Unfit (12 page)

  “Sorry, Miss Megerin, I just meant to offer for‒”

  She rises to hit me. I see myself getting slapped in her public mind before she can even act, so I raise my arms to ward off the blow. She has to settle for slapping the back of my head. This sends the women into a tizzy of giggles.

  “Oooh, look at the tax collector’s daughter wigging out,” says someone.

  Zeta puts her head up and stares them down. “That’s tax auditor, for your information.”

  I lower my hands, just wishing I could suddenly develop the ability to teleport away. But Zeta’s not finished yet. One of my shoes has fallen off when she slapped me, since they’re two sizes too big, and won’t stay on firmly. Zeta bends down and swoops it up before I can slide my foot back into it.

  “Designer shoes. Unworthy of a commoner foot.”

  She means to keep the shoe and its partner if she can wrestle it from my foot. I see it in her mind before she bends down again, so I grab her hair. The ensuing fight is the first I’ve ever had in my life.

  Zeta twists and scratches at me. But her fake nails bend and hurt her hands. I’m also stronger, from all the times I’ve had to carry a sack of potatoes home from the market. Zeta’s wrists feel like she doesn’t even know where to find a paring knife.

  We fall to the ground, and I easily get on top of her. From underneath me, she starts slapping at me. The poor girl doesn’t know how to fight either. Not that I’m any expert, but she should grab my hair and pull me closer to punch me in the face. Slaps won’t hurt me; they only serve to anger me.

  The women have formed a circle to watch us as more guests come rushing over. I hear someone wondering aloud if the doorman should be summoned to separate us. High family women don’t fight like this, and so the onlookers are unsure of what to do.

  And no one really wants to go overboard helping the tax collector’s daughter.

  Zeta gets a grasp of my collar and throws her weight into pulling it. With a snap, she breaks it, tearing my navy blue dress along the seam by my arm, and wrecking my left sleeve.

  This sets me off. I grab the hem of my golden dress from around Zeta’s shins. With a few twists, I have it to her waist, while she kicks. Another twist and I have it looped around her head and arms.

  The gathered people are making a lot of ruckus now. Some of the men have raunchy thoughts at the sight of Zeta in her petticoats. Spare me. Reiki wears much less than that on a daily basis.

  The deed is done in another moment, and I get off Zeta holding my dress in my fist. Zeta picks herself off the ground, covers her chest with her arms, and runs away. The crowd roars in laughter and parts to make room for her to leave.

  That leaves me at the centre of that circle of staring high family. Their thoughts are raucous and their voices are boisterous. Some of the older women give me withering stares. Some of the men eye me appraisingly, reminding me that my chest is no longer properly covered.

  I have no idea what to do or say. I reach out to Greg with my mind, find him upstairs in the house watching. Every inch of his body reads fear.

 
Please Lords
, he says loudly in his public mind.
Let her not look up here and see me.

  Hah, I’ve even scared Greg off. Well I guess I can’t stand here and wait for rescue.

  I bend down to collect my shoes, and the crowd hushes to a murmur. They part for me to leave. I know the way to the Greg’s house; I can find my way back on my own.

  I walk along the side of the road until I can’t hear them laughing at me anymore. Once out of sight of the Wenthen manor, I stop to slide my shoes on.

  Fortunately the Lanarrs live in the same neighbourhood. It’s a ten minute walk.

  Every carriage that passes makes my heart thunder, wondering if it’s Greg come to get me. But they each pass me without stopping.

  I reach the Lanarrs’ and walk up to the front door. The doorman answers to my tap. He steps back to let me in, eyes wide in surprise.

  I go straight to my room and set my golden dress down on the bed. I stare at it for a long time under the lamp. It brings me happiness to see it.

  There’s a tap at the door, shortly before it opens to allow Mrs. Lanarr to enter. She steps gracefully into the room and sits down at the foot of the bed.

  “Come, child. Tell me what happened.”

  Well, she’ll find out soon enough anyway. Maybe on the front page of the paper. I sit beside her and explain it all. I’m amazed at how steady my voice is.

  “Tsk, so you stumbled. That doesn’t mean very much.”

  “I don’t even know if I can face him. Will I be expected to move out?”

  “May I remind you that you’re my guest and not his. If I say you stay, you stay.”

  “I don’t know if I can even do this, Mrs. Lanarr.”

  “My work with you is not done. So Greg must accept you for now. You go nowhere until I’ve taught you everything I know. That way you can invest all that gold you have hidden here.”

  She’s snooped under the bed. Now that I think of it, she only promised that the household wouldn’t need the room. In some sense, that might exclude herself.

  Mrs. Lanarr slides off her left glove and holds out her hand.

  “Stay. I mean it. Read me and you will see.”

  I reach out and set my hand on top of hers. Green-Aloe-Flute-Power. A most unusual emotional state. She sees me as a daring, energetic young version of herself. And she’s genuinely grown to like me, after watching Alešan’s nasty outbursts.

  “I will stay. As much as it’s going to hurt to face Greg, I won’t let you down.”

  “Excellent,” says Mrs. Lanarr, standing up as she slides her hand back into her glove. “Then, you will get cleaned up and join me downstairs for tea.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Lanarr.”

  She leaves me alone and goes back downstairs. I feel a strange bubble of emotions. It’s like I’ve gained a second mother who refuses to let go, even after I’ve committed the worst mistake imaginable. And so what if Greg wants to break off now? What if him and I weren’t meant to be? Being afraid of what he’ll have to say won’t make it any better.

  Through the vent, I hear Mrs. Lanarr arranging teacups. Tea will be ready soon, and I mustn’t keep her waiting.

  I rise, pick up a brush from my bedside table, and begin to straighten my hair.

Age of Kings
‒ Second age of man.

  The first age (known as the Stone Age) ended when the first King began to command the people.

  The Age of Kings saw the birth of recorded history, the naming of the powers, and the early establishment of many of the worldwide guilds that exist today, notably the telepaths guild.

Age of Lightning
‒ Fourth (and current) age of man.

  All through the Age of Thought, electrokinetics were uncontrollable and had to be executed. Eventually they were able to rise up and depose the telepaths. The Lightnings, being too few in number to establish a stable government, had to force the telepaths into service. The Lightnings ended up depending on the telepaths to use their powers to enforce order.

  At first, the Lightnings governed from what would become Council Island. However they were unable to agree among themselves, and slowly the world fractured into the current demesnes, with each Namika controlling as much as he could, and recognizing the Council in what areas he could not.

Age of Thought
‒ Third age of man.

  The point where the telepaths usurped power from the Kings marked the end of war. Religious books were burned and all weapons or war melted. Documentation suggests people were forced to cooperate, and so man existed in a form of enforced utopia.

Biopath
‒ a telepath who can speak to cells.

Chronomancer
‒ One whose power is to see into the future.

  Chronomancy is the weakest and least accurate of the named powers. Chronomancers are frequently employed to make weather predictions for agriculture, or as finders of lost objects or wanted people. Some, more powerful chronomancers, are trained as assassins.

  Documentation from the Age of Kings suggest the power of chronomancy tapered off at the end of the Age of Kings for unknown reasons.

Chronomancer Guild
‒ A worldwide guild of people with the power of Chronomancy.

  Unlike the telepath and teleporters, Chronomancers do not force membership. Politically, they tend to ally themselves with the Lightnings, so they never revoke services during an MCFSG embargo.

Connection
‒ 1
^st
state of telepathic communication.

  Connections are one or two-way lines, usually allowing reading of public-mind thoughts. A non-telepath can easily block out public thoughts if he is wary of a telepath. Deeper scans require rapport.

Demesne
‒ A region of land, measuring under 100 km across, that is owned in whole by a Namika.

  Inhabitants of a demesne fall into three classes: the regular class (or citizens or peasantry), the High Family / Aristocracy, and the ruling class (The Lightnings, and sometimes some mix of other Kinetics).

  Demesnes are assigned levels by the MCFSG, according to what guild services are available there. In general, if a demesne has enough services to support automotive industry, it is granted the rank of 6. The other levels, from 2 through 12 are based around this benchmark.

Council of Lightnings
‒ The original group of Lightnings that toppled the Telepath. Government, ending the Age of Thought.

  The Council does not intervene in local issues, allowing member Namikas to be deposed via internal strife as necessary. It does, however regulate industries, such as sale of telepaths, to prevent any one Namika from growing more powerful than the others. Namikas have an interest in keeping the Council legitimate, so it can sustain a level playing field among their peers. Telepaths, for their own protection, also have an interest in keeping Namikas from abusing them via Council powers. So all the world guilds have reached an equilibrium of common interests.

Electrokinetic
‒ (see also, Kinetic) One whose powers are to command electrons.

  Typically electrokinetics are able to generate an electric potential difference (physics term) in their vicinity, which causes electrons to tend to flow in a direction of their choosing. More powerful Electrokinetics are known as “Lightnings” because they can move enough electrons to be visible to the naked eye.

  The electrostatic field annuls most other powers, most importantly telepathy, which is how the Lightnings were able to topple the Telepath Government millennia ago. It is a known fact that telepaths can build up a resonance with a given Lightning over time and eventually penetrate the field.

Elika
‒ a high-ranking Lightning, retainer to a Namika.

  Elika form the judiciary of a demesne, and are able to perform sentencing on the regular class citizens. They have the final say on most matters of judgement, and are overruled only by the Namika himself.

High Family
‒ gains the benefit of having a family name, the right to own property, free health care, and myriad legal benefits (such as a right to a trial and protection from unwarranted seizure of goods).

  High Family is naturally reserved for people who have been granted family names by the MCFSG as a result of reaching a certain level of financial prosperity. It might equate to what 20
^th
century Earth would call a “millionaire’s club”.

  Within the High Family class are multiple strata, with “Named Family” at the bottom: A family that has recently been granted its name and shows potential according to MCFSG but has not yet acquired the capital to be widely recognized.

  By convention, High Family acts within the local Namika’s legal system. Should they contravene local laws (eg by murdering an Elika) a Namika may expel the perpetrator from his demesne without fear of repercussion. The procedure is unclear in the absence of a Namika.

Kinetic
‒ the spectrum of kinetic powers.

  The term spectrum is important because a highly rated telekinetic will be able to do things outside his normal range in the spectrum (throw lightning bolts or start fires).

Kinesiosis
‒ A wide ranging named power where one manipulates his body to some condition. Such as someone who can resist the effects of cold weather, or someone who can turn himself into stone.

Lightning
‒ (See Electrokinetic for additional details) One of the more powerful electrokinetics.

  It is commonly accepted that Lightnings can: a) Throw bolts (a misnomer: They simply generate electric potential differences and wait for electrons to be attracted to the target), b) Create weaves, which are 2 or more bolts strung together, and c) create electrostatic energy fields centred on themselves.

  In addition, Lightnings may demonstrate abilities such as cancelling out gravity, creating space folds, or extensive use of “fast-time” (or accelerated motions using energy fields). This latter group of Lightnings typically go on to become the leaders of demesnes.