Part 24: Chapter Six - pt.3

Impostress was entering the house where, according to all sources, she – or her identical twin or evil copy – was hiding.






If it was true, she needed to get rid of her somehow – get her away from populated areas at least. A more permanent solution would be to turn her in, but she was no longer on talking terms with the town’s police force.



There was another reason for Klara to want her away – the house was not a hundred paces away from the Cathedral where all those people died the night before. Having her likeness walk around near the crime scene acting all suspicious would do nothing to help her prove her innocence.




She has appeared! I must find her without fail – because I am beginning to believe that she is really the one she thinks she is. If I can drive her away, the contagion will clear; if she stays here a little longer, the whole neighbourhood will remain this way forever.



Klara wandered from room to devastated room.



She was clawing through layers of ragged sheets that hung from laundry lines, struggling to get into the large hall that had windows facing the bell tower when...



Someone was still standing vertically among all this death and decay. The only inhabitants she ever even found in those kinds of houses didn’t even have strength to open their mouths and cry for help, let alone stand and look out of the window.



Somehow, the person looked quite congruous in this environment... in fact, the figure looked as if it was made of the same stuff as surrounding filth. Although that could have just been the lighting in the room.
Who would stay in such a place voluntarily?



Someone who had nowhere else to go.
The figure turned around, and Klara saw herself.
It was her. Although she didn’t think she had such a weirdly blushed face, face of someone who had been working outdoors in the sun for hours.
She heard her own voice address herself:

I have to endure so much suffering here... I feel so cold, miserable and, what’s worse – extremely uncomfortable... I cannot take it much longer... Why did you do this to us? You should have ended things quickly so we could both move on to another town...
Who are you?
The one who’s dreaming you up, probably... No, I am awake. Does that mean you are real?
I am real.
Then we’d better part ways; who knows what evil may occur... Though for some reason I can’t bear the thought of letting you go! I feel sorry for you, even if I’m scared of touching you, and I love you, my dear sister, more than any living being that walks this earth...
So we meet at last... sister!
I’m not actual sister. You really don’t recognize me, do you?

Not a sister? But she just... Nevermind. So who was she supposed to recognize? She knew the face quite well. Except the image in front of her was so broken, so... imperfect. So was this the girl born from lies that came true?

You have to leave this place! Can’t you see – it’s all contagious!
You know the contagion can’t touch me. I have nowhere to go anymore – those who used to love me, hate me now. They tear at my flesh, they stone me, they set me on fire... I have to remain hidden.
Why is the plague following you?
I am not to blame for this... I came here because I needed to hide from those who hunt me. They have flame and iron, and bloodthirsty sword-bearers – and what do I have to oppose to them? Only this... They are afraid of this, so they don’t come close. My faithful aren’t able to protect me.
Can’t you see? This place is already dead! There are people who need you elsewhere.
Yes. You are telling the truth. I can tell that there is a place where the air is still clear, and my faithful are waiting for me. Longing for me... I will leave this place. They will hide me.



Klara regarded the twitching corpse that was lying on the floor next to the girl. Was that one of her followers?

You have followers? Who are they?
The simple, the outcast, the uncouth. Not Adherents. But they aren’t afraid of the one who has been the only friend of mine, who had to face persecution instead of me. They take care of this awkward being, this living thing made out of non-living matter. They didn’t blame all sins and murders on it!
I know what you’re talking about. It’s that albino. A steppe creature.



That was just a hunch, of course. She didn’t know for sure that the albino who had sent her a letter earlier was in cahoots with her twin. There was only one way to be sure...



She walked back to the entrance that led to the room quietly and peeked in... but there was no one there anymore! What was she supposed to do now?




She has left the area. Now the plague will leave as well, I’m sure of it. A safe neighbourhood – what a nice present for the Inquisitor! But somewhere in town there is a group of people who are faithful to her, who consider her a saint rather than a devil! She will go there.



She would keep an eye out for any suspicious groups of people and albinos in the streets. She had to get to them first... She remembered a twitching corpse on the floor and shuddered.



At the same time, she needed to locate Dankovsky, to clear her name, explain that she had nothing to do with the massacre at the Cathedral. She immediately regretted telling the twin to run away. Taking the Bachelor to her hideout in the Folds would be all the proof she would ever need. One look at that dirty, ugly form would be enough for anyone to realize who was a real girl, and who was a fake replica.



At least with Dankovsky she had some idea where to look. He was supposed to be visiting all suspects and taking blood samples. Eva had mentioned that he was only considering female suspects... That narrowed it down even further. It was doubtful that the Mistresses would be among suspects – that ruled out Katherine, Victoria and especially Maria. That left mostly Klara’s Adherents: Anna, Julia, Ospina... maybe Lara.



Lara’s home, Shelter was the closest.

So it really was you!
No it wasn’t! I need the Bachelor.
He is searching for the plague bearer! Don’t you know that?
That’s why I need him!
He’ll kill you...
What about you, Lara? Have you been tested?
I don’t know yet... I agreed to go through with the test. I gave him my blood.



Klara didn’t expect Dankovsky to be in Stem, but she was very much interested in hearing first hand what her main supporters thought about the recent developments.




Go away! This house’s doors are closed for you from now on.
...But why?
I don’t know who you are, what kind of daemon you are, but I have a feeling that you exist in two guises at the same time. I don’t want to take chances any longer.
You... You’re playing with me, right? Is this a joke?
Go away! Don’t try to affect me with your words! Were you keeping me under your spell all this time? Out! I don’t want to be a fool any longer!
All right, I’ll leave... You don’t need to shout. You’ll want me back before long.



Katherine, on the other hand, looked more sad than angry.

There is no time to convert people now, daughter... Nobody trusts you any longer. Is it true that you have deceived us?
I cannot lie. Just like you! I’m your heir, after all.
I don’t know about that any more! Find that damned rat, talk to it... What if everything is a lie, through and through?
What do you want to find out?
Try to discover its nature. If it’s true that it is a liar, then all my prophesies aren’t worth a penny. And if it really does know the truth, ask it about yourself.
It’s hiding from me!
...So you have talked to it already... What did it tell you? Did you think to ask it... about yourself?
How could I doubt my sainthood? That would be a sin... Taboo! But you... you still believe me, right?
I believe that house Saburov is in decline... There is not much time left... Our reign didn’t last long. Tomorrow we shall turn from the most powerful people in this town into the most miserable. Do you really need allies like that?
Good bye, Katherine.

It seemed that Julia was right; Klara didn’t have a home anymore. At least Katherine chose to give her a benefit of the doubt and didn’t believe all the accusations right away.



As Klara was going through her end table, collecting what few of her things were left in there, she noticed a letter on her bed.




Now I know everything about you. I know that it was you who infiltrated the Cathedral. I know that once you were inside, you scattered the gifts that had been given to you by Julia, Lara and Anna. I know that the Adherents always meet you on the days their streets are struck with Sand Plague.
There is no escape for you! There is only one thing left for you to do: come to me of your own free will. In this case, I can promise you protection from the mob and safe transportation to the Capital. There I shall observe you.
Turn yourself in, girl.
Bachelor Dankovsky.



Did it mean that he would no longer take blood samples from other suspects? It would make the job of finding him even harder. But she didn't have time for him yet. She needed to find where her sister was headed. If she didn't warn people about the danger, they would hide sister away and allow the disease to spread.



She was passing the enormous courtyard where she’d found Loafer so long ago. The disease was no longer in that part of town, and the air and the earth seemed to have returned to normal.



She decided to go in and look around, but instead of an albino, a stocky militiaman jumped out from around the corner and sprinted in her direction.



She turned back and started fleeing once again.



She ran out into the street. Another guardsman was already nearby; he turned, attracted by the noise.



Klara tried the nearest door...



...and found herself in a fabric store.



Positive that her pursuers would enter any second, she made a direct line for another door, the one that was supposed to lead to the inner yard.



The place was narrow and overgrown. No sounds were coming from inside the shop yet.



To the right, in the next house’s backyard, she saw a group of idle people



They didn’t seem to become aggressive when they noticed her, so she decided to come closer, to hide among them if it would be necessary.



The people were gathered around... something familiar. After meeting her double, Klara lost all capacity for surprise, and seeing that outlandish creation again didn’t even give her a pause. Was it the «albino» Laska had been talking about? If so, Klara was glad that now she would not have to go into the Steppe at night to meet it.

We have been waiting for you... messenger... We believe in you... and many others believe in you as well... I shall gather the rest of us...
The one you’ve been waiting for is an impostor! She is not the one you want to serve! Go back to your homes, don’t give her refuge!
How do you know whom we want to serve? How do we know YOU’RE not the impostor?
Some evil demon is following my sister, spreading disease wherever she goes! If you shelter her tonight, tomorrow you will get plague.
We are not afraid.
By the power given to me from above, I command you: go away. You don’t need the messenger.
Show us a miracle... and we shall believe you... and tell the others who you really are... And people will come to believe in you.
Behold. And walk away when you receive evidence of my infallibility.

From his replies it seemed that they knew the difference between two Klaras... and were waiting for the inferior twin specifically! It didn’t make any sense. Why would they want the impostor, why did they believe in her? Wasn’t someone carrying plague, of all things, a pretty good reason not to believe in them too much? What good would their belief do them when they were dead?



Impostress tried to think of a miracle that would wow that crowd. There wasn’t anyone dying nearby to heal, or aggressive to neutralize.
She tried to focus her mind anyway... let the energy flow through her body... but this time she didn’t touch anyone, didn’t have anyone to direct the power towards. She just let it escape her and hoped it’d catch onto something.



Immediately everything around her lit up in two quick flashes, much brighter and quicker than any lightning could be. She kept waiting for the sound of thunder, but it never came.
Klara wasn’t sure if that actually made her the real... whatever was that those people expected her to be?



There was clearly no need to persuade the followers to disband – they all scattered in superstitious panic immediately as the flashes went off.



Only the albino-man remained there.

Now I see that it is you... So you’re saying that somebody will appear under the guise of you and bring us plague?
Yes. You have to leave.
We shall expect her and make her leave this place...
Let it be so.




I showed them true power; the sign has been given to them through my hands. Now nobody will greet the Impostress, and she won’t find refuge here... I have a feeling that this part of town will be safe tomorrow.



Impostress breathed a sigh of relief as she walked back out into the street... then remembrance hit her, and she hid back in the alley. She really needed to turn herself in to the Bachelor. At least now she could distract him with lightning flashes if he suddenly decided to attack her.



Willows was nearby. She decided to go in on the off chance that Daniel had decided to visit Anna after all.



Anna wasn’t too happy to see her.

So that’s who’s to blame for all the torment I had to go through!
I’m here for the Bachelor.
Thank heaven he knows I’m innocent! I’m not guilty, you hear me? You weren’t able to set me up!
All this torment is nothing compared to what you deserve, Anna. Remember it.



That was when she saw Daniel with a corner of her eye. So the doctor still kept busy, visiting other suspects despite declaring that Klara was the culprit in his letter. It was fortunate... Probably.



Klara approached him cautiously.

Here she comes, fast enough! What can you say in your defence? And first of all, who are you?
I’m a miracle worker.
I believe you! That is why... I’ll present you to the Inquisitor tomorrow. Let her deal with you. You’ll spend the night at Eva’s. Under my surveillance. I don’t suppose you’ll mind...
What about Eva? Won’t she mind?
Eva? She has disappeared. And I suspect that she decided to turn herself in to the Inquisitor instead of you, to defend me! You and I are going to pay Karminsky a visit first thing tomorrow. You will tell him everything you know! This is the only way Eva can be saved. Do you understand?
I think I’d rather go outside and look for her myself...
As if I’m going to let you roam the streets after all that has happened! No, I’ll go look for Eva myself, and you’re going to stay in Whirlpool, under lock and key.
Looks like I have no choice...






Q: So do you really have no choice? Or can you jump out a window or something?
A: Once you talk to him, you're stuck, there's no way to defenestrate. But you can leave the house without approaching him, or even avoid him completely (he shows up in different places at different times of day). Except he has all your shit, and also the rest of the town is out to kill you. The only reason to avoid Danko is if you really want to meet the man-thing from the Steppe after dark. But you see, we have already met it in this update, so logically there is kinda no reason for us to go out of our way to do that. But I really wanted to show that conversation, so I'll make it into a dream sequence. In reality, it's very similar to what we did the day before: you walk up the hill, kill some hostiles and talk to the creature.