Chess didnt stop, crossing the square past the enormous stone 1997 Haunted Week memorial, remembering as always to dip her head in respect for the millions worldwide whose lives had been stolen.
She didnt remember Haunted Week herself, shed been only an infant. She only knew the ghosts hadnt taken her own parents, whoever they wereor rather, that their death wasnt the reason she was in the system. Theyd given her up already. But the story of Haunted Week she knew, of course she knew, as everyone did. She could only imagine what it must have been like, people huddled together in churches and homes and schools, praying and crying, while silent ghosts, risen from their graves, moved through the walls in search of them. Stealing their lives. Armed with knives and broken glass, armed with ropes and hatchets and razors, their blank faces impassive as they killed.
She wasnt the only one who saw the Church as her salvation, despite the few grumpy splinter groups who attempted to rebel in their small, largely useless ways. All of humanityall that remained, a third of what the population had been before that fateful weekowed their lives to the only group, the only religion, that had been able to control and defeat the ghosts. Before Haunted Weekbefore the Church showed the world what Truth wastheyd been a tiny group, devoted to the theory and study of magic. Now they ran the world.
And she was part of it. It was the one thing in her life of which she was proud.
She pushed her way through the heavy iron doors so she stood in the cool blue entry hall of the Church of Real Truth.
It always felt a little like coming home, and why shouldnt it? The only constant thing in her entire life had been this building. A different set of parents every couple of months, a different house, different siblings. Take your choice between being beaten or fucked by a series of Rent-a-daddies. But almost every Saturday shed been brought here to listen to the Grand Elder, to learn the secrets of entering the city of the dead.
And of course, once theyd discovered she had some talent, it had become more than that. School, and the first place shed ever been somewhat safe.
Her heels clicked across the tile floor. The sound followed her, a half beat behind her actual steps, rising up past the bare walls to the carvings around the ceiling. Skulls and shrieking faces on the west side, the beatific smiles of the rested dead on the east.
Cesaria. Good morn to you.
Elder Griffin opened the door to his office and stepped out into the hall. His dark blue velvet suit glowed in the dim light, emphasizing the pure white of his stockings over well-defined calves. The broad brim of his matching hat cast his face into shadow, making his smile float like the Cheshire cats.
He bowed over her hand. You look tired, dear. Are you well?
Fine. Only She hesitated, but only for a moment. I need a new case. I finished the Sanfords last night, Ill turn in the file before I go.
But no bonus.
She shook her head.
Any trouble at the Sanfords?
UmActually, I need a new psychopomp, too. This one appeared early. Its not a problem, its fine, she amended quickly, seeing the concern in his eyes. She did not want to be questioned on what had happened. But I think the one I had would work better with a different Debunker from now on.
Talk to Elder Richards before you leave. Did you bring the old one with you?
She nodded. And then Im ready for a new case. Please.
Is it your turn?
I think so. Please, Elder Griffin. I want to get started, I reallyfeel lucky.
He thought for a minute, narrowing his black-ringed eyes. Actually, something came in late last night. Come with me. Elder Murray is doing the service today, Im just leading the Credo, so I have time.
Light glinted off the silver buckles on his shoes as they clicked down the hall to the Reports Room, where Chess averted her eyes while he performed the necessary ritual to break the warding spell on the door. I started the file this morning, havent gotten the financial reports yet. The Mortons, out in Trebor Bay. They claim to have been having problems for several weeks, but theyve only just called.
She raised her eyebrows. Same old story.
Exactly. Here we go.
Without the imposing figure of Goody Tremmell sitting behind it, the Reports Desk looked oddly empty, even with the jumble of loose papers and empty coffee cups scattered across it. The files stayed tucked in the long row of cabinets behind the desk; Goody Tremmell never allowed anyone but herself and the occasional Elder to go near them, much less touch them, and Holy Day was her day off. It felt like a violation simply to be in the room.
Griffin used an ornate silver key to open one of the drawers. Chess half-expected an alarm to sound, but the Elder simply selected a file and handed it to her, pushing the drawer closed behind him. What happened to your hand?
The wound shed gotten from the amulet at the airport looked even worse this morning, jagged and red, so shed wrapped her hand in a gauze bandage before heading in. She shook her head. I cut myself opening a can of tuna, can you believe it?
You should have one of our doctors look at it.
Itll be fine, thanks. Its not deep, I just want to keep it clean. Actually she suspected it was getting infected. Her entire hand throbbed.
Well, if you change your mind let me know. You can probably get out there tonight.
Getoh, the case. On Holy Day?
Go after sundown. Weve made a dispensation to get caught up after the Festival.
Oh. Right. The Church was still trying to get caught up, and so was she. The Festival meant work, work and sleepless nights, and more work. One week a year of penance, mourning, and rituals, long daylight hours in Church and longer dark hours at home with blood and herbs on the doors and windows to protect the citizenry, and her skin crawling with ghostly energy. Six nights, during which the dead again walked the earth, separated from the people they wanted to kill only by the Churchs knowledge and power.
It was scary, and difficultbut it certainly reminded people who was in charge. Not the Quantras with their useless protests, or the PRA with their attempts to use the Churchs own government branch to undermine the Churchs moral authority. Not the Marenzites with their threats or even the more sinister and effective Lamaru with their black magic and their complicated plots. All these groups wanted to be in control.
Only the Church was. And from the twenty-eighth of October to the third of November every year, they reminded the world very forcibly of that fact.
Elder Griffin smiled. Take it, and see what you can do with it. Luck carry you.
She tucked the slim manila folder into her bag to examine later and followed him back down to the Temple, where Elder Murray was discussing the importance of respect. Shed heard this one before, but she slipped into a seat in the back, making sure he saw her. Making sure they all saw her. Living away from the church complex put her under scrutiny enoughespecially latelywithout being seen to miss services.
Which reminded her. She wanted to see if there were any records on Chester Airport before she left.
Elder Griffin stood at the podium and swept off his hat, so the blue light in the room shone off his blond hair and turned it silver. The whites of his eyes floated in the black makeup ringing them. Chess bowed her head.
I have no need for faith. Hundreds of voices raised together, intoning the Credo; Chess imagined other Church buildings, other parts of the country, of the world, with everyone speaking in unison. I do not need faith because I know the Truth. I do not need to believe. Belief is unnecessary when fact is Truth. I do not pray to a god. Prayer implies faith and gods do not exist. Only energy exists, and this is Truth. The Church shows me the Truth and protects me. If I hold to these Truths I will enter the City of Eternity, and there I will stay.
By the time they reached the last words, voices echoed and crashed off the walls, joyous, emphatic, trusting. The rooms energy snaked over her skin and warmed her all the way through, as she knew it was doing for every Church employee. Sensitivity to such things was the first basic indicator of talent.
Heard about the Sanfords, someone whispered. Bad luck, huh?
She turned, glaring right into Agnew Doyles grinning face. He probably wouldnt be grinning so cheerily if she slapped him, but this wasnt the place. Doyle had caused her enough trouble already. She didnt need to start fighting with him in the middle of the hall.
Hey, wait. I just wanted to say sorry, Chessie. I heard this morning how it was a real haunting, and I thought
You thought youd get the full story, some good gossip to pass on? Bodies brushed hers as people left the hall.
Church services were very short, as a rule. They didnt need to be long. What mattered most was the swiping of identification cards to prove one had attended, to prove one was faithful; coming to services wasnt mandatory, but everyone knew those who did had a better chance at getting good jobs, at getting their children into superior schools. What benefits the Church provided always went first to those who did their part.
No donations were solicited, no pleas for funding the way the old religions used to do. The Church protected the People, and the People paid their taxes to the Church. No middleman, no quibbling about how tax money was spent. It was spent the way the Church wanted to spend it, and if the People didnt like it, there were hordes of malicious ghosts waiting in the City of Eternity, eager to rise again and murder the People should the Church decide to set them free.
Besides, the Reckonings were the real action. Nobody wanted to miss those, and you had to attend services to be admitted.
Thats not fair. Just because
You know whats not fair, Doyle? That thanks to you half the people I work with think Im a whore, thats whats not fair. Get out of my way. Just the thought of being talked about, of having people know things about her, made her squirm. Technically she and Doyle hadnt violated any rulesthey were unmarried and of agebut being looked at, knowing her coworkers were picturing it in their heads