Run Like Clockwork by E. C. Hibbs

Author:E. C. Hibbs [Hibbs, E. C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-04-12T00:00:00+00:00

The window wasn’t open by much, but crouched underneath it, Oscar Hargreaves closed his eyes. For years, he’d climbed into bed with a light heart. He had watched from afar, listened through cracks, vigilant for those two fateful words. And now, after so long in silence, she had finally said them.

His entire body twisted against itself. Conscience and duty swung back and forth in his mind like a pendulum.

He crept away from the Academy, and hid behind the lighting mechanism near the fence. It ground its freshly-oiled gears together in a never-ending circle, slower than normal, just enough to keep the chain working until the evening. Oscar glanced at the mainspring at its centre, pictured its components extending into the ground, through the Roots, then up the Tower.

The Keeper’s silhouette flashed in his mind. Cor Aeternum.

He slipped into the antechamber below the lightsman’s hut. Every second of the elevator’s descent felt too fast, and when it finally reached the Roots, he didn’t move. A thought invaded his mind: was he hesitating so the subterranean lamps wouldn’t dazzle him, or because he wanted to delay what he had to do?

He entered the Circulus headquarters, and knocked on the door to Melissa Spectre’s office.

“Come in.”

Oscar turned the handle with trembling fingers. Melissa sat behind her desk, organising a pile of papers. She took a drag of a cigarette and tapped the ash into a tray.

“Hargreaves,” she said, then motioned to the documents with a snarl of disgust. “Look at this! Seventeen years leading everyone, not a page out of place. I have six months off duty, and my fool of an assistant leaves this mess!”

Melissa rubbed her leg with a grimace. Just after last Midsummer, she had broken it in two places during a mission to the Eleventh North. Potentate Carter had insisted she take leave for as long as she needed. So she’d disappeared into her house and refused all visits. She had barely been back for a week, but already her experience and resolve were making themselves felt once again.

She shot an inquisitive look at Oscar.

“What are you doing here, anyway? It’s not even ten o’ clock.”

Oscar sighed.

“Forgive me, Madam… it’s Charlotte Bellamy.”

Melissa froze. She stubbed out her cigarette and rose to her feet.

“She’s talked.”

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