That didn’t work either… Everyone has just been so downcast lately… I have to try another angle… So, what about some time with Valentin? Valentin around this time was working in his “office”, which actually was a very small room in a wooden house. You might think adobe houses looked uglier than the wooden ones, but this house looked like it could crumble at any minute. Stacks of newspapers, printed articles, and drafts of his novels surrounded Valentine. He looked outside of the window, he was always afraid that someone would find him there, every time he went to that place, his heart started beating intensely as if it wanted to get out of his ribcage, and it wouldn’t stop until he left, but even then, he couldn't stop, he couldn’t stop writing. In his desk was the daguerreotype photograph of an old woman with Valentin at his side as a kid. He looked at it and inhaled deeply. A man with a worn striped long sleeve shirt entered the room with a newspaper in his hand.

“Your latest article is causing quite a stir. The local party is threatening to expose us."

Valentin clenched his fists. He took a deep breath and recalled Caruncle's words back the other day.

“I know, I know, have any other publishers accepted to work with us?”

“No, it seems that not only Randolph Suchet has been threatened, most people working in the city have decided to not accept any articles from us, not even at the back of their books, or the middle, or anything at all.”

“We might just have to continue with our own press by now, it’s going to be costly, but I don’t see any other way, all of our options are running out.”

“Is there anybody you're suspecting of, Valentin?” He scratched his head.

“Yes, and I’m not sure who he’s getting that information from.”

“Anyone I know?”

“Yes, my brother, of all people.”

“Your brother.”

“Yes.”

“That’s actually quite serious, Valentin, if someone so close you has noticed that would mean—”

“Yes, I know, I know, of course I know that. Right now, it’s not even the main concern I have with him.”

“In what sense?”

“I don’t want to talk about it. But listen, don’t tell the others to worry about him, I will handle it.”

“Maybe it’s time to recruit him, Valentin.”

Valentin looked at the window and sighed deeply. “I don’t think he would be open to help.”

“Alright, I’ll tell Almodovar to give us some time. Also there is a group of women who want to publish something in the newspaper.”

“A group of women? About what?”

“I’m not sure, I think it was another report of violence from housewives, a few of them said that they wanted to report their experiences anonymously.”

“I don’t think we have time for that,” Valentin scratched his head. “If we want to get somewhere we need to get rid of this government first.”

“I thought that this could divert some of the attention we are getting in the meantime, besides, if anything we could use it for the case you were going to present to the people of Guatava.”

“My article?”

“Yes, the one about Lucrencia. I thought it could be important.”

“Lucrencia didn’t die because she had a bad husband,” Valentin looked back at the photograph of the old woman, “she died because of a piece of shit thought his life was more worthy than hers.”

The man sighed at him and turned. “Understood, I’ll take my leave by now.”

“Wait, still, tell Clara to take their testimony, at least in case we need it for later.”

Valentin took his pen and continued writing, he was working on the preface of the text.

“Dear people of Guatava, today we write to you because we need your help. Your people, just like ours, have been controlled for way too long for the Basilio Dominion. We are going to tell you what we have seen and what we had to deal with. We are people who ended at a crossroads of nations, people that even with Basilian ascendency but that have been pushed aside because they have Lucianian parents, or simply because they were born here all of their lives and are still considered second rate citizens. Let this document be proof not only for the people of today but for the future generations of what we have been dealing with since some long ago, and why now, we have to act, if we don’t do so, we will never become free men. We hope that the facts mentioned here convince you of our noble cause and inspire you to share what you know, even, perhaps even more so, to Lucianian people, who might not know how to read. If our two nations work together for the same cause, we can gain our independence.”

Valentin looked at the piece of paper, but after rereading it a little while he made it into a ball and decided to throw it away. “This won’t even do as a decent draft.” He thought. I chuckled, I was glad he had at least some self awareness, because in my opinion, he really was just a mediocre writer. He looked at the window and tried to clear his mind, but he couldn’t, he kept thinking in his father, he thought that he could get to know what he was planning, but the talk with Caruncle had turned into a complete failure, now he didn’t have to worry only for his father’s actions, but also with his brother’s delusions. It was obvious he knew something, but to him Caruncle just felt like a stopped clock.

He tried again and again, but after a while he stopped, realizing he had already thrown almost a dozen pages into the bin, “a stopped clock gives the right time at least twice a day,” he whispered. After a while, he stood up and walked downstairs the old house, he left through the backdoor and got inside a carriage. “Go to Percival’s residence, please,” he told the driver.

When he got to Percival’s residence, he was told by the housekeeper that Percival had left to the house of one of his friends, Alcairo.

Carmelita glanced nervously over her shoulder before stepping aside to let him in. "Good afternoon, sir. I'm afraid Master Percival is not at home."

“Where is that shellac? Carmelita! Come right here this instant!” A voice was heard from upstairs.

Valentin frowned slightly. "Is anyone else here?"

Before Carmelita could respond, a stern voice cut through the air. "Who is it, Carmelita?"

Valentin turned to see Percival's uncle, Archie, descending the grand staircase. His sharp eyes bore into Valentin, a mixture of suspicion and disdain evident in his gaze. Since both Percival and Valentin’s came from Basilian grandparents, they still had some extended family who lived outside the country, and they would rarely come to visit, emphasis on rarely.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Ah, Valentin. What brings you here?" Archie's tone was cold, his words clipped.

"I came to see Percival," Valentin replied evenly. "But it appears he isn’t here, my apologies for intruding."

"Indeed, he is not," Archie confirmed, his eyes flicking towards Carmelita. "And what have you been doing, Carmelita? I just said a shellac is missing, you surely did not take it, have you not?"

Carmelita flinched, her eyes dropping to the floor. "Oh, not at all! I wouldn’t be even able to play it myself, I don’t have–"

"Enough," Archie snapped. "If that thing doesn't appear by the end of the week it will have to be taken out of your pay."

“Sir, please! If I pay for it I will be short until the end of the month, I’m trying to take my sister into school and–”

“Stop, if you keep blabbering, I make sure you pay for the other records that are out of their cases.”

“Sir…”

“Please, you are making a scene in front of Valentin, we don’t want him to think bad of us, right Valentine?”

Carmelita looked towards Valentine with a pleading face. His eyes were about to show that sincere compassion he deep inside felt, but he managed to turn his expression into one of disgust just when Archie got closer to them.

“What?” He exclaimed, “I find it shameful that you would even try to look for me to help you cover up for this, we heard you all, you need money to keep your sister in school but this is not the way, please leave and get back to work.”

Carmelita rushed with tears in her eyes. Her movements were quick and fearful. Valentin felt a pang of sympathy in his heart and a cold chill down his spine.

“Valentin, my boy, how are you doing?” Archie patted Valentin on the back, he just wanted to leave right away, but he knew better. Yes, Valentin, there's more people besides me that you have to entertain.

“Uh, I am doing well, sir.”

“Are you working already?”

“Oh, I’m at university sir, still studying.”

The two went upstairs where Percival kept his phonograph in his study, Archie took one of the few records from the shelf and put it to play. On the sofa Archie’s wife was sitting on the sofa slowly waving the hand fan to herself, she barely moved outside of that, it was hard to notice her presence.

“Ah! This music! This music, indeed! What do you think, Valentin?”

“Well…”

Valentin’s eyes towards the phonograph, but his mind was somewhere else. The song, according to the cover package, was called “Xenothropides’ dance with the Nadiabukures” and it was a symphonic theme for a string orchestra. The music sounded rather low over the creaking of the vinyl plate, but it still reached Valentin’s ears, and it created a hole in his stomach. The pure verbosity of it, the mere conceit of thinking people could understand your emotions without you uttering a single word. The arrogance in the grandeur of orchestral arrangements. The violins, the cellos, the double bass, all of the instruments sounded like a mosquito buzz to him, he hated it, he hated the music that was passing through his ears.

“It sounds very… layered.”

“Oh, but most pieces like this are layered!” Archie chuckled “but I see what you mean, each set of instruments interact with each other in a rather playful way, wouldn’t you say?” Yes Valentin, say what you want to say, I know what you are, you are a fake, and an annoying one at that, so say it, say it! Say those words that are lingering right now in your mouth.

“Yes…” Valentin looked at the old woman smirking at him, at her side was the briefcase that Archie had on the sofa. It looked really stuffed, and really bulky.

A couple of hours afterwards Valentin went to Alcairo’s home, one of Percivals acquaintances. Well, Alcairo didn’t have a home on his own, he stayed in a small cottage where he paid for a room along with other people. His room had his own entrance to the outside, so that gave him a little bit of privacy.

In his room, Alcairo was half asleep in Percival's arms, who on his own end, was smoking some tobacco while he looked at the ceiling.

“You really should move out from this place,” he said.

“Yeah, if I could just pay for it,” Alcairo answered without opening his eyes.

“You know you could just move with me, too.”

“Percival…”

“I know, I know, it’s just that I don’t like this place in the neighborhood, the other day I think I saw someone begging for money on the streets.”

“Yes, but I said I would rather not risk it, please.”

“You are too paranoid.”

“Didn’t I tell you that a couple of my uncles are priests? If they ever found out, I could probably ask them to help cover for us.”

“No, if anything, that would be an even bigger reason for me to not stay at your home as a roommate.”

“That’s not what I meant, but–”

“Please, don’t, don’t ask them anything, I really don’t want to risk it.”

“I’m still on the clear, I’m pretty sure.”

“How so?”

“My parents used to be part of the town’s assembly, I go to the meetings and when the news that two women who had escaped on their own last week from Guatava were the ones staying here at the center of the town, people voted in favor to talk with the jury in their trial and send them to increase their sentence on jail since people said they were lesbians. I voted in favor too.”

“Percival… now those two–”

“Now, my one vote wouldn’t have helped anything, everyone else was in favor. They didn’t want the city’s image to deteriorate anymore than what it already has.”

“I know.”

“My parent’s money might not be enough, but you just wait.”

“Thank you, Percival.”

“One day I will either buy a house big enough to make into a boarding house, or buy this goddamned pigsty.”

“Don’t call it a pigsty, you know I–”

Suddenly someone knocked at the door.

“Good afternoon! Is anyone home?” It was Valentin.

Both of them were startled. Percival quickly stood up and looked for his clothes with the dim candle light of the room.

“You told him you would be here?” Alcairo raised his voice.

“I told Carmelita to not tell anybody that I was with you! That fucking woman!”

“Hello there?”

“Just pretend that you aren't here!”

“No, I told the driver to wait for me around the next street, he surely has seen it, and it would make him more suspicious.”

“Goddamn it, Percival, make him go away.”

“Just stay in bed, don’t say anything, I will handle this.”

Percival now properly dressed opened the door, Valentin looked at him with a weirded out expression.

“Uh, are you alright? I have been knocking for a couple of minutes.”

“Yes, sorry, you just caught me asleep.”

“Asleep? Why were you asleep at somebody else’s house?”

“Well, I was feeling rather unwell, so Alcairo offered me to rest for a while since he was leaving, I have not been careful enough with my intake of sugar, you see.”

“I rather prefer you not coming to places like this, and even more if you are feeling unwell.”

“It’s alright, I had the door locked,” Percival was fixing his hair while trying to look away from Valentin, he didn’t trust his eyes to hide his own secret.

“What were you doing here again? I just don’t understand, who would leave their guest unattended like this at such time–”

“Please, Alcairo had to leave on time or he wouldn’t get paid for the day.”

“Right, but listen, you might never know what the things a man like that does for a living.”

“Right now he works delivering the newspaper in this part of the city. Anyhow, nevermind that, what were you looking for me, if I might ask? We can talk about it on the way back,” Percival started walking down the stairs and Valentin followed, Percival thought that perhaps that way he wouldn’t need to see him face to face.

“I don’t know where to even start, I haven’t been able to sleep an inch since last night.”

“Why? Is this about Caruncle?” Percival rolled his eyes while he wasn’t looking at him, he rather stayed away from the topic while he could, I understood him deeply.

“Caruncle is one thing, but what I’m worried about the most is my father.”

“Have you learned anything new?”

“I just heard from a colleague this morning that he has been getting into smuggling, smuggling! And that’s not the worst part, it seems one of our family paintings is missing.”

“I see.”

“I was looking in the attic to see if I had any other pictures of Lucrecia, but there weren’t any. What I noticed though is that the painting is now missing, and I’m afraid he attempted to sell it.”

“Why so?”

“Well, that painting is an heirloom of our family.”

“Then I doubt he would attempt to sell it.”

“Ah, and it’s also a stolen painting.”

“...what? Valentin, I think you are losing me here, can we go step by step?”

“Of course, but right now, there is no time to lose, people have seen him at the port with some rather dubious people, and that painting can’t fall into the wrong hands.”

“Right, and you say you heard this from your coworker?” Percival raised his eyebrows and directed his face at him from time to time, now that he felt more relaxed he felt more confident looking occasionally at him.

“Yes, that’s what worries me most, I have been so busy with… things, lately, and until this week I hadn’t even paid attention to him.”

“Okay, first of all, why would your father get into smuggling?”

“Business has not been going well, and now, I think I should confront him sooner rather than later.”

“And you want me to go to his office with you, right now?”

“Well, see, the thing is that he is away for work, he said he had a business trip, and he won’t return at least until Friday.”

“Alright, so we will have to talk to him in two days.”

“Actually, we need to look at his records first.”

“I don’t know if I like where you are going with this, Valentin.”

“Your father and my father’s assistant were very good friends, right? If you talk to him, and you convince him or distract him, I could probably check his accountancy books and verify what he has been doing. He is very secretive about his finances with us and I just need something to really confront him when he comes back.”

Percival sighed, he looked at the red hue in the horizon and felt that the night that awaited him was going to be a long one.