A/N: This is sort of a bridge between the action in Chapter 5 and the action in Chapter 7, but some important stuff does happen. And I've decided that I really enjoy writing Octavius and Sulla's dialogue. Being evil is so much fun...and so is writing chapter 7. I can't wait.

Chapter 6 - Unexpected

"Who the heck were those guys?" I gasped. And for that matter, "Who are you? How do I know I can trust you?"

"The people chasing you were Sulla and Octavius Bellorum. We aren't working for them, so that's a reason to trust us." The girl answered.

"Yes, but who are you? When they saw you they were...well, not scared, but kind of surprised."

"I'll bet they were. They were probably expecting to capture you easily. And they probably thought we were all gone."

"And...and how do you know the language of the Icemark? Why did you help me? What was that stuff you threw in Messy Hair's face, and you still haven't told me who you are!" I was getting a little annoyed. More than a little. These people seemed to be deliberately avoiding my questions, which made me trust them even less.

The boy and girl looked at each other, and then the boy spoke. "I'm Ren, and this is Abby. We're Smokies." When he noticed my blank look, he went on, "The Smoke was one of the guerrilla armies that fought Bellorum after the first Icemark campaign. Special Circumstances thought we were destroyed, but we returned a few years ago and have been operating very stealthily ever since. We helped you because they were trying to arrest you, and any enemy of Circumstances is a possible ally."

"And we just didn't want you to be turned," added Abby.

"What? I would never turn to their side!"

"We didn't mean persuaded to betray the Icemark, we meant turned pretty."

"I...what? Turned pretty? What do you mean?" Then I sort of realized. "I always thought it wasn't natural..."

"Sorry. We forgot that you wouldn't know what we were talking about. Here, when you turn sixteen, you get an operation that makes you completely gorgeous. Everyone can't wait. Until you get the operation, you're considered ugly. But they don't just make you beautiful, they do something to your mind. We aren't sure what. And the operation is just an excuse to get everyone under the knife, so they can do that stuff to your mind."

I shivered. That sounded like just the kind of evil thing that the Empire would do. "What do they do to everyone's brains?"

"Well, we can't be completely sure. But the operation takes away or lessens your ability to think quickly and face challenges. Everyone agrees with each other, so there's no fighting or crime. And everyone agrees with the government. The effects of the operation have changed over the years, so they might be adding something different to the new pretties' minds now. We don't know, we've never gotten anyone back to ask them."

Well, the no fighting or crime part seemed nice. Too bad they had to brainwash everyone to get it. "And when the Empire conquers a country..."

"Everyone is turned."

"But the pretties sound like pacifists, they don't mind?"

"Nope. Remember, they don't know anything about the operation's real effects. They think it's a noble thing, spreading our way of life. That it benefits the countries that we invade."

I really had nothing to say to that. It was all so much to absorb...that it was even possible was hard to get my head around! Floating cars and flying machines I could stand, but changing the way someone thought? It was impossible. And yet here it happened to everyone who couldn't escape. "So...the entire Smoke is made up of people under sixteen? And what about those other armies?"

"Not really. It started out that way, and we still try and recruit the uglies who've started to doubt turning pretty is all on the level. But we're all young - like, in our teens and twenties, except for Maddy. We're not really sure about the other armies. Maybe they figured it out too - but in that case everyone there would have to be pretty young too." Ren answered.

"Well...thanks. For helping me out, you know?"

"Not a problem." Abby said. "So, what brings you here, anyway? We pretty much figured out you aren't from the Empire. Icemark maybe?"

"Um...yes. I'm from the Icemark. I've come here looking for my brother, who was captured when the Army raided Old Haven a few days ago." I decided it wouldn't hurt to tell them who I was, so, "I'm Crown Princess Cressida."

Ren and Abby looked at each other. "You should be careful. Really careful." Abby finally said.

"Yeah, I figured that!"

"And the brother you're trying to rescue is...Eodred, Cerdic or Charlemagne?" Ren asked.

"How do you know so much about the Icemark?!" I snapped.

"Well, we do make it a point to know about all the free countries. Some of them, like Venezzia, give us supplies and raw materials for...stuff...and we - not us, but Smokies - have been talking to Queen Thirrin for a few months now," they explained.

"And I didn't know?" I said indignantly.

"I guess not. If that's a problem you should probably talk to Maddy. You should come with us to see her anyway." I supposed that this Maddy was the leader of the Smoke. They spoke of her so informally, no title or anything. But whatever. Maybe it was just a Smoke thing.

"I can't. I have to save Charlemagne. Especially now that I know about the operation. Do you have any idea where he's being held?"

"That's an easy one, he's in Special Circumstances. But getting him out will be insanely hard - the whole place is guarded and crawling with Specials. You can't even get in on a hoverboard; it's a no-fly zone. And the holding cells are deep underground. We got in once a few years ago, during the war, but the girl who planned the whole thing was turned a few years ago. She's Special now."

Well, that certainly is wonderful, I thought. Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, I find that Sharley is being held in an impenetrable fortress guarded by superhuman soldiers. But wait - she said someone had gotten in. That meant I could get in too, though it would be incredibly hard. I still had a chance.

I'd just have to revise my strategy a bit.

A small stovelike thing made a pinging noise. "Want something to eat?" Abby asked, holding out a fork.

"Sure," I answered, I'm starving. But they didn't need to know that. I took the fork and all three of us shared the noodles and meat sauce that Abby had made – or reconstituted, or reheated or something like that. I was beginning to make plans to break Sharley out of the Special fortress when a small device sitting near one of the backpacks began to ping. Does everything here make pinging noises? I wondered. Ren picked up the device and checked something on a screen.

"They're using the regular Smoke frequency. Should I answer?"

Abby shrugged. "Guess so." I just watched and listened, expecting them to start speaking in Polypontian (still didn't understand) about Smoke-related things that I still didn't get. But voice that came through the small speaker didn't belong to a Smokey, not by a long shot.

"Hello, Princess Cressida…and Smokies." Oh, no, not this again. This is really getting old. I didn't recognize the voice, but it was cold and arrogant and had Bellorum written all over it. They sounded like the guy from the station – Messy Hair's friend.

"How are you…" Abby began.

"Speaking to you? Simple really. I looked at all the intercepted Smokey transmissions, decoded the frequency and now I can listen to any transmission you send, and also send my own." Ren and Abby looked at each other as the full meaning hit them. Their enemies could now hear every transmission they send and they wouldn't know. They didn't even know how long the Empire had known their…frequency, was it? "Oh, I only wanted to speak to Princess Cressida. If we had wanted to find you, we would be at you hideout already." I hadn't known this guy for a day and already I wanted to punch him in the face.

"Alright, I'm listening."

"The only reason you're here is to rescue your little brother, the crippled one, am I right?"

"Yes," I answered, wanting to strangle him.

"Well, then. You'll be very interested in what I have to say." I didn't like where this was going. Not one bit. "I'm willing to bargain with you for his release. Meet me at the dam above Romula at sunset tomorrow. Charlemagne will be there, and you can have him back…for the right price." Now I had decided strangulation was too good for this guy. I wanted to take his lungs out with pliers. But he did say that Sharley would be out in the open…away from that impenetrable fortress…I spied an opportunity. I had no intention of bargaining with the Bellorums, but if I showed up at the dam I could, in theory, rescue Charlemagne without having to go near the fortress.

"Do you care about your brother?" the cold voice continued, "We could destroy his mind, if we wanted to. You wouldn't want that to happen. Really, it's in both of your best interests to accept my offer." I was shaking with rage. I wanted to kill this man. I would kill this man, at sunset, tomorrow night.

"I'll come," I said.

"Good choice. Sunset tomorrow night." The speaker clicked off and everything was silent. The Smokies were stunned and I was white with fury. Finally, Ren broke the silence.

"You shouldn't go; it's a trap, and the Icemark can't lose two of its royal family…"

"You can't fight Specials…" Abby added.

"Look, maybe the reason you never go anyone back is because you didn't try to rescue them! I'm going, and you can't stop me!"

"It's too dangerous! There'll be another opportunity to rescue him, something that doesn't involve sacrificing yourself."

"No, there won't. You heard what he said. If I don't go tomorrow, they'll destroy his mind. I have to." Ren and Abby just watched me sadly. I stood up and headed for the half-ruined staircase at the corner of the room. "Thank you for all your help." I descended the staircase, watching out for weak spots in the floor.

The last I heard from the Smokies was Abby's voice saying, "If you ever need to find the Smoke – if you actually save him – we're in Chellania province, near Diego. Anyone from the Icemark is welcome there."

Thank you, I thought, but when I rescue Sharley, I'll be heading straight back to the Icemark. Now that I was on the ground again, I decided to walk upriver to the dam and camp near it. Sort of stake out the place before Sharley and his captors arrived.

Tomorrow, at sunset.

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