Chapter 2.5
Xara responded to Astor’s comment.
“There’s not even any certainty whether the beast actually exists or not⊠Isnât that right? The city is overflowing with criminals. Even nasty junkies strut around the streets without shame.”
As he finished, Xara glanced behind him. Toward Unaâs direction. He, too, had once suffered thanks to Una, who would send hostility toward anyone who looked like they were from Uptown.
He had simply been wearing a decently tailored suit, but Una had mistaken him for an Uptown person. Cyril gave a bitter smile, remembering how heâd once had to restrain Una, just like today, when she tried to go after Xara.
“Besides, Orgelâs Master hasnât appeared in public a single time since then. So when the other city rulers scoff and call it the ramblings of a senile old man, there’s nothing we can really say, is there? Iâve heard that there isnât even a proper livestock pen anywhere in Uptown that could house such a dangerous beast.”
“And even if that beast did exist, how could it still be alive? If itâs something Orgelâs Master has been raising for a long time, itâd be pretty old by now⊠Surely itâs not a sea turtle?”
Everything they were saying was perfectly reasonable. Not just themâmany other customers over the years had said the same things to Cyril.
That the beast was just an imaginary scare tactic. That Orgelâs Master had made a childish threat, like a grandfather telling his grandson that if he misbehaves, a thief will come and cut off his hand.
âWell, arenât all the other districts the same way? The dolls in the Doll Mansion are actually alive. Every time one breaks, a resident donates that body part to repair it. The time in the Clock Tower is subtly misaligned. So sometimes, a time that doesnât exist⊠exists.â
When Cyril chimed in, Astor welcomed it enthusiastically.
âYou know quite a bit, Mr. Cyril. Well, the Clock Tower rumor sounds like something the Metronome Master spread to discredit the Clock Tower Master. The North and South donât get along at all.â
âThey say a treasure is hidden in the Clock Tower. Maybe thatâs why the Clock Tower owner intentionally tampered with the clock. I heard clues appear every time the chimes ring. From what Iâve heard, the Clock Tower Master uses that nonexistent time whenever he goes to look at the treasure.â
âYes. Youâve heard that too, Xara? But I wonder if thatâs really possible. If that were true, the trains that circle the city center and outskirts should be stopping, shouldnât they? The gear-track that runs those trains is connected to the clock in the Clock Tower, after all.â
âNot to mentionâwhat kind of treasure does a city ruler need to hide from others? If he wanted to see it, he could just go and no one would say a word.â
The two resumed chattering on about the cityâs secret mysteries.
If it had been Rani, he mightâve perked up at the word âtreasureâ, but Cyril wasnât particularly interested, so he turned his attention away and tidied up.
He remembered dropping a few ice cubes while making the Blue Hawaiian earlier. He wiped the bar counter roughly with a dry cloth, then looked up at the ceiling.
Just then, he saw the clockwork bird slowly moving near the light fixture. Maybe it was because they had mentioned rain, but the voices of the two seemed to fall downward rather than rising upward.
Downward…
Come to think of it, why hadnât Miss Simo returned yet? Should he go check?
Just then, a voice rang out.
âBut isnât what theyâre saying about the Central Tower actually pretty serious?â
Cyrilâs fingers twitched.
Central Tower.
They must be referring to that iron tower.
He looked at the two in front of him. Engrossed in their conversation, they didnât even seem to notice Cyril watching them. Astor murmured in a low voice.
âThe Central Iron Tower broke down a long time ago, and only the King can repair it.â
Cyril exhaled slowly, deliberately. Naturally, his gaze shifted to Una and the Uptown guest. They didnât seem particularly interested, possibly because they couldnât hear the twoâs conversation well. Or maybe they could hear it and were pretending not to.
The conversation continued.
âEven if you ignore the silly rumors about the tower builders appearing at night, this one is serious enough that Central should make a statement. It might have been fine before, but right now, public trust in Central has hit rock bottom. The longer they stay silent, the deeper the suspicions will grow.â
âIf the tower really is broken, what happens then? Even if there are buildings in the outlying districts, could we really survive without the Central Tower? And even if someone tried to fix it, isnât Central an old city? I once met a technician who used to work there. He said the outdated systems are so tangled and unplanned that itâs impossible to know where to begin. He said it was astonishingly grotesque. The only designer who couldâve handled it died before the Cataclysm, and there are no remaining design records.â
âBut the talk of the breakdown is just a baseless rumorâŠâ
Astor trailed off, and Xara frowned.
âPeople have already died in droves. There are rumors that Central is covering it up. Thatâs why they canât afford to pay attention to the other districts right now. You remember how the rulers of each city once complained to Central, saying Orgelâs Master was getting arrogant? Word is, the reason Central didnât respond back then was because the tower was already broken, and they were too overwhelmed to deal with anything else.â
