Human stars. Serib winced as she inhaled the heavily perfumed club. One musician on quite an enormous instrument, sat with their fingers making slowly a song of chords, kept glued together the discordant parts of the club; the notes reminding them of their dark belong. These dark sorts made their deals and dealt their agreements (or disagreements) under bright candles and dimmer bulbs. Shadowy guards hung as bats or spiders from almost invisible ceilings. The elevated heads of shadowy organisations each had their corners, which themselves were packed with family members and followers. One level upstairs was intended solely for children to tumble safely around.
∞
Shay kept Serib close as in this huge space, the girls’ previous confidence was appearing now somewhat jaded. Woid was wherever Serib looked, making good a mingle or two, giving a laugh to jokes she could not hear. Shay halted for a moment, as though distracted.
“Are you alright?” Serib tugged at her cloak, despite herself feeling wary, unable to see what Shay was looking at upstairs.
“My dose from last night is wearing off.” She gave Serib a reassuring touch on the shoulder, pulling her then along.
∞
The girl’s shamanic eyes were a visible lightning in the club’s darkness, drawing some attention. She looked somewhere else, to where giants sat crowding a struggling table. Woid was overseeing a well-lit card game, leaning on a grandclock-cabinet while looking very pleased with himself. He would not budge for anything, it seemed. Just as someone was about to swing their fist at him for some trick that he’d pulled, Shay was crouched beside Serib and said:
“Listen…”
∞
“…Woid is right. No cleverness here like what you’re throwing at him; we need The Dam’e on side. I want to find out what’s wrong with the clocks, to clear my name about those seeds that I know I stole, and… I need to get you home, eh? Your master will be worried.”
Serib looked very cross about this:
“What about Lay’d Payn? She sent me to come and get you.”
Having made their way through the main bulk of official crooks and assassins, there were cordoned-off sections and heavy cyclops-guards making patrols between the waiting staff with trays of food and drinks. Beyond them was a desk, Serib could see - but more interestingly for her beyond that were not walls but windows looking out across a horizon that was a metropolis, far more modern than the older-fashioned edge of Township Imirka Shay lived in. The horizons from this height were starry with human-made glimmers. Conquered stars used as fuel. Where sunrise and sunset meant less.
∞
Woid had set his reclined posture up against a tall pillar by the desk ahead, somehow completely unharmed and unarmed. He was staring at his hand. One of his fingers was still invisible. Once she was closer, Serib saw it was no pillar Woid leaned against, but a taller grandclock. The desk beside was an old tree carved into suitable shape without losing the distinct curves and heritage. Dam’e Dominae was sat in her black robes that draped with her similar hair straight and down, peering unamused through her thin round spectacles at two well-dressed souls who had arrived earlier than our trio.
∞
“And take your cyclops guards with you.” The Dam’e banished them. “Greed knows he is getting ahead of himself; the instructions could have been no clearer.” She then had a few slight coughs and took a sip of something strong.
Serib took her place with Shay, waiting their audience and turn. These two aged souls The Dam’e was trying to get rid of were exquisitely dressed, the fabrics striped simply yet stylishly, and from their breast-pockets bloomed a tuft of glowing, ornate moss, where many would wear a flower. Serib noted the cyclops guards near had an emblem on their armour, a flag of ringed fingers overflowing with more jewellery than the fingers could ever wear. Shay had a few whispers for Serib, if she paid attention:
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“The Dorn Twins, Vinoillo and Vilifrado. They used to run things when Need was in charge. They had a younger lad under their wing, then: Greed. No one knows his real name now. Taking what once was Need’s.”
“The name’s the clue, you understand, Dam’e.” Vinoillo had a wisely gruff and quiet voice. His jaw appeared too big for the rest of his face, from the angle Serib had.
∞
“Even War himself knows when to take a rest.” The Dam’e rebuked. “Greed has to learn the same, Duality as it is.”
Vilifrado spoke up, adjusting his spectacles:
“My projections have done more than enough to refute that theory. With respect.”
“With respect.” Vinoillo echoed. “I know Greed has introduced that eyesore of an arena, recently.” He jabbed a finger towards the skyline, and there was to Serib nothing discernible from the sparkling towering rest.
Woid added:
“Been too long bringing the death matches back. Games and races can only pump the heart so much. With Need gone, excitement is scarce. A life is all you have left.”
“Woid, I didn’t see you there.” Vinoillo stuck out his chin and clapped his big hands together, and the sound of his rough palms rubbing made everyone tense.
“That’s the idea.” Woid replied and Serib tried not to laugh. This unfortunately drew attention to herself.
∞
Woid and Vinoillo eyed one another for some while until Vilifrado nudged his twin and approached with one step the desk of Dam’e Dominiae. The moss in his breast pocket glowed as he spoke with an ancient charm:
“We could take the girl instead of the club? The murder has… changed things. I wasn’t aware that you were aware of her.”
Vilifrado did more than nudge his twin now, both of them leaning into harsh whispers with each other.
“I’ve taken the job; girl’s under my shadow.” The Dam’e adjusted her spectacles, held them up to a near light and decided they could do with a clean.
“You’ll keep her from Courtdom’s eyes? Not while cutting off Greed. Please, be reasonable.”
“Did I get to where I am by being reasonable, my Dorns?”
A darkness began setting across the cities outside of her window, so The Dam’e clicked her fingers and from them a small flame was bright, and she lit candles of varied heights across her desk. Serib nearly jumped on Shay with excitement, managing to whisper:
“She’s a shaman?”
“Once.” Shay replied. “Now she’s The Dam’e. The Lord of Light and Shadow, of Secrets and Lies. Whoever she was is no longer, having taken up The Invisible Crown.”
“I’ll tell you more later.” Shay assured, though from experience I think she’ll be too busy. The crown is a tale for another rhyme.
From this angle of the townships-Imirka, Shay and Serib both saw vast armies of cloud-wide formations in the skies beyond the desk of The Dam’e, riding victorious through arches of oaken-stone blocking out the setting sun: a stream endless of dark metal, making somehow navigable the coldest air. War they saw, knowing when to rest. Returning home.
∞
Dorn Vinoillo and Vilifrado looked at one another. Their cyclops guards made ready to leave.
“Dam’e.” the twins bowed.
Vilifrado, the cooler and more forgiving of the two, almost bumped apologetically into Shay. As they left surrounded by their one-eyed military, all the official crooks, thieves and murderers kept their distance from the passing infamy. Frightened not at all by the cyclops guards but having been in the same room as The Dorns and survived, would lose them much sleep.
∞
The Dam’e waved her hand and invisible guards pulled shut gigantic curtains, keeping her desk and office hidden from the rest of The Club. The music was fainter then, and clinking glasses altogether hushed.
“What exhausting performances.” She stated. “Well, Shay, you look fine to me. Killed four of my best again just to get in. What happened with the seeds?”
"Best?" Woid mouthed to Serib, making her laugh.
Shay however, had been dreading this.
“I’ll answer honestly, Dam’e.”
“As you should.”
“I stole them, and during the getaway they were gone from my pocket.”
Woid shook his head, as Shay continued explaining:
“After that I noticed there were - and still are - no faces on the clock towers.”
The Dam’e’s chair now spun to face the human stars beyond her glass:
“The clocks I am aware of.” She pointed out of the window in passing; at what exactly, Serib again had no idea. “The Dorns seem to know more about it; all tied to that murder up in High Courtdom.”
She turned her chair back to her desk, and peered over it at small Serib:
“What do you know about that, hmm, little runaway? It’s your likeness I’ve been given by the authorities… to keep an eye out for. Get her some nicer clothes, will you?”
One of the invisible guards snaked off. Serib had refused Shay’s offer, but she didn’t feel she had the authority to do so now.