Chapter 10 – Crossing the Line
I run to him as fast as I can, almost tripping over tree roots in the process. Remembering what I've been taught, I heave the heavy pack off his back, move him onto his back, and put my ear to his heart to check if it’s still beating. The man's heart gives a beat, though it’s irregular. I sit back on the ground with a sigh. He’s alive, for the time being at least.
After thirty seconds of dithering about what to do next, I come up with a plan. I need to get this man back to The Glass Palace and quickly, but he looks too heavy for me to carry alone. He needs urgent treatment and I don't know enough about medicine to do anything. I haven't even brought my first aid kit with me. I didn't think I'd need it.
"Brian!" I call.
I turn back to the man and pull out my knife. I need to stem the flow of blood coming from the stump. I use my knife to cut off a piece of fabric from the man's shirt and, after carefully peeling off the bloody bandage and tossing it aside, I press the cloth against the wound. Blood soaks through it immediately.
"Brian!" I shout, my voice so loud I hurt my throat. "I need help!"
I look down at the man as I tear off another piece of his shirt. His eyes flicker open and he looks at me. He starts rambling and shaking, seemingly a panic attack. I have to calm him down.
"Try not to move," I say to him. "You're badly injured."
"My backpack," he mumbles, his healthy hand reaching out for his possession like it’s the most precious treasure. Just as his little finger is about to touch it, his arm flops and he falls into unconsciousness once again.
As it seemed to matter to him, I pick it up and hide it under a bush. I can come back for it later.
I hear excited talking and rustling leaves. I find myself eagerly anticipating Brian's arrival, despite the circumstances. My heart doesn't care. I feel slightly disappointed when Flynn and Tara emerge, even when they rush to my aid.
"Who's he?" Flynn demands.
"I don't know," I say. "We need to get him back to The Glass Palace quickly. I think he might die. Help me carry him!"
Tara lets out a disgusted sigh but, with Flynn's help, we manage to lift the man up on our shoulders. He’s heavy, and his clothes smell stale and dirty, but it isn't a problem for me. I’m more eager to save his life, and a little curious about what is bulging from the dozens of pockets all over his coat and trousers. He appears to be carrying a lot with him. What sort of curiosities does he have concealed within?
We meet Brian in the forest, who has heard my calls but just assumes I’ve been messing around. I’m a little annoyed at that, as I’m not the type to mess around, but I forgive him. His help with the injured man is much appreciated.
Waiting outside the entrance to The Glass Palace are my parents, Uncle Rooster, and Rosa. I can’t think how they know about this. I just assume one of them must have seen Brian rushing off in a panic and had called the others. They do seem mightily interested, though.
“What happened?” Father asks as we head inside.
“I heard someone shouting in the forest and I went to see who it was,” I explain, the lies coming easily to my lips. I can’t tell them I’ve just had a delightfully humane chat with a Felum. “He was about to tell me something when he just keeled over. I thought he was dead and I changed his bandages and...”
Father pats me on the shoulder. “You did well.”
“Will he be alright?”
Father shrugs his shoulders and looks at Rooster. Who is this man, and why is he having such a negative effect on my father?
The new arrival is garnering quite a crowd. The balconies are filling up with people, some whom I haven’t seen since Brian and Lottie’s wedding. They are pointing at the man and me as if we are some form of entertainment. It disgusts me.
“He was coming from the wrong direction,” Father says, sticking close to his brother, but we all hear it.
“He had his hand chopped off,” Rooster states sardonically. “He probably wasn’t thinking because of all the pain.”
“Do you think they did this?” Father wonders.
Tara, Flynn, and Brian are glancing at father, their faces betraying their curiosity. Father is acting very careless, as he creates more curiosity then he probably intended.
“It has to be them,” says Rooster.
Father gives me a stern look when I raise my eyebrows at him. I want him to tell me what’s going on. I deserve to know because I’m his son and will be mayor one day. He isn’t having any of it, though. Even Rosa appears interested, and is doing her very best to sidle closer to her fiancé in the hope of getting in on the secret.
“Damn it,” says Father. “He was probably followed.”
“He’s careful, he wouldn’t let that happen,” says Rooster. Rooster glares at Flynn, who is still listening. “Nothing to worry about!”
“Like you said he was in pain and probably delirious,” says Father. “Rooster, take out as many people as you can. Leave them on guard until I say otherwise.”
Rooster nods and leaves. Father’s face is as grave as I’ve ever seen it, reminding me of the day when he revealed that Dylan was dead. This has to be something deadly serious. Why is this man so important that he needs to have his hand cut off and to be followed? It doesn’t make any sense.
Doctor Phylida Kahn-Casper is waiting for us outside the infirmary. The Indian woman is middle-aged with white hair and a pair of glasses hanging around her neck by a golden chain. The glasses baffle me, as they don’t have lenses, just a frame. Still, she is an excellent doctor. She’s the only one available to treat patients now that Skye has flown the coop. I just hope she can do something for this poor man.
“This looks bad,” says Phylida. “Did you see what happened?”
I tell her I didn’t see anything. She makes a tutting sound with her lips and orders us to bring him in. We put the man carefully on a large table, making sure we don’t cause him any more discomfort.
The doctor orders us all to get out. I need to stay. Somehow I feel responsible for this man. I found him. But Phylida won’t have any of that, and shoos me out of the operation room like I’m a wild mouse scuttling across her bedroom floor.
Father and Mother stay behind and when I try to inquire why, Rosa slams the door in my face. I remember then that Rosa has agreed to train as Phylida’s new assistant. Why does she get to stay and not me? I bet I know more about first aid than she does!
I lean against the wall, tired. This feels like the longest day of my life. Have I really had a conversation with a Felum? Seen a man with his arm chopped off?
“What do you think they were talking about?” asks Flynn. He has a devious glint in his eye that I detest. Still, no matter what I think I will always be biased against him. He has taken Skye’s quarters and that’s all I see when I look at him. The fact that he’s rude and nasty works against him as well.
“I think we might be in danger,” says Tara. “I’m going to go and tell everyone.”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I begin, but Flynn interrupts me. I start to seethe with anger.
“Yeah, good idea, let’s go,” Flynn agrees. He ignores me like I’m not even there.
I might agree with them, that we could be in danger, but I know that Father wouldn’t want everyone talking about this, even if he stupidly fuelled Flynn’s suspicions. I have to protect Father’s secret.
“You can’t tell anyone,” I order him. I try my best to channel the authority my father commands.
Flynn and Tara stop and turn back to me. They give me a look of surprise. My intention to project leadership fails as both Tara and Flynn break out laughing. Will they be like this when I’m mayor? Will they disrespect me like this?
“I can tell anyone I want,” says Flynn contemptuously.
“Ignore him,” says Tara.
I notice that Flynn and Tara’s hands are almost touching, on the verge of holding hands. It suddenly dawns on me why they answered my calls
quicker than Brian had. They had been together in the forest already.
I punch Flynn in the face so hard I think I hear him squeal like a little girl. He roars in anger and comes at me, but I grab him in a neck hold and begin to repeatedly punch him in the stomach. Tara screams behind me, telling me to stop, but I shut her out. Flynn will pay for trying to go against my father, for stealing Skye’s quarters, and for having someone to love when I can’t. I’ll hurt him bad. I’ll make him bleed.
“Get off!” Tara yells. She tries to pull me away and, in the heat of the moment, I slap her across the face.
Flynn is pure rage now. He screams and charges at me, but suddenly Brian grabs hold of him. I want to punch him again, the rat faced little traitor.
Flynn splutters, “If you do that to me again I...”
“You’ll do what?” I challenge.
Hitting the son of the mayor would have major repercussions and he knows it. Flynn’s family has only been living in the House for two years. An incident such as this could have them chucked out and left to fend for themselves. I can’t help but feel vastly smug. Now it’s time to hammer home in this idiot’s brain whom he’s trifling with.
“If you tell anyone what you heard today, I’ll see to it that you and family end up without a home,” I warn him, feeling sick to my stomach as I say it. I’m not the kind of person to threaten people like this, but I have to do it.
Tara looks at me in horror, wiping the blood seeping from her nose, the injury I had inflicted. I don’t care what either her or Flynn thinks. But the look I see in Brian’s eyes is something I do care about. He is disappointed in me, revolted. He is looking at me like I am a monster.
“Fine,” says Flynn, turning his back to me. He swears under his breath and, with Tara by his side, stalks away.
My stomach feels like it’s rotting away. I have done something to Flynn that I’ll never forgive myself for, even if I had done it for my father’s sake. I’ve crossed several lines lately and I don’t want to cross any more.
“What are you going to do to me?” Brian demands. I think he’s going to hit me he looks so mad. “Will you have me and my family thrown out if I decide not to keep quiet?”
“Will you keep what you heard to yourself?” I ask him. I don’t dare look in his eyes to see the disappointment again. It would break me.
“I’m not even sure what I did hear,” says Brian, starting to pace. I can see he is conflicted too, which helps a little. “None of it made any sense.”
“I know,” I agree. “But Father is the mayor. He knows what’s best for us. If he kept a secret, it should be kept a secret.”
The question I have to ask myself is will I have to threaten Brian the same way I did Flynn and, to an extent, Tara? I don’t want to but if it comes to it...I look down at my fist, and see a tiny drop of blood there. Does it belong to Flynn or Tara?
Brian seems to come to a decision. He says, “You’re right. But what you did to Flynn and Tara was vicious. I didn’t think you were like that.”
“I’m not like that!” I rail. Brian’s reaction to my anger startles me. Do I actually frighten him?
“Flynn was annoying me and he was going to reveal Father’s secret. I’m not even really sure why I did it. I’d never have his family banished.”
“I can see now why you don’t have many friends.” Brian comes up to me. “I won’t teach you anymore.”
“What?”
“You’ve shown me a side to you that I really don’t like. You’re also in love with me. It’s interfering with your lessons. You need to find someone else.”
“Brian, please!”
“I’m sorry, Ben.”
With those parting words, Brian leaves me to my misery. I stare up at the glass panes in the roof, the sun shining down through them, and something occurs to me.
One sharp piece of glass could end it all.