Devils And Unicorns

Chapter 10

Dissent's entry in the Azure Chase at Bailey's Point meant a trip up to the tip of the northern peninsula, and spirits were high. Bailey's Point was bordered by the warmest and bluest of oceans, looked over the whitest of beaches, and was inhabited by some of the most interesting and bohemian folk in the country. The town, whose original function as a trade port had long become secondary to its current distinction as a hub of culture and music, was stylish, attractive and popular. Boasting a plethora of would-be artists, the settlement was famous for its murals and paintings; they adorned walls, tree trunks and even the pavements. In any one street no building matched the colour of its neighbours; the less permanent dwellings along the north of the town such as tents and trailers were draped with beads and brightly coloured cloth; everywhere you looked were hanging baskets packed with rich mixtures of ferns and flowers. The nightlife in this beautiful place was even more in vogue than what passed there during the day, and when evening fell the streets were filled with people and the air thick with music and the smell of incense.

Martha loved everything about Bailey's Point. Zac found it refreshing, but occasionally irritating. Florence was a secret fan, enjoying the sense of liberty it granted her. Martha was the proverbial free spirit, and whenever she went out of a night she would often disappear off the radar until daylight threatened to break across the sky. Florence was nothing like her friend; she had always been sensible, restrained, boring. But at Bailey's Point, she could live a little. Rather than hide away in a hotel like she always did when they visited Ramnock or Perchborn, in Bailey's Point she would join her friends in the bars and streets, feeling the balmy night air on her skin and feeling renewed by the harmonies that echoed between the buildings.

The evening before Dissent's scheduled run, the trio had made their way out into town as soon as they had bedded their charge down for the night. It was nearly midnight as they entered the Tavern of Angels off the main street. This was a popular nightspot, mysteriously decorated with potted palms and mounted wolves' heads, and always alive with chatter and music.

Florence had been enjoying a quiet drink with Zac and Martha, but after a while her friends grew restless. Martha disappeared to chat to some of the boys from Caffarelli's stable, and Zac was soon inebriated enough to think about trying his luck with some of the local girls. Florence was faced with the imminent prospect of drinking alone.

"You had better stop now, or you'll be riding drunk tomorrow," she warned Zac, not completely in jest.

"Listen," he said. "I'm fine. Now I'm going to find myself a bed for the night."

"Good luck..." She rolled her eyes light-heartedly.

"Thank you kindly, but I don't need it. So long." He half-jumped, half-stumbled from his chair and made off across the bar. Florence shook her head in weary amusement and, after finishing off the last of her drink, stood to leave. As much as she loved Bailey's Point, there was no point in hanging around here all alone. However, just as she was gathering up her things, she was startled by the sudden reappearance of Martha.

"Florence, quickly, come outside. I need to talk to you."

"What's wrong, Martha?"

"Outside." Martha grabbed her friend's arm and dragged her roughly towards the door. She dashed outside in a clatter of heels and pulled Florence across the street to a quiet spot under an old tree. Behind them, the coloured tiles of the palm-dotted plaza merged with the sand of the beach. Further down towards the gently lapping waves, folk were sitting in groups on the sand, some of them around small campfires. Beyond them, the silvery moonlight bounced off the surface of the ocean under a sky painted with ten thousand stars. It was a backdrop against which one could not help but feel relaxed.