FORTY-NINE: The Long Walk

“I suppose not,” he said. “I know you too. But I don’t think you recognize me.”

“No.”

“The mask. Our identities should remain hidden from the general public,” he hesitated. “I was the boy at Mr. Burton’s. You gave me an extra bag of jaw breakers. I was on my way home from the Temple. They are cheaper there than anywhere else in the City. It’s a long bus ride from there, home. My name is James.”

“Arous.”

“I know,” he was smiling. “I know where you live, too.”

“Of course you do.  Still stopping by to say good-morning.”

“Every morning. I wave; he head-butts the window. He smiles too. Most don’t smile at me. But the priest didn’t know I knew. He told me your address anyway. It didn’t seem like it would have been good if I let on that I knew where you lived.”

“How could he have known?”

“There are DNA scanners at the entrance to the auditorium.  You probably didn’t notice them. They look like really big incense burners. Anyway, you walked by another one right before you walked into be questioned by the bishop.”

“Why on earth - ?” asked Arous.

“Everybody has to go to temple as certain number of times a season.  The DNA scanners keep track of who comes for their quota amount.”

“And what happens if they don’t?” Arous asked.

“I don’t know,” he said.

“That’s not a very effective form of coercion,” she said.

They had stopped directly below Arous apartment.

“Well, Octavius,” she said and knelt to be on the level with James who, though standing, wasn’t much taller than Octavius sitting. “Not only are you a well-groomed, genetically altered, good manned attack cat – you now have an admirer that you have successfully charmed. I’d say it’s about nap time for you.”

“I have to run back to the Temple before service is over.”

“Let me call you a hoveh-taxi.”

“No, hovaxi,” he corrected her. “I can’t take any favors. I’m in training and have to do everything by the book.”

“Training?”

“Can’t talk. Gotta run. “

“Wait. I need you to tell me about the boy, Mike,” she stood up.

James cocked his head.

“The boy that was accused of killing all those animals and his friend,” she said.

“How did you know it was his friend?”

“I met them. Anyway can you tell me - ?”

“He was sent to the HaleSpa,” he said.

“Where - ?”

“It’s in the nicer part of town, between the North Wall and the forest that boarders the north end of the park,” the boy stopped. “And, try to stand out a little less. Hovaxi not hoveh-taxi. At least get our words right,” he paused and looked at her seriously. “It’s not a suggestion. You have no friends here.”

The boy bolted.

“Thanks for the warning!”