I know the last part was a lie. ‘Bron,’ I say slowly, ‘what are you doing here?’
‘I’m a Traveller.’
‘No. I mean here. In this spot.’
He instantly looks guilty. ‘I’m waiting for a friend.’
‘Who?’
‘No one you’d know.’
‘I’d like to meet them.’
He runs a hand through his hair in exasperation. ‘They’re shy.’
‘Bron, are you planning to storm that little building there and free the mares?’
His mouth drops open. ‘What? No!’
I step back, my eyes travelling up and down his body. He’s holding himself rather stiffly, just as if... I whip my hand round to his back, my fingers brushing against cold steel concealed under his T-shirt. ‘Is that a weapon?’
He doesn’t meet my eyes. ‘No.’
‘Bron,’ I exclaim, throwing my hands up in the air, ‘you know I want to help the mares. I admit I went about it the wrong way yesterday by confronting the Mayor. But I’m here now, for the mares.’ It occurs to me how similar both words sound. ‘The horsey ones, not the scary dictator one. I know they’re being kept in that building across the street.’
‘It’s too dangerous.’ For some reason he still won’t look me in the face.
‘I can look after myself.’ At his sceptical expression, I lean forward and whisper, ‘I’m a dreamweaver.’
Bron jerks back and stares at me. ‘What? You can’t be!’
I fold my arms. ‘Probably not. I don’t even really know what a dreamweaver is. But I can help you. Or you can help me.’
‘If the Mayor catches you, it’ll be really bad.’
I reach out and touch his shoulder. ‘Bron, he’s capturing wild animals so he can give people nightmares. It’s already really bad.’
He looks down at the ground then, eventually, nods. I give a sigh of relief. From what I’ve understood from Dante, most people can’t venture near the mares for fear of getting seriously hurt. At least I’ve still got sugar cubes in my pocket.
‘The thing behind your back? Is it a knife? Where did you get it from? Did you bring it with you?’ I fire the questions at him without giving him a chance to answer. I really do need to practise speaking to people again.
‘You can’t bring anything with you when you apparate, only the clothes you’re wearing,’ Bron says, confirming what Esme told me. ‘I stole it from the pub.’
‘You can be pretty sneaky when you want to be,’ I say admiringly.
He blushes slightly and glances over my shoulder. ‘There,’ he says.
I turn round to follow his gaze. Two uniformed men are standing in the street exchanging greetings. The first one waves goodbye and wanders off while the second heads inside. Bron stiffens. I reach into my back pocket and extricate a marble.
Praying I’ll get this right, I draw my hand back and throw. The marble hits the guard smack bang on the back of his head. He lets out a cry of surprised pain and immediately starts looking for the culprit. Bron and I hastily look away as the guard marches down the street. He spots a teenager who’s walking in the opposite direction and takes off after him.
Bron grabs the doorknob, wrenches it open and ushers me inside. As soon as we’re in, we lean against the wall, panting.
‘He won’t hurt that kid, will he?’ I ask nervously.
‘Nah. Not when he can’t prove anything.’
I hope he’s right. ‘Come on,’ I say, ‘let’s find the mares and get out of here as quickly as we can.’
Bron nods, grabbing my hand just as the door opens. There’s no time to run or even react. I squash down my anxiety and prepare to attack.
‘Is this a private party,’ Dante asks, his silver eyes glancing at our clasped hands, ‘or can anyone join in?’
I pull my hand free and glare at him. ‘What are you doing here?’
Dante raises his eyebrows at Bron. ‘What is she doing here?’
‘I couldn’t stop her. It was either bring her along or risk getting caught.’
My mouth drops open. Bring her along? He makes me sound like a piece of baggage. ‘Hey!’ I protest. ‘I’m the one who distracted the guard. I brought you along!’ I stare at them both. ‘What’s going on with you two?’
‘We don’t have time for this,’ Dante growls.
Bron meets my eyes. ‘We work together against the Mayor. Me and some others.’
‘You mean like the Resistance?’
He shrugs. ‘I guess. We have to be careful though. There aren’t many of us and we can�
��t risk getting caught.’
I look at Dante suspiciously. ‘But he used to work for the Mayor.’
‘And it wasn’t until you showed up that he stopped hiding out in the damn forest,’ Bron mutters under his breath.
Dante sighs as if annoyed. ‘Let’s get a move on.’
I narrow my eyes. ‘What? You’re going to let me tag along? What if I tell the Mayor? After all, I’m the one who works for him now, aren’t I?’
Bron starts but Dante just gazes at me expressionlessly. ‘I think, upon reflection, I made an error of judgment accusing you of that.’
‘You think?’ I mutter. Annoyed with the pair of them, I start walking away.
‘You should keep back, Zoe,’ Bron calls after me. ‘Mares can be dangerous.’
‘Yeah, yeah.’
I round the corner and halt in my tracks. Both Dante and Bron come up behind me. ‘Fuck.’
There are six mares in total. Taut silver chains bind their legs and necks, cruelly pinching into their skin. I gasp in horror at the dribbles of blood. Each mare wears some kind of hood. Dante marches over to the first one and whips it off. The mare tries to rear but the chains hold her back; she makes no sound because of the tight steel muzzle around her mouth.
‘How could they do this?’ I whisper, staring at the pain-dulled expression in the mare’s eyes. ‘It’s so wrong.’
‘Let’s get this over and done with quickly,’ Bron says.
I turn towards him and see the knife gleaming in his hand. For a moment I stare at him uncomprehendingly.
‘Put the hood back on, Dante. It’ll make it easier.’
‘No.’ I shake my head. ‘No.’
‘It’ll be quick and humane.’
‘I thought you brought that to fight the guard, not to kill the mares.’ I stare at him, horror-struck.
‘Zoe, this is the only solution. We can’t bring the mares out to the town. They’ll attack everyone. If Travellers die here then...’
‘Then they die in real life. Yes, I know. That doesn’t mean it’s right!’
‘If we leave them here for the Mayor to use, he’ll have too much power at his disposal. We can’t let them stay here alive.’ His tone is heavy but there’s not the slightest hint of doubt. ‘It’s the only way.’