by Brenda Hiatt
“Those of you still in school will be assigned your final grade placements and given additional opportunities to role-play interacting with the Sovereign and others in classroom settings, surrounded by unsuspecting Duchas. With so many Echtrans concentrated in one small town, maintaining secrecy will be as difficult as it is imperative, but I have no doubt you will all rise admirably to the challenge. Questions?”
Dad’s hand is the first in the air. “Where will we all live once we get there?”
“Housing arrangements are already being made,” Fianna assures him. “Families and couples will be given priority for larger homes and apartments, which will be underwritten by the Echtran treasury with repayment coming from your NuAgra wages. Most singles will be given quarters at NuAgra itself until more apartment units and houses can be built in Jewel to accommodate them. You’ll have an opportunity to look over your housing options and submit requests as your training proceeds.”
She answers a few more questions that show how nervous some people are, now that they’ve been chosen. Mum, I notice, doesn’t look the least bit worried. Neither does Adina—though that might be because she’s so busy whispering with Jana.
Finally, Fianna dismisses us with what I consider an unnecessarily bright smile. “Be sure to get a good night’s sleep so you’ll be fresh for your first day of Jewel training tomorrow.”
Won’t that be special.
12
Rundacht
rundacht (ROON-dahct): extreme secrecy; classified information
* * *
The next day we’re all issued new identification and bios consistent with the story that we’re moving to Jewel from another NuAgra facility in Upstate New York.
Other than memorizing our new background info, the special “Jewel training” mostly consists of stupidly obvious rules. Like—don’t bow to the Sovereign or call her “Excellency” where any Duchas could possibly notice, don’t be too cliquish with the other Echtrans in town, adhere to local fashions except inside the NuAgra complex… Sheesh.
Role-playing how we’ll act if we run into the Sovereign or one of the O’Garas on the street is a lot more challenging, though—at least for me. I quickly realize my safest course will be to simply avoid anybody “important.” Otherwise I’m bound to say or do something that will get me—and maybe my parents—in trouble.
Over the next week I grow more and more dejected and resentful, what with the collapse of our caidpel group and knowing I’ll be forced to lie constantly once we reach Jewel. Then, just as we’re leaving the dining hall after lunch one day, the phone in my tunic pocket vibrates.
I pull it out with a sigh, anticipating yet another message from Alan asking me to spend the evening with him. Instead, I discover a cryptic text from a number I don’t recognize.
Still committed to CE’s cause? #11 Alban, 9pm.
Heart pounding, I stuff the phone back in my pocket, trying not to let my sudden excitement show.
But Adina, ever-observant, asks me, “What’s wrong? Did you forget something?”
“Um, no. I just noticed my tunic is stained.” I cover the nonexistent spot with my hand. “Save me a seat while I go change, okay?”
Stifling a twinge of guilt for lying to my sister, I hurry to our lodging. The moment I’m safely inside, away from prying eyes, I send a message back.
Still committed. I’ll be there.
To preserve my cover story, I yank off my perfectly clean tunic and replace it with the one I wore yesterday. Then, smiling for the first time in days, I head to the lecture hall.
It’s harder than ever to keep my mind on the training that afternoon, or the conversations around me during dinner. Back in our quarters, Mum, Dad and Adina settle down to watch yet more Duchas TV. I pretend to pay attention but my mind is seething with curiosity about that text and who sent it.
When one of the silly sitcoms ends at 8:30, I stand up. “Oh, I almost forgot I, uh, promised Alan I’d go running with him tonight, if that’s okay?”
Mum glances up with a smile. “Of course. It’s nice that you and Adina will already have friends your age when we get to Jewel. That should make the transition easier for you both.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it will.” I barely know what I’m saying, I’m so eager to get to my rendezvous to find out what they want me to do.
I walk quickly toward the central area of Dun Cloch, shivering slightly in the chilly evening air despite my light jacket. After our last caidpel session, the permanent residents insisted the evening chill was a mere taste of what’s coming, weather-wise. I had to look it up before I’d believe temperatures in Dun Cloch stay below the freezing point of water for much of the year. Brr.
Even so, I’d much rather stay here than move to Jewel. Especially since the whole center of town and all the houses are climate-controlled. Shoot, I might even lower myself to playing chas pell indoors during the months when it’s too cold and snowy for caidpel.
Alban Street contains some of the biggest, fanciest houses in the compound, which strikes me as an odd place for a Populist to live. I’m early, so I find a discreet place to wait, where I mentally review the material from Crevan Erc I had on my old tablet.
At one minute till nine, I tentatively ring the bell of number eleven—not the biggest house on the street, but by no means the smallest, either. The door opens and two men I don’t recognize usher me inside, then quickly close the door again.
“You weren’t seen coming here, were you?” asks the taller and younger of the two.
“I…I don’t think so. I tried to be careful.”
“Good.” He smiles now. “Thank you for coming, Miss Morain. I am Lach Lennox, former Governor of Dun Cloch, and this is Allister Adair, previously of the Echtran Council.”
I take a quick step backward, trying to conceal my sudden panic. “Why did you—? I haven’t done anything wrong, I swear! Whatever you’ve been told about me, I only—”
The older, stockier man holds up a hand, stopping me. “Please calm down, Kira. May I call you Kira? Governor Lennox and I haven’t asked you here to accuse you of anything. In fact, we’re very much hoping you can help us.”
“Help you?” Still suspicious, I regard them both warily. “Help you do what? I don’t know anything, if that’s what you’re thinking. I only ever met Crevan Erc once, on Mars, and haven’t had any contact with him since leaving.”
Governor Lennox puts a hand on my shoulder and I feel a strange calm flow from his touch. “Not to worry, Kira. We’re not asking you to betray Crevan or his followers. Quite the reverse. Over the past year Allister and I have realized he’s absolutely correct that the hereditary monarchy has outlived its usefulness. We’ve agreed to do our part toward a fairer, more egalitarian future for our people.”
I blink in confusion. “But…you’re Royals. Aren’t you?”
“A mere accident of birth.” Allister waves a hand dismissively. “Much like that which resulted in the elevation of a foolish teenaged girl to the role of Sovereign. Believe me, I know better than most how woefully inadequate she is to the task. At the Council’s request, I attempted to instruct her in her duties once her lineage was proved, putting a very successful Duchas career on hold to do so. Unfortunately, she proved both disinclined and ill-equipped to learn. She then had the effrontery to blame me for her lack of progress, despite my personal sacrifices on her behalf.”
Disgust twists Lennox’s handsome face. “I also experienced both her appalling lack of judgment and her vindictiveness firsthand. It was well hushed up at the time, but the very day Faxon was overthrown, when our people most needed her as a symbol to rally around, she was persuaded to an elopement by a boy she had been cautioned to avoid. They clearly realized that with Faxon gone, she would be expected to take on more duties, making their clandestine relationship untenable.”
“An elopement? Seriously?” That wasn’t mentioned in Crevan’s reading material! “And no one heard about it?”
Allister smiles
grimly. “No, we on the Council went to great efforts to hush it up.”
“But…she was just fifteen then!”
“And Rigel Stuart barely sixteen,” Allister confirms. “Not that their youth excuses what they did. Governor Lennox and I did everything we could to mitigate the damage when they were located. We returned her safely to Jewel and brought the Stuart boy here to Dun Cloch, as he was clearly a bad influence. She repaid our efforts on her behalf by having us removed from our positions and placed under virtual house arrest.”
Lennox nods. “Had our warnings been heeded, their flouting of tradition during their voyage to Mars last spring never could have happened.”
“That was really stupid of her,” I agree eagerly. “There was no hushing it up, either, once that kiss caught on camera was all over the feeds. My parents were worried it might be enough to keep her from getting Acclaimed. Too bad it wasn’t.”
“Indeed,” Lennox agrees. “We had hopes that the Council might see reason after that, for it proved we’d been right all along about the Sovereign’s tendency to put personal and emotional considerations above the good of our people.”
“Yes, that incident should have proved beyond all doubt that she is not fit to lead, yet the people of Nuath still voted for her Acclamation.” Allister sadly shakes his head.
I barely suppress a snort. “All because of a stupid power glitch. It scared enough people—including her two main contenders for leadership—that everyone was willing to overlook her obvious shortcomings just to have a Sovereign again. Like she had the skills to somehow fix the problem?”
That blackout rattled me, too, at the time, but not so much I’d have voted for Emileia the Upstart if I’d been old enough. Bile rises in my throat remembering how disgusted I was by the short-sightedness of the Nuathan people—including my own parents. “What is it you want me to do?”
Smiling now, Allister exchanges a quick glance with Lennox before replying. “For now, we simply needed to confirm that you share our goal of removing the Sovereign from power.”
“I do,” I fervently assure him. “The more I learn about her, the more I realize she’s the worst person possible to lead our people. Crevan Erc—”
“Precisely.” Lennox is also smiling now. “We’ll contact you again before you leave Dun Cloch to fully explain your mission. Until then, we recommend you learn all you can so you will be well-equipped to play your role when the time comes. You will not, of course, mention tonight’s meeting to anyone else.”
I shake my head vigorously. “Of course not, sir. Not to anyone.”
“Good. It appears Crevan’s faith in you was well justified.” Though he doesn’t quite have Crevan Erc’s overpowering charisma, the approval in his tone warms me, reassuring me that I’m doing the right thing.
Allister opens the door and looks up and down the street to make certain there are no observers, then both men bid me goodnight.
Heading back to our lodgings, my spirits are higher than they’ve been since leaving Nuath. Crevan Erc didn’t forget about me after all! I wonder if Brady—? I quickly cut off that thought. There was never anything between us but the slightest of flirtations and now we’re literally worlds apart. Time to focus on the future instead of the past.
With a renewed sense of purpose, I pay close attention in our remaining Jewel classes so I’ll be better prepared for whatever mission I’m given. Our fake identities have been tweaked to show us all being brought to Jewel by NuAgra, which involves relearning a few details. I still don’t like the idea of pretending to be Duchas, but if doing so believably will make me a more effective operative, that’s what I intend to do.
I’m beyond eager to hear from Lennox and Allister again, but a full week passes before I receive another message, this time as I’m getting ready for bed.
Tomorrow night, 9pm. Same location. Don’t be seen.
Of course, I immediately message them I’ll be there—then I’m too excited to fall asleep until well after midnight.
The next night, I again use running as my excuse to skip another evening of American television—this time a movie set in the approximate region we’ll be moving to. Adina grins over at me.
“With Alan again? Are things between you heating back up now that you’re both going to Jewel?”
“Of course not. We’re just friends.” Though Alan still makes it obvious he’d like that to change. “I’ve also spent plenty of time with the Walsh twins, and with you and Jana. It’s no big deal.”
Escaping before I’m forced to lie, I really do go running—as far as Alban Street. Making sure it’s completely deserted, I again approach the house and ring the bell. Like before, I’m whisked into the foyer and the door shut quickly behind me, but this time I’m shown into a plush living room.
“Please have a seat, Kira,” Allister says. “I imagine you’ve been curious to know exactly what mission we have in mind for you?”
Gingerly sitting on the edge of the fanciest chair I’ve ever touched, I nod. “Yes sir. I am.”
“As Crevan may have mentioned back in Nuath, one thing the Populist movement has lacked is someone on the inside, so to speak—someone with frequent access to the Sovereign and those around her. The information such a person can collect will help us craft our strategy to dismantle the monarchy, paving the way for a truly representative government. We are all agreed that you, Kira, are our best choice for that role.”
I stare at him. “M-me?”
He and Lennox both nod.
“I…I’m honored, of course, but shouldn’t someone more experienced have such an important mission? Someone older? I mean, I only just turned seventeen—”
“On the contrary,” Lennox interrupts. “Once in Jewel, you’ll attend the same school as the Sovereign, giving you daily opportunities to observe her in unguarded moments and to converse with those who’ve known her longest.”
My surprise gives way to distaste. “So I…what? Have to make friends with her?” Ew.
“You needn’t go that far,” Allister assures me. “Just close enough to discover any weaknesses we can exploit, while at the same time learning how the Echtrans relocating to Jewel regard the Sovereign and her abilities. Not the traditional pablum they had to spout to be selected, but their true feelings. Though it might be safest to avoid directly speaking out against her, feel free to subtly help along any signs of discord or discontent that may arise.”
“Very subtly,” Lennox cautions. “First, you must gain the trust of those in a position to provide evidence we can use to discredit the Sovereign—anything with the potential to undermine her current level of support. Obviously, the more evidence you can gather, the better.”
So I’ll be a spy. Though I don’t much like the idea of making nice with the Sovereign and her friends, I’m still pumped to be entrusted with such a vital mission.
“How will I let you know what I find out? I only have this Duchas teachtok now.” I pull out my mobile phone.
“With this.” Lennox takes my phone and hands me another, identical one. “It has quite a few, ah, special features added. It is shielded, allowing us to contact you without raising alerts either here or in Jewel. It’s also encrypted, so you’ll be able to securely send us any information you discover.”
I turn it over and over in my hand. It doesn’t look any different. “How do I—?”
Lennox calls out, “Enid, will you join us?” and a wiry-looking woman with cropped hair immediately enters the living room from the rear of the house.
“Enid has a real gift with technology,” Lennox explains. “She was able to circumvent the excessive monitoring of our communications, making our virtual incarceration in Dun Cloch far more bearable.”
The woman turns to me. “I was a member of the security detail that foiled the Sovereign’s ill-advised elopement and brought young Stuart here to face an inquiry. Needless to say, I was exceedingly disappointed when he was allowed to escape punishment for such an egregious act, despite G
overnor Lennox’s utmost efforts to ensure justice.” She sends a fatuous smile his way.
“Will you please show Miss Morain how to use the special features you added to her phone?”
“Of course.”
She helps me set up a retinal identification scan and passwords, so no one else can access the modifications. Then she spends another few minutes pointing out cool things like an aural dampening field and a holo generator.
When she’s done, Allister says, “Once in Jewel, you should keep this device with you at all times. As an added safety precaution, we’d also like to implant a tracker just under your skin. Should your mission become compromised, it will allow us to extract you from Jewel more quickly.”
“Oh, okay, sure.” Hearing my mission could put me in danger makes it seem somehow more noble. “How will you know if I need help?”
“Touch the emergency app on your phone,” Enid tells me. “That will alert us to monitor the chip remotely. If we detect an adrenalin spike, we will attempt to contact you. If you are unable to answer, a rescue party will be dispatched.”
Lennox gives me an almost fatherly smile. “We would be no better than Faxon if we allowed you to risk yourself on our behalf without a contingency plan for your safety.”
“Thank you.” I’m touched that he cares.
Enid pulls a tiny syringe from the vest pocket of her tunic. “If you’ll turn around, Miss Morain?”
I do. She pushes my hair aside and I feel a tiny prick on the back of my neck.
“There. We should run a brief test.” Enid punches something into her omni’s holo-display, watches it for a few seconds, then nods. “Signal strength is good, monitor readouts are within expected norms. If you will run in place for two minutes, I can calibrate the receiver to your metabolism.”
