Tarry Bennett
Tarry managed to convince his counsel to add Eli as a staffer. They questioned him and his motives and while he understood their concerns Tarry told them that he needed someone in his camp with Eli's background. They knew who Eli was of course, which is largely what drove their apprehension, but they did acquiesce to allow him to come on board. Tarry suspected that they only allowed it because they knew they were on the verge of entering troubled times. And troubled times called for more drastic measures.
Eli was now on his payroll and while he wasn’t visibly attending any meetings he was officially conducting business in the lower boroughs on behalf of Tarry. This included gathering current feelings from citizens and collecting information that could support him and hopefully turn the tide. Eli had done this before. He had done it quite well in fact. And after being elected to Mayor of Occaigh he ensured that the lower boroughs had received the improvements to infrastructure and businesses that they needed.
After the report that the Grandmasters had presented to him Tarry suspected the Guilds were colluding in this. He didn’t fully believe the report and he intended to call them out on it. He was suspicious of all their motives, including Alzira’s.
Eli had promised to help him here as well but reminded Tarry that he had a promise to keep. He couldn’t risk Olly’s position at the Academy, Tarry fully agreed, but he did have an entire city, nay, world to serve. However, to help mitigate this Eli suggested to him that there was a chance that having Olly at the Academy would be a valuable connection to maintain.
He left that suggestion and its outcomes in Eli’s hands but genuinely promised to do whatever he could to protect him. He just hoped that being Olly’s sponsor wouldn’t put a target on the young man’s back.
Today, Tarry had to address the world regarding the findings. It was an outdoor, televised event and he picked the Central Tunnel Station as his backdrop. It was risky and his counsel hated the idea; the crowd was already at risk of becoming unruly due to the numerous protests that had taken place at this location. But there had been a collapse on his home soil and therefore he wanted to make a point.
He took the stage self-consciously. It was a cool day and he wrapped his jacket around himself, shivering slightly as a breeze whipped around. He stood outside city hall and there was a crowd of several hundred people before him. Television crews trained their cameras on him. It was eerily quiet.
“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen of Occaigh. I stand before you with a grave purpose that brings me no joy. The inquest committee, consisting of the four Grandmasters of the Cartographers', Conductors', Labourers', and Controllers' Guilds, made a determination regarding the tunnel collapse six months ago. They have indicated to me that the cause was due to currently unknown environmental factors and they have consequently asked me to provide my support of these findings.”
Boos sounded from the crowd.
He took a deep breath. “However, these findings are deeply unsatisfactory to me. Simply put, I have no intentions of providing any support to their report,” Tarry said decisively.
The crowd had stopped jeering and fell silent.
“The Grandmasters have not provided a fulsome report of the collapse. Their rationale is weak and their suggestions are suspect to the dismantling of the freedoms that we enjoy. I intend to hold them to a more comprehensive report back.”
Scattered applause echoed around him now and a few cheers sounded from the crowd.
“The latest collapse took place in our backyard and three citizens lost their lives. I feel your pain. I bleed with you,” he said throatily, “And if you’ll let me I will not falter in my duty until justice is served.”
At last, the cheers returned to the crowd in full. Tarry basked in it, feeling the warmth of the populace return to him.
However, he knew that there would be a lot more to be said behind closed doors. He hoped he would find enough strength in the will of the crowd to carry him through those conversations.
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He convened a meeting with the Grandmasters later that day. As he suspected, they were furious. Alzira looked at him contemptfully. Abigail and Oleg wore twin looks of fury. Franklin was fuming silently.
“I will remind you Mayor that we offered a solution that was intended to improve the relationship between the public and the Guilds,” Franklin said dangerously, “What you have done is akin to a declaration of war between our camps.”
“You offered me nothing but a way for you all to escape any accountability, solely at the jeopardy of my role,” he shot back, “Furthermore, this would be a gross misuse of my position to assure the public of the perception of safety when there is none.”
“Mayor, I think you’ll find that the Guilds add a considerable element of safety to the tunnels,” Alzira suggested in a low voice, “The continued absence of the controls that we’ve proposed does nothing to help the public.”
“The controls you’ve proposed would be in place to control the public not protect them!” Tarry responded heatedly.
“The public perception of safety in having additional Controllers in place would be the perfect cover for our own enhanced safety protocols. It was a perfect method to avoid public panic at the sight of active tunnel monitoring while they were in use,” Abigail said coolly, “We know it’s a theatre but if you raise suspicions about the safety of the tunnels our very economy would be at risk.”
Tarry seethed. “Don’t speak to me of the economy. I know what’s at risk here. The fact is that the public wouldn’t accept your proposal nor do I intend to let you use me as your mouthpiece. I am not elected to serve you, I am elected to serve them! They deserve not only to feel safe but be safe. Tell me, have you found any other tunnels that appear to be on the verge of collapse? You identified a mysterious element and a means to identify it, so if you’re withholding information regarding the safety of any other tunnels I should like to know about it.”
“There’s no other tunnels we’ve identified as being at risk,” Franklin said stonily.
“So was it a coincidence that a tunnel I was supposed to walk through collapsed?” Tarry thought darkly to himself.
He didn’t dare ask it out loud. Instead, he turned to Oleg. “Grandmaster, you’ve been uncharacteristically quiet of late. You’ve always been pro-safety and as someone who faced the greatest losses from the collapses, I would expect more honesty from you. Normally I count on you to speak your mind, occluding is unbecoming of you.”
Oleg looked rather uncomfortable and turned a dark shade of puce.
“That’s out of order Mayor. As Grandmasters, we’ve come together in this time of tragedy to improve our relationships. How dare you try and undermine our collaboration!” Abigail bit back, not waiting for Oleg’s response.
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Tarry decided to let that simmer with them.
“So how do we move forward? I’m not letting you put me into an unwinnable position and no doubt you will further your agenda with or without my agreement,” Tarry suggested.
They looked collectively venomous.
“You’ve barely stopped short of accusing us of negligence and we do not appreciate the public inference. We do not wish to remain under poor public perception. Do you understand that tunnel traffic has suffered since the first collapse and only decreased since the latest one? What do we stand to gain from a reduction of use in the systems that financially drive our Guilds?” Abigail asked coldly.
“I’m not sure but I would certainly like to know the answer to that,” Tarry suggested, “And need I remind you that you’ve scarcely done anything to improve your public perception. I can only do so much and when I start seeing evidence that you’re only using a tragedy to improve your power in the world I have to intervene.”
“I think this has been a highly unproductive, inflammatory, and accusatory meeting,” Franklin sniped, getting to his feet, “I’m adjourning until you’re willing to meet us like adults.”
The other three followed suit but Tarry and his counsel remained seated. The Grandmasters didn’t leave immediately.
“So what do you intend to do with the tunnels in the meantime?” Tarry asked, holding his hands out open in front of him.
“We will implement our proposed safety measures of monitoring the tunnels for the previously unknown element. We will hold back from implementing tunnel access control at this time, but I promise you Mayor Tarry that if our people experience any abuse or untoward behaviour from the general public we will immediately implement equal and comparative processes,” Alzira said warningly.
Tarry raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t expected her to become combative but she did have the most individuals on the ground and interacting with the general public. The Controllers determined the level of sensitivity and clearance needed for each tunnel. They also monitored all tunnels and notified the Labourers' Guild when repairs were needed. They were the de facto security of the tunnels already. They could close and reopen tunnels as needed.
He knew all this and the reminder seemed to confirm a suspicion that had already been forming in his mind.
He hid his suspicions and gave them a polite dip of his head.
“Until next time Grandmasters.”
They said nothing in response and filed out.
“Well done sir,” his seniormost counsel said, “They need to know that they’re being watched. They’ve been permitted to act without oversight for too long.”
“It’s a risk, we’ll see if it puts them back in line,” Tarry said carefully, steepling his hands in front of him.
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Eli Briggs
“I’ve heard back from my source. They’ll be in contact to set up a meeting. I do want you to know that you take this step at your own risk. There’s no promise of your safety,” Eli warned Alzira.
She sat in his office once more. Shortly after Tarry's public address, he received a message via a proxy that Constantine was willing to grant an audience to Alzira.
“I do. However, I must say that I am disappointed by the Mayor's recent decision. He doesn’t realize how difficult he just made life for himself. I can’t be seen as helping him, though if he had just followed my advice he would have bought himself time for me to work on the other Grandmasters. Now they’re openly working to undermine him.” No longer did she wear her usual coy smile.
“Trust is in short supply these days. And before you ask, I didn’t sway him in any direction. But speaking of trust, could you let me in on a secret? Was the recent tunnel collapse anything but a coincidence? I’m suspicious of your motives for telling him about his life being targeted.”
She faltered just enough for him to know the answer. “It was an educated guess.”
“It was an attempt to bring him to heel,” Eli corrected her.
“Believe whatever you like. I personally have no reason for the Mayor to come to harm, I can’t say the same for other people,” she said haughtily.
“I will also remind you that you made a promise to protect my nephew and the Mayor if I agreed to help you,” Eli said, lighting up a cigarette.
“I did, yes. And I can promise Olly’s safety. My span of control over the Mayor’s safety reduces by the day but I will do what I can.”
“Fine. I suppose that’s all I can ask,” he said with a shrug. In truth, he was slightly less worried about Tarry’s security as he had already ensured that it was being ramped up accordingly. He didn’t trust the safety of the Mayor in the Grandmasters’ hands right now, but Olly was a student of the Academy and they were very protective of their own, even if that student had dubious connections.
Or rather, especially if that student had dubious connections. He still didn’t love Olly being under Abigail’s wing but he did know she was smart enough to understand when she had a coveted connection. He just hoped she was dumb enough to not know how to leverage it properly.
Their conversation was short and Alzira did thank him for securing her audience before she left.
Several days after he met with Alzira he received another message via a proxy for Constantine.
“I gave her the audience you requested. I’m feeling generous and will grant your other request. I’ll be in contact regarding timing but it will be short notice,” was the message relayed by the man who had entered Hijinks one night. He left shortly after that.
That meant that the conversation must’ve been successful. He lit a cigarette and brought it thoughtfully to his mouth. He knew he should feel glad but he always maintained a high level of caution around her. It could be a trap, Constantine hated him after all, but it could also be the real thing.
And he would risk just about anything for that.
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Eli met Tarry in his office later that week.
“How did it go with the Grandmasters?” he asked carefully.
“About as well as expected. I think they’ve made their motives clear,” Tarry said, tossing a pen onto his desk absentmindedly, “And confirmed that I have no allies amongst them.”
“I daresay you don’t,” Eli agreed.
“Any news from the lower boroughs?” Tarry asked, leaning back and folding his hands across his stomach, fixing his gaze on the ceiling.
“Some. Generally speaking, there’s been a positive response regarding your address, however, they largely conflate you and the Grandmasters. To them, you’re all fat cats,” Eli shrugged unapologetically.
“What do you suggest that I do?” Tarry leveled his gaze back on Eli.
“You’ll need to put some effort and it’s advantageous to do so given that we’re well before your next election cycle. It’ll appear more genuine. Bursary programs, targeted business incentives, and the like.”
"Fine, yes. All good suggestions," Tarry nodded, taking notes.
“There’s one more thing,” Eli slowly said.
“Which is?” Tarry asked curiously.
“You could do an educational reform and use Olly as your poster child. Right now, he’s a total outlier. A random kid from the sixteenth getting into the Academy with your sponsorship looks strange. I know we always knew how it looked optically and I thank you for trusting me. But I also think you have an excellent opportunity to uplift the education system in the lower boroughs. There’s no promise any kid can just get into the Academy but a better education would promote the lower boroughs, lift the people within them, and win you considerable public support.”
“Would they even want that?” Tarry questioned, “I thought most kids only stayed in school as long as it took for them to be able to work. And Olly was different. He had you.”
“You want my honest opinion, here it is. You are equally guilty of looking down on the underprivileged and believing it all to be a choice. The same as the Grandmasters. The same as everyone in the first borough,” Eli said firmly.
He watched as Tarry bristled, but then seemed to relieve tension with a sigh.
“Is this really where you’d suggest that I start or is there another motive?” he asked tiredly.
“No other motives. A more educated population is only a good thing for the city.”
“Fine. I’ll think about it and see what kind of budgets I can put together,” Tarry agreed.
“Thank you,” Eli said gratefully.