by Foz Meadows
On their way to Circular Quay, they'd stopped for a drink. One drink had become several. Several had become many, until suddenly, it had become a proper wake. They'd toasted the dead and reminisced, even where their reminiscences were thin, because three people had been murdered, cruelly and without thought, by someone they'd thought was a friend. On the arrival of their final round, Manx had raised his glass.
‘Lest we forget,’ he said, softly.
Everyone drank.
The Opera House roof had been Evan's idea. Solace gained them admittance by thralling the ticket-collector, although she'd been tired by then and it had taken some time. Once inside, Laine led them onto the roof, reading the route from a sea of available minds. At one point, when a swipe-card had been required, Paige had displayed her peculiar climbing talent, shimmying out along a balcony edge to borrow one from an unwary maintenance man. Solace wasn't particularly sure how they'd evaded detection in that exercise without any planning, but as lucky as that made them, she didn't care.
Since then, they'd been camped on the rooftop, silently watching the stars. The wealth of height around them was like a drug: nobody seemed to want to look away. Turning her head, Solace realised that Evan was keeping apart from the others. His shoulders were shaking. Something kicked in her chest, and she walked over to him.
‘Phoebe,’ she began tentatively. ‘Did you love her?’
Still with his back to her, Evan shook his head.
‘No. I just wanted to sleep with her.’ When he looked up, his eyes were wet. ‘That shouldn't make me a horrible person, should it? There are worse things in the world. But now she's dead.’
‘It's not your fault.’
‘Did I say it was?’ His face twisted. ‘How do you grieve for a person you didn't know? You can't. I'm only feeling sorry for myself. Stupid!’ Angrily, he kicked the railing, hard. Hot tears slid down his cheek.
‘You didn't do anything wrong.’
Since when did that make a difference?’
‘Since forever.’
‘Says you.’
‘Evan –’
‘I know. I know. I just –’ He slumped forwards, staring down into the water. ‘It doesn't make it better.’ When he next looked up at her, his blue eyes resembled the blackening sea, as though each iris had been bruised.
‘Solace? I'm sorry about Glide.’
It took all her strength not to stagger. Even so small an absolution landed like a physical blow. She didn't move, letting her fingers freeze on the rail. No words would come, and for a moment, silence reigned. Then she found her voice again.
‘Now?’ she managed.
The others nodded, but it was Evan who spoke.
‘Please. Yes. Now.’
Quietly, Jess and Harper stepped forward to join him. Each of them picked up an urn: Tryst for Harper, Claire for Jess, and Phoebe for Evan. A soft breeze blew past them, salty as tears, or the ocean.
‘Goodbye,’ Laine whispered.
The ashes flew.
Relocation
‘You know what?’ said Paige, addressing everyone in general, ‘This basement? Entirely too small for our purposes. I mean, no offence, here, guys –’
‘None taken,’ said Jess, who was combing her hair with minimal success.
‘– cool, but this place was in no way designed to hold all your crud and eight people.’
‘Granted,’ said Evan, glumly.
It was true. The first night had been bearable only because everyone had been so exhausted, emotionally and physically, that sleeping on tiny scraps of floor hadn't presented a real problem. Now, however, crammed to bursting point with eight mildly hung-over individuals, the novelty was wearing thinner than a piece of old silk. Two nights on the floor had left Solace with a painful crick in her neck, and after Evan and Jess had agreed to share the beds, the only people who'd had a good night's sleep were Manx and Electra.
She wasn't even going to comment on the snoring.
‘What about your place?’ she asked Harper instead. ‘You live with Laine and Paige, right?’
Harper shrugged. ‘We do, but it's not much bigger than this. Cleaner, maybe, but that's about it.’
‘Oh.’
‘Could Electra find something?’ Paige suggested tentatively. ‘I mean – I'm not sure how someone could lose a house, per se, but –’
Electra shook her head apologetically. ‘Sorry. I can do a lot of things, but I'm pretty sure that's not one of them.’
Solace smiled ruefully. ‘Well, I've got a castle. Assuming we ever find out where it is and provided it hasn't burned entirely to rubble, it'll be private suites all round.’
‘Joy of joys,’ sighed Evan, standing and stretching. ‘Come on, then. We may as well go for a walk. See if there aren't any squats in the area. You know – crack dens, troll caves, feng shui palaces. The usual.’
Only too glad for something to do, the others murmured their assent and began to rise, chatting with casually renewed purpose.
Jess put a hand on Solace's arm. ‘It's bright out,’ she said. ‘Reckon you'll be okay? Daylight hasn't been too good to you lately.’
Solace rubbed her eyes. ‘Don't worry about it. I need to get used to the stupid sun again, anyway.’
‘You know what?’ Solace panted, ten minutes later. ‘Stuff the stupid sun.’
‘Over there, into the shade,’ said Harper. With a grunt, Evan complied. The two of them were all but carrying her. For whatever reason, her kneecaps felt as if they'd vanished, leaving her unable to walk. Her feet alternately stumbled, trailed and scraped behind her.
Welcome shade loomed in the form of an alley. Carefully, her two friends dropped her out of the light and onto the ground, where she sprawled, gasping for breath. Automatically, Jess reached out a hand to check her temperature, then pulled back, sucking her fingers.
‘She's burning up,’ she muttered, ‘and I mean literally. It's like touching a hot stove.’
‘Does she always do this?’ asked Paige, curious. Evan looked troubled. ‘I don't think she used to, but lately, it's been getting worse.’
‘I'm fine,’ mumbled Solace, struggling to sit up and almost falling flat on her face. Her head was muzzy. Her eyes didn't work. It felt like her veins were full of water rather than blood, as if her head was about to turn into a giant helium balloon and float off into the ether.
‘This isn't good,’ said Manx, his voice distant. ‘Should we take her somewhere?’
‘No,’ said Laine softly, leaning in. Her face was so close that Solace was forced to meet her gaze.
‘I c'n match you,’ she mumbled. Concentrating, she closed her eyes in a long, hard blink, and then opened them again. To her credit, Laine didn't flinch, but Jess looked momentarily taken aback.
‘I didn't know she could do that.’
Evan whistled. ‘Awesome party trick.’
Solace's eyes had become china-blue, as pale as Laine's and startling. Grinning goofily, she batted her lashes and sighed. Abruptly, as if maintaining the change were difficult, one eye slid closed and opened again in its usual black, so that in the moments before the remaining iris darkened, she was as mismatched as Manx. Her head slumped a little. Lightning-fast, Laine reached out a hand and grabbed her chin before she could fall sideways.
‘She'll be fine,’ the psychic muttered, before anyone could ask. ‘Her mind is fine. Her body is, it's already wearing off, I can tell you that. Just give her a minute.’
A minute passed. Groggily, Solace stirred. ‘Am I better now?’ she asked, weakly.
Everyone smiled in relief.
As she struggled to sit up again, Harper stepped forwards and put an arm around her. Grateful, she accepted the help, letting him prop her gently against the wall. Tilting her head back, she drank in the sight of the blue sky far overhead.
‘Guess I'm not going to be coming outside much anymore, huh?’
‘Apparently not,’ said Harper.
Solace watched a thin trail of cloud drif
t lazily away. ‘Still have to find a place, though.’
‘True.’
‘Where are we?’
Evan looked around. ‘Somewhere in Paddington.’
‘So there's pretty much no way into the city that doesn't involve crossing large, glowing patches of direct sunlight?’
‘'fraid not.’
Solace sighed. ‘Somehow, right now? That doesn't feel like the best plan. I might just have to head home, assuming there's a shady way back. I –’
She stopped, confused. Something soft was rubbing against her ankles. Mildly surprised, she looked down.
A very small cat was weaving between her legs. Pausing momentarily in this chore, it blinked at Solace with a large pair of pale green eyes before trotting daintily into their midst. It was quite a pretty cat, mostly blue-grey but with white splotches on its belly and paws, and a matching stripe down its nose. Its appearance was so unexpected that for a moment, everyone turned to watch.
Passing by Manx, it paused, sniffed him and sneezed, an action so comic and dainty that Solace felt sure the little creature was female. Sitting back on her haunches, the cat rested her front paws on Manx's leg, eyeing him critically.
You are too big!>
Solace jumped. The voice had been low, raspy and dryly feminine, prickling with a hint of purr that was simultaneously a hint of growl.
‘I heard that,’ Solace said. Manx's eyes widened. The little cat craned her head around and blinked briefly at Solace.
Silence, human>
Then Manx silently addressed the cat.
Hello, little sister>
The cat yawned, apparently choosing to ignore this remark. Solace remembered Manx telling her that he could speak to cats, but while this was a satisfactory explanation in part, it did not explain why she could do so, too, nor why this particular cat was apparently able to understand English. Whether or not there was an explanation remained to be seen, but not for the last time and certainly not for the first, Solace took a moment to appreciate just how many and varied oddities the world was capable of producing.
She then realised that everyone else was staring. With an apologetic gulp, she pointed to the cat. ‘She's talking to us,’ she explained.
I am ignoring you, human>
‘Well – she's ignoring me, apparently, but she might be talking to Manx.’ Evan opened his mouth. ‘Don't ask,’ Solace interjected, before he could.
What can you tell us?> asked Manx.
The cat – Solace still couldn't decide how old she was – flicked her tail. Follow me> she commanded. Dropping down from Manx's leg, she turned and began to trot along the alley.
‘She says to follow her,’ Manx interpreted to the others.
Without waiting for anyone else to answer, Evan headed off behind the cat.
Electra grabbed his arm. ‘You're just going to do as it says?’
‘Tell me a better choice we have. Besides, it – she – is tiny.’ Evan pulled a face. ‘It's not like we're chasing a rogue leopard.’
‘Come on, then,’ Manx said, joining Evan.
The alley, it turned out, was not a dead end. Instead, it branched off into two equally narrow, equally shady streets. The little cat paused briefly then bounded off down the left-hand path, not bothering to see if she was being followed.
‘You didn't say you could talk to animals,’ Manx murmured to Solace.
‘I didn't know I could!’
‘Probably a side-effect of that translating languages thing,’ said Evan casually. Manx and Solace stared at him. Evan blinked. ‘Remember? That random small miracle wherein you suddenly started listening in tongues and overheard Glide on his universe-surfing dreams? The cat is speaking. I get that. And therefore you understand.’ They continued to stare at him. Evan stopped walking and threw up his hands. ‘Am I the only one who sees the logic in this?’
‘Evidently,’ Solace muttered, embarrassed.
‘Argue it later.’ Electra grabbed her arm. ‘Look.’
Solace glanced up. The cat had stopped. The laneway ended not much farther on. The backs of terrace houses rose on either side of them. As if she'd been waiting for their full attention, the little cat stepped up close to the right-hand wall, which was made of brick and belonged to a different type of building altogether.
Here> she said, in a disinterested tone.
With Manx and Solace leading, everyone crowded forward.
In front of them was a wooden door, originally painted green but now peeling in cracks and flakes. There was a keyhole, but no handle. It appeared to be locked.
What is it?> Manx asked.
The cat blinked dismissively. You are still too big> she admonished, and then, when he continued staring at her, Get smaller!>
Comprehension dawned.
‘She wants me to change,’ he said, frowning. ‘Should I –’
‘Just do what the lady says, eh?’ Evan grumbled. ‘But pounce on me again, and you're a dead man. Cat. Thing.’
The little cat glanced at Evan. You are useful, perhaps. For a human>
Solace laughed; Evan raised an eyebrow until she translated, at which point he laughed, too.
‘Fine then.’ Manx shifted unhappily. ‘Nobody look!’
Shuffling a little farther down the alley, he began to undress. Blushing slightly, Solace looked away; the others did the same or closed their eyes. Several seconds passed. Evan breathed in, about to speak, but was cut off by an uncomfortable bending, stretching, clicking sound, followed by a high-pitched, inquisitive ‘Mrou?’
They looked back in time to see Manx-as-cat padding sulkily towards them.
Still too big!> their guide scolded, dashing forwards. For a moment, the two felines faced off, the little cat not even coming up to the base of Manx's elbow, or at least, to what Solace supposed would count as the cat equivalent of an elbow. There was a pause. Abruptly, the little cat struck out and bopped Manx unceremoniously on the nose.
Follow!>
It was very Monty Python, Solace decided as she watched Manx, who was almost the size of a panther, follow the little cat up to the window – like something out of a Terry Gilliam cartoon. Initially, their destination wasn't obvious, forcing Manx to tag along while his guide navigated a series of obstacles, eventually arriving at a nearby roof. From there, the two of them vanished from sight, only to reappear a minute later, perched a metre or so away from a window in the side of the brick building. With practised ease, the little cat leapt across the gap and through the open window. Manx was another matter. From the set of his ears and the continual flicker of his tail, he was clearly concerned as to whether or not he would fit. It was all Solace could do to keep from laughing when, after a few seconds of this indecision, the little cat's head poked back out of the window.
Silly cat-human> she chided. You are not useful!> And before Manx could respond, she ducked back into the building.
Clearly insulted, he crouched down, growled to himself, leapt valiantly across the gap, and almost fell to his death. While his head, chest and front paws made it through the window, his hind legs and tail were left to dangle unceremoniously out, causing more than one person to wince at the harsh scrabble of claws on brick. With a loud, high-pitched yowl and to the considerable cringing of Evan, who hadn't looked away, Manx changed back into human form just in time to grab hold of the inside wall, wriggling uncomfortably through. His friends gave a collective sigh of relief.
‘I forgot he'd be naked!’ Evan moaned, making a show of rubbing his eyes.
Jess picked up Manx's discarded clothing and threw it at her brother. ‘Make sure to give him these, then.’
Quietly, they waited for Manx to reappear. After about a half a minute there was a thudding sound from inside the house, followed shortly by a slightly ominous crunching. With a discordantly cheerful clink! the door opened fractionally. Solace wasn't alone in holding her breath, and when Manx's head peeked out, both she and Electra breathed sighs of relief.
‘There's jus
t a slide-bolt in here,’ he said. ‘Well, among other things. Anyway, that keyhole seems to be just for show. The door opens now.’
‘So we can see,’ said Evan dryly.
A hand thrust out.
‘Just give me my pants, will you?’
‘With pleasure.’
Inside, the building revealed itself as an impressive find. It was two storeys tall, and as Manx had intimated before letting them in, was far from empty. Milk crates, cardboard boxes, some old chairs and a makeshift table made from bricks and a large square of wood filled the downstairs area, together with an assortment of random utensils that were either rusting, broken or of indiscernible purpose. Upstairs, on the other hand, was almost entirely bare, except for an old double mattress laid out in the corner opposite the window.
It was here that the little cat was sitting, holding one white-gloved paw out in front of her as she washed it clean.
‘Why did you bring us here?’ Solace asked.
Somewhat typically, the cat ignored her in favour of grooming. It wasn't until Solace had turned to head back downstairs that she received any kind of an answer. I was bored> said the cat. And the Big One opened the door>