Order of Magnitude

XXXVII: To the Victor

      The feast that Jacques had promised was as delicious as advertised. So was the one they had the next day. And the day after that as well. SubTerra had so much to celebrate, they couldn't help themselves. It was the first time in a long time that they didn't feel the weight of oppression on their shoulders. As safe as their underground village truly was, it was hard to forget that they had been forced from the surface. So it felt good to exact a little revenge.

      The day four feast was just as delicious as the other three days, but there was a bit of restlessness in the air. They were happy with how far they'd come, but the community was ready for more. Taking down Antony was only the first step. Jacques understood the feelings of his group; understood it so well that he was ready to announce the next phase of his plan. After all, his mission wasn't done yet, and as long as parvs were considered inferior to the giants he would not rest.

      "Good food, yes?" Jacques called out to his faithful subjects with a mouthful of mantis. "It feels nice to eat like kings, doesn't it?" The crowd cheered. "As long as I live I plan on having every meal be this succulent. We shall always feast with me in charge." Another cheer. "But with these feasts, there are certain duties that go along with them." The parvs watched in anticipation, eagerly awaiting the news they had been hoping for. "Tomorrow, we strike again!"

      The roar was deafening. First applause, then shouts of jubilation. When it all settled down, Hagen stood up on the table. "Who are we attacking now, master?"

      Jacques eyed him with disgust, still upset that he let Turner go. "I'll tell you all who we're attacking next. Franklin Peters."

      The parvs looked at each other confused. "Is he a high-ranking government official?" Hagen asked. "Or some sort of national celebrity?"

      "No. He is an accountant. One of these tunnels leads right to his living room. Mason escaped from there last year."

      "Is this revenge?"

      "You have a lot of questions, don't you?" Jacques asked fiercely. Hagen slunk back down in his seat. "This attack isn't high-profile, and isn't fueled by vengeance. He's just a regular guy."

      "Then why are we doing it?" Asa asked.

      "Because that's how we sow fear. The general public is watching the news, angry that we attacked, but feeling relatively sure that they are safe. We have to break them from that feeling. Only then will we start to get what we want."

      The crowd applauded again. Jacques smiled broadly and waved to his subjects before excusing himself from the feast. He said what they needed to hear; now it was time for him to plan his attack.

      "So, you're leaving again, huh?" Meghan whispered from behind him. "We were just starting to have fun."

      Jacques turned and patted his woman on her ample backside. "I guess we'll have to squeeze three days worth of fun into tonight, then."

      They walked away, leaving the throng of parvs to their meal. Meanwhile, Edison grabbed a sullen handful of food, feeling like the last sane member of the whole community. If only Turner were still here, he thought. Or Chandra. Or Scarlet. Or Miller. Or even the old Jacques. Things are getting awfully lonely here.

      He pulled open a piece of the claw in front of him, and sliced his hand. Blood started dripping all over the table and ground. Edison backed away in fear.

      "Hey, you okay?" Asa asked.

      Wide-eyed, Edison shook his head and ran from the group and towards his own quiet corner. Asa looked at the blood spreading on the soil below her feet and wondered what had gotten the silent parv so upset. Meanwhile, the others continued eating, never knowing the complete danger that Edison had just put them in.