to see if anyone was passing. I was
glad of the cold and the dark as it kept us hidden whilst we got the mayor’s
body inside.
“Have you got any blankets?”
Jared asked.
“Over there,” I pointed as I went
to the basin to wash the blood from my hands.
Once the mayor was hidden from
sight we climbed back onto the steamcrate and set off for Ardour.
It wasn’t just a music hall.
Ardour was the one spot in the whole skyisland system where you could get hold
of liquid ardour, hence its name. The distilled product of plants only found in
the dankest sections of the gutter, it was a nightmare to produce and out of
the reach of the pockets of most citizens. Everyone knew about it but few could
afford it. I’d only been inside the place once back when I was working full
time for the scraper council but I’d not been willing to try ardour while I was
there, knowing only too well the stories of its effects.
Jared set the steamcrate down
amongst dozens of others on the doorstep and we joined the eager queue. “What’s
the plan?” I asked as we slowly shuffled forwards.
“I’ll talk to the attendants. You
see if you can find anyone who knew our trigger happy friend down there. Meet
by the bar at midnight.”
I glanced at my pocket watch.
11.30. We reached the door when the minute hand pointed at quarter to. That
gave me fifteen minutes, would that be long enough?
The brute of a doorman towered
over the two of us as he sneered at the cheap cut of our cloaks. “Been here
before?” he grunted.
I held out the stub I’d taken
earlier and he took it from me, his eyebrows rising for a brief second. “In you
go. They’re waiting for you backstage.”
I opened my mouth but Jared poked
me before I could ruin things by asking too many questions and then we were in.
The change in temperature was shocking.
It was bakingly hot in there and the noise was deafening. We were in the foyer
and there were people everywhere. I couldn’t see a single drop of the distinct
pink fluid in any of the glasses on display. Jared moved away leaving me alone.
I looked around me and then made a decision, heading towards the auditorium. I
was almost there when a hand descended on my shoulder. I turned to see a
beautiful woman smiling at me, her eyes icy cold. “Come this way madam,” she
said, her grip tightening on my arm. I glanced around for Jared but he was
nowhere to be seen.
The woman led me through the
throng to an unmarked door, winding the keyhole until it sprung back and the
door opened.
She pushed me through before
pulling it shut behind me, leaving me alone in a gaslit corridor. I rattled the
handle but it was already locked. Having no choice but to walk forwards, I made
my way along a maze of corridors that gradually descended until I at least
reached an open door.
I stepped inside to find a group
of people sat around a long low table. The man in the centre stood up and I was
taken by the cut of his dinner suit, an outfit that looked like it cost more
than I earned in a year.
“Is it done?” he asked, looking
expectantly at me.
“It is,” I replied, holding my
trembling hands behind my back.
“Excellent. Won’t you join us for
a snifter to celebrate business as usual once more?”
He pointed at an empty chair and
I sat perched on the edge, wondering what the hell was going on here. A crystal
decanter was produced, filled to the brim with Ardour. A glass was poured out
for me before the others received the same. “To the death of a tyrant,” the man
said, holding his glass in the air.
“The mayor,” the others said in
unison before downing their drinks. I looked down at my glass, trying to decide
whether or not to drink, wondering what might happen if I did.
They all looked at me, suspicion
growing on their faces until I finally tipped the glass towards my mouth. It
tasted like an intensely sweet honey as it ran down my throat. Within seconds
my body began to heat up and I no longer felt suspicion towards
glad of the cold and the dark as it kept us hidden whilst we got the mayor’s
body inside.
“Have you got any blankets?”
Jared asked.
“Over there,” I pointed as I went
to the basin to wash the blood from my hands.
Once the mayor was hidden from
sight we climbed back onto the steamcrate and set off for Ardour.
It wasn’t just a music hall.
Ardour was the one spot in the whole skyisland system where you could get hold
of liquid ardour, hence its name. The distilled product of plants only found in
the dankest sections of the gutter, it was a nightmare to produce and out of
the reach of the pockets of most citizens. Everyone knew about it but few could
afford it. I’d only been inside the place once back when I was working full
time for the scraper council but I’d not been willing to try ardour while I was
there, knowing only too well the stories of its effects.
Jared set the steamcrate down
amongst dozens of others on the doorstep and we joined the eager queue. “What’s
the plan?” I asked as we slowly shuffled forwards.
“I’ll talk to the attendants. You
see if you can find anyone who knew our trigger happy friend down there. Meet
by the bar at midnight.”
I glanced at my pocket watch.
11.30. We reached the door when the minute hand pointed at quarter to. That
gave me fifteen minutes, would that be long enough?
The brute of a doorman towered
over the two of us as he sneered at the cheap cut of our cloaks. “Been here
before?” he grunted.
I held out the stub I’d taken
earlier and he took it from me, his eyebrows rising for a brief second. “In you
go. They’re waiting for you backstage.”
I opened my mouth but Jared poked
me before I could ruin things by asking too many questions and then we were in.
The change in temperature was shocking.
It was bakingly hot in there and the noise was deafening. We were in the foyer
and there were people everywhere. I couldn’t see a single drop of the distinct
pink fluid in any of the glasses on display. Jared moved away leaving me alone.
I looked around me and then made a decision, heading towards the auditorium. I
was almost there when a hand descended on my shoulder. I turned to see a
beautiful woman smiling at me, her eyes icy cold. “Come this way madam,” she
said, her grip tightening on my arm. I glanced around for Jared but he was
nowhere to be seen.
The woman led me through the
throng to an unmarked door, winding the keyhole until it sprung back and the
door opened.
She pushed me through before
pulling it shut behind me, leaving me alone in a gaslit corridor. I rattled the
handle but it was already locked. Having no choice but to walk forwards, I made
my way along a maze of corridors that gradually descended until I at least
reached an open door.
I stepped inside to find a group
of people sat around a long low table. The man in the centre stood up and I was
taken by the cut of his dinner suit, an outfit that looked like it cost more
than I earned in a year.
“Is it done?” he asked, looking
expectantly at me.
“It is,” I replied, holding my
trembling hands behind my back.
“Excellent. Won’t you join us for
a snifter to celebrate business as usual once more?”
He pointed at an empty chair and
I sat perched on the edge, wondering what the hell was going on here. A crystal
decanter was produced, filled to the brim with Ardour. A glass was poured out
for me before the others received the same. “To the death of a tyrant,” the man
said, holding his glass in the air.
“The mayor,” the others said in
unison before downing their drinks. I looked down at my glass, trying to decide
whether or not to drink, wondering what might happen if I did.
They all looked at me, suspicion
growing on their faces until I finally tipped the glass towards my mouth. It
tasted like an intensely sweet honey as it ran down my throat. Within seconds
my body began to heat up and I no longer felt suspicion towards
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