The Paragon of Eden

Not even the highest authority of her home world owned a bed like this.

There was no one in sight, and only the sand-colored walls kept her company. These people really liked warmer colors, going for a constant combination of yellow, orange, and pink. Complementary colors showed up here and there to break up the flow, but other than that, it was almost sickening. Without the strange people, though, it felt a little homely and relaxing.

And this note seemed to suggest that her solitude was just an illusion. They were watching her, weren’t they? At least they hadn’t come in person to announce the contents of the paper.

Inside the decorated envelope, there was a piece of writing scrawled out in huge letters. The writer must not have been very adept at this kind of thing. And the words were misspelled. And the diction sounded rural in some parts. And there weren’t many parts.

All it said was: Deelya, I booked a room neer yors. Go ther. I want to say sumthing.

And then there was a crudely drawn map of which turns to take, which stairs to cross, and what door to arrive at. It wasn’t one of these nobles, but it also wasn’t Kod. She assumed he was literate. The same could be said for Hau, though it was still better than being anything that suggested this note was from one of those demons from the ballroom. Deelia dressed and left, following the map carefully and hiding it from any passerby that came her way.

When she arrived at the door, she knocked, and a woman answered. She was another one of those young people who acted older than she looked. Deelia had only actually directly heard one of the women talk. That was this woman.

Deelia was let in and shown to a couch across from a hearth. This place was extremely extravagant. These people could not possibly disappoint, as much as that was worth filling the voids of their personalities.

Sitting on the couch was the old man with the greying beard, Doht. He patted the cushion next to his, not nearly close enough for anything other than company and talking distance. Was he genuine? He did warn her of the others…

“What’d ya think, then?”

“Do you know how to write?”

“Nah. I never learned it. Grew up poor. And I was talking about the dance.”

“How did you end up here, then?”

“I ain’t even know. Am thinkin’ they just decided to prop up a new figurehead at some point. I saved one of their dogs or somthin’ from drownin’, and next thing I know, I’m one of them. And then I was the talk of the town, or the talk of the castle, or whatever. And then I disappeared.”

“Lucky.”

“Nah, not that kind of disappearing. You wish. I can’t leave. Neither can you.”

“Doht!” yelled the woman from across the room. She was fixing tea for them. “It is disrespectful to say that!”

“Last time you said that, you told me it was blasphemy! Old woman! Sorry, that’s my wife.”

“She’s young.”

“Nah, she ain’t. She’s older than me.”

“They live longer?”

“Yeah, but not naturally. I guess I can too, but I ain’t wanna do it. Don’t wanna become one of them.”

“Are they human?”

“Yeah, on the outside. They seemed weird during the dance, didn’t they?”

“Yes.”

“Seemed to act older than they were?”

“Yes.”

“Seemed to make the most of their youthful bodies?”

“Yes…”

“That’s Newwork for ya. I hope you never fall in love around here. I ain’t thinkin’ there’s anyone your age anymore. Not even anyone my age, save Gerra if ya spare a few years. I’m the youngest one. I look like an old man, but am treated like a kid. I act like a kid, Deelia?”

“A little…”

“Shuttup. You ain’t even know me.”

Gerra came to pour them tea, and she overflowed Deelia’s.

“Sorry,” she stammered.

“You ain’t sorry,” said Doht. “Don’t hate her, Gerra.”

“I don’t hate anyone.”

“What’s wrong, then?”

“Am I worth nothing? They treat you like a child because you are one. I have lived with them for so many years, and I was thrown away when they married me to you. Just another ploy. What are we now? What am I now? We’ll never be anything to them, Doht.”

“Wanna leave?”

“We can’t!”

The two of them looked at each other, sorrowful. Yet they weren’t alone. Doht embraced Gerra, and then they sat together, close enough to seem like a couple. They were a couple. They shared each other’s suffering.

“Wanna leave, Deelia?”

“I thought you said I can’t.”

“Oh, you ain’t leavin’ on your own. I ain’t got nothin’ compared to them, but I can at least sneak ya out.”

“They’ll know,” said Gerra.

“What’s gonna happen to us? They ain’t even care about punishing. We’ll be fine.”

Deelia didn’t know what to say. These people had something in them that she was only just discovering once again. These people were truly, entirely genuine. They were good. It was a shame that she had come across them in such a state of helplessness that she couldn’t know them any better. Surely, they would have a place in Eden.

“Thank you,” Deelia said. She left for her room, almost forgetting the map. Once she arrived, she was a little sad to be alone. Gerra had Doht. Where was Hau?

She contemplated leaving, but it meant sacrificing some of the only good people she knew. And she needed to save the world yet.

How long would it take?