The Price {Completed}

Chapter Nine

                General Masha stood amongst their ranks, the only one in a navy uniform, and shook hands with the three new additions. I finally managed to slip away from Mr. Lennox and crept to my spot in the corner where my street clothes were folded across my trunk.

                I couldn't change while they stood there, and I feared trying to leave the room should one of them remember my presence. So I hunkered down, pulling a spare blanket over my legs and leaning my head against the wall.

                At first they talked of things I didn't understand, apparently knowing each other from some previous meeting. I tried to keep my attention on their words, but as they went on about former lives in the king's army, I began to find myself drifting off. The grueling new practices Mr. Lennox put me through since Ferdinand had gone, coupled with just coming off a show, combined to drain the energy from me. My eyes dipped closed and I entered into a misty dream-state as the men's deep voices created a buzzing backdrop.

                "Aligning with the Vigilant Men is not something that the Common Arm can endorse!"

                I jerked awake and glanced at the group of men. One of them, a bald man with a particularly red face, was shaking his head as Matveev frowned deeply.

                "The Vigilant Men are a strong force," Matveev said. "Without us, you're hopeless outnumbered."

                "A strong force of what? Factory workers and their skinny wives?" the bald man demanded. "What authority do you even hold? You're a dock worker that still stinks of rotten fish."

                Matveev threw down his glass of alcohol and it shattered into a spray of glass as he launched himself at the bald man. He only managed to rip the man's collar before General Masha and a few of the other men wrestled him back.

                "Pigs like Yenko should be the ones thrown from the alliance," Matveev spit.

                The bald man, Yenko, straightened his torn uniform with all the grace that said he certainly didn't think he was the one at fault. "The Common Army is a group of trained fighters. Joining a rabble to our ranks that has already demonstrated its complete lack of competency cannot do us any good."

                "Yenko," Doctor Alkaev warned. "There is no decision to be made here. The Vigilant are already part of our plans. Settle down and cool off before I reconsider the part I gave you."

                The group took a moment to reconvene and many more glasses of alcohol were downed. Finally, General Masha pulled out a letter and handed it to Doctor Alkaev.

                "My contract with the Common Army," General Masha explained. "I want to be sure of the funds before I do anything."

                Doctor Alkaev stared at him for a moment, and the men shifted uncomfortably around him. "Your trust in the Common Army is leaving something to be desired, Masha." Nonetheless, he drew out a pen from an inside jacket and set the paper against the wall to sign neatly. He handed it back to General Masha, who took it and quickly folded it to stuff back in his jacket as if it might fly away if he was not fast enough.

                "Lennox," Alkaev said. "I want to talk to you about a special dance."

                "Of course," Mr. Lennox said.

                "I want you to dance it for the king. General Masha will take care of getting you another invitation. But we want him to see it."