44 Zachary (2/2)
He had a slight hunch that he wanted to confirm… and sure enough, even when the ropes on his hands were untied, the man didn't move to fight. From this, it became abundantly clear that this man wasn't a veteran thief, either; the fear of getting found had been in the background of his mind for all this time, and now that that fate was so close to coming true, it had surged forward with full force and taken over his entire consciousness.
After he was done bandaging wounds, Daneel didn't even bother tying the man up again. He just sat there, his eyes fixed on a faraway place, and after a minute, Daneel had to prod him to get him to talk.
”We don't have all day.”
He said in a soft voice, but the old man snapped his head up as if he had shouted in his ears. For a brief moment, it looked as though he might leap onto Daneel and make him regret been the decision to leave him free, but then… he leaned back, and began to speak.
”Crystals. That is what we call these things… but we know so little about them. We don't even know their real name! And we can never begin to guess just how valuable they are. I'm only telling you this as I now see that I wanted to put the truth out there ever since I've lived it. I don't even care whether you choose to believe me, or not. I… only sold out my friends because I was promised that they would be sent into the Pit after being whipped to within an inch of their lives. I was sure that if they went ahead with their uprising, only death would await them...so I just wanted to save their lives! Oh, on that day, when they went up to the gibbet… their gazes burned right into my skull. I'll never forget the way they looked at me, as if I had betrayed them… which I did, even though my intentions were pure. I really wanted to take my life. I was just a step away from ending it all… but I was stopped by a knock on the door by one of their sons. He saved me… and gave me a new purpose. I worked hard. Harder than any of those bastards up there deserved. But while groveling to them every day… I learned their secrets. I learned that even in the refined form, before it is sent to the third layer, these crystals are more valuable than anyone can imagine. I… just wanted to give a good life to the families of all my deceased friends. They live just a few houses away, and they detest me… but the only consolation is that they still take the money I give them, as they need it. My hope… was to sell these things somehow, and obtain enough money to escape this place. It's all… gone to ruin, now. It's all over…”
It was hard to keep a gobsmacked expression out of Daneel's face as he listened to the true tale from Zachary's lips. He had told himself that he wouldn't judge people based on what he had heard about them… but still, such a thing as causing the deaths of so many who trusted him had made him automatically think that the man's heart must be as dark as the Pit.
Daneel squinted, wondering whether to believe him directly. He immediately dispelled the notion after seeing how wrong he had been so many times already. Deciding to investigate and come to a conclusion only after finding some evidence, he turned to the old man and said, ”Yes, I don't believe you, but you can't blame me for that. Either you're a very experienced liar, or someone I hope to rely on and trust in the future. Either way, this is what I'm going to do: I'll be taking some of these crystals for safekeeping. Remember; if you tell anyone about what happened here, I'll have enough proof to turn you in. I'll also be watching you… so stay put. Stop your visits to the Refinery. If anyone asks, you've fallen sick. Wait for me to return. If I find anything a little bit suspicious… you're done. You understand?”
Zachary nodded weakly. His face had drained of the little blood it had left when Daneel had said that he didn't believe him, and that had made him feel a bit guilty.
There was no way around it, though. Pulling a chair in front of him, he sat down and asked, ”Tell me more about the third layer.”
Zachary looked at him through heavy-lidded eyes for a few moments. Then, when he began to give the answer… the first thing he said, itself, made Daneel do a doubletake.
”The third layer. It's called the Courtyard… but only by those who live inside it. They believe that they are one step away from the nobility who live on the surface… but in truth, they're only half a step above the rest of us. That doesn't stop them from being arrogant bastards, though… so if you go there, I reckon that they'll look at you like a turd that has floated up from below. In essence: it's worse than both of these layers in some ways, but on the surface, everything is fine and dandy…until one looks beneath, and finds the festering rot of fools desperately trying to escape their past.”