The Janitor
The Janitor's Story
927th year of the Scarlet Empress's reign
(5th year of the Interregnum, under Regent Focuf)
Uncle Calam always taught me to pay attention to everything going. And he also taught me how to fade into the background, be unseen. "There's a lot to be said for cleaning," he told me. "Clean things long enough, and you start seeing patterns, start understanding the way things are, the way things should be, and when they shouldn't be."
My uncle was a watchman in the City of The Steel Lotus. He was an investigator, and he saw things, lots of things. He used to say that most of the time the people you think did it, actually did it, but that he got paid for the times when the people you think did it actually didn't.
His parents, who were my grandparents, were cleaning staff for the Dynast summer palaces on the outskirts of the City. So he would go in and help them clean those big manses year after year, and he got real good at noticing details. He was the one that took me in after my parents were murdered. I don't remember them at all, because I was real young when it happened. He and his wife were all that I knew. And he had me clean his house top to bottom. Then he'd have me clean other houses in between my schooling. I hated it, until I realized that he was teaching me how to do his job.
I remember the day my Uncle figured out who killed my mother and father. I'd just come of age and was debating if I wanted to enlist in the Merchant Marine. He came home, covered in blood, and I couldn't tell if it was his or someone else's.
He told me that I had to go to the House of Seven Dancer Shadows and ask for One-Eyed Lou. Then I would have to ask her for a cleaning job, and then stay inside that house for a full year. And if I wanted to live, and eventually find out who murdered my parents, plus himself and his wife, then I would have to leave NOW.
He didn't tell me who was coming after him. His wife simply nodded and got a cleaver from the kitchen. Then she gave me a kiss on the cheek and a hug. She told me she loved me, and that I should remember to make offerings to her and my Uncle.
They stayed behind while I went down through the escape tunnel. I heard the door crack in, and a rough voice demanding that everyone inside lay down their weapons. I heard my Uncle calmly say that he and his wife were staying, and would defend themselves.
Leaving them behind was the hardest thing I've ever done. But my Uncle always expected me to do what needed to be done. And if he and his wife were going to be in the Underworld, then someone would have to remember them. So I got down the tunnel, ran all the way to the House of Seven Dancer Shadows, and asked One-Eyed Lou for a job.
She took me in, no questions asked, and I became the house janitor. I did not step outside of the house for a year and a day. During that time, people came around and asked for me. Lou always turned them away, because she had the Lintha behind her and no one wanted to mess with them. There were people in dark cloaks always outside the House, but they never came in. After a year went by, they disappeared. I stayed inside one more day, just to make sure.
I'm going to find out who they were one day, and I'll get my vengeance. For my uncle, my aunt, my parents, and for me.
927th year of the Scarlet Empress's reign
(5th year of the Interregnum, under Regent Focuf)
Uncle Calam always taught me to pay attention to everything going. And he also taught me how to fade into the background, be unseen. "There's a lot to be said for cleaning," he told me. "Clean things long enough, and you start seeing patterns, start understanding the way things are, the way things should be, and when they shouldn't be."
My uncle was a watchman in the City of The Steel Lotus. He was an investigator, and he saw things, lots of things. He used to say that most of the time the people you think did it, actually did it, but that he got paid for the times when the people you think did it actually didn't.
His parents, who were my grandparents, were cleaning staff for the Dynast summer palaces on the outskirts of the City. So he would go in and help them clean those big manses year after year, and he got real good at noticing details. He was the one that took me in after my parents were murdered. I don't remember them at all, because I was real young when it happened. He and his wife were all that I knew. And he had me clean his house top to bottom. Then he'd have me clean other houses in between my schooling. I hated it, until I realized that he was teaching me how to do his job.
I remember the day my Uncle figured out who killed my mother and father. I'd just come of age and was debating if I wanted to enlist in the Merchant Marine. He came home, covered in blood, and I couldn't tell if it was his or someone else's.
He told me that I had to go to the House of Seven Dancer Shadows and ask for One-Eyed Lou. Then I would have to ask her for a cleaning job, and then stay inside that house for a full year. And if I wanted to live, and eventually find out who murdered my parents, plus himself and his wife, then I would have to leave NOW.
He didn't tell me who was coming after him. His wife simply nodded and got a cleaver from the kitchen. Then she gave me a kiss on the cheek and a hug. She told me she loved me, and that I should remember to make offerings to her and my Uncle.
They stayed behind while I went down through the escape tunnel. I heard the door crack in, and a rough voice demanding that everyone inside lay down their weapons. I heard my Uncle calmly say that he and his wife were staying, and would defend themselves.
Leaving them behind was the hardest thing I've ever done. But my Uncle always expected me to do what needed to be done. And if he and his wife were going to be in the Underworld, then someone would have to remember them. So I got down the tunnel, ran all the way to the House of Seven Dancer Shadows, and asked One-Eyed Lou for a job.
She took me in, no questions asked, and I became the house janitor. I did not step outside of the house for a year and a day. During that time, people came around and asked for me. Lou always turned them away, because she had the Lintha behind her and no one wanted to mess with them. There were people in dark cloaks always outside the House, but they never came in. After a year went by, they disappeared. I stayed inside one more day, just to make sure.
I'm going to find out who they were one day, and I'll get my vengeance. For my uncle, my aunt, my parents, and for me.
posted by Xaedalus at 1:29 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home