Claire

by Lynda Behling

  "I just don't like the looks of this." She said after a while.

  "According to this, he would get all rights to her. There are provisions about being fed, housed and clothed adequately. Which, since it's the Upper Class, it's quite substantial. But, he would control her schooling, where she lived, who she spoke to, everything!"

  "What about the yearly review?" Beast asked, reading the upside down papers. His eyes moved over them as swiftly as they had last night, when they were right side up.

  Mrs. Kennie rolled her eyes. "He's the Regent, so he has direct control over who is appointed to all the Boards, even the Child Safety Commission. Yes, it does say here that he must be subjected to one review each year and Claire has the right to be interviewed separately. But a few units here and there will make anything she says moot." Mrs. Kennie sighed heavily.

  She looked over at Beast. "You know of the Regent?" She asked.

  Beast looked at her steadily. "I have heard of him." He said, after a moment.

  "Then you know he is not exactly liked in some circles. He's made more than a few enemies." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Rumors say he's not exactly honest in his dealings either."

  "He is Upper Class." Beast said simply, as if that explained everything.

  "True." Mrs. Kennie nodded, for it did explain everything.

  Beast eyes moved, looking over Mrs. Kennie's shoulder. "I want to go." A small voice said behind her.

  Mrs. Kennie turned. Claire was standing on the bottom step, holding onto the rail. She gave Claire a motherly look. "Are you absolutely sure?" She asked her seriously. She turned back to Beast, looking for support, but his chair was empty.

  The door to the main kitchen was swinging closed. At the same time there was a knock on the side door. Dread filled Mrs. Kennie's stomach till it felt as heavy as lead. "Come in."

  The door opened and Julius walked in. "I let myself in through the back." He wore an apologetic look. His eyes swept over the room, briefly resting on Beast's empty chair and cup.

  "You honor me with your presence." Mrs. Kennie muttered. She stood up. "Please, take a seat. Would you like a cup of tea?"

  "You are too kind." Julius said, removing his coat. He placed it neatly over the back of Beast's chair and took a seat. He continued looking around the kitchen. Claire noticed a thin white bandage on his cheek. "This is the first time I have been back here." He said conversationally. "I must say I am the honored one. So very few get to see the area where you prepare your exquisite dishes."

  Mrs. Kennie suppressed a scowl. "I have no secrets." She said to him. She placed a fresh cup of tea in front of him. She reached for the used cup, but found only the saucer. She leaned back, looking under the table. "Where did it go?" She asked herself absently.

  Julius paused in the middle of taking a sip from his cup. "Where did what go?" He asked, looking up at her, brows knit in confusion.

  "Never mind." She said, taking the saucer. She bustled over to the sink. In this kitchen, the sink was always full. One thing Mrs. Kennie did not enjoy about cooking was the cleanup afterwards.

  Julius drained his teacup. "Ah, rose petals." He smiled and replaced his cup in his saucer and set his elbows on the table. His right hand clasped his left wrist. He looked over his whitegloved hands at Claire, who was still by the stairs. His dark eyes glimmered. "A fine morning, isn't it, my dear?" He smiled at her.

  Claire hesitated, then walked over to the table, taking the seat across from Julius. She perched there, her toes brushing the floor. She folded her hands in her lap and gave Julius a nervous look. She had been surprised with his presence too many times recently. Last night, she was at least fully awake and her hair was brushed properly.

  Julius smiled warmly. "I am sure you have heard." He gestured to the papers spread out between them. “But then, you were expecting something like this.”

  Claire nodded. She pushed her unkempt hair out of her face. "Can I ask a question?" She hesitated, then looked Julius in the eyes.

  "I will answer any question you desire to ask." He answered.

  She scratched her cheek, looking over the papers she could not read. She looked back at him. She struggled with her own image of Julius, and the one Mrs. Kennie painted when she was talking to Beast. The two were as different as night and day. "Why do you want me to live with you? In the Garden, you just talked about what I wanted. You didn't really say why you were offering." She recalled the scene in the garden maze, his dark eyes looking at her and his voice saying 'I want you near me', and blushed lightly. He couldn't have been telling the truth then, he had just been teasing her, right?

  Julius' smile did not waver, and his eyes took on an earnest look. "I will admit that I have taken an interest in your well-being Claire." He told her. "The idea that you might not be safe genuinely upsets me."

  "I am perfectly safe here." Claire told him, her blue eyes glittered. She had to remind herself that Julius did not know that Beast was protecting her, and that Julius hadn't just insulted him.

  "Ah, but you need a parental figure in your life." Julius answered, not missing a step. He glanced at Mrs. Kennie quickly. She was busy washing dishes. "One that can provide you the best in all things. One who has parental authority over you. You are still so young. There are some decisions that only a parent can make."

  Claire tilted her head to one side, her blue eyes still glittered. "You want to be my parent?" Why did that thought sadden her?

  Julius removed his elbows from the table and sat back in his seat. "I want to take care of you." He said. "I would be your Guardian, a sort of proxy parent. We're not related by blood, so I can't be your father. And I would never dream of taking your deceased father's place. I would act as your Guardian till you were of age."

  Claire thought a moment, absorbing the information. "When would that be?" She asked.

  "When you've turned eighteen. Though I would have certain residual rights and obligations until you reached twentyone." Julius answered simply.

  "Then, after that I could do whatever I wanted?" Claire asked in confusion.

  Julius nodded. "That's right."

  Claire paused, frowning. "I still don't understand." She said.

  "What is it that you do not understand?" Julius asked gently.

  "You would feed me, let me live in your house, buy me clothes, and send me to school. I will not be eighteen for a long time, for another nine years. That sounds like a lot of time and effort and money. I do not see anything in here where I am supposed to pay you back." She said worriedly.

  Julius laughed lightly. "Is that what you are wondering? You need not worry, dear child. I will not ask for repayment." Claire looked at him. Her blue eyes were serious, older. "Then, what do you want?"

  Julius felt himself grow uncomfortable under that stare, though the only outward sign of that was the glitter in his dark eyes fading a little. "Nothing you wouldn't freely give." He said gravely.

  Claire looked at him steadily. She had learned that from watching Beast so often. She knew first hand how effective it was, staring at a person as if you could see everything about them. Her face was expressionless, her sharp blue eyes unwavering. Julius shifted in his chair, settling his arms on the table again. He leaned closer to Claire. "I do enjoy your company." He admitted. "Your very presence lifts my heart. So, even though we have known each other for only a few short weeks, I want you near me. As I have already said"

  Claire nodded, he was just repeating what he had said in the Garden. And... she felt the same way. They really hadn't known each other for very long. But, she was fascinated by him, and too young to understand that that feeling might not be permanent. She could not grasp the full weight of the future in front of her, the future she was now deciding. But, there was no one else that could decide.

  Julius relaxed, sitting back in his chair again. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a red metallic pen. "So, what is your decision, my dear Persephone? Will you stay with me in Hell?" He asked, holding t
he pen out to her.

  Claire looked over at Mrs. Kennie. "Demeter will be sad." She said, a touch of sadness in her voice.

  "Ah, but you can visit her whenever you like, studies permitting. I am not a demon who would only confine you to half a year." He smiled and winked at her, the hand holding the pen still extended.

  "I would like to stay with you." She said slowly. "You are kind, and intelligent...” She hesitated. “And handsome.” She said, that light blush whispering over her cheeks again. “And your castle really is very beautiful. And I want to go to school." She paused. When she spoke again, her voice was quiet with reflection. “And... I would like to have a home.”

  He looked at her for a long time. "You need only to sign your name here." He said at last, pulling one of the papers free from the scattered mess on the table.

  Mrs. Kennie had stopped pretending to do the washing. She stood by the sink, watching the proceedings intently, the water still running. From the corner of her eye she could see a shadow drift past the window of the door that lead into the main kitchen.

  “Just sign your full name here.” Julius said, indicating a line at the bottom of the page.

  Claire took the pen from Julius' white gloved fingers. She frowned. "I don't have a last name. I'm just Claire."

  "Ah, I think I understand what your concern here is." Julius said. "It's true that this city probably contains as many as fifty or a hundred different Claires. But there is only one you, Claire. And scientists have proven that every person is different from every other person. We even carry a blueprint of ourselves within our blood. It is called our DNA."

  Even the most simplest things he enjoyed explaining to this young girl. She knew so very little, but was at the same time incredibly sharp. She was a blank slate. And she had the potential to be molded or shaped into anything. He grew pleased in his explanation, perhaps dragging it out a bit. "That is why the High Empress has commanded that all binding documents be written in blood." He smiled again.

  Claire's eyes widened. Julius took the pen from her, and pressed the top down. It clicked and a needle popped up where the finger grip was located. It was extremely tiny, only long enough to just pierce the skin. Julius un-clicked it and handed it back to her. "This way, your signature can be tested even years from now and determine that it is indeed you who signed your name here."

  Claire swallowed, taking the pen back. "Does it hurt?" She asked.

  "A tiny bit." Julius admitted, nodding. "As Regent, I have to sign so many papers that I've grown used to it."

  Claire gave him a sympathetic look. He has to do it all the time. She could bear it once. She held the pen, then clicked the top down with her thumb. The needle bit into her finger, but she didn't make a sound. She had felt far worse hurts in the past. She signed her name on the bottom line of the paper as neatly as she could. The paper absorbed her bright red blood immediately, drying it to a dark brown.

  She passed the paper back to Julius, then the pen. She sucked on her finger for a second, but the wound had been so tiny that it had closed up immediately.

  Julius put the pen back in his vest pocket, next to another red pen, and looked over the document. Then he took the entire mess of papers and shuffled it together neatly, folded it and placed the stack back into it's envelope. "Are you ready to leave now?" He asked.

  Claire nodded. There was a thrilling excitement building up inside of her. “Yes.”

  "I'll go get her things." Mrs. Kennie said hoarsely, bustling up the stairs.

  *** Claire looked out the window of the hovercar as they drove up to Cantor Manor. The main gates opened for them and they drove inside. Claire looked out the window with mixed feelings. She had been sad saying good bye to Mrs. Kennie. They had both cried a little. Mrs. Kennie had filled an entire trunk with clothes for her. She had even promised to send Claire lunch to the manor every single day. They had also arranged for Claire to visit her on the weekends.

  Beast was following the hovercar, Claire could feel it. He would be nearby the manor. She would have to find a way of letting him in without anyone seeing him. She wondered if she would always be able to tell when he was nearby.

  "You can have any rooms you like." Julius was telling her, talking over her preoccupied silence. "Most of the manor is unoccupied at the moment. My older brother is off fighting in the war and my sister left when she became of age. We do keep up their quarters, but there are many left to choose from. Since my parents passed away and left the house to us, it has been rather empty. Except for the staff of course. I believe we have thirty employees at the present time."

  "Is there one with privacy?" Claire asked suddenly, not really thinking about what she said.

  Julius raised an eyebrow. "Privacy? They are all rather private."

  "I mean, no cameras or anything like that. That is, someplace where not too many people pass by." Claire said quickly. She paused, hoping that this didn't raise any suspicions. She affected a shy, fearful look. "I'm nervous, moving into a place with a lot of people in it." Blank, steady looks were one thing. But Claire had no experience with deception.

  "Ah." Julius said, giving her a sidelong look. After a second, he smiled. "You need not worry, no one's private quarters contain cameras. Though there is one placed by each door in case someone tries to enter without permission." He thought for a moment. "There is the South Tower. You remember, the one opposite from mine, on the fourth floor. It is the most secluded from the rest of the manor." He laughed.

  "I remember." Claire said dryly, recalling the long walk to if from the Garden. She thought for a bit. “Wasn't the South Tower your mother's quarters?” She looked up at him.

  He nodded, a faraway look in his eyes. “And I have kept them exactly as they always were, for the last fifteen years.” He answered softly. Then his eyes focused on her again. “Fifteen years is a long time for a room to be empty. I think those quarter's need to be lived in again.”

  “All right then.” Claire said. “If you're sure.”

  The hovercar stopped and Bates, the elderly butler/driver opened her door for her. She stepped out into the noon sunshine. Lining the path were twenty-nine men and women all dressed in black and white. They all looked at Julius expectantly.

  Julius stepped behind Claire, putting his gloved hands on her shoulders. "Allow me to introduce you all to Claire Cantor. She is my ward, and should be treated with the utmost respect and care. Anything she asks for, you will provide."

  They all bowed to Claire. Claire really started feeling shy then. She bowed her head slightly. "Thank you for your kindness." She said quietly.

  *** Julius descended the stairs to the elevator. He preferred riding in an elevator as little as possible. But there were no stairs that accessed the very bottom most level of the Cantor manor. Only one locked elevator. In case of an emergency in the lower floors, the elevator was sealed off and no one could get in. Or out.

  He pressed his thumb on the glowing green pad and the silver doors slid open. He stepped inside. The weight sensor in the floor registered and the doors slid closed.

  When they opened again he was in the underground lab. Technicians were busy at their work stations around the clock. He walked past them all and into one of the research rooms. "I want this tested." He said as soon as he stepped inside. Three technicians looked up at him. One was at a very advanced age. He leaned heavily on a metal cane and limped over to Julius slowly.

  Julius held a clear plastic bag out to him. The elderly technician looked over it. Inside was a small, delicate teacup. "What would you like tested on it?" He asked, his voice was whispery and thin.

  "DNA, Dr. Keller." Julius told him. "I want to know who or what drank from this cup." He said.

  Dr. Keller looked up at Julius. "I'll get right on it." He said simply, placing the plastic bag into a pocket of his lab coat. "Good, inform me when the results are ready." Julius said, then exited the room.

  Dr. Keller watched him go. He sighed heavily when he was gone. "Dr.
Keller?" An intern gave him an inquisitive look.

  Dr. Keller pulled the plastic bag from his pocket, inspecting it carefully. "Why do I have such a bad feeling about this?"

  Chapter X – School Things Claire settled into life at the manor more quickly than she had thought she would. Julius was often busy with work, away from the manor like he said, so it was sometimes lonely, but she found things to keep herself entertained. Then again, in a house the size of the Manor, it was almost impossible to be bored.

  The first week she spent just exploring all of the different rooms. There were two libraries. One was a computer lab with computers, light screens and several dozen e-papers. There was always people working in there, employees of Julius. Claire suspected that Jacqueline lived in there, as she spent more time there than she did in her own home. In fact, her office was right next door.

  The other library had paper books in it, and was always kept locked. Claire had never seen inside of it. Julius explained to her that the books were antiques and special care had to be taken to preserve them, and maybe when she was older, he would take her in there to look at them.

  He told her that since the books were printed on paper, they were very fragile. Claire couldn't imagine something like a paper book. But then, she had not seen much paper in her short lifetime. Wrapping 'paper' was actually thin, colored foil. Books were on e-papers and computers. Important documents were kept on paper, like her adoption papers. But outside of legal documents, only the extremely wealthy could afford paper products in their everyday lives.

  She had read that paper came from trees, and that it could be recycled. There was a ten acre 'tree farm' outside of the city that supplied fresh lumber for things like furniture and paper. Ten acres sounded like a lot of trees to Claire, but Beast reminded her that the population of the city was nearing ten million, so it really wasn't.

  Beast spent most of his time in her bedroom. She tried to make it as comfortable as possible for him, because she couldn't let him wander the Manor. As it was now, he only went outside when it rained, and in the mornings when she was dressed. She had given him a few e-papers, to pass the time. He seemed to enjoy reading more than watching TV, but she could only be sure of that because he requested more books. He read much faster then she did, so she was always updating the contents.