The Relic Keeper Read Online Free Page A

prayer had been declared and the beds from two of the dormitories were also moved to the storage area to allow the halls to be free from unnecessary furniture.
     
    Deon was not surprised when Caroline asked him to finish whatever part of the Sargent case he was on and help with the final movement of furniture and goods around Unit the following day. This was not, however, to say that he was necessarily happy about it.
    “It’s work for donkeys,” he moaned to Nasreen, as they pulled at a run of the fence that was starting to wilt towards the outside path. It gave the appearance that someone has tried to climb over its 2.5 metres, and Deon wondered who might have tried to break into their little community.
    “I don’t understand why we need to maintain the fence now anyway,” the girl said as she tugged at the stake. No one seems to be making a final rush to get here.”
    “Did you expect them to?”
    “Well, yes,” she said with a slight laugh. “After all we’ve said and everyone we’ve told, I rather thought that we’d be getting busier. I thought people would flock to us. Caroline, I mean the Divine Caroline, thought so too, you know.”
    “How’d you know that?”
    “Because she’s had everyone move all the excess food and supplies to the chicken hall and left a huge area clear for new arrivals.”
    ‘Hall #3. It’s not a chicken hall.”
    “Well, it smells of chickens.”
    “Yeah, critical. I’ll tell her you said so.”
    “And I’ll tell Caroline that you call her, ‘her’.”
    “Ok, it smells. Now pull the stake back towards us, while I tie the wire back around. No, further to your left. No, your other left.”
    “Shit, I stabbed myself.”
    “Come here, let’s see.” Deon took the girl’s hand from beneath her arm where she had it pressed. A twist of wire had stuck into Nasreen’s palm and she watched the small trickle of blood with morbid fascination. His earlier life had not been a virtuous one, but from it Deon knew that there was always an easier way of doing anything. He looked at Nasreen marvelling at her wound. Her skin felt smooth and warm, and he wondered if he couldn’t have fixed the fence on his own. Shit, I’m lazy, he thought to himself. It was nothing more complicated than that, and being lazy wasn’t, as far as he knew, something that would stop him entering the kingdom of heaven. He just had so much trouble concentrating on things that didn’t interest him. Anyway, it was nice to have a pretty girl to help him, and now she was injured and he had something to make her feel better.
    “Nasreen, it is time for a break from this persistent shit.” He looked down at the small wound in her palm. “It’s not too deep. It may throb if you catch it for a few days.” Then he remembered that everything would be completely fine in a day’s time. In the meantime he could take her mind off it for today. “Come on, sit over here for a second. By the hill you can’t be seen from Unit.” They walked along the length of the fence to the secluded spot and sat, watching the clouds roll overhead. Deon took out his autopipe and loaded it with a tablet. For a split second he lifted his head, thinking he’d heard someone call him, but it must have been the wind, as there was no one but himself and Nasreen visible. He clicked the apparatus into action and inhaled the beautifully corrupt air that it produced.
    “What are you doing?” Her eyes were wide with fear and wonderment, and suddenly Deon became very sure that he was the only person in the complex that possessed such an item. Somehow he had always assumed that he’d just never seen anyone else’s. “You’re smoking,” she said, still apparently completely astonished.
    “Tomorrow we shall walk in Paradise. Today, I feel like a smoke.” Deon looked across and winked, but guessed he wasn't winning any popularity awards her. “I take it that you don’t want one,” he said, holding out the slim silver pipe for her.