Origin of the Body (11 page)

*****

Anita and Cleo met Bas and Anderson on Temple Mews, the sun hanging low in the sky, its rays making the cobbled street shine but the hanging baskets of summer gone, festoons of autumnal fairy lights hanging in their place.  The cold hadn’t yet fully set in, but the air had a notable and new found crispness that made them not want to linger too long outside, only the promise of the winter festivities to come taking the edge off the chill.  They entered Anita’s favourite café, Mungo and Meg, but as she was about to step over the threshold, she felt a cold hand close around her wrist and a force tug her vigorously backwards.  She spun around, her energy hostile, ready to fight whatever threat this was, but found herself looking up into a pair of familiar, now smug, electric blue eyes.

‘It’s rude to sneak up on people you know,’ Anita parried flirtatiously, placing a hand on his chest, her eyes alight, energy rapidly rising.

‘And I thought you’d be pleased to see me,’ he countered, a look of mock affront across his face.

‘What gave you that impression?’ she asked obliquely, as he leaned down and gave her an excitable peck on the lips.  She pushed him playfully away before turning back into the café, ‘come on,’ she said scornfully, ‘I thought you told me I was supposed to be keeping a low profile.’

They entered the café, reaching the table the others had chosen, to find a conversation already in full swing about the meeting in Kingdom and subsequent action to be taken.  Alexander and Anita sat on opposite sides of the table at the only two remaining chairs, their eyes meeting involuntarily whenever the most minor of opportunities arose.  Cleo rolled her eyes, causing Anita’s cheeks to blush a deep red, which only spurned Alexander on further.

Mungo and Meg looked insignificant from the outside, with a tiny frontage; a sign, a door, and two small windows crammed full of ever more adventurous treats the only clues of its presence.  However, inside, guests were greeted with a space that unambiguously contradicted the inconspicuous and cottagey impression of the exterior.  It was enormous, a cavernous room filled with mismatched sofas, chairs and tables, home grown plants in terracotta pots siting on the centre of each.  The back of the building had been extended; an enormous, glass, double height, orangery occupying the space where you would expect there to be an ordinary stone wall, and as such, the cafe was always flooded with light.  The wooden frame of the towering glass wall had been painted sage green, smoothing the transition through the large French doors that led out onto a secluded and plant surrounded patio.  In the summer, it was always crowded full of people drinking a colourful range of exotic smoothies and eating whatever salads were on offer that day.

It was Anita’s favourite for many reasons; that what was on offer was always changing, that it was large enough to allow for privacy, but also that it was unexpected; something different on the inside from what it seemed to be.  She and Cleo came here a lot, so the waitress simply asked ‘usual?’ when she approached.

‘Yes please,’ said Anita and Cleo together, the boys sending questioning looks at them, silently asking what exactly the ‘usual’ meant.

‘We have the soup of the day and selection of salads from the counter,’ said Cleo, by way of explanation, pointing to a bar by the door full of platters piled high with a range of bright and interesting looking foods.  From broccoli and chilli salad, to vegetable quinoa, to palm hearts with cherry tomatoes and avocado, to olive and feta, and a range of others besides.  The selection looked diverse and inviting, so the boys agreed.  The waitress nodded efficiently and left with the order.

‘So,’ said Anita, ‘what happened?’

The others all looked at Alexander expectantly, so he took the reins and started the recount.  ‘The main meeting was yesterday, but when we arrived, we immediately knew something was wrong.  There had been a series of smaller, less consequential updates and meetings during the two proceeding days, and with each one, an ever greater number of protestors sat outside the Temples, chanting about how food prices were being manipulated for the Descendants’ and Councillors’ gain.  By yesterday, there were so many of them, we all had to be escorted into and out of the building, each of us Descendants using members of our own staff, the Councillors relying on the Law Enforcement Agency to protect them.

Anyway, we entered the Council chamber and there was a tangible atmosphere the moment we walked in.  It was tense, like they were all holding their breath, like they were in on something about to go down.  The energy of the Mind and Body Councillors was different to normal; most of the Minds were excited, most of the Bodies nervous and apprehensive, and some even openly angry, but we entered, took our places, and waited to see what was going on.

A number of updates were given, all pedestrian enough; reports from the Wild Lands about what’s happening, crop yields, trading volumes, all the kind of stuff we normally get.  The numbers were down on what we’d usually see, but those giving the reports seemed to be tempering the truth, the tone from every single one of them inappropriately upbeat.  It was obvious that someone, presumably Austin, had prepped those presenting to deliver as positive an outlook as they dared, so the actual situation must be dire.  Anyway, all tempered their reports, that is, apart from Bas, who told the pure, unadulterated truth.  As you well know, the energy remains at unprecedentedly low levels, and somehow it’s still dropping further.  Bas linked this once again to the negative reports we’ve been receiving from all over the world, and pointed to the protestors outside as proof the situation has got bad enough to necessitate action.

From there on in it descended into chaos.  The Mind Councillors started throwing all manner of questions and accusations at Bas, accusing him of inciting riot, associating with the Institution, stirring up the masses for his own gain, and calling for him to be struck off.  Then the Body Councillors started.  They were less offensive, but still pretty bad.  They asked questions about how Bas could prove beyond doubt the current situation is linked to the drop in energy, asked if he was sure the reading equipment wasn’t malfunctioning, and even suggested it’s his research findings that are causing the ever downward spiral of the energy levels.’

‘Wow, that must have been fun,’ said Anita, sarcastically.

‘What about Austin?  Presumably he was front and centre, throwing abuse?’ asked Cleo.

‘Austin stayed unusually quiet, he just sat there and let it all unfold, Peter doing the same.’

‘Hardly unusual behaviour for him though,’ Bas sniped.

‘So what happened next?’ asked Anita, ‘don’t tell me it descended into a full on brawl?’

‘Oh no, do tell us that!’ interjected Cleo, salaciously, ‘the impervious Councillors resorting to out and out fisticuffs is too good a scandal not to wish it to be true!’

‘Alas, no, not quite anyway,’ laughed Alexander.  ‘I stood up and went to Bas’ side, throwing my support behind him, the Spirit Councillors broadly following my lead and supporting us too.  Some of the Body Councillors came around as well, when they saw others willing to support what Bas was saying.  That’s when Austin stood up; even he could feel the shift in the room.  The emphasis had changed, people concerned less with calling for Bas’ blood, instead starting to shift their attention to what should happen next.  Nobody could deny the protestors outside, nor that they were becoming increasingly militant, so Austin took charge before he lost control completely.  He launched into a speech about riding it out and not doing anything rash and the notion that things should stay broadly as they are struck a chord with the majority of the room, as ever, change of any description too terrifying a prospect for them to consider.  The room was swaying back to Austin’s command and recognising his advantage, Austin pushed for more.  He suggested Bas should be forced to step aside, seeing as, in his view, it was clear the responsibility of running the Observatory was beyond his capability.’

‘What?’ spat Anita.  ‘Surely the others didn’t go along with that?  Bas is the most qualified person we have.’

‘I don’t think qualifications are top of Austin’s version of the job description,’ said Bas cynically.  ‘I have a feeling he’s more concerned with the sheep like qualities and lack of professional backbone exhibited by his Councillors.’

‘So did he manage to remove you?’ asked Cleo, impatiently, eager to hear the rest of the story.

‘Austin was about to put it to a vote when the protestors managed to reach the doors to the Council chamber.  They tried to gain entry, shots were fired, and we were shepherded out through the back tunnels.  Each Descendant’s body guards ushered them to their respective Temple chambers and the Councillors were taken out through various different routes to safety.  Nobody inside was hurt, but reports are starting to filter through that indicate the protestors were fired on, some even going so far as to suggest it was Amber who instigated the whole thing.’

‘Do you think it was her?’ asked Cleo.

‘I honestly don’t know, but if it was, she didn’t get her timing quite right, Austin not quite having managed to get rid of Bas.  But the protestors have now taken up residence in the Council chamber and it’s only a matter of time until they discover the tunnels, so it’s not safe for any of us to go back there.  It was agreed we would reconvene in Empire, as the protests here are yet to reach quite such a fever pitch.’

‘Until Amber or the Institution stir up the bad feeling here too,’ said Cleo sceptically.

‘Why do you think the Institution had anything to do with this?’ asked Anderson defensively, his only contribution to the conversation so far.

Obviously more dedicated to the cause than we realised, thought Anita, changing the subject before they got into a passive aggressive conversation about the merits, or lack thereof, of the Institution.  ‘But it must have been Austin who caused the scene in the Council Chamber by telling the other Councillors to give Bas a hard time?’

‘Although likely, we don’t know that,’ said Bas, matter of factly.  ‘All we know is that something was already going on before we got to the Council Chamber; the Body and Mind Councillors already knew something was coming.’

‘Who’s sending the reports Amber was the one who stirred up the protestors?’ asked Cleo.  ‘And why would Austin want to cause riots which only serve to contradict his view that nothing is wrong?’

‘We don’t know yet,’ said Alexander, ‘but chaos has always been Austin’s friend.  Maybe he’s planning to make a case to rule alone.  Maybe he’ll tell the protestors he’s the only one with the power to help them.  Maybe this all has nothing to do with him at all.  But if Amber already has a foothold with the protestors, then he would be well positioned to try and use them to his advantage, whatever that is, and if the prophecy is over, then there’s no longer any reason to continue as we are.’

‘Yes, but all of this is nothing but speculation,’ said Anderson pointedly, the waitress arriving with their food.

‘Yep, and maybe the Institution has a stronger hold over the protestors, so maybe they would end up on top anyway,’ said Bas, provocatively.

Anderson frowned.  ‘We just don’t know at this point.  Who knows what they’re all really up to and what they really want, but we need to stop Austin from removing Bas from the Observatory, not when we’re getting so close to a breakthrough.’

‘Really?’ asked Anita, feeling both intrigued and gut wrenchingly guilty.  She hadn’t been to the Observatory in days, and she was supposed to work there after all.  ‘What have you found?’

‘We’re not sure yet,’ said Anderson, ‘but there may be a way to enhance energy transfer so it becomes more powerful, powerful enough to move objects large distances.’

‘Ooh, how exciting,’ said Cleo, not even Alexander noticing Bas’ well hidden annoyance.  ‘Anita and I made a bit of a breakthrough ourselves,’ she said animatedly, not stopping to think that Anita might not want to announce it like this.  ‘We meditated together and...’

‘...you meditated with Anita,’ Bas interrupted doubtfully, a hint of jealousy in his tone.  ‘Why would that help?’

‘Well Anita and Alexander thought the cylinder would be most likely to hide in the most difficult place to find, and in Anita’s head, that would be a Mind dominated place.  So, we thought it might be helpful for Anita to meditate with a Mind, as that way it would be more likely we would find Mind dominated places.’  She threw Bas a ‘so there’ look before continuing.  ‘And anyway, not only did we find a Mind dominated place, but we also found the cylinder!’ Cleo’s excitement was palpable and all consuming, making her oblivious to the range of reactions around her.

Anita was furious.  She shot an apologetic look at Alexander, who, although putting on a brave face, was trying to fight his disappointment, whilst at the same time feeling jubilant, if a little taken aback by Cleo’s ill-timed revelation.  Bas was happy, but couldn’t help a small sulk as a result of Cleo having successfully meditated with Anita, making her more useful than him so far.  Anderson was fascinated, with thoughts only of knowing more.

‘Have you opened it?’ Anderson demanded, as the others reeled from the revelation.

‘No,’ said Anita, firmly taking over from Cleo.

‘Why not?’ he pressed.

‘Because we don’t know if it’s friendly or hostile and the last thing we wanted was to successfully open a hostile cylinder, which then killed both of us, meaning we would never be able to tell anyone else we’d found it.’