After a moment, I knelt down to his level and loosened the small pocket in my bodice, sliding the CHRONOS key out just a bit. His eyes grew wide and several conflicting emotions moved across his face—probably relief that I believed him, but mixed with a touch of what looked like fear. I realized that he associated the medallion with the Cyrists.
“I’m not a Cyrist,” I told him quickly, taking his small hand in mind. “I don’t like them, either. And I think you’re right not to trust your other boss.
“What’s your real name?” I asked, even though I knew beyond any doubt what his answer would be.
“Kiernan,” he said. “Kiernan Dunne, same as me dad was.”
“Kiernan,” I repeated. “It’s a nice name. Or would you rather I called you Mick?”
“No,” he said. “I don’ much like it, but ain’ many people c’n be bothered wi’ learnin’ t’ say me real name. Mick’s easier for ’em, so I don’ argue. Are you really called Kate?” he asked, with a skeptical twist of his mouth.
I nodded, deciding that, given his views of my aunt Prudence, he probably wouldn’t want to know that Kate was actually based on my middle name. “What color is the light on the medallion for you, Kiernan? It’s blue for me—a very bright blue, brighter than any sky you’ve ever seen.”
“It’s green for me, Miss Kate. A deep, pretty green like…” A blush crept over his face and then he looked back up at me. “Like your eyes.”
“That’s really sweet, Kiernan,” I said, squeezing his hand before I let it go to tuck the medallion back into its hidden pocket. “So tell me, do you know what this medallion does?”
“It c’n make you disappear, at least some of the folks at the farm could do that. It’s a holy object for the Cyrists. They said we were special, me and me dad, ’cause we could see the light and make the books send messages. Sister Pru wanted me to work on it ever’ day, but it gives me a headache somethin’ awful. Me mom ain’ never been able to see it and there were a lot of others who couldn’ see it either. Only a few of the people at the farm actually brung one of them—they call ’em keys—with ’em when they came to the farm. An’ other than me dad, they handed the key things over to Sister Pru and the other leaders.”
“Is that why Sister Pru and your dad fought?” I asked. “Your dad wouldn’t give up the key?”
He shook his head. “I don’ think so. She ain’ ever tried to take it from me, either. Tol’ me to keep it after me dad was gone.”
The wheel jerked slightly as it began its second revolution, and I could hear the squeals from those who were now at the top, where the movement would have felt much scarier. I looked at Kiernan for a long moment and tried to piece all of what he had told me into the larger picture. I couldn’t see any clear patterns, however, and eventually decided I would have to rely on my own instincts and give him just a basic outline.
“You don’t have to feel bad about not being completely truthful with me earlier,” I said. “I wasn’t a hundred percent truthful with you, either. I am really called Kate, and I am really following the same two people you were. The man is really a bad guy—all of that is true—but I’m not a newspaper writer. I guess you could say that I’m a messenger of sorts. And you were right to think that the lady with him is in danger. That’s what I’m here to tell her. But I’ve got to do it very carefully.”
He nodded and then tilted his head to one side. “So the lady in the purple hat… why did she cover for us if you aren’ really a writer? Or is that a real paper, that gazette you talked about?”
“No,” I said. “I made it all up. She just…” I pulled the chain of the bracelet away from my wrist and held up the tiny hourglass charm. “I think she recognized this. She knows the lady who gave it to me.”
“Oh, so it’s like a signal she should trust you?”
“Exactly,” I said, rising to my feet carefully as the wheel reached its highest point and then stopped, swaying slightly. I winced a bit as I caught my balance—the blister was clearly getting worse and it didn’t help that these compartments were standing-room only. “I’d rather not try to talk to her again now, given that your boss—Prudence—is still there. But the good news is that I know where the other lady will be later this afternoon. Can I count on you to help me get there?”
He smiled, clearly relieved to know that he hadn’t lost both of his jobs in one fell swoop. “Yes, Miss Kate. I’d be mos’ happy to help.”