Chapter 14

                                    

                                              
 "So here is the girl everyone has been talking about," Du Puteron leaned forward, resting his arms on the overbearing wooden desk. He wanted to make her feel at ease but nothing about his office spoke of relaxation. From the simple but sophisticated architecture of the building to the heavy antique furniture and on to the array of portraits whose eyes seemed to follow you. Worst of all was the view out of the bay windows behind Du Puteron's desk, it was glorious and highly distracting. Out over the town, out over the bay, out past two lush green islands sat on a deep blue sea. Kira stood stiffly as if she had rigor mortis, feeling out of place in her tatty grey jumpsuit. She stared through the windows, as much to avoid anyone's gaze as taking in the scenery.
                          
Du Puteron notice, looking behind him then back to Kira. He rose from his desk, walked around and sat on one corner, perching there like a schoolteacher trying to be liked by the children. "It's beautiful, and this is a lovely place to live." He was not trying to goad her but could see that his words stung. "You will be happy here."
                          
"HAPPY!" Kira screeched, "you drag me here as a slave and think I will be happy." She stepped forward, ready to swing for him.

                          
"How dare you talk to our leader like that," Petric, one of a few who were stood around the edge of the room, went to intercept.
                          
"Petric, leave it," came the command from his leader. "She has the right to shout, the right to distrust us." Those words were enough to quell Kira's anger slightly, either that or she lost her nerve a few steps from Du Puteron. The leader could not look her in the eye thus delivered his next line to the ground, "I am not proud of how we have treated you but it was necessary to hide our true motive."
                          
"And what is that?" Kira spat.
                          
Du Puteron looked up at her, "this is the revolution, we cannot have Princips finding out."
                          
"To me you are just as bad as Princips."
                          
"Then we have done our job well, but now the facade can be dropped. Welcome to your new home Kira," Du Puteron extended his hand, "I think you will find it just to your taste."
                          
Kira looked at the proffered hand in disgust, "is this another one of your tricks?"
                          
"No, no it is not. I understand it is hard to believe me, but in time you will. You will understand why we have to be so secretive."
                          
"You're just one of those gangs my mother warned me about."
                          
"We are not a gang, we are the revolution."
                          
"Why does everyone keep saying that? I don't know what the revolution is."
                          
"It is change, it is hope, it is putting the wrongs of the past right, it is removing Princips, liberating the slums and making everyone equal."
                          
Far from inspiring, the comment seemed to infuriate Kira. "So the revolution is taking one person from the slums and putting them here to sit in the sun whilst the rest of their family die."
                          
"Oh no, no, no, you've just seen the parts we live in. We will go to the slums and liberate them, we will go to Princips and destroy them, we will take our home back." It was a speech that would have been met with rapturous cheer on the front line, here only echoing around the walls, bouncing off the silence of those standing by.
                          
Kira scoffed at the line, "you know they have guns."
                          
"And so do we."
                          
"Where?" It was sarcastic, joking at the lack of armaments she had seen.
                          
"Underground, we have whole training areas; weapons and vehicles ready to go."
                          
"Why not just show use them then, stop making people think they are slaves? Or maybe it is all just lies to keep me thinking I am doing something good but really am just your slave."