Omega (49) We were soon tucking into the remnants of the larder. Fruit, cakes, biscuits, sandwiches filled with exotic spreads reminiscent of their supposed origins and breakfast cereals smothered in rich full-cream milk. Xenana crammed as much as she could into her mouth, barely pausing between mouthfuls before stuffing her cheeks with more. "I didn't know I was so (munch!) hungry!" She exclaimed, a dribble of mayonnaise and soy sauce dripping down her chin. We rested for a while in the ravaged living room, becoming shadows in the encroaching dark, listening to the rain and wind beating against the house. This became gradually less intense, descending to the tempo of drizzle and finally ceasing altogether. My clothes weren't fully dry, but I had enough of sitting naked with Beta and Xenana, however naked they were themselves, and was glad to put them on again, shivering in their dampness. Beta wandered to the front door, and stood silhouetted against the dark cloudy sky, dark puddles interspersed along the pavement and streams of rain water gushing in torrents along the gutter towards the grilled openings of the drains, occasionally dividing in its course around scattered obstacles of garbage. "I think we ought to look somewhere else," Beta remarked. "I don't like the atmosphere here. All the vandalism! It's distressing." "And what makes you think it's any better elsewhere?" Snapped Xenana, but nonetheless agreeing to leave the house we'd sheltered in for the last few hours and to emerge again into the eerie emptiness and dark of the Suburban streets, unlit by street-lamps, and illuminated by a distant aura of flame. One of the buildings that had been set alight appeared to be a church, although it was too far away to be certain. We walked along the Suburban avenues, Beta and I avoiding puddles, but Xenana barely aware of their existence from the heights of her platform soles. There was a general calmness that had descended after the rainstorm, and only the evidence of detritus and destruction to remind us that there was still much to be afraid of. Others were emerging from their shelter, including a family of centaurs and a pig still in his work suit. Along the middle of the road, unworried by any likelihood of traffic, of which there was no evidence at all, we saw a strange white figure. As it came closer, it became clear that it was Anna wearing a simple long sleeveless white dress, from neck to ankle, who had now shaved her head rather like Xenana, and wore rather less extravagant platform boots. She saw us, and smiled. Xenana also smiled, although she had never met Anna before. Presumably she recognised a kindred spirit. "Still on your search for the Truth, I see!" Said Anna, apparently unflustered by the chaos around her. "Yes," I admitted. "Is that why you're here?" "In a way. In a way. I thought it might be interesting. Everyone descending on the Suburbs like this. I hadn't thought - I don't suppose anyone thought - it would result in so much grief. It's really jolly frightening! I've seen so much devastation. This really isn't the Suburbs I was visiting a week ago. Such a short period of time, and so much has changed. But that, I suppose, is how things do change. Everything goes along in its sweet untroubled way and then, - quelle catastrophe! - it all comes tumbling down!" "What have you seen while you've been in the Suburbs?" I asked. "Oh! Many things! So many different depressing things!" Anna remarked, running a hand over her shaved scalp. "I came here alone. I always prefer travelling alone. You see much more that way. More open to opportunity, I guess. It's been absolutely flipping horrible. I've spent most of my time here with a Gryphon I met. I was really jolly frightened of him at first. I thought he might be one of these ghastly monsters that have turned up here. After all, gryphons are a bit like monsters themselves, - composed of bits and pieces of other animals, - but he was a school teacher. Goodness knows why he should be here, but then everybody's here, so why not him? I imagine he might have flown here. He was in a dreadful state when I met him. Absolutely dreadful!" "How was that?" Wondered Beta. "He'd been in a fight, though it's a mystery to me why anyone would ever choose to fight with a gryphon. They're beasts quite capable of looking after themselves. Those beaks and claws! Gracious! Anyway, he'd found these monsters molesting a little girl. Quite grossly, I gathered. Being a school teacher, he felt honour-bound to defend her, but of course these monsters just turned on him. They must have outnumbered him quite badly, because he was very much the worst for it. He'd lost absolutely loads of feathers! He had a nasty cut over one of his eyes. And one of his ears had been very badly cut! But when I met him, he seemed to be recovering well enough." "Where is he now?" I wondered. "Oh, I don't know at all. We met some Illicit Party supporters with guns, and ran for our lives. These people were just shooting at everything and everyone. The Gryphon took off into the sky and flew off - although with all those feathers missing, he really wasn't flying that well or confidently. But he'd been good company until then. I felt much safer with someone like him as company than I might have done otherwise. As I said, there aren't many people who'd pick a fight with a gryphon. On the other hand, some of the monsters I've seen today are probably more than his equal!" "Monsters! What kind of monsters?" Asked Xenana. "Oh! The usual kind. A few tyrannosaurs. Velociraptors. Dragons. Manticores. And a whole lot I don't know the names of. Centaurs with the heads of beetles. Things like pigs with wings and enormous horns. An enormous giant with half his body missing walking on tree trunks. The sort of things you have nightmares about, and certainly don't expect to meet in the Suburbs! Goodness knows what they're jolly well doing here. My theory is that they've been bussed in by the Illicit Party, but some of these brutes just need an excuse, any excuse, to go on an orgy of violence, destruction and death. It really is flipping awful!" We turned a corner of the road and wandered down another street much the same as the others. On all sides were ruined homes, shattered cars and dampened-down rubbish. Anna shared Beta's skill in avoiding puddles, her dress remaining remarkably unstained, which was not a good fortune shared by my dirt-splattered trousers. Xenana chatted to Anna about the City, and they reminisced on places they'd been to and even shared acquaintances. Beta took my hand with a smile, and our wanderings came to seem almost normal and peaceful in the deceptive calm of the dark Suburban streets. This calm was very rudely shattered by the sound of repeated bangs followed by shouts and screams. We froze, not at all sure where the sounds were coming from. This was repeated by more bangs which sounded very much like machine gun fire. There then came some running, and more spasmodic bangs, louder and more emphatic. Anna glanced at us with fear and urgency. "We better get off the street. No point running away. They'll only shoot at us if they see us." "Who are they?" Beta asked. "I don't know. I don't want to find out. Down this drive. Into that house!" Anna indicated a semi-detached house, with a shattered door pulled off its hinges and lying on the drive, behind the high shadow of a hedge cut into the shape of some peculiar birds. We all followed her instructions, and huddled in the doorway while the running, shouting and shooting became louder and more distinct. I glimpsed sparks from a small automatic gun as it sprayed into the street. It was responded to by more gunfire. Then figures came running into the street, just shadows in the dark but carrying banners and flags. Over the dark bulk of the hedge, I saw President Chairman Rupert's face on the white back of a flag with the single word TRUTH emblazoned on it. "Illicit Party!" hissed Anna softly. "Those flipping bastards are everywhere!" Beta gripped my hand tightly and eased me back into the dark recesses of the hallway. We didn't dare look out at the commotion going on in the street, but there was more shouting, more gunfire, some very guttural cries of agony and more frantic running about. We heard a large figure collapse against the hedge and the smashing of glass, whether the window of a house or a car it was impossible to tell. It could not have been very many minutes that we were imprisoned by this alarming soundscape, but every second of it seemed too long. The running, shouting and shooting passed by the house and soon receded into the distance. We didn't emerge for some time after that. There was just too much likelihood that there would be stragglers looking for unarmed people such as ourselves, but eventually, and on a hushed sign from Anna, we crept out into the open air. We gingerly peered over the hedge. It had become calm again. There was a flag lying on the ground, broken in half with the word RUPERT on an otherwise unadorned green background. Its cloth fluttered ferociously in the evening wind, soaking in moisture from the water running by along the gutter. "We'd better move on," Anna said determinedly, pushing open the metal gate to the garden, and cautiously looking up and down the street. Then she stepped back. "Oh God!" She exclaimed. "What's wrong?" Xenana asked. "Don't ask! Let's just leave quickly! And don't look at the hedge!" "The hedge?" Beta asked. "Just don't look!" We dashed out into the street and ran down in the direction away from where the Illicitists had gone. Anna's advice was wasted on me, as my curiosity impelled me to look at the hedge. A pig in black leather clothes was slumped at its foot, a pool of blood seeping from his skull and mixing in the puddles on the pavement. His face had been totally destroyed and grey, spongy mass lay in the sorry mess of his ruined face. A large flick knife was still gripped tightly in his trotter. I turned my face away with horror to glimpse another figure I hadn't noticed before, just by the flag and slumped between two cars. Only his legs and a pool of blood was distinguishable, but I recognised his Rupert suit. We soon encountered the silhouetted forms of a body of people gathered by a large range rover that had somehow escaped from all the chaos. At first it was difficult to establish who or what these shadows could belong to, and we approached gingerly. It was possible they might be more Illicitists or even monsters, but as we came closer it was clear that there was nothing at all threatening about them. They were incongruous for the Suburbs, particularly as it would normally be: dressed in finery and ornamentation, no ostentation avoided, and chatting rather noisily and cheerfully. It was as if they were on a day out in the Country, rather than in the midst of the catastrophic annihilation of the Suburbs. A pig leaned against the hood of the range rover, holding a champagne glass in a trotter fringed by a lace cuff, a large hat with an ostrich feather dipped over his face. Next to him, sitting on the actual bonnet of the vehicle, and amiably chatting to him, was Zitha whom I'd met at the Eternal Party. Other figures stood by, presumably associated with the other intact vehicles parked around in the dark. The only hint of fear in the company was the presence of two tall gorilla bodyguards clasping small automatic fire-arms, who glared at us suspiciously as we approached, but made no attempt to stop us. They had presumably concluded that we were unlikely to cause trouble. One of the partying figures emerged out of the shadows in a tall conical hat, brandishing a cane. It was the Philosopher whom I'd met at Tudor's house. "Well, I never!" He exclaimed. "I'd never have thought it possible. So, you came all the way back to the Suburbs in your pursuit of the Truth. Truly a strange place to come for such a quest. And accompanied by a coterie of charming young ladies." "Hello," I said in greeting. "Are you also searching for the Truth?" "Only inasmuch as it is my habitual pursuit. I have come with these splendid fellows whom I met at a Party to which I was invited. My curiosity was sparked, as indeed was theirs, but we have seen no evidence of the Truth. Not that I really expected to. The Truth is not to be found in such idle tourism. But amongst the frivolity of play can sometimes be found great wisdom. A lighted candle may be found in the darkest shadows. We may not have found the Truth, but I have been much impressed by the folly pursued in your country. It has resulted not in enlightenment but great misery and anarchy." He growled slightly. "However, all is not well with me. I have lost my slave. In all this anarchy and distraction, he has absconded and left me. The last I saw of him was his back as he ran down the dark depths of one of your streets. You haven't seen him, have you?" "No," I confessed. "I haven't seen him anywhere." "And your friends? They haven't seen a runaway slave have they?" Anna shook her head. "There have been so many people running about I wouldn't know whether they were slaves or whatever." "No matter," the dog snorted. "I believe the supplier's warranty may still be valid. But what of you, young man? It is several days now since I met you at the home of my good friend, Tudor." "Tudor!" Exclaimed Beta. "Is it the same Tudor I know?" I nodded my head. "It is. This gentleman was a guest at Tudor's castle when I was there." "Do you know Tudor?" Asked the Philosopher. "Truly, he has some very sundry friends." "How is he? How has the General Election affected him? Do you know?" The Philosopher growled slightly. "Alas, the results have not accorded at all well with his wishes. I haven't seen him since we met a few days ago, but I have heard about him from people I have met at the Party. There has been a revolt against him by his staff and he has lost a great deal of money in some investments he had made. There's some connection in his business affairs with those of the late Lord Arthur. When the mighty fall from the heights of a tall tree, they break the branches supporting them." "Revolt?" wondered Beta. "Yes," the Philosopher said. "It's something to do with the employment legislation that your Red Government intends to institute. It apparently does away with the discrepancies between the different districts. Employees now have considerably more rights than they had before. Tudor wasn't very happy about it, but his staff have come out in some sort of industrial action. He's now alone in his castle with no servants to care for him and his material wealth vanishing as more and more businesses collapse in the wake of Lord Arthur's demise. It seems his affairs were more complex than anyone had imagined! That in itself would have precipitated a crisis on the financial markets, but the additional chaos here in the Suburbs has caused a startling lack of confidence in the stock markets. I'm just happy that I never invested in any of your country's businesses, otherwise I might also be contemplating suicide now. Never build on a quicksand. It might well be the end of our good friend's wealth and security: the only glimmer of hope on his horizon being the good news regarding the Cat Kingdom..."
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