BANE: avenge

Chapter 12

I strained my eyes, seeing the feminine figure walking in, the light behind it blinding me. It was too perfect to be my mother's.

Around her height, yes, but it was to perfectly formed to be my mother's.

" Miss Ara? Are you in here, child?"

It was only Margaret. Thank Zeus. I had only heard adults say that, but I figured it fit the situation.

" Ara? Is that you? Oh, my Visual Processors must be malfunctioning! Surely it is not you?"

For a machine, she had always seemed so human.

She arrived where I was & started cutting the ropes with the small blade I had installed in her metal hand. She had insisted that she was only a nanny-bot, but after the last time this happened, she had acquiesced & agreed to me installing it in her hand.

Mama did not know I had done that, & she did not know Margaret had untied me last time. She was proper furious when she found me at the breakfast table the following morning.

Margaret finished cutting the ropes, & I felt it loosen & sighed, hugging Margaret tightly.

Margaret picked me up & hugged me.

Then, I awoke to the sound of a busy city & Pippin tapping me gently on the shoulder.

" Are you alright, Ollie? You looked a bit disturbed when I woke up & saw you. Almost as if you were crying, but no tears were coming out."

" I suppose I did have a rather unpleasant dream, or memory, rather."

" I see."

" Yeah."

Yawning & stretching, I saw the busy streets & was awestruck.

" Where are we, Pippin?"

" Welcome to London, Ollie. You do not remember?"

" No, I do not ever remember coming to the city. We always stayed at home while mama & papa went to the parties."

" I see. We had never talked about this."

" We had not much reason to do so formerly, Pippin."

" I suppose that is true."

" This does not look like an inn."

" It is not. My father contacted a close friend of his, & we are staying with him. He is a bachelor. No family, but he has a considerably large flat, so he is fine with us lodging hence. my father was going to pay him, but he refused, saying that any company at all would be better than continuing alone. The alienist he consults had recently told him his mental health would improve with company, so he was actively looking for someone to board in his flat. it was convenient for both sides."

" That is astounding. I am grateful. I would not have wanted to be an unwanted burden on the man. What is his name?"

" Mr. Edward Krane."

He was not royalty?

" He-he is not a Duke? or... Marquess? Lord? Royalty?"

Pippin shook his head amusedly.

" Not at all. You know other classes of people exist in the world, right?"

" Yes... I just- I just never thought I would actually have contact with one!"

He laughed & ruffled my hair.

" You talk as if they are objects."

I huffed.

" Come, Ollie, we should go in. The robots will take care of carrying our baggage."

He climbed out of the float, stepping on the floor & reaching his hand out for me to take.

I took his hand & he helped me down the lev-plates, which hovered oddly.

They only worked in places with magnetised floors, & London was one of the most modern cities, so of course it had a mag-grid buried underneath the floor of the city.

Word was that there was a thriving underground market in the ground, because authorities rarely went there due to there rarely having to be any repairs or aught, so the gangs took over. Whether is it merely a rumour or actually has some foundation, I do not know.

The air was heavy with steam, & slightly yellow tinged. Was I really born there? I did not remember it in the least!

I breathed in & almost choked on the air.

A few men standing on the streets saw me coughing & laughed.

A few words floated over to me.

" Country girly, eh?"

They continued laughing.

We knocked on the door, & it took only a few seconds for it to open. A young man, only a few years older that Pippin, opened the door, & clapped Pippin on the shoulder.

" Aye, Peregrine! It has been some time! Why, you are quite grown up now!"

Then, his eyes landed upon me.

" Why, who is this? You would not... Surely you wouldn't have been married off without my knowledge, Peregrine, dear fellow?"

Pippin & I laughed uproariously. I stepped up & held out my hand to shake his.

" Gadaranine Eberneus. Pippin's cous- friend. Pippin's friend."

He smirked & addressed us both.

" You sure? If it was me, I know I would not call you merely my friend, you are quite a bit too lovely for all that."

My eye! I did not put my lens in! The illusion is not on! Does he truly...? Surely he is just being polite...

" Oh dear! What a host I am! Leaving my guests to stand out on the streets of London. Hohoho! Come in, come in!"

He withdrew, holding out his arm, leading into the house.

" Your baggage, Peregrine?"

" The machines are bringing it, Ed."

" Oh, yes, of course! Why, I suppose I shall continue holding the door open."

The carrying-bots brought the luggage inside, & then they retired to the float, then parking on the roof of the building.

He shut the door & fastened it.

My mouth must have sagged - there were exactly sixteen different locks on the door.

He noticed my shock.

" Aye, Ara, mind if I call you Ara? Well, I have to keep plenty of locks on this door so that the lock-picks do not pick them quickly enough before I get back to the home when I'm out on an errand or a visit."

I gasped, & Pippin & Edward laughed at me.

I got mad & stalked off... to nowhere, because I didn't know where to go.

They just laughed all the more.

I sat down on a couch I found, & they gradually came & sat too.

" My robot will make us some tea."