by Jon Robinson
‘I want to come with you,’ Jes said. ‘I want to fight.’
‘You need to keep hold of the Pledge keys,’ Alyn said. ‘If we lose them, this will all be for nothing.’
Before he had even finished, Alyn could see the desperation in her eyes. ‘I need to find Emmanuel.’
He stepped close to Jes, kissed her on the cheek and left before she had a chance to change his mind.
49
Three days later
The Prime Minister was sitting in darkness inside the Westminster hotel, illuminated only by flickering candle flame. He lowered his pen, filled his glass with port and looked out of the window at the empty street. Ever since Felix had approached him and told him the Pledge’s plan, he had been plagued with nightmares. It is madness, had been his first thought. Using a prison full of children with some Ability to change reality? Felix claimed they could transform the economy, solve military conflicts, halt terrorism. Foreign relations? Yes, Felix had answered. No problem at all. Health scares? Weather disasters, like the floods that seemed to be growing increasingly out of control? The project is like Aladdin’s lamp, Felix had joked. More like Pandora’s box, the Prime Minister now thought.
Now where was he? A shell of a man, haunted and hunched over a table in his hotel room. His therapist had told him he needed a holiday; he’d only been back a week, and in that time some of the inmates had escaped. He could feel the noose tightening …
There was a knock at the door. He jumped, releasing his pen. He leant down to retrieve it, but froze.
Another knock.
He cautiously got to his feet and shuffled towards the door. ‘Who is it?’
‘A friend.’
The Prime Minister paused. He felt his hand reaching down and turning the handle, as though he had no control over it.
‘You,’ he hissed, as Emmanuel stepped inside.
‘I’ve come to relieve you of your duties,’ Emmanuel replied. He gestured to the darkness around them both. ‘No power. A fitting end to your reign.’
The Prime Minister walked over to the window and gazed at the streets below, which were covered in broken glass and debris. At the far end of the road a car was burning. A group of forty or so looters charged on to the street.
‘Revolution by anarchy. It won’t be the first time someone’s attempted it. Nor the last, I imagine.’ The Prime Minister sighed, shaking his head. ‘There’s one thing I’ve come to realize in all of this. Nothing’s perfect. There is no such thing as Utopia. Someone’s always better off, someone’s always worse off. You may very well take control of the country, but you’ll see the same problems emerging too, I promise. And you’ll be in my shoes and another more dangerous maniac will have taken your place.’ He took a sip from the glass of port on the table. ‘Best of luck. You’ll need it.’
‘I appreciate the concern,’ Emmanuel said, and plunged a blade in between the Prime Minister’s ribs.
50
There was a cry, hoarse and desperate, and the scuffle of shoes on stone.
Alyn turned the corner and found himself confronted by a surging bonfire in the middle of the street. A row of shattered, dented cars were askew on either side of him. Shops and homes were boarded up, either as a result of their windows being smashed or to prevent it happening.
‘Animals, animals!’ came a voice at the end of the road. Alyn moved closer, keeping tight to the wall. A gang of rioters stood around in a circle, their faces covered by farmyard masks. A pig stood next to a lamb.
The lamb, the most threatening, gripped a suited man with one hand, while a knife danced close to his throat. ‘You trying to say something, politician?’
‘Only – only that the world’s gone mad,’ the suited man whimpered, staring at the knife.
‘Mad?’ said the man in the lamb mask, pushing him to the ground. ‘No. This has been coming for a long time. You really that stupid?’
The man on the ground wheezed. ‘I have no say in any of it … I have no say …’
‘Makes two of us,’ said the lamb. He pulled his victim to his feet and threw him on to a car. ‘Which were you?’
‘Pardon?’
‘Which one were you – Eton or Harrow?’
‘I don’t know what you’re –’
The man behind the lamb mask laughed. ‘Did you have a servant? Silver spoon? You flabby, useless old –’
‘Eton,’ the man spluttered reluctantly. ‘But that’s not my fault, I –’
‘Not our fault where we were born either. And we have the likes of you – a jellyfish – leading us. Making decisions for us. Taking control of our lives.’ He twirled the knife tip against the man’s tie, watching as the sweat descended his brow.
‘Stop!’ Alyn yelled, unable to contain himself any longer.
The group in animal masks looked up. The pig picked up a plank of wood and slowly walked towards Alyn, who shifted to the side, embracing the wall.
‘Stop? You want us to stop?’ said the masked man, creeping closer.
Alyn shut his eyes and visualized a butterfly. His head pulsed with pain; it was getting harder and harder to use the Ability. Alyn had started having the nosebleeds, along with feelings of dizziness and a constant uneasy sensation of déjà vu. It wouldn’t be long before the blackouts started and the sickness claimed him. Maybe it had already claimed the others, his friends.
As the smiling pig mask stepped into view, Alyn stood taller.
The man lifted his plank of wood menacingly. Behind the eye slots, Alyn could make out two glistening eyes.
Alyn took a step back. The man in the pig mask took a step after him, but was slammed against the bonnet of a speeding car. There was a cracking sound and a bump, and the body was launched into the air, hit the ground and rolled across the tarmac.
Alyn turned and ran as fast as he could.
51
Elsa lit a match and lowered it to the oil lamp. She held it against the wick and sighed. Ever since Emmanuel had taken the power from the city, she and the others had been living in the dingy disused underground station. It reminded her of being back in Nowhere. Right where they’d started.
In just three days the city looked like it was in the aftermath of a civil war. Homes were burned, windows shattered and shops looted. Cars were left abandoned, where their owners had fled in panic.
There was still no sign of Alyn, and Elsa had already resigned herself to the fact that the worst might have happened. But Alyn was not the only one she feared they might not see again; the sickness had affected Pyra, Anton and the rest of the Guild far worse than her and her friends. They’d been using it for longer, after all.
It won’t be long before it takes hold of me too.
‘Here, Pyra,’ Elsa said, passing her a mug filled with water.
Pyra murmured softly as Elsa put a hand behind her head, lifting her gently.
‘Is it over?’ Pyra whispered. ‘Are things back to normal?’
‘Almost,’ Elsa replied.
A lie, but a comforting one. Elsa put the lamp down and went outside to join the others. It was snowing silently. The sky was white and she could make out the faintest hint of the sun struggling through.
Ryan and Jes were sitting together against the wall.
‘It’s been days,’ he said. ‘We’ve still not got anywhere close to Emmanuel –’
Elsa gazed at the keys. Antonia’s, Blythe’s and Stephen’s were placed next to each other on the ground. So close, she thought. But without Felix’s – now Emmanuel’s – they may as well have none.
‘And we still don’t know what to do with them,’ Julian interrupted. He had been listening to their conversation in secret, in that unnerving, careful way of his. Even he was beginning to look sick, tired and pale.
‘He’s making his way around the city,’ Jes said. ‘Trying to get all the rioters on his side. Seems to be working.’
‘Someone always profits from chaos,’ Julian murmured. ‘Still, he must have an army by this po
int.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ said Jes. ‘We’ve got to attack. We have to.’
‘With what? We lost the ibises.’
‘With whatever it takes,’ Jes said, and got to her feet. ‘We’re not going to make anything happen sitting around. Come on, I mean, you guys have the Ability, right?’
‘But each time we use it now we’ll end up more like –’ Elsa nodded over to Harlan, who was unconscious.
‘But the same thing will happen if we don’t,’ said Julian.
It’s true, Elsa thought. The Ability was the only thing that could both save or destroy them.
‘So we’re screwed either way,’ Ryan said.
‘Exactly,’ Julian replied. ‘Seems to be quite the recurring theme with us, doesn’t it?’
52
The shadow of the Prime Minister’s hanging body swung back and forth behind Emmanuel. A crowd of nearly a thousand had gathered and were watching intently.
Since the fall of the city Emmanuel’s was not the only group that had attempted to seize power from the chaos. But, unlike the others, they were the only ones with a clear leader who was determined to take control and stop at nothing to achieve it.
Gradually, as if by sheer force of will, Emmanuel found the number of his followers increasing, pulled into his orbit.
‘These people,’ Emmanuel said, gesturing to the swinging body, ‘our government, have led us into ruin. They’ve cowered away from the financial sector, let them get away with murder, and who suffers? Not them, the wealthy politicians. Not them, but you. The people. While they retire to their second or third homes, laughing at you all, it is you who are struggling to survive.’ He paused, watching the crowd. ‘They have led you into wars from the comfort of their expensive leather armchairs. Their necks are not on the line. They never have been. And, worst of all, they tell you that you are the problem. It is not you. It is them.’
The crowd cheered.
‘We will purge the city of every last politician, every last liar and cheat and thief. And then we will take the financial district. We will burn their churches of money to the ground until there is nothing but rubble and glass. It begins at six o’clock this evening.’
Alyn watched from the crowd, his hood over his eyes. What are they going to do tonight? He thought back to Emmanuel’s warehouse and remembered the crates of explosives. The Houses of Parliament? It would be a symbolic act to show that they had won … that law and order had been overturned.
‘Join us!’ Emmanuel cried. ‘Let us eradicate this disease for good.’
Emmanuel raised his fist and there was another cheer from the crowd. He turned and left the platform, followed by a group of five people with their faces covered.
Alyn slipped through the crowd of spectators after him and it was then that he spotted Julian and Elsa lying in wait.
He watched Elsa hop up and throw a rock at one of Emmanuel’s aides, knocking him back.
‘Up there!’ someone shouted.
There was a sudden rattle of gunfire, which caused the crowd to disperse. Alyn dashed behind a car and waited with his back against it.
‘Hey,’ came a voice.
Alyn turned to find Ryan standing just metres away from him. A broken piece of wood was clutched in his raised hand.
‘Ryan,’ Alyn said, getting to his feet. ‘What are you guys doing here?’
‘Same as you,’ Ryan said. ‘Trying to get the last key …’
‘Trying to get yourselves killed, more like. All of you need to get the hell out of here. You’ve ruined everything, I was going to –’
Ryan scowled at him. ‘You might think you’re the leader of the Guild, but you ain’t my leader.’
‘You’re attacking an armed gang with rocks and –’ he looked at the plank in Ryan’s hand – ‘and bits of wood! Stop being such an idiot.’
Ryan stepped closer to Alyn. ‘An idiot? At least we’re trying. What are you doing? You’ve disappeared. No one even knew you were still alive … Jes has been worried sick …’
A man in a lion mask caught sight of the pair and hurried towards them. Alyn closed his eyes, gave a flick of his hand and the man slipped on a patch of ice, landing with such force that his body crumpled in the middle.
Alyn clutched his head, wincing. ‘Jes,’ he repeated. ‘Is she OK? Where is she?’
‘Dunno,’ Ryan said. ‘She’s around somewhere. Anyway, I’d better get going.’
Alyn called him back. ‘Wait. If you see her, I want you to tell her I love her. In case I never get the chance.’
Ryan looked at Alyn for a few moments, then at the ground.
‘Ryan, will you –’
‘Yeah, yeah, all right. I’ll tell her. Look, we need to get going.’
Alyn watched Ryan swing the plank at one of Emmanuel’s guards and hurry back to join Julian and Elsa.
‘Where’s Emmanuel?’ Ryan said.
‘He’s already gone,’ said a disappointed Elsa. ‘Come on – we need to get out of here.’
53
Ryan trudged along as the Guild made their way back across the city. Litter from upturned bins blew around his feet. The smell of smoke filled the air.
He looked over his shoulder at the sound of footsteps and noticed Jes some way back.
‘There’s nothing we can do,’ he grumbled. ‘Even with the Ability. He’s just got too many people. We can’t get near him.’
He stopped talking and leant against a wall, holding his head.
‘My head’s killing me,’ he groaned. ‘If we leave it much longer, I won’t be going home. That’s all I want, to get back and see my mum. She needs me, she does. I promised her.’
Jes said nothing and he was glad; sympathy would’ve only made him feel worse.
‘I’m worried about Alyn,’ Jes said. ‘I mean, he said he was going after Emmanuel, but I didn’t see him there. I –’
Ryan looked at her, then down at his feet. ‘I just saw him.’
‘You did? When?’
‘Back there. I spoke to him.’
‘Why didn’t you say something? You mean, you let him go off all by himself?’
He shrugged. ‘Didn’t have a lot of choice. It was pretty crazy.’
‘Well, what did he say?’
Ryan was about to recall Alyn’s words, but he stopped himself. ‘Nothing much.’
‘Oh.’
‘Didn’t say anything at all really,’ Ryan went on. ‘Think he’s happy just being alone for now. You know what he’s like.’
He took a step closer. ‘Remember when you left?’ he said. ‘Remember how you kissed me?’
‘Ryan …’
He put his hand against her face and Jes let it stay there for a few moments.
‘I can’t,’ she said, and pushed it away. ‘Not now, Ryan. I’m sorry.’
‘Alyn …’ he murmured, answering the question he hadn’t even asked.
Ryan had tensed his fist to try to influence her again. But at the last second he closed his eyes and released his fingers. ‘Jes?’
‘Yeah?’
‘He said … he said to tell you that he loves you.’ The moment the words left Ryan’s lips he pulled his hood up and jogged on ahead, leaving her standing by herself in the street.
54
‘I don’t know how much longer I’ve got left,’ Harlan whispered to Elsa, not long after they had returned to the abandoned station. ‘But I want to help. I want to do something.’
He looked terrible, even worse than when they’d left him earlier that day; dark rings hung beneath his eyes and his cheekbones were gaunt and hollow. His head sank back against the wall, unable to muster the energy for defiance.
‘Look at you,’ she said. ‘You’re a mess. You’re not going anywhere.’
‘Please,’ he croaked. ‘I can’t stay here … just let me go.’
Elsa watched him sadly. She realized how the Guild must have felt having to restrain Saul the way they had.
‘Remember how
we didn’t have any money or anything when we got to London? Remember how we were living on the streets and you were always trying to take care of me?’
Harlan nodded. ‘Yeah,’ he whispered, trying to smile.
‘Well, it’s my turn to take care of you now. And if you don’t stay put I’m gonna get mad and you don’t want that, Harlan …’
Her voice trailed off as she wiped a trickle of blood from her nose. The sight of blood had always scared her, but now she was used to it. The weakness and headaches were increasing, as well as the sense of déjà vu – reality was slipping away from her.
Elsa looked over at Julian, hoping he might have an answer. But he too seemed to have lost something in the past few days, as well as the top of his ear.
‘I miss you being mean to me,’ Elsa said, nudging him.
Julian looked at her blankly.
‘You know what else I’m missing? Home.’ She leant her head on his shoulder.
Jes sullenly entered the room, stepping over the quilts and sleeping bags.
‘Any news?’ said Elsa, getting to her feet. ‘Any sign of Emmanuel? Any idea where he might be going next?’
Jes shook her head.
‘Hey, come on, not you too,’ Elsa said. She reached into her bag and removed the bubble mixture. ‘Remember this?’
She held it towards Jes and blew a stream of bubbles in her face. ‘Who needs technology when we have bubbles, right?’
Before Jes could muster a response, Ryan burst into the room.
‘Guys, come outside,’ he said. ‘There’s something you should see.’
Elsa, Julian and Jes followed him out and along the slush-filled alleyway.
‘Wait,’ he said, halting them before they came out on to the street. Elsa, who was directly behind him, peered out. A man in a bomber jacket wearing a giraffe mask was standing in front of a house, looking left and right. A piece of paper fluttered in his hands.
‘One of Emmanuel’s men,’ Elsa whispered. ‘He looks lost.’