The Factory Trilogy 01 - Gleam by Tom Fletcher

green, and strong-smelling smoke hung thickly in the air. Alan realised after his third drink that he should be spending theevening alone. He thought about the wound on Billy’s hand and ordered another.
    ‘What’s wrong with you?’ Churr asked him.
    ‘Nothing.’
    ‘You’ve lost interest now we’ve fucked.’
    ‘No,’ Alan said, but as soon as she said it he knew she was right. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have got you involved in this.’
    ‘I’m not involved in anything.’
    ‘I mean
me
. This. You should be with some better people.’
    ‘I’m quite capable of choosing my company.’
    ‘I’m not much company, though.’
    ‘No. So. I’ll ask again: what’s wrong?’
    ‘It’s a long story.’
    ‘Summarise.’
    ‘I used to live in the Pyramid. My wife and son still live in the Pyramid. My son is being bullied by his classmates. In a few years the Alchemists will start Bleeding him. I have –
had
– an arrangement with one of the Arbitrators that meant I could visit him, but things have changed.’
    ‘What do you mean, bleeding?’
    ‘In the Pyramid the Alchemists use blood for their magic. They take it from the workers. It’s the price the citizens pay for their nice thick walls, I guess.’
    ‘Fucking Pyramidders.’
    ‘Billy won’t leave. Marion won’t leave. They’re safe there, in a way. I can’t promise them a life out here. I can’t promise that they’ll be safe.’
    ‘They prefer the Pyramid, even with the bullying, the Bleeding …’
    ‘Yes. So if I were to save them—’
    ‘Who would you be doing it for?’
    ‘Exactly.’
    ‘You can’t tell them that they don’t know what they want.’
    ‘No. It’s insane that they would choose that over the Discard, but the lies they learn in there ensure it.’
    ‘The answer is obvious, Alan.’
    ‘Is it?’
    ‘Let them live the way they want.’
    ‘But he’s my
son
. Marion is an adult – she can deal with the consequences of her decisions. But Billy …’
    ‘So find a way to stay in touch. Find another way to visit him. Talk to him. Tell him your truths. When he’s old enough he can choose for himself.’
    ‘You know what I need?’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Mushrooms.’
    ‘I haven’t got any on me, but Pighead probably does.’
    ‘No, I don’t mean—? Pighead? Who’s Pighead?’
    ‘Barman.’
    ‘Oh. No, I don’t mean right now. Actually I could use some right now. But what I mean is, to get to see Billy I need mushrooms. That’s the cost of getting in. I used to get mushrooms for an Arbitrator, but now he wants more – more than I can get from my usual supplier. Andnot just some little efforts from some damp room in the House or something, but the strong ones. And a lot of them.’
    ‘You know, if you’re talking about a way into the Pyramid – there are a lot of folks out here who might be interested in helping you out. The Arbitrators are getting a little too bold with their raids, taking people’s bugs, taking their livestock …’ She paused. ‘I was talking to a woman at a bucket-fire over near the Hinning House a few months ago. She said they took her brother’s neighbour.’
    Alan felt the anger stir. He remained silent for a moment. Then he replied, ‘No, I’m not getting into the politics of it. This is about my son and only my son. I’m not waging war. I’m not dragging any innocents into my mess and I’m not going to provoke any backlash. I don’t need a gang, I don’t need an army, I just need some rare and powerful mushrooms.’
    ‘Oi!’ Churr shouted. ‘Pighead! Got any mushrooms in?’
    ‘Naturally,’ Pighead growled. ‘Wait a sec.’ He ducked behind the counter for a moment and then reappeared. ‘I got long-leg bonnets, toadthrone, rustcaps, dream-meat and tunnellers. I’d have more but those damned bandits are getting braver.’
    ‘Dream-meat, I think. Alan? Dream-meat? I know this isn’t what you were talking about, but they’ll take the edge off another long, hot Discard