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Jedd used to be the apprentice Historyun, then two months ago he was suddenly promoted to journeyman, years too soon. Something about the old Historyun retiring early. There were rumours his memory had gone vague before he had got old.
We found Jedd at the Historyuns’ rooms. Pitr went in and got him to come outside. I didn’t want to say anything in front of anybody else, and there were people hanging about.
‘Garret? Pitr said you wanted to talk?’ Jedd said. His voice was deeper than my dad’s, but it was warmer.
‘Yeah.’
‘Come in, then.’
‘I wanted to speak to you somewhere quiet.’
Jedd looked thoughtful for a moment, then said ‘Commons. Come on.’
I thought he was mad. Commons was where everybody got together when they weren’t doing anything else and I didn’t see how that could be private, but Jedd was right. People there were busy doing their own thing.
One corner was taken up with an evening crèche, and in another a half dozen girls were smiling at boys then collapsing into a huddle of giggles as the chaperone told them off. I didn’t stare too long. I didn’t want the chaperone noticing and telling my dad. Boys and girls weren’t allowed to mix until they were sixteen, and not allowed to be un-chaperoned until they were eighteen. Nobody noticed the three of us sitting at a small table near the edge
‘So what’s this about?’ asked Jedd when we were settled. ‘This better not be about the apprenticeship again, Garret. You know the answer.’
‘But ... ’
‘But nothing. Even if your memory was good enough – ‘ he held up his hand to stop me protesting I had never been tested. ‘ – which is not an issue, your father would never permit it.’
I sighed. It still hurt, even though I had already been told a half dozen times. ‘No, this is something different.’ Pitr said. Jedd looked at him and raised his eyebrows.
‘Is this Garret’s story or yours?’
Pitr flushed and scrunched back on his seat. Jedd was nice enough, but he could be a bit overpowering at times. He was six feet tall, and big in a muscled sort of way. His hair was almost black, and he had thick eyebrows so when he looked hard at you it could make you nervous. Still, he was only about 19, and almost one of us. I might be as tall as him one day, I’d swap my scruffy brown hair for his any day.
‘Mine,’ I said, then I took a deep breath. ‘I’m hearing a voice in my head.’
I had expected him to laugh, or to dismiss me like a regular adult would. I didn’t expect him to look deeply shocked for a moment, then to lean forward and look at me so hard I pulled a bit away from him, like Pitr had.
‘You hear voices in your head? What are they telling you to do?’ He spoke very evenly, but he was a bit too intense to convince me he was calm.
‘Not voices,’ I said. ‘One voice.’
‘And what does it say? Does it tell you to do things?’
‘Sort of. It just says my name, then says something about an access code for a maintenance panel.’
I never saw anybody look so surprised before.
‘We must tell Erish. Immediately.’
He was starting to get up before I could say ‘No!’ in a voice that was just a bit too loud. A few people turned to look at us,
‘What?’ said Jedd, clearly annoyed. He settled back into his chair.
‘Do you know what it is?’ I asked.
‘I’m not absolutely sure, but - ’
‘Please don’t tell anybody yet. My dad will freak and it will just be more fuss and he’ll blame me and - ’
‘If this is what I think it is ... ’ he stopped himself and looked guilty.
‘Can’t you tell us?’
‘No. Not yet, anyway.’
I looked at him and waited.
‘All right, but you must keep this between the three of us for now. This involves things I was only told after I was made journeyman.’
He tailed off then looked hard at me. ‘I want you to do something for me.’
He held my eyes until I shrugged my agreement. This didn’t sound like much of an explanation.
‘When you hear the voice again, and while it is speaking in your head, I want you to think a word. Think it very hard. See it written down. Make it with your lips.’
‘What word?’
‘Ident.’
‘That’s not a word.’
A flash of irritation rippled across Jedd’s face. ‘Who is the Historyun here?’
‘Journeyman,’ muttered Pitr, who was in turn favoured with a glare.
‘Ident?’ I said, feeling dubious. Jedd nodded emphatically.
‘OK,’ I said. ‘Then what?’
‘That depends. But try very hard to remember anything that does happen.’
He slapped me on the shoulder, then got up and walked off. Pitr looked at me and shrugged.
‘Did that help?’
I shrugged back. ‘No idea.’