I
When I heard the knocking again, irritation immediately returned. I was convinced it was Morgan once more, suddenly remembering us in the middle of some crisis. I opened the door ready to send him away without ceremony — but someone else stood on the other side.
“Good evening, Charlie,” Anthony Davies greeted me.
His presence was unexpected, to say the least. The most recognizable MP in the sector, without warning or explanation, standing right at my doorstep.
“How can I help you, Mr. Davies?” I asked, not bothering to hide my caution.
“No need to be so formal,” he replied lightly. “I came to visit an old friend struck by illness. This is for you.”
He handed me a fairly heavy pouch. “I hope she recovers.”
“So do I.”
After a moment, a certain question began to bother me.
“How did you find out about Susan?”
“About Susan? From Morgan,” he answered almost immediately. “Well, not directly. His reports are quite detailed. And besides…”
He paused slightly, as if to catch his breath.
“I’ve heard some troubling rumors about what’s been happening in this sector. Sudden power outages, mafia activity, a corporation operating however it pleases.”
“That’s rather normal around here.”
“Seems I must have forgotten what it was like.”
“Is Susan asleep?”
“Yes.”
“To be honest, there’s a matter I’d like to discuss with you as soon as possible.”
“And that would be?”
“You’ve probably heard that over the last few days the corporation has essentially taken control of the sector?”
“I’ve had other things on my mind.”
“Of course,” he continued. “In any case, I don’t feel entirely safe staying here. Especially considering my reputation as a ‘minor rebel’ in the government. I’d like to ask for your assistance during a visit to the local diocese.”
“Why not ask the commander?”
Davies gave a faint smile.
“The commander, unlike you, can be stopped with a single order.”
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He paused briefly before adding in a more serious tone:
“Not for free, of course.”
“I’m not sure I have the time right now.”
“I understand your concerns, but they’re unnecessary. You’d merely accompany me inside — no real risk involved. And you could further help your sister.”
A long, uncomfortable silence followed.
“Either way, I hope you’ll consider it,” Davies said at last. “My number is in the pouch. Farewell.”
He gave a small bow and disappeared around the nearest corner.
What could he possibly want from me? I wondered before finally going to sleep.
II
When I woke up early in the morning, Susan was still asleep. I decided to use the opportunity to take care of a few household duties — so that by the time she woke up, everything urgent would already be done and she wouldn’t have any arguments about the state of the house.
I started cleaning, but it didn’t take long before I heard a distinct thud. I turned immediately and rushed toward the couch.
“What did I tell you?” I said, seeing Susan already lying on the floor.
“I had to at least try to move,” she replied after I helped her sit back up. “Besides… if you leave, how am I supposed to manage?”
“I’m not going anywhere for now,” I told her, though she didn’t seem satisfied.
“I heard your conversation yesterday,” she admitted.
“You weren’t asleep?”
“I was. But you were exceptionally indiscreet for two people supposedly worried about my health. Anyway,” she continued, “if it’s short and safe, you should take the job.”
“There are no safe jobs in this city.”
“Then I guess this one’s the exception.”
She leaned against me. For a moment I thought she had fallen asleep again, but she spoke softly:
“I know you’re worried about me. And I know I can’t manage on my own anymore. But we still need to eat. You can’t sit here forever. We have to find a way to handle this.”
After she finished speaking, her breathing steadied once more. She mumbled something half-asleep — maybe telling me to be careful, or complaining that she was tired of being stuck in one room.
I stayed beside her for a while longer before finally speaking.
“Alright,” I said quietly. “But only if you promise not to do anything stupid.”
“Without you, doing stupid things doesn’t make much sense,” she replied in a drowsy voice.
III
“Nice church, wouldn’t you say?”
“Yes.”
Davies and I had been walking around the diocese grounds for some time, waiting for the bishop he was meant to meet. Eventually, curiosity got the better of me.
“Does the priest dislike you?”
“I’m not sure if he dislikes me,” Davies replied. “But we do belong to different factions. Besides, the bishop himself is… rather distinctive.”
We entered the cathedral section. Davies nodded subtly toward a pedestal from which someone was delivering a sermon — or so I initially assumed. The content, however, sounded far less religious than expected.
“Maintaining order is the most important duty of every believer!” the cleric shouted to the small group seated in the pews. “And we can guarantee it only by accepting the roles granted to us by the Lord and living according to what has been prepared for us!”
The speech was met with surprisingly loud applause, considering the small audience.
“That sounded rather ambiguous,” I whispered to Davies.
“Most things here sound ambiguous,” he replied calmly. “I told you the bishop stands out.”
As we spoke, the object of our discussion began walking toward us. Halfway across the nave, he called out:
“Mr. Davies!”
“Father Smith,” Davies responded politely. “A pleasure to see you.”
The priest approached and fixed me with an openly hostile, contemptuous stare.
“What are you staring at, brat?”
“Father, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t insult my friend,” Davies interrupted. “Mr. Charlie is also my bodyguard today.”
Trying to ease the tension, I extended my hand.
“Nice to meet you.”
The priest ignored it entirely and continued speaking only to Davies.
“So you weren’t lying when you said you preferred this meeting without corporate presence,” he stated before turning and walking deeper into the diocese.
My employer glanced at me with a faintly sarcastic smile.
“This is going to be a funny meeting.”
