Chapter 20

Twenty minutes after her discovery, Catilin made her way into the supposedly abandoned room. The room itself was just as blandly decorated as her own and empty apart from a single, black swivel chair. The chair was turned away from her and was steadily swinging from side to side, as though someone was sat in it. For a few moments Catilin just watched it, trying to work out what, if anything, was making the chair move in such a way.

She couldn't see anyone sat in it, even with the chair turned away like it was she figured she'd still be able to make out their legs. As far as she could tell the chair was completely empty and she was just about to test that theory, when the chair turned a full ninety degrees to face her and revealed the mimic who sat on it.

'Big sister,' her double was serious but polite, 'you seem surprised to see me. Don't tell me you were expecting someone else, like that disruptive Nurse of yours for example.'

'I…' Catilin hesitated. 'Who are you?'

'Come on now sister, don't tell me the oldest of the six is unaware of the rest of us,' she playfully scolded, 'because who I am should be obvious.'

'How can anything be obvious when people can Glamour? Who are you?'

Her double have a heavy sigh, shook her head slightly and lowered her gaze.

'You might be the oldest of us in terms of birth but in so many ways you might as well be the youngest. Come on, I greeted you as a sister, you should know who I am.'

'I don't understand,' she shook her head.

'I'm not going to spoon feed this to you for two reason. The first being I know for fact you are aware of the rest of us on some level, even if it is just your Calicaccu part. And the second reason is that I need to be careful how and what I say to you; I don't want to disrupt things any more than they already are.'

'Disrupt things?' Catilin stared at her in confusion.

'Haven't you figured it out yet sister,' she met Catilin's gaze perfectly, 'you're not in Kansas anymore.'

'Not in Kansas…? I don't understand, does that mean there's more going on than just my powers being blocked?'

'I can't spoon feed this to you,' she sighed, 'you need to be able to figure it out for yourself if you're truly going to understand the impact here. And, trust me, I'd rather keep that impact to the correct size, thank you very much. I may not live here right now, but this place is still my home.'

'They think you're crazy too?' Catilin blinked at her.

'By this place being my home I wasn't referring to the hospital,' she rolled her eyes, 'but the world outside of it.'

'You still haven't told me who you are. Maybe if I knew who you were I would understand.''

'And I told you, you need to work things like that out for yourself right now. Still if you have to call me something then just call me sister.'

'But you're not my sister,' Catilin pouted, 'how can I call you sister when you're not my sister.'

'You call your Veronie, braysta when he is not your brother, how is this any different?'

'Because I know hiet braysta, I don't know you.'

'But you do know me and when you work it out for yourself, it will all make sense.'

Catilin gave a heavy sigh and wished she could just give up. This girl was very confusing and it was starting to make her head hurt.

'Was it you this morning,' Catilin pulled a face, trying to keep the conversation going somehow.

'I've had a very busy morning so far,' Sister tilted her head thoughtfully, 'but then I had a very busy night last night as well.'

'So it was you, you were the one who…'

'Now, now, now, sister,' she held up her hands defensively, 'there's no need to jump to conclusions like that. Although you would not be far wrong in your assumptions.'

'But… but why?'

'Isn't the why obvious, even to you? I had to test something.'

'Test what exactly?'

'Oh not you of course sister, if I've disturbed you in anyway I do apologise, but I had to test that Nurse of yours.'

'What is your interest in Nurse Guillyham?'

'All in good time sister,' she half smirked, 'although I must say I am rather surprised she agreed to meet with you in private like this at all. I'd really have thought by now she'd have known better than that.'

'Then what exactly?'

'Ah, now you must know I can't tell you.'

'You can't seem to tell me very much now, can you?' Catilin pouted and folded her arms.

'Of course not sister,' she laughed, 'where would the fun be in that?'

'This is just one big game to you, isn't it,' Catilin glared at her. 'Well I can tell you this for nothing; I'm not having any fun.'

'I don't remember saying you had to sister,' her double slowly ran her tongue across the line of her teeth, then grinned. 'If you wait here long enough your Nurse will come.'

'How do you know that?'

'She always comes here.'

'To talk to you?'

'No,' Sister shook her head, 'she's never had to deal with me before, although I do keep my eye on her.'

'Then what does she come here to do?'

'Ah, that's another question I can't answer for you.'

'You can't seem to answer many questions at all.'

'I know,' Sister laughed again, 'but doesn't that just remind you of someone?'

'Maybe…'

'I bet I could tell you who to,' she laughed. 'Only of course I wouldn't be able to actually say it.'

'Isn't there anything at all that you can actually tell me?'

'Well I don't know about that,' Sister mused for a few moments. 'Maybe just for you to remember the numbers nine four one.'

'Nine four one,' Catilin frowned again.

'It's a code.'

'A code for what?'

'A dialling code.'

'Wait, you mean like an area code?'

'Something like that.'

'I see,' Catilin's gaze turned thoughtfully to the side. 'Thank you,' she began nodding vacantly, 'I think.'

'There's really no need to thank me,' Sister's body began to scatter into a thousand blue-black butterflies, 'I haven't done anything yet.'