Signs on the walls of the factory the next day were all about the Festival of Happiness and Invention. Everybody was supposed to be excited about the fact that people were being told to be happy, and Bartyronians were all going to have a chance to show how clever they were.
But only Bartyronians. The people of the rest of the world, all of whom, it was said, were now under the control of Tyro, were not allowed to take part in this festival. Especially not Grabblers. They couldn't take part, so they would have be content to watch the whole thing on the public viewing screens. In fact, they would have to be more than content. They would have to be ecstatically happy.
It would, at least, mean that there would be one day during which Liana would not have to do the mindless work to which she had grown accustomed. But until then, there would be more and more stuff to learn about Tyro and his stupid ideas.
So Liana learned that every Citizen of Bartyronis would have to attend the Festival, either by going to the Grand Hall in the Palace, if they were an Upper or higher, or watching on a public screen if they were a Mipper or lower. Any citizen would be able to submit an invention, and it had to be something that would benefit the people of Bartyronis. During the whole period of the Festival, everyone in Bartyronis would be incredibly happy, and they would have to show it by smiling as broadly as they possibly could. It was recognised that this might be a strain for some people, so there would be 'arrangements' which would make this easier, though there would be a price attached. Liana hadn't discovered what the arrangements were, or what the price would be.
But really, Liana didn't want to think about this. She wanted to think about the possibility of meeting up again with Herago. Meeting up again in a dream.
While the learning screen was showing her pictures of Bartyronis, and the Hall in the Great Palace where the Festival would take place, Liana's mind was on her dream of the previous night. She could remember every single detail. Even the song of the bird in the garden was etched in her memory, and she would be able to reproduce it if asked. She kept turning over the incidents in her mind.
In the daylight of the Bartyronian factory, it was hard to believe that her meeting with Herago had been real. But somehow it was also more real than what was going on around her, including Silmoa patrolling, and every so often administering a shock to Liana for not paying proper attention to her work.
Then again, she realised that some of the things that Herago had said didn't make much sense. What was this about the showing? Did he mean that they would finish their showing in another dream? That might be an enjoyable thing to do, but what, really, was the point? But if he meant that they would do the showing in real life – then where, how, when would that be possible?
Impossible. Yes, of course, that was what Herago specialised in. But that was about pretending you were doing something when actually you were doing something else. The idea of doing a showing under the eyes of the Bartyronians didn't really fit with that.
Liana drifted through the rest of the day without paying much attention to what was happening. The preparations for the Festival were being explained, but as far as Liana was concerned, that was nothing to do with her. She just longed for the day to finish so that she could get back to her dream, and find out what Herago was talking about.
Eventually all the Grabbler girls returned to the hostel, and after yet more talk from the hostel Guardians about how wonderful the Festival would be, and how lucky they were to be able to watch it on the public screens, they all marched off to the sleeping room.
Liana was eager to lie down and get to sleep, and she quickly put her head on the block filled with sawdust that served as a pillow, and closed her eyes.
'Liana?' It was Silmoa's voice. There was something strange about it. Then she realised. Silmoa was calling her by her real name. Liana opened her eyes. Silmoa was facing her in her bed, and in the moonlight that entered through the window, Liana could see Silmoa's eyes were filled with tears.
'What is it, Silmoa?'
'You understand, don't you, Liana, that I really don't want to shock you. Or anyone. But I have to do it. Otherwise...'
'I understand, Silmoa. I know how you feel,' Liana said.
'I don't think you do, Liana. Really, I do believe that how things are now is better than how things were in Ser...Ser ... how things were before. But I don't like it that I sometimes have to hurt you. I just wish we could get to how things will be when we are all full citizens of Bartyronis. Then everything will be better.'
Did Silmoa really believe this? Clearly, she was upset by what was happening. So why couldn't she bring herself to say that things should be different? She couldn't even manage to say the name of Seren-ila. Liana supposed that people all react in different ways to such dilemmas. It was, at least, good to know that Silmoa still wished to be kind, even if she felt she had to be nasty.
But what should Liana say now? She couldn't agree with Silmoa, but she didn't want to make her feel worse. And she really wanted to get to sleep. To dream. Maybe that was what she should say.
'It's all right, Silmoa. Just lay your head down and try to dream of better times. That might help.'
'Yes,' said Silmoa, 'I'll try to do that.'
Liana tried to sleep. But again she kept thinking about Silmoa. Did she really believe that a time would come when the Bartys would treat Seren-ilians, Grabblers, like proper people? When they would show respect for their ideas? After they had already destroyed everything that had made Seren-ila into Seren-ila?
Silmoa had always believed so strongly in 'the Seren Way' of doing things. Now she had switched, and believed in the Barty Way. She thought that being cruel and nasty was a necessity. Would she have thought that it would have been necessary to be like that to uphold the ways of Seren-ila? That couldn't be right.
In the midst of such thoughts, Liana found herself once again in her dream. She had never known such a thing before. The words that she was turning over in her mind didn't stop or change, she just carried on thinking them while the reality of the hostel faded, and the dream of Seren-ila appeared around her.
This time, instead of having to travel to the garden, she found herself there at once. Herago was where he had been sitting before, with his cups and stones. She started to greet him, but he was intent on what he was doing with the objects in front of him, and signalled that she should keep quiet.
Liana recognised what Herago was doing. It was one of the Impossibles they had practised for the showing. The stone appeared under one cup, then another. During the showing, a model of Greblara had appeared at the end, but just as Liana was expecting this, Herago lifted the last cup, and a hare jumped out, apparently much bigger than the cup itself. At first, Liana was delightedly surprised. But then she remembered that this was a dream. Of course, anything could happen in a dream. Herago's Impossibles were not so impressive when you realised that you were in a world where the impossible was routinely possible.
'What do you think?' Herago said, looking at Liana.
'Very good, if you could do it in real life,' said Liana. 'But even I could do something like that. In a dream.'
'Liana, you don't seem to understand. I am practising in the way that I would do this in real life. This isn't a fantasy idea. I'm using the same techniques that I use for the Impossibles that we did in our showing,' Herago said.
Liana wasn't entirely convinced. After all, this was a dream. But there was no point in arguing about it.
'Anyway,' Herago said, 'why are you taking so long to get here each night?'
'I find it hard to get to sleep,' Liana said.
'I don't have any problems getting to sleep,' Herago replied. He sounded slightly annoyed. 'Maybe that's because of the work we boys have to do.'
'We girls do work too, you know,' Liana said.
'I don't suppose you spend half the day breaking up rocks, though, do you?' Herago said.
'Breaking up rocks? What rocks? Why?' said Liana.
'Rocks from Greblara. They have to be broken up to be turned into buildings and roads, and whatever else the Bartys want to use them for. So it's very tiring.'
'But why do you have to do that, and not us?' Liana asked.
'Because we're boys. The Bartys have some strange ideas about what males and females can or should do.' Herago said.
Liana started to speak, 'But...'
Herago interrupted. 'Look, we don't have much time. We need to work out what we are going to do at the Festival. What we are going to put into our showing.'
'The Festival? You mean the Festival in Bartyronis?'
'Of course,' said Herago.
For a moment Liana thought once again that she had switched into the old sort of dream, where things happened that made no sense. But it was definitely Herago saying this. What did he mean?
'We can't go to the Festival. We're Grabblers,' Liana said.
'Yes, we'll have to find a way to disguise ourselves,' Herago replied, calmly.
'But even if we could do that, we can't get to Bartyronis. We couldn't walk along the road – first of all it's not built yet, and even if it was, they'd soon discover us. And they won't let us get on to a flying machine. How else can we get there?'
'Wrist-flyers, of course,' Herago said, triumphantly.
'Wrist-flyers? But the Bartys have got all the wrist-flyers. Don't you remember? They took them when they first came to Seren-ila. Along with Piacho and Selentaya.'
'Not quite all,' Herago said.
'What do you mean?'
Herago suddenly changed the way he looked at her. His eyes narrowed.
'Liana, partner in my showing,' he said. It was as if he was on a stage, talking to a large audience of people. An audience of Seren-ilians.
'Put on this blindfold,' Herago said. He held out a blindfold, just like the one that they had used at Megtwillow, in their final Impossible.
'Please confirm that you cannot see anything,' Herago said.
It was a strange idea, as she knew that in real life, her eyes were closed anyway.
'I can't see a thing. I wouldn't even be able to see the great Tyro if he was standing before us,' said Liana. 'He isn't standing before us, is he?'
'Not at the moment, Liana, thank goodness,' said Herago. 'Now, I am looking at something. Something handed to me by somebody in the audience. What am I looking at, Liana?' Herago said.
Liana started to guess the answer to Herago's question, as she would have if she was working with him on the showing. She strained to remember how she should do this.
'You are looking ...' Liana waited for a response.
'Yes, tell me what it is, Liana.'
'It's more than one thing,'
'That's absolutely right,' said Herago.
'And it's something that you wear,' said Liana.
'Correct,' said Herago.
'But it's also something very useful.'
'Yes, it is. You're right there.'
Liana should now be able to tell him what the objects were. She thought hard. Then it came to her.
'You are looking ... You have in your hand a pair of...' she paused, as she could hardly believe what she was saying, '... a pair of wrist-flyers,' Liana said.
'Correct,' Herago said, triumphantly.
Liana pulled off the blindfold and opened her eyes. She didn't know what to expect. But there, in front of her, was Herago holding a beautiful pair of Seren wrist-flyers. Liana recognised them as a pair that Trentaya had often used. Again, Liana wondered if this was a dream of wishing how things were.
'Where did you get those?' Liana asked.
'They were in the bag,' Herago said.
'The bag?'
'Remember, we didn't finish our showing, and I was left with a bag.'
Liana cast her mind back to the Megtwillow showing. That last Impossible. They didn't finish it, but they did get somebody in the audience to put something into Herago's bag. Who was it? Trentaya, maybe? Liana didn't know, as she was wearing the blindfold. But whoever it was, they had put in the wrist-flyers, and then forgotten all about getting them back.
'How long have you known that you had the wrist-flyers?' Liana asked.
'Only a few weeks,' Herago replied. 'When the flying machine arrived in Seren-ila, I hadn't even looked in the bag to find out what was there. And after our showing was cut off at Megtwillow, I hid the bag away. Then I forgot all about it. It was only when I started having these dreams that I remembered.'
'So you are saying that you want us to fly to Bartyronis with only one pair of wrist-flyers, then somehow manage to get into the Festival, perform what we did in the showing, and demonstrate to the whole world that the Grabblers are not stupid?'
'Yes,' said Herago.
'The chances of us managing this are almost impossible,' Liana replied.
'True,' said Herago. 'But do you have a better idea?'
'I...'
The sound of a siren started up in the background, but very soon it had overtaken everything else, and Seren-ila quickly faded away. There was so much she wanted to ask Herago. But the dream world was fading. Liana found herself opening her eyes.
She was back in the hostel, and Silmoa was staring at her.