The Broken Ones

Chapter 15:1 -The Ball

-Why would they want the flute back, it's just an ordinary flute, Soi asked and shrugged his shoulders and sat down in one of Nibbles' velvet chairs.-They want me to bring it to the ball, Nibbles said and sunk down into another velvet chair opposite to Soi.
Soi looked back at Nibbles with a tired expression. He didn’t understand the seriousness in Nibbles tone. So what if they wanted the flute back?
-What is this ball, anyway? Soi asked.
-Ah, of course, you don’t know about the ball since you’re not a broken, Nibbles said as if it explained everything.
-Thank you for pointing it out, Soi said gloomy. -So what is this ball?
-It’s a ball which the Academy hosts here in Beroal and all brokens are invited. I go every year, it’s a great opportunity to meet other brokens.
-Why isn’t it held in the Academy?
-Well, in general brokens don’t return to the Academy unless they work there and where would they stay if they did? There aren’t any inns or pubs like in normal cities. And it would be a bit boring if everybody had to wear white. No, Beroal is a much better location for the ball.
-If any broken is invited then there will be Academy people there as well?
-Yes, most certainly.
-Then that’s what Ciron meant about the ball.
-Ciron? What did he say?
-He said “see you at the ball” to Ana when we were on our way back to the mansion.
-Oh, as we didn’t have enough problem, Nibbles rolled his one eye. -But it does somehow confirm my suspicions.
-About what?
-About who’s the real enemy.
Nibbles didn’t elaborate and Soi couldn’t read mind so he moved on to his next question.
-Why Ana didn’t know about the ball?
-Well, she has never attended it so she has probably forgotten that it exists. Back to the flute. As the handwriting of these two letters are the same I think…
That caught Soi’s attention.
-The same?! The handwriting is the same? And they want you to bring it to the ball… So they'll be at the ball? He asked a bit anxious.
-They are holding the ball. It’s exactly as I suspected, Nibbles said and nodded for himself.-You have to explain yourself a bit more for me to understand, I don’t read minds like you do, Soi said grumpily. –What do you mean that they are holding the ball? Isn’t it the Academy who holds it? Then is it the…
-It’s that exactly. Think about it Soi, these letters with the same handwriting although the content is so different, Ciron and the flute, the Academy council, Jack. What more do you want me to explain?
Soi stared at him.
-The monsters, he said at last.
-I don’t know…, Nibbles admitted.
Soi sighed.
-But I have a theory.
-I don’t think I want to hear it.
-Probably not, Nibbles said and rose from his chair.
-It’s so complicated, so many loose ends. I mean, how many enemies do we have? Soi exclaimed. - Ana’s organisation creating brokens of infants, the Academy and Jack who wants Ana because of her power, the monsters, and then the ones who hired you and Ciron to distract Ana with a flute.
-If you say it like that it sounds ridicules, Nibbles grunted offended.
-It feels ridicules! I just don’t get all of this to go together. And now you say that these flute-people are the same as the Academy?
-I think the ball will be the answer to all of your questions. As I said, I have my suspicions but I better keep them to myself, I’m afraid you’d run the other way if I told you. But I think you are overreacting a tad.
-What do you mean?
-All of those you just listed as our enemies are in fact Ana’s with the exception of Jack, Nibbles said with a wide smile. –And I, I have no enemies at all unless I openly side with Ana and even then no one can never be sure which side I’m really on.
-Are you trying to scare me? Soi asked suspiciously.
-Not really, Nibbles said still smiling. –Anyhow, I don’t think they…
-Which they?
-The flute-people, as you so practically named them. As I was saying, I don’t think they want me to bring the actual flute.-What then?-You.-You mean...-That they, the flute-people or if my theory is correct, the Academy and Jack, already knows that you are here, yes.-And they want you to deliver me at the ball? Soi could feel his heart rate increase, he was trapped. But then he thought of it differently. -Then they still believe that you're working for them, don't they?-Seems like it.-That's it! Soi burst out. –That’s our plan.-What? Nibbles asked barely raising his eyebrow.-We'll do what they want us to.-I always thought you were a bit slow. No, Soi, we're not going to deliver you voluntarily so they can kill or whatever it is they want to do with you. -That's exactly what we'll do!

To be continued...
By J.L.Frick