Past Curfew

Chapter 3: A Dinner Debate

"What smells great?" asked a familiar voice outside the door.

"Who is it?" asked Miranda, pushing Honey to her seat.

"Alec," he said, unlocking the door.

"Why are you always so late?"

"Higher demands at the factory. Apparently they have some big project or something in the Government. Us workers get longer hours."

"Even today? Everyone got off early!"

"Not me. What's for dinner?"

"A new recipe. We got extra from the harvest in honor of the Volcano. Honey made some applesauce."

"Yum." Alec sat down at the table and began to shovel the food into his mouth.

"Hungry, are we?" said Miranda, teasingly.

"No lunch break," said Alec between bites.

"They're pushing you that hard?" gasped Wren.

"That's terrible!" cried Honey.

"Well, there's not much we can do about it, is there?" said Alec. He paused to look up.

"Yes there is," said Sal quietly.

"What do you mean, Salamander?" asked Miranda.

"My friends from school, we've been talking, and we don't think any of what they're doing in the Government is right." He poked at a limp piece of carrot.

"Does anyone?" asked Alec.

"Well, we just think that, um, no one's been doing anything about it. We thought we could maybe go and..." He trailed off.

"Go and what?" asked Alec, through gritted teeth.

"Well, we were gonna go and protest, you know? Stir up something maybe."

"You've really thought this through, now, haven't you," said Alec.

"Alec!" said Sal, looking up boldly from his meal. "I know you don't want me to do this. But if nobody gets the nerve to do anything we'll just be living in this hell forever! It's getting worse every day! You don't even get a lunch break anymore! You can't live like that! Nobody can! We have to do something or nobody ever will."

"Are you aware of the dangers? What do you think will happen? You're obviously aware that our lives aren't a walk in the park! Do you think you'll just protest for a while and everyone will come and fight with you? Do you think you'll never get caught?" Alec was practically screaming.

"I know. I know what they could do to me. But not everyone is a coward. Some people want to make a difference." Sal stared at Alec. "Do you?"

"You will not do it! You can't! You won't!" Alec's face resembled a beet.

"You can't tell me what to do," said Sal. He frowned and pushed away his food. "You are not my father." He ran to the closet. Wren was staring at her vegetables, listening to the debate. She heard the soft sound of tears. Alec was crying. The bells rang out, cloaking the sobs.

"Alec..." said Miranda.

"He's right. I'm... I'm nothing like Dad was. I just want you guys to be safe."

"Sal is just angry, he didn't mean-"

"No. I know he meant it. If I could bring them back..." his face fell into his hands.

 

It had been a lovely night. Their mother had propped the door open because she liked to gaze at the stars before curfew. The family had been eating dinner. Honey, only a baby then, had wandered outside, and through a hole in the gate. When the bells rang out that night, there was a scream near the house. It was not the scream of an adult. Their parents had rushed outside to find little Honey's legs stuck between the teeth of a Beast, and it was shaking her wildly to get her out. Their parents had screamed, yanked Honey out of its jaws, and had thrown her into the yard. The Beast snorted and crushed their parents under its monster paws, swallowing them. Seven year old Alec had rushed outside and saw the Beast. It had scratched the gate, but could not make it through. Alec rushed into the house with the baby and locked the door tight. For the rest of the night, as the children cried, the Beast had stalked the house. Honey's legs had been terribly injured, and she was never to walk again. Alec had taken control of the family, and felt responsible for them.

Tonight, Alec sat in the corner to cry, as he had nearly ten years ago. Wren went to talk to Sal.

"What do you want?" he asked, turning to face the musty wall of the closet.

"I want to join you," said Wren. "I get what you're saying, even if Alec doesn't,"

"You're too little, you'd just get in the way. Besides, who wants to listen to a kid?"

"I'm only two years younger than you. Don't act so old. I can make people listen to me," she said indignantly.

"Yeah, right. Look, you should listen to Alec. It's way too dangerous for you."

"You were just saying how unreasonable he was!"

"Yeah, but I could make it out okay. You get into a fight every day, and it's not like the other guy gets the worst of it. Just stay out of the way. This isn't your fight."

"But..."

"I mean it. I can do this myself." Sal leaned his head on the wall.

"Fine," said Wren, annoyed. She wasn't so little. She stomped away, grabbed her blanket, and slammed herself down on the floor. Wren stayed up that night, staring at the ceiling and thinking.

"Bring Dr. Hirandium to my room," said the Queen to her messenger standing in the doorway.

"Yes, your majesty," said the messenger, rushing away. The council was preparing to leave, and they had made no progress on the rebellion issue. It was all working out fine for Queen Alanda.The council would be the first thing to go, once the plan fell into action. Most of the members shared her idiot uncle's veiw of most issues, and that was a serious problem. If anything was going to get done, she would have to change that. Once the council figured out her plan, they would probably protest it, just as her uncle had done, just as her own parents had done. They had not been a problem, however. If a few people, even family members, went down for the cause, well, that wasn't important. 

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in, doctor," said the Queen.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. How are we doing on my special project?"

"We have improved prodctivity greatly since the workers have been on overtime. I predict that the machine will be ready for use in aproximately three weeks."

"That is not fast enough, Dr. Hirandium. Have it ready for testing by tomorrow."

"With all due respect, your majesty, that's not possible! We don't have the neccesary supplies or the work force!"

"I think that you can find a way, Hirandium. Otherwise, might I remind you, there are plenty of other budding young scientists to relieve you of your duties. Do we understand each other?" the queen smiled.

"I... yes, your highness."

"Good. Now, how are the Village people doing? Is there any negative response from the longer work hours?"

"The report will be in by this afternoon. I have my prototype security system patrolling the area, and have not recieved back."

"Very good. Now. Back to work, Hirandium."

"Yes, your majesty." The doctor adjusted her glasses and walked out the door, shrouding her fear with a look of pride. The queen saw through it. She had been trained to sense fear. Which brought her to her next appointment.