The Fall of the Keepers

Chapter 7 The Old Beau

"When did you learn to lie so well?"
Jasper asked when we were finally alone after hours in the small council chambers.

"When Ranen's life was at stake."
I replied.

"I suppose the last year has given you plenty of chance to fine-tune the skill."
He mused.

"Thanks for backing me up."

"You needed enough truth to the story to make it believable."
He responded with a shrug.

"Where is he anyway?"

I hesitated, knowing the more people I told, the higher the chance I was found out. But this was Jasper, and I trusted him to keep his mouth shut.

"In the subway tunnels."
I whispered so softly he could barely hear me.

"Hiding him in the rebel's old home, clever."
He murmured back.

"We won't speak of it again until you're ready to take further action."

"Agreed."
I wasn't sure what further action might entail just then but I was too relieved to have gotten away with my lie to worry about it too much.

"Say, why do you think Quetta selected us for the council anyways? I figured she'd want a stacked deck."

"I'm sure that she does, but she's not dumb enough to make it obvious. She selected people that are for the most part intelligent because it's harder for outsiders looking in to point a finger and say she's in control. For example, no one would ever think you've been bought by her."

"But then how does she expect to ever actually get what she wants done?"

"Didn't we sit in the same meeting today? She conceded where it didn't matter and got her way on the big issues."

I supposed now that he mentioned it, that was quite true.

"Crap, I'm really going to have to be on my guard with her."

"She's crafty, intelligent, scheming, and had years to imagine out in excruciating detail what life after the Coalition has won will look like. She may have given everyone else vague promises about freedom and a better world, but rest assured, she still has a master plan. The coup was only a step along the way."

"So the real question is, what's her master plan?"
I wondered.

"The real question indeed."

It had been decided to allow all the rebels who had been living in the underground along with the palace staff who had nowhere else to go, to stay in the many rooms of the palace for a time until they were able to find employment and housing elsewhere. I for one was grateful, seeing as me and my family would have been kicked out on the street otherwise.

"We should get some rest, I think there's going to be some rough days ahead."

"You go on, I have a few things I need to take care of."
Jasper replied.

****

I awoke the following morning having slept a solid fifteen hours. Jasmine and Solomon had disappeared and Jasper was nowhere in sight, but Esha and Vienna were sitting quietly in the living room area having a soft conversation. I lay there a moment, blinking the sleep out of my eyes and gathering up my strength for whatever would come next. I wanted to hide in this bed, sleep away my trouble. There was so much uncertainty now, I didn't know how to handle it. It wasn't just about me, there was my family, my friends, what would life look like now for all of us?

But of course, I couldn't hide from my trouble for very long, and finally, I dragged myself out from under the soft sheets, nodding to my sister and friend before high tailing it to the bathroom to brush my teeth and splash some water on my face.