Chapter 3 – Duties and Disgrace
Like two cats who knock over a milk jug and hope nothing comes of it, Val and Sydney slipped into the hall, ducking heads, hunching shoulders, aiming for the last row of seats. They weren't so lucky.
"Oh, look!" Village Chief James declared from the front of the room. He was so calm and low-key, the garish style had always been what Val detested most. "At long last, our young heroes have graced us with their presence."
All the heads turned. In a wide hall crowded to the rafters with almost thirty kids, every one of them stared.
"Not that guy..."
"Valentine Blake, forever late and so noisy too."
"A real attention hound."
"He thinks rules shouldn't apply to him any more."
He heard every word. He clenched his own teeth, and his hand opened and closed. He opened his mouth but—
—but Sydney was holding his hand over. "Not now," she threatened. "Do you want to get us roasted right here? Just sit. Down."
There James squinted at Val. "Sit down. I will attend to you later."
"Later, later," Val muttered.
The chief's voice filled the hall. "As I was saying… this year's coming-of-age meeting is exceptional. We have more of you than ever. Characters, every one." His eyes flicking through the room to Val, the word bright stretching like taffy to an insult.
"Each of you will be given an assignment," James finished up. "The lowest will make you do the dirtiest jobs; some pernickety. All are necessary, however. Account yourselves well in dishwashing, and the town benefits. Fall down on the job… and we will find someone else. Do I make myself clear?"
"Clear, Chief," the kids answered in chorus all but one at least.
James nodded. "Good. Now form a queue for your tasks."
The room hummed as the kids surged at their assignments as if it were a fair. First to her feet, Sydney followed them. Val leaned back in his chair, arms folded.
"What do you think you are doing?" Sydney hissed.
"Get in line!"
"Take it easy," Val said as he stretched, his feet on the stage. "Let the crowd die down. You know I'm not anyone's favorite. The scraps will be left for me anyway."
Sydney sighed. "With that attitude, you'll become the scraps."
By the time Val finally rose, only a few figures from the crowd were left. Regrettably for him, James was one of them. His eagle-eyes watched Val as Val's mouth spoke, "Oh, wonderful. Just what the Great Gazettes ordered"
"Good morning, Chief," Sydney greeted him happily.
James raised an eyebrow. "Good morning? Try the afternoon. Now, Sydney...why are you late?"
Sydney smiled sweetly Val. "Because of him."
Val put his hands up. "Oh, come on!"
James gave them each a folder. "Take them. And Val… no complaining."
They scuttled into a corner to open their envelopes. Sydney scanned hers first. "Let's see, Nursery duty--helping out with the little ones. That's not too bad." She turned a questioning gaze Val's way. "What about you?"
Val's face had turned from white into red, and from red into what was between fury and despair.
"What is it?" Sydney asked cautiously.
"...Shit," Val said in a thin whisper.
"...What?"
"Shit duty. I have to shovel shit."
Sydney 's lips pursed for a moment, then she burst into laughter. "I--ha!--am sorry, it's not funny but... oh my god--it is--"
"It is not funny!" Val snapped . "James did this to me on purpose," exclaimed Val. "He always does. Shows no respect! Everyone else gets barns, or lands to sow, or guards' duty. And me? I end up with shit."
As if on cue, a smug voice sounded in his right ear. "Why, if it isn't Mister Trouble himself."
Val looked over yes. Sure enough. There was Chad; bigger than himself, two years his senior, and smug enough to make the pants whistle. "I hear you've got the poop detail," sneered Chad. "Meanwhile, I got barn duty. Real man's work."
Val was furious. "Barn duty. Good for you, Prince!" He made an upward sweeping gesture. "What next--shoveling cow spit?"
"Better than scraping shit, poop-boy." Chad gave his chest an upward thrust without smiling. The small children nearby laughed.
Sydney groaned. "Please, don't. Not now; don't start things."
Val was already moving forward, his fists clenched in readiness.
And then--
CRACK.
The noise exploded in the hall. The entire floor trembled as though some great mass were pounding against the ground below them. The laughter died.
From the far wall came a faint groaning sound... like old wood being torn to pieces.
The village guards rushed to the doors. "Stay where you are!" one of them ordered. "Don't anyone leave!"
Val's anger changed to an entirely different emotion. He turned to Sydney. She looked back at him.
"...What was that?" she murmured.
Val's grin returned, sharp and mischievous despite feeling a surge of fear. "You see? I told you this village isn't safe. They can laugh at me all they want—"
Another CRACK sounded, closer. The floor under Val's feet shook. Dust drifted down from the rafters.
Sydney grabbed onto his sleeve. "Val... this is no longer funny."
But Val was not amused. His eyes were on the floor as it split open. Crisscrossed cracks spread out before him, black and jagged... it almost seemed as though something below were trying to claw its way to the surface.