The Duns

Telling Them

Chapter Twenty-seven

Peter

"You're all red." Richard says, grinning, as I walk into the room.

"Shut up." I reply, still smiling. "Where had we stopped when I left?"

"Did you two do it?" Lucas smirks at me.

"Lucas, stop."

Andrew walks up to me, suppressing a smile, and says, "All over and done Peter; no more distractions, okay?"

"Yes, sir." I nod.

"So, we figured out some battle plans- basic ideas- that you should go through." He says as he hands me some blueprints.

"You guys managed to get the blueprints printed? How long was I gone?" When I'm with her, she's the only thing on my mind. Wait no, she's always the only thing on my mind-and there's nothing I can do about it.

Oliver, for all his glasses and nerdy nature, looks up to me and says, "long enough for us to find out what you were doing."

"Okay that's enough boys!" Andrew says, raising his voice. "No. More. Distractions."

I flip through the pages and then look up at the group. "I found some loop-holes, but they can be covered up when we decide a basic idea for the other positions."

Andrew takes the pile of papers from me. "Great. Any three of you will stay up every other night for security reasons and to further discuss the plan- there's a lot to do- so that the others get some sleep. You," he says to me, "will stay up today. Choose two others." And with that, he leaves the room.

"So," I say to the others, "Who's up for a fun sleepover?"

-

I scribble over the sketch pad, making figures for the ten of us and dots for every other soldier- just to make it clearer. As I do so, Harry starts going over the older starting plans and figures out ways to combine them both, simultaneously making it more detailed on the computer.

William lay hunched over some historical war books, his large frame funny compared to the tiny book he was so ardently reading. I smile. We make a good team- all ten of us.

I suddenly feel something cold move past me, a sudden wind. I roll my eyes and lean back on my chair, resting my hands over my head. "Andrew, we know you're here." William looks up and smiles at me from the other side of the room- he could hear it swish by.

"Very well then." Andrew reappears. It's still weird seeing him without his black, loose coat always covering every inch of him.

"Did you tell them?" Harry asks him, not moving his eyes from the screen, referring to the other members of Oi Alloi.

"Well," Andrew says, pulling out a chair for himself, "that's what I need your help with." He looks at me. "Especially yours."

I chuckle. "You know they worship you right? You're their God!"

"Ha ha, very funny, but I'm sure God doesn't keep secrets this important from his followers."

Harry pulls away from the screen and looks up at the sky to an invisible Christ. "Everyone has secrets. Deep, dark ones."

"What's yours, Harry?" Williams asks. Then, without waiting for a reply (since it was one he wasn't going to get anyway) he turns to me, "Peter, have you spoken with Ester recently? It's been really long since I've seen you guys having a conversation."

I roll my eyes.

Andrew sighs to break the silence, "Are you guys going to help me or what?"

"Of course, we will." I say to him. "Just one thing."

"What is it?" He asks, annoyed.

I get closer to him and whisper, not wanting everyone to hear- William would hear regardless of it but there's nothing I can do about that. "How does Eliza have powers?"

He sighs and looks down.

"I'll tell you when we come back. But no matter what, you mustn't tell Catherine. Okay? She won't be able to... handle it."

William, who is able to hear us quite comfortably, replies to him. "We'll see about that."

"Fine." I say to Andrew.

He nods, contempt.

-

6:12pm

I stay back in the wings, pushing Andrew ahead onto the stage. The crowd is filled with the faces of surprised, even excited members, ready to go on their next mission.

I look through the curtains one last time and then walk inside to stand with William and Oliver. They acknowledge me, thinking that I am nervous, but I'm not. These men worship Andrew, there's nothing to worry about.

Will he tell them his name? Will he show them his face?

On stage, Andrew begins speaking. It is surprisingly comfortable seeing him in his dark, loose coat handing over his invisible body- except his hands- and I marvel at how he has learnt to control his powers to this extent. He talks about how much they- the men of Oi Alloi- mean to him, gesturing with his hands, and continues praising them on their work and excellence.

He goes on saying he is sorry for the loss of our many men, friends, colleagues, who died. But not because of To Sotos. Then, he pauses mid-sentence, takes a deep breath and explains everything...

-

The audience simply stays quiet. They are stunned. I can feel it in their fast, heavy breathing. The sound is so loud, we can hear it back here.

Then, one person stands up. He makes his hand a gun, with his index and middle finger out and thumb pointing upwards to the ceiling, points it at Andrew, then at his own head and mimics himself being shot. The classic Oi Alloi gesture showing respect to the leader and his rules.

More men stand up, doing the same, and soon enough, every man in the room is on his feet, his two fingers against his right temple.

Andrew turns visible.

When we swore our life to Oi Alloi, we meant it. From that second that those two drops of our blood mixed with the others in the bowl, we knew and agreed to give up our lives for this society, and this oath stands till date- it will stand always.

I walk onto the stage beside Andrew and pull down his hood. Not a single gasp goes around the audience as they see his face, streaked with tears, as they see his studs, his piercings, and his soft gray eyes.

"You have two days for yourself and your family. Then, it's time to start training." I say to the crowd. And then, after informing them about the location, we leave.