Chapter Ten

An accomplice is found

It is the strangest thing, but sometimes the most interesting and helpful of people are met when you are not looking for them. Wilbur Morrison was one of these people, small and insignificant looking, but extremely handy to know. Especially if you happened to be looking for the one thing he had control over.

Violet blew over the top of the hot drink in her hands, and felt the steam rise up into her face with a satisfied knowledge that she was warm, safe, and with a friend. It seemed a long time now since she had been able to relax in someone else's presence, and was making the most of it.

Wilbur lighted a brown cigar; it looked of low quality, bought on a small budget. It was Wilbur who had bought Violet the drink in the small Midnight café, and it was Wilbur who began the conversation.

"Now young lady, I think it's time for some explanations, I can't help but think that you have gotten yourself into a lot of trouble, and by me helping you I have condemned myself," he said watching her face, eyes widening in slight fear of what she might give away.

"I am in trouble, but I assure you Sir it would be better for you not to know why," Violet replied.

Wilbur looked at her sadly, as if he truly believed she shouldn't be feeling that way.

"A problem shared…"

"Yes I know, is a problem halved," Violet finished. "Trust me, I really don't think talking about this is going to help me, more likely than not I'll end up back in the dungeons."

Wilbur looked at her even more pityingly.

"Maybe I can help?" he suggested kindly. Violet raised an eyebrow; she couldn't help but retort to that, it was just such a stupid thing to suggest. Help her? Only he didn't know what he was trying to help with.

"Not unless you have an army in your back pocket, then no, sorry you can't," Violet snapped with a smart-alecky smile, sipping her drink, and calmed instantly by the warmth. "Sorry, it's just I don't want to involve anyone else in this."

"And exactly why would a young lady have need of an army?"

"Oh I don't, it's for… someone else…" Violet said catching herself before she said anything stupid.

"And this someone else… is the reason you were in the dungeons?" Wilbur asked. Violet looked sheepish. "Right, well you're obviously not going to tell me who it is, but answer me this: I am the leader of the Miner's Union, I am leading a strike against the Queen, am I leading all these people to their deaths?"

Violet was silent, he might be, how was she supposed to know? She didn't even know what Carrion had planned, how was she supposed to guess his moves? Would Motley strike out at the miners before the rebellion began? She assumed there would, at sometime, be a rebellion, that seemed to be what Carrion was planning, but how did she know?

Carrion wasn't sitting around doing nothing; something was going to happen, but what to in the meantime? Stand up, or keep your head down?

"Listen, Mr Morrison, I can't tell you anything because quite honestly he doesn't tell me what is happening either, but something is coming, a rebellion probably… people are going to die, I don't think it really matters what happens in the meantime," Violet said her voice low and sincere. "Everyone will have to choose sides or move out of the way."

She suddenly realised how large a scale Carrion was thinking on, for herself it had always just be about how this was going to affect her, suddenly she felt very selfish.

"You are talking of the day and night?"

"No," Violet said looking around at the other people in the café. "I'm speaking of those in Gorgossium."

"Oh young lady, you are touching a dangerous subject. Your incarceration wasn't a mistake was it?" Wilbur said shaking his head.

Violet scowled at him, he'd have to be braver than this if she was to tell him more. She knew she could trust him, he was publicly against Motley with his strike, but that didn't mean he was with Carrion.

"Can I trust you? Or are you going to betray me?" Violet asked bluntly. If she was going to tell him, and she had already made up her mind that she would, then it was time to stop the chitchat.

"I shan't repeat anything you tell me, you have my word."

Violet looked around the room one last time before leaning towards him over the table. This was it, she was going to share her secret to a near stranger, for how well did she know him? He had helped save her life, but that was all. He had asked after her well-being, he never asked for this. Violet felt almost guilty for burdening him with her secret, but she had made up her mind. He was the one to help her.

"The Abarat is changing, Motley wages war upon it, goodness knows what will happen to us all. But there is someone, someone we all thought had left us…"Violet paused, would he understand? Or did she need to say more?

There was a look of absolute disbelief on Wilbur's face; mixed in with fear and disgust. All together it told Violet that he had worked out whom she was referring to. All of a sudden Violet's words came out in a torrent of muddled thoughts, as if she had been keeping them inside so long that she needed to get them out quickly.

"I know it sounds insane, but that is the reality. He will fight her, no one else can, and the people will have to choose sides."

Wilbur shook his head.

"But I thought…"

Violet continued with her speech, she wanted to give it, she wanted to say it all, and she wouldn't stop for questions.

"Who said that? She did. What proof do we have that he's dead? I'll tell you, nothing. Just the word of some evil old woman whose disgusting army has been waiting too long," Violet said almost spitting in repulsion as she spoke.

Wilbur frowned, this had come as a great shock to him, but what the girl was saying made sense. They didn't have any proof after all. They just hadn't questioned it, after all, why would his own grandmother lie about something like that?

"But how can she operate without Carrion? She needs him surely? He controls so much!"

Violet shrugged.

"The Prince was never going to declare war, that's what she wanted after all. Maybe she just got tired of waiting and decided to get rid of him, I don't know," Violet said drinking a large mouthful of her drink and finding it still too hot.

"Whoa wait there, it's one thing to say she lied about his death, it's quite another to say she was the one who tried to kill him!" Wilbur said his voice low, what Violet was saying could get them both killed if it was overheard. He voiced this much.

"Killed? I've already been in the dungeons, if I'm spotted I'm dead no matter what I say," Violet said with ironic laughter. "I only got out because he sent someone for me."

"Then you are important to him?"

Violet snorted.

"I have a letter from him at home, assuring me that I'm not worth his spit, and he's very adamant about that," Violet said as if on some level she found that amusing.

Wilbur scowled as if there was something he didn't understand.

"But he rescued you, or have I misunderstood something? Surely you must mean something to him. Whatever the case he risked exposure by sending someone to fetch you, imagine if that boy had been intercepted and tortured, nobody survives torture, they all give away secrets in the end…" Wilbur said with the knowledge about Midnight's jails of someone who had lived nearby them all his life. "He took a great risk."

Violet had never thought about this and sat silently for a few minutes. No one in the café was paying them any attention, the waitress was ignoring them, not bothering to ask them if they wanted anything else, and no one else was looking over.

"I really don't think it was anything other than honour Sir, I saved his life, sort of, and he saved mine. Now I'm in his debt rather than the other way round, those would be the reasons," Violet replied sadly as if her eyes that wasn't a very romantic or heroic reason for rescuing someone.

Wilbur was thinking, this really wasn't the conversation for a café, but if they went anywhere else there would be someone trying to listen to them. His wife would insist on fussing over his guest with cakes, which they couldn't afford, and Violet's father was constantly with them when he had gone to visit before. It was only because he had gone to collect Violet's mother from a friend's house, where she had been enjoying a Carrion free life that he'd been allowed to speak to the girl alone. In Mr Mousquetaire's mind, everyone was now a threat to Violet, and after all his daughter had been through, Wilbur wasn't surprised anymore.

"But you know where he is? That is very dangerous information. What will you do now?"

"I don't know, I don't know what I'll do… he wants me to return, but I'm afraid. I failed him by being caught, I'm afraid of what he'll do to me."

Wilbur could see that Violet wasn't joking, she truly was afraid of what might happen to her now. But for the all horrible things he'd heard from the Towers, he didn't think Carrion had it in him to hurt someone as helpless as Violet.

"Then why return? You could escape him, it's not impossible, there are still those on the run from the Lord, look at those little thieves the John Brothers, they still haven't been caught," Wilbur said trying to be helpful, but knowing that what he was suggesting was completely useless.

"If I run away he really will kill me. No I gave him my word, I'm apart of this, and I'm sorry, but I've made you a part of it too."

There was a long pause, where finally they were able to order more coffee and let their minds understand what had just been said, and what should still be said. However when they were left alone once again, they couldn't think of anything to say.

Finally Wilbur blurted out the next comment to their strange conversation.

"But why him? Why not follow someone else? What is he now? A king away from his castle is very vulnerable," Wilbur said rationally. Violet's skin prickled with anger. Carrion might not be in Midnight where he should be, but he was still their Lord, no matter what.

"Only when his subjects loose faith," she replied through gritted teeth. Wilbur realised he's said the wrong thing.

"I didn't mean it that way Miss," he said quickly in case Violet should begin shouting, or if their uncomfortable states should cause someone to look over.

Violet sighed, maybe he had a point, but what were the alternatives?

"Who else is there? There can never be a government in this hour, we need a leader. If the day declares war on us, then we are all finished. They will not care if we live or die, at least with Carrion we have a chance. We are powerful with him, with Motley we will only be seen as a threat. At least it's clear to whom the stitchlings belong to now anyway," Violet said, shuddering over the thought of all those unnatural things being set loose.

"But how can Motley be disposed of?"

Violet shook her head.

"That is something the Prince will have to decide," she told him. "I merely aid him."

"So you are a spy?" Wilbur asked.

Violet nodded.

"Yes, although I don't think I've done every well so far have I?" she said looking down at the table in disgrace.

"I don't know about that, you found me didn't you? I'm leading a whole bunch of people who are so at their wits end with Motley that they may just rally with someone who would overthrow her. You tell him, that should he convince us that life with a king would be better than with a queen, then an army will be his."

Violet looked up instantly.

"But you know it will!" she insisted. "Things will only get worse with Motley."

"Well, Carrion can't make it any worse…"

"And you will lead them?" Violet asked.

"I will not leave them, old as I am…"

Violet felt happy, she'd finally done something useful. Carrion wouldn't, couldn't scold her now. He'd have to say something in praise.