Advanced Clockwork: Young Writers Prize 2014

Chapter 23

As the last person came up the rope and onto the ledge, Zil followed behind with Eve on his shoulder. The night sky was starting to settle in, the rocks they had placed the wagons behind blocking out the high winds that were picking up now as they brought the cold chills with them. They set up the fires quickly, the lack desert sand making all the humans grab a blanket or a coat that would protect them from the cold as they gathered for food. Zil sat in front of the fire with aw in his eyes, watching as the red and orange flames licked at the air with warm touches.

"So, do you always wear green trench coats?" Trev asked, watching as Gig came back to the fire after finding her spare trench coat with gold buttons instead of silver.

"As a matter of fact, I wear EMERALD trench coats cause EMERALD goes with everything." Gig said in a matter of fact tone. "Besides, I like it."

"Whatever works for you, princess." Trev groaned. He pulled out the baggy of medication he needed to take, the bag only half full now.

"Why do you even smoke that foul stuff?" Gig asked, watching as Sparrow and Ivin looked up over their bowls of meat stew as they shook their heads no. "What?"

"It's... Let's say it's complicated." Trev mused, rolling a small bit in the paper and puting it to his lips, lighting it slowly over the fire. "And leave it at that."

"Ok, Trev." Eve said from the lap of the huge Protectorate, her eyes looking around a all of them with kindness and tiredness. "I think this was a great adventure. Thank you."

"Who says it's over?" Gig asked, her ears perking up. "Sparrow still has war on the brain, I'm actually up for it while you try and find a way to save me from becoming a mechanical puppet, and Zil here won't exactly fit in with the cyborgs down below."

Eve sighed, looking at Sparrow for a little bit of help in changing Gig's mind. But she was actually met with a bright and crazed smile. The words 'trouble' and 'uh oh' came to mind when she saw that smile.

"I have an idea on that war bit." She said, her black eyes flashing with pride. "I think that my plan would go along too slow. It would take at least a year to get it all going."

"Oh?" Trev and Ivin asked in unison, looking at her with reserved looks.

"Wouldnt it be better if it took a little longer? So we could have time to prepare and stuff?" Ivin asked in a concerned tone.

"No no, we need to get him now before he can devise a plan of attack." Sparrow said sternly, looking at Zil. "And we already have a pretty decent weapon."

"Sparrow," Gig said, a matching grin to her's on her tan face. "What are you planning you skeleton freak?"

"We do what the king did." Sparrow started, looking right at Eve. "And Eve will lead the revolution."

"WHAT?!"

Eve shouted, almost jumping up from Zil's lap. She shook her head, looked between everyone around the circle of fire with wide surprised eyes at the very thought. "Create a revolution?" She asked in horror. "But I- I don't-"

"Eve." Sparrow said sternly. "King Adam is going to kill you whether you go back to your normal life or not. You're a dead woman walking, just like me, just like Gig, just like all of us. You are the wild card, much less the only card we have."

"And besides," Gig said quirkily. "you already have the cyborgs on your side. That, plus a band of gypsies, a robot that can practially be a tank all on it's own, and if you go through with this a whole army of followers that will fight for their freedom if you do this right behind you. It's not just going to be you fighting this war." Gig sighed, shaking her head as her ears twitched. "It's more like your the face of the uprising, the one at the very head of it all."