‘I can’t go on like this…’,
Lena gave him an impatient look,
‘Can’t you just be satisfied?’, she stamped. Kyle went on, ‘…I need more, this isn’t enough.’Slumping into his chair he added,’What is it all about? Why are we here? ..to wake up, work, come home, sleep, what, what is it that we’re here for?…’
‘No-one has the foggiest idea why we’re here, so you may as well enjoy yourself, this mood you’re in will pass you know, it always does.’
She started tidying up the books that were strewn about the desk, placing them on a shelf a few feet to the side. With her back toward him she said, ‘Why do you need a reason? Can’t you just be alive?’ Kyle sighed.
‘..its always there, in the back of my head, this pesky little voice, it never goes away.’ Lena turned around, her dark hair bobbed in the light and her shoes squeaked in a gentle arc, ‘c’mon it’s getting dark, we better go soon. ‘Just be patient, if you have a special calling it will reach you in its own way, anyway what choice do you have?’
Kyle’s head rose slowly from his cupped hands, an emerging glint in his eyes, ‘Choice; what choice do I have?’ he repeated to himself slowly, ‘I’m a free man aren’t I? Ignoring the restrictions and responsibilites I’ve placed upon myself.’
‘Well sort of, after you count the laws and taxes.’
‘Yes, but they’re just guidelines we follow as members of society, they’re not hard to follow…’, he kept on, ‘As long as I stick within those guidelines, I have all the choice possible,’ his tempo slowed.
‘Barring physical and mental limitations?’, Lena added.
‘Yes, yes’, with an air of minor satisfaction Kyle rose and adjusted his litiger issue uniform to the casual position, the sleeves angled into a lengthy bias.
‘Is everything allright now?’ Lena insisted.
‘For now…’ In a different tone, ‘Which row did we arrange to meet these peddlars?’
‘Bandits’, she corrected, ‘they are thieves, not peddlars… row 12.’
‘Is Ayers coming too?’
‘Not till after nine.’
‘Great’ he mused, ‘It’s just up to us then.’
‘Yes, are you ready?’
Swinging his satchel off the desk and smiling he said, ‘Have you got your pleasure card, you might need it.’
Lena patted her chest to indicate it was around her neck and walked out into the hall in front of him, Kyle followed closing the door behind him and they walked down the walkway leading toward the compromise hall.
The dust stirred as they entered the large hall, this was neutral space and Kyle felt slight uneasiness, Lena boldly led the way. The walls rose up on either side to a height well over twenty metres, long narrow windows barred and plugged themselves along the length of the walls. Toward the back, some sombre, post-dusk moonlight fell across the room. Kyle felt like he had been awake for days and the heavy air was weighing upon him like he was the anchor to an enormous ship. He looked up and imagined the dark wooden panelling of the ceiling to be the immense underside of a pirates galley and around him were the swaying and ruinous scenes of underwater life.
They stepped throught the x-ray arch and the attendant gave a pensive nod like a butler and they professionallyhushed their way pass the long tables, a few meetings were going on and Kyle was relieved that it wasn’t the bustling peak madness of day. It was easy to fall into step behind Lena, she had great purpose and strong decisiveness, it helped him hide in the fabric of his sector-city and go unnoticed, these days it was best to draw as little attention to oneself as possible.