details.
Lucinda’s navy blazer contrasted neatly with her crisp, white blouse. Her white hair was done in a very short, stylish cut that made her look younger than she was. Diamond stud earrings glittered in the light.
It was only the second time they’d ever met. For most of Allie’s life, she’d believed her grandmother was dead. She wanted to forget nothing.
‘Sugar?’ Lucinda asked brightly, her hand hovering over the fragile bowl.
Allie shook her head, reaching out for the cup. ‘No, thank you,’ she added with belated formality.
A smile played on Lucinda’s lips as she handed her the cup on a matching saucer. ‘You remind me of your mother at your age. She always forgot to say “thank you” until the last second. Always so eager to move things along.’
It was weird thinking of Lucinda – a former chancellor in the British government and renowned advisor to world leaders, famous to anyone who ever watched the news – as her mother’s mother. It didn’t seem possible they’d ever been family.
Allie’s mother had run away from home after finishing at Cimmeria and had never looked back. She’d rejected her mother’s wealth and power in favour of a simple life, and she’d hidden her family history from her children. Allie had only discovered it all once she was at Cimmeria.
Lifting the teacup to her lips, Allie inhaled its lemony bergamot perfume.
‘Now.’ Moving the teapot out of the way, Lucinda settled back in her chair. ‘Let’s have a chat.’
Up close, Allie could see the delicate pattern of lines around her eyes – they didn’t look like laugh lines. You didn’t become as powerful as Lucinda if you didn’t have a spine of steel.
‘We have a situation here, Allie,’ Lucinda said. ‘I don’t have much time, but I think it’s important you should understand exactly what’s happening. Because you are in a great deal of danger. And I need you to be ready for whatever may happen next.’
‘The parents,’ Allie said, ‘they’re going to pull their kids out of Cimmeria, aren’t they?’
Lucinda nodded. ‘That’s Nathaniel’s plan. Then he’ll call for a vote of no confidence, his supporters will identify themselves, I’ll be voted out, they’ll take over the school and the entire organisation, I will be powerless, and he’ll be free to continue his takeover, which I think will damage much more than just Cimmeria.’
As she described how she would be destroyed, Lucinda appeared unruffled. She could have been describing an ordinary business day for all the emotion she betrayed.
‘Some of the kids don’t want to go,’ Allie said. She lifted her chin proudly. ‘We’re going to help them stay.’
Lucinda stirred her tea with a small silver spoon. ‘It’s a difficult situation. It would be very brave of them to try to stay but their parents will find a way to get them, I fear. They all have good lawyers and their children are underage. Nathaniel is very… resourceful.’
‘We can’t just make them go.’ Allie hadn’t considered that Lucinda might not approve of their plan. ‘They don’t want to. Surely they have the right to decide which side they’re on.’
‘Not until they’re eighteen they don’t,’ Lucinda said. ‘Allie, I’m not saying they shouldn’t attempt to stand up to their parents and stay here. Just… speak to Isabelle about it. Make sure she knows everything you’re planning. She can help you.’
‘Can she?’ Allie’s tone was resentful. ‘She’s been away throughout all of this. We’ve had do everything ourselves.’
‘She was never truly away. All you had to do was ask for her and she’d have been here,’ Lucinda chided her gently. ‘However, it certainly says a lot about you and the others that, instead, you made your own plans – found your own way. This is why you were chosen for Night School. I would expect nothing less.’
The glow of pride Allie felt from her words took her by surprise – she hadn’t realised how much Lucinda’s approval mattered.
‘The problem is, Nathaniel has our backs to the wall with this,’ Lucinda conceded. ‘It’s a masterful plan. There are few moves we can make to win.’
Allie clutched her teacup, considering what this meant. ‘On the phone, a few weeks ago… you said the organisation that runs Night School runs the government. Does that mean if Nathaniel takes over, he’ll control the government?’
‘I suppose I’d better start at the beginning.’ Tapping her chin with one finger, Lucinda considered her. ‘Have you heard of the Orion Project?’
Allie shook her head. She’d heard the term ‘Orion’ used somewhere at Cimmeria before, but she couldn’t place it.
‘That is the name of the organisation of which Night School and Cimmeria are one small part. It’s a private group of very powerful people – members of parliament, judges, lawyers, financiers, CEOs, the owners of media corporations…’ She waved her hand and her diamond ring caught the light, glittering like frozen fire. ‘I could go on but that should give you a sense of who we are.
‘There are similar organisations in other countries, but Orion is the oldest. I have been the head of Orion for the last fifteen years. It’s a position I essentially inherited from my father. You see, it’s always been a titular position…’ Shooting Allie a sharp look, she paused. ‘Do you know what “titular” means?’
Mutely, Allie shook her head.
‘It means “in name only”. So the chairman of this organisation mostly ran meetings, hosted dinners, and made sure things… happened. Until I came along.’ She smiled demurely. ‘I changed things.’
Fascinated and confused, Allie tried to keep up. She wished she was taking notes so she could remember it all later.
‘How did you change it?’ she asked.
‘I instituted a voting system – so now the board votes on all our actions. And I lobbied to let children from different backgrounds into Cimmeria,’ Lucinda explained. ‘As you know, entrance to the organisation starts at school level. Night School is the main youth group, but there are similar groups at a few other top public schools. Until I came along, entrance was by heredity – if your family were members you were accepted. I changed that… as much as I could. Now some students – fewer than I’d like – are admitted based on ability and intellect. Fresh blood, they call it.’
Allie thought of Carter, the orphaned son of a kitchen worker and a mechanic. It made sense now, that he was in Night School.
‘OK…’ she said. ‘But what exactly does… Orion… do?’
Lucinda considered this for a moment before answering. ‘It makes sure certain things are run properly.’
‘What… things?’
‘The government,’ Lucinda said. ‘The banks. Major corporations. The media. The courts.’
This didn’t seem possible. ‘Doesn’t the government run the government?’ Allie asked.
‘Of course,’ Lucinda said mildly. ‘We just help them.’
‘Help them how?’
‘By making certain the right people are elected. People who are members of Orion. People who understand what we’re doing.’ Lucinda cocked her head to one side. ‘Does that make sense?’
‘No.’ Allie didn’t like the sound of this. ‘Are you saying when people go and vote their votes aren’t real?’
‘Oh no. Their votes are very real,’ Lucinda assured her. ‘But the people they’re voting for are part of Orion.’
A moment of stunned disbelief followed.
‘All of them?’ Allie’s voice was small.
‘Certainly not,’ Lucinda said. ‘Just… enough of them.’
‘And the judges?’ Allie said faintly. ‘Them too?’
‘Absolutely,’ Lucinda said. ‘The court system is very important. Particularly the Supreme Court. Actually, we do run that one completely. It’s… necessary.’
A long pause followed as Allie digested this. The normal sounds of everyday life around her suddenly seemed out of place – the kettle in the corner ticking as it cooled; laughter floating in through the walls. As if a secret organisation were not running everything around them.
‘So Orion controls… everything.’
