Year 2 – Shift 10 – Chadwick
“Alright, alright!” Chadwick waved his hand and shouted over the gathered crew and Etokusopudlians. “We are still working, everyone! Quiet down!”
The sheer size of the population had become staggering. So much so that he was now calling it a population instead of a crew.
“Cleanup is officially complete!” Lacuna called from beside him on the cleaned-off patio.
The crowd cheered and shouted. He was so proud of each and every one of them. A fierce, warm, loving population that rallied around every person. No one went hungry. No one slept in the cold.
Sara didn’t create this town, but she gave them a deal no one else would. The town belonged to everyone. The profits belonged to everyone. No job was more important than another. If they didn’t eat, she didn’t eat. If they didn’t sleep, she didn’t sleep.
She made their problems her problems, and because she did, it had turned into this.
Chadwick had learned a great deal about himself in the process, and he was about to put it to the test.
“It’s time to talk about the rebuild,” he said loudly enough to command the air as the cheers quieted. He looked down at his clipboard. “Right now, we’re in tents and underground because we all know the Forest has eyes.”
“We can’t fend off another attack as we are.” Lacuna dropped her clipboard to her side. “But with our last sale, we have the funds to go ahead with Project Zeta now.”
“So soon?” Chino asked, shocked. “The amount we would need to make it work now…”
“We have it.” Lacuna nodded. “But the question is, how fast can you make it happen?”
Chino took a deep breath and swayed in thought. “If we can get the Stoner Bay and Southampton Shafted working with us, then we can get it done in two weeks.”
“Hmm.” Chadwick tapped his clipboard in thought. “That’s a big escalation. We didn’t plan to have them come on yet. I can’t guarantee—”
“Chadwick.” Pete cut him off. “Don’t worry about that. We believe in you and Sara. Absolutely. We can get an advance team here in a week.”
“Shafted are on board across the board.” Lacuna commanded the space. “We have the people, we have the land, and we have the profits. Get them here. Get Zeta up.”
Chadwick nodded. “That’s set. The rebuild starts after Zeta is complete.”
“Next,” Lacuna began. “We have—”
“Um, Chadwick?” Muffin popped her head out of the crowd. “Can I…um…say something?”
“Of course, Muffin.” Chadwick nodded. “What’s on your mind?”
Muffin gestured toward a woman between her and Kaori with fiery-red hair. “This is—”
“Mora.” Chadwick’s mood bloomed as he dropped his clipboard and approached with his arms wide. “How have you been? What are you doing here?”
Mora leaned into the hug and lifted him off his feet. “Chaddy Daddy!”
Chadwick steadied himself until his hooves hit the ground. He put a hand on her cheek and admired the woman she had become. “It’s so good to see you!”
“You too!” She practically bounced on her heels.
“You two know each other?” Muffin puzzled.
“Chaddy Daddy was my nanny.” Mora smiled. “I didn’t know you were part of this. I’m so sorry.”
Chadwick took a deep breath. “It’s just Chadwick now. And yeah. They’re my family.”
Mora looked around at the sea of nonplussed faces. “You’re in charge now? Was the ruler…”
“She isn’t a ruler,” Lacuna snapped. “She’s a leader. But you wouldn’t know the difference.”
Mora took the shot.
“Actually,” Muffin said from behind her, “my family vouches for her. She’s part of our networks.”
“You are?” Chadwick was just as surprised as Lacuna.
“Your father—”
“Is a monster,” Mora interrupted. “Full stop. But he’s not behind the destruction here.”
An uproar ripped through the crowd like fire.
“We saw his men! His banners!” Chino growled. “My cousin died right over there at the hands of a man wearing his colors!”
“And they were his men,” Mora conceded. “His horses and weapons. But not his orders.”
“You’re saying he’s under thrall?” Chadwick tugged at his beard.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Mora responded.
“That’s…convenient,” Lacuna growled.
“My father has hurt you all.” Mora climbed onto the newly repaired table so everyone could see her. “I’m Ineeda Mora Dong, daughter of King Dong.”
She let that sit very uncomfortably in the air for exactly the right amount of time before continuing.
“My father calls you the Sharted. You’re just the byproduct of kings, he says. Not even worth the soap to wash you out because you’re disposable.”
The silence was a vacuum. The tension in the air was thick.
“AKAB,” she said. “All Kings Are Bastards. He’s a horrible fucking patriarch, and he deserves to be put down like the dog he is.”
She let that hang longer this time.
“But this attack was manipulated. In fact, all of the intelligence and planning surrounding your community has been as well.”
“Wait…” Chadwick scratched his chin. “Are you saying…”
“You have a spy,” Mora said.
A ripple of distrust shifted through the crowd.
“And I know who it is.”
Murmurs flooded the gathering as Mora slowly walked forward and came to a stop directly in front of Lacuna, whose face was fierce.
Lacuna didn’t say a thing as Mora slowly lifted her hand. Instead of pointing at Lacuna, she tapped firmly on the clipboard she was holding.
A beat of confusion rippled through the crowd.
“Let me see it.” Glandalf got up from his chair and reached toward Lacuna, who handed over the clipboard.
Glandalf pulled off the papers and returned them to her, then placed his palm on top of the board. A glowy blue light swept down from his palm, then back up.
“Is it all of them?”
Chadwick looked at his own clipboard.
“Yeah,” Mora said. “I don’t know how they got here, but Dad has had perfect surveillance since you arrived.”
“It has to be the mirrors.” Glandalf kept working at the clipboard.
“No.” Chadwick tossed his clipboard to the ground and stomped on it. “This is older. You know it. I know it. Anyone from Tawagoto knows it.”
“You’re right,” Mora agreed. “And I want to help stop it.”
“No.” Lacuna was firm. “We don’t trust princesses.”
“Eat the rich!” Quarry Taylor called from the crowd.
Mora lay down on the table with her hands at her sides and projected her voice. “If that’s what it takes to earn your trust, itadakimasu.”
Muffin and Kaori walked toward the table in the dead silence, hand in hand. Muffin reached out with her free hand and helped Mora off the table and back to her feet.
“We aren’t rich, but you’ll have to eat us too. Mora is our friend.”
“Then you’ll be responsible for her until Sara gets back.” Chadwick couldn’t make a decision this big without Sara. “You can take her with you until then.”
“We already have our mission from Sara.” Muffin beamed. “We just needed Mora.”
Chadwick scratched his head. “Sara…”
“Knew she would accept,” Muffin confirmed. “We’re going to let her access the healthcare she can’t get as well.”
“Okay,” he said. “Everyone get to work.”