Beautiful World is a stand-out take on modern society's image culture told through a dystopian setting.
In a broken future, ink-like stains have appeared on people's skin splitting the world in two. Now the beautiful people all wear masks and live i...
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By the time that Anna-Seka and Hartley reached the staging post, she had made her report, and he had told her about the capture of the two stainers.
She assured her mentor that the area she had scouted was diseased, barren and without value or profit.
'So you wasted your time?' said Hartley glancing at her as they walked together.
Anna-Seka took a deep breath and nodded. 'There was nothing.'
'Nothing?'
'Nothing worth the concern of Rebuild,' she replied, hating herself for the deception, but hoping that Hartley would not sense it. 'It was a wasteland. I doubt if even the SSS would consider such a place to be any more than a blank area on one of their maps.'
Again Hartley glanced at her. 'But you saw the Glass Tunnel?'
Anna looked surprised. 'How did you know that I saw the Glass Tunnel?'
He smiled. 'It lies in the heart of the quadrant you were sent to. You cannot have missed it.'
Taken aback, Anna nodded. 'I did see the Tunnel, my lord. In fact I entered it, and traversed its length.' She paused. 'There was machinery there, I admit, but it was smashed beyond repair. Wild folk, I guess.'
They walked on for a while.
'If you have traversed the Glass Tunnel on your own,' said Hartley at last, 'you are worthy of a promotion, or at least a mention in my report to the chancellor.'
Anna struggled with how she was now feeling. It had been difficult enough to lie to her mentor about the area that Bepsi-Loca and his stain-folk lived in, but the more the conversation went on, the more she began to feel that Hartley had doubts about her story anyway. She decided however to defend her deception to the last even if, as seemed likely, Nike and Leviss had been captured by Hartley's patrol, and might well have already confessed their friendship with Anna. The interrogation methods of the Security Services, and their deadly efficiency were well known to most citizens of Upper Town, even if such methods were not openly spoken of.
'Are you familiar with the Glass Tunnel yourself, my lord?' Anna asked, trying to sound casual.
Hartley chuckled. 'Well, yes, as it happens, I am. But it is some time since I have been that way. The machines you mention were intact when I scouted that area, but I accept that they could well have been destroyed by now.'
'You accept, my lord? You doubt my report?'
The staging post was just up ahead. Hartley stopped, and put his hand on Anna's shoulder. 'Why should I doubt your report, Anna-Seka? You are my pupil. You are one of my best pupils. I sent you on this mission because I trust you.'
Anna reddened. 'I am sorry my lord. I did not mean . . .'
'Hah!' The scout-lord gave a short laugh. 'Think nothing of it. You are right to insist on the truth of your report. After all, haven't I just said that I trust you?'
