Wretched by Offer Reish (best free ebook reader for pc .TXT) 📖

The first of the two events- under ordinary circumstances the greatest event of the year and one that was unparalleled in the excitement and anticipation it created throughout the whole city- was the annual Beauty Walls event. This event took place up north, at what was considered by many to be the city's most beautiful scenic spot: the Hanging Gardens outside the southern wall of the Industry's largest compound in the city. It was a giant compound of over three square kilometers, and the southern wall- largest and thickest of all four faces since it faced the city- towered twelve meters into the air and spanned an entire kilometer across. But the face of this colossal mass of brick, originally a plain, uniform white color, was never seen. You could stand at arm's length away from any point in the southern wall and still not see the smallest white speck. This is because a thick mass of vegetation had been beautifully, artistically and meticulously grown on the walls for years until it had converted what was originally a frightening monster into a feast for the eyes. The southern wall wasn't white but a deep, verdant green dotted with a jumble of other colors, some of which seemed to be yet unnamed, and looked to have a life of its own. Thick vines stretched from the top down, flowers and creepers emerged from the cracks between the rocks, and a hundred different bushes sprang from the ground, bending this way and that in pursuit of sunlight. It was a botanical masterpiece and the quintessence of what man and nature could achieve when working together.

This was the most popular setting for many family events that were held freely anywhere along the wall on Saturday afternoons (in light of the length of the wall, each part of which was equally surprising and beautiful, a hundred different events could easily be held there simultaneously), but there was one time every year- one magical night that had become ingrained in the city's culture- in which the Gardens came alive. The Beauty Walls event was organized by the Industry, and it was an open event that close to half the city's population attended every year. It consisted of a magnificent display of lights dancing on the Gardens, accompanied by specially devised audio effects. The audio and visual systems were installed and taken down by teams of Wretches a day before and after the Beauty Walls night. Often, a short laser show introducing to the enormous audience part of the glorious history of the Industry was played as a preview to the climax of the night: the boldest, most innovative, riskiest and unthinkable acrobatic shows that a man could ever see. The performers were Wretches specially trained and modified for the feat, and the crowd was never disappointed by the performance. Some of the more popular drills were those held at the top of the south wall (a small platform that continued the face of the wall was installed there to avoid harming the vegetation). The crowd's favorites were usually two: first there was the ten-minute tango piece between a pair of Wretches, who despite their relative litheness were entertainingly awkward. Although the wall was a thick one- perhaps two meters thick- it could hardly suffice for a world-class pair of dancers, let alone the clumsy Wretches. Therefore, there was always a surplus of dancers, waiting to substitute any dancer that fell off the wall. Wretches on the ground cleared any 'fallers' almost at once so they didn't disturb the harmony of the scene. It was a wonderful combination of entertainment, art and tension for the crowd. Second, always at the top of the list in every Beauty Walls event and therefore always held at the very end, was The Duel.

The duel was a barehanded fight between a man and a full-grown, especially large Wretch. There were no weapons allowed, no safety word to stop the fight, and no outside help. Only when one of the duelers was thrown off the wall did the fight come to an end. It was a battle of might, technique and above all willpower between man and Wretch. The Wretch was always bigger, stronger, fiercer and uglier, but the man always won. It wasn't so much a fight as a celebration of the greatness and the limitless ability of the people to exceed themselves and achieve the impossible. At the Beauty Walls, anything was possible.

The second of the two events- the second part of the combined grant event, that is- was The Existents' victory event or to be more specific, Jessica's victory speech. Negotiations between The Existents, officials and senior members of the Industry had been completed, and that night Jessica was going to declare the results. It was no secret that The Existents had attained a complete triumph in their battle, and everyone was prepared for a memorable victory party. It was going to be a night in which justice declared its victory over injustice, equality over discrimination, and fairness over abuse.

Everybody was going to be there. What a night!

The family arrived early, but not early enough. There were already throngs of people packed tightly together, trying to secure the best viewpoint to the small platform that had been erected in front of the Garden, at an equal distance from both ends of the southern wall. Getting a spot in front was close to impossible, but the family found a fine spot right in front of the stage at such a distance that would allow them to see the expression on Jessica's face. Big screens would be erected shortly for the benefit of those located further along the wall, and would broadcast every sound that left Jessica's mouth and any expression on her pretty face (if any such expression ever manifested).

Under the encouragement of the organizers the crowd kept silent for long minutes, only soft murmurs rising above the surface every now and then. The perfect harmony of the scene- the quiet night, the soft lights shooting out from every direction and in a variety of colors that blended perfectly with the Gardens, and most of all the lushness of the Gardens themselves (there was so much life on the wall that an intoxicating odor of life and rejuvenation reached even those at the very back of the growing crowd) - was so tangible that the silence went on and on. Nobody wanted to break the uncanny, eerie joy and tranquility of those moments.

A thought occurred to Leonardo that the Wretches must also have been asked to keep quiet, and indeed not a sound came from the other side of the wall. He wondered if they should feel grateful to them for being so considerate. Being grateful to a Wretch- it was a very unorthodox thing to do. Almost like being grateful to the black pieces for allowing the white ones to checkmate their king.

These were very good thoughts, since they helped him pass the time until Jessica came on stage. He failed to appreciate the value of his current anticipation, excitement, enjoyment of the moments that preceded the main event of the night, and the rarity of the occasion. Never before had the city donned such fancy attire as on that night. Not even the Hanging Gardens had ever been blessed with such mysterious magnificence as they were in those moments of silence. Like almost everyone else there (perhaps with the exception of Steve, who was even caught by Hailey checking his watch on more than one occasion), Leonardo was infused with a weight and array of emotions such as he'd never experienced before that night. If they'd left that very moment and returned home it would've been a crushing disappointment for him but also- already- a night which would never leave the family's collective memory.

As the level of anticipation and impatience rose and more people joined the crowd at the wide tail at such a distance from the Gardens, the platform and the future screens that they would likely see nothing but the backs of heads and hazy lights throughout the night, the murmur of the audience grew stronger until the magical silence had vanished and made way for mild nervousness.

There had been speculations as to why The Existents had agreed to hold their key event at a venue that was the very icon of the Industry and a symbol of its grandness. Some believed it was a compromise conceded by The Existents in exchange for being granted their material demands. Others thought they were seeking to hold an event that would remain forever etched in the memory of the city, which the grandeur of the Beauty Walls would help them accomplish. Another theory that had passed down the grapevine was that this was the Industry's idea as a concession of the justness of The Existents' demands and a readiness to confer them, and the people who followed them, the honor they deserved. Others still were simply grateful for the opportunity to be present in such a cornerstone experience for the future of the city- there was a rampant feeling, that only grew thicker and more pervasive as the anticipated moment drew near, that this was going to be a unique night in the lives of the people and in the history of the city, one that they would pass on to posterity. This alone, they believed, stultified the possibility of holding the event anywhere else. But there was almost unanimous consensus in the crowd regarding one thing: it was a sound decision, and there was no finer place than the Gardens in which to hold the event. Nobody in the crowd knew the truth, but they would all find out soon.

Suddenly, something happened and the silence from before fell upon the thousands and thousands of nervously expectant men, women and children bound together by the same fraught emotions waiting to burst out.

The lights had gone out. All at once, complete darkness covered the entire huge area. For a few moments the area beyond the Hanging Gardens was as a desolate, barren desert. It might've been this perfect tranquility or the now almost unbearable anticipation that made Leonardo, like many others around him, involuntarily hold his breath. And a moment later anyone who hadn't been holding his breath did so, and the air stood still when a voice, clear and known and loved and fresh emerged from the darkness.

"We have come a long way together, and today justice is ours!"

Like a safety pin removed from a grenade, the sound of Jessica's voice fired the crowd, which exploded with all the pent-up emotions that had been fermenting inside it. A roar of support, the likes of which had never been heard in the city in terms of both volume and pitch, erupted into the night. When the din started to die down, Jessica continued:

"Today I will speak to you in darkness. Justice is blind, it has no face and no identity, and such are we, The Existents."

Leonardo was amazed. How could she keep so calm when everybody around her was in such a frenzy? He could never have done it! He instinctively put on his black mask, and he noticed several people in front of him do the same. The people were disappointed at not being able to see Jessica speak, but they were entranced by her words and by this novel idea of speaking in the darkness to the point where their excitement grew even stronger. Leonardo closed his eyes and imagined Jessica standing on the stage with the Black Masks behind her, poised and beautiful. In his imagination her image was just as clear and vivid as she would be if the lights would've all come on at once and shined on her.

"Justice can't be seen. It can't be touched and it can't be changed. You can't tilt or bend it; it is strong, static, stable. Under the brightest light or the deepest darkness it is always