Chapter 21: Edward
“And because of that, my opponent’s plan to erect solar panels across the county is inherently flawed, and thus I urge you to join me in opposing the resolution. Thank you.”
Edward slumped back in his chair, drained. Beside him Elaine’s hair was stuck to her forehead by beads of sweat, and she looked quite glum.
“I think that one goes to Daniel,” Jin said regretfully.
“What a surprise,” Elaine muttered. She heaved a great sigh.
“It’s not that you’re doing badly,” Daniel said, dropping his Speaking Voice for a more helpful-but-slightly-condescending tone.
“No,” Edward replied sarcastically, “We’re doing just fine; we just can’t win a match.”
“It’s called the ‘bird shit’ defense,” Daniel went on, ignoring Edward’s comment. “You take something natural and inescapable—but usually inconsequential—and blow it all out of proportion. At least, I call it that,” he added as an afterthought. “It’s not often that it’s literally about bird shit, though.”
Edward did manage a bit of a laugh, but his throat was dry and his mind was spent. Rather than respond, he glanced around the room. At the other end, two pairs of novi were—mercifully—actually sparring over a resolution, with Flora and Christine judging. Flora looked up and caught his eye; she smiled ruefully.
We are so woefully unprepared, thought Edward, And if our intel is to be believed, we have less than a week.
“Now, who’s up for muffins?” Daniel said, dropping the last of his teaching air with a metaphorical thud as he stood up from the table. His chair jumped back with a clatter.
Edward looked at him skeptically, then at Elaine, who stared back only a little less exhaustedly than Edward felt.
“I’m good,” said Jin, upbeat. Edward turned his skeptical gaze on him in turn. “What?”
Unfortunately, the novi at the other table had heard Daniel’s call. “Muffins!” shouted Tim. Triman looked at him for a second, then shrugged and stood up. “Let’s go!”
Flora looked at their table helplessly, but Christine tried, at least. “Where are you guys going‽ You’ve got to finish your round!” Several of the novi looked back at her and hesitated.
“Novice party!” called Daniel, already near the exit, and the cause was lost. The rest of the novi broke ranks (not that they were in them to begin with) and scrambled after him.
“Yeeeeeaah!” called Alan as he headed past Edward’s table.
“Shut up, Alan!” Edward called after him, reflexively, then he buried his face in his hands.
Flora came over and sat down in Daniel’s vacated chair; after letting out a noise of frustration, Christine came over and joined them.
“Well, here we are,” said Elaine, and laughed glumly. “The original five debators from Little Port Coo, the would-be heroes, revivers of Parli.”
“Stop that,” said Jin. “We’ll get there. You’ll see.”
“Ugh, I’ve got a headache,” Elaine announced.
“Strangely enough, I don’t,” Flora mused. “Perhaps because there’s been so little plot here.” She winced. “Ah, there it goes.”
“Christine, you’ve been quiet,” said Edward. “Quieter than usual,” he amended.
“What? Oh, I…” Christine trailed off. “I’m beginning to think I should have gone with the others.”
“Oh come on,” Edward said, “You’ve been very useful here. I mean…” He faltered.
“Yeah, Christine,” Jin tried, “I mean, Parli may not be your thing, but—” He stopped and twisted away as Elaine tried to whack him upside the head.
Flora grimaced, and at first Edward thought it was just their lame attempt at comforting Christine. But then she pressed a hand to her head and gritted her teeth, and he knew, somehow, that something was about to happen. Here we go again…
“Guys,” she said, quietly but intensely. “I’ve got a very strong feeling that we ought to get out there.”
“What?” said Jin.
“Something bad’s about to happen,” Flora went on, pushing her chair back and standing up. She looked at the door as if an enemy—or an authority figure—could come out at any moment.
Jin blinked. “Well, come on, then! Let’s go!” He headed for the exit.
“Christine,” Elaine said, “If it wasn’t for you we would have fallen apart by now. You’re the one keeping us together.” Edward looked back at the two of them, glanced at Jin, then nodded to Christine, affirming Elaine’s statement. Elaine went on. “I don’t know how we would keep up with just the four of us, and under Daniel, too.” A small smile appeared on Christine’s lips. “I mean, that guy is crazy.”
“What the—?” cried Jin as Daniel burst through the entrance. The novi scurried along behind him, gabbling frightenedly and incoherently.
“The Hahr Kerr…they’re here…” Daniel gasped out.
“What?” said Elaine in her “no-nonsense, you-better-not-be-just-messing-with-me” voice. Triman took a look and stepped back, and Edward noticed that his eyes were wide. Is he…scared? That alone unnerved Edward.
“Not worst…” Daniel continued. Edward looked back as their teacher raised his head.
If Triman’s fear had been unnerving, this was downright neurectomy. Daniel’s eyes were wild with fear and guilt, his mouth was curved in a painful smile that held no happiness, and his hair—well, his 4cm or so of hair—was wild. Yet he still held their attention—all five of them were locked on his face.
“They’ve got…Tim and Tina.” Exhaling, Daniel stumbled past Jin and tried to place a hand on Edward’s shoulder for support, but found Edward too tall. Ignoring everyone’s shock, he stumbled into Jin’s vacated chair and slumped over the table.
Wide-eyed, Edward exchanged glances with everyone else.
It felt like an eternity before Jin spoke, in a quiet but commanding voice that Edward hadn’t known he possessed. Even the novi were listening. “It may have come sooner than we liked, but this is the moment we’ve been training for. Come on! We can take these Hahr Kerr, and show them that the tournament is worth preserving.” He turned to face Daniel directly. “Master Daniel, what should we do?”
“I don’t know, OK‽” Daniel shouted back. Edward was shocked to see tears—tears!—on his face. Their teacher had been lost at their moment of greatest need.
It all could have been lost there, but Jin managed to pull everyone back together. “Then we will do what we must to rescue Tim and Tina. Everyone, let’s go!”
“For Parli!” Edward yelled, surprising himself.
“For Parli!” the room echoed—not everyone, but a good number. Even Elaine and Flora were smiling dangerously now.
“Come on!” Jin called, and suddenly they were on the move, their little force sweeping out the exit. Edward caught a glimpse of Christine murmuring something to Daniel, Daniel nodding his acceptance, and then he too was swept up and carried outside.
Once outside, the group had stopped abruptly. The sky was a burnt orange, now, and there was ash in the air. Edward coughed, and looked to the east. Kellie.
Edward shook his head. Time enough for that when they had dealt with this. What they needed now…
He closed his eyes and pictured himself standing tall and strong in front of the novi. Standing, wearing armor, and with great wings emerging from his shoulder blades. And in his hand, a mighty, powerful sword.
Edward’s lips curled in a feral smile. Yeah. Yeah, that’ll do it.