What Memory Remains

Chapter 16

“We’re here,” Alice heard Sade’s soft voice as she awoke. The moonlight filtered into the small train car as Sade sat her up. She rubbed her eyes, mentally straining herself to become alert. Crickets quietly chirped outside, and it wasn’t helping.

“Already?” Alice said aloud, and Sade responded with a simple nod.

“We’re only a few blocks away from the hospital. Maybe we can find some answers there from Dr. Pennington.”

As Sade helped her down from the train car, Alice couldn’t help but notice a mark on Sade’s arm. It showed when he bent his arm and his rolled-up sleeves shifted up some. She nonchalantly kept watch to get a better view, but said nothing of it.

The two silently made their way down Bradston St., taking in the sights of the moonlit city. For a smaller town, Prague still kept the feel and pulse of a larger city. Enough people mulled about from tavern to tavern, and some shops were even still open. Sade’s sword was at the ready, as even the smaller cities had their share of vagabonds. Yet, it wasn’t the idea of being robbed that bothered Sade. Something else seemed to be on his mind.

“Sade, how old are you?” Alice asked.

“Haha. Shouldn’t you be able to tell.” He tapped his forehead.

“I don’t like to do it unless I have to, or if someone gives me permission.”

“Fair enough. I’m 25. Very accomplished for my age, though. “

“Why did you join Minerva?”

“Why? For a child, you ask interesting questions.”

“You just don’t seem like….all the others.”

“What do you mean?”

“The men from Minerva that visited NOSRAD…they’re different from you. All business, super macho, and cold. You’re different.”

“Well, I guess you could say I’m one of a kind.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Okay, okay. Well, I just wanted to make a difference. I know that people can do some really bad things in life, and so I wanted to be someone who could stop the bad people.” As he said this, Alice noticed his jaw hardening and his eyes narrowing in concentration.

”Be more specific, please.”

“I thought you said you didn’t read my mind.”

“I didn’t. After you read minds for a while, you can kinda figure out when people are lying or not just by looking at them.”

“Well, I’m not lying.” Sade lifted his eyebrows in a challenging manner.

“Then you’re hiding something.”

“Fine.” Sade felt flushed, being outsmarted by such a smart kid. “I grew up in a bad part of town. I saw a lot of bad stuff go down, in and out of my own house unfortunately. The worst of society right there all the time. It bothered me a lot, and I decided that I wanted to do something about it. “

“Does it make you feel better? Doing what you do?”

“Sometimes.” At this answer, Sade’s eyes looked to the stars in thought. “You know Alice, there’s something that you’ll learn when you get older. Things…just change.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well…a lot of things you think are clear-cut seem to become more and more vague. Only shades of gray instead of black and white, you know?”