Bluemantle by Karen Langston

Author:Karen Langston
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Book Guild
Published: 2021-03-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chase hid in a dilapidated goat shed on the verge of Darlem Fields. The air was rancid, a noxious blend of stale straw, rotting vegetable matter and goats’ piss. His two bleating companions stared at him through button-hole eyes. Exhausted, Chase lay curled up on straw. His intention had been to sleep for an hour or so, but the stench and the heat denied him the rest he craved.

He had been on the move since he left the Telltale Circus the previous evening. With a surveillance order on him, the tramway was out of the question. He knew that if he was going to make the Contest without being followed, he would have to get there on foot and by the most discreet route possible. After several lengthy detours, including a loop through the agricultural district of Wickerwild, his confidence that he was off radar had begun to grow.

There was still a great distance to travel. In order to reach the Nanso Heights, he had to head west, beyond the city’s limits. He could not travel north, in the straight line that would lead him directly to his destination. Between him and the Contest was Cinder Hill – residential district of the A elite. Before that, Glos – temporary home to every Allear and Deaf Squad trooper in Wydeye.

Hiding behind closed eyes, Chase rehearsed his impossible plan for the hundredth time. He had no idea if it would work. In the absence of a viable alternative, he had decided to reject doubt and risk all in the attempt. This was because everything had changed. It was no longer about his trade with the A for a price paid years ago. It was no longer about his mission to unravel the Scene. It wasn’t even about Wella anymore. By striving for all of that, he had placed Ursel in danger. Ursel, who had stirred something in him, something nebulous he had yet to name. An unconscious reaction that left an aftertaste of self-realisation – the acid burn of guilt and shame.

He touched the scar above his left shoulder and suffered the pain of discovery.

His plan was desperate. It would not make amends. If he was lucky, it might limit the damage caused by what he had already done.

–

As Ursel rode the railmotor on her circuitous route to the Contest, she gave no thought to consequence. Instead, she relished the prospect of what was to come. She hungered for the communion, the relief of being surrounded by people who thought and felt the same. It was the only time and place where she could be true to herself.

For followers of the Scene, life was a lie. Overground was a deception, both in terms of the Authority’s narrative and the fact that followers had to appear to align themselves with it. Denial became a detested means of survival. Yet their commitment would not waiver, no matter the risk. They knew the truth; no amount of danger could undermine that knowledge. They also knew the reward.

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