About The Scarlett Kite
Hi! I'm Scarlett Kiteway, I'm 20 years old, a journalism student in Perplex City and this is my blog all about the excitement over the search for the Cube. I'll be keeping track of what the media over there is saying about it, and maybe a little bit about my life as well!
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Friday, September 30, 2005
A chat with Margot
Category: story, 05:15 PM
I'm not sending this out in email this week because I'm having some problems with my key. I'm so sorry!
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It's been a weird week. I should be just enjoying my vacation, chilling out, spending time with my boyfriend, but instead I find myself constantly thinking and wondering about this guy I've met, Allain. Even Margot and Sanj, who haven't heard any of our arguments, wonder if there's something wrong between me and Brede. Yesterday, while we were walking through Sleed Forest - it's amazing, there are vines there so huge and tall they look like trees - Margot pretended to have a stone in her shoe so the two of us would fall behind a bit. When Brede and Sanj were a little way in front of us, she said:
"Look, Scarlett, is everything OK with you and Brede?"
I said everything was fine.
She looked at me and said: "Is it about that detour you want to make? The family history thing? Sanj and I will go with you if Brede's being funny about it."
I shook my head.
"Everything's fine, Margot. Seriously."
She looked at me, tipping her head to the side.
"Sanj said that Brede thinks you're interested in that guy we met - Allain. Are you?"
I laughed, shook my head, and marched quickly to join the boys. Margot still looks at me funny, though.
So now I'm being extra careful not to seem to speak to Allain more than anyone else. Still, after what I heard last week, I felt I had to confront him and ask him who he'd been talking to in his compartment. He'd said he was travelling alone - has he brought a girlfriend with him? Someone else?
I saw him again as we were getting ready to board the train last night. He wasn't looking any different to normal - still tall, a little dishevelled, with dark hair and a slightly suspicious air. But no more suspicious than usual. When Brede went to freshen up, I grabbed Allain and pulled him into a corner of the platform. I don't know if Margot or Sanj saw what I was doing. Allain seemed pleased to see me but I realised I was angry. Had I alienated my friends, not to mention my *boyfriend* because of this man only to find out he was lying to me?
"Who are you travelling with?" I said.
He blinked at me. "No one. I'm travelling alone."
I felt sure he was lying.
"Then why were you shouting in your compartment last week? Having an argument? I heard you. You told someone they 'shouldn't have trusted her,' you were angry."
He blinked again. "You heard that?"
"Yes."
He ran his hand through his hair and looked at me. I noticed that his eyes were pale blue. He seemed so sincere.
He said: "I talk to myself sometimes. That's all it was. I don't know. I've been working on this thing by myself for so long that I think I'm going a bit crazy. I didn't know whether I should have trusted you or not, told you about Viendenbourg. I was shouting at myself."
I must still have looked pretty unconvinced.
"Look," he said, "we can't talk now, but I've decided I was wrong. I should trust you. And I have something to show you - I think there's more information on my data button than I thought, perhaps a secret hidden file. Come to my compartment when you can get away."
He told me his compartment number and squeezed my arm. Then he turned and walked away.
I know, in my heart, that I should stop this now. I know that I should forget any of this ever happened. Next time the train stops, we'll be as close to Viendenbourg as we'll ever be, but I should forget that and just carry on with our regular trip. I should ignore Allain every time I meet him. I should go back to my life. But instead of all of that I went to his compartment last night. I waited until Brede was asleep, I put on my robe and I crept out of our carriage, down the train to where Allain had told me he was. I was tired. It was late. Probably my eyes were playing tricks on me. But as I was walking down, when I was a carriage away from Allain's compartment, I was sure, completely *sure* that I saw an old man, with white hair, come out of his compartment. Not just any old man, but the old man I met in the library all those weeks ago. The old man who told me about Viendenbourg. I stood still. I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing. But I was sure. It was him. Even the very fast walk, as he sped away and out of the carriage.
In a daze, I walked down to Allain's compartment. I knocked on the door but there was no answer.