Page 100 of Beyond The Maples
"Zaphira is not without issues," Mack says diplomatically.
"We were kicked out. Or we ran, depending how you look at it. We were thieves, and we stole from the wrong family," Briggs finishes proudly, right as Mack elbows him hard in the ribs, causing him to fall forward onto the table with a thump.
"Feck’ off, you git," Briggs wheezes.
"Stop telling people that! It makes us look bad," Mack scolds.
I give a drunken snort at their interaction; I miss my siblings suddenly.
"So, how’d you end up here?" I ask gingerly. For a moment I wonder if they will make me play for it, but neither of them seems overly interested in the game anymore.
Briggs relents, "We hightailed it to Soland first; those borders are easy to cross."
My eyes widen in shock.
"Soland isn’t what you think it is. Sure, its lawless for the most part, but that’s because they are a country made of mostly nomadic, self-governing communities."
I blink at them. "Ok, so why would you leave there?"
"Well, turns out we didn't really fit in there, either." Briggs shrugs and Mack adds, "Also, it was very boring. So much walking. Nothing to steal," he says, with a devious grin.
"So, I'm sorry... I'm still confused. How did you end up in The Centre?"
Both brothers look down at their empty glasses. Apparently, this was the line they felt they shouldn't cross.
"Oh, come on, you've told me everything else. All of it treason, by our government's laws. Don't hold out on me now!" Iplead but neither makes eye contact with me.
Eyes narrowing, I think for a minute, my brain sluggish. The Council is meticulous about who they let travel, and these two don’t appear to be the carefully groomed government employees type. They must have to offer something though; The Centre doesn’t just let people travel freely, without cause.
"What did you guys bring in...?" I guess, my voice low.
Both men stare at me, blinking, wondering how I'd so quickly come to this realization. I shrug with a satisfied smirk, their reactions confirmation enough.
"We shouldn't say any more. For your safety and our own," Mack apologizes.
I raise my hands in defeat and offer to get us another round, giving up completely on avoiding tommorow's hangover. If I want more information, I'll have to try and keep up. I offer stories about my life, in hopes the twins tell me more about theirs in exchange.
"How'd you get from Soland to here so easily? From what I hear, that's the roughest border for raiders ––and the pits are really bad." It's a question I'm hoping they'll answer. I have to know if I ever want to get my siblings out of New Providence.
"We have our ways. We found a route through both sides, a few years back. We come from a long line of explorers. Dad always said that's why our family turned to crime when the war ended, and the borders locked down. We were never meant to be confined."
Sadness washes over Briggs's features as he talks about his dad. I reach out and squeeze his hand, and he gives me a lopsided smile. He's less guarded than his brother. He wears his emotions openly, his honesty a badge of honour.
"I know what you mean..." I sigh. "About not belonging in this new world." I pause. "Is what you're bringing into Providence bad?" I ask quietly, noticing my speech has turned fuzzy on my tongue.
Briggs frowns and says no, but way too quickly.
Apparently, this also gets him into trouble sometimes, because he is not a good liar.
Mack groans, knowing I'm going to keep prying, and his honest brother is going to blow their cover eitherway.
"You are relentless, my new friend!" Mack chides me. He squints one eye at me. "Ugh. Fine. But if you tell a soul, you'll be dooming us to cross at an early age. Which would be unfortunate, considering we are very fun." He laughs to himself, his cheeks rosy from consumption and cheer.
"We're bringing over herbs. We get paid an extravagant amount. I'm not entirely sure what they're used for. We're paid to go back and forth, and to keep our mouths shut, and our heads down..."
"Both of which we've managed to do until tonight, I'll have you know. You are very... disarming, Maple Treehouse," Briggs says, with a burp and a hiccup. I playfully swat at him and roll my hand at Mack, urging him to continue.
Mack shrugs.
