Darcy walked into the canteen and sat down opposite Martin. She had obviously been crying.
“So,” said Martin, “what did you want to tell me?”
“What you heard—in the maths corridor—I didn’t… I didn’t mean it.”
“You said you were going to break up with me,” said Martin. “Why would you say that unless you meant it?”
Darcy stared at the crumbs on the table.
“I’m waiting for the explanation you said you’d give me,” said Martin.
He felt bad about being so cold and harsh to her, but a part of him felt like she deserved it.
“It’s weird,” said Darcy, “and I know you won’t believe me…”
“Try me.”
“I know that I said I wanted to break up with you. And I know I’ve been acting weirdly for a while. But it hasn’t actually been me doing those things…”
She tailed off, looking sheepish. “I know that it sounds stupid. But I’m telling the truth.” She looked into Martin’s eyes. “You don’t believe me, do you?”
Martin looked at her. Her eyes were red and her make-up was smudged, but she was still the beautiful Darcy that he had fallen in love with. And he knew that she was telling the truth. He took her hand and kissed it.
“I’m sorry, Darcy.”
“No, I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner.”
Martin paused. “Someone has been trying to make us break up, Darcy. Someone who really hates us. But who could possibly hate us that much?”
He looked into her eyes.
“Either way,” said Martin. “Whatever’s happening to you—don’t be scared. I will always be there for you whatever happens.”
“Thank you, Martin. I love you.”
“I love you too, Darcy.”
Martin silently vowed revenge upon the person that had tried to break them up. Because if it hadn’t been for Mulciber’s intervention, they might have succeeded…
*
Martin went home at the end of school feeling happy again. The sun didn’t seem like some giant villain now; it seemed to cast hope and promise again. Martin kissed Darcy as he got off the Tube train. He made his way up the escalator and out into the street.
As soon as he reached the apartment building, he took the stairs up to the second floor. He was frightened of travelling in lifts. It used to be a big thing for him, but now he really couldn’t care less. Since he had started going out with Darcy, Martin had realised that it really didn’t matter whether or not he could travel in a lift. Lots of people had a phobia of some kind. It was actually kind of ironic—he didn’t mind flying around all over London, but when it came to lifts… no way. He grinned as he used his keycard to get into the apartment.
His dad was standing right by the door; he seemed to be in a state of shock.
“Dad?” said Martin. “What’s the matter?”
His dad paused, as if trying to force his mouth to open for words to come out.
“He’s come back,” said his dad. “Your grandfather has come back.”
“Really? Well, that’s good, isn’t it?”
Martin had always wanted to meet his grandfather. After the death of his mother, Martin’s grandfather had apparently disappeared. His dad had always said that he could never get over his daughter’s loss.
“Is he here—can I see him?”
Martin’s dad sighed, and gestured with his head towards the kitchen.
“I’m sorry, Martin.”
“Sorry? For what?”
“For lying to you.”
Martin frowned. He didn’t know what was going on. But he walked, slowly, towards the kitchen, and peered around the corner.
The man smiled. Martin’s grandfather had white hair and purple eyes.
“Hello, grandson.”
Martin stopped breathing. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was Mulciber.
CHAPTER 10: THE UNIVERSAL SWITCHBOARD
“But… I don’t understand,” said Martin.
The Axis Lord was leaning against the worktop when Martin entered. He poured some oats into a bowl, and the clockwork bird began to peck at them.
“That thing eats?” said Martin, momentarily distracted.
Mulciber smiled. “Yes, he does eat. Softie has a clockwork stomach; he absorbs the energy from starch and uses it to re-wind himself occasionally.”
“Huh. Impressive.”
“Yes. I suppose you have many more questions to ask me.”
Martin laughed humourlessly. Where to even begin?
“How can you be my grandfather? I don’t understand. I’m human.”
Mulciber shook his head. “No, not human. Only half human.”
“What?”
“Your mother, Aurora King, was my daughter. Your father took her surname. The Axis Lords consider it an offence for a man to take a woman’s surname. It was a little act of rebellion. ‘King’ is an Axis Lord name meaning ‘godlike’.”
It had always seemed a little strange that his father had taken Aurora’s surname. His other grandparents, the Greens, had always said that his dad had been too much in love to argue.
“But… why has nobody ever told me this?”
“I told your father not to tell you,” said Mulciber.
“Why?
“Because your grandfather wanted you to have a normal life, Martin.”
Martin turned at the new voice. His dad had entered the kitchen. He put a hand on Martin’s shoulder.
“Imagine growing up knowing that you weren’t completely human,” said his dad. “You are something entirely new. Axis Lords and humans have never had children together before.” He sighed. “I meant to tell you about it. Ever since you got that superpower I knew it was time. But it was hard… hard to admit that I’ve lied to you for so long.”
Martin shook his head. It was all too much to take in. But it sort of made sense. His dad had been strangely accepting of the fact that he could fly.
“Where did you two meet?” he said finally.
“A bar, funnily enough,” said Charlie. “Aurora was on Earth doing some research for the Axis Lords. She was a biologist. I must have seemed so ignorant to her… so backward…” He paused, smiling, as her memory lit up his eyes. “But we fell in love. She left everything for me—her people, her home…”
“I came down to Earth for the wedding,” said Mulciber. “I was thrilled about what had happened. Axis Lords are such a pompous race.”
“Why didn’t she look like an Axis Lady?” said Martin.
“You know that crucifix she used to wear?” said Charlie. “Well, that was actually a Deceiving Necklace. She was determined to lead a normal human life.”
“But then she died, right?” said Martin.
“No,” said Charlie.
Martin blinked. “What?”
“No. All those years, drinking myself to oblivion, and she was alive all this time…”
“Might be alive,” Mulciber corrected him. He turned to Martin. “We had always thought that Aurora had died in a spaceship crash in a star system near Atrios. She was in her third life at the time, so it seemed obvious that she was dead. But…”
“But what?” said Martin.
“I received a message,” said Mulciber. “A message that I think is from her.”
He took a blue ring from his pocket. “This is a Ring of Last Resort. It’s an antiquated bit of Axis tech—a sort of digital message-in-a-bottle. They are designed for when you’re in a hopeless situation with no way out. This particular ring homed in on me.”
Mulciber activated the ring. A voice filled the kitchen.
“Located—located on—located—located on—”
“It’s broken,” Mulciber explained. “The only data remaining on the ring is that tiny fragment of the original recording. But it’s Aurora’s voice. If she is alive, she needs help.”
Martin poured himself a glass of water and drank it all in one gulp.
“I don’t buy it,�
�� he said finally. “I don’t believe you. I don’t believe that I’m half Axis Lord.”
Mulciber stroked Softie. “Haven’t you always felt like you’re… different from everyone else? That you’re better than everyone else?
Martin paused. He had always felt different—set apart from everyone else that he knew. He had always found it very hard to relate with other people his age. Even Tommy and Darcy sometimes seemed hard to understand.
“All the signs have always been there,” Mulciber went on. “For one thing, you are a genius. There is no such thing as a stupid Axis Lord. You have higher than usual stamina… you hardly ever get ill… I suppose you experience occasional feelings of mania, euphoria.”
Martin nodded quietly.
“So you say that mum is still alive?” he said finally.
“Perhaps.”
“Then how do we find out for sure?” said Charlie.
“We don’t do anything,” Mulciber said firmly. “This is Axis Lord work.” He turned to Martin. “We need to leave, and quickly.”
“Where are we going?”
“To the Universal Switchboard.”
*
Mulciber’s ship was called the Helios. The interior was about as different from Slater’s ship, Valiant Star, as possible.
They were sitting in the dark control room (unlike Valiant Star, it had no lounge) as the ship moved through space. The black walls were covered with inset circles. There was a wide rectangular window at the front of the control room. It looked out to space; Martin had spent several minutes staring out at the stars. They had been sitting in silence since the beginning of the journey.
“So what exactly is the Universal Switchboard?” said Martin finally. “Some kind of telephone exchange?”
Mulciber smiled. “Not quite. It’s a planet. It was custom-built by the Universal Tax Authority to clamp down on tax evasion. It is a planet-sized directory that allows you to locate any sentient being in the universe. As long as you have a sample of their DNA, you can find them. It’s the envy of every police force and criminal gang in the five galaxies.”
“That’s amazing,” said Martin.
“Yes, it’s wonderful technology,” said Mulciber. “Then again, I did invent it.”
“You did?”
Mulciber nodded, stroking Softie modestly. “Well, I got bored one night and the UTA had been offering me a fortune to put something together for them.”
“And now we can use the Switchboard to find my mum?”
“I hope so, Martin. I really hope so.”
*
The Helios touched down on the Universal Switchboard. Mulciber handed Martin a gun.
“Here, hide this somewhere.”
“A gun?”
“Rule one of going anywhere—always take a gun with you.”
Martin didn’t feel that comfortable carrying the gun, but he did as his grandfather told him. It occurred to him that Mulciber looked very young.
“Mulciber—I mean, granddad?”
“Yes?”
“How old are you?”
“245,231 years of age,” said Mulciber. “I’m in my third life now.”
“Right.” Martin paused. “And how long am I going to live? I mean, if I’m half Axis Lord?”
“Good question. I really don’t know. Like I said, there’s never been a human-Axis Lord hybrid before.”
They stepped out onto the surface of the planet. It was very dark, but two perfectly smooth moons provided some illumination.
“It’s always night here,” Mulciber explained. “It’s an energy-saving measure. The UTA are very miserly.”
There was a light, artificial breeze. It felt more like air-conditioning than wind. The entire surface of the planet was covered in what looked like the pattern on a circuit board. Mulciber pointed towards a cluster of buildings a five-minute walk away.
“That’s the main control city,” he explained.
“It’s huge,” said Martin, squinting to see in the gloom.
The control city stretched on as far as he could see.
“It needs to be. This planet is the main tax centre for the entire Blue galaxy, with an employee count of over two million. The bulk of the planet is uninhabited—simply part of the circuitry. But that control city is roughly the size of Germany.”
Martin and Mulciber walked over the strangely smooth surface of the planet towards the massive control city.
They entered the city. They walked along a grey street, which was illuminated by regular streetlamps. It was filled with nondescript grey buildings. Martin assumed that most of the workers were inside the buildings doing their jobs. A couple of workers were walking along the street, and greeted them as they passed.
“Thierons,” explained Mulciber. “They make up virtually the entire staff on this planet. They’re honest, you see. Famous for it throughout the entire galaxy. It’s genetically impossible for them to accept a bribe. Of course, they’re also very attractive.”
The aliens were attractive. Every Thieron that Martin saw could easily have been a professional model on Earth—they were all astonishingly beautiful, with bright eyes and perfect complexions.
“How are things with your girlfriend?” said Mulciber, glancing at a passing blonde Thieron.
Martin smiled. “Better. Thanks to you. She said that there was some force controlling her. But she doesn’t know what it was. It’s pretty scary, actually.”
Mulciber frowned. “Yes, it is.”
“I’m glad you came back, granddad. I wish you’d visited sooner.”
“I’m sorry, Martin, but I wanted you to have a normal upbringing with your father.”
Martin stopped walking, and looked at his grandfather.
“What did make you decide to come back?”
“I… I won’t lie to you Martin. There were a few reasons. Of course, I wanted to see you. I also want to help save your planet from the Axis Lords. But also…”
Mulciber tailed off.
“What?” said Martin.
He shook his head. “Never mind. Come on.” He pointed ahead. “You see that blue building? That’s the Tax Office—that’s where we’re heading.”
They carried on walking.
“You told me before that you transmitted a signal to Abaddon,” said Mulciber.
Martin nodded.
“I always thought he was just a legend,” said Mulciber smiling. “A fairy tale to frighten children. ‘Eat your vegetables, or Abaddon will be unleashed upon you.’ How did you manage to send the signal?”
“There’s an Axis Lord called Slater—he took us to a planet called Wormwood to use the transmitter. Oh…”
“What?”
“Slater got ill on Wormwood—some sort of disease that only affects Axis Lords. I got ill too, but we didn’t know why. I suppose I do now.”
“Indeed. So where is this Slater now?”
“He rejuvenated his body,” Martin explained, “and he’s in his second life now. He had all this… energy all of a sudden. I don’t know exactly where he went. He talked about finding an old friend.”
Mulciber frowned thoughtfully. “Well, I hope we can find him when we get back to Earth. I would very much like to meet him. Ah, we’re here.”
They stopped outside an angular building. It stood out from all the other buildings, not because of its shape, but because of its colour. While all the other buildings were grey, this one was coloured a peaceful sky blue.
“It’s blue for a reason,” said Mulciber. “Most of the people who work in here have all of the most boring jobs. The suicide rate was going through the roof. So they painted the outside and put lots of green plants inside.”
“Did it work?”
“Not really.”
*
The inside of the Tax Office was still quite depressing. The floors and walls were painted blue, but that only made them look more miserable. There were office plants scattered around in cheap pots—many of them seemed to be dying from l
ack of water.
“I need to speak to the man in charge,” Mulciber explained. “As the designer, I can go anywhere I like on the planet, strictly speaking. But it’s sometimes better to observe formalities.”
Mulciber seemed to be heading towards the lift. Martin was about to say something, but Mulciber turned before they reached it and started to walk up the stairs.
Eventually, they reached the door of an office. A gold plaque over the door read:
Jaz Jazz, MTE
“Jaz Jazz?” said Martin. “Funny name. So this man runs the whole Tax Office?”
“Well, sort of. Jaz Jazz does run the Tax Office, but I was being a little imprecise when I said man.”
Mulciber took a keycard from his pocket and swiped it. The office door clicked open.
“Special privileges,” said Mulciber. “Access all areas.”
Martin followed his granddad inside the office. It was a very strange room. The floor was carpeted with grass, and it was filled with trees. Little birds chirped from the branches. There was a small fountain, and a pond. A beautiful Thieron woman was sitting on a park bench, using some sort of computer screen that was projected in front of her.
“Hello, darling,” said the woman. For a second Martin thought she was talking to him. But she was talking to Mulciber.
Mulciber grinned and took the woman by the hand, kissing her on the lips. Martin just stood there, dumbfounded.
“This is my grandson, Martin King,” said Mulciber.
Martin walked over to greet the woman. She was wearing a scarlet business suit that was made of a rubber-like material. She touched his head with her cold fingertips.
“Impressive brain development,” she said. “He’s certainly a King.” The woman smiled. “Nice to meet you, Martin. My name’s Jaz Jazz. Do you like my office?”
“It’s very… sunny,” said Martin.
He looked up, squinting. There was some kind of orb floating above the room, like a tiny sun. The light from it was very much like actual sunlight.
Jaz Jazz laughed. “My office alone accounts for 10% of the energy usage of this entire planet. But, then again, the department has become 400% more effective since I took the job, so fair is fair.”
Martin King and the Prison of Ice (Martin King Series) Page 9