the house part 7

Chapter Two in which we meet Margret again
November 28th
John was freaking out.
“Matt!” He yelled, “For God's sake! When I put you in charge of creating battle plans I thought you would actually, you know, create battle plans! We've been lucky so far, none of us have been chosen as a 16 but as soon as one of the October Conspiracy gets the letter we have to be ready to go, you know that! Right now the revolution would fail within about a day and a half. So would you please start formulating some freaking battle plans!!!”
Matthew nodded and kept on doing what he was doing. John's outbursts were not particularly uncommon nowadays. They had caught a break last week though when they recruited Josh August, a 16. Thomas had practically had a heart attack when Josh walked up to him and said that he wanted to join the October Conspiracy.
They had all decided that they wouldn't try to recruit any of the 16s because of the security risk. But the fact that one of them had come to them and asked to join was seen as a major coup. Matthew and Thomas wanted Josh to tell them everything he knew immediately but John had been more cautious.
“Go back to your room.” John had told Josh, “And think about the full implications of joining us. And then, if you still want to join us, write a report about the 16s. Try and be as detailed as possible. If you do want to drop out that's fine, but if you go to the Foremen, we will kill you. I don't want to threaten you but I feel I need you to understand the stakes. We are fighting for independence and freedom from oppression. We can't be all touchy feely. Understand?”
Josh had said that yes he did understand and he went back to his room. Two days later he had come back and said that not only was he in but he had also recruited his roommates, who were also 16s, to join as well. The three of them were working on their report, it should be done any day now. A knock came at the door, snapping Matthew out of his memories.
“Come on in.” Matthew called, hiding his papers under the couch as the door opened. The doors opened and in walked Margret.
“Hey Margret.” John said jovially, while Matthew tried hard not to look guilty. Margret had changed a great deal since Philip's death. She was a lot quieter, she had also stopped wearing contacts and started wearing glasses. Most disturbingly to Matthew and John, she had begun to work with the Foremen, enforcing the rules of the House. She had even begun to carry a side arm.
“I didn't come here,” Margret said coldly, looking around the room, “To chat. I came to ask you some questions.”
“Ask who some questions?” John asked, without a touch of guilt in his voice, “Me or Matt? Or maybe both of us?”
“I came to ask both of you some questions.” Margret replied, still scanning the room with her eyes, “Please come with me.”
“Come with you where?” Matthew asked suspiciously.
“To what used to be the Council Chambers.” Margret said, “I need to speak with the two of you, alone.”
“Well,” John said, clearly a little worried by Margret demeanor. John and Matthew had discussed at length Margret's behavior and they believed that she may have lost her mind a little after Philip's death. “Actually Margret, as great as it would be to get together and talk, but we're kind of busy today so maybe later.”
“No!” Margret said harshly, drawing her gun and pointing it at John, “We need to talk now! Come with me or I'll kill you, I swear to God I will!”
“Ok, Ok.” John said, holding up his hands as Matthew jumped to his feet, “No need to bring in firearms, we're reasonable people, The old council chambers you say? Why don't we meet you there in a quarter of an hour? So we have time to run to the bathroom and what not...”
“No!” Margret said, desperation creeping into her voice, “We go together and we go now! Come on!”
“Ok, fine, cool.” John said, glancing towards the desk where he and Matthew had hidden a pistol. “Do you mind if I just...”
“NO!!!” Margret roared, waving “We go now!!”
“Ok, ok, no need to freak out.” John said trying to remain very calm, “Matt, would you lead us out please?” He shot Matthew a look that was obviously trying to tell him something but Matthew had no idea what. So he just walked to the door, opened it, and walked out.
“You next.” Margret said to John gesturing him forward.
“Ok, ok.” John said, shooting a nasty look at Matthew.
As they walked along John leaned forward and hissed into Matthew's ear.
“You were supposed to hit her as you passed. Now what are we going to do?”
“We could try and reason with her.” Matthew hissed back.
“She is holding a gun on us and screaming.” John replied, “Somehow I don't think that reason is going to win the day.”
“Stop here.” Margret commanded, ending their conversation. Matthew looked around, they weren't at the Council Chambers. In fact they were outside the House History Classroom. Margret stepped forward and opened the door. She gestured with her gun for Matthew and John to enter the room. They did so and Margret followed them in, shutting the door behind her.
“Sit down.” Margret ordered. John and Matthew did so and then Margret did something that shocked and surprised both of them. She tossed her gun across the room.
Both Matthew and John jumped to their feet.
“Why in the name of God,” John demanded, “Did you do that?”
“Do what?” Margret asked absentmindedly, as she pulled the band out of her red hair, letting it fall down to near her shoulders.
“Throw a loaded firearm across the room.” Matthew said, looking at Margret like she was crazy.
“Oh it wasn't loaded.” She said, “Why would I carry a loaded gun?”
“Wait hold on,” John said, trying to restrain himself, “You force marched us here by threatening us with a gun that was not loaded. Please tell me I'm wrong about something.”
“You're not.” Margret said, “I didn't want to threaten you, but you guys wouldn't come with me.”
“Because we thought you were going to arrest us!” John said, angrily, “Lord Margret! Why didn't you just ask us whatever you wanted to ask us in our room?!”
“Because I can't be seen around you guys,” Margret said, “The Foremen are very suspicious of you two. And they are also very suspicious of me. And I have worked hard to build up a reputation as a Foreman supporter, but if I am seen coming out of your room they will start to investigate both of us more intently. And I think that I can be pretty sure when I say that neither of us want that.”
“What do you mean by that?” John asked, “We have nothing to hide. Why would you think that?”
“Because Josh tried to recruit me.” Margret said simply.
“Josh?” John said, still playing the innocent act, “Josh who?”
“Josh August.” Margret said.
“I don't know a Josh August.” John said turning to Matthew, “Matt, do you know a Josh August?”
“Nope.” Matthew said, “Wait actually no, I think a talked to him once. Nice guy, tall, with blond hair?”
“Come on guys,” Margret said, smiling slightly, “I don't really have the time to watch your very believable innocent act but Josh told me all about your organization, what's it called....that's right the October Conspiracy. He told me all about it.”
“So,” John said, trying to think of a way out of the situation, “Either you want to join, want us to stop, or this entire conversation is just a strange ploy to get us to admit that we are planning something illegal and then you can arrest us for treason. Which is it?”
“I want to join.” Margret said, “On one condition, I will not reveal what is on Page 504 or what is on Floor -22.”
“Why?” Matthew asked, “Why won't you reveal those things, and what the heck is Floor -22, I thought there was only Floor -19.”
“Ok,” Margret said, “Well the answer to your first question is that I won't reveal those things are because I firmly believe that they should be kept secret for the public good. The answer to your second question is that certain 16s are chosen to go deeper than Floor -19 and I'm one of them.”
“Who else has gone deeper?” John asked, interested, “Surely you can tell us that.”
“ Nobody other than me, Brien May, Olivia July, Nyssa March, Ben September, and Emily February were taken that deep.” Margret said.
“Why you?” John asked, even more curious than before, “I mean, I get the others, they're all important politicians and leaders, but what's so special about you?”
“You know how the position of Head of the 16s has been empty for a while?” Margret responded.
Both Matthew and John nodded.
“Well,” Margret continued, humbly, “I was going to be the new Head of the 16s.”
“Was?” Matthew asked, noting Margret's use of the past tense.
“Well,” Margret said, “Now that the council has been dissolved and Brien May has appointed himself to every position it appears that he is also now Head of the 16s.”
“He appointed himself to every position?!” John asked, shocked.
“Yeah,” Margret said, “Didn't you know that he had taken over?”
“I knew that he was leading the Foremen and that the Foremen had taken over but I didn't know that he personally was serving in every position.” John said, surprisingly angry.
“Well,” Margret said, humorously, “He has.”
“This is an affront to the Founding Charter!” John ranted, pacing up and down while Margret and Matthew looked on, a little amazed. “This is preposterous, Lord, this is insanity! How can the people tolerate this!! MY GOD!!! I was wondering if Revolution might be a bit of a overreaction to our situation but now MY GOD!!! I want to go and shoot that crazy freaking fascist!! LORD ALMIGHTY!!”
“Dude,” Matthew said, trying to restrain his laughter, “Calm the heck down.”
“I WILL NOT CALM DOWN, HECK OR NO!!” John shouted, waving his hands in the air, “THIS IS TOTAL AND UTTER CRAZINESS!! THE'RE SCREWING UP OUR GOVERNMENT AND OUR SOCIETY!!! HOW CAN YOU GUYS POSSIBLY JUST BE SITTING THERE??!!! DON”T YOU GET IT?! HE, ONE MAN, NOW CONTROLS ALL OF THE POLITICAL POSITIONS IN THE HOUSE!! HE'S THE CLERK, HE”S THE SECRETARY, HE”S THE CHIEF LEGAL COUNSUL, HE”S THE PRESIDENT, HE”S THE VICE PRESIENT!!!! GOD ALMIGHTY!!”
By this point, Margret and Matthew were literally rolling on the floor with laughter. They had seen John rant before, but this was something different.
“By God!” John said, calming down a little, “Let's go start us a freaking revolution!”