113 CHAPTER 112

The noise of people chattering echoed the walls, hitting their tympanic membrane as they walked through the door and shut it behind them. Children ran around the farm naked or half-naked, barefoot, spreading strays of straw into the air as they played with the foliage. The brown color of the leaf signified that the farmers were already harvesting their crops. Apart from the dried plants, nothing stood for miles. The farm was a circle, surrounded on every corner by stones and black rock. Even the sky was hidden with the artificial atmosphere that had been created to save them from the eyes of the government and to also remind the children of what the outside world looks like and also to show them that the outside world was not worth dying for.

Alex watched the proposed sun as it shifted through the canopies of the cloud. He was the curious type, and his curiosity had led him to discover that the sun was nothing but an electric bulb, surrounded by glass which had been designed like the sun to fool the timid mind. The lies that the Regent told were far worse than those told by the government. They claimed that they wanted the betterment of society, that they were the good guy. That was the main reason why they pick people up from the street, give them new names, and home and drained them afterward with work. In truth, this place was nothing but a beautiful prison. Most people tend to like it here after the first month, and would even argue that life here was better than life outside. What they see here that was attractive, Alex cannot say.

"This way, please," William said and took the lead. 

Alex was leaping behind him with his clutch, and Anabel tailed him. Nimrod took the rear, laughing at the children playing, like some baby who was being tickled by the side. Alex could not see his face, but he could guess that the boy had fallen in love with the place at first glance.

Nothing had changed. Everything was still the same as they were three years ago. He remembered playing with the foliage once. It was one of the very reasons why he did not know how to defend himself with the Shocker Gun or with The Candor. He had been carried away and would skive classes just to have a fun time with Vanessa, who spent most of her life on the farm, working or playing.

They moseyed through the brown world, heading for two blue lights which hoisted into the stones, sending lustre of fine delicate lights down to the brown farm. The air smelled dusty, but the men working on the farm seemed unperturbed, for they wore white-nose masks, which covered two-third of their faces. Like always, they looked skinny, a perfect picture of bones. One thing about the resistance was that it benefited women and children, mostly. But the men were often never fat. Only a few of them who could make it to the council could manage a portion of the farm to call his own as everything here was searched among the people, in equal proportion.

That must be the reason why most people love it here. The unity. Yes, that must be the reason. The way these people communicated with each other was commendable. They would share even the thinnest slice of bread and laugh with oneness, as if they had known each other all their lives. Might be faking it. A voice said in Alex's head, but he was shaking off the thoughts, even before they could settle. You can fake something for two days or three days. But how about faking a character for ten, twenty, thirty years?

"Remember" William whispered over his shoulders, "Try to keep Jeff out of this matter as much as you can."

"That is impossible, dad. When they see my face, the only one thought will register in their mind." Alex said.

"Plus, I am his mother too, should I say I am someone else." Anabel was the one who spoke. Nimrod was aloof, his eyes were still searching the kids who were playing in the foliage.

"Just let me do the talking." William said when they came in front of the stone door which had the blue lights on them, "Answer their question with a question. That way, I can have the opportunity to intercede for you."

"Sounds like a good plan" Anabel chuckled, "So if they ask me, are you the mother of Jeff? I should answer, why is the father asking?" Alex laughed. This was the Anabel he knew. Always jovial and funny. Not some woman who would wear darkness all around her.

"No, nobody will ask you that." William said as if tired, "The last time I checked, most of the council members knew Max Peters. But nobody knows, Anabel Peters. No offense, just trying to buttress the point. So try to keep a low profile and avoid as many questions as possible. If you don't know the answer to a question or chose not to answer, tell them you don't have an answer at the moment, but you would find answers if they give you time to think about it."

"Alright, that would be easy. Nimrod" Anabel shouted at the boy who was still looking at the children.

"Did you hear anything we just say?" 

"All of it, Alex," Nimrod said and returned his gaze to the children.

William turned to leave, but he paused as if he just remembered something.

"One more thing, Alex. Inside that hall. Remember to call me The Regent, instead of dad. That would keep the formality in place."

"Yes, dad…I mean, my Regent." Alex saluted with his right hands. He was proud of William. Making it to the rank of Regent was hard, but staying a Regent was much harder. There were strings that had to be pulled and decisions that have to be made. Especially in this trying time when they were at war with the government.

The blue-collar of William's patched cloth bounced on his shoulders as he continued into the stone. The walls were dark and at the far end was a window which was supposed to point to the outside world, only that now, it revealed vast vegetation of green and pink. Until the white lights hanging on the polished ceiling glinted on the body of the vegetation, did Alex realized that it was painted. There was no window too. The whole thing was a bunch of stupid paintings.

Six people sat side by side on the semi-circular table. Each of them looks almost the same age, and in the same identical patched clothing. Their patch cloth had no collars like Williams and was mostly short sleeves. Aside from the table, there was no chair in the room and the six people seemed to be the only humans existing in the room until they walked in.

"Is it true you forfeited your right as Regent?" A gray hair woman asked.

"I did what I have to do," William said and took the empty seat in the middle. 

Silence spoke as Alex, and Anabel came to stand in front of the table. Nimrod was nowhere to be found.

"Why have you come back, Alexander?" Filman asked. 

Alex looked at him, the bare haired man and grunted, searching his mind for the perfect answer. He never liked the man, and he could tell that the man also reciprocated the hate.

"I have missed home; why else will I return? Unless you no longer want me in the community."

"You broke from the community the very day you disobeyed the law of Defiant-3." Filman continued, "When anybody…"

Alex shut his ears, and the man's voice seemed to fade in his ears. Filman was a fool. He talks about laws and obedience, but he and his family were notorious for breaking every rule stipulated by the Regent. His suspension from the council had not been enough to keep him on track as he always disobeys and advises his children to do the same. Yet whenever he sits behind that table he would talk about laws and obedience as though they were his loins and girdle.

"…try to obey" Filman's rant seemed to cease for the time being.

"And who are you?" Grand Mother Deborah asked. She was the oldest in the group and the most feared. There was a joke among the children when they were little, that Grandmother Deborah could see through a person's soul and could determine if they were telling the truth or lying by just tilting her head downwards and looking through the glasses.

"I am Alex's friend," Anabel said, not on edge at the least.

"Friend of Alex," Deborah nodded and turned her attention to Alex. "Where is Jeffred?"

"You think I know where he is?" Alex laughed, shifting his eyes to Anabel as if Deborah had just asked the most hilarious thing. Anabel was grunting.