Chapter 25
«Come back in an hour, I need to work.»
The supervisor scratched his head and waved an hand in embarra.s.sment:
«Since I started skipping my job, it is necessary to bring the matter to an end. That's why I'm taking the day off.» - and went to the exit. Kyon threw the last glance at the doctor and walked after him.
For some time they walked in silence. The young man, nodding at his own thoughts, caught up with Mob and asked directly:
«Do you like Martha?»
Mob clearly did not expect such a question, paused and stopped. He stared at the young man, but quickly looked away. He cleared his throat and finally squeezed out:
«None of your business, sucker.»
Kyon, not paying attention to the threat in the voice supervisor, winked at him:
«Do you want me to help you to take over her?»
Mob burst out with laughter:
«ha, hha! How could you help me? What else except shuffling of stones could do your slave abilities? What a fun...»
Yes, the man had a low opinion of the abilities of slaves. However, his irony did not look like a hard failure thet'why Kyon continued:
«Perhaps you've noticed how coldly she looks at me today? It's because of one... misunderstanding. I want to apologize to her, but you have to help me. In return, I will help you to take her over.» - The young man supposed that Martha asked the supervisor to lead him to her, and consequently, Mob partly kept track of the events.
Mob, grinning skeptically, snorted:
«And what is your help?»
«I'll tell her something about you that will make her look at you in a different way.»
From the expression of the skinny controller, it was clear that he did not really believe in what the guy had said. But still decided to ask:
«Hmm... and how can I help you apologize? I won't do it for you... and even don't think about it, sucker.»
«I just need a pencil and paper. I'll draw everything.»
«What?! Do you think I'm an idiot?How are these things gonna help you apologize?»
«I am good at drawing. She'll forgive me, and then I'll help you.…»
Mob rolled his eyes, «how wonderful peasant children are.» Anyway, no harm in trying, let the daub.
«Agreed...» - then they walked in silence to the door which the man friendly opened for the guy: - «Come in.»
Standard room in the mountain, standard furniture, standard stuff for convenience - nothing special.
«Here you are.» Mob fumbled a little in the bedside table and handed the guy a pencil and a few sheets.
In just 15 minutes Kyon painted what he had planned. When he finished, he handed the pencil back.:
«Thank you very much, I'm done.»
«Let me see what you've daubed there.»
Kyon obediently handed the piece of paper on which was doodled some simple romantic landscape.
«Pfft, hha! Nothing of the kind of any talent...» - Mob with a chuckle returned the sheet.
«If we don't check, we won't know.»
Of course, a pathetic tree on the background of the sea was unlikely to impress Martha. But as for the second picture that Kyon depicted on the second sheet and discreetly slipped into a pocket – well, that opus had all chances.
Having entered the hospital, Kyon immediately caught cold-hostile glance of the doctor which made him freeze. The room was quiet, except for the sound of patients sleeping soundly thanks to sleeping pills.
Mob greeted Martha and she nodded back. She resolutely walked to the newcomers and, still continuing the drilling Kyon with her eyes, muttered:
«Mob, we need to talk to him, stay here. I may need you again.»
The boy s.h.i.+vered. The lady was extremely determined – if he did not manage to implement his plan, she would immediately hand him over to the controller.
«OK. I'll keep an eye on these guys for a while.»
Mar got out of infirmary beckoning for Kyon. In tense silence they walked down the corridor, then the woman turned into a niche. Making sure, that no one can hear them there, slowly turned to fellow:
«You used me…»
Kyon was silent, waiting for the continuation of the monologue. She definitely needed to talk out.
«You deceived me making me do what you needed. You broke into my office, you made me distract Martin, you» - Martha wearily closed her eyes for a second: - «You son of a b.i.t.c.h, how dare you do that?» - she almost screamed, but it was not clear whether she was more outraged by Martin's death or by the fact that Kyon had used her for his own selfish purposes.
Having sustained a theatrical pause, Kyon said pathetically:
«When your life is at stake, what will you do?»
Martha frowned and muttered, still annoyed.:
«What do you mean by that?»
«I had one teacher who for the sake of the benefit was ready to go with ease on the top of people. I despise such people more than anybody else. Selfishness, greed, greed - all these vices make of a person a walking rot of bones and meat.» - the guy's face reflected emotion, emotional gestures which added sincerity to his words. - «Such people always can be detected by one distinctive feature...» - Kyon was silent, waiting for Martha's response.
The woman, although she made a firm decision not to believe a single word of the boy, still could not restrain curiosity:
«And what is the feature?»
«The eyes. Eyes full of greed, the eyes which manifest ability and desire to break someone else's destiny for the sake of their benefit.» - and after waiting for the right moment, the young man handed the prepared sheet to Martha.
The woman lingered a moment, then unfolded the drawing. It was a picture of Martin, greedy, cruel, full of contempt eyes staring at the innocent Kyon. Like a butcher looking at a slaughterhouse victim.
She stared at the picture for a long time. Her female nature slowly imbued with pity for the depicted «victim», which gradually overcame her anger and indignation.
Martha always treated Martin neutrally, considered him a master of his craft, but as a person she did not know him at all. Having seen his cruel, greedy nature in the picture, she somehow did not find it unrealistic, rather quite possible.
«Why are you showing me this?»
«Martin found in me a peculiarity that is... beyond human understanding. He had a desire for profit, for which I was to be the victim of.» - humbly said Kyon, showing, thus, that he trusted Martha, ready to tell about itself any mystery.
«I don't understand... what is the peculiarity?» - continued to pry discouraged woman. She knew that the world was able to surprise with its quirks, the price of which, at times, was sky-high.
Kyon gently reached the hand of Martha. The doctor, though, suspiciously looked at the manipulation of the young men, did not get her away. The guy gently touched her wrist, and the fingers on the woman's hand involuntarily moved, as if they were tied to them with threads.
Martha pulled back her hand in fright:
«What... what have you done!?»
Kyon mentally frowned: {Why is it so difficult? I had to spend 80% of my Synergy just to stimulate her hand a little!}
Since Martha was at the 3rd stage
«I have a unique body that grants me extraordinary abilities. For example, the demagnetization of the formation, about which you have heard more than once. At first Martin suspected something was wrong and decided to spy on me secretly. Then, after the relapse, he studied me and my environment completely, decided that it was a special body hidden in me, not otherwise, so he gave the order to deliver him special tools. Even that day I was afraid of his eyes... Probably because he looked at me like a butcher at a fat pig... they were... They were awful...» Kyon shed a tear and sobbed. Perhaps just oak would not be penetrated by his emotions, and Martha instantly turned pity, slightly stretched out her hand, but immediately gave it back. She wouldn't make the same mistakes.
Initially, in her understanding Kyon was simply a murderer who used her as a tool, but now she understood his motive, but it could not not justify him!
«But... is that a reason to kill him!? He probably wouldn't have done anything to you! How can you be so sure? Just because of one look?!» - Martha exclaimed, turned angry at the young man again. Whatever the case, murder remains murder.
«Do you remember that bruise on my wrist?» - the boy said softly, rubbing his hand defiantly with his head drooping.
Martha sucked air in fear. Is Martin was really so rough up a suspect a boy? It turns out that not only one greedy look motivated him to commit a crime? But still.…
«B-but…»
«I have recently found out that Martin deleted me from the database, you could search my name in the logs - you will not find it. Because of this, I do not receive rations, I'm starving, suffering from thirst the entire work s.h.i.+ft; I am happy that Byron is a good guy and helps not willing me to die because of starvation. Martin did it because he already planned to kidnap me from the mine so there would be no questions. Although he looked like a good man, but inside, I felt, he was hiding a demon. I was very scared of him... I didn't want to be dissected! And to be sold to bad people! I-I didn't want... to Die...» - he finished compa.s.sionately looking at the woman with wet eyes.
Martha opened her mouth a couple of times, but could not find any words. All her insides was slipped with emotions of pity and compa.s.sion, she was likely to have stood in the place of a young man. Could he manipulate her again? No... it was impossible, she didn't want to believe the boy was lying again. And how could he lie if she saw the instruments in Martin's office, saw the bruise, and felt his unique abilities on her hand. It all fitted, he just wanted to be saved, he was just a victim of human greed in the guise of Martin.
Soon she chose the words, told already almost without anger in her voice:
«Still, why didn't you tell me? I would help you. I would solve the problem!» - the woman exclaimed emotionally, wringing her hands.
Kyon chuckled mentally: Yes, of course she would. Aloud he plaintively bleated, making a sorrowful face:
«I'm sorry, but... He would just kill you.» Kyon closed his eyes, turning away. Moisture gathered in the corners of his eyes.
Martha was shocked, and muttered.:
«Killed...» - She didn't understand why she had to blink to clear her eyes. So much... She wanted to believe him so much, to believe that he was worried about her, but she didn't ask him about it to get to know the matter by sure. Involuntarily she remembered the past, as her husband and son were killed because of debts, and she managed to escape. Human greed is able to destroy life, to transcend fate... Martin would actually kill her. Their positions were uncomparable.
Martha was silent for a while, coming to her senses, sighed:
«Okay, maybe you did the right thing, although it's hard for me to accept... Because I was just a tool in your hands...» - she irritably crumpled the picture with «malicious» Martin in her hands and asked the long-exciting question - «Tell me, darling, how did you do it? And don't hide anything!» - she threatened him by her tone and by her finger, slightly squinted.
Kyon, scratching the top of his head, began to tell the story, trying to avoid sharp corners that could anger a woman who clearly did not like that she was "used". At least she realized, and kind of took his motive for murder for granted. How nice that he managed to convey to her the emotions he wanted to convey.
Having finished the story, and seeing the thoughtfully startled expression of a woman who once again overestimated the young man in a more «clever» and «smart», Kyon hastened to change the topic. He could not let her start again because he «used» it, besides, it was time to fulfill the second part of the contract:
«By the way, while communicating with the Mob, I have noticed that he has good qualities.»
«And what are they?» - indifferently muttered Martha on the way back to the hospital.
«When I was attacked by those bulls, he displayed his good side. As a matter of fact, I didn't really expect him to be so... Do you think he's worthy of praise?» - the guy tricky narrowed his eyes.
«Perhaps, worthy. Why do you ask that?»
«I just don't think my words of grat.i.tude will make him very happy. Another thing, if these warm words would be p.r.o.nounced by the person whom he is hot for…»
Martha snorted angrily.:
«Hey, why should I do anything for you!? By the way, I'm still angry at you!»
Kyon shook his head:
«Martha, you're not doing this for me, you're doing it for a good cause. After all, perhaps, Mob will change and will become a normal man! He will ceased to behave so disrespectful to others and will go to the light side! Don't you want to change him?»
«I don't know... what if he misunderstands me?» - already not so adamantly responded the doctor.
«Let's thank him together, because in this case it will be obvious what we mean.»
«Hmm, if together, then okay. Why not.» - Martha didn't like the behavior of Mob towards slaves, and here might be the chance. Nevertheless, women's love for» re-education» of men is indestructible and always takes its toll.
«Great! When I rub my nose, we'll say "thank you" at the same time! He'll understand everything.»
«Okay, but be careful!» - she shook her finger at him cautiously.
Kyon with an innocent smile nodded. {It was simple, too simple.}
It's been a productive day.
…
Pink, the old servant of the late Martin, was grieving. Martin's father, when he was alive, saved him from starvation, clothed him, raised him... Needless to say, Pink was as loyal as a dog to the Stones family? The old master was long gone, Pink with his devotion moved «to bequeath to» to his son, Martin. Now he went to the forefathers too, there was only the grandson of his benefactor – Egorka. Pink ought to suck it up and continue the service to her grandson, however, there was something in the death of the current owner which made him greatly disturb.
Faithful servant was not satisfied with the conclusion of the doctor and he decided to investigate the matter. Upon the rights of a personal servant, he begged the authorities of the mine to provide him with clearance to some places forbidden for ordinary mortals. The authorities gave him 3 days all in all, after which he was obliged to get out.
Today was the last day of his «competence», and the investigation had hardly moved from a dead point. He discovered that the master ordered to bring the same tools required for inspection of the body, in order to observe the boy – Kyon, who was the only witness to his death. It would seem that it didn't matter – but Pink found the crack in the crystal sphere. Initially, the servant thought that Martin had just dropped the sphere on the floor when he choked, but - there was the hitch! - in this case, the guy probably would have noticed the condition of the chief due to the noise and would quickly call the guards.
Another oddity - there were no buns in the room except the one Martin choked on. Of course, he wanted to think that this bun was just the last one, but when he questioned the cook, who usually took orders, it turned out that on this day he did not cook anything for Martin, and Martin used to eat exceptionally fresh, high-grade pastries. The rest of that ill-fated pastries could not be described in such a way.
Thus, Pink decided that Kyon was the only hook. Recently, he tried to find out more about the guy, and found out that he got into trouble with the guards, and today he was whispered that all of them were sent to the knockout! And a good half of them were blown out by Kyon! Suspicious, very suspicious! So, Pink, determined to get to the truth, went to the hospital to ask the battered men about what had happened. If it turned out that the guy was really involved in the death of his master, then he would not leave him alone, EVER!
…
Martha and Kyon entered the hospital. Mob, breaking away from the wall, came out to meet them:
«How was it?» - he asked vaguely the both.
Kyon imperceptibly to Marta put the thumb – «everything was cool».
A woman, put her hair in the ear, casually said, going to check on the patients:
«I don't know what you mean.»
Mob winced angrily. By his side he approached Kyon, pushed him to the shoulder:
«It's your turn to return your debt!»
Kyon strangely smiled and winked:
«Something interesting is about to happen, but, attention - a lot depends on your reaction, so be more persistent.»
The supervisor wondered what Kyon was talking about, but he made a note of it.
Martha, viewing of one of the beaten guards, started «interrogation» of Mob:
«So what happened to these guys?»
«Nothing special... When I came to pick up Kyon, they had already surrounded him. Well, I yelled for them to calm down, but it was as usual... Words can't help it, I had to calm them down with my fists.» - the man finished with a nervous chuckle.
Martha's eyes flashed with genuine interest.:
«So you've dealt with all of them?» - she sent Kyon a meaningful look to make a gesture... but the boy didn't seem to notice the doctor's signals at all.
«Aahhhh, yeah, on my own! It wasn't that difficult! You know whom I did it for?»
Mob still not finished, like Kyon with his eyes blazing, began furiously scratching the tip of his nose. Martha, tense as a string waiting for the right moment, immediately blurted out, without even thinking about the meaning of the words said by the supervisor:
«Thank you!» - and only a moment later she realized that Kyon was silent.
Seconds stretched like sticky mola.s.ses, the silence was such that it could be cut by a knife. {Hey, why are you silent!} - She glared at him.
Kyon innocently took a sock on the floor, as if saying, «what am I? I'm nothing.»
Martha understood everything. It was terrible even to look at Mob – even without his eloquent glance his cheeks were poured a treacherous blush. How silly she felt.…
Mob froze in amazement: {She... Really...} Then there emerged Kyon's instruction to be persevere. Gathering all the courage in a fist, he went to the embarra.s.sed Martha, grabbed the non-resisting hand in his paw and tried to catch her eyes:
«I'm glad you understand why I did it.»
March, blus.h.i.+ng even more, pushed Mob:
«No... no-no! You have got it all wrong! Just me and Kyon.…»