From Beggerstown and the Night Roads

So, lost, angry, and scared, Quorum came down to Parvenu, for the first time since he had lost Celeste. He looked around, and made his inquiries. He took a back room off from the baroque labyrinth of parlours and corridors. He lay down....


Many, many nights later, it was ‘lu himself who battered his way through the heavy curtains of the Salon’s smoke filled rooms to sit down beside him. He waited patiently for Quorum’s sight to come into focus, and coolly regarded the youth’s confusion with heavy-lidded eyes before reaching out to put the pipe aside.

“Do not,” he spoke precisely, “confuse curiosity with concern... but these past few days you have not been so much chasing, as fleeing. You’ve not been one of my solitary guests before now. Something has changed.”

Quorum struggled with the receding fugue, grappled with the tangle of emotion that was knotting itself back into his chest. A ragged sigh shuddered him. “I want out. I don’t want to be stuck in this hellhole anymore.”

“That’s not very kind.”

“This city. This fucking place. I have to get away.” He struggled to rise.

“Ah.” ‘lu sighed, and placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder, settled him back down. “We all think that from time to time. It’s a hopeless notion. We get tired. We rest. Then we get on with it.”

“I can’t get on with it,” he said thickly, anger encroaching. “I’ve got nothing to do. My own crew doesn’t want me. The Group doesn’t need me. I’m fucked.”

“You’re exaggerating. You still have the Group’s sanctity. It hasn’t been lifted. You’re just on leave. You know what would happen if it was gone.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Stand up when you get your balance back. Breathe some clean air, it will help.”

“Not gonna,” Quorum pulled the pipe back with his hand. “Just gonna let it go.”

‘lu stood up, smoothed his robe. “I’m going to talk to some of the fellows who have been visiting you. They’re not to come back here. I think it’s time for you to move on. I have enough cowards and lost souls taking up space as it is. Any more might ruin the atmosphere I’m trying to protect.”

“Fucking buzzkill. Now what?”

“Get up. Shake yourself out of it. Go back. Find a balance between what you can and can’t change.”

“This city’s fucking evil.”

“No.” ‘lu turned back. “It’s not that complicated, Andre; really. Listen; this, at least, is free: the city is just a hopeless addict. You must realise it by now. He takes, and takes and takes until he can’t conceivably take anymore, but there’s always another scrap; one more piece to go up in smoke. Now, he’s addicted to you. He’s not going to stop. He has never stopped. It’s not in his nature to be reformed. He’s young. He’s so young that he hasn’t been taught a lesson. Not yet. He hasn’t even had to hide his bad behaviour. Not really, anyway. He’s not like those old ones off in Europe, and definitely not like that Grande Dame New York. She has a few things to teach upstart Beggerstown about excess, but he’s not inclined to listen. He’s not going to slow down. Fortunately, or unfortunately, you’ve made and impression. He’s decided he likes you, and now that you’re in his system, he’ll dig through the muck with his fingernails to find you. It’s a terrible habit. You’re certainly not good for him. None of us are.”

“I’m supposed to take comfort in that?”

“Sometimes, you just have to console yourself with the fact that it’s nice to be needed.”