Young Writers Society

Will was trying not to notice how often Harry and Ita remained in an embrace during those few moments. They shouldn't have ever been allowed to be in the same room together. They shouldn't -

They shouldn't what?

A messaged bounced back to her rambling from the person identified as Cati.  Will hadn’t met this mysterious mentor before today and certainly wasn’t aware of any telepathic abilities.

Another message bounced back.

Yes, I can communicate this way.  It is in some ways how I see, and you should know that Harry has the same abilities.  She can move bullets.  She can move water.  But most of all, she can move words.

Before Will had just been making mild thoughts but now she decided to try and make conversation.

“How?”

Will looked across to the little old creature that seemed to be analyzing for the simplest answer.  She tried to clear her mind so that no one in the room would get distracted because anyone else might possibly listening.  Or maybe there would be someone out on the street just watching her –

Please be silent child.  There is no fear of having your mind read by outsiders as long as your fiancé rests over this house.

“Fiancé?”

Oh.I suppose there are many reasons that I was brought to this place at this time.  She wishes to seek your hand in marriage and already refers to you in her mind in this more personal way.

Will looked up towards Robe and Harry standing outside the office door, their faint shadowy outlines barely visible on the other side of frosted pane.  It reminded her so much of the scenes in all of Harry’s old detective movies.Those moments right before the whole cast was introduced and everyone finally got a sense of the plot line.

Cati coughed and Will was suddenly aware of their presence again.  She now noticed that Jud had left the room and went back to tending to Leo in his office.  For some reason she thought the criminal had been carted away by the police ages ago but that obviously was not the case. There was a conversation occurring in every direction, but she could barely hear the one occurring in her head.

“I can talk aloud if it is easier for you, darling.I know it is often hard to start out communicating in this way.”

“It was just a bit – “

“Surprising?  That’s what Harry thought once upon a time too.  She was barely able to communicate within her own species and then she was introduced to the concept of communicating with every species.”

Will looked down at her hands, wishing that she had something to fumble with.

“Harry, she’s…never mentioned you before.  Obviously, everyone else knows you but why don’t I?”

Cati slid up in the chair, pulled their cloak back around their shoulders and settled back into the old leather armchair.  Will hoped it was no longer listening as she tried to guess possible scenarios in her head.  The readjustment lasted long enough for Will’s mind to wander to a far-off land that she hoped was the one Harry came from.

“Long ago, when Harry was just a child, I was an ambassador in Tanis for my planet.”

“Long ago?  She’s only 26.”

“26 of your years, maybe.  But where she comes from, she is a much older soul.  Didn’t you ever wonder how a child of war could exist when Nerot has had no such war for over 500 years?”

Will looked at the forms outside again and thought about the little she knew of Harry.  Harry wasn’t really one for talking about her past and most of the time, will preferred for those old secrets to remain secrets. There were things she had overheard, things she had been told by “friends”, and things she had researched for herself.

“She never told me anything like that.  She just said she left her home because it wasn’t a good situation and that she left when she was 17.”

“When Harry was born, it came apparent to the people around her that her genetics were different.  That was about 530 years ago.  She lived under the government for half of it and under a cruel adoptive parent for the other.  And I swear I couldn’t tell you which one was worse.  Are you familiar with the techniques created during the Galvian wars?”

“That’s when they froze soldiers.  But that was 500 years ago.”

Cati looked down into the satchel for a handkerchief and passed it across to Will.

“She left Tanis when she was 17 as part of her military assignment and she got stationed to the nearby planet of Galvia.  She was not supposed to be there the night they collected the soldiers back from the battlefield.  In the Galvia army, they would preserve and reanimate soldiers on rotation, but the system wasn’t adapted to her species.”

“Is that why she’s sick?”

“One of the reasons, yes.  This is a very long story and your partner will be coming back inside soon.  I can hear her finishing up her conversation with Rose and this is not the sort of thing to be discussing in public.”

Within ten seconds of Cati finishing her statement, the front door banged against the jam and Harry came back into the common room.

“So, what are you two talking about?”

Will started to speak but Cati soon stopped her.

“Just chatting, darling.  Your lovely lady suggested that we dine together, all of us back together again or at least the ones that stuck around.”

“That does sound like a good idea.  Unfortunately, we don’t have the original Vinconni to join the crew, but Leo should suffice.”

Harry walked away to Jud’s office and from the common they could hear the chat that was going on inside.

For now, this will be a secret and soon enough, she will trust you with the truth.

Cati then seemed to be slipping off into the book in their hands as they bounced the next message.

Crime is common. Logic is rare. Therefore, it is upon the logic rather than upon the crime that you should dwell.

From Harry’s office the intercom buzzed from a secretary downstairs.  It crackled and buzzed a few times before Will could hear the whole message.

“– not on the list – a Luca Brasi – see you – “

Will knew the name, but she didn’t know what it could mean.