Shades of Freedom

by Linda McNabb

  “Wait here boy,” came the whisper from the larger of the two figures.

  Charat then strode confidently out into the crowd. Surely his ripped clothes and bruised face would bring attention to him immediately? What was he intending to do? Charat fell into step behind a tall man and Johan had to creep closer to keep him in sight.

  Within seconds Charat veered off and back into the alleyway. Had he changed his mind? Johan began to see that there was more to Charat than met the eye when he heard the unmistakable click of Marcs.

  “Here boy. Just as I promised, ten Marcs.” Johan could hear the Marcs being counted into the boy's hand.

  “What do ya want me to do?” The boy sounded eager to please which wasn't surprising considering it was probably more Marcs than he had ever seen in his life.

  “All I want you to do is take that satchel the old man is carrying,” came the whispered reply.

  “He won't even notice it's gone,” the boy assured him.

  “No,” Charat spoke sharply. “I want him to see you take it and then you're to run off into the alley over the other side of the market.”

  Johan frowned as he wondered what Charat was up to. By the pickpocketing skills he had already shown, he really had no need of the boy's help at all. And why did he want the old man to see him?

  Johan watched, enthralled, as the boy nodded, pocketed his Marcs and stepped out into the market place. He made a beeline for the old man and tugged the satchel from his hand. He paused a second while the old man turned to see what was going on and then headed quickly for the opposite side of the market place. Charat then stepped out of the shadows and began running after the boy. He paused slightly when he passed the bewildered old man but kept his face averted as he spoke.

  “I’ll get him for you sir.”

  Johan crept right to the entrance of the alley to watch as both the boy and Charat disappeared down an alley. Nobody else in the market appeared to have noticed what had happened and the man stood still and stared after the two. Johan knew that wasn't the end of it. If theft had been his only motive he wouldn't have made such a scene of it.

  Sure enough several minutes later Charat reappeared out of the alley. He was staggering and his clothes looked a little more torn than they had been before. He made no effort to hide his face this time and everyone seemed to notice his bruises and swollen face.

  “There was a whole gang of them down the alley,” Charat spoke in gasps, staggered even more and finally collapsed as he dropped the satchel at the old man's feet. “I’m sorry, but they ran off.”

  “My good man you look dreadful. I really don't know how to thank you for saving my satchel. It has a lot of valuable things in it.” The old man pulled Charat to his feet and then signalled to two men who had just arrived. “Take this man back to my home and make sure he gets anything he wants. Anything at all!”

  Johan whistled softly to himself. He had to hand it to Charat, it was a brilliant plan. If he played his cards right now he would never want for anything ever again. He crept back down the alley when Charat was out of sight and slipped through the door back to his own sector.

  That was the last they would see of Charat. No wonder he didn't worry about making such a bold statement this morning. He never had any intentions of being around to face the crowds when it didn't happen.

  Johan made his way carefully back to Clover Downs and found himself wondering if the boy had made it back safely. He decided he had bigger problems to worry about, like where they were going to find food?

  “Where have you been?” Gil was waiting at the main doors to Clover Downs. “We have to organise something for tonight.”

  “I know...” Johan broke off as the sound of a Hoverpod filled the air.

  His instinctive reaction was to run for cover but one glance up at the approaching vehicle stopped him. It wasn't a State Hoverpod, it was one of the few Hoverpod owned by the Level one's. What reason could it have for coming to this Sector? Johan fully expected it to fly right past Clover Downs and frowned when it began to land right in front of himself and Gil.

  A small crowd had come out by the time it had completed its landing. They all fell silent when the door hissed as it swung open. Even Johan was completely taken by surprise when Charat stepped out in brand new clothes with a broad grin on his face.

  “Just like I promised. Food!” He threw open the back door of the Hoverpod and everyone could see that it was completely crammed with food, clothes and much more. “Who wants to help unload it so I can go back for some more?”

  A shout of joy went up through the crowd and everyone except Johan and Gil rushed forward to unload the goods. It was soon empty and Charat climbed back in and with a wave took off again.

  “I could have sworn he wouldn't come back,” Johan said almost to himself.

  “It just goes to show you're not always right about people's character,” Gil said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

  Johan turned to answer but Gil was already gone. Johan followed the rest of the crowd back inside and headed towards his room. As he passed through the square he noticed the board he had put there for people to nominate the new leader. His name was at the top with Gil's underneath but another had been written in large letters. Charat. Johan frowned and wondered why it bothered him to see Charat's name there. He had as much right to be leader as anyone else, especially after today.

  Johan carried on to his room and opened the door, deep in thought about the events of the last few days. Everything seemed to have been turned upside down.

  “What the....?” Johan stopped in surprise when he saw Roma in his room. He never locked the door but it was courtesy not to go in if he wasn't there. What bothered Johan more than the breach of courtesy was that Roma was sitting in the middle of the floor with empty flagons all around him.

  **

  Kala left Marge's sick room and shut the door quietly. Alissa didn't look at all well and Marge didn't seem to know what was wrong with her. Kala had finally found her mother, earlier that day, in the middle of the conservatory. She hadn't seemed even to hear her when she had told her that her daughter was sick. She just kept on looking at the flower she had picked and humming a tune over and over. Kala hadn't been able to find her father anywhere and she was beginning to worry.

  She would have to drop off the Marcs under the bush soon. She felt like sitting down and having a cry as her life and her family's seemed to have become a nightmare. She had to talk to someone! She had to put her trust in someone and tell them what was going on or she would go mad. The only person she could think of was Johan and she made a beeline for his room.

  She had heard a commotion out in the square a little earlier but hadn't wanted to leave Alissa. There was a totally different atmosphere in The Square as she passed through it now. Some people were wearing new clothes and everybody was smiling. She didn't feel in the mood to ask what was going on, she would find out later.

  She knocked on Johan's partly open door and then pushed it open as she could see her father sprawled out on the floor. Johan was standing next to him and Kala's first thought was that Johan had hit him.

  “What have you done to him?” Kala rushed over to her father and as she bent over him the reek of cider told her what was going on.

  “I'd say he did it to himself,” Johan replied as he picked up the empty flagons. “It must have taken him a while to get through this lot.”

  Kala straightened up and stared at her Father. He looked back with no recognition of her in his eyes.

  “I need to talk to you,” Kala said dragging her eyes away from her drunken father. A loud banging noise came from The Square and both Kala and Johan went immediately to see what it was.

  Through the main doors Kala could see a State Hoverpod, and three guards stood by the metal doors. They were banging their Stun Sticks against the doors and the sound was deafening. They continued until The Square was crowded and then abruptly stopped.

  “We are here to take Kala P
alent,” The largest of them boomed and Kala's heart began to beat frantically. What did they want her for? She hadn't done anything.

  “Surely we can sort this out?” Johan stepped forward and blocked Kala from the guards. “This must be some sort of mistake.”

  “We don't make mistakes,” came the blunt reply. They must have noticed Kala hiding behind Johan and pushed him roughly out of the way. They grabbed the terrified Kala by the arms and dragged her away before she could even consider resisting. Her suddenly dry mouth wouldn't make the cry her mind was telling it to as she was bundled roughly into the waiting Hoverpod.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The force of the quick take-off threw Kala backwards and onto the floor. She scrambled to her feet and looked out the window, down towards Clover Downs. She could see someone watching her departure but from this height she couldn't tell who it was.

  She shook her head in disbelief that this could be happening to her. What could they possibly think she had done? Maybe they had found out about the raid on the warehouse the other night. No, that couldn't be it because they would have taken Johan and all the others as well.

  “What have I done?” Kala demanded of the two guards sitting in the front of the Hoverpod.

  The screen that divided her family from the guards when they were brought to Sector Four was down and she could have reached over and touched them if she wanted to. They obviously didn't consider her to be dangerous.

  There was no reply to her question, which didn't really surprise her. Experience told her that she didn't necessarily have to have done anything wrong for them to arrest her. So what was going to happen to her now?

  Kala felt surprisingly calm as the Hoverpod flew her almost silently to her awaiting fate. There were no more levels to go down and the eighteen Marcs in her pocket wouldn't get her far so the only place they could send her was offshore.

  She gazed out the window at the increasing darkness. Lights were flicking on all over the sector, but it was one set of lights that caught her attention. The lights of State Head Quarters came on and lit up the building just as they always did, but that wasn't what was concerning her.

  They weren't flying towards the building as they should be. The State H.Q. was off to her right and getting smaller every second.

  “Where are you taking me?” Kala felt a trace of nervousness creep into her voice.

  Again there was no answer and Kala leant forward and grabbed one of the guards by the shoulder.

  “Answer me,” she demanded not at all worried that she would make things worse. Things couldn't get any worse.

  The guard pulled away from her without turning to face her and Kala had to pull her arm back quickly as the screen slid up to seal her in the back of the craft.

  She knew that they would still be able to hear her but decided not to waste her breath asking them any more questions. Instead she tried to work out where they were going. Judging by the position of the State HQ they should be somewhere over the First Sector.

  It was too dark to tell if she was right and something else made her even more suspicious. The Hoverpod was running without lights. Why would they be doing that? As Kala was thinking about this the Hoverpod suddenly changed course, throwing her sideways against the window.

  With her face pressed against the window she couldn't help but see another Hoverpod pass within inches of her face. It must have been taking off from underneath them and would have hit them if they hadn't swerved. So they couldn't be on official business then. Again the question arose as to why they would want her.

  The lights below became more spaced apart and that told Kala that they were over the Level One district. The craft began to descend and Kala started to feel nervous. Where ever it was they were taking her, they had arrived.

  A slight bump told her they had landed and a short distance away she could see the lights of a large house. They were definitely in the Level One district.

  The back door slid up with a hiss and Kala wondered if she was supposed to get out. The guards were still ignoring her and she decided to wait until she was told what to do.

  “You can get out now,” a man’s voice from out in the blackness made her jump.

  She couldn't see who the owner of the voice was but it didn't sound as if they were dangerous. Kala slowly climbed out of the back of the Hoverpod and moved away quickly as the door immediately slid shut. The Hoverpod didn’t take off. It gave Kala a small spark of hope that she would be returning to her family after all.

  “Follow me,” the voice said just ahead of her.

  She could just make out a figure walking off towards the house and, as she had nowhere else she could go, she followed him. When they were almost at the house the outside lights made it easier to see and she could now see the man she was following.

  He was tall, thin and balding and walked with an air of self-confidence that showed he had experienced a lifetime of comfort and easy living. He was dressed in an expensive looking, oversized tunic and baggy trousers which clearly marked him as one of the esteemed Servant Class. Kala felt a knot of dislike growing within her for this man. Why should he have so much when others had nothing?

  “In here,” the man turned towards her as he held open a door to the house.

  Kala was momentarily stunned by the look of dislike and hatred on his face and her heart began beating loudly in fear. Did she really want to go inside with this man who didn’t look at all friendly?

  “Why am I here?” she demanded and cursed the way her voice cracked with fear.

  “It’s certainly not my idea to bring someone like you here. The Mistress said to find you and bring you here. I didn’t ask why and you’d do well to remember only to speak when you’re asked to. Hurry up. The Mistress must not be kept waiting.” He didn’t hide his impatience and Kala quickly scuttled through the door.

  He followed her inside and closed the door behind him. Kala looked around at what must be his living area in disgust. It was decorated with expensive, ugly ornaments and paintings.

  “Put these on... and clean yourself up...” He handed her a pile of clothes and then left the room. As he left he brushed his hands against his tunic as if they were dirty.

  Kala felt like throwing the clothes on the floor and walking out but with the Hoverpod still out in the garden she doubted she would get far. She would have to go along with this man to find out what she was doing here. If she played her cards right she might just make it back to her family.

  She looked at the clothes and saw they were still State issue but they were brand new. She found a bathroom off the main room and quickly changed. They were all a perfect fit, even the shoes, and it made Kala wonder how they knew so much about her.

  Kala found a large mirror on one of the walls and was surprised at how wild her hair looked. She did her best to tidy it up and reluctantly went back into the living area.

  The man was waiting for her and after a cursory glance up and down her he pressed his lips together and shrugged his shoulders.

  “I guess you’ll have to do. Follow me.”

  Kala fought back the desire to tell him what she thought of him and forced a look of indifference on her face. She followed him through another door and up a flight of stairs. They came up into what must be where the Level One family lived, and the extravagance with which everything was decorated made Kala angry.

  She was led to a room that looked like a sitting room and was told to wait there. Kala looked around the room which was so overcrowded with beautiful ornaments and trinkets that it had become ugly.

  She picked up one of the smaller items and hid it in her pocket in case she made it back to Level Ten. Then Kala thought about how much trouble a few Marcs had brought her and wondered if this ornament would do the same. A sudden thought made her heart drop to her feet. She hadn’t put the Marcs under the bush before she had been taken. What if she didn’t get back in time to do it? What if she didn’t get back at all?

  Her thoughts were inte
rrupted by a small dog wandering into the room. It jumped up onto one of the overstuffed sofas. For some reason the dog looked familiar and Kala frowned as she tried to remember where she had seen it before.

  In the same second that it came to her, a voice behind her confirmed her thoughts.

  “At last. I thought you would never arrive Kala,” the over-large figure of Mrs Fortnes swept into the room with her figure hugging dress showing off a few too many of her ample curves.

  She picked up her dog and draped herself across the sofa. She didn’t seem aware that it was a very unattractive pose and Kala carefully kept her face expressionless. She fingered the ornament in her pocket wondering how she was going to put it back without being seen.

  “You must be wondering why I invited you here?” Mrs Fortnes said in a pleasant voice as she stroked the dog.

  Invited! She obviously had no idea how Kala had come to be here. This probably wasn’t the best time to argue the point though.

  “It had crossed my mind,” Kala agreed slowly.

  “I’d like to hire you as a tutor for my son, Reco. You were recommended as the best tutor in the Sector by a friend of mine.” She hadn’t looked up at Kala yet.

  “And if I don’t want the job...” Kala had no desire to spend her days teaching a spoilt little brat who probably didn’t want to learn when she had so many eager students back in Clover Downs. All she wanted was to go back to her family.

  “But you must!” Mrs Fortnes looked up at Kala and the dog whined as it was squeezed a little too hard. Kala saw clearly in her wide eyes that she was desperate. “I can arrange to have you raised up a level from whatever you are now if you want.”

  Mrs Fortnes obviously had no idea that a Level Ten was in her sitting room or she wouldn’t be talking to her like this.

  “I think I just want to go home,” Kala decided. She wanted nothing to do with a Level One who took everything for granted. Level Ten might be basic but it was better than this.