Book of Glitch - Chapter 6

While Caleb continued to make his case, I reflected on the emptiness of his words. Not a single Elder would willingly forfeit our place at the top of the variant hierarchy to any of the other groups. And while I knew Syena’s idea was far-fetched, I found myself frustrated by the reasons for why it was so. I surveyed the Stonie guards standing around the room and wondered how the Elders could fear creatures with such gaunt, subdued expressions.

You may still remember that in the early years of the glitch outbreak, the great Stonie David had protected his son from the authorities until the panic had passed. As more and more of the homo-sapiens began to morph into one of the variants, the Elders and Stonies stood apart from the remaining Incantare. Unlike the Incantare and their abilities to manipulate the elements and communicate telepathically with their own kind, the Elders remained for the most part what they called “human” except for our stunted aging.

The Stonies also appeared unaltered on the surface, but their abilities were hardly inconspicuous. David had been the most prevalent face in the media and had agreed to participate in countless studies in order to enhance the early Cerebras’ bank of knowledge. Through their studies, they learned what we now know about how the glitch caused them to mutate into perfectly composed carbon life forms that are practically invulnerable. That combined with their extended life spans, should have secured them in a great place of power over the Incantare.

But much like the homo-sapiens we had overwhelmed off of the face of the planet, we allowed our fear to overpower our reason. So while the homo-sapiens declared the Elders would be the guardians of their history and set us at the very top of the variant hierarchy, we chose to cast the Stonies to the pits alongside the Tamers.

I glanced back at the silent guards, none of whom were old enough to remember how unjust their plight was: protecting and serving the same variants who look upon them as criminals. Now of course there are the few Stonies who are less than agreeable, but in all the centuries I have walked amongst them I am yet to have met one who was anything other than kind and inviting. Once again that day, my conscience took the form of Basal’s voice and I found myself looking across the aisle at Lucretia.

It was difficult for me to accept such a charming and well-mannered youth could be the junior sister of that vile Miasma. The young Sham truly was a beauty to behold, and I found myself sympathizing with Joshua for willingly submitting to her wiles. Her luxurious hair seemed to gush out from underneath her shroud, but I could still see the radiance of her supple cheeks. For a moment I thought the girl was grinning at me, as I could only see her red lips from beneath the veil over her eyes. Then I recalled what had roused my attention before the screaming match amongst the groups had begun.

“Excuse me Elders,” I shouted. “As this is an official council meeting, perhaps we should inform the newcomers of some of our policies.”

 “We’ve been over this already, Abraham,” Chief Hector answered. “Terrans don’t wear shoes, it inhibits our connection to the ground.”

“I’m not talking about you’re lot, Hector. And no Fuega, I’m not taking issue with the scant attire of you and your Dragoon warriors,” I said to the colonel just as she rose to lash out at me. “I simply wished to inform the Madame and her young sister that eye barriers are strictly prohibited, as to prevent any suspicions of psychic communication with any outside Incantare while the meeting is in session. Surely the Elders will agree?”

Caleb looked toward Miasma who rose from her seat in silence. She removed her black, lace veil and revealed swollen, red eyes.

“Forgive me, Grand Duke Elder,” she said. “I’m still having trouble in dealing with the king’s passing—I meant no disrespect to your graces.”

“It is nothing my dear,” said Caleb. “It seems Abraham has forgotten the unhappy circumstances that call us here today.”

 “Unhappy or not, His Majesty the king had enough sense to prevent such blatant deception from occurring right under our noses,” I snarled through gritted teeth. “I saw no tears dripping from her wretched face once during the service. Is it only now that you can be moved?”

Now don’t you sit there looking at me as if I’m the monster for being harsh toward that female. In case you’ve forgotten, the Incantare can and often do take full advantage of their telepathic communication via that meta-ethereal realm of theirs. I wasn’t just going to sit there and allow that witch to expose all of our private deliberations to the Shamans far and wide in real time. For all that good that telepathy of theirs does us in a court trial it’s the surest way for them to cause us an endless amount of trouble. You might think me prejudice, but I have my reasons not to trust them as you well know. Any matter, Caleb wasn’t having any of it either.

“That’s enough, Abraham,” he hissed. “She is my wife, and the Madame Shaman, you wi—”

“Caleb, darling, be still,” Miasma squawked. “Do not overexert yourself on my behalf. I apologize Abraham, I suppose all of this debate over who shall take control as Overseer finally made it clear to me that the king is truly gone.”

At this everyone bowed their heads in silence. The Bolt general began to weep again and sparks dashed out from around his eyes as the moisture met with the current surging within his cheeks.

 “Yes, we are all grieving,” she continued. “I only wonder if His Majesty would have been so gracious as to hear out one of her humble variants’ proposal for true equality in allowing a lowly Shaman to offer herself as a possibility to serve the variants as Overseer?”

A low grumble flowed through the room and I searched the audience for any who saw the absurdity in such a proposition, but none spoke up. I looked to the Elders to see if at least Caleb or one of my old friends had enough sense to put an end to the witch’s ludicrous ramblings, but even they seemed to be at odds with their reason. My nostrils flared and I breathed deeply, the scent of char seemed to lace the air.

“Surely this tragedy has not relieved all of you of your ability to rationalize just how dangerous their sect of Incantare is,” I fumed. “The king was not foolish enough to allow any of them into her ranks, and now we’re all being asked to sit here and listen to this temptress propose that she or one of her kind oversee us. I may be old, but I am not senile.”

Miasma bowed her head briefly, and I’m certain she had smiled before looking toward the Elders again.

“It was only a suggestion you’re Excellences,” she said. “I simply thought-”

“You thought that you would take advantage of everyone’s grief and confusion to promote yourself through the ranks,” I retorted.

“Abraham, I have exercised a great deal of patience with you,” grumbled Caleb.

“A bit too much patience, honestly,” I answered. “First shielding her eyes, then suggesting she take the seat of Overseer. Never mind the king, had young Glitch been here to witness such utter nonsense he’d abandon us a second time.”

That incited a collective sharp air intake within the gallery, and many variants who had remained out of the debates that entire afternoon glared at me in mute hatred.

“That is enough,” he roared. “We are all in mourning, yourself included, so I and the Elders are willing to pardon this unruly behavior. You Abraham should reflect on this apparent lapse in your senses and think before you recall such disheartening circumstances as the disappearance of Glitch. These are troubled times and we must not lose sight of what matters, the remaining variants throughout the world are looking to us to guide them now more than ever.”

Many in the gallery nodded in agreement with Caleb, and I tried to recollect myself. Miasma had retaken her seat, but now Lucretia had switched places with Joshua in order to sit beside her sister. I watched as the young Sham comforted her older sister, who had replaced the coverings over her eyes.

That time I chose to swallow my frustration at her flagrant disregard for our bylaws. The young Sham stroked Miasma’s arm as she leaned into her bosom shivering with her grief. I took pity on the girl and resolved to hold my tongue for the remainder of the meeting. Joshua had also felt a need to respect Lucretia’s suffering and sat a short distance apart from his Sham companions.

In his isolation, the young Elder appeared to be spying on me. I studied his gaze more closely and found that he was in fact staring at innocent Syena. I peered to my right to see that she had not taken any notice of her observer. I grinned as I looked back at the brooding youth. He had grown into quite a handsome young man since we had last seen one another. His jawline had squared to match his uncle’s, but his cheeks were still plump with youth.

As one of the youngest Elders, Joshua often had to endure all of our lecturing on the importance of protecting the homo-sapiens’ history even though his young spirit had yearned for adventure. Now as he sat there with his eyes set in such serious concentration, I wondered if the strong-hearted youth still sought to live freely in the world as another young Elder had left us to do.

I peeked back at Syena and wondered what about her might have captivated the young man across the aisle. The white gown Granita had dressed her in still glimmered in the unnatural light of the illuminators in the room, but I was positive he could not see that effect from his seat—the partition had to reach to about the base of her neckline. Aside from the view of Syena’s recently developed and perfectly contoured bosom, I reasoned that my female companion’s allure rested in the flawless beauty in her face.

She was indeed a treasure to behold, and that day was no exception. Her mother had combed her heavy strands into a light, playful bun with her fingers that morning and lined the parting with knotted blossoms of white lilac. Syena also possessed a soft sheen to her skin that was especially pronounced in her smooth cheeks. She had stained her lips with rose petals that morning, so that the powder-pink shade perfectly complemented the soft tint of her eyes.