Downworld

Chapter 44

On the last performance of her tour, Elspeth sung a song she'd never sung before. It about being afraid to let people know who you really are, and at the end she told the crowd, and the internet through the magic of smart phones, that she was Fiona River's sister -- 'you know the one who nearly died when that bastard Criswell cut on her' -- and that she was a kelpie and just as much as a person as anyone else.

The reaction was mixed. Her label made noises about dropping her -- not that they would dare. Some of her sponsors did drop her. Her fans --- those she hadn't lost and those she'd gained since the new song -- defended her on social media and with their wallets.

She the day after she released a different song for free. This one could have been about being trapped in downworld, and eventually getting free. Or it could have been that the language wasn't metaphorical at all, and it was really about escaping from your rapist. She dedicated it to me, just encase the world didn't understand what it was about.

Then she came home, barging into the apartment while I was trying to work, and also trying to take a break from Malik's mothering.

'Hey, Uncle Jay.'

'Hey, Else, what's up?' I replied, not taking my eyes off the particularly boring, but economically sound proposal on my computer screen. Everything else aside, I still had companies and investments to babysit.

Elspeth was having none of that though. She came over, gripped my chin and turned my head until I faced her. 'Did you hear my new song?'

'Yes.'

'Do you like it?'

I hadn't. Not because it was a bad song, but because listening to Elspeth sing about being held down and violated had been all sorts of triggering.

'Yeah,' I said.

'Great.' She beamed. 'Then you can come on a talk show next week to promo it with me.'

'What? Why me?'

'Please don't play dumb. Besides, the show is going to put a positive spin on the whole freak thing. Plus, you're hot, so all we have to do it get you in front of some people when you're not covered in blood or growling with anger and we're golden.'

'I don't entirely think it's that simple.'

'Yeah, well, you're old; I don't expect you to understand. Say you'll come?'

'Do I have to smile?'

'God no. In fact, don't smile. Your fake smile makes it look like you want to kill someone. You can do the smirking thing, but not the patronizing one, the one you give Malik when you think no one else is watching. You will have to be pleasant too, and charming if you can manage it.'

I sighed. 'Maybe I do want to kill someone.'

'And don't say stuff like that. I forgive you, by the way.'

'For what?'

'For forgetting about me.'

'You're going to have to spell it out for me.'

'I get it. Fiona is your favorite and she looked so sympathetic outside the courthouse, you couldn't pass that up. Isamu is practically your little brother, so you were always going to get his help. Stevie is so nice, plus he's a paramedic who has literally saved people's lives, that's a PR goldmine. And I'm just the baby who wasn't smart enough to go to college, why would you ask me for help?'

'Else, I never meant anything by it. And not going to college doesn't make you not smart.'

'I know. You just didn't think of me is all, that's fine, I'm used to it. But people listen to me when I sing, Uncle Jay, we should use that while we can.'

'You want me to use you?'

'Yes.'

'Why?'

'Fiona and Stevie are going to live human length lives, in human ways. Me, I'm going to live at least twice as long. I'd rather live in the worst conditions above, than the best down there. I have more to lose, and I have just as much to contribute to the cause. Isn't that why you took a chance on my singing?'

'Yes.'

'Good. While you're listening to me, I think it's time we told about downworld. I figure you haven't spilled that part of the secret because Malik asked you not to, but people need to know what we're running from if they're going to understand.'

'I agree.'

'If you're nice to me, I'll even pretend it slipped out accidently. We'll do it after we show off our powers. I'm going to shapeshift, and you can seduce the host a little. Not too much, just give him a boner, but don't go so far as to actually make him sexually assault you on TV.'

'You know I held you as a baby, right? Hearing you say boner is actually traumatizing for me.'

The smile she gave me then was a little evil, and I had to admit that Elspeth was probably right about a lot of things, and I maybe found that a little scary. It made me feel old, because I had the sudden thought that she was trying to be my successor.

'I have to talk to Malik first.'

'Why?'

'I kind of promised.'

'Right. Tell me how that works out. Just hurry up. I didn't promise anything.'