Nadia sat inside a plush seating room with Dai. It was…more opulent than she expected from a place in the Outer Reaches. The room had no windows, and had a single door that was padded with so much softness along with the rest of the room, the only way a baby would get hurt is if he smacked his head on the table. It was so strange having such a richly-themed room that looked like a tiny, padded version of a rich man’s study right in the middle of such a poverty-ridden location.
The Old Hag’s House was anything but old or a hag’s, unless, of course, one looked at the exterior of the building, which was just as dirty, unkempt, and neglected as the rest of the buildings in the Outer Reaches. Who knew that at the tenth floor, riding up on a rickety jade-powered lift with grilled doors that creaked and squealed, lies such an opulent place.
And one where only those with invitations could come in.
Nadia had not grown up in the Outer Reaches but she did spend some time in it. To think that there were hidden gems like this made her uncomfortable. What kind of people met in such a lavish, strictly guarded location in the ugly side of the city?
“Act relaxed,” Dai said to her side. “Or at least, unclench your jaws. We still have protection.”
Nadia looked at the old man sipping on a beer he ordered, looking as if he had done this a thousand times. She took a deep breath trying to emulate him. Besides, he was right. They were well protected. “How do you do it? You look so…calm about everything.”
“Child, I’ve learned that in every decision I make, I just roll with whatever comes. That way, I won’t be stuck in a half-assed job of doing things.”
Nadia nodded at the wisdom of it, pulling at her gloves. Her jadetech-less gloves. The security of the place would not let them in if she didn’t surrender them. She argued that they weren’t weapons, just a technological toolbox she needed as a jadegeneer, but they would have none of it. Even Dai’s cane was left with the guards. In the end, all they had was their clothes, but knowing Dai, he had another weapon tucked somewhere in his gentleman’s clothing.
At least, she hoped he did.
She almost jumped as the door opened, barely managing to stay still and calm. In came Shadow, and as his namesake, he wore everything black, including the cloth mask that covered his face and head, the goggles over his eyes and the varying jadetech and weapons around his arms, and those strapped on a belt across his chest. With or without the mask, Nadia could feel the mystery surrounding him. Without the mask, his heritage was a mix of nations, and his eyes held a depth that even Dai admitted was too deep for him to read.
Shadow closed the door behind him and sat opposite them across the table. “I would offer you drinks, but it seems that you’ve ordered, and you’re too stiff for one. Now,” he leaned back, “my contact told you about my consultation fee?”
Dai reached in to take the money from his coat but Nadia touched his arm. “Why are you so well-armed while we have to surrender everything? You own this place?”
Shadow laughed. “No. This is too gaudy for me. I’m one of the clientele privy to this location. If anything should happen to the owner, it’s my job to make sure he’ll be safe. In exchange, we get to use the facilities he offers. Now, the payment?”
Nadia removed her hand as Dai put the payment on the table. Shadow took it, and counted. Satisfied, he put it under his coat.
“Now, what can I do for you?”
“We want you to help us,” Nadia said. “You said something that we think can work. We’re all new to creating chaos and we need your help to pull this off.”
“To do exactly what?”
“Distabilize the Magnate Families.”
Shadow laughed out loud. “Are you,” he said as his fit of laughter started to die down, “serious?”
Nadia felt a stab of offense. “Yes!” He had no right to laugh at their efforts. They wanted to change Taisao and help everyone live more peaceful and equitable lives. Both she and Dai tried to without resorting to revolution, only to be used by the Families and left for dead.
Of course they were pretty damned serious!
“Okay,” he cleared his throat. “Okay, just let me…” he paused taking a deep breath. For a moment, he didn’t move, he didn’t speak, surprising Nadia with the next words that came out of his mouth. “Sorry. Of course, you are serious. But that what this consultation is for. Though I have to admit, I was thinking this was a consultation about destroying the Games for the Families. And no, I won’t charge you extra.”
He said the last part a little too strongly that Nadia thought he argued with an invisible, silent opponent. Or maybe he had a communicator on his ear? But no. She could see no wires running to the floor or wherever it could be connected.
“Now, before anything, what exactly do you want to accomplish?”
“As I said, I want the Magnate Families gone,” Nadia said unable to keep the annoyance in her voice.
“Yes, but that’s not the accomplish---wait, no. Let me make it clearer. What is your end goal? You remove the Magnate Families, then…?”
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Nadia was surprised he sounded rational. Calm. “Replace them with a new government.”
“What kind? And for what reason?”
Nadia was taken aback by the deep questioning that she looked to Dai. Between the two of them, Dai had the bigger picture, he had more answers and as a former university lecturer, he was more learned than she was.
The old man shifted in his seat and stood straighter. “We would like to change it with a system where people can vote. Where their voices can be heard. It has always been talked about in circles all around Miralai, but never implemented. Just think about it. The people decide exactly what happens to them! Now no one can be oppressed.”
“You want millions of people in Taisao to vote on every single thing?”
“No,” Dai said with a smile and Nadia could sense that he was beginning to enjoy this little trip meeting with a criminal. “We divide Taisao into districts and the people vote for someone to represent them. Then, they decide what to do.”
“So you think that’s better?”
“Of course! Voices are represented. The people get to put someone they trust into leadership. Someone who would protect their interests. And these representatives, to avoid confusion, vote on one who will lead all representatives.”
“Look, democracy sounds really nice on paper, but it’s just as horrible as any other form of government.”
“Demo…cracy?” Dai blinked.
Nadia looked from the old man to the thief. Perhaps, Shadow was more learned than any of them gave him credit for.
“Just a random word play. You know, demonstration and crazy? I mean it’s a crazy new idea,” Shadow said a little too hastily and leaned forward. “Anyway, what I mean is, voting does not ensure that your interest will be protected. Let’s be real. Who are the ones who will be voted into office? Someone charismatic. Someone with money to get people to vote for him by giving them free stuff. Someone who can make a thousand promises that he wouldn’t fulfill. Someone who will be supported by the rich with their wealth so they can go around and make the people vote for them. And the slim chance of someone who just really wants to make things better for everyone.
“See, people will vote for who they think promised them the best. Most people cannot be bothered and will have no means to vet the people who want to be elected. Or maybe some do, but people change with power. Power corrupts even the most well-intended, and when you fight over votes, it changes you. The honest become cunning, and those who stay true and honest and humble get stepped over.”
Shadow leaned back. “I am not saying that de—that voting is a bad idea. It’s a good way to know the sentiment of the people, but it’s not really about the kind of government. It’s about the kind of people you have in power. You vote in the wrong people and the little people still suffer. You have a righteous non-voted ruler and things are pretty good.
“Think of it this way. You know of good businesses that are rich and have contented workers? Like the airship industry. Everyone is well-compensated and taken care of and the business thrives and grows because well-taken care of people take care of the business. None of those airship businesses are voting their leaders, but their leaders have the interest of the company at heart. Now just think how any business would do with a dem—a voting system.”
Nadia chewed on everything Shadow said and his thoughts blew her mind. Laborers would demand higher wages that could drive prices higher to the point no one could afford them. They would demand company budgets that would strain the coffers. And it wasn't a farfetched idea for people to demand longer breaks, fewer work hours and days...their own schedule that would disrupt the entire company! Or if their interests weren't represented by their leaders...Voting was a bad idea there.
She glanced at Dai and saw him ponder on the things that Shadow said. She agreed with his line of thought, but it felt like it wasn’t enough.
“True…” Dai mused, “but trust has been lost and we have to get it back.”
Shadow shook his head. “You know what, I shouldn’t have gotten into this conversation. You’ll figure it out when you get there. That’s not my problem. Now, just to be clear, I take one job at a time. This whole revolution thing is not for me. Tell me what job you want to do. One at a time. We’ll work on that.”
And just like that, Shadow was as curt as Nadia first got to know him. Now, Nadia wasn’t good with people, or maybe because she wasn’t good with people, that she thought he had been two different people in one sitting.
But that was not a puzzle she was willing to solve. Humans were far too complex, unlike machines.
“Well, of course we have to disrupt the games,” Nadia said. It was the most pressing concern they had, after all. “Free the players. Make sure they have enough money to live off of. Maybe enough for those who want to leave to leave, and like you said, bring more people to our cause.”
“Steal the players. Steal the enjoyment and the confidence of the Families. Steal the money for the players. Possibly hijack an airship,” Shadow tapped his chin. “That I can work with. It’s complicated, risky, and I need a team.” Shadow wrote on a paper and slid the paper over to them.
Nadia looked at the writing and her eyes bulged at the amount he demanded. “Are you insane? Maybe you can use one of us instead of your associates for your team.”
Shadow chuckled. “You have a professional criminal in your ranks?”
Nadia and Dai looked at one another. The amount was too much to ask from Steele and he was already doing some covering of his expenses through circuitous means just so his spending won’t be questioned. They had to bring down this cost, but it would also expose an ace they had.
One thing that Cross constantly assured them was that Shadow was a professional and that jobs and secrets go down with him like every other professional criminal. That was how they remained at the top, and there was only a handful of them. Whole careers in their line of work was destroyed with the utterance of a single hint, which was why there were too few of them at the top. Mandu told them same thing, but it did little to comfort her.
That he would keep their secret didn’t mean he would sell them out when he had the chance. Or that he was already hired by the Magnate Families to root them out and wipe them out.
“How do we know that you’re not hired by the Families already against us?”
Shadow sighed. “Look. Take it or leave it. Business is business. I have other clients waiting, and if one of them is an order to root you out. Then I have information on what I need to do for the job.”
“If we pay you, you will not sell us out?” Nadia’s palms were becoming slick with sweat through her gloves.
“Doing investigative work is not our thing. Once we go into that, it endangers our careers. One thing we can never ply our trade on is information. Kill, steal, sabotage? Sure. People don’t know us coming and going or who sent us. Information? That leaves all kinds of footprints. Now you see why I can’t sell you out. Might as well kill myself for destroying my reputation.”
Nadia took a deep breath and looked at Dai once more. The old man nodded and she turned back to Shadow. “We do have a professional criminal who can help. We don’t know who he used to be, but he was a pretty big name before he went on the straight path.”
“Bring him, then we’ll talk.”
Shadow stood up, but before he can take another step, Nadia stopped him. “He’s here.”