9. Where No-One Laughs
*****
We've been here hours now. Mostly just sitting in the hall, watching people do things. Almost everyone seems to just sit around - some people tell stories to the youngest kids (There's kids as young as four here. I don't even want to think about it.) and some people draw on the walls and things, but no-one laughs.
Well, Alixen does. She's the only person I've heard laugh. She came through the door a few minutes ago, and said dinner was served. And then she held up some dead animal, and everyone yelled.
"Get that thing away!"
"I'm NOT eating that!"
"I'm not even going near it!"
"Alixen, don't be stupid." (That might have been Alex, come to think of it.)
She laughed, and said it was a joke and couldn't anyone take jokes, and walked out. She looked a bit downcast.
"We should do something for her," I told Tahl.
"Why, exactly?"
"Because she's...well, look at her. Look at them."
"I did," she said softly. "Perhaps you're right. But we have to go soon, anyway."
*****
We did go. We told Alixen and Alex that perhaps we'd see them tomorrow, and found our way back to the Governor's house, and our Masters.
We told them what we'd found-the school of kids, and what happened to their parents. While my Master frowned deeply, Master Thea looked horrified. But they shooed us back to our rooms anyway.
I've decided I can't stand people thinking I'm too young to understand.
Tahl was really quiet on the way back from the school. I didn't try to ask her why, because if she's being quiet and you try to make her talk, you might get screamed at.
*****
5th day,10th month,standard year 24933
We went back there today. Our Masters didn't. I imagine they were working on some part of the mission that we're not supposed to know about. You'd think they'd tell us-maybe they will later...
They said we had to be back in time for the negotiations.
They start in about a quarter of an hour, so I'd better hurry with this.
We practically ran to the school. Well, I ran; Tahl didn't. She didn't seem very enthusiastic about the whole thing, really.
"Don't you want to help them?" I asked her. "Don't you even want to see them?"
She scowled. "Of course I do. But I can't help thinking something's wrong."
When we got there, I wondered if something was wrong too. Because everything seemed the same as it had been yesterday -except for Alixen. She looked the same -same clothes and same hair - and smiled when we came in, but she just felt different somehow.
She was with the woman we'd seen our first visit - the only adult there. Alixen's mother. When we got to them, she'd fallen asleep, and Alixen walked to the other side of the room with us following.
"She's ill," Alixen said matter-of-factly. "Really ill."
"She's dying," one of the teenagers said. He was older then Alixen and Alex, probably one of the oldest. He was eating something I couldn't identify (and really didn't want to.)
Alixen looked a little bit torn between hitting him or agreeing with him, but she did neither. She sort of shrugged.
Tahl said, sounding much softer then she'd sounded with me, "I'm sorry, Alixen,"
Alixen nodded. Alex chose that moment to come in.
"There you are," he said, moving towards Alixen. She gave him a look, and he stepped back. "Hello, you two," he said to us. We smiled and nodded, but I was wondering what was going on.
"We...we want to help you in some way," I tried. "You shouldn't have to live like this."
Tahl nodded. "I would hate it."
"What were you thinking of doing?" Alex asked.
"Well...we told our Masters."
"And I suppose that helped."
"No, it didn't. But...the negotiations are starting today."
"The people in Tynvant care only about themselves," Alixen said, bitterly. "So they'll save their behinds, and things for us will go on as normal."
"But they..."
"It's pointless."
"But you can't stay here."
"Well, we've been here a while. Besides...we are capable of finding ways to save ourselves."
The conversation was over then. We didn't do a lot else. But we had brought food, and we gave it to them. I offered some to Alixen, and she asked where it came from. I said I'd taken it at supper-time at the Governor's house (They didn't notice. They are seriously unobservant) and sneaked it out to them. When I said "Governor's." Alixen spat at the food. Someone else ate it. They must be even lower on food than Alixen and Alex imply, because everything was gone within minutes. I spent most of those minutes trying to make sure everyone got a fair share.
I nearly gave my robe to Alixen's mother, but Tahl stopped me. "You've only got one of them. You need it to wear at the negotiations. I'll give mine away, because I've got a spare somewhere." So she did. I wonder if Alixen's mother noticed. I hope she did.
We had to hurry back.
Must go now.
*****
I'm not sure how to write this. I feel really, really guilty.
Maybe I shouldn't, but I do. Maybe it's not even guilt. And I feel a bit sick, too, come to think of it. I hate being sick, but I do it so often.
I'm going on about nothing here...I'll try to explain, right? The negotiations started. They went on for almost an hour. An agreement was reached. I can't tell you everything that was said, because I can't remember it all and a lot wasn't very important anyway. Except...Master kept glancing at Governor Kossa, and he looked frightened and hot. Master Thea looked very displeased indeed. At my Master, that is. Whatever's been happening, I bet I don't get to know about it.
But, when we were almost about to leave, I suddenly felt a disturbance in the Force, and then Master Thea screamed for everyone to get out, and as we made for the door there was a massive explosion.
No-one was killed. I'm fairly sure of that. But many people were injured, and me and Tahl hurried to help them. It looked as though all our negotiations had been for nothing, too, because everyone was glaring daggers at each other. But a few seconds later two guards came round the corner, holding someone. That someone had red hair and was holding a sword.
It was Alixen.
*****
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