Phoenix Burning

by Bryony Pearce

  Inside the next room, to Summer’s obvious relief, the shelves had been cleaned. Each displayed different items.

  “That’s a solar panel!” Cezar shook off Bianca’s hand and limped forwards. “I never saw one of those before. I thought they were all smashed!”

  “Cezar!” Bianca was mortified.

  Toby stared at his feet, terrified that one look at his face would give away his knowledge.

  Mother Hesper nodded. “We have collected a few but, yes, most were smashed.”

  Uzuri raised one hand as if to touch the black silicon, then dropped it quickly when Mother Hesper glared at him.

  There was no dust on the panel. Toby’s heart rose. “Someone must clean,” he whispered to Ayla.

  “You’re right.”

  Toby’s idea about becoming an attendant seemed more attractive to him by the minute. He brought his attention back to what Mother Hesper was saying.

  “It is items like this that caused the apocalypse. Using the Sun’s gifts in such blasphemous ways, trapping its rays inside man-made machinery, treating it like a slave rather than the god that it is, no wonder it took its powers from us.”

  “Ave Soleil,” Adele whispered.

  “Praise the Sun,” Uzuri echoed and Biana raised her hand to make the sun sign, her nails glinting in the halflight.

  Toby mirrored her. Lenka and Matus glowered at them all.

  “And now, here.” Mother Hesper stopped in front of a set of shelves that glittered with jewellery inside glass cases. Every item depicted the sun: small sunburst earrings, torques in sunbeam shapes, tiaras that looked like rays, crystal suns inside silver pendants, a silver ring with a smiling sun’s face on it. Beside this display was another, of jewellery designed with both the sun and moon. Usually the sun was gold, the moon silver, but some were brightly coloured, almost cartoonish, and in one pendant set apart from the others, the moon was asleep. Toby leaned close. Something about the moon’s slumbering face made Toby think that it was crying. He looked up to find Mother Hesper staring at him and quickly stepped sideways to peer at a bangle with a little dancing sun dangling from it.

  “These must be worth a fortune.” Bianca’s nails ticked on the glass case as she lifted her hands to touch.

  Mother Hesper sneered. “We do not care. Once placed inside the Reliquary, an item never leaves.”

  Ayla’s hand closed around Toby’s forearm and he could feel the sweat on her palm. “Are those real diamonds?” She pointed to a ring in the centre.

  Mother Hesper narrowed her eyes. “I believe so. As I said, the value does not matter, if it depicts the Sun, it belongs to the sanctuary.”

  Ayla’s thoughtful hum gave Toby a shiver of concern.

  “It will be easy enough for you to identify similar items as important.” Mother Hesper waved them onwards and Toby frowned at the next display. This too was in a glass box, but it contained little statues, some with the head of a falcon, some little beetles.

  The teens stared solemnly.

  “Ah don’t get it,” Moira said eventually.

  “These are Egyptian.” Mother Hesper pointed to a statue of a male figure. “The Sun god, Ra. The scarab beetle.” If you see anything like this, it too depicts the Sun.”

  She moved along slightly to a statue of a woman wearing an elaborate headdress. “This is Hindu – another solar deity, Surya. Many items come to us from the old museums. Just because they do not show a picture of the Sun, does not mean that they do not belong to the Solar Order. Be ever vigilant. Now this…” She left the display case and pointed to the next shelf.

  “What is it?” Leila leaned close to a thin box covered in numbered buttons.

  “I’ve seen one.” Ayla spoke up, surprising Toby. “It’s a calculator – for working out sums.”

  Cezar shoved his way to the front of the group. “I’ve heard of these.” His fingers hovered over them and the Sister slapped his hand away with horror on her face.

  “Don’t touch. These are some of our most dangerous items. See the grey bar at the top of the plastic casing?”

  Cezar nodded.

  “Tiny solar panels. This item is solar powered.”

  With a gasp, Bianca pulled Cezar back.

  “But it’s so small.” Zahir tilted his head.

  Mother Hesper nodded. “There were many of these once, but they were thrown into landfill once the Sun vanished – useless. Now they are usable once more and when people find them, they are tempted to take the first step towards the second cataclysm. If a pilgrim brings in anything like this, you must immediately hand it over to me.” She glowered at Ayla. “If only you had known to destroy the one you saw. Too late now.” She sighed regretfully and Ayla nodded as if in agreement.

  The next area looked to Toby just like the jumble of spare clothing in the storeroom on the Phoenix.

  “Each item blasphemously depicts the Sun.” Between two fingers Mother Hesper picked up a T-shirt with Little Miss Sunshine capering on the front. Then she dropped it. “You may touch these – look through so that you can see what I am talking about.”

  Summer was first to reach in. She picked up a T-shirt that said Sun’s out, guns out. “What does that mean?”

  Ayla picked up another that said Sun, where rock and roll began.

  Cezar’s said Sun Gym. Uzuri picked up a T-shirt that said Blue sun and stared at it.

  Lenka gasped as she held up a bright red T-shirt that said Hotter than the sun. “Blasphemy.” She threw it to one side.

  “You get the idea.” Mother Hesper drew them onwards and Toby’s eyes widened.

  “You have books – paper. How?” He thought of Dee’s precious Atlas, the only real book he had ever seen. “Paper’s flammable. The books were burned in the Darkness.”

  “Not all.” Mother Hesper sneered at the covers in front of her. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Empire of the Sun, Half of a Yellow Sun, The Sun Also Rises. The bent covers seemed to strain with the force of wasted words bursting to escape.

  Mother Hesper turned back to the teens. “If a pilgrim brings a book to you, do not attempt to read it.”

  Brody shrugged, Moira with her. “Can’t read anyhow.”

  Mother Hesper hummed. “Who among you can read?”

  Toby glanced at Ayla and she gave the slightest shake of her head, silently warning him to remain quiet about any possible advantage. Finally Summer raised a hand. “I can and so can Arthur.”

  Cezar, too, raised his. “I can read. Bianca only a little.”

  Lenka nodded her head. “I read.”

  “Adrien reads French.” Adele looked at her brother. “He learned from the gravestones.”

  “I read,” Leila said eventually. “Noah doesn’t.”

  “Is that everyone?” Mother Hesper looked suspisciously at Toby, but he spread his hands.

  “What’s next?” Ayla asked.

  Next was a display of what looked like junk – items with no apparent purpose, but which showed a sun logo. “Sun … Sys-tems,” Lenka read out loud.

  “These are … a mixture of ‘things’,” Mother Hesper said. “Parts of the most blasphemous machinery ever to be made.”

  Ayla nudged Toby sharply enough to make him flinch, but he had already seen what she was trying to draw his attention to – a pile of components stamped with the Solaris logo.

  “Can we touch?” Toby looked at Mother Hesper for permission.

  She sucked in her breath.

  “It’s hard to tell what they are, is all.” Toby pretended disinterest.

  “You may touch.” Mother Hesper ducked her head, so that her eyes vanished beneath her lowered brows. “I will be watching.”

  Toby reached out for something that looked like the picture his father had shown him, but Ayla pushed his hand sideways, forcing him to pick up another object that held no interest.

  He glared at her, but she too had lifted what looked like a round disc, nothing like the inverter they needed. Soon the others had all pi
cked up one of the strange items and were turning it in their hands. Then Ayla passed her disc to Arthur, swapping with the object he held and soon they were all exchanging items.

  Suddenly Toby held it in his hand: an inverter. It had to be. It had holes that would fit the wires he had been sorting and was small enough to fit in his palm. How hard would it be to slip it into his pocket right now, surrounded by the whole group?

  He swallowed and the hand holding the inverter slid towards his trousers.

  Ayla slipped between Toby and Mother Hesper, briefly blocking him from the sister’s view.

  “Toby, are you ready to swap?” It was Cezar.

  “I…” Toby froze with his hand trembling over his pocket. He swallowed and lifted it once more. “Here.”

  With a sinking heart he handed the inverter to Cezar and took an old AA battery pack in return.

  Ayla’s face twisted and Toby had a moment of fear for Cezar’s safety as the boy held up the inverter with a wondering gaze. “What are these holes for, do you think? What do you imagine it does?” Cezar squinted closely and Bianca shoved him.

  “Put it back, Cezar. Whatever it is, it’s dangerous.”

  “I have a matching one.” Matus held his up.

  Lenka glared at him. “Stop talking to the competition!”

  Matus nodded and his face hardened.

  “Now put them all back.” Mother Hesper straightened. She counted each item back on to the shelf and Toby shuddered, relieved now that he had not managed to pocket an inverter then and there.

  Mother Hesper led them deeper into the Reliquary to a final shelf filled with crockery, mugs and plates with logos on them. Before it a single brother kneeled, muttering prayers under his breath.

  Mother Hesper held a finger to her lips, asking for silence.

  Toby leaned nearer to the display. BP, Sun Life, Sun Systems: the mugs declared cheerily that their employees had enjoyed company-sponsored tea and coffee breaks.

  Suddenly Leila swayed. “I don’t feel so good.” She closed her hands around her stomach, bent forwards and, as Mother Hesper shrieked and the brother leaped to his feet, she filled a Kellogg’s cereal bowl with vomit.

  ELEVEN

  “So, we didn’t get the inverters, but it was bloody hilarious when the American threw up.” Ayla dropped to a crouch next to Toby who was leaning against a wall in the rear courtyard, taking advantage of its shade. Around them a few of the other couples walked around, trying to keep themselves awake, while others sat and talked together in low voices. The excitement of the day was wearing off and tiredness setting in.

  Toby was staring at the wall. “What’s on the other side, do you think?” He pointed.

  “It’s the cliff.” Ayla stretched her legs out in front of her with a sigh. “Can’t you tell from where we are?”

  “I was just thinking that we could get over it if we needed to.”

  Ayla shook her head and lowered her voice. “Even if there wasn’t a long drop on the other side, we couldn’t. Look.”

  Toby blinked into the sun and struggled to see what she was pointing at. “I can’t…” Then his eyes adjusted to something that glimmered on top of the brickwork. “Is that broken glass?”

  “All along the top. And over there –” Ayla pointed – “a guard hut.”

  “Watching the wall. I don’t get it – who would want to escape?”

  Ayla lowered her voice. “I’m beginning to understand why Hideaki never made it back to the Banshee. It’s like a prison here.”

  “Look at Lenka.” Toby pointed. The girl’s head had sagged on to her knees. As Toby said her name, she jerked up. “She almost fell asleep.”

  “This trial business is easy.” Ayla put her hands behind her head. “How many overnight watches have you pulled?”

  “A few.” Toby smiled. “Particularly when the boiler needed work – I can stay awake all night if I need to.”

  “Me, too, no problem.” Ayla stretched happily. “We’ll win this for sure.”

  “But do you think we should?” Toby whispered. “If we became silent attendants we might be allowed into the Reliquary to clean.”

  Ayla scowled, considering. “How would we get the inverters out again?” she murmured eventually. She shook her head. “No, we stick to the original plan, at least for now.”

  “Careful.” Toby stiffened and pointed. A brother and sister descended the steps and began to pace around the courtyard, within earshot of the teens. They seemed to be paying no attention to them, but Toby wasn’t deceived. They were being monitored.

  “Do you think we’ll be fed again?” Arthur slid to the ground next to Toby, making him jump. “Summer’s hungry.”

  “I’m used to eating two meals a day.” Adele sniffed as she and Adrien joined them.

  “We’ll find out in a moment.” Toby looked up. “There’s Mother Hesper.”

  She was standing in a shadowy corner, her eyes fixed on the teens. When she saw Lenka drooping once more she smiled. Finally she stepped into the light. “Time for your evening meal.”

  Evening meal was corn cakes, rice and potatoes.

  Toby was reaching for a crisp potato when Arthur caught his arm. “You seem like a good guy, I’d like to keep you around a bit longer.”

  Toby tilted his head, glad that he had taken the time to be friendly. “What do you mean?”

  “Stodge,” Arthur said under his breath. “It’ll make you sleepy. Don’t eat it.”

  Toby’s eyes widened. Arthur was right: it was a trap, a bit like the wine at the previous meal.

  Around Toby the others were filling their plates.

  Ayla reached for a corn cake, saw the slight shake of Toby’s head and pulled her hand back. On his word, she would go hungry.

  After the meal the teens were taken to their cells. It was still light outside, but the sun was no longer shining on the plastic bottles that let light in through the ceiling and so, underground, darkness reigned.

  Ayla marched into hers.

  Moira passed her. “How’ll they know if we fall asleep in here?”

  Summer hesitated at her own doorway. “She’s right – are they watching us?”

  “They must be.” Toby rubbed his eyes then realized what he was doing and dropped his hand.

  “Where from?” Cezar walked into Toby’s cell behind him and started running his hands over the walls.

  “Get in your own cells.” Mother Hesper stopped outside Toby’s room. “You. Out.”

  Cezar ducked his head and limped away as swiftly as he could, his feet almost tangling in her robes.

  “Remember – you mustn’t fall asleep.” Mother Hesper smiled at Lenka, whose face was cracking into a huge yawn.

  Lenka slammed her mouth closed and backed into her cell.

  “See you in the morning,” Mother Hesper said as she closed Toby’s door on him. “And don’t forget sunset prayers.”

  The sound of the bolt being drawn made him shudder and he put his hand into his pocket to touch the fork tine that he had broken off at dinner. It wasn’t a screwdriver, but it was something.

  Suddenly a high-pitched note trembled in the still air of the passageway and his head jerked up.

  The single voice was joined by others – the teens were singing. Arthur’s deep voice cut through the sound, giving it layers, and Toby closed his eyes to listen. It was a hymn to the Sun. A farewell as it sank beneath the horizon and a plea for it to return the next day. Sunset prayers.

  Slowly the song died until only the single high note lingered in the air once more. Toby sat up with a start. He had slumped backwards and his breathing had slowed right down.

  “That was lovely,” Ayla’s voice snapped from next door. “A lullaby isn’t exactly going to keep us awake tonight though, is it?”

  Toby laughed.

  “What should we sing then?” Arthur shouted.

  “Oh for…” Toby could picture Ayla rolling her eyes. “If you bloody well have to sing, then sing something l
ively.”

  “Like what?” Summer squeaked.

  Toby grinned. As the others debated he took a deep breath. Then he walked to the cell door, put his face close to the airholes and began.

  “What shall we do with a drunken sailor? What shall we do with a drunken sailor? What shall we do with a drunken sailor? Early in the morning?”

  There was a long shocked silence, then a loud giggle from one of the girls.

  “Hooray and up she rises, hooray and up she rises, hooray and up she rises, early in the morning.”

  Most of the group joined in. Toby strained his ears; he couldn’t tell if Ayla’s voice was among the cacophony.

  “I do not know this one,” Zahir complained.

  “It’s easy to pick up,” Celeste called. “Just sing the chorus. Hooray and up she rises. It’s about the Sun.”

  Toby had managed to retain an air of the devout, while singing about drunkenness.

  “Only you,” Ayla muttered.

  “I can’t remember the next verse.” Toby stopped singing. “I know you know it, what’s next?”

  “I don’t sing,” Ayla snapped.

  “Ayla…” Toby begged. Her name became a chant that filled the corridor. “Ayla, Ayla.”

  “Oh fine…” she said.

  Toby stifled a laugh.

  “Put him in the scuppers with the deck pump on him…” Although she tried not to sing, it was impossible not to fall into the rhythm of the words.

  When the song was over there was barely a pause before Uzuri shouted from her cell. “Now one from our country.” And Zahir began to drum on his cell door.

  Time slipped by. Toby had no idea how long he had been in the cell or how long it had been since the group had stopped singing.

  The teens had fallen into low discussions about the Sun. There had been a lengthy argument over who was more devout: Lenka and Matus or Adele and Adrien, but generally the teens were simply talking to pass the time.

  As the evening dipped into the depths of night, however, the cool temperature and the deep quiet began to seep into their bones and they dropped into silence.

  “Summer, are you awake?” Arthur banged on his door.