by T. C. Edge
It’s strange, really, that they remain so hidden from the minds of the general population. Even their appearance at the ceremony, when they sent out a warning across the four quarters of the city, didn’t serve to curry belief among the people.
The Consortium merely spoke of them as pranksters at best and a terrorist cell at worst, making them out to be the ones the people should fear. In a way, they used it to their advantage, using both the Nameless, and the Fanatics, to help them spread the seed of terror across the city.
But not everyone is so bowed by fear, so willing to agree and comply with all the directives sent down from on high. Across the city, many people sympathise with the Nameless’ cause, some of them actively working to ensure they’re fed, armed, and capable of holding back the growing storm.
And growing the storm is, like a gentle wind that begins to whip, before coiling and spiralling and transforming into a twisting tornado. Soon enough, the secret war will start to spread, and people will need to decide.
Live like slaves, or fight for their freedom.
That will be the choice before us all if I should fail.
71
Exhausted as I feel, I have no time to rest when I finally return to the academy. What I do have time for, however, is to wash and change my clothes. After spending two days and nights without showering, and sleeping rough in the underlands, I’m beginning to resemble a Disposable.
It’s not a great look for me, and with my third date with Adryan upcoming, a bit of minor pampering is definitely in order.
Before I do that, however, I pay a visit to my guardian, and request that she do me a favour. When she asks me, in a state of mild shock given my appearance, just what I’ve been up to these last two days, I refuse to offer any detailed explanation.
Doing so would merely require me to shield those memories, and with time running short, I have no energy or inclination for such a thing.
What I do find interesting, however, is that she isn’t unduly worried about the fact that she heard nothing from me all this time.
“I assumed that you were with Zander,” she explains. “And, if something happened to you, I imagine he’d have the decency to tell me.”
That’s a fair rationalisation. However, there’s something more in her that a little dart inside her mind illuminates: she’s begun to make her peace with the fact that I might well die, and die soon.
It’s her method of dealing with it all. If she assumes the worst, then it’ll come as less of a shock when it actually happens. Hardening herself up, she’s starting to turn back into the more austere and unemotional woman who she likes to present to the world.
I know different, of course, and that she’s got a deeply caring and sensitive side. And certainly, that’s been on show these last few weeks. Yet, right now, she’s pushing that part of herself away, and desensitising herself for what she considers the inevitability of what’s to come.
Since I refuse to explain exactly what I’ve been up to, she takes a moment to consider my request. Her grievance at being kept out of the loop is only half of it, though.
The other half is that it involves Sophie, a woman she doesn’t exactly get along with.
“So, you want me to talk to Sophie do you? You want that woman helping you?”
“Brenda, I need some new shoes, and probably clothes as well, for my trip to Inner Haven. I’m going to be spending lots of time there, and could do with a suitable wardrobe. She’s the only one who can help me. Now, please, can you get her over here as soon as possible? I need to shower…”
She sniffs the air. My scent is so strong that it’s even overpowering the usually unyielding smell of smoke in the room.
“Yes, you certainly need a shower, we’re in agreement there,” she mutters. Then she takes a shallow breath and shakes her head. “Fine, I’ll contact her. But you can greet her downstairs. I don’t want to spend any time in her presence.”
“Deal,” I say, biting my tongue to stop from saying anything more.
Frankly, her opinion of Sophie is far too harsh for my liking. Sure, she’s different to us, and has an occasionally annoying way about her, but she’s also got a kind heart and is sweet as sugar.
As I go off and wash, scrubbing myself clean of the dirt and grime and fetid mist that seems to have seeped into my skin, Mrs Carmichael heads off to the bottom of Brick Lane to initiate contact with my liaison.
Once I’m all done, dried, and dressed, I find my guardian knocking on my door and entering my room.
“She’s coming around now. She said she had to rearrange some things, but is happy to help you. No doubt it’s because you’re courting a Savant,” she adds bitterly. “You’re quite the prize for her, aren’t you…”
“Don’t start, Brenda. Please.”
“I will start, and finish, whatever I please in my own home, Brie.”
Oh God, that belligerence is back…
I choose not to respond for fear of getting into a debate. She leaves me alone and goes back to her room. I slip downstairs and await Sophie there, my chaperone arriving far more quickly than I’d have expected. By the time the door knocks, it’s still only early afternoon, giving us plenty of time before my date with Adryan at the usual time of 7PM.
One of the main things Mrs Carmichael dislikes – actually, dislikes isn’t strong enough…detests would be better – about Sophie is her perceived arrogance, superiority, and that false smile that so commonly adorns her face.
As I open the door to greet her, however, I find that smile absent. On seeing me, she tries to raise it, but it quickly falters and slips away again. Her tone, too, isn’t as bright and breezy as usual. It’s rather more muted, as if half her energy has been sucked right out of her.
“Hello, Brie,” she says. Even her hug is half-hearted. “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses and requested my help. So, it’s shoes you need most of all is it?”
“Yeah, shoes and maybe some more clothes too. Um, thanks for coming so quickly, Sophie. I really appreciate it.”
“Oh, not at all. I’m working with a new group for the next bachelor ball, but it isn’t for some time yet. They can get along without me for a few hours.”
She leads me outside and into her car, and we begin making for the southern quarter and Liberty Row. Her usual loquaciousness, something I’ve found irritating in the past, is also missing. Mostly, she looks out of the window with a pensive frown on her face and eyes that stare blankly.
It doesn’t take me too long to work out what’s bothering her. Only a week or so ago, Rycard was caught in the Fanatic’s attack on the market, his right eye badly damaged and his face covered in lacerations. I wonder for a moment how he is, before tentatively asking.
She turns her eyes back to me, their blue lights dimmed.
“He’s, um…he’s not great, Brie. His right eye was seriously wounded. He may never see out of it again.”
“Oh, Sophie, I’m so sorry,” I gasp. I’m not surprised, however, given the state it was in when I saw him. “How is he?”
“As bad as his eye,” remarks Sophie flatly. “He’s on a leave of absence from the City Guard. If his eye doesn’t recover, then he’ll be discharged.”
“Discharged? What will he do?”
“There’s little he can do, unfortunately. Being a member of the City Guard was his life. Now, we don’t quite know what will happen. A Hawk with one eye…well, they can’t do their job. He’s worried. I’m…I’m worried…”
I reach across and lay my hand on hers, squeezing her fingers.
“I’m sure things will be OK,” I say, smiling weakly. “And those responsible will pay,” I add with a growl. “I promise you of that.”
She too manages a little smile, a hint of curiosity tracing her brows at my words. I uttered them with some conviction, knowing my current position. She can’t, of course, and to her they must sound like nothing but empty words designed to make her feel better.
“Thank you, Brie. Now, le
t’s turn our minds to you, shall we? How are things going with Adryan?”
It’s a tricky transition, going from something so terrible to something that, in some ways, ignites a sudden, warming feeling inside me. Adryan himself is someone I’ve enjoyed spending time with. And yet what he represents – my mission – is something I’d like to get done as quickly as possible.
Of course, all I tell Sophie is that thing are going well, and that I’ll be tested for approval to marry Adryan soon.
“I can see that twinkle in your eye,” she remarks. “I’m so happy things are moving quickly for you.”
Yes, necessarily so.
As we near Liberty Row, I try to mine a bit more information from Sophie regarding the test the Council are going to put me through.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” she informs me with a wave of her hand. “Just a formality for most girls. As long as you’re committed to Adryan, and living in Inner Haven, you’ll be just fine.”
So…not fine then, I muse. Maybe I can get on board with committing to Adryan, but living in Inner Haven is another matter.
Still, her general manner of dismissing the test as anything too tricky to handle helps assuage my concerns. With my newly developed ability to tinker with people’s minds, convincing these people that I do truly wish to join the ranks of Inner Haven shouldn’t be too difficult.
The car cruises down Liberty Row, passing nearby to Culture Corner as it goes. I spare a look as it appears down the street, the large square now cleared and capable of receiving visitors once more.
Usually, at this sort of time, people would be flocking in during lunch, taking a look at the murals and sculptures and enjoying the various performances around the square. Now, however, the place appears mostly deserted, the once beating cultural heart of Outer Haven tainted and forsaken.
Down Liberty Row, the same applies, if to a lesser extent. These particularly fancy districts of the southern quarter, most people must assume, might make for appealing targets for the Fanatics.
Still, life needs to go on, and so we find ‘The Inner Circle’, the shop catering to Unenhanced marrying up, open for business and ready to receive us. Upon entering, the saleswoman greets Sophie warmly and looks upon with me with some recognition.
It’s the same woman who kitted Tess and me out before our first jaunt to Inner Haven several weeks ago.
With a slightly more subdued energy than normal, Sophie sets about finding me some suitable shoes. I try on several pairs of various kinds, many of them adjustable, and end up being given them all.
The same goes for clothes. Skirts, blouses, dresses, sweaters, shirts and all manner of other garments are tried on and added to the bill. I’m shocked by the manner with which Sophie piles them all up without a second thought for the cost.
“Oh, it’s not my money, Brie,” she says when I query her on it. “The Council of Matrimony fund all woman who marry up. They prefer us all to come equipped with all the right clothes and looking the part.”
Well, I’ll certainly do that, and I’m happy to see that there’s some variation to the clothes I’ll be able to wear. So far, I’ve been dolled up in rather elegant, if simple, dresses. Now, my eyes turn to the prospect of wearing blue skirts and pants and sweaters, and any other item that appears more like the clothes I’m used to.
With our shopping trip concluded, and the car stacked full of bags, Sophie insists on a visit to the beauty parlour. She reaches forward and inspects the ends of my hair, and the many tangled knots that my hasty shower clearly didn’t deal with.
“Oh, this won’t do at all,” she says, shaking her head.
Next, she looks at my face, focusing particularly on my skin, which still probably carries the odour of the underlands to it.
“What have you been up to recently, Brie,” she remarks, her nose apparently capable of sniffing out the subtlest of scents.
“You know, living,” I laugh nervously.
“Well, your skin needs some work, as does your hair. Let’s get you sorted out. Come along now.”
The same beauty parlour as before sees to my transformation, putting me through a range of therapies that leave me with glowing skin and hair. My locks flow gloriously to my shoulders, and my hazel eyes jump right out with their skilful application of understated makeup.
With time galloping along, I conclude my time with Sophie at a little café, where she probes a little deeper into my experience so far with Adryan. I don’t much like talking about it too much, and yet find myself smiling as I remember my previous evening with him.
I do, however, take the opportunity to test my powers a little. Slipping silently into Sophie mind, I see if I can get her to give me the honest truth about how she feels about Inner Haven.
Usually, of course, she’d deflect the question with some canned response, painting her face with a bright smile and telling me how wonderful it is living there. Yet I know that’s not how she really feels. Beneath her beautifully manicured exterior, there’s something entirely different bubbling within.
So I project the order into her mind, and see what she tells me.
Tell me, honestly, how you feel about living in Inner Haven, I order.
I notice her eyes falter a little, a little wince dripping down. Sophie, as vacuous as she can appear, is actually a smart woman, and isn’t so easily controlled. With a couple more focused attempts at issuing the order, I finally see her eyes glaze over ever so slightly in the manner I’m looking for.
Her voice loses some of its life, and that somewhat robotic quality invades her.
For a few seconds, she remains silent, and then her jaw begins to grind.
“It frightens me,” she says quietly, her eyes narrowing as if she’s wondering just why she’s revealing the truth. “I’m scared.”
“Why?” I ask, leaning in.
I dart my eyes left and right to make sure we’re out of earshot of anyone. Her voice is so low now, however, that you could be right at the next table and hear nothing.
“I’m frightened for my husband,” she continues. “I don’t know what will happen to him, to us, now. I’m frightened for my son. If he doesn’t grow into a Hawk, he won’t be allowed to stay with us. I’m frightened of what will happen to my family.”
“And is that what a lot of Unenhanced feel over there?” I ask.
I’m just asking questions now, but the order in her head appears to have seeped beyond the initial query. Slowly, she nods her head.
“So why do you work to help them marry up? Why do you make out that Inner Haven is so wonderful, when you’re just living in fear?”
Again, she takes a moment to answer. I can see my control of her slipping. Her eyes flicker a little, working to break my spell.
“Because it’s my job,” she says. “Inner Haven need more women. I help supply them. If I don’t…”
She doesn’t end the sentence, but she doesn’t need to.
Shutting her eyes, she opens them up again and seems to come back into the room. She blinks a few times and look at her hands. They’re shivering.
“I…I shouldn’t have told you that, Brie. I’m sorry…I don’t know what came over me. It’s just stress, that’s all. Because of Rycard.”
She nods busily and smiles nervously, and I calm her with my words.
“It’s OK, Sophie. I understand. You know, you can trust me. I’m on your side.”
“Um…thank you, but there’s nothing to worry about. Forget I said anything. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful life with Adryan, and in the High Tower no less! It’s just wonderful, Brie. So wonderful…”
She’s saying ‘wonderful’ a lot. I suppose that’s her way of trying to erase the negative comments she’s just uttered.
Our time at the café doesn’t last much longer. It becomes quite obvious that she wants to get rid of me now, awkwardly shuffling me out and into her car and ordering our return to the academy. Again, she disappears into her thoughts on the journey back, and I disappear i
nto mine.
I suppose her comments came as no real surprise. Should her son, Maddox, fail to become a proper Hawk, he will be tossed back out onto the streets of Outer Haven. Right now, he’s showing promise, but it’s too early to tell for sure whether he’ll develop into a gifted Hawk like his father.
And yet Rycard, too, might well be facing a similar fate. Hawks simply cannot operate with one eye, and should that transpire, he’ll be considered to be nothing more than a regular Unenhanced.
As such, he could well be relegated to Outer Haven, along with Sophie and their son. And should Maddox develop his full promise, he’ll most likely be kept among the Enhanced, taken off to be raised by someone else.
As a mother and wife, the concern in Sophie is palpable. And yet, despite it all, she’s constantly working to bring other women into the fold, helping them transition from Outer to Inner Haven. That is her duty, and if she failed to perform it, her place in Inner Haven would also be in doubt.
It’s a three-pronged attack on her fears. Both her, her husband, and her son, could all be discarded for their own different reasons. And all it takes it for one of them to occur, and it will tear her family, and her life, apart.
From that moment on, I look upon Sophie in a very different way. She’s just a slave, like so many others, part of the system that seems destined to destroy her, one way or another. She’s one of the many that the Nameless – that I – am trying to free.
Dropping me off at the academy with a host of bags in hand, I give her a warm hug before departing.
“Send my love to Rycard,” I say. “And keep well, Sophie. I’ll see you soon.”
“I will, sweet Brie. Enjoy your date tonight.”
She smiles, and the car door shuts, and away onto the busy streets she goes.
Turning, I cross the threshold to the academy, getting plenty of funny looks from the residents of Brick Lane as I go. Made-up as I am, with my hair so glossy and my fingers gripping tight to so many fancy clothing bags, I look entirely out of place.