A Town Called Dust: The Territory 1 (25 page)

The Administrator paced across the Council Room. He had been doing so for the last hour and it was beginning to put even Knox Soilwork on edge.

“Your Honor,” he said as the Administrator passed him yet again, “I fear you are wearing the floor thin. Why don’t you have something to eat?”

“How long ago were they spotted on the outskirts of the city?”

“About two hours ago, Your Honor.”

“So they should be here any minute?”

“Well, that’s likely, Your Honor, but it depends how long they are held up in the slums. By all accounts the road is getting progressively more overrun by the rabble down there. We should really do something about that.”

“I hardly think that is the most pressing issue we face, Knox,” said the Administrator as he reached the wall, pirouetted on his heels and started back the other way. “I am much more concerned about the arrival of the Apprentices.”

“May I be blunt, Your Honor?” asked Knox Soilwork in drawn-out tones.

The Administrator laughed. “When are you not?”

“Why are you so concerned about these three children?”

The Administrator stopped his pacing and turned to look at his Chief Minister. “If what the old crone says is true, then one of these children will bring about the end of Alice. If that is not a concern, then I don’t know what is.”

“Your Honor,” Knox Soilwork said, “it is unlike you to take the words of High Priestess Patricia at face value, particularly when discussing nonsensical prophecy written so many hundreds of years ago. I do not think you should be concerned.”

“Good,” said the Administrator, beginning another lap of pacing, “I will take your lack of concern under advisement. I, however, happen to have an altogether bad feeling about this.”

There had been a time when the Alice Inside was the only place Lynn had ever wanted to be. She could never have imagined venturing out into the filthy Outside, except maybe as a Digger heading out on an adventure, but now, as they drew near to the city, the Alice Inside was the very last place Lynn wanted to be.

There was no subtlety in the beginning of Alice. There came a point during their approach where the city suddenly started, the slums surrounding the city, at least. Lynn remembered looking out at the slums from within the city. She had never liked them then—they had always disgusted her, in fact—but now as she rode through them seeing the crowded buildings filled with the poor, the forgotten, the elderly, the diseased and the crippled, she felt something different. She felt pity. The people living beyond the walls were still people, just like those inside the walls. She felt sudden guilt that she had been like all those inside the walls, all those too selfish to share what they had with the less fortunate. Everyone out here was just trying to survive. The sounds of talking and yelling and children playing in the winding streets filled the air, although the sounds battled for space with the ever-present smell. Lynn looked at Squid riding beside her. He had clamped his forefinger and thumb over his nose in an attempt to avoid the stench.

At some point in the past the slums had overtaken the original road into Alice and a new road had formed organically. It took them until dusk to reach the Wall. The sun had sunk below the horizon but some light still clung on to day. Under the blue-black sky Lynn saw the huge wooden gate in front of them. It was at least thirty feet tall and must have been five feet thick.

This close to the Wall the streets widened and the houses, like the people, looked less forlorn and seemed only to beg occasionally. There were businesses here too. Lynn could see metalworkers, a baker and a shoemaker plus peculiar little stores selling all sorts of knick-knacks that Lynn didn’t recognize.

Geelong, one of the Workmen who had accompanied Squid and Lynn on their journey back to Alice, dismounted and approached the city guard emerging from the exterior guardhouse. Lynn couldn’t hear what was being said. The guard looked past Geelong to Lynn and Squid and then, apparently begrudgingly, he moved back into the guardhouse and pulled the end of a rope that hung the entire height of the wall. Up above, Lynn could hear the faint ringing of a bell and slowly, with a familiar droning like the wood was complaining, the giant gates opened inward, just enough to allow their group to ride through.

Now that had she had been Outside, Lynn saw that there could not have been a bigger shift of environment anywhere in the world than that of riding through the Great Gate. The road under them suddenly became the smoothest in the Territory, and gutters designed to carry the rain and other liquids to the sewer system bordered it. The buildings around them were not only bigger but they seemed much sturdier, and quite a few of them were built from stone, a single one of which would likely be worth more than all the slums combined. Here the city didn’t seem to loom over approaching travelers; the wealthy buildings were quite content to stand back and engage in proper stickybeaking from afar.

Lynn, Squid and their companions passed through the city as they made their way toward Government House. Lynn tried her hardest not to think about being back here but the thoughts snuck into her mind anyway. There was the corner where the ice-cream shop was, the street where she’d had her run-in with the Holy Order, the street that led to her school, the street that led to her father’s house, the home she had lost. They passed all these things and she kept her head down, not wanting to look at them. Beside her Squid was wide eyed as he took in their surroundings.

“Wow,” he said, and fell silent, as though he couldn’t find the words to describe how he felt about being inside the city of Alice for the very first time. Lynn tried to imagine what it would be like, never having seen the city.

Government House looked as palatial as ever. Warmth exuded from the windows, evidence of the burning gas lamps within and the unregulated use of electricity. Passing through Steven Square they approached the black gate at the front of the Administrator’s property. Two guards hurried forward. Having taken on the role of spokesperson for the group, Geelong addressed them, something that Lynn was quite happy with. “Lynnette Hermannsburg and Squid Blanchflower, here by request of the Administrator.”

The guards looked confused.

“We are the last surviving Apprentices of the Diggers,” Lynn said.

One of the guards turned to the other. “Call on the stables,” he said, “and have them prepared to take their horses.” The other guard, obviously the more junior of the two, bowed slightly and hurried off. The first looked at Lynn and Squid as they dismounted. The look on the guard’s face made it clear what he was thinking. If this was indicative of those who served the Diggers, no wonder they’d been wiped out. What he said was, “If you’ll follow me, please, I will take you to the Administrator directly. The stableboys will look after your horses and your men will be given accommodation.”

Lynn nodded to Geelong, who nodded back in acknowledgment. He would lead the Workmen back to the now empty Digger barracks on the other side of the city. Lynn and Squid followed the guard through a long entranceway, along which portraits of past Administrators hung in a neat row. They made their way up a wide staircase to a mezzanine level with doorways and corridors that led to the rest of the house running off on either side, but directly in front of them were the large wooden doors to the Council Room. Lynn swallowed. It wasn’t until now that the butterflies had felt it necessary to take flight in her stomach. This was it, then. Her fate would be decided in this room.

The guard pushed the heavy doors, leaning on them with two arms to get them to swing inward. There was a heavy sound as air rushed to move out of the way. Squid looked into the long Council Room and his mouth fell open when he saw its high bannered roof. Aside from the main cavern in the Rock, it was the most impressive room Squid had ever seen. Squid and Lynn walked skittishly along the length of the room toward where the Administrator stood, staring out a window. Squid stopped more than once to admire the ancient decorations that covered the walls of the room. When he paused yet again to wonder how the large intricate cross beams managed to support the weight of the roof, Lynn turned back to him.

“Squid,” she whispered, “will you come on?”

Squid looked ahead to see that the Administrator had turned to face them, apparently eagerly awaiting their arrival. As he followed Lynn toward the large man Squid began gripping the familiar shape of the key through his shirt and moving it between his thumb and forefinger. He had heard of the Administrator, of course, but only in the same way as he had heard of the High Priestess; in a town as far from Alice as Dust, these figureheads were not people but symbols. He watched the Administrator’s eyes move between him and Lynn and settle on Lynn. It was then that a look of recognition registered. It dawned on the Administrator’s face like a surprised sunrise.

“Lynnette Hermannsburg,” the Administrator said. Squid realized that the surprise was not a pleasant one. “Your disappearance caused quite a ruckus among the Sisters. What are you doing here?”

It was Knox Soilwork who answered. “These are the remaining Apprentices of the Diggers, Your Honor. It appears that Miss Hermannsburg is one of them.”

Squid wrapped his left hand over his right, which was already stoutly gripping the key. He did not like the way this tall, off-putting man emphasized Lynn’s title with a long hiss.

“Thank you, Knox,” the Administrator said, “I have eyes. I was hoping perhaps Lynnette may wish to explain herself.”

Squid, thus far relieved that the Administrator and this Knox man had apparently not noticed him, took a slow step back as Lynn took a strong step forward. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to support his friend, it was more that he wished he could do it by not speaking or, in fact, not being here at all.

“I told you I would never join the Sisters. Instead I decided to do as my father would have wished and serve the Diggers in the time of the Territory’s need,” Lynn said, adding, deliberately slowly, “Your Honor.”

“And you believed the best way to do this was by breaking the law?” the Administrator said. “You realize the Church will have you up on charges of treason.”

“You should be the one who faces charges of treason!” Lynn yelled. “You murdered my father and ordered the Diggers to their death!”

Squid was used to Lynn’s outbursts but they weren’t usually directed at someone as powerful as the Administrator. Squid’s surprise manifested itself as a small choking sound in his throat which unfortunately drew the rapid-fire attention of both the Administrator and Knox Soilwork. Four glaring eyes landed on him at precisely the same moment. He clutched his key more tightly, palms sweaty.

“And who are you, boy?” asked the Administrator, his anger at Lynn’s diatribe seemingly directed at Squid now.

Squid felt the familiar feeling of rising heat in his face.

“You must answer when spoken to by the Administrator,” Knox Soilwork said.

Squid was sure his knees were audibly knocking together.

“This is Squid Blanchflower, Apprentice of the Diggers and until recently in the service of Lieutenant Argus Walter,” Lynn said. “And a boy braver than any man here.”

“Is that so?” the Administrator said as he began to walk toward Squid, “Apprentice, you served with Lynnette?”

“Yes, sir.”

“The correct title to use when addressing the Administrator is ‘Your Honor,’” snarled Knox Soilwork.

Squid glanced at Knox Soilwork and then back to the Administrator.

“During the time you served alongside her, were you aware that she was on the run, having abandoned her duty with the Sisters of Glorious God the Redeemer?”

“No, sir,” Squid managed to stammer, “I mean, Your Honor.”

“So,” the Administrator said as he drew closer, “neither you nor anyone in the entirety of the army suspected that she was a girl?”

“I can’t,” Squid swallowed and tried to slow his breathing, “I can’t speak for anyone else, Your Honor, but I thought she was Max.”

“Well.” The Administrator was right in front of Squid now. “What should we do with …” His voice trailed off and Squid saw that same look of recognition grow in his eyes. The Administrator placed his hands on the sides of Squid’s face. His fingers squeezed his cheeks, not painfully hard but firmly enough. He raised Squid’s chin to better see his features. The Administrator ran his hand through his own thick crop of black hair and continued to hold Squid’s face up to his own.

“Where were you born?” the Administrator asked.

“Doost,” Squid said through pinched-together lips. The Administrator released him. “Dust,” he said again.

“When?”

“I’m sixteen,” said Squid.

The Administrator glanced sideways at Knox, whose face remained impassive.

“And what was your mother’s name?” the Administrator said.

“May,” Squid said, “May Blanchflower.”

“Well,” said the Administrator, “we will have to inform her that you are here.”

“You can’t,” Squid said. “I mean, you won’t be able too. She’s dead, Your Honor. I never knew her. She died when I was born. I was raised by my aunt and uncle.”

The Administrator looked at Knox again with an expression that Squid couldn’t read and then turned back to them. “Where is the third one?” the Administrator asked as if just recalling the report of three survivors. “There were supposed to be three of you.”

“One of us …” Lynn said, pausing for a moment, “he didn’t make it.”

The Administrator beckoned for Knox Soilwork to come closer to him. The two men turned away and spoke in low, whispering tones that neither Lynn nor Squid could hear. Eventually, after glancing over his shoulder at Squid a number of times throughout their secretive conversation, the Administrator turned back.

“Given that you are the last true remaining member of the Diggers, Squid Blanchflower, I have a mission for you, a quest of the utmost importance.” He turned to Lynn. “And as for you, I have no doubt that if I turned you over to the Sisters you would go to the Supreme Court and the sentence for your treason would be death or exile. Given the fuss caused by your escape, I dare say it would be death. Instead, I am decreeing that you will be exiled, and as such you will be accompanying Squid on this mission.”