Edited March 2013


Karma
Part Two

When Garnet awoke the next morning, the first thing she saw was a naked woman looming over her bed. Her hair was bleached to platinum, her eyes caked in eyeliner and she was crouching in front of a stack of tyres wearing nothing but a pair of panties.

Garnet shot up in bed. It took a few moments of disorientated squinting to realise she was looking at a poster, and she shook her head in disgust, wondering who on Gaia would adorn their walls with such a degrading tribute to –

Zidane.

The name shot to the forefront of her sleepy consciousness, and the memories returned with it. Her stomach became a weighted ball as she recalled her car spluttering to a halt on the freeway, and the sound of her heel snapping on the concrete platform, and the sight of her empty wallet as the train driver asked for her ticket. And of course, Zidane. Her… hero? Well, maybe that was a bit much but nonetheless…

Garnet slowly sat up. She was tangled in thin white sheets, wearing a stranger's clothes that were loose fitting but warm and comfortable. Morning sunlight filtered through open blinds, and behind them she could hear and see Lindblum's buzzing metropolis.

Garnet surveyed the room, noting that it was as unadorned as the rest of the flat. She cocked her head, listening for signs of life, but could hear nothing aside from the roar of traffic and roadworks.

She slipped out of bed and aired the sheets, then donned her own mildly damp clothes and crept into the living area. It was deserted, but a sleeping blanket thrown across the couch and the lingering scent of freshly brewed coffee indicated toward the recent departure of its inhabitant.

Still feeling apprehensive about snooping around a stranger's house, Garnet crept into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. If her hair was bad yesterday it was virtually unrecognisable this morning. She raked her fingers through it as best she could then surrendered and scrutinised her face instead. There was a blood-encrusted cut on her forehead and cheek, and her makeup had regressed to its previous state of black goo.

I was lucky, Garnet thought, tracing the swollen cuts with a finger. I look like I lost a fight with a gimmie-cat.

She opened the cabinet in search of band aids, then nearly slammed the door off its hinges when she laid eyes on a king-size box of comdoms. She groaned inwardly and pushed the box aside. She found some band aids, which she applied to her face and the few cuts riddling her thighs and arms after she'd thoroughly scrubbed herself with face wash and soap.

Upon exiting the bathroom, she determined she was definitely alone, though she hadn't checked the other bedroom, just in case this 'Blank' was sleeping. She hunted around for a piece of paper, but after she failed to find even an envelope, she took a used takeaway box out of the trash and scrawled on the back of it:

'Sorry I missed you. I never got to thank you. I'm going to find my way back to Jack's Auto-shop in Cleyra - '

She paused, wondering how to end the message. What were the chances of her seeing him again? She shrugged. Maybe she'd remember his address and send him a note or something. Or at least the money she owed for paying her train ticket last night.

So she ended it simply.

'See you around.'


The entirety of her situation struck like a fist to face as soon as she slammed shut the front door to the block of flats. It hadn't occurred to her last night, perhaps because of the general chaos and her gods' damn bad luck, but this was the first time she'd been genuinely alone. Independent. Anonymous in the big wide world. She wasn't so coddled that she had never been shopping down the streets of Alexandria, or allowed around a friend's house, as she had been during her visit to Cleyra, but this was something completely different. Lindblum was large and violent and foreign and Garnet was just… well, Garnet.

She was frightened.

And yet, as she stood on the edge of the sidewalk, she realised this was her chance to prove to both Steiner and her mother that she was no longer a child to be swaddled. She was an adult who could make intelligent decisions and navigate her way through the urban chaos of Gaia's most notorious city, and even communicate with the public in a way her relatives would never do. The thought was both intimidating and exhilarating. This could be her only chance to earn her right of freedom, or at least prove her capabilities.

I have to do this. I have to get back to Alexandria by myself.

Garnet glanced down the street. Lindblum was a different city altogether in the hot light of the midday sun. Droves of civilians stalked down the streets with purpose, expressions as serious as the strength of their strides. Traffic crawled down the roads, honking and snuffling like disgruntled animals in a pen. The trees that lined the sidewalk seemed as out of place in this chaotic maze as Garnet felt, and only then did she realise: she had no idea what she was doing.

Taking a deep breath, Garnet took her first step toward imminent liberation – and fell over.


I must look crazy.

Garnet sat by the side of the road, hacking at the heel of her shoe with a shard of broken glass. She had already cut her fingers twice, but she could hardly get along with one broken heel, so she resolved to break the other too. She mourned the absence of her credit card once more as she threw longing glances towards the shoe shop across the street. Though the logic of mutilating the other shoe was far from flawless, it was just too uncomfortable to walk with only one heel, and walking was vital if she wanted to exact her newly concocted plan.

She intended to make for South Gate. On foot.

Garnet glanced at the sign by the side of the road.

'South Gate – 23 Miles'

Twenty three miles wasn't that far, right? She should arrive early evening and upon doing so, she hoped to track down an old friend. And if her old friend wasn't in town then… well, she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

Plick.

The plastic heel snapped off in her fingers. She lamented her ruined shoes for a minute before throwing the shard over her shoulder. She donned her shoe again and tested it out, bouncing on her heels until she deemed her balance to be improved.

Proud of her first accomplishment, she set off down the freeway.

It had taken her two hours to navigate out of the main thicket of Lindblum. The city was indeed large – much larger than Alexandria. She had simply looked for a main route to the other cities and towns, and the freeway seemed like a logical starting point. Though she had to admit, her feet were already beginning to ache. She would have severed the remaining heel sooner, but she had kindled the hope that they would survive long enough to be re-heeled, back in Alexandria.

Garnet stuck to the dusty hard shoulder that ran alongside the freeway. There was no level concrete to ease her journey, just a never-ending strip of compacted peat, flanked on one side by shrubby trees and prickly fauna and an endless stream of stinking traffic on the other. It was hot, unpleasant and noisy, but she persevered, one step at a time.

This is my chance, Garnet chanted in her head. I have to prove myself to the others. I can look after myself.

She stared at the sky, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun. How could the weather be so terrible one day, and so brilliant the next? She was beginning to work up a sweat in –

Garnet stopped in her tracks and looked down at herself.

Oh gods, how did I not notice?

She was wearing Zidane's hoody. It had been cold in his apartment when she'd woken up (the heating hadn't kicked on, apparently) so she'd donned it without thinking and now…

I'm a thief! she thought, mortified. When I get home I'll have to convince Steiner to drive to Lindblum and drop it off for me. I think I remember where he lives…

She tugged off the hoody and tied it around her waist, then continued to trudge her way toward South Gate.

After just half an hour of trekking, her already stained dress was stiff and tinged yellow with dust, and her feet began to blister. Eventually her shoes became too uncomfortable to wear and she hesitated only a moment before kicking them off. She managed to squeeze them into her tiny bag, though they jutted out ludicrously. The ground was dusty and hot yet somehow glorious beneath the soles of her feet. Her liberated toes throbbed pleasantly.

A car howled past and someone bellowed something vulgar out the window. Garnet chose to ignore his proposition, but was beginning to get annoyed by the amount of cars and trucks that felt inclined to honk at her.

Grudgingly, her thoughts returned to Steiner. The poor man had probably phoned every auto shop on the Mist Continent by now, and unfortunately she wasn't exaggerating. Garnet only hoped he hadn't yet told her mother. Knowing Brahne, she would not yet have noticed her daughter's disappearance, and though that would usually sting, this time Garnet could not have been more grateful for her mother's inattentiveness.

Unless one of these drivers decides to pull over and…

Garnet bit her lip. Surely no one would be stupid enough to try and kidnap her in broad daylight, with dozens of passing witnesses? Would anyone recognise her anyway? Zidane certainly hadn't… She'd have to make sure to steer clear of any undergrowth… and pray she'd reach South Gate before nightfall.

She half interestedly observed the passing flurry of cars, and as she did so one blared its horn and swerved across the traffic. She yelled in alarm as cars veered and slammed on their brakes to avoid a dangerous collision. The car skidded along the hard shoulder, causing several drivers to careen around its wild movements as its wheels struggled to grip the peat, sending great clouds of dust billowing into the air as the car almost went head first into a spindly shrub. Garnet stopped, gaping, as cars continued to sound their horns angrily.

Should I run? she thought in a panicked frenzy. Where can I even go? Maybe I should flag down another car? I can't run into the road!

Then the door of the car burst open and the driver narrowly missed being hit by a car.

She gawped at the boy scrambling against the doorframe. "Z-Zidane?"

"What are you doing?" he hollered over the traffic. "Are you tryin' to get yourself killed?"

"M-me?" she stammered lamely. "You're the one standing – Zidane, look out – get out of the road!"

A truck missed him by a few inches, though the car in the adjacent lane nearly skidded into the barrier; the shriek of their respective horns hollered across the snarl of traffic.

Garnet jumped forward, gesturing frantically. "You're going to get hurt, get back in the car!"

"You get back in the car," he countered hotly. Another car bellowed abusively and he winced. "Just get in the fucking car!"

Garnet got in so quickly she nearly tore the door handle off its frame. Zidane hopped back in too, simultaneously slamming the door and ramming the car into gear. The wheels spun on the dirt, kicking up another cloud of dust, and then he swerved straight into the thick of the traffic amidst a hail of horns and the screeching of brakes.

"Zidane!" Garnet yelled, bracing her hands against the glove compartment. "Slow down! And put your seatbelt on!"

Zidane cranked up a gear with one hand while clicking his seatbelt into place with the other, causing Garnet to shriek, "And hold onto the wheel! Dear gods!"

But Zidane apparently wasn't bothered by his driving habits, as he jabbed a finger at her and shot an angry glance sideways. "What the hell were you thinking? Walking along the goddamns freeway! This is one of the most dangerous roads on the Mist Continent! And you're walking on the fucking hard shoulder! You could've gotten yourself killed! Or picked up by a weirdo truck driver who thought you were a roadside hooker! It's the stupidest thing I've ever seen anyone do! Who – who even does something like that? Were you brought up in a fucking cave? I swear I've never met someone as… simple and… and – and where the hell are your shoes?"

Garnet burst into tears.


"Two black coffees, one bottle of water and two err… Just gimmie two of them burgers, okay?"

The portly gentleman inside the fast-food van stared flatly at the girl with the tear-stained face and bare feet, then turned to Zidane and said, "Fifteen gil, buddy."

Zidane looked like he was going to protest, but sighed and counted a few notes from his wallet, muttering, "Better be the best fucking burgers this side of Lindblum."

He plucked a few paper napkins from a dispenser, then turned to Garnet. "Here, wipe yer face off. You're all dusty an' shit."

She took them, sniffing slightly. Zidane returned to the van to pick up their food and drinks then steered her to a set of plastic chairs and table a short distance away from the van's other patrons, in the shade of a multi-coloured fabric umbrella.

"Here," he said, pushing her half of the food and drink across the table. "You've been walking all morning; you should drink the water, at least."

"Thanks," she said quietly.

Zidane stared at her for a few minutes while dumping sugar into his coffee. Eventually, he sighed and said, "Look, I'm sorry that I shouted at you. It's just… I dunno… It's just kinda dumb to walk beside a freeway. You're sunburnt and everything. I was worried you were going to get hurt and I guess I got angry at myself for not leaving a note or anything…"

"Why are you angry at yourself? You don't need to worry about me. I don't know you."

His gaze dropped to the table. "Yeah, I know…but I just couldn't…" He trailed off, then shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. "Let's just forget it okay? And, um, just for… future reference…. Don't walk beside a freeway."

Garnet poked her burger unenthusiastically. "It seemed like a good idea at the time… Besides, what else was I going to do? I don't have any money and my phone's dead."

"I would've helped you out!" Zidane said, spreading his hands.

"You weren't at home and -"

"I'd only gone up the road to get some food 'cause I guessed you'd be hungry when you woke up and then when I got back…" He half-grinned. "I walked all round Lindblum lookin' for you, y'know. Then I figured I'd drive to Jack's shop to make sure you got there in one piece."

She stared at him, suddenly taken aback by the boy with eyes like a summer's sky and a grin like a crook's apology. "Why've you gotta be so…"

"What?"

"Ugh. Nevermind." She leaned back in her chair. "I thought you said you didn't have a car – or a licence."

Zidane stared sheepishly at the sky. "Uh, I don't. Heh. The car's Blank's. He is gonna be majorly pissed when I get back. Guess I should've left a note…"

"Zidane, you could go to prison! And after a pulling a stunt like that –"

"Hey, it's fine! I didn't get caught, right? I've done far worse. Besides, I had to come after you."

"Why?"

He poked her accusingly. "You stole my hoody. It's my favourite, y'know."

She blushed. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. I was gonna mail it back as soon as I got home. Here." She took it off and handed it to him. He threw it across the back on his chair with a smirk.

"Anyway," he said, "no more stupid stunts like that. I think you've shortened my lifespan by a few years. I'll take you to Alexandria, okay?"

"No," she said, more firmly than intended, then upon seeing his stunned expression, she said, "I uh… ugh, I can't explain but I have to do this by myself. I have to get back to Alexandria on my own."

Zidane stared at her for a long time. Eventually, he shrugged and took a bite out of his burger. Around the mouthful he said, "Fine, but I'm comin' with ya."

"What? Why?"

"'Cause you obviously can't take care of yourself."

Garnet simmered in her seat for a moment, and then she stood up and walked away. Zidane stared after her, still chewing his meal. "Uh, Garnet? Where are you going? Are you mad? What'd I say? Garnet? Ah, dammit. Wait, wait, wait – hey! Slow down. If you run off I'm just gonna follow you in my car – uh, Blank's car… Garnet!" He reached out and grabbed her arm.

She spun on her heel and pummelled his chest with her fist. "Get off me! Let go!"

"No. I'm not letting you walk to Alexandria. It's stupid and dangerous."

"Stop treating me like a child! I know what I'm doing!"

Zidane gripped her shoulders but kept her at arm's length until she ceased struggling. She glared at him grumpily, eyes still wet with tears. "You're not going by yourself," he stated simply. "I'm coming with you."

Garnet slumped in his grasp. Her feet were throbbing and her sunburn was blistering across her shoulders. A lorry thundered past, kicking up a cloud of mustard-coloured dust that clung to her dark hair like a dirty veil. Eventually, she nodded.

"Alright," he said. "Now get in the car. I'm driving your crazy ass to South Gate."


Zidane's… Blank's car was a lot nicer than Garnet would have expected it to be, considering their flat. A Coral XJ200, and if Garnet could recognise the make it must've been good. It was obviously well looked after too, for the insides were freshly vacuumed and free of rubbish, and the outside was spotless and shiny. It made her worry.

"Is… your friend going to be mad with you?" she asked.

Zidane shrugged, then grinned. "Ah, yeah. Probably. But he's my bro, so he'll forgive me. Unless I trash it. Then he might woop my ass. But I'll pay him back... eventually."

"Um, don't trash it. Please."

"I'll try not to," he acquiesced with a grin.

They were cruising along the freeway, originally doing over the limit until Garnet elbowed him in the side. Now they were doing an acceptable speed, and Zidane reckoned they'd be in South Gate within the hour. Currently, he was puffing on a cigarette with the window rolled down, occasionally letting go of the wheel to take a bite out of the cold burger he'd bought from the roadside van('Gettin' my money's worth', he'd defended). He was wearing a white t-shirt that had a monkey logo on the front and a pair of jeans that had a tear across one knee. She noticed for the first time that he'd grown his hair long enough to tie it back into a small pony tail. Now it was daytime and his hair was dry, she realised it was actually a ruddy shade of blonde, rather than brown as she'd first thought. Blonde hair wasn't common in Alexandria, especially on men.

He's kind of cute, she found herself thinking, and was abruptly mortified by that thought. In fairness, she had never had much opportunity to consider what kind of men she liked, as Steiner was rather against her being in male company. Why had he been so against her speaking to boys anyway? Zidane didn't seem like the vagrant Steiner was so sure all the boys of her age were.

That said, she didn't know much about him.

"So um… Zidane. What is it you do exactly?"

Zidane shifted in his seat, glancing at her and then out the window. "Uh… well… I, um, work for a guy in Lindblum."

She stared at him, waiting for further explanation. When he didn't elaborate she said, "Doing…?"

He cleared his throat and took another drag on his cigarette, still not meeting her eye. "We do scaffolding work, mainly. Renovations, stuff like that. Tantalus Inc. You ever heard of us?"

"No."

He threw his fag butt out the window. "Yeah, we commission down in Lindblum most of the time, but we get sent all over the place, especially South Gate and Dali – even Burmecia and Alexandria sometimes."

"That's why you were on the train?"

"Yep."

"How long have you been working for them?"

"What is this, twenty questions?"

She glanced at him, taken aback by his tone. "S-sorry. It… I guess it doesn't matter. Don't worry about it."

He groaned and ran a hand over his face. "Ugh, no, sorry, it's my bad. Just tired. I've been with 'em all my life 'cause my boss – um, Baku – is kinda like a dad to me. I never knew my real parents so I guess you could say he … adopted me. Without the paperwork and legal shit."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Zidane shrugged. "Don't be. Heard I got a sister and brother out there somewhere, but I dunno if I'll look for 'em. If we meet then we meet." He glanced at her again. "Do you believe in fate?"

She stared at him, thrown by the change of subject. "… I don't know."

He went quiet for a moment, seeming to stare at the road without actually seeing it. "Mm."

He lit another cigarette and they drove in silence for a while, watching the green pastures of the Lindblumese landscape roll past their windows. Garnet's sunburn was beginning to hurt, and her feet were still complaining, but otherwise she found herself drifting in a state of peace. Sifting through her thoughts, she decided she was kind of glad Zidane found her.

"I feel like I've known you forever." The admission slipped out before she could rein it in and she suddenly wished the car seat would swallow her and spit her back out preferably several hundred miles away.

Zidane flung her an unreadable look, then tittered and scratched the back of his head. "Hehehe, must be my charm and boyish good looks."

"It's certainly not your modesty," she quipped, but when he threw her a stung look she giggled and patted his arm. "I'm joking."

"Hmph. Anyway, where we goin' exactly? South Gate's a pretty big place… you been there before?"

She bristled at his patronising tone. "Yes, I have. My friend owns a house there. I'm almost positive he'll be there today…"

"'Almost positive'? Eh, well, if he isn't home we'll find an alternative, no sweat. So uh… who's your friend?"

Garnet missed the slightly jealous edge to his tone. "He's my old tutor; he's a very good man and a long-time friend of my mother's. He -"

"Wait – tutor? You mean like… teacher, right?"

She frowned, slightly confused. "No. No, I mean tutor. I was privately tutored –" She caught herself, suddenly understanding the implications of her confession. But it was too late.

"You were privately tutored?" Zidane repeated, gripping the steering wheel with both hands so he could hurl her a wide-eyed look. "Like… one-to-one?"

"Y-yes…"

"Wow… That must have been… expensive…" he politely hedged around the obvious.

Garnet cleared her throat. "Mmm, I suppose…"

"Explains a lot."

"I beg your pardon?"

He jabbed a finger at her. "Like that."

"What?"

"The way you talk, the way you sit, the way you eat… everything! You're the poshest chick I've ever met. Like a princess or somethin'."

"Posh?"

"Yeah, y'know, like, classy. Not a regular city scummer, like me."

She frowned gently at him. "Don't say that."

"What? I'm just tellin' it like it is. Hey look! There's South Gate! You know where you're goin', princess?"

"Prin…? Ugh, don't call me that –"

"C'mon, babe, am I takin' a left or right at this junction? Any day now. Geez, it's not the meanin' of life, the lights are turnin' already, left or right?"

"Oh – ah, r-right!"

"Right it is. Fuck, that tosser can get outta my way –"

"I think."

"You think?"

"Um…"

"This is why I never offer to take my dates home."

"Date? Wait just a mo –"

"Next junction!"


Doctor Tot's extravagant mansion hadn't changed since she'd last seen it, though eight years had passed since she'd stepped foot through its doors. It looked out of place in the patchwork mess of scaffolding, tenements and flats, but it managed to retain its regal posture without appearing pompous – much like Doctor Tot himself, Garnet mused.

Beside her, Zidane let out a long whistle, needlessly shielding his eyes as he took in the decorative gargoyles on the rooftop. "Man's got taste."

"Yeah," Garnet agreed. "Though it doesn't look like he's home; all the lights are out."

"Don't he have maids an' stuff?" Zidane asked.

Garnet couldn't tell if he was making fun of her, so she just shook her head. "He has several properties around the globe. He's a very busy man, but very prudent about his house keeping." Almost to herself, she added, "I was so sure he'd be in Southgate…"

"We could always pick the lock?" Zidane suggested casually.

Garnet cast him a flabbergasted look. "Wh-what? Don't be silly. This place is - "

"Yeah but you know him, so it's fine, right?"

"Zid –"

"These kinda windows," he continued, tapping the subject in question, "are easy to get into. Just gimmie a crowbar or somethin'…"

"Who did you say you worked for again?"

Zidane deftly edged around her question. "Hey, do you wanna get in or not? I can't stick around all night babysittin' you."

"Babysitting?" she fumed. "I never once asked you to come! I don't need your help! And I am not breaking into my tutor's mansion!"

Zidane threw up his hands. "What d'ya wanna do then? Camp outside until he comes home? You said he had loadsa houses – he might not be back for months! Look, lemme just drive you to Alexandria."

"No," Garnet replied firmly. Her gaze lingered on the windowsill. Maybe if they got in they could use his phone and –

She caught herself and shook her head. She wouldn't be an accessory to his crime, as well intentioned as it was. Then again… Zidane was right. Doctor Tot could be gone for days, perhaps weeks. And there was Steiner to think about now. If she could get into the mansion and call him from Tot's number, reassuring him she was safe, he might not come after her and she would be free to find her own way back to Alexandria. He might even be impressed that she made it this far on her own!

Well, not entirely alone, she admitted.

She turned to Zidane and sighed gustily. "Can you really break into the mansion?"

He beamed at her. "No sweat!"

"For all intents and purposes, I'm going to avoid asking exactly how you attained that knowledge and put it down to unaccommodating past experiences. Will you be able to pick the lock on the front door?"

He screwed up his face. "Princess, please. Rookie mistake number one: you never ever break in through the front door. I'm guessing this mansion must have at least one other entrance that isn't in plain view of the street where passing traffic, CCTV and pedestrians can openly observe us."

"Excuse me if I haven't made breaking and entering my past time. Come on, this way. There's a door around the back that should be sufficient; it connects to the gardens."

"Gardens. Garden-s. Like, more than one? Man, this dude is loaded."

Garnet offered a small smile and led him around the side of the house, where they stopped short of a high wooden gate that had been padlocked on the other side. After a brief discussion, Zidane cupped his hands and boosted Garnet up. She neatly hopped over the top of the gate, her boots crunching as she landed on the gravel path beyond. Zidane made an approving noise in regards to her athletic ability, but she shushed him when he started talking again. Though the house was large, it was still in the middle of a heavily urbanised part of South Gate and its equally opulent neighbours were occupied and probably well accustomed to thwarting burglary attempts. Zidane effortlessly hoisted himself over the gate and dropped beside her.

It was early evening now and the sun had dipped below the horizon, staining the sky with shades of rich lilac and navy, tarnished only by the orange haze of South Gate's light pollution. The moons were bright enough to reveal Tot's elaborate and carefully maintained gardens, and Zidane let out another appreciative whistle, which earned him an elbow in the stomach from Garnet.

"Here," she whispered, gesturing towards a double set of glass doors. "Can you get through here?"

"You don't need to whisper," he said. He bent down and gave the lock a quick appraisal, then drew out two long pieces of oddly shaped metal from his pocket. He jammed both of them in the lock, twiddled them, then nodded. "It'll take a few minutes but I'll get us in, no worries."

"And you just happen to carry these things around with you?"

"They were in Blank's car, actually," he said, as if that was meant to set her mind at ease. When he caught her expression he just smirked and added, "What would you do without me?"

I don't know, was her immediate thought, but she caught herself before she voiced it, partly because she was annoyed by her own helplessness, but mostly because she was thrown by her inexplicable – yet willing – dependence on a person she had known for only a day and an evening.

Zidane fell silent as he concentrated on picking the lock, while Garnet gripped her elbows and stared nervously around the gardens. Tot had a beautiful view of South Gate's main gate, which towered above the houses like a clockwork mountain.

"Ah! Gotcha, bastard," Zidane said. He stood up and opened the door with one hand, while whirling the other theatrically and swooping into a bow. "After you, m'lady."

"You did it!" Garnet yelled, too overjoyed to be quiet.

"Did you ever doubt me? Now are we goin' in or what? It's gettin' cold."

They slipped into the dark confines of Tot's house. Zidane shut the door behind them and Garnet groped through the room, searching for a light switch in the dim glow of the street light filtering through the window, but she still managed to walk into an item of furniture. She cursed softly when Zidane found the light switch before her, and was greeted by the sight of his very smug grin.

"Switches are always by the doors. Why didn't you just follow the wall?"

She bit down a retort then breezed past him into the hallway.

"Doctor Tot? Hello?" Her voice hung quietly in the air. She knew he wasn't in, but she was disappointed anyway. His absence complicated matters.

"This place is incredible," Zidane said beside her. He was turning slowly on the spot, soaking in the thick oak staircase, the carved bannister, the high ceilings and crystal chandeliers, the numerous book shelves and marble floors. "Who did you say he was again?"

"He's a doctor of sorts. A doctor of psychology and sociology. He has an extraordinary grasp of ancient history too, but that's more of a past time study for him. He was also a teacher for many years."

Zidane scratched the back of his head. "Huh. Smart guy, then. So um… if he was your private tutor… what does that make you?"

"His student," she replied with a crafty smile. "I better find a telephone. I think there's one in his office."

"Hey, hey, wait justa second. You can't sidestep the question, that's not a cool."

"The pot shouldn't call the kettle black."

"What?"

Garnet walked swiftly through lavishly furnished rooms, regaining her confidence now she was in a familiar environment. "This is his office. And a phone! Thank the gods. I'm going to ring Steiner, then we better get a move on. He'll know I'm calling from Doctor Tot's house and he'll try to pick me –" She threw a sidelong glance at Zidane as she spoke, and stopped short when she saw his expression. He was standing in the doorway and staring at the far top corner of the room. His complexion was slowly draining of colour.

Garnet straightened with the phone still in hand. "Um… Are you okay?"

Zidane pointed numbly at the corner. "Is that what I think it is?"

Garnet followed his gaze and saw a small white box attached to the wall beneath the ceiling. It was featureless aside from a single red light that blinked steadily in the partial darkness of the unlit office. It sprouted a single wire that trailed down the wall and along the outskirts of the room, and Garnet saw that it attached directly into the phone.

"What is it?" she asked.

Zidane took an unsteady step backwards. "I think we're in trouble."

"What do you – "

But she didn't get to finish her question before it was answered. She was cut off by the sound of two cars pulling up outside the front of the house, tyres crunching against the gravel. She turned to the window and by the light of an amber street lamp she saw the tell-tale markings of police cars.

"I'm such an idiot," Zidane hissed, taking another step into the hallway. "The whole place is silently rigged. When we broke in it triggered the alarm and the police were automatically called. Shit, we're in trouble. C'mon, we better make a run for it."

Garnet tore her gaze from the policemen stepping out of the cars and made a lunge for Zidane. She grabbed his arm, dark eyes wide and frightened. "Don't! You'll make it worse!"

"Are you kidding? This is breaking and entering, they're gonna put us in jail!"

"If I just explain –"

"No. You don't own this house. Garnet, please, it's better if we just go."

"I won't," she said. She stamped a foot and crossed her arms like a child throwing a tantrum. "I have to take responsibility for my actions. You're more than welcome to run. I won't tell; I'll take the blame."

Zidane stared at her for a long minute, then he groaned and ran a hand over his face, but made no move to leave.

They waited for the police to break through the door in the dark quiet of Doctor Tot's office, together.