The Great Game

by O. J. Lowe

  “Harvey, this is my date for the night, Scott Taylor,” Mia said politely. Her eyes still had that glazed look as if she were trying hard not to take him seriously. Scott offered him a hand, Harvey studied it for a moment before grabbing it with one huge soft hand and pumping it vigorously. Taken by surprise, Scott was powerless to resist being drawn into a hug. He was too surprised even to struggle, probably a good thing. “And this is Harvey Rocastle. He’s a spirit dancer like me. And a talent scout.”

  “Ah I’m done talent scouting honestly,” Harvey said. “I’m leaving in the morning. Got to go file stuff. Ha, listen to me, doing filing. Never thought I’d say that.” He giggled girlishly and Scott was suddenly glad he was away from him. “Enjoyed it though. Something different and I’ve managed to keep myself in silk for the time being.”

  “Who did you scout talent for?” Scott asked. The guy unnerved him, still there was no surer way to upset your date than being rude to one of her friends, no matter how much of a cock he might appear to be. “Anyone?”

  “Ah, some company named Reims. They sponsored this whole thing, I was hired to come out and find those who looked like they needed a new direction with their abilities. Anything I can do to help my brothers from other mothers.” Harvey shrugged his giant shoulders, scratched his stomach through the vivid purple of his shirt. “So, you’re her date. Did she tell you anything about her other boyfriends? Remember Andy Donohue, m’dear?”

  Mia stiffened up and glared at him. If he cared or saw, he didn’t show it. It was the first bit of emotion Scott had seen her show in Harvey’s presence.

  “Speaking of, I saw him the other week,” Harvey said. “He said if I saw you anytime soon, to give you a message. He needs to talk to you about something. Don’t think he could get in touch with you or something.”

  “I blocked him from contacting me,” Mia said angrily. “I don’t want to talk to him. I don’t want to hear the message either. I don’t care what he has to say.”

  Harvey sighed. “Sweetie, I get that, I really do. But please, just hear what he had to say. At least I can say I told you, you still weren’t impressed, we can move on. Easy for everyone. Sucks for Donny, but well screw him.” He grinned at her with glittering black eyes as if there were more he wished to say but was holding his tongue.

  It was Mia’s turn to sigh. “Fine, what did he have to say? Although if it’s begging me to take him back, I’m not interested.” She turned to Scott. “I’m really sorry about this.” Scott shrugged his shoulders.

  “Eh, it’s not your fault. Some people don’t know how to take a hint.” He managed to make it sound offhand, all while looking at Harvey who grinned back at him broadly. “I’m sure we all know someone like that.”

  “Well it was sort of a private message,” Harvey said apologetically. “I have it saved on my summoner.” He sighed theatrically. “But the damn system is playing up again and whatnot. Can’t get any communication on it. Not in here. If you follow me, we’ll go outside, play it and then I’ll let you get back to your date.” He grinned at Scott who fought the urge to roll his eyes.

  Mia shook her head. “Forget it, I’ve got better things to…”

  “Please!” Harvey sounded almost desperate as he hissed the word out, several people turning to look at him. “Just humour me. I don’t like being used as Andy D’s errand boy. But I said I would. And I keep my promises. I’ll show it to you and we can both get on with our lives. Please, Mia.” Desperation turned to despair in his voice and Scott saw Mia sigh.

  “Okay, sure, but make it quick,” she said. Harvey grinned, all worry lost from him and turned tail, trotting away with Mia close behind. Scott watched them walk away, across the floor and out a door across the other side of the room.

  “Don’t forget where I am,” he called after her, not sure if she’d heard him. He hoped she had.

  Huh, he thought to himself. That just about sums it up and… Huh?

  That was the point Scott realised the music had changed, the point where he heard the song that had start to play and he froze up completely.

  Yeah, this world keeps on turning

  Turning, turning, yeah as it keeps turning

  I’m left yearning

  Wherever you go, that’s where I’ll be.

  Free to be you and me,

  To a place so far is where we’ll go

  If you don’t want me, just say no,

  Just give me a chance to kiss you

  You and me, I think I’ll really miss you

  Say goodbye, I’ll really want to kill you

  What you have and what you can’t,

  You don’t know ‘til it’s gone

  Dust and dreams, they all end the same

  They’ll trickle through your fingers

  Yeah, you’re in pieces and yet I’m free,

  You’ll never take that from me

  You and me, we’re both free

  You played, you lost, you’re crying

  Over me…

  But the world keeps on turning,

  Yeah, the world keeps on turning.

  Kadie Stafford. That song he hated. He’d almost forgotten about that dream. Now it came back to him an instant, Mia’s clothes, the song and the green shadow that had killed her. He felt lightheaded and took a step back in shock, his mouth dry and his stomach churning. Oh gods, not now. So much blood.

  Something cut across his vision, he took a deep breath, brought Pete into focus as he stood there red-faced and grinning. “Man, this is kickass!” Pete yelled. “I just made out with Leslie Graham. Might give her something else consoling later, all ten inches of consolation, if you catch my drift.” He paused when he saw the look on Scott’s face. “What’s up with you? You look terrible.” Scott didn’t say anything for a moment, the weight of horrible realisations still dawning down on him and he swallowed. “Mia break up with you already? Look on the bright side, there’s plenty of…”

  MIA!

  Scott rose from the wall, grabbed his friends arm and started to lead him towards the exit Mia and Harvey had gone through minutes earlier. “Hey, what gives?!”

  Quickly he’d explained the whole thing as he’d let Pete walk under his own steam, leading up the stairs to the next floor. As predicted, Pete looked at him like he was insane but at least he was still coming after him. Scott was grateful for that at least. Very grateful. It’d have been too easy for him just to turn around and go back to the dance. It was obvious that was where he’d rather have been. But still he’d come. That was the definition of friendship in his book.

  “It’s just a bad feeling,” Scott said. “I just want to check it out. Better to be safe, right?”

  “Ever think you’re just being stupidly jealous and possessive?” Pete wondered, before they heard a scream echoing down from above them. A feminine scream and they looked at each other. Scott didn’t even have the chance to feel smug about his small victory in being right. It wouldn’t be worth it if something went wrong and something happened to her.

  “Come on!” Scott urged, the stairs creaking under his weight as he ran up them, his thoughts currently somewhere towards wishing that he’d brought a light with him. It was dark up here, Pete charging on behind him didn’t help matters. One sudden stop and he’d be into the back of him. Not that it mattered. None of it mattered. They had to get after her. There’d been something off about that guy, he’d seen the look on her face and…

  Don’t think. Just move.

  He tried to empty his mind, keep calm and just run. They had to be nearly at the top of the building now, nearly at the roof. Why would he be taking her to the roof? What was there? Unless he had some way off, it was a terrible escape route.

  “Do you not think we should have spoken to someone about this?” Pete said. “You know, someone with badges and blasters?”

  “Didn’t you just say I was crazy?” Scott said dryly as he saw the door up ahead of them, ajar and the moonlight filtering in from outside. “Come on!” />
  “Mia,” Harvey said as they stood on the roof of the Kanu Hall, staring up into the night sky. Countless stars winked down at them and he smiled. “I have to confess something to you.”

  Already infuriated by the way he’d interrupted her date, aggravated by the way her shoes were pinching her feet, Mia found her temper rising inside her as she heard those words come from his mouth. Still she kept her composure. “Yeah?”

  “I might have gotten you up here on false pretences,” Harvey said apologetically. “You see… Okay it’s a lie. A pretty big boo-boo of one, I’m afraid to say. I got you up here on false pretences. There’s no message from Donny Donohue. Far as I know, he’s over you. And well, can’t blame him.”

  The apologetic tone vanished from his voice replaced very quickly by malice. “After all, sluts are ten a credit in some places. Can’t imagine it took him very long. He’s probably diddled his way through half of Canterage now.”

  That hurt like a slap and she reacted like he’d hit her, flinching back with a pink tinge in her cheeks. “What?!”

  “I mean, that little show of sexual empathy the two of you used to put on with each other before you got together, just eurgh! I was like oh just do it and spare the rest of us your antics. I’d forgive you if you weren’t three times worse when you did get together. And as for that guy downstairs, he’s cute but can you spell rebound?”

  “Why are you saying this?” Still she managed to keep her tone level despite the hurt gnawing at her stomach. Harvey had known her a long time, he knew a lot of her past. And she’d never seen this side of him. “Why are you being so cruel?”

  “Cruel is as cruel does, my little bitch,” Harvey sneered. He clenched his fists back and forth in glee, flexing his fingers as they unfurled. “Cruelty breeds cruelty. We create our own enemies and you created me.”

  Her eyes went a little wide, not just with confusion but with sudden fear. “Harvey, we’re not enemies. We’ve never been enemies. I don’t hate you.” Yet. “I’m not sure what’s happening.”

  “Good. If you’re not, then nobody else will. You don’t hate me.” He leaned in close to her, his eyes manic and wild. “But I despise you, Mia Arnholt. I’d throw you off this roof right now but that’d be ridiculously quick. I want you to suffer. And suffer you will. You’re already dead, Mia, reality hasn’t caught up and it’s going to be agony.” His hot breath blasted her and she turned to run, he grabbed her arm and kicked her legs out from underneath her, his grip stopping her from falling but still she tore up her knees on the ground, a shout of pain ripping from her.

  “You bastard,” she said, taking a swing at him with her free hand, palm prominent forward like her dad had always told her when trying to hit someone. Aim for the nose or the throat or one of the eyes, those were the real danger areas. Never the forehead or the chin only as a target of opportunity. He’d always insisted on self-defence classes for her, somewhere she might have been grateful for it if she’d had the time to think. Harvey let her go, she overreached herself and lost her balance, putting a hand out to steady herself against the wall.

  By the time she found her footing, he’d swept both arms into the side of her head, clapping them viciously against her ears. A shockwave ripped through her brain, tearing away any sense of conscious thought and she wobbled disorientated for a moment before tripping. Her legs suddenly couldn’t hold her up, the ground didn’t feel quite even as she hit it, like it was rocking underneath her.

  “Let her go!” Somewhere amidst the onrushing black, she thought she heard a voice, a familiar one. Warmth spread through her. Recognition. At least she wasn’t alone.

  Just in time, Scott realised as he saw her go down and saw Harvey look up shocked at the intrusion. That shock didn’t last anywhere near long enough as a smile spread out over his face.

  “Hello possums,” he trilled. “Nice to see you again. No need to interrupt here, nobody’s hurt. Yet.” He put as much menace in the last word as could possibly be mustered.

  Scott shook his head in disbelief. “Nobody’s hurt! What about her, you fucking freak?!”

  Harvey cackled and shook a dismissive finger at him. “Sticks and stones, boys… are what I’m going to break her bones with,” he said, shaking his head as Scott and Pete both reached for their summoners. “Oh please, boys, put those away before you embarrass yourselves.”

  Palawi appeared out on the roof between them, bared his teeth in anger. Memari also appeared, twitching her tail listlessly. Neither spirit looked like they were ready to back down.

  “We’re not going to let you take her!” Scott said. He felt brave as he said it, fire filling his stomach, hot and potent anger. He could see Mia down and bleeding, his hands shook with fury as he stared at the fat man. “Last chance to let her go!”

  Chapter Twenty-Six. Sins and Other Distractions.

  “Every great device needs a source of energy, some sort of fuel to get it into motion. And what greater energy than the Kjarn? Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to synthesise any sort of comparable to it. Research is vague, all my notes on it tell me that it is linked to life force. So, it’s down to looking at bloodwork. Exceptional. Guesswork and spiritual sorcery. The rewards had better be worth it all. Especially when it comes to dealing with her!”

  From the journal of Jeremiah Blut, talking about his research.

  The fourth day of Summerpeak.

  Sinkins stood across from her, he looked a little worried like she might eat him alive if he brought news that she didn’t like. She didn’t mind that. A little fear was healthy. Too much and the worker would fail to function, they’d lose the initiative and be worse than useless. It was a balancing act, a precarious one that needed the utmost care to maintain. A useless employee wasn’t worth keeping, they cost time and effort and neither of those were something she could afford to waste.

  She smiled at him, tried to be reassuring. It was a skill that long ago she’d managed so naturally and now it felt forced. If he was half as intelligent as he made himself out to be, he’d realise that. Still at least she was making the effort. It had taken him too long to make this report, she was doing better at hiding her impatience than she was at appearing to be reassuring.

  Sinkins had felt like the natural successor for Jeremiah Blut, the two of them were very much cut from the same cloth, academics with aspirations. It had been Sinkins who she’d set to go through the research they’d appropriated from the home and workplace of the late Jeremiah Blut. Although her contact had pointed out there was no evidence to say Blut was dead, she’d taken the steps to replace him without hesitation. He was no good to her wherever he was. Useless.

  “Report,” she said eventually, as evenly as could be managed. “I want to hear what you have to say, Doctor Sinkins. What did Blut leave behind? Anything or nothing?”

  Sinkins, a gangling man with pale skin and hair both the colour and texture of old straw cleared his throat with a sound akin to the scratching of paper and held his data pad out in front of him like a weapon. His voice sounded hoarse, croaky like a giant frog and he licked his lips before starting to speak. “Doctor Blut was a brilliant mind, if not a particularly organised one for those not privy to the workings of his brain.”

  Her expression didn’t change. Mentally she was scribbling notes leaning towards Sinkins having nothing of value. It sounded like he was already making excuses. Maybe he wasn’t the one for the future. She’d have to see.

  “However, patterns do emerge in his work, one simply has to study enough of it to spot the correlations in his data and his analysis. Over the past few days, I’ve read everything that was recovered from him and I’ve arrived at a few conclusions about where he might have gone next. He had some ideas, I must say they are radical. The Kalqus weather shrine for one thing…”

  “Which really does exist,” she said. “It was where Blut was when he was indisposed of. I’ve seen the pictures, read his logs about it. Did you see the reports of the storm on Carcaradis Isla
nd? Blut’s last transmission was that he’d achieved it. By all accounts he’d worked out how to turn it on, yet not point it at a specific target.”

  “Astonishing,” Sinkins replied. “If that exists then perhaps…”

  “That would be the theory,” she said. More and more she was regretting her choice of going for Sinkins to pour over the research. At the time, it had felt so simple. Blut had been a believer, he’d wanted to believe so much that he’d been willing to go to almost suicidal lengths to keep on his path for truth. Sinkins’ had no such qualms, she’d quickly noticed that.

  Yet whether he believed or not, it was irrelevant. He could be objective in a way that Blut never had been. That had been her deciding factor. Besides she had never trusted Blut, could never entirely settle herself with giving him access to weapons that he alone had worked out how to use. Sinkins on the other hand gave the impression he didn’t have the creativity to practice betrayal for his own ends. “You don’t believe; do you Doctor?”

  Sinkins shook his head. “It’s not that I don’t believe. Some of what Blut wrote down in his notes about this whole venture the two of you set out on. It’s not science, I don’t even know what it is. I strongly question the logic behind it all. It feels a fool’s task at best and pointless at worst.”

  “And we have one working storm machine to prove otherwise,” she said. “Admittedly it isn’t something we can get to now, it’s under Unisco protection. For the time being, it is beyond us. If only we could move it…”

  “Blut’s notes were very specific about that,” Sinkins replied quickly. “Removing it is not a good idea. For better or worse, it’s stuck where it is. They can’t keep hold of it forever though, surely. And even if they do try to move it, it’s not like they can use it as evidence against us.”

  She wasn’t worried about it being used as evidence against them. Instead she smiled in polite agreement. “Good.”