Chapter Thirty One
Ellie and I carried Kate’s body all the way back to the main square, Ellie holding her ankles while I held her wrists. The crowd that had dashed from the riverside was now back at the main square. The reason why they didn’t retreat back to their homes was probably due to the order the Empress gave, stating that “everyone’s presence at the Tascaque is mandatory”.
The other Anti’s and their Acquaintances were up on the stage, and the Empress had taken her place in front of the microphone.
Everyone turned in my direction, looking at the dead corpse Ellie and I had brought back. Seloy, Kate’s acquaintance, looked at the corpse with wide eyes. His mouth formed the words, “God Almighty.”
“No!” I heard someone groan from the front of the crowd. A man, dressed in a tuxedo with a top hat and a coat with tails came rushing towards us. Even from where I was standing I could tell that it was Eeloy.
He ran up and took Kate’s lifeless body in his arms. He looked up at me accusingly. “What happened?!”
Ellie stepped in front of me. “He went back to save her from drowning! Don’t blame him!”
Eeloy scowled and yelled at me, “This is your fault! Everything was perfectly fine before you came here!”
“What should he have done?” Ellie shouted. “He’s the Lucid, no denying that anymore. Why accuse him of proving something your daughter couldn’t even prove in the first place!”
I pulled Ellie back by her dress. She looked at me with fierce eyes, but when she saw me glance at the helpless little girl, bundled up in her father’s arms, she took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” she said, more to me than to Eeloy. “I don’t . . . I . . .”
I raised my hand to signal her to stop. “It was my fault, Ellie.” I looked at the ground and gently closed my eyes. “None of this would’ve happened if I just kept my mouth shut about me being the Lucid.”
Ellie shook her head and sobbed. “No, it wasn’t your fault,” she cried. “Believe me.” She hugged me tight, but I didn’t have the will to hug her back. I just stood there, allowing her warmth to cover my body. “It wasn’t your fault . . .”
I pushed her away. “It was my fault!” I shouted. I could feel the crowd’s gaze shift from Kate’s body to me. Bu I didn’t care – at that moment, I was a murderer. I was just as guilty as the one who killed Recaro. “I can’t believe I didn’t save her! Why was I so slow? I’m the Lucid! Why –”
“You are the Lucid,” I heard someone’s voice echo throughout the main square. I glanced up to find the Empress holding the microphone in her hand. She stood there on the stage, dripping wet. “We don’t even need a third task,” she said in reverence. “You’re undoubtedly the Lucid.”
I looked at the sea of people before me. “We must bow before him,” the Empress’s voice rang through the microphone. The crowd began to kneel on one leg, bowing their head in respect. Everyone bowed – even the Empress, Eeloy being an exception. He just sat there, stroking his deceased daughter’s blond hair.
Ellie was the first to stand up from her bowing position and she wrapped her thin arms around me. This time, I hugged her back.
Gradually, everybody else began to stand as well, and I slowly walked up to the stage where the Empress was standing. The other Anti’s stared at me in awe, and I instantly felt another pang of sorrow.
What will happen to them now?
I looked down at Kate, wrapped up in her father’s arms. She was peaceful.
I felt a surge of mixed emotions – pain, sorrow, fear, embarrassment, happiness – all at once. I took the microphone from the Empress’s hands and called out, “I am the Lucid. And I am sorry for what just happened.” Eeloy glanced up at me. I nodded to him to show how sincere I really was. I saw his eyes soften, and he gave me a quick nod before looking back down at his daughter. “But I don’t think these Anti’s are in the wrong here!” I pointed to the group of Anti-Lucids behind me, huddled with their acquaintances. “I don’t think they should be banished!”
Someone shouted “Yeah!” from within the audience, but other than that, everyone was silent.
I cleared my throat and continued. “Not only that, but I think we should have that funeral service we were planning on having for Recaro.” I turned to the Empress. “I thought you said that the funeral would happen before the Tascaque.”
The Empress stepped back. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing we waited.”
At first, I was a bit confused. But when I followed the Empress’s gaze, I found that she was staring at the dead corpse of Kate. How dare you say something like that!
But she was right. I nodded and looked back to the crowd. “We will have a funeral service for Recaro and Kate!” I declared. “And then we will have the feast.”
The crowd stared at me. It was obvious that they weren’t used to taking orders from someone other than the Empress. But even she nodded in agreement. “We shall,” she replied. “But I’m afraid I can’t let these Anti’s off without some sort of punishment. Don’t forget about tradition!” She looked out to the crowd. “They are false idols! They claimed to be something they were not!”
The sea of people began to murmur in agreement.
“No!” I shouted. The crowd became silent in response. “It wasn’t like they were pretending to be the Lucid! Something must’ve happened to make them actually think that they were!”
“He’s right!” Someone’s voice croaked behind me.
I spun around to find Deothoy Dunkin, one of the other male Anti’s, stepping forward. “I could’ve sworn that when I –”
“Well, you should’ve been sure you were the Lucid before you went around telling people, only to get screwed up in a Tascaque!” The Empress took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, but I must banish you all, but after the funeral and feast.”
I looked at the Anti’s with sympathy. This is nuts.
