Jedi Go Home
Part 3
The next morning, Ben took the map that Aunt Bedec had drawn for him and bicycled over to the police station on his own, as Wylan had suggested. Dressed in his uniform of beige shirt and dark green pants, Wylan looked different from the night before, and Ben almost didn�t recognise him until he turned around and smiled.�Ben, hello.�"Hello,�he replied.
"Sergeant, I�ll be gone for a few minutes on recruitment business,�Wylan said to the younger man sitting at the desk across from him.
"All right, Captain.�
They went down a set of narrow steps into the cellar, which was much bigger than the police station above, and included a row of cells. Through a door, there was also a small shooting range, and Wylan unclipped a blaster from the rack and handed it to Ben.�Just wait until I get the target set up, and then show me what you can do with that.�
It was the same as with the darts. Ben hit the bull�s eye every time, even when Wylan had him stand facing away from the target and whirl around suddenly to shoot.
"Tell me something, Ben,�said Wylan after a while.�Were you scared last night, hiding there in that office, hoping that the Getters didn�t find you, knowing that you didn�t have an identity disc and that they could whisk you off to one of their prisons for such a simple reason?�
"Yeah,�Ben replied.�I was a little scared.�
"Even now, in broad daylight, you could be harrassed by the Getters, asked where you�ve been and where you�re going, forced to show the contents of your pockets or anything that you�re carrying, such as a backpack, a briefcase, or even your shopping bags. If you protest, you could be arrested, or just beaten up and left there on the street as an example for the rest of us Theosnens. If you can�t show an identity disc, you�ll be arrested on the spot and interrogated in one of their prisons. It�s not pleasant, Ben. They don�t just ask you questions, they torture you. They hardly consider us sentient beings, you know. They treat us like animals that exist only to help them make a profit. Does that scare you, Ben, knowing that you could walk into a patrol at any minute and get arrested? They�re already looking for you, you know, and that means you�ve done something in the past. Even if you don�t remember, they certainly do, and they�re out to punish you for it. Does that scare you even a tiny bit?�
"A little,�Ben nodded again.
"Do you want to fight that fear?�
"How?�
"Join the resistance that we�re forming against the Getters. If we hit them where they�re vulnerable, eventually they�ll decide we�re not worth the time and effort. They�ll admit defeat, pull their troops out, and leave us alone.�
"Yes,�Ben decided instantly.
"You�ll be a good man for it, I can tell. But there�s one last thing I need to know about you.�
"What�s that?�
"How much courage you have.�
Ben considered this, then said,�I can�t tell you what I don�t know myself. I think I have courage, but I can�t remember if it�s ever been tested.�
Wylen smiled at this.�That�s the best answer I�ve heard yet. Well, I want to test your courage. I want you to sneak out one night after curfew, go to Mayor Ech-to-tha�s estate, and spray some sort of parole on his garden wall where it�ll be visible to everybody passing by. Write something like �Getters go home� or whatever you want. If you�ve got the guts to do that, and you can manage it without getting caught, you�ll be in the resistance with me, Fulk Maethum, and all the rest of us.�
"I can do that,�said Ben quietly.
"Then do it. I don�t insist on to-night, but try to manage it within the next week.�
"I will.�
"Your identity disc will be ready to-morrow. I�ll send one of my kids over to Fulk�s surgery with it. If the Getters ever put it through their main computer, they�ll know it�s a forgery, but it won�t show up on an ordinary disc-reader, so you�ll be safe from any casual patrols.�
"Thank you, Wylan.�
*****
"Rixi,�said Ben as they sat at the kitchen table, ostensibly doing Rixi�s homework,�do you know where I can buy a can of spray paint?�
"Yes,�she said.�I�ll take you there right now, if you like.�
"I can do it myself,�he protested, reaching into his pocket and curling his fingers around the identity disc there. Dr. Maethum had brought it home the night before and he relished the feeling of being �official� now.
"What do you need spray paint for?�she asked.
"A secret project,�he said. It was the wrong choice of words. A slow, impish smile spread across Rixi�s face and she began to twist her braid again.
"If you don�t tell me what it is, I won�t tell you where to buy the paint,�she said.
Ben sighed, suddenly understanding why Dr. Maethum was so protective of the girl. With a start, he realised that he didn�t want to put her into danger, either. Of course it was very unlikely that they would be patrolled by the Getters on a sunny afternoon, but he didn�t want Rixi to take the risk.
"Come on,�she urged, laying her hand on his arm.�It can�t be that bad that you have to keep it a secret from me.�
Not knowing what to say or whether to say anything at all, Ben was silent for a moment, and then Rixi surprised him by asking,�Are you going to join this new resistance movement?�
"What if I am?�he challenged her.
"Rugged,�she replied, admiration and approval more than evident in her voice.�So what are you going to do?�
"Just paint a few words on the outside of Mayor Ech--Eth--what was his name again?�
"Ech-to-tha.�
"Mayor Ech-to-tha�s garden wall, that�s all,�he finished.
"Oh.�
"Well, don�t sound so disappointed!�he teased.
"It�s not exactly what I imagined a member of the Resistance doing,�she said.
"I�m not a member yet. They�ll only let me in if I manage this.�
"Rugged,�she breathed again, then closed her book and stood up.�Come on, let�s go buy the paint.�
"What makes you think I�m taking you with me?�
"Don�t you think that it�s less conspicuous if a boy and a girl buy a can of spray paint together and talk about how they�re going to paint their bicycles with it so that they look exactly the same? We could act like we�re going steady, and nobody will think anything of it. But a solitary young man, slinking into a paint shop, buying a can of paint, and slinking out again without saying a word would definitely attract attention. Getters just wait for that sort of thing to happen.�
"I would not slink,�Ben protested,�and what does �going steady� mean, anyway?�
Rixi put her head back and laughed.�Oh, Ben, you really did hit your head, didn�t you! It means that a boy and a girl have a steady relationship. They go places and do things together, always together, not just sometimes. The girl doesn�t go around with other boys, and the boy doesn�t go around with other girls, not even once.�
"Oh.�Considering this, Ben brightened. It sounded like a good idea, and not just for camoflage to the paint store.�All right, lead the way. And let�s stop at the ice cream store on the way back. I�ll buy you a portion of your favourite flavour.�
"It�s not called a portion, it�s called a scoop. And I happen to have two favourite flavours.�
"All right, two scoops then.�
Rixi stuck her head into the living room.�Mum! We�re going to the ice cream shop!�
"Have you finished your homework?�
"Most of it. Bye!�She was already moving towards the door.�Actually, Ben, as long as you�re paying, I have three favourites.�
"And Aunt Bedec says I�m going to eat her out of house and home,�Ben grumbled good-naturedly as they exited the house and went to the shed. Rixi�s giggle was the nicest thing he had ever heard, he thought to himself, and watched as her braids bounced along her back and shoulders.
They parked their bicycles in the rack outside the store in the pedestrian precinct of Hage, and Ben was so busy looking around the square and the streets leading away from it, that he didn�t notice Rixi extending her hand to him until she grabbed his wrist rather firmly and made him jump in surprise.
"Stop gawking like an idiot,�she said in a low voice, then transferred her hand to his. He glanced down at it and smiled, and they walked into the store hand in hand.
There were rows and rows of spray paint cans, in two different sizes and several different colours. Rixi picked up one and said,�People would really know we were going steady if we painted both our bicycles orange.�
"Orange!�Ben exclaimed in horror.
"How about pink?�she suggested, reaching for another can.
"That�s too girly,�he frowned.
"I won�t suggest blue, then, that�s too boyish.�
"Green,�he said.
"Yellow,�she countered.
He grimaced, looking over the selection, then found something he thought they might compromise on.�How about purple?�
"Purple?�she asked, looking doubtfully at him .
"It�s sort of a combination of blue and pink--well, red, really. Boy and girl, together forever.�
"Hmm, that sounds so romantic,�she teased, and Ben felt his face suddenly flame with embarrassment. Hastily, he put the can down, but Rixi grabbed it up again.�Purple it is. Just the right colour for both our bikes.�
Ben scrambled to catch up with her as she marched to the cashier�s desk. After paying from the allowance that Dr. Maethum now gave him, he took the little bag containing the can of paint in his left hand, and reached for Rixi with the other one. They walked out of the store holding hands and smiling at each other.
Outside, Ben gestured across the square.�Is that the ice cream shop?�
Rixi looked, then wrinkled her nose.�They sell ice cream there, yes, but their scoops are tiny and they charge more, too. No, I usually go to the one that�s closer to our house. Come on, I�ll show you.�
Hanging the bag from his handlebars, Ben mounted his bicycle and pedalled after her back the way they�d come. About halfway home, Rixi turned into a street he hadn�t seen before, and led him to a small establishment in the middle of a short chain of shops, a pub, and a restaurant. She was already ordering by the time he�d slid his bicycle into the rack and followed her inside, and he was not at all surprised to see four scoops in her cup when the attendant handed it over.
"Do you remember ice cream?�she asked after he had ordered and they had gone outside.
"Yes,�he said. They leaned up against the wall to eat.
"Do you remember your favourite flavours?�
"I suppose I must,�he said, trying a spoonful of each and not finding anything that was not to his taste.�I mean, I don�t remember anything from before, but I must know somehow what I like.�
"Do you ever wonder who you are and where you came from?�
"Yes,�he admitted.�I wonder every night. And I wonder what I did that was so bad that even the Jedi are looking for me, not just the Getters.�
"Speaking of Getters,�Rixi said in a low voice, staring down at her ice cream.�Just act normal. Eat your ice cream and don�t notice them. They�re coming up the street. With any luck, they�ll just walk on by.�
Ben couldn�t resist looking, however. They did have a cat-like appearance, with pointed ears on the tops of their heads, and flat noses in the midst of furry cheeks and foreheads, and even whiskers. He continued to stare, wondering if they had yellow eyes as well, and his steady gaze attracted the attention of the three Getters.
"What are you staring at, human!�the middle one barked, and there was not a trace of meow in his voice.
"Nothing,�Ben replied.
"Hand over your identity discs, both of you! Then turn around and put your hands on the wall where we can see them!�
Rixi hastily placed her ice cream cup on the ground, produced her disc from her pocket, and did as she was told. Ben was slower, and the Getter closest to him knocked the ice cream from his hand, making it land upside down near his feet, then grabbed his disc and gave him a shove that made him stagger into Rixi, both of them almost falling over.
"I said, turn around and put your hands on the wall!�the middle one repeated. Righting himself, Ben considered shoving back, but decided it would only cause more trouble. Instead, he leaned against the wall in the same way that Rixi was doing, feeling angry and humiliated and very vulnerable.
"Rixiar Maethum. Ben Maethum,�the third guard read off the disc reader.�Are you two brother and sister?�
"He�s my cousin,�said Rixi.
"He�s an idiot,�came the reply from the Getter in the middle.�Only an idiot would stare at us like that with his mouth hanging wide open. Search him for concealed weapons.�
Ben tried not to shudder as the Getter roughly patted every part of his body, but had to protest as the guard removed his wallet and handed it over.
"Shut up,�said the Getter, grabbing him by the hair and knocking his forehead against the wall.�Or better yet, say �I�m an idiot.��
"I�m not an idiot!�
"Ben!�snapped Rixi urgently.
"You�re not rich, either,�the middle guard said, having counted the money that was left.�All right, give it back. It�s obvious that he�s got more tongue than brains, like all the other Nens.�
The Getter stuffed the wallet back into Ben�s pocket, then banged his head against the wall again, harder this time.�Say it.�
Ben remained stubbornly silent until the third Getter suddenly came around and entwined his fingers in Rixi�s hair.�Say it, or we�ll hurt her instead.�
"Ben!�Rixi squealed, looking frightened.
"I�m an idiot,�Ben sighed, feeling more and more like one with every moment, hating himself for giving in, but determined to protect Rixi at all costs, even humiliation to himself.
"Louder.�
"I�m an idiot,�he repeated loudly, angrily enunciating every syllable.
Removing their short, stubby fingers from their prisoners, the Getters returned the identity discs, then managed to knock over Rixi�s ice cream as well as they walked away. Ben pocketed his disc, then reached down to salvage what he could of the frozen treat.
"I�m sorry,�he said, seeing that it was hopeless.�I�ll buy you another one if you like.�
"I�m not hungry anymore,�she replied.�How�s your head? Are you all right?�
"I�m okay,�he snapped.
"You�re bleeding.�
"It�s just a little scrape.�He took a deep breath, trying not to shout at her.�I�m really sorry, Rixi. I really am an idiot. I should have done what you told me, and not looked at them. They never would have noticed us if not for me.�
"Next time listen to me,�she snapped.�You could get yourself arrested, you know!�
"I know.�
"I ought to take you home and lock you up! You�re a danger to yourself and anybody who�s with you!�she continued.
"I know!�he repeated, kicking himself for inciting her anger.
Without a further word, she stalked to her bicycle and got on, riding ahead without looking back to see if he were following. He managed to keep up with her, however, but was hard pressed not to ride into her back wheel when she stopped suddenly a few houses away from their own.
"Oh, come here, you idiot�she said with a sudden, unexpected smile.�I�ll kiss it better.�
He maneuvered his bicycle next to hers, then bent down and felt a thrill run through him from top to bottom as her lips brushed the painful spot on his forehead.
"You�re not really an idiot,�she murmured.�You just don�t remember what�s good for you.�
Inhaling the clean smell of her hair and skin, Ben smiled, nuzzling her neck with his nose and lips and moving steadily closer to her mouth. He was just about to kiss her properly when she asked,�So, are we going to-night?�
"Going where?�he asked absently.
"You know!�she protested, pulling away. Automatically, she glanced up and down the street, then began to walk her bicycle towards home.�Those Getters didn�t scare you off, did they?�
"No,�he said, keeping up with her.�No, actually, they had the opposite effect on me.�
"So is it to-night? To-morrow night would be better for me. I really should be awake for my quiz in the morning, but I could sacrifice it in the name of freedom if I had to.�They walked down the driveway and Rixi opened the shed.
"What makes you think you�re coming with me? Didn�t you just tell me that I was a danger to anyone who was with me? I assume that means you, too.�
"Well for one thing, you don�t know where it is, do you?�she challenged.
Ben�s face fell, and she giggled.�No. You don�t.�
"You could draw me a map,�he suggested.
"And are you going to cycle from streetlight to streetlight, checking to make sure you�re going the right way? That would be time consuming and very suspicious. You�d be sure to run into the Getters before you even got there, and when they found that can of paint, they�d toss you into one of their prisons and throw away the key! You need a guide, someone who knows the area inside out and backwards and can find a good hiding place in a pinch.�
"So how often do you visit Mayor Ech-to-tha�s estate?�Ben countered.
"I used to have a friend who lived a few streets away from it,�she said.�I know the area. We can bicycle over to-morrow after school and have a look around. Then you�ll know which way to go if we get separated in the night.�
"All right, you�ve convinced me.�Ben leaned forward slightly, wondering if this were a good time for another kiss.
"Come on, let�s go inside before Mum comes out to see what we�re doing in the shed so long,�Rixi giggled.
They had already finished supper and were lingering over the dessert when Dr. Maethum finally came home, looking tired and worried.
�What happened to your head, Ben?�he asked after kissing his wife and sliding into his seat.
"It�s just a little scrape,�he mumbled.
"Dad, it was horrible!�Rixi cried.�The Getters were banging his head against the wall of the ice cream shop and demanding that he say he was an idiot.�
"I was an idiot,�Ben added, embarrassed.�Rixi told me not to notice them, but I kept staring. I just couldn�t remember ever having seen Getters before.�
"They wanted to see our identity discs, and then they told us to put our hands against the wall. Then one of them said that Ben was an idiot and they were going to teach him a lesson. They searched him for concealed weapons, Dad! Every bit of him!�
"And then they took my wallet,�Ben remembered,�and when I said �hey!�, they banged my head against the wall and told me to say �I�m an idiot�.�
"And did you?�Bedec asked.
Ben glanced down to his plate.�Not the first time. Not until they threatened Rixi as well.�
Dr. Maethum sighed sadly.�I was late to-day because I had to treat a young man who�d been beaten by the Getters. I had to take him to hospital with broken bones, bruises everywhere, and a ruptured spleen, that�s how bad it was. As far as I could tell, he looked similar to you, Ben. He told me they�d caught him driving a car without a license--he said it was his father�s car and it was an emergency--and then they wanted to take him to the Mayor�s Estate for that Jedi to look at. He panicked, and tried to escape, and they beat him until he couldn�t resist any longer. But the Jedi said he wasn�t the one he was looking for, and the guards dumped him just down the street from my surgery.�
There was a sudden, shocked silence at the table. Everyone stared first at Dr. Maethum, their mouths slightly open in horror, and then their gazes slid over to Ben.
"You be careful, Ben. I�d be no better than the Getters if I told you not to leave the house. I know you need some freedom. But be careful. If you meet up with a patrol, don�t resist. They outnumber you. They have weapons, and you don�t. Don�t provoke them in any way. Just do what they tell you, no matter what.�
"I will, Uncle Fulk,�Ben promised solemnly.
"It�s different when you�re in the Resistance. You have weapons, you have the element of surprise, you usually don�t meet them face to face. You strike, then get out quickly. But on the street in broad daylight, just think about saving your own skin, because then you can come back at night and hit them where it hurts.�
"Fulk,�said Bedec in a warning tone of voice.�You�re not going to let Ben join the Resistance, are you?�
"It�s his choice, but I�d be glad to have him there,�Dr. Maethum replied.�We can�t let the Getters walk all over us forever. We�ve got to fight back while we still can, while we�ve still got fight left in us, before we become a nation of slaves, both physically and mentally.�
"I don�t like it,�Bedec said, shaking her head.�And Rixi, don�t you even think of following in your father�s footsteps.�
"Of course not, Mum,�said Rixi in a very innocent sounding voice.