The Forest of Glass — Chapter 9

PIANO.

CELLO.

VIOLIN.

VIOLA.

AND THIS IS...

IT'S AN OBOE.

GOODNESS.

MY LADY, THE LIGHTS ARE SO BRIGHT, IT MUST BE HARD FOR YOU TO SEE.

IT'S PERFECTLY FINE, DANNY.

I'M ENJOYING THE CONCERT IMMENSELY AS IT IS.

MY LADY...

STOP RIGHT THERE!

WH-WHAT'S GOING ON?

MY LADY, PLEASE HOLD MY HAND TIGHT...!

AH!

M-MY LADY...!

DANNY...!

THIS ISN'T DANNY'S HAND!

I-I'M SEARCHING FOR MY COMPANION...!

WE'VE SHARED A PROPOSAL AND EVEN A KISS; AM I NOT ALLOWED TO BE YOUR COMPANION?

LORD ESTRICHEN...?

WE MEET TWICE IN ONE DAY, MY LADY.

SO WE DO. BUT...

ARE YOU HURT, BY ANY CHANCE?

THE FAINT SCENT OF BLOOD AND DIRT,

MIXED WITH THE SMELL OF GUNPOWDER LINGERS ON HIM.

ALTHOUGH HE HAD A SOMEWHAT ROUGH SIDE,

DURING THE DAY, HE CARRIED A GENTLE FRAGRANCE THAT WAS EXACTLY AS I'D EXPECTED...

NOW... I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE AT ALL.

MY LORD... IF YOU ARE INDEED INJURED...

...MY LADY.

I AM NOT INJURED.

What the,

THE LIGHTS ALL WENT OUT?!

IT'S SO DARK I CAN'T SEE A THING!

MOMMY...!

...A MATTE LEATHER JACKET COMMON LABORER MIGHT WEAR.

DISHEVELED, UNKEMPT HAIR.

IS THIS MAN REALLY—

THE SAME PERSON I SAW EARLIER TODAY?

...?

YOU LITTLE RATS!

COME OUT THIS INSTANT!

MY LADY!

I'M SO TERRIBLY SORRY...!

I'M TRULY SORRY, MY LADY!

I LET GO OF YOUR HAND...! ARE YOU HURT ANYWHERE?

I'M FINE, DANNY. I STAYED RIGHT HERE THE WHOLE TIME.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE SHOULD LEAVE IMMEDIATELY.

LORD ESTRICHEN YOU SHOULD ALSO...!

MY LADY?

HE WAS HERE JUST A MOMENT AGO...

Did He Disappear That Quickly...?

THIS WAY!

ARREST ALL THE PRIVATE SOLDIERS WHO CAUSED THE RIOTS IN DOWNTOWN LUSON AND IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL!

YES, SIR!

MY LADY?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE...!

ALEX, I CAME TO THE CONCERT WITH DANNY...

ARE YOU INJURED... DID YOU GET HURT ANYWHERE?

NO, WE'RE COMPLETELY FINE.

MORE IMPORTANTLY... WHAT IS ALL THIS COMMOTION?

GET IN THE CARRIAGE FIRST.

I'LL TELL YOU ON THE WAY.

...IS THAT TRUE?

YES, THEY'RE THE PRIVATE SOLDIERS WHO WERE GUARDING THE SAWYER FAMILY'S WINE WAREHOUSE.

THEY WERE INVOLVED IN A SHOOTOUT JUST A MOMENT AGO.

THE SAWYER COUNT FAMILY... THAT'S THE PLACE WHERE THE ORDERS CAME FROM LAST TIME!

YES, SO I WAS KEEPING AN EYE ON THEM...

BUT I NEVER IMAGINED THEY WOULD GO SO FAR AS A SHOOTOUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY.

WHEN THE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST CAME THROUGH MRS. KLEINS—

I WAS SIMPLY HAPPY.

BECAUSE I, A BLIND WOMAN, COULD FINALLY BE OF HELP TO SOMEONE.

IT WAS LIKE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR.

IT WAS A FEELING I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE...

A BRAND NEW FORM OF FREEDOM.

BUT TO THINK THOSE VERY INSTRUCTIONS...

COULD LEAD TO HARMING OTHERS...

I KNEW.

I KNEW, AND YET...

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EXPERIENCED IT FIRSTHAND...

MOST OF THESE INCIDENTS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS AT THE MANSION,

AND I ONLY LEARNED ABOUT THEM THROUGH NEWSPAPERS AND PROPAGANDA.

SO ALEX HAS BEEN DOING SUCH DANGEROUS WORK.

BUT...

WHY DID THAT MAN APPEAR LOOKING LIKE THAT...?

IN A WORLD THAT WAS ALREADY FILLED WITH DARKNESS,

IT FEELS AS THOUGH A THICK FOG HAS NOW ROLLED IN.

LEHAN!

ARE YOU OKAY?

ARE YOU ALRIGHT?

CAPTAIN...!

I'M FINE.

WHAT A RELIEF.

I TOLD YOU THERE'S NO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE CAPTAIN!

Hahaha.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, DID EVERYONE RETURN SAFELY?

YES, CAPTAIN. MOST SUSTAINED ONLY MINOR INJURIES, BUT EVERYONE HAS RETURNED.

HOWEVER, KENNETH...

LUHAN.

KENNETH...!

I'M SORRY.

MY NECKLACE...

I THINK I DROPPED IT IN THAT BASEMENT WAREHOUSE.