Brought Down

34. The Tour

Julian

"May I offer you some refreshments?" says Burnface as we leave the conference room. "We have prepared a variety of culinary delights to celebrate the occasion."

In the adjacent hall we are met by decorated tables laden with treats. Waiters stand ready, clad in white, holding trays with glasses of wine. The members of our delegation eye the food curiously, but no one touches anything.

"I see trust issues do run deep." Burnface picks a piece of cheese and puts it in his mouth. "I beg, do not offend my hospitality." He picks a wineglass and takes a sip. Thompson gives him a long look, then takes another glass and brings it to his lips. After one gulp, he coughs, and the rest of us look at him with alarm.

"I'm all right," he croaks. "Just not...accustomed to such drinks."

Garrett and a few others pick some bits and pieces from the trays, but most visitors keep away. They are the wise ones. Knowing Burnface, I wouldn't be surprised if he was serving them pieces of some recently captured rebel, cooked to resemble beef or chicken.

"I see you're not hungry," says Burnface. "In such case, please let me give you a tour around my ship. Also, there's a present awaiting you."

"A present?" says Thompson sharply.

"Yes. I'm sure it will provide a sense of closure to some of you."

Thompson frowns. "What're you trying to do?"

"Nothing." Burnface puts his wine glass back on the tray. "Just a little test of your willingness to observe our treaty."

People exchange troubled looks. Ignoring that, Burnface starts for the door. Garrett glances at his watch, exchange looks with Thompson, then shrugs.

"All right," he says.

Don't, I suddenly want to say. I have a bad feeling about this. We hoped that Burnface would agree to give us a tour around the mothership, and him offering to do so without even being asked seems pretty lucky. Still, it feels like I'm missing something.

Yet all I can do is follow the others.

The white corridors are spotless. Of the four motherships still left in royal service, the one belonging to Burnface has always been the best maintained. It is a smaller version of the space station, basically, with its own farm and greenhouses, in addition to its real big guns and nuclear weapons.

Understandably, Burnface keeps his excursion to the most innocent areas, staying away from his headquarters and the control center. Still, I join Garrett, and, as we walk, I whisper next to his ear which way lie the most strategic points of the ship. I've drawn a map for them before, but this won't hurt, too. He's smart enough to keep looking ahead when I speak, but at one point, as we walk closer to each other in a narrow passageway, he squeezes my hand briefly, and my heart skips a beat.

The farm draws the most attention from these people who have never seen live animals. Even Angie, who's been acting quiet and reserved, is now pressing her nose to the glass wall, pointing excitedly at the grazing cows and sheep. Come to think of that, they have never seen green grass as well. All those things I took for granted, these people have never experienced. Now, they're childishly excited, and even Thompson looks in bewilderment at the unfamiliar creatures to the other side of the glass.

As we take another turn, I realize where we're going and stop in my tracks.

Garrett looks back. "What happened?"

"We can't go there," I say.

More people stop and give me puzzled looks. Burnface, walking ahead, probably hears something, and turns to us.

"My dear Julian, are you causing a commotion?" It is the first time he's addressed me personally today, and it makes my blood run cold.

"Why are you leading them there?" I say.

"Where? Oh, there?" He gestures at the large white door at the end of the corridor. "Well, indeed, we are reaching the less pleasant part of our excursion. Behind this door is my laboratory. As I have had occasion to remark, horrible things have been done over the years, and it saddens me to admit that some of them took place right there." He crosses his arms on his chest. "If you follow me, you're about to face the evidence of one such deed."

"So it's a provocation," says Thompson.

"A validation of your intentions, that's how I call it." Burnface bows his head. "We all want this agreement to work, but we must see that you are as serious as we are about respecting the absolution clause." He gestures at the door. "Shall we proceed?"

Thompson frowns. "You are aware that if something happens to us the deal is off?"

"Of course. I wouldn't dream of harming you—unless, of course, you force my hand."

"Don't go," I say. "Garrett, it's --"

"Looks like our dearest Julian's had a guess." Burnface flashes another creepy smile at me. His teeth are still white and healthy and on his lipless face the smile looks like that of a skull. "Don't hurry to tell them, dear, it will ruin the surprise. You're as impatient as I remember you."

"All right," says Thompson, while Garrett eyes me worriedly. "Let's see what you have in there."

In a slow motion, I see Garrett shrug and turn away, and they start walking again while I stand there, frozen. I must stop him. Only bad things happen in that laboratory. I catch Angie's suspicious glance as she passes me, and I wish she would intervene, for Garrett's sake. Yet I know she's as powerless as I am. Sometimes things must run their course.

Burnface touches the scanner on the wall, and the door slides to the side.

* If you enjoy the story, please like/comment/follow! Thanks! *