Whisper Gatherers (14 page)

“I don’t think you’ll be left with a scar.”

“Nice work Santy, ta.”

“You have a look of weariness about you Addy, you should go and rest.”

I shook my head. Too much was occurring for me to contemplate a snooze. “Nah, I’m too hyped. Besides, I wish to know more of Deogol and his new-found fisticuff skills.”

“Nay much to tell. He went a little wild, gave me a thwack when I least expected it. That is that,” Dreng said and went slightly pink.

Greatgrangran whistled through her teeth. “I’ll tell what I know. That young ‘un has changed. I blame all that corrupt info he looks at on that slab of his. I told you not to give it to him.”

“Gran, all the kiddles have them.”

“Nay, not all, just the privileged few, and the Meeks.”

There was a look of displeasure on Dreng’s face as he said those words. I wondered if he resented all that Cityfolk kiddles had, knowing how his own kin went without any form of tech. Being that they lived inside trees and all.

“He has been spending too much time on the thing, behaving furtively when drawn to the point.” We all nodded at Santy’s words.

“I had a gander at a site he wa on when I slipped him a stupifier. Agro speak. All of it. Telling of a better world for those not called norms. Telling of how the ‘Lost Ones’ as they put it, would be that nay longer. And worse, telling of a place that has all the latest tech and the like. What Meek would nay be tempted by such promises?”

Santy stood and folded her arms. “Fake promises. Agro lies. They are planning something nasty make no mistake. It is common knowledge that Meeks have been disappearing in other places. That food is being withheld and skirmishes breaking out all over NotSoGreatBritAlbion.”

Greatgrangran shook her head and picked up her bitsandbobsbag that lay on top of the small, round glass table. “The world as we know it is changing. Glad I won’t be around to have to live through it. I like my humble existence the way it is. I was going to ask Deogol to fix my portaplay. Perhaps when he is feeling more himself you can give it to him. At my time of life, I have little pleasures left,” she said, pulled out an redundant early version of her slab and handed it to Santy.

“He will make it right. He fixed the screen on the comdevice in a few secs, so this will not tax him too greatly. Besides, he is in trouble. Making your pastime work again will be a worthy punishment.”

“Goodly good. I would like to go back to Goldenagehome now. I feel safer around the oldies. No Agro would bother to injure a bunch of ancients about to mingle with the wormies,” she said and eased herself out of the comfy cushions.

Santy put the device down. “We do not know if all is safe.”

“I want to go now.” Greatgrangran slapped her bag down hard against the table. “Now, do you hear me?”

Wincing, Santy looked to Dreng. He shrugged. “We could try. I think the booms and bangs have stopped for the moment.”

“For the moment. Right. We will have to go around the far side of the plaza. Too much debris for you to flounder on otherwise. I will be back as soon as Addy.” She leant close and whispered, “Keep watch on Deogol. If he wakes before my return, divert his mind from escape with Greatgrangran’s playthingy.”

“Will do. Return safe and sound.”

“Are we to go?” Greatgrangran said, tapping her foot.

“Indeed, let us.” Santy held out her hand, Grangran took it and they started for the exit.

“I shall accompany ye. Do nay fear, my injuries are greatly healed. I can be of use.”

“Your presence will be much appreciated,” Santy said. Out of the room, they went again all blushing and the like.

“Mush,” Greatgrangran said following them. Then she turned to me. “Bye Addree.”

“Bysiebye Greatgrangran.”

“Oh no, I have no brain left, that’s for sure. Here Adra, I meant for you to have this on your leaving day.” She bent down and pulled at something from behind the comfychair. “There. Hope you like it.”

“Like it? And then some. A Synthbag! Ta.” I flew off the cosycouch and took the high-tech thing from her outstretched hands.

“Put it on, see how it feels.”

I threw the bag onto my back and slid on the shoulder straps.

“Careful of your arm,” Santy said as she came back in. But I had forgot all about it in the rush to try out the sac. I turned around to show them both. “What a wondrous thing it is. Utterly invisible Addy. Can you feel it?”

I wriggled my shoulders until the bag rested comfortably between them. “Nope. It’s as if it was not there at all.”

“Thought you’d like it.”

I gave my grangran a hug and she grunted. “My how strong you have become. Enjoy your prezzie.”

“Let your grangran go, Addy, I wish to have her back and return before anything else occurs. There is no knowing what the Agros have planned next. Plus, the explosions have affected our tech. Lights and security cams could be down, or worse, all of the perimeter fence.”

Releasing Greatgrangran, I walked her to the door and waved as she left. Although I was well impressed with my gift, a dread still lingered in my bowels. I hoped for the safe return of my Santy. I took off the Synthbag and looked inside.

There were pockets, hidden places, and I spent many secs peeking, discovering compartment after compartment. At the bottom was a small sealed pouch. I pulled it open then gasped at what I saw. Sterichoc. Six bars of it. This stuff was worth all the seeds in Cityplace. Well maybe not all, just a handful. Greatgrangran was full of surprises. I resisted the urge to gobble them down and sealed the secret chamber back up. In light of recent troubles, I could not be sure when and where such stuffs would be able to be procured.

I fondled the material. It was soft and smooth to the touch. This bag was truly special. As light as a bub’s eyelash, as strong as nanorope, and as see-through as a raindrop when it came into contact with its owners heartbeat. The Synthbag was a thing all the girlygigs in Cityplace hankered after. The only other fem I knew that had one was Drysi. She only used it to keep her facepaint in. Now that I owned one I could fill it with goodies and things to help in a scrap.

What with all the trouble brewing I intended to keep the thing on me at all times. I grabbed some of the Medistuff that Santy used to heal my wound and went into the cleansingroom. I packed in more essential survival things, such as a stack of reddysponges, I was due any sec, plus, a whole host of cleaning things. Next I ventured into the foodpreproom. I opened the grub cupboard.

Huff, hardly any food. I couldn’t bring myself to snatch the few remaining cartons of soylygrub, so rooted around at the back until I came across packages stuffed there because no one wanted to eat them. I took out two packs of instant pea-like soup then to my glee discovered a crumpled sachet of soymadras and soysausage. They went in too.

I almost skipped into my layingdownroom. Once there, I took out various bits of clothing and packed them in as well. I marvelled at how much I could fit into such a small thing. When I thought it was filled to capacity with necessaries, I put it on. It still felt as light as before. I was baffled, also in awe of such tech. I wondered if Deogol would be able to tell me how it worked. My gut twisted round. Nad. The reddies. I sloped off into the cleansingarea, and packed my bloody bits with a reddysponge.

On the way back to my resting place, I thought I heard murmuring from my bro’s room. I stood outside his door and pressed my ear to it. All I could hear was a faint nasal snuffling.

I opened it and went inside. Deogol looked so peaceful, so innocent. I could not believe his recent bad behaviour, and could not recall him ever lashing out. Not even at a fly when we picnicked in Citypark for his tenth comingoutday.

I went to his side and put my hand on his shoulder to wake him. His eyes snapped open. He stared wildly for a sec then focused on me.

He raised his head and said, “I need to go.”

Chapter Seventeen

The Storm Approaches

“Deogol, stay. You are not allowed to leave.” He pushed me to one side and jumped out of bed. I grabbed him around the waist causing him to fall back. He struggled to free himself, but I managed to flip him over and pin down his arms. He kicked. Fought like a Wolfie in a trap. It was all I could do to keep him from breaking free. My arm hurt and I did not want to ruin the repair work that Santy had done on it, so I let go his arms and sat on his stomach.

“Ow. Ow. Get off me you pudgy wastesac.”
 

“No, not until you swear that you won’t try to run.”

Deogol squirmed then dug his fingers into my back. I pulled his hands away and held onto his wrists. “I am stronger than you. You will never beat me.” He wriggled like a wormie in the sun. Truth be told, I was having difficulty keeping him down.

“Let me go.”

“Not until you swear that you will stay put.” I pressed my ample butt down upon his belly. He made a breathy yell then lay still.

“You’re killing me with your bulk.”

“I am not. Now, promise to keep still or I will sit lower down and squish your nads.”

Deogol made a sound not unlike being sick, then I felt his bod go limp.

“I promise, now get off.”

I did and stood by the door in case he meant to make a run for it. He didn’t, instead he got up and went to his comp. Back to the Deogol I knew. He sat tiptapping as if I wasn’t there. I coughed, he looked up. “What?”

“Are you communing with Agros?” He did not answer and continued to type. “Deogol, answer me.”

“Go away, I’m busy.”

Realising I would get nowt but antsy from my bro, I thought it would be a goodly plan to divert his somewhat dubious attention from the ether of the airwaves, to something more tangible. I ran all quick-like into the kinsfolk room and picked up the broken portaplay.

When I returned to my bro he was leaning forward, staring hard at something on the screen. I tiptoed up behind him and saw a picture of a room filled with plants, cosycouches, foodstuffs of every kind. Techcomps the like I had never seen. I involuntarily said, “Wow, that is some plush place and no mistake.”

Deogol slammed down the lid and turned to me.

“Are you spying on me now?”

“Me? Nah, just wondering what it is you’re gawping at?”

“Nowt, just a game.”

“Yeah? Goodly graphics, very realistic.”

“That is what they are like now. You wouldn’t know because you do not use comps.”

“Don’t need to access said device.”

“Because you can’t.”

“Can, don’t want to.”

“Oh yeah? How do you access the infosite on here?” he said and folded his arms.

“I don’t have to show you, you already know. Enough of your backchat, Greatgrangran wants you to fix her playslab.” I held it out, he snorted.

“Does it have to be now?”

“Yes. Do you not know what the huff has been happening outside?”

“Of course I do. More than you.”

“What does that mean?” He did not answer me and turned back to his comp. “Explain.”

“Nowt to explain,” he said then looked at me over his shoulder. “Give me the thing.” I handed it to him. “You don’t have to be here while I fix it.”

“Yep, I do. Santy told me to watch. I will do just that.”

He shrugged turned to his desk and began to fiddle with the toy. I watched him press buttons, tap info with such speed and assurance that he lost his look of kiddle, and took on the appearance of ‘dult. Despite my interest in his working, I became drowsy. My head lolled. I felt compelled to lie down on his bed. Deogol continued to twiddle and type. I drifted off to slumberland.

There was a low rumble outside. At first I thought it explosives in the distance, but a flash of light through the window suggested that it was thunder. I rubbed my eyes and sat up. Deogol was gone. I raced into every room, but he was not there. Santy would be more than angry with me. I went to his comp, pressed a button and the screen came on. I tapped my finger on a symbol that looked like a mouth. A whole load of comtext appeared. I read but two before racing out of the room, down the stairs and outside.

The sky was dark with grey clouds that rolled and grumbled as they approached. I looked up at the lightning rod. Although I feared storms and stayed in my room when they happened, finding Deogol put the fright to the back of my nonce. I used the tracking know-how that Santy taught me and searched the soft earth for signs of footfall. There were many. I bent low to see if I could distinguish my bro-bro’s uneven tread. He walked with a slight prominence to his left side, which meant that he pressed said foot harder to the ground than with the other. There amongst the comings and goings of those that dwelled in the building, I saw Deogol’s trademark step.

It was fresher than the rest. I was grateful that the rain had not come down. I quickened my pace and followed his tracks to the City perimeter. They stopped by the guard hut, which to my surprise was empty. I looked inside. There was blood splattered on the walls, ceiling and floor. I guessed said guard had been injured then gone to seek assistance.

I peered over the fence. The ground was covered with signs of someone walking into the trees ahead. Broken foliage and disturbed bushes were a giveaway. I bent down, picked up a rock and threw it against the fence. When the alarm did not sound I climbed over and walked stealthily in the direction of the bruised undergrowth. No wonder any folk could enter. The perimeter guards all gone and the warning alert turned off. My skin hairs poinged upright.

Stepping uneasily for a few secs before hearing voices not too far in the distance, I stopped, listened, and recognised my bro talking. I tiptoed closer. Through the twigs and leaves, I saw Deogol deep in convo with a tall stranger. The unfamiliar figure wore a hooded tunic that obscured its face, but I could see enough to know that it was male. Not many fems that I have come into contact with sported face hair. He handed my bro a small square metal box. Deogol quickly put it into his pocket. The ‘dult bent down to my bro and spoke to him in a hushed voice. The male finished what he was saying, shook Deogol’s hand and scurried off into the density of the trees. I stepped back, hid among the greenery and watched my bro make his way back towards Cityplace.