Democracy is Dead

Chapter Twenty Two

Despite the icy bite of the evening air, the streets of New London were bustling with shoppers still piling into stores for the last of the winter sales. Dyo normally took the tube to the theatre, but he'd met Athena in Downing Street and she'd been strongly adverse to any suggestion of the Underground. "I'm boycotting it," she told him with perfect sincerity. "I refuse to pay for something which runs so far behind schedule. Walking gets me where I want to go on time and for free."

"But it's cold!" Dyo complained, jokingly pulling his coat around himself more tightly and shivering. "I can't feel my fingers any more."

"Maybe I'm squeezing them too tightly?" Athena suggested, letting go of his hand.

"Definitely not," he told her, recapturing it in his again. "Your hand is the only thing preventing me from frostbite. I am absolutely not letting it go!"

She giggled and let him pull her along the street, weaving in and out of the shoppers.

The meeting was just beginning when they arrived at the doors to the theatre. Athena would have entered quietly and slunk round to the back without attracting attention, or a glare from Bree. But Dyo had other ideas, noisily announcing their presence with a loud call of "Evening, all," and marching them straight to the front of the space.

Athena could feel the hot blush that was burning across her cheeks. She tried to tug her hand from Dyo's so that that at least wouldn't stand out so much, but Dyo was having none of it and refused to let go. "Sorry we're a little late," he continued, either oblivious to her discomfort or enjoying it. "Athena has an aversion to public transport."

"Right. Getting back on topic..." Bree said as she rolled her eyes. She didn't look surprised, suggesting that this was typical Dyo behaviour.

"As expected, the budget renewal has been announced and the Freedom Institute are already taking a hard line. Employees from their Public Relations department spoke at fifteen NLUP campaign meetings alone this week and there will have been more of them speaking around the capital and country."

"Jason Leighton is expected to give a speech this weekend, extolling the virtues of a strong public security force..." Percy said, nudging his glasses further up his nose.

"Where did you here that, Perce?" Orion asked. He and Sephy were standing close to Dyo's left, but Sephy seemed to be spending less time listening to the discussion than she was shooting glances in Athena's direction.

Percy Ashraf, a recent NLUP graduate who now worked in the business sector, smiled grimly. "The business feeds are buzzing with it at the moment; everyone is seeing it as a money-grabbing scheme and they're wondering how best to either sabotage it or join the bandwagon. My office, unfortunately, is on the bandwagon side; I have spent the day lobbying Leighton's office for a meeting." He sighed, sounding weary. "It's soul destroying. Our democracy is right back where it started!"

"But you're doing us so much good by staying where you are," Bree said, sympathetically. "This information, for example, we would never have got hold of without you. We all really appreciate what you're doing."

Percy smiled, but he still looked utterly demoralised.

Bree sighed. "Let's take a break. There are drinks and snacks over by the concessions stand. Help yourselves." She jumped from the stage and walked towards Dyo and Athena.

"Dyo, can I have a word? I trust your new girlfriend will be alright alone for a moment."

"No need - she can come with me."

Bree stared him down. Athena wasn't sure whether she was merely glaring at him, or sending him a message over the feeds. After a tense moment, Dyo relented.