Jerome and Tariq’s journey back to Fermar was an uneventful one. They travelled through the night taking turns driving the old truck.
What do you think of this Maddison then?”
“She is a means to an end and nothing more.”
Jerome went silent for a few moments before continuing.
“If she does not get herself killed in Juvi and does actually free the prisoners there then we will be able to use her to strengthen our position against the State.”
“What then?”
“Then we improve our lives and bargain our way into becoming citizens.”
“They won’t make all of us citizens and what happens to the rest of the Imps.”
“They go back to their miserable lives while we live in the Capital and Maddison quietly disappears.”
Tariq was not really happy with Jerome’s plans but he could see the practicality of them.
“You don’t think that maybe we have a chance to change things here for everyone.”
“Now you are talking like John and you should know that I was just humouring him and his ideas of revolution.”
“But if she breaks into Juvi and is successful surely that would mean something.”
“It just means that they would make the security there stronger and no-one else would ever escape. Look Tariq I am nearly twenty years old, I should have been thrown in there already and the only reason that has not happened is because I have made myself useful to them in the village but that won’t last forever. I need things to change or I will end up in Juvi like every other Imp does when they get to my age.”
“I know I am pretty close to being sent there myself and Raea too.”
“Raea will do nothing to help herself and as for you if everything goes to plan I will be taking you with me when I become a citizen of the State.”
Tariq was still not entirely satisfied but he had always followed Jerome and he would do no less now.
“If there are no patrols we should be there in an hour or so.”
Jerome knew exactly how long it would take and was mildly irritated by Tariq’s unnecessary commentary.
“Just wake me when we arrive.”
It was first light when Tariq pulled into Fermar and woke Jerome.
“We are here and there were no Cads on the road all the way.”
Again Jerome found that Tariq stating the obvious irritating and wondered if it was a good idea to take him into the City with him.
“Yes Tariq I was there and I saw that the road was clear so I suggest you go get some sleep and stop telling me what I already know.”
Tariq had always taken orders from Jerome and was used to his mercurial nature.
“I will see you later Jerome do you want me to have Raea released before I turn in?”
“No I will do that you go get your rest.”
Jerome had no intention of releasing Raea just yet his first thought was to get some rest himself but before he could do that he would send a man to Diverton where he had contacts with access to communications and have them monitor Maddison’s progress.
“Jak I need you to go to Diverton and talk to Kara for me, I specifically want to hear about any word from Juvi, take someone reliable with you and send them back immediately you hear anything.”
“I will take Mira she is a good runner and knows how to keep her mouth shut.”
Jerome knew that Jak would take Mira as he had always done so in the past.
“Be careful Kara is in a delicate position and she cannot be seen with an Imp.”
Jak knew this and felt he should have already earned Jerome’s trust.
“It is ok I will not let you down I have after all done this kind of thing for you before and Kara is still safe.”
Jerome did not want to upset the boy before sending him off so he went out of his way to assure him that he had his confidence.
“I am sorry Jak it is just that this is so important and that is why I have chosen you for this mission; I could trust no-one else with this.”
The look of pride on the young boys face showed Jerome he had done enough to incentivise him.
“Thank you Jerome I will wake Mira and we will leave shortly.”
Jak left leaving Jerome alone to get some much needed rest.
It was mid-afternoon when Jerome woke and his first thought was Raea.
“You know why I had you taken into custody don’t you Raea?”
“No please do enlighten me as I really don’t have a clue.”
“I cannot have you disagreeing with my decisions every chance you get and if you give me your word that you will keep your opinions to yourself then I will have you released.”
Raea was stubborn and there was no way that she was going to make such a promise.
“I promise that I will challenge you whenever I think you are acting like an ass, how is that for giving you my word?”
Although Jerome smiled he was not at all happy with Raea’s response although he really should have been able to predict it.
“You have always been a stubborn little fool and this is not the time for such behaviour. I need you out of here we have people that could benefit from your knowledge of natural herbs are you really going to stay in here and let them suffer?”
Jerome knew that appealing to the healer in Raea would have the best chance of turning her around.
“You mean you would not let me out even to help those that are in need of my help?”
“It is your choice Raea either rot in here or agree to my terms for you to return to your duties.”
Raea hated Jerome at that moment but she felt that she could not let the people of her village down.
“I will keep quiet all I ask is that you keep out of my way and let me do my work?”
Jerome was glad to stay out of Raea’s way and had no intention of impeding her in her duties.
“Then we have a deal but first I want you to go and check on Maddison’s friend to see if she has made it through the night.”
“Just get me out of here and I will do as you ask.”
Jerome motioned to the two men detaining Raea and they left.
“You are free to go where you please just remember that you gave me your word to not make trouble.”
Raea brushed hard against Jerome as she left a last futile act of defiance.
“Lana, Lana can you hear me?”
Lana was moaning and moving fitfully in her sleep as Raea tried to wake her.
“Can you hear me Lana?”
Lana still did not wake but Raea was now hopeful that the young girl would recover soon and continued to watch over her for the rest of the afternoon.
“Where am I and where is Maddie?”
Raea was a little taken aback at the sudden questioning coming from Lana.
“You are in a small village called Fermar and your friend Maddie is no longer here.”
“I am hungry.”
Raea smiled at Lana encouraged by the strength of her appetite.
“I will get you some food Lana but I think it wise that you continue to rest.”
“I will rest when you have told me what you have done with Maddie, John and Lissa?”
Raea thought it best to tell Lana the truth as she knew it.
“John and Lissa have been captured while Maddie has gone back to the camp where you all came from.”
Lana took the news well but was very concerned about Maddie.
“Why would she go back to Dylan’s camp?”
“Look Lana I have told you all that I know and now I am going to get you some food, so please rest here until I come back.”
Raea knew that the girl would not rest until she had proper answers to her questions and so decided to tell Jerome that he needed to talk to her.
“The girl Lana is awake I am bringing her food but she is demanding answers and I think that you should be the one to give them to her.”
Jerome was not one for being told what t
o do but he wanted to talk to Lana to determine if she could be of any use to him.
“I would be happy to talk to the poor girl bring her some food and I will be over after she has eaten.”
That was easy thought Raea but then why shouldn’t it have been Jerome was not a complete monster.
“Thank you Jerome she needs to be reassured that her friend Maddie is ok.”
“Maddison from now on everyone calls her Maddison do you understand?”
“I will call her whatever you want just come see the girl.”
He could be such an insufferable bore at times thought Raea as she left to bring food to Lana.
“I have someone coming to answer all of your questions Lana but first you must sit up and eat something.”
Lana did not need to be told twice as she sat up and wolfed down the food that Raea had brought her.
“Who is coming to talk to me?”
“You really should not talk with your mouth full Lana.”
Lana was beginning to think that Raea was very kind but a bit bossy.
“You sound like my mother and I didn’t care much for her telling me what to do either.”
“It seems that you are quickly regaining your strength and I see that comes with more than your fair share of feistiness.”
While still eating her food Lana answered the smiling Raea back.
“I don’t really know what that means but it doesn’t sound like it is a good thing so if you are going to insult me just say it plainly.”
“It was not meant as an insult and it just means that you have spirit which in this life is no bad thing.”
“How long before whoever is in charge comes to tell me what has happened to Maddie?”
“He will be here shortly and his name is Jerome, now eat your food and remember to chew.”
This advice just made Lana eat all the faster putting whole chunks of bread in her mouth at once.
“You really are a stubborn little girl aren’t you?”
Before Lana had the chance to answer they both turned to hear a voice coming from the door of the bedroom.
“It takes a stubborn girl to recognise another.”
“I am not a girl Jerome and it has been a long time since I have been.”
Maddie could see that Raea did not really like the big man who stood in the door frame.
“Do you know what has happened to Maddie?”
“Your friend was fine when I left her and I would prefer it if you would call her Maddison as everyone here does.”
Lana took an instant dislike to Jerome and defiantly asked her question again.
“Where is Maddie and when can I see her?”
“Your friend Maddison was at Dylan’s camp the last time I saw her, now I have a few questions for you.”
Maddie had no intention of answering Jerome’s questions.
“Is there someone here that can take me to Maddie?”
“Maddison has her own mission and if successful you will see her soon enough, now I take it that you are the girl that Maddison saved from the Cad in the town of Kalen?”
“What mission would that be then and what about John and Lissa? Maddie would not abandon them.”
“I am afraid that I have told you all that I know for the moment Lana now can you confirm that you are the girl from Kalen?”
“I can confirm that I will tell you nothing until I see Maddie and that I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
Raea was smiling from the side of the room and enjoying the way that Lana was speaking so disrespectfully to Jerome.
“It would be helpful if you could tell me more of how you first met Maddison.”
“That is enough Lana needs to rest now; I think it better if you continue this at a later time.”
“Nothing to continue until I see Maddie I have nothing to say to him.”
Jerome turned his back on them both and left the room.
“I don’t like him he is not a good man.”
Raea could not disagree completely with Lana but she had known Jerome since she was a young girl and she knew it was more complicated than that.
“Don’t you worry about Jerome for now, you need to rest and if I hear anything more about your friend I will be sure to inform you.”
Lana was feeling very tired and was grateful for Raea’s kind words.
“Thank you I think I will try to sleep some more now.”
Jerome was waiting outside of the cottage when Raea left Lana.
“She seems to like you Raea maybe you can talk to her and get her to co-operate.”
“What is it you want from her Jerome?”
“It would be good to get her side of the Maddison story so we can sell it to the people, we already have a pretty good version that we are going with but Lana could help to give it more authentication.”
“What if she has a different story to tell and it is less heroic?”
“Then we persuade her of the necessity to carry on with the story we are already telling, it would not be convenient for her to cause us to change it.”
“You call it a story when it really sounds like a lie to motivate our people to go up against the State.”
“A lie, a story it does not matter what does matter is that that girl in there does not contradict a word of it.”
Raea could not listen to anymore of Jerome’s self-serving garbage and did not want to hear how he justified his actions to himself so walked away in disgust.
It was another full day and night before Lana was strong enough to get out of bed and leave the cottage.
“Lana it is good to see you up and around so soon.”
Great thought Lana the first person she bumped into was the big man that insisted on calling her friend Maddison.
“I have very little news of Maddison as yet but as soon as I do I will update you immediately.”
It was false thought Lana everything about this man was false and she would not believe a word that came from his mouth.
“Where is Raea I want to thank her for looking after me?”
Jerome could see that his charm offensive was having no effect on the girl before him.
“I was hoping we could talk Lana there are some things that I would like to discuss with you.”
“When Maddie returns then we can talk but right now I would like to see Raea.”
Jerome was tempted to use a harder line with Lana but thought it best to be patient with the girl for just a little longer.
“You will find Raea in our clinic it is where she spends most of her time, it is over there past the large storage building.”
“Thank you.”
Lana found it difficult to even thank the man such was the strength of her dislike of him.
“Lana you should still be in bed not wondering around the village like this.”
“Yes mum and I ate all my breakfast up this morning just like you always told me to.”
The cheeky grin emanating from Lana’s face completely disarmed Raea.
“You are an obstinate one aren’t you?”
“Sure am that is me obstanit and proud to be so now if I just knew what it meant?”
Raea found her-self smiling at Lana and wished she had news of her friend.
“I am sorry I have still not heard anything more of Maddison.”
It was awkward the way they called her Maddison thought Lana after all she would always be Maddie to her.
“Yes the big ape made a point of telling me he knew nothing more of Maddie as well.”
“You should not call Jerome names Lana he is very well respected around here and if he gets to hear about it he might just do something bad to you.”
It was meant as a friendly warning but the way Jerome was acting lately Raea felt it needed to be said strongly.
“He doesn’t frighten me and he called this place a clinic so where is all the sick people?”
A smile of pride washed across the young woman’s face as she answered.
“I have healed them all and the only one left to work on is you.”
Lana laughed loudly before she began to tease the village healer.
“You’re not coming near me for all I know there are no sick people left here because they all died under your care.”
“I will have you know that I have not lost a patient in at least an hour and she had a severe case of the sniffles so what else would you expect?”
They were both laughing now and Lana was beginning to feel a little better at being stuck in this place without her friends.
“I expect that you are really a terrible healer and now that you have killed off all of your patients you might as well show me around before you do anymore damage.”
Raea could use the distraction of showing Lana around her village and introducing her to some of its inhabitants.
“I do have others to see in their own homes to follow up their care but they are not urgent so I think it would be good for you to meet some new people.
“Hello Peta this is Lana she is new to the village.”
“Are you the girl that Maddison saved from the Cad?”
“I guess I am although I did not need that much saving really.”
It was the same no matter who Raea introduced Lana to the only thing they wanted to know was how Maddison as they all called her had saved her life.
“How come they all know about me and Maddie?”
Raea did not hesitate in telling the curious girl the truth.
“Jerome has made it that way he wants everyone to know how brave Maddison was when she attacked the Cad that was hurting you. He wants Maddison to spearhead his plan to take my people to the Capital and protest about the injustices committed against them.”
It was not quite the same plan that John had told them about but it was close thought Lana.
“So he wants Maddie and my story to help give the Imps the courage to follow him to the Capital?”
“That about sums it up and I think although he wants to do the negotiating he needs Maddison to help get the people behind him.”
So far Lana could not really see the real difference behind John’s plan and Jerome’s but she just did not trust Jerome and wondered what would happen to Maddie when it was all over.