by Leyland, L J
The men lined up behind the thrones and a little man in a suit scurried forward to the front of the stage. His excited face was magnified on the large screen. The side screens scanned the crowd, relaying the peoples’ reaction to the rest of the Empire, if not the world.
‘Loyal subjects of Brigadus. Loyal subjects of the Empire. People of the Metropole. I bring you news of sadness and joy. Our great father, our benevolent leader, our selfless brother, the Imperial Monarch of the Metropole, the noble Emperor of Europa and the purveyor of goodness and light in this land, has sadly passed away.’
The gasp from the crowd was like a wave breaking. Women flung their hands to their mouths, terrified of what this change meant for their families. Men clenched their fists, ready to hear what new terror they would have to face. The dead Monarch’s face smiled down on the crowd from the screen, like a God from heaven. The cameras desperately searched for a weeping mourner to project back to the rest of the world, but found none amongst this crowd of hard-hearted reluctant subjects. I noted that the camera had to pan to a long-shot of the stage to disguise the lack of sadness in the crowd. I wondered whether they would dub weeping sounds over the images to the rest of the Empire.
‘This is a time of great sorrow. He was a man who loved you all, as you loved him. But we mustn’t let ourselves sink beneath our despair.’
I looked to my neighbours and saw no despair, only narrowed eyes and tight lips.
‘For today, we gather in celebration of the coronation of the new Monarch. The new Imperial Monarch who will guide you, care for you and, yes, love you as you will love him. Loyal subjects, please stand for your father, the new Imperial Monarch, Emperor Maximillian Hexhaven.’
The sweep of his blonde hair, the flash of his sharp shiny teeth, the clip of his shoes. His appearance was as cold and hard as his name. His smile could cut bone and slice through metal. His mask of human flesh barely hid the steel under his skin. I’d never seen a man stand so upright. I wondered whether he had a metal backbone under his shirt. His pale blue eyes scanned the crowd and I slouched further behind the Highlanders. Regina glided behind him as if magnetically compelled by his presence. The circles of singed flesh on her temples glowed a tender pink. The giant screen showed her face and gasps rippled through the crowd. The older people recognised her. They knew her. Whispers spread through the crowd like a fire, catching and igniting neighbours, spreading the news.
‘It’s her! She’s come back! She’s returned! What’s she doing up there with him?’
Then I saw him. Following in Regina’s wake, he appeared on the stage. The most hated figure of all – the Mayor. The quiet hiss that spread through the crowd was that reserved for a comic-book villain. It would almost have been amusing if it hadn’t been so depressing. I sniggered to see him clench his fists and redden in anger. His mastery over his emotions was non-existent. No steel under his skin, just boiling blood and blubber. The Monarch shot dagger eyes at him for ruining his triumphant unveiling with this ripple of hatred. The Mayor simpered and looked embarrassingly apologetic.
Oh, I knew what he was thinking. He was thinking that he’d make us pay for that very public humiliation when all the cameras were gone. Not only had we shown our hatred for him in front of the entire Empire, we’d ruined the reverential atmosphere the Metropole had tried to conjure up. The Monarch was most definitely displeased. The Parrots moved in tighter, penning us in together, letting no-one have breathing room. It was a threat of things to come if we did not behave.
Regina and the Mayor sat quietly on their thrones whilst Maximillian Hexhaven stepped forward. He’d been taught the importance of body language. The indulgent head nod, the open palms, the straight-backed posture. It was not natural. It was all studied and we could tell. This was not a man at ease with the people and a flicker of his discomfort showed on his face.
‘My children. My family,’ he began. His smile was like a search beam, blasting light at those whose faces stayed resolutely dark. ‘My father was a true inspiration to us all. His kindness and generosity were renowned around the world and he worked tirelessly to protect you all. He was our benevolent leader, the head of our family, and he will be sorely missed. I miss him already, as I’m sure you do, too. However, with the passing of one era, another one dawns. These times, although tinged with sadness, can be a vehicle for vigorous, necessary change. Where things once stood still, there can be life and movement again.’
He began pacing the stage, walking towards the front as if to physically demonstrate that the stagnation of his father’s rule had been replaced by his youthful activeness. ‘Children, my rule has now begun. And I wish to stamp my mark upon this Empire and craft us into the rulers we were born to be. We are a great Empire but with determination, hard work and willingness to renounce old habits for fresh ones, we can be greater still. In order to make way for this bright new future, deadwood needs to be swept away. We need to clear our minds, our lives, and our society of those holding us back. We need to be free from old foes and we need to prevent malevolent forces from trying to throw us off track. Those who do not contribute, those who do not comply, those who hold us back will feel our wrath. And no-one, no-one, can withstand the burning fury of our wrath. I know that you are all anxious that I fulfil my duty to you and therefore, I say to you, do not be afraid. I will protect you.’
He paused, as though expecting applause. The crowd did nothing but wait in nervous silence. It waited, trembling, for him to reveal the targets of his persecution. Who would be named as deadwood? Fishermen? Tavern owners? The elderly? It could have been anyone. But I knew who it was.
‘Bring them out,’ he said.
Relief ran through the crowd as Noah’s family were led out. Noah’s parents had their heads bowed, hiding their faces but no-one could miss the split lip that painted Lady Farringdon’s face. The Duchess displayed her bruised face proudly. She wore her black eye almost as a sign of her superiority, looking defiantly at Hexhaven, daring him to look her in the eyes. Iris shook violently as she passed the Mayor on his throne. The Duke could barely walk and was half-dragged by some unnecessarily rough Parrots. His clothes, usually so smart and crisp, were stained and ragged. Yet their appearance did not disgust the crowd of townsfolk. They were relieved it was not one of their own who bore the marks of such ill-treatment. Thank goodness! It’s only the Bluebloods! The tension eased. They could cope with a Blueblood massacre. The Bluebloods were hated and the townsfolk had long felt that they needed taking down a notch or two. I looked at my neighbour – a young mother, clutching her dark-haired son. Her eyes danced with relief. I was sickened as I realised that she might actually enjoy the scenes about to materialize. I gave the signal to my Highland troops and we began slowly but insistently nudging others out of the way, wading to the front of the crowd. The golden gun was reassuringly cold in my pocket. The gun of honour. I swallowed hard and tried to press all thoughts about martyrs into a tiny ball and lodge it at the back of my brain. No time to worry about that now.
Noah was the last of his family to enter the stage. His beautiful blue eyes swam with regret but they did not swim with tears. My mouth went dry as I saw that he was ready; he had prepared himself to die. His back was straight and he held his head high as he walked across the stage. He shrugged off the hands of the Parrots who led him to the gallows. He confronted his noose as he confronted his death; with serenity and no anger.
I realised with a jolt that he thought I was lost already. He thought I was dead, or disappeared, another Regina. He thought that the plan was not going to be put into action. He was preparing himself to be martyred in the hope that the townsfolk would see the injustice of it all. He was hoping that they would seize his death as a chance to rise against the oppressors. He hoped that although he was a Blueblood, the townsfolk would have enough compassion to feel anguish over his sacrifice. His eyes closed regretfully as he registered the relief on the townsfolk faces.
‘Bring out the others,’ said Maximillia
n Hexhevan.
Parrots struggled onto the stage, dragging Grimmy and wrestling Matthias. Matthias broke free and aimed a punch so wild at his captor that the man flew through the air and bowled down two more Parrots as easy as skittles. Three Parrots moved in to take their places and Matthias collapsed as a truncheon made contact with the back of his head. A brief cry of outrage went up through the crowd only to be stifled immediately. This was something they did object to. They didn’t like seeing one of their own get beaten by a Parrot.
Maximillian Hexhaven laughed crisply and said, ‘What fighting spirit. Relax, boy. You will not suffer their fate.’
Matthias grimaced and I noted with horror that some of his teeth had been knocked out. He was so feral that he looked as though he could’ve lived without human contact for years. Hexhaven backed away, briefly shocked by Matthias’s appearance, but quickly recovered his cool. Grimmy was so preoccupied with struggling to break free that he had not noticed Regina sitting on the throne next to the Mayor. Regina’s emerald eyes slid in and out of focus. I wondered if his madness would return when he discovered what the Metropole had done to his one and only love.
‘Children, I want to show you the difference between the misguided and the evil. The misguided can be moulded. The misguided can be tamed. The misguided can be turned into useful citizens. The misguided can be shown the light.’
My breath came in short rasps as I was reminded of Rhian’s icy spider fingers and her terrible, powerful black eyes.
‘However, there is a dark force in this world. A dark, dark, evil force that, when it takes hold, devours a person. This person cannot be recovered when they have been taken. This person, this evil being, needs to be destroyed. In our society, both of these people exist. And both need to be dealt with before it’s too late. We are not harsh parents. We tutor the misguided. We rehabilitate them. We bring them back into the safety of the fold. But, the evil cannot be rehabilitated. They have to be stopped. Permanently.
‘My children. I want to introduce you to someone you may know. She, too, was misguided once. She too was once what you would call “a rebel”. But she has now been rehabilitated. I would like to introduce you to my wife, Regina Goodison.’
Grimmy’s cry wrought the air like a bolt of lightning; hot, anguished, electric. ‘Regina?!’ he cried. ‘Regina! No! Don’t you recognise me? Regina, its Dylan. What have they done to you? What are you doing?’
His speech was cut off by a punch to his mouth. He spat out a bloodied tooth as the Parrots moved in to silence him.
Regina rose unsteadily from her seat and absently glided forward to her husband. She stood as mute as a robot.
Hexhaven gave an icy laugh and said, ‘Well, darling? Tell them what you have to say.’ Irritation and impatience danced in his eyes. He brushed her hair roughly from her confused face and exposed the signs of her rehabilitation. The scorch marks were visible for all to see.
‘I … I …’
‘Well?’ Hexhaven prompted through gritted teeth.
‘I have been saved,’ she stuttered, finally remembering the lines from her script. ‘Brigadus. I did a very wrong thing. Eighteen years ago, I encouraged you to do something misguided. I encouraged you to rebel against our saviours, our family, our protectors, our parents. Sometimes, children think they know better and they do not obey. But I am here to tell you that you must obey. The Metropole is your protector. The Metropole is your saviour. The Metropole is your only hope. The Metropole will guide you into the light. They will rehabilitate you as they rehabilitated me. See these men here?’
She pointed towards Grimmy and Matthias. Not a shred of recognition passed her face as she looked at Grimmy. ‘They are misguided. They do not allow the love of the Metropole in. They are not evil but they still do not see the light. They are normal townsfolk like you. They are you. You are them. After this ceremony, they will be taken to be rehabilitated. I hope you will join with them, with me, with us and accept the love of the Metropole with open arms. I hope you will find the light with me.’
Confusion rippled through the crowd. This is Regina – she must be right. She was a rebel but she has found the light. Maybe we can, too?
Hexhevan came to the front of the crowd and said, ‘Thank you, darling.’ He might as well have patted her on the head, his voice was oozing with so much patronising paternalism. He was a master pleased that his pet has performed her trick. ‘You see how kind we are to the misguided. You can be helped. Please let us help you,’ he urged with a sad smile.
He walked over to the Mayor and indicated that he should stand up. The Mayor heaved his bulk out of his throne where he had been sitting like an immovable boulder. No-one was going to take his power away from him now. ‘Mayor Harpick. You have long been the stalwart for the Metropole on this island. We are so grateful for your effort and your loyalty. You have tried your best to train the misguided and punish the evil doers. However, under my father’s reign, sometimes the punishments did not lend themselves to the eradication of the evil. Sometimes, evil remained despite your best efforts to get rid of it. But no longer. No longer will you toil for so few results. I am here to say to you today, I give you permission to address this issue once and for all. I give you permission to eradicate evil, permanently.’
The screens showed the shocked faces of the crowds. The people of Brigadus might not have been particularly educated but they were no morons. They understood. They understood that the Mayor had just been given permission to wage genocide against his own people. Anyone who refused to be ‘rehabilitated’, anyone who questioned the Mayor or wasn’t quick enough to obey would be branded evil and dealt with swiftly.
‘Starting with you,’ said the Mayor, turning to Noah.
Noah refused to drop his gaze and looked him directly in the eyes. It was a challenge and the Mayor hated to be challenged. The snake thought he had finally cornered his prey but he hadn’t banked on his prey fighting back. The Mayor’s smug grin faltered slightly. ‘The Council of Nobles, the Bluebloods, are the last remaining obstacle in our way,’ said the Mayor with an edge of flint in his voice. ‘Too long have they looked down on us. Too long have they separated themselves off from us. Do you know what they think of you, townsfolk? They think you’re stupid. They laugh at you. They make a mockery of your hard work with their family money, their lifestyle, their houses. How is that fair? I ask you, how is that fair?’
Confused looks were exchanged. They hated the Mayor more than anything but the Bluebloods came a close second. Who would they side with? The Mayor, who was akin to the devil incarnate, or the Bluebloods, who were as cold as ice?
I heard a teenage girl next to me say, ‘But that man’s so old. They wouldn’t kill him, would they?’
Noah’s grandfather quietly wept in front of his noose. The Duchess reached for his hand but a Parrot slapped it away.
‘He is my husband and he is frightened,’ she said loudly. Her voice was as sharp and piercing as a bullet. It hit its target. The crowd audibly grumbled at the thought of someone so old being punished in such a degrading way. The crowd shifted restlessly and pressed forward.
‘These people cannot be rehabilitated. These people will stop you from finding the light and embracing the Metropole. A few days ago, we discovered a plot. They had been plotting to put themselves back in power. They were going to throw off the Metropole and make you all slaves. They were going to deny you finding the light and force you into the darkness again. These people are evil,’ the Mayor said quickly. He walked over to Noah’s grandfather and spat at his feet. This caused outrage in the crowd.
A male voice called out, ‘Oi, now that’s not right!’
A chorus of agreement went up in the crowd. The people of Brigadus might be hard in some aspects but they used that hardness to protect the vulnerable. Beads of sweat appeared on the Mayor’s forehead as he realised that he had put a foot wrong. His bulk was shaking in anger as he recognized that he was beginning to lose the sympathy of his audience.
Someone called ‘Coward!’ from the crowd and a jeer rose up amongst the masses.
‘They are evil and they will die. They will be punished.’ He was yelling and jabbing his finger indiscriminately between the crowd and Noah’s family as the noise from the crowd got louder. He was unsure who his enemy was now. ‘What’s wrong with you idiots?’ he yelled at the crowd. ‘Can’t you see I’m doing you a favour? They hate you! They hate me! They cannot be allowed to live!’
The Parrots grabbed truncheons from their belts and held them aloft threateningly. The crowd quailed slightly.
‘Let my family live,’ came a voice from the stage.
The crowd stopped pushing at the introduction of this new, calm voice. Noah shook off his guard and stepped from behind his noose to face the Mayor.
‘I said, let my family live. They are not evil. They have done nothing but lived the life they have been dealt. Can anyone be evil for simply playing the hand dealt to them? Killing them will achieve nothing but the smearing of blood on every person’s hands here.’
He turned to address the crowd. ‘If you allow my grandfather to die here today at the Metropole’s doing, you will be responsible for the murder of an innocent. This man is innocent of any crimes. You will all be cold-blooded murderers if you allow this. You will be worthy of the name evil. If you really need a sacrifice, a symbol, pick me. I am willing to die so that my family get to live. My death will absolve them of all their past follies and allow them to start again with you. But, please, you cannot kill these people. They are misguided but certainly not evil. I urge you to believe this and reject the alternative offered by the Metropole and the Mayor. Their idea of evil is just a ploy to massacre people who disagree with them.’
