The Fall of Chance (10 page)

“I’d offer you something from the old hip flask but I find it strangely dry this morning.” He gave Bull an exaggerated wink and an elbow to the ribs.

Unt’s hand went automatically to the dice in his pocket.

“Oh, put those things away!” Sandy pushed Unt’s hand back. “This is one occasion where there’s no choice to be made. Today you’ve become adults and you’ll match that with a drink.”

With that, suffering no protest, Sandy ploughed off toward a kiosk that had been set up and was fronted with two great kegs of beer. He returned a minute later with three foaming tankards.

“Here, get that down you,” he said and Unt took the offered drink.

That set the tone for the rest of the day and all the evening that followed. Everyone they spoke to wanted to get them a drink and Unt and Bull obliged people as far as their bodies were able.

In the unadulterated light of day, it seemed that everything was happy. The peaks and troughs of happiness and despair that had been prominent in the Hall seemed levelled by the uniform radiance of the sun. To the heavens, at least, it was true that everyone was equal.

The day rolled on in this happy atmosphere and the drinks rolled in with it. Lasper was forgotten. Crystal and Rob were forgotten. The ability to speak and stand was eventually forgotten. It had been a good day.

5. Orientation

There was a day’s grace between the Fall and everyone taking up their new posts. It gave the Orders a window in which to prepare for their new recruits and it gave time for the youngsters to take it all in. The marriage ceremony wouldn’t happen for another full week.

It was in the familiar territory of home that Unt awoke next morning. This time, he hadn’t escaped the effects of a day-long party. He mushed his fuzzy head into the fabric around him and worked out it was his couch. He hadn’t made it to bed and couldn’t remember how he’d got there.

As he reversed the events of yesterday in his head, an incoherent night led back to a very clear day. It seemed so marvellous he doubted the reality of it. It had to be a dream. Only the throbbing pain behind his eyes that came from drink upon drink proved that the party was true and if that was real, so was the rest of it.

The noise of some workmen outside had woken him and the sound of their digging felt like they were stabbing their picks right behind his forehead. He squinted his eyes against the too-bright sun as it crept in through the window. The window was open and that was responsible for letting the noise in. Clutching his temples against the pain, he got up to close it.

As he reached for the shutters he looked out at the busy morning scene. Everything was the same and yet, inexplicably different. This was what it felt like to be on the far side of the Fall. It was like a physical barrier had gone up: his childhood was behind him and he now lived in an adult world.

He retreated back into the recesses of his cave and boiled up the kettle for some coffee. As he waited, he went out to brave the porch and see how things looked from there.

He sat in his old, comfortable seat and looked down into the valley. The farmers were already well into their day’s labour. They were just black spots in the distance, working the fields in the pleasant spring weather.

It was funny, Unt thought, how he’d been so certain that his fate was going there that he’d mentally shaped himself for a future working outside. Now he faced the strange prospect of a career spent indoors.

He heard the kettle’s whistle and went back in to brew his coffee. He allowed the beans to stew a long time, letting it get nice and strong until it was thick like tar. It looked nigh-on undrinkable but on a hard morning, Unt needed the raw strength. He siphoned the mixture into his favourite battered tin mug and went back outside.

By the time he got to the porch, the boiling heat of the water had travelled up the metal handle and the cup was almost too hot to bear. Unt looked desperately for somewhere to set it down but stopped short at the sight of Bull in his seat.

“Hey, how you doing, boy?” Bull flapped a long arm in welcome.

“Move,” said Unt, slamming down the mug, “And I’m a boy no longer.”

Bull rolled off the seat and flopped down in the chair opposite. “You’re still a boy for now,” he laughed. With a hand on the balcony, he started picking at the varnish.

“Stop that,” Unt reached out with a lazy kick. “But I suppose you’re right. It’s not going to seem real until we’re actually in post.”

Bull snorted. “In post? What planet are you on? I’m talking about what’s happening in a week’s time, mate.”

Of course. What else would it be with Bull? If there’d been a post for chasing women, Bull would’ve had a Talent Modifier of twelve. “You haven’t thought about work tomorrow?”

Bull waved a dismissive hand. “What’s to worry about? Doesn’t matter if you make a good impression or not. The system means you’re set for life no matter what.”

It was a difficult point to argue against so Unt didn’t bother. He decided to goad Bull instead. “So you’re not bothered about work but you’re bothered about a
wedding
? Are you going soft on me?”

Bull rolled his eyes. “I’m talking about
after
the wedding, as you well know.”

“Remember Tont from the year above?” said Unt. “I was speaking with him yesterday and he said that after their wedding party they weren’t up for anything come the evening.”

The wedding ceremony was a group occasion where everyone was married at once. Afterwards there would be a big party and with a shorter ceremony, there was even more drinking time.

Bull snorted again. “Tont the farmer? He probably mistook a cow for his wife he’s so brain-dead.”

The two friends continued to argue deep into the morning. It was tiring with a headache to contend with but, if he was honest, Unt didn’t want it to end. After today, he and Bull would go their separate ways: different jobs, different social circles. Even in a close community, the divides would set in quickly.

Three coffees later, Unt was getting hungry. “I’ve got a few pork chops sitting in the pantry,” he said, “Want me to rustle some up?”

“Nah, I gotta go,” said Bull. “Mum’s doing a special roast, like it’s a last meal or something. It’s a pain but I guess I should go see everyone. I’ve not exactly seen much of them these last few days.”

“Oh, ok. No bother.” Unt was actually disappointed but didn’t want it to show.

“I’m sure you’d be welcome too,” said Bull quickly as though worried Unt would feel left out.

“No, no, I’m fine,” said Unt. In truth, he’d have loved to share a roast with his adopted family one last time but he often feared there was a part of Bull that resented his intrusion. It was all very well to say they were like brothers but “like” was a big distinction. “Like” said they were similar but apart. Yvesse and Sandy were Bull’s parents, not Unt’s and he deserved getting them to himself for one day at least.

“Alright then, I guess I’d best be off,” Bull rose to his feet. “I’ll see if I can come round later.”

It was the kind of maybe-promise that was blatantly empty but Unt didn’t mind. “Ok, see you,” he answered.

As Bull loped off, Unt went back to watching the farmers in the distant field. They’d spent all morning working their way from east to west as though mirroring the sun in the sky. Thoughts of food forgotten, Unt stretched out, ready to wile the day away. In a way, this was his last day on earth.

*              *              *              *

Later, at night, Unt dreamt confused visions of the day that lay before him. He awoke un-refreshed, tense and not at all eager. He pulled his second-best shirt from the wardrobe, feeling uncertain about it. The day before, he’d thought it best not to wear the same outfit he’d worn for the Fall but now that it came to it, he wasn’t keen at all. The Councillors would have Novice’s robes waiting for him but despite what Bull had said yesterday, Unt wanted to make a good impression.

Too quickly, the time on the walnut clock passed by and the window for getting ready vanished. The afternoon before, he’d had grand ideas of having everything laid out, ready to put on and go. Instead, he’d let the day run on and now he was in for a mad rush.

He was expected at Fate Hall for nine and instead of an easy stroll up the road, it was a quick march up a packed street. There hadn’t been a cloud in the sky when he’d gone to bed but it must have rained overnight because his feet splashed in muddy puddles. Droplets flecked his clean black trousers with messy points of brown.

A quick question to a stranger told him he’d made the walk in three minutes. A glance at the person’s wrist showed the middle hand reaching the vertical. He was due inside at that very moment but he couldn’t resist taking a moment to just look at the Hall.

Up close, the statues and the stone columns stretched longer and were more severe. It felt like those sheer sides might slide down and crush him at any moment.

He approached the double doors, palm out-stretched as though stepping into a haunted house. The heavy doors were resistant to his push and he was forced to put his weight behind them. He almost stumbled in between them when they finally shifted.

At the end of the short entry corridor a group of people were waiting for him, pressed in together into a close horseshoe. They were too packed to count but Unt knew there would be twenty of them. There were seven councillors in their white robes, seven Acolytes - senior apprentices - in orange and six Novices in their grey robes. The seventh, empty position was his.

Unt didn’t know what had created the opening among his new Order. He knew that no Councillor had died this year. Some misfortune must have happened to one of the other apprentices. The Novices were all pretty young but the Acolytes were older than their title would suggest. Many of them were past middle age; an age when death wasn’t unheard of.

He wondered if these people would resent him filling their colleague’s place. Maybe they’d expected and wanted Rob just like everyone else.

He stood in the open doorway. The daylight behind projected his thick shadow down the corridor but it didn’t reach the horseshoe. The people there were lit by an orange tint from the chamber’s skylights and that peachy colour seemed to blur their shapes, knocking them out of focus.

Unt could see one person clearly and that was Councillor Kelly. He stood in the centre of the horseshoe and it seemed that as Leader of the Council, the welcoming duties fell to him.

As Unt hesitated, Kelly beckoned him in. “Unt, welcome. Please, come forward and we can make introductions.”

As he spoke, Unt got the impression he was seeing a different man. He seemed much more at ease, as though this was his native environment where he could feel himself. The officious persona he’d seen two days ago had seemed genuine then but now, relaxed, Kelly was warm; almost paternal.

Unt did as was asked and stepped in, leaving the door behind him. As he drew closer, he could make out their features more clearly. The horseshoe was in two ranks and the Councillors and Acolytes dominated the front of these. The Novices peered over their shoulders from the back.

Unt could clearly make out the long face of Lasper. He’d been dreading this moment; the return of that terrible glare, but Lasper wasn’t even looking at him. It was rude, of course, but Unt would accept rudeness.

“Please, don’t feel nervous,” said Kelly, “I know this can’t be easy for you but most of us have been in your situation at some point and survived.” He smiled. “I know we Councillors have a formidable reputation but it’s true what we always say: we’re all the same as anyone else and each of us is as human as the next man.

“I don’t want you to feel intimidated with too many introductions upfront so let’s keep things simple. We’re not the largest of Orders so you’ll soon get to know everyone. We just like to meet newcomers with everyone gathered together.”

Unt nodded, looking nervously from face to face of the Councillors. He couldn’t spare a glance at the other people, he was too busy trying to gauge what the men in power were thinking.

Kelly turned and received a package from one of the female Novices and he then presented this package to Unt. “Here are the robes of a journeyman,” he said. “But don’t worry, you can put them on later.”

Unt thanked him and Kelly said, “Now, I understand that you had your Work Experience here three months ago?” Unt nodded.

“Well, as you know, the Council has such a diverse role that you probably only scratched the surface of any single area. Now that you’re in the Order, we like to give our Novices a founding in all subjects so you’ll be joining our system of rotation. Everyone spends some time under each Councillor and each works in every area, ok?”

Unt nodded.

“Excellent,” said Kelly. “We’ll be starting you off with Councillor Brooker.” He indicated a swarthy man with short, dark hair, flecked with liberal strands of grey. Blue eyes twinkled beneath thick-rimmed glasses. “You no doubt recognise him as one of our illustrious founders.”

Smiling kindly, Brooker stepped forward and shook Unt’s hand in both his own. “A pleasure to meet you, Unt,” he said. “Pay no heed to that ‘founder’ nonsense - we started this town in the belief that everyone is equal and that is exactly what we mean.”

He looked like he might say more but Kelly was already moving things on. “You’ll be working closely with Pearson, here.” A gangly creature with pale skin and severely cropped red hair bent down out of the crowd. He bowed so deep he stooped like a crane. He extended a massive hand that Unt shook politely. His grip was surprisingly soft: considered, rather than weak, like there was a power there that he was reluctant to use.

“Don’t worry Unt, I’ll look after you,” Pearson grinned. His voice sounded like he was amused by it all. Unt couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or mocking.

“Like I say, everyone else, you’ll come to know in time,” said Kelly. “You’ll find things are pretty informal here. We’re all constantly in and out of everyone else’s chambers.”

‘Informal’ and Kelly seemed so alien from Unt’s past impression that he almost laughed.

“The rest of us will take our leave now. We don’t want to scare you too much.”

The group began to disperse, dividing into trios of white, orange and grey. Some of the closer ones shook Unt’s hand as they passed but they were all soon gone, slipping out through various doors or flights of stairs.

That left Unt with Brooker and Pearson. Brooker was very young-looking for an old man. He had to be touching seventy at a minimum but his skin was free of wrinkles and his hair still had most of its original colour. His frame looked powerful and he was at least as tall as Unt, though not as tall as Pearson. The Acolyte was a head taller than either of them and stood behind his master like a fair attraction ready to be put on show.