Killing (And Other Games)

(Thirty One)

(Thirty One)

"Well I hope the fight is put off to next century because we aren't finding anything in here." Gray and I stand at the mouth of the room, looking over the huge filing shelves. I forgot this place rejects basic human rights like computers and electronic filing. So I guess we're doing this manually.

"You start at that end, I'll start over here," I instruct, moving over to the far end of the room. Thick manila files are five to a box, twenty or so boxes per shelf, eight shelves in a row. With twenty rows that could be sixteen thousand files. I gulp, biting my lip. How many of these files are about dead creatures?

"What are we looking for again?" Gray asks, looking a little nervous.

"Anything that could help," I say pathetically, starting on the files. I pull one box out at a time, looking over the files. Each one has a profile of the creature and then a follow up report. At the very least, Hand to Hand is very organized. Most reports are just a generic letter explaining their death but a few files have more than one report, indicating they won a few battles.

I'm surprised to come upon a non-generic, handwritten report. When I peer closer I see that it's in Zane's artistic, tiny handwriting. The report is in a file of something called a Banshee.

23/5/1990

Participant Josie Gordon Skies won the 22/5 match against several other creatures. Participant was deemed official winner and taken back to waiting cell. She filed for release under rule 21, having won sufficient matches and sufficient prize money. She was signed off for release by Ballard but it was understood that she had no outside arrangements nor supportive relatives. She was deemed class 2 burden on UW. Release was differed and measures were taken by Darwood.

Participation start: 20/2/1989

Participation end: 23/5/1990

I read over the report twice and shove it back into the folder. When he said 'measures' what did he mean by that? The implication of it all is too strong so I just continue down the row, searching for something of use.

"I don't get how this is arranged. It looks like it's by species but I can't work out the ordering of the species. You got anything?" I call.

"Wait, are you near Bear-wolves?"

"Yeah, whatever the fuck that is."

"And Land Sprites?"

"Yeah."

"I think I know how this is ordered. It's their stupid alphabet."

It would've been great if Zane could've just told us that. "Where would the Guides be?"

"Somewhere around there I think, I don't know, I don't speak it." I slink over to where Gray vaguely pointed to, going through the files as quickly as possible. Still nothing. "Where would light be? Like, just the word light?"

"I missed that class of how to categorize things in the Dark creatures language, sorry."

I swear under my breath and stop, listening to my instincts. Maybe they're not always right but I think they've got an overall alright average hit to miss rate. A sudden thought comes to me and I stroll to the back of the room, looking at the back wall. It's perfect white without a scratch or crack, like a newly painted wall. But why in the world would there be a random black outline of a square on the floor, right in the corner?

I almost laugh at how predictable Zane is. Does he hide all of his major secrets under trapdoors? I pull the small door up and find a little cove under the concrete. A box with exactly fifteen files is the only thing in the hideaway. I call Gray over and we sit down, looking through each file.