Chapter 37

As soon as the doors closed on Saw Yatha’s lift, Katherine Gold let out the breath she’d been holding since she noticed him in the holding bay.  She had only encountered him once before, in Evan’s apartment.  At the time she thought he was bad news, but after he shot her, emblzoning her with his fetterseal tattoo she feared and hated him with equal measure.

She turned toward Drex next to her.  Both were dressed in the drab colored uniforms of the correctional guards.  Drex’s face was like stone, seeming to notice nothing and everything at the same time.  How could he do that? She could see her pulse in the corners of her eyes, how could Drex be so peaceful?

“That was him,” she whispered.

“Mm-hmm.”

Katherine opened and closed her hands a few times in an attempt to dry her palms without drawing attention. “I don’t think I can do this.”

Drex’s eyes darted to hers without moving his head.  “You’d be suprised the things you can do, if you put your mind to it.”

“Can we go over the plan again?”

Drex slowly shook his head.

Katherine pursed her lips and surveyed the holding bay.  Pockets of correciton guards sood around relaxed and bored.  If it weren’t for Katherine’s personal anxiety, the mood reminded her of standing outside the auditorium at her high school graduation just before her class was to prossess in their crimson caps and gowns.  There was a lot of energy in the room, but little outlet for it.

On a device mounted to a far wall, the activities of the courtroom were shown.  It was hard for Katherine to imagine that everything she was seeing was happening in reality, only a few stories above her.  Somehow, seeing it on a screen put everything she saw in a state of unreality, like any other television program.  She watched Princess Lillian stand before the tribunal as they read out her sentence: Guilty of “Treason Against the ‘Peace’ of the Realm.”  The death sentence was pronounced almost immediately.  Moments later, Katherine watched as Katherine was led out of the court.  A guard in command bellowed that the rest of them should prepare themselves.  The tension in the bay began to build.

“Can we go over the plan again?” Katherine whispered again to Drex.

“You know the plan.”

“I know,” she said, “but can we go over it?”

“First, the more you talk, the more we get heard,” said Drex, maintaining his unflinching vigil.  “Second, I want to keep my mind clear, and I don’t need your thoughts competing with mine.”

Katherine took the not-too-subtle hint and pressed her lips together.  She didn’t understand why all the men around her felt the need to be cold and to shut her out.  She rubbed her hands on her hips.  It was likely they would never become dry.

Time passed like this for far too long.  Her long exposure began to make her yawn.  Katherine pressed her tongue hard into the back of her front teeth to keep her from displaying her yawn to the others.  She rightly assumed that an obvious show of fatigue, whether physical, mental, or emotional, would sit well with Drex.

Then, the moment came.  A signal on the lift lit up, and the commander warned everyone to get to their transports.  Moments later, the lift doors opened, and Katherine got her first look at Lillian since that fateful night back in Athens.  Guards surrounded the Princess, and on her left walked Eye Patch, a victorious grin barely perceptible on his face.

Katherine had forgotten the force of dignity and grace that radiated from her.  Though Lillian only looked straight ahead, though her face was expressionless, to Katherine, the Princess carried herself with the poise of a righteous ruler being led to a firing squad.  It seemed to Katherine that Lillian was at peace with whatever was to come to her next.

“Here we go,” Drex said, stepping to their transport.  Katherine followed a half-step behind him, grateful she finally had something to do with all her nerves.  She reached out to open the back hatch of the transport.  When she saw her hand, she felt like it wasn’t hers, though she recognized it as hers.  She was doing this.  She was going through with this.  As Katherine continued to open the hatch door, she marveled that she was going through with this plan.  She knew she could stop it, that she could run away, and yet she continued with the plan as if there was not a doubt in her mind.  What lunacy had she gotten herself into?

Drex stepped between Katherine and Saw Yatha to make the secure transfer of Lillian.  Katherine looked on the princess’ face.  Lillian patiently examined the ground.

“Secure the prisoner,” Drex said, passing Lillian to Katherine, and Katherine walked through her rehearsed actions.  She grabbed Lillian by her arm near the shoulder with one hand and placed the other on the back of the princess’ head.  Katherine pressed Lillian’s head down to make sure it cleared the hatch’s opening before guiding her to the bench running down the side of the transport.  Once seated, Katherine attached a chain to Lillian’s restraints and sat on the bench opposite.

Drex poked his head in and asked if the prisoner was secure.  Katherine couldn’t find her voice, so she gave Drex a thumbs-up.  This gesture confused Drex.  Katherine, realizing her mistake, smiled, cleared her throat, and said everything was secure.  Drex gave her a glare of warning before exiting the hatch.

Katherine got a good look at Lillian.  She wanted to spill the beans and tell Lillian they were there to rescue her. But the hatch was still open, and Katherine could still feel the ominous darkness from Eye Patch, who stood mere feet from her.  Katherine turned and saw Drex nod to Eye Patch, turn on his heels, and head to the front of the transport.  That was when Saw did the unexpected: he crawled into the transport and sat beside Katherine.

She wasn’t sure how her heart could both be in her throat and in the pit of her stomach, but that was where it was.  This was not a part of the plan.  How could the plan work if Saw was along for the ride?  Maybe he was only there for a moment and would give some final instructions before leaving.  What was she to do?  Katherine’s thoughts were like a swarm of moths around a porch light.

A familiar voice brought Katherine back to the moment.  It was Amnon.

“Saw, are you planning to ride with the prisoner?”

“I am,”

Amnon steeled himself for what he would say next.  Katherine watched several thoughts fly across his face.  “The plan is good.  These are professionals.”

“I’m sure that’s true,” Saw said.  “I trained most of them.”

“I’m told that the ride to the termination center is less than pleasant, and these transports were not built for comfort.  I’m certain you would instead enjoy the trip on your own…

Saw cut him off with an upraised hand.  “I appreciate your courtesy, but I’m sure you’ll indulge me in this privilege as an extra precaution.  It would be a shame if something unforeseen would confuse things.”

Amnon took a moment to let this settle in his mind.  “As you want,” Amnon said, closing the hatch door.  Katherine saw Amnon reach into his jacket and pull out a device as he made his way to the front of the transport.

Katherine was at a loss of what to do next.  Was the plan still on?  They hadn’t factored in Eye Patch, or anyone else for that matter, coming along.  Did Drex know?  Is that what Amnon was doing right then?  Evan and Keetha were supposed to be breaking into whatever that big brain was building and using his fetterseal.  Was that still happening?  Could that still happen and Lillian be locked up and executed?

Since all of the moths were increasingly confusing her, Katherine focused on keeping her breathing steady.  In and out, she told herself in… and out.  Katherine was grateful she was seated opposite Lillian.  As far as the princess knew she was headed to certain death and yet her countenance remained heroic.  Katherine wanted to be like that – calm in the midst of calamity.  If somehow everyone got through this situation in one piece, Katherine promised herself that she would ask Lillian’s secret for her inner peace.  As it was, with the presence of evil next to her and the presence of grace in front, Katherine focused on the view in front of her and remembered what Drex had told her earlier, “You’d be surprised the things you can do if you put your mind to them.”

Katherine felt her body jolt backward, almost nudging Eye Patch, as the transport began to move.  She went back to the only thing she could do at that moment.  In… and out… in… and out… in… and out.