Acquaintances, pt 2

The thing that looked like Charles Holcombe frowned, and stood up. Terror gripped Charlie, and he ran, wondering what the thing might be capable of. If there was anything he'd learned today, it was to not trust appearances. He quickly made his way back to the park, hoping the others would still be there. Hoping against hope that the impostor wouldn't follow.

He found himself cowering behind a tree in the middle of the park, feeling exposed, looking over his shoulder. Somehow he could feel the impostor's eyes, its gaze on his neck. Gertrude and the others were nowhere to be seen. Charlie was alone in a world that had become alien to him. In a world with no place for him.

The next instant, he was fighting for breath, sagging down onto his knees, his vision blurring. He only caught on when he felt the tears roll down his face and heard himself sobbing. There was no stopping it, he had somehow tapped into an endless source of raw emotion that had laid dormant somewhere deep in his gut.

What was he going to do? Where would he go? His old life was gone, the Charlie he knew might as well be dead. There was nothing for him here anymore.

"Hey. It's going to be all right."

He looked up. Standing over him, the sun casting a halo around her face, was a girl. She offered him a bone white hand. He grasped it, still hulking. It was cool to the touch, but not unpleasantly cold, like a stone in the shade on a sunny day. She helped him stand, and with the sun out of his eyes he could see her face.

"You're a..."

"A Changeling. Gertrude told me you'd be here."

"Oh. I see. But..." Her face was a painted and polished mask. The glaze had peeled off under her eyes, where he could make out finely worked wood. The nose was extremely delicate, and he could just make out hairline gaps around her mouth that shifted as she spoke, an intricate mechanism that folded in on itself in sections. He was immediately taken in, as much by her superficial beauty as the fascinating design and workmanship. She was a living wooden doll. He wiped his eyes with the heels of his hands and sniffed. "Uh... This is going to sound stupid, but... Have we met before?"

"Let's not dwell on the past. What's your name?"

"Charlie."

"I'm Tara. Follow me, Charlie."

They walked through town, past the university towards the south end of Harmon. Charlie caught himself inspecting every minute detail of the doll woman. Tara had a fascinating gait. It was so consistent, as if it were choreographed or programmed, more like a dancer mimicking a walk than a person walking. He felt a sudden impulse to push her, just to see if she would regain her balance or continue her walk cycle lying on her side.

"I should introduce you to the courts." She was suddenly looking at him, holding his gaze firmly. Her eyes were distinctly human. "You're a Changeling now. You should become acquainted with Changeling society."

"Changeling..."

"Yes. Did Gertrude tell you about the courts?"

"No."

"Our society is divided into four courts, one for each season. I am a member of the Spring court."

"What does that mean? Is a court like a political party or something?"

"Not quite. One's court is part of one's identity, as well as being the ruling faction during its season."

"Sounds... interesting. Are all the courts represented in Harmon?"

"If we didn't have a Summer court, who would rule during summer?"

"Of course."

"As you can see, all four courts are needed for a Changeling society to function."

"How many Changelings are there in Harmon?"

"No one is keeping count. Maybe a hundred or so. We're here." They were in a back alley. A waiter sat slumped on a loading dock, smoking a cigarette. Apart from the three of them, the place looked deserted.

"Where?"

She motioned for him to follow and opened a door leading into a big building to their right. They went inside and walked through a dimly lit hallway with a few doors on either side, a flight of stairs down into a dark cellar, and a set of swinging double doors at the end. Charlie was beginning to wonder why he trusted Tara. She said she'd spoken to Gertrude and the others, but where were they? Gertrude had mentioned some other side, some sort of enemies. What if Tara was one of those, whoever they were? He must have been too fascinated by her to critically consider what he was doing. He was probably making a huge mistake.

"They are just through here," she said.

Charlie didn't bother asking who. He wasn't sure he'd get a straight answer anyway. She pushed the double doors open and they came out in a conference hall dotted with tables where people were conversing amicably. At least they seemed like people at first glance. Then Charlie saw a man with horns, a woman enveloped in fire, a giant made of stone, and that none of the people in the room were human. They were all Changelings.