I wasn't surprised to see the tunnel that led from the Healing Centre to the Huxley house; Gregorius had told us about it. I was, however, surprised to see that there was more than one tunnel; each one branching off into a different direction. If we had more time, it would be fun to explore them and find out where they went. I noticed Colonel Al looking at them with great interest, probably comparing them with the ones in his cave. It made me wonder if we would ever see the cave again or Marshal's house or Max or Barker. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind and tried to concentrate on where we were going.
Although the Huxley's house was big, it wasn't at all what I thought it would be. In my mind a king, or queen or any sort of ruling family should live in a castle made of stone. It should be dark and cold and, if not a castle, than at least a mansion. Something big, old and specially crafted just for them. This house was neither. As we left the tunnel and walked across a small patch of grass to the cement steps leading to the front door, I could see that the Huxley House was made of metal and windows like some kind of futuristic apartment building.
Jeremiah herded us all through the door and into a huge foyer with a ceiling that stretched all the way to the top of the house which, I guessed, was three stories. I noted that were no guards anywhere which I thought was strange. You'd think there'd be somebody here to protect the First or, maybe, they were there, just out of sight and ready to come if called. Off to the side was a metal staircase that was totally exposed so I could see two more flights of stairs leading to the floors above. I guess I was right, there were three stories. Each floor was like the foyer, circular and framed by rails for safety. Everything in the room was either made of some kind of shiny metal or painted white. There were four doors around the room including the one we came in. I watched as Jeremiah entered the door right across from us, closing it behind him.
"Wow," I said, looking around. "It's so-so sterile in here."
"It is bright, bright, bright," said Marshal who looked like he should still be in bed. He was pale and was struggling to sit so the wound in his back wasn't touching anything.
"Are you okay?" I asked. "You don't look like you're really in any kind of condition to do a meet and greet."
"I believe Jeremiah feels it's necessary," said Robert. "I get the impression that, although young and kind, this Amelia will not be happy to know that we're here without her knowledge."
"Well, I just hope we can get this meeting over with so Marshal can go back to bed," I said.
"Amelia will see you now," Jeremiah said when he returned ten minutes later. He gestured for us to follow him to one of the other doors which turned out to be an elevator. We all squeezed in and made our way to the top floor and exited into the circular hallway. I looked over the railing at the foyer below. I guess you could consider this a mansion, I thought. Jeremiah led us down the hall and opened a door, revealing a narrow staircase. He urged us to go up while he stood by the door.
"Aren't you coming with us?" asked Colonel Al.
"No," Jeremiah said. "Amelia must see you on her own. She needs to assess you without any outside influences. I must warn you, however, she may look young but she is the leader and is very wise and, like her brother, has limited patience."
"And Marshal?" I asked. "How is he supposed to get up the stairs? Is it okay for him to walk up the stairs on his own?"
"He should be okay," said the healer. "Just help him out of his mobile and guide him up the stairs; he should make it. It's not that far. When he gets up there, he can sit and regain his strength."
"Marshal?" I turned to my friend.
"It's okay, okay, okay," he smiled and I could see that it was strained. I waited for everyone else to go before I helped Marshal get up. I put my arm around his waist and insisted he lean on me as much as he wanted.
The staircase led us up through the floor of the room above. Marshal and I were the last ones up and I almost let him go as I gazed around the room in awe. I had never seen anything like it. There were no walls. Instead the entire room, including the dome-shaped ceiling, was made of glass, like one giant seamless window. I looked outside and realized the room was sitting on top of the roof as if it had been added as an afterthought. I turned around, looking at all the different views of the city. I saw the Healing Center and the rest of the buildings in the Court; they were all made out of different kinds of metal all welded together to form their structures. I could see that most of the destruction was concentrated around the Court but beyond, I could see smaller versions of the houses in the Court that were, for the most part, still intact. It looked as though most of the fighting was taking place right outside the First's house. I could also see that, somewhere, beyond the city, the sky was grey and the air was thick making it hard to decipher anything. I couldn't tell if this world had mountains or oceans or just miles and miles of open land. It was all a blur but, still, it was an amazing panoramic view of the world outside and, standing in the middle of it all, was a very beautiful girl, who I assumed was Amelia. She was wearing black jeans, a white t-shirt and a black hooded jacket, not what you'd expect the leader of a world to wear.
"I don't believe it," she said as she stared at Marshal with a smile on her face. "An actual member of the Fire People! How lucky I am to be in the presence of such a being. For many generations, we have been without your kind. I feel a great honour has been bestowed upon me." She quickly walked over to Marshal and rested her hands on his shoulders. "Come, I know you're recovering from a grave injury and need as much rest as possible." She led Marshal to a chair and sat him down. Marshal looked relieved to be sitting. Despite all his reassurances that he was fine, he was still very weak.
Amelia was like everyone we'd met here; ghost-white skin, clear blue eyes and black hair that she wore neatly braided and resting over her right shoulder. She was petite and looked very young, even younger than her brother which I knew wasn't possible. Being the First meant she was born before him. Still, it was hard to believe that this tiny girl could rule an entire world on her own. She looked so delicate and, when she spoke to us, showed only kindness in her eyes. No wonder Jeremiah liked her.
"I understand it was my brother who found you. I hope he treated you well," she said after making sure Marshal was comfortable. "Sometimes he has a way of trying to protect me that is quite unnecessary."
"Well, truth be known..." I started but then Robert reached over and squeezed my elbow a little too tightly. I guessed he didn't want me to mention how much of an asshole her brother was; a fact she probably already knew.
"We've been treated well," he told her, "by everyone, including your brother."
"That's good to hear," she said. "He should have told me of your arrival immediately but my brother has a flare for the dramatics. Jeremiah informed me that he wanted Marshal to be awake and out of danger before introductions were made. Whatever the case; I now know you're here and that's what's important. Please, take a seat with your friend and we can get to know each other." She directed us to the circle of comfortable chairs where Marshal was sitting and staring out at the city. I could see his face wrinkled with worry over the carnage outside. I hadn't had the time to let him know how bad it was.
"I understand you are foreign to these lands and were unaware of the troubles that plague Algar." Amelia started. "It's not a side of this world that one would want a visitor to see."
"Our apologies for coming at such a troubled time," said Cornelius. "We had no idea that the city was involved in conflict."
"'Involved in conflict?'" she laughed. "That's a polite way of saying war."
"I'm sorry," Cornelius said. "I didn't mean to trivialize the situation here."
"Don't be silly," Amelia laughed and I noticed her eyelashes take an extra wave. Did she find Cornelius attractive? I hoped not. I really didn't want to deal with a jealous Emma Lee. Maybe I just imagined it. "How could you have possibly known about it?"
"We couldn't," said Cornelius.
"Unless..." she
started.
"Unless what?" I asked.
"Unless Faelen tried to fill you in," she said, searching our faces for any sign that this was the case.
"No, no, no," answered Marshal. "We didn't know anything about this fighting."
"I see," she seemed to accept Marshal's answer. I guess the Fire People didn't lie. "So, tell me, why didn't Faelen come with you? He should know he's always welcomed here."
"I don't know," I said, trying not to make a big deal about it. "I guess you'll have to ask him the next time you see him."
"Perhaps," she said. "I've heard rumours that he visits Algar from time to time but I, myself, have never seen him. I was actually of the belief that he died in the flames but I can see that wasn't the case. Otherwise you wouldn't be here."
"Yes," agreed Robert. "Tell me, has there been any attempt at negotiations with the people out there?"
"At the start of the uprising I did try to settle things peacefully," she said. "But nobody wanted to deal with someone so young and inexperienced."
"I imagine it would have been difficult to persuade people to give up their fight when your brother's punishment was basically non-existent," I said and I could hear the others hold their breath. I guess I should have held my tongue but I couldn't help stating the obvious.
"I see Jeremiah has filled you in on the purpose of this uprising," she said, seeming not to be bothered by my criticism.
"He did," I said.
"My brother is all I have left in this world," she told us. "I was afraid he wouldn't last very long in a prison cell. He was raised with all the comforts and privileges of being a Huxley. He knew what he did was wrong and he knows not to do anything like it again. I trust him even if others do not."
"Good to know," I stated. I wanted her to know that we didn't completely trust her. If she wanted the help of the Fire People, it was good to keep her on her toes. If she didn't feel like we were quite on her side, maybe she'd go out of her way to keep us happy.
"I'm sorry that you find yourself in such dire circumstances," said Robert. "I can only imagine the pressure you've had to endure while growing up."
"That's neither here nor there," she smiled and I could see the sadness in her eyes and I kind of felt sorry for her. "My life was mapped out for me the moment I was born. I never expected anything different."
"This room," Colonel Al said trying to change the subject to something less depressing. "Is it for strategic purposes?"
"No," she answered. "This room was built long before any of the people decided to revolt against my family. This room was meant for studying the night sky. As you can imagine, with the darkness of the night, every galactic object can be seen."
"You don't say," said Cornelius as he scanned the sky, imagining what it would look like when the stars came out. "I would very much like to see that."
"You have a fondness for the stars?" Amelia asked with admiration. Her eyelashes waved more than once. I was right; Amelia was flirting with Cornelius! I glanced at Emma Lee, wondering if she noticed. By the way she was glaring at the First, my guess was that she had.
"I've been studying them my whole life," Cornelius answered, unaware of the attention being doted on him. He was staring through the glass ceiling, more interested in the view of the sky.
"You must come at night," Amelia said, still smiling and staring at Cornelius. "Perhaps you could come tonight? It promises to be clear and there's a trick to this glass that you'll have to see to believe."
"Y-yes," Cornelius looked at Amelia and was surprised to see her staring at him. He knew that look; he'd seen many women look at Max in the same way but rarely did a woman show that kind of interest in him. He blushed uncomfortably, wondering if he should be flattered or embarrassed; he was leaning towards the latter. He quickly looked at Emma Lee to see if she had noticed and realized by the anger in her eyes that she hadn't missed anything. He knew he had to say something to let the First know he was off limits. "Emma Lee and I would love to come and observe the stars. Isn't that right darling?"
"Of course," Emma Lee smiled with relief and straightened her back, knowing she had just won something very important. She gave Amelia a 'how do you like that?' look as she slipped her hand into Cornelius's.
"I see." A brief look of disappointment crossed Amelia's face and then she was back to being the perfect hostess. "Yes, bring your lady with you. In fact, bring everyone with you. It really is a remarkable view."
"Thank you," said Cornelius and moved even closer to Emma Lee.
"I think you're overlooking something," I said. "Gregorius wants us to stay in the room in the Healing Centre."
"Nonsense!" Amelia clapped her hands. "You'll stay here in my house. The Huxleys have always offered our visitors the finest accommodations. My brother knows this. If he wasn't going to bring me to the Centre to meet you, then he should have brought you here."
"It's not as bad as you think," said Robert, feeling, for some reason, that he should defend Gregorius. "He only wanted to make sure Marshal was healthy enough to meet you."
"Gregorius may have thought he was doing the right thing," said Amelia, "but he knows there are plenty of rooms here where an actual member of the very beings who saved my people from extinction could stay. He also knows that Jeremiah would have no problem coming here to treat him. No, my brother was fearful of the consequences he would have to face if I found out that, once again, he had left the protection of the Huxley guards. My brother needs to control his need to wander into enemy territory whenever he wants!"
"Consequences?" She made it sound like the punishment for leaving the court was going to be more severe than the punishment for starting the war! She obviously wanted complete control over her brother and everything he did and, for some reason, I didn't like it. Especially after Jeremiah had told us how much she loved her brother. She couldn't love him very much if she wanted to dictate his entire life. It left me thinking that the old healer had not told us everything about the relationship between the First and the Second. I kind of felt sorry for Gregorius now which made my stomach a little queasy because the guy really was a jerk.
"Yes," said Amelia. "My brother has a bad habit of going out in the streets whenever he wants, knowing full well he could be killed or captured."
"He seems pretty confident," I said. "He probably figures he can take care of himself. It's gotta drive him nuts to have his big sister hanging over his shoulder all the time."
"Oh, yes, my brother never misses a chance to tell me how suffocating I can be. He likes to think that he can be independent from the Huxleys, that he can make his own decisions," she said but that didn't sound like the Gregorius we had met. The man we met was wearing the Huxley family name like a crown. I didn't get the impression that he wanted to distance himself from them at all. "I just wish he'd realize that sometimes his decisions can put many lives in jeopardy. That, sometimes, I have to step in."
"Why?" I asked.
"Imagine if he were killed," she explained. "I would have to retaliate! There's no way I could let a vital member of the Huxley family be killed with no repercussions. And, if he were to be captured? I would have to assemble an army to retrieve him. When a family has ruled for as long as we have, any sign of weakness could mean death. Gregorius is showing a weakness. He knows it and he needs to stop."
"I never thought of it like that," I said but I still believed she was treating her brother like a child. "What about the rest of the Huxleys?"
"Excuse me?" My question seemed to surprise Amelia.
"The rest of the Huxleys?" I asked. "Are they banned from going out into the city, too?"
"The rest of the Huxleys," said Amelia, "are not my brother. They can take care of themselves."
"Are they even here?" I asked. I didn't like the way she spoke of her family; it was like she didn't care about them. She even seemed angry with me for asking about them.
"I think it's time for you to settle into the rooms I've set aside for you," she said a
s she made her way over to the stairs. I guess our meeting was over with no answer to my question. "I have a house maid who will show you the way. Cici? Cici, come and show our guests to their rooms please!"
I looked at Robert to see if he was annoyed by Amelia's vagueness about her family but he just shrugged his shoulders and smiled awkwardly. I shook my head in disappointment. Surely, I wasn't the only one that wanted more answers from our hostess but no one else was saying anything. Cowards, I thought. Cici, who had been waiting at the bottom of the stairs, arrived to take us to our rooms. I went to help Marshal stand up but Amelia stopped me.
"I would like him to stay," she stated and I knew she wasn't asking permission.
"He needs to rest," I said firmly. It was obvious Marshal wasn't ready to be interrogated. "I'm sure he'd be happy to talk to you tomorrow."
"Really, he can stay," Amelia stepped between Marshal and me. There wasn't going to be an argument. Amelia wanted Marshal to stay and, so, Marshal would stay. I looked at my friend to see how he felt about staying. If he wanted to go, I would drag him out with me no matter what Amelia wanted.
"It's okay, okay, okay Nicky," he waved me off. "I shall be in good hands with the pretty, pretty, pretty girl." He didn't look worried at all! In fact, he looked like a love stricken puppy who couldn't take his eyes off the petite leader. I rolled my eyes and put up my hands in defeat.
"Okay, Marshal," I said. "I will leave you with Miss Huxley but don't let yourself get too excited. You're not completely recovered yet."
"Yes, yes, yes, Nicky," he smiled, trying to hide the pain he was in. "I will be careful."
"I'll make sure he doesn't exert himself," Amelia reassured me. "Cici, if you will." We all began to follow the house maid down the stairs when Amelia called out. "Don't forget to come back when the sky is dark."
Fire Page 9
