bond between him and Crystal.
Unt continued to watch the draw. There were sixteen girls left now and twenty three guys to choose from. The odds weren’t overwhelming but they were in Rob’s favour and the sixteen girls weren’t a bad set.
The first of those girls went to someone other than Rob, then another, then another. Each pin down shortened the odds. A good chance became an even chance, became a poor chance, became a long shot. At last, there were three girls left; two girls; one. One girl for eight guys.
Her name was Kitt and she held the hopes of eight men in her hands. She rolled and got the Functionaries. Excellent, thought Unt: that was Rob’s Order. He was one of three still left in the pot and as Kitt went to pick her fate, Unt surprised himself with how much he cared. Her hand went in. She drew a number: it wasn’t Rob.
There were six points of disappointment around the room and one great sigh of relief but from Rob there was nothing.
* * * *
That was the last pairing and all that was left now was to decide where each couple should live. After the seriousness of the two draws before it, such a thing seemed trivial and there was impatience to get it over with. All the youngsters cared about was that they were moving into a place of their own: where it was scarcely mattered right now.
This time, it was the boys’ turn to make the deciding roll and for most, it was a very simple matter. A single die would be rolled and on a score between one and three, the new couple would live with the man’s order: on a score of four or more, they would live with the woman’s.
Unt was the exception in caring because he didn’t want to leave his home. He was also an exception because his outcomes were different. On a roll of one, he and Crystal would move in among the Councillors: on a six, they would live with Crystal’s Medics. Anything else and they would stay where they were.
Unt had expected not to care, but he did. Living among the Councillors had a prestige to it. Living with the Medics would keep him in the same neighbourhood with Bull. They were both good options but the more he thought on it, the more he was certain he didn’t want to move.
When his turn came around, he rolled a three. He’d be staying where he was: Crystal would be moving in. In a day of victories, this one felt the most pure.
* * * *
When all the housing had been done away with, Kelly began his closing remarks. Everyone was now keen to get away but first they had to listen to the Councillor. “Partners in Fate, the final draw has been made and the Fall of Chance is concluded. Now, it is time to relax and reflect with friends and family.
“Try not to dwell on what you see as good or bad fortune. Fate is not judgmental, it is not biased, and it the end, it always adopts balance. The time to accept that might not be now but it will come and then, happiness will follow.”
True enough, thought Unt but the mood around the room didn’t reflect that. The contented ones listened with benign neutrality while the unhappy ones whom it was aimed at just didn’t hear the words. He was surprised at the negative vibe that held the balance.
The whole crowd shuffled as though ready to rise but Kelly wasn’t finished. “I have one last thing to say,” he said. “The Fall of Chance is not the end of your destiny. For each of you, there are pleasures and pitfalls ahead. There is no solution to this except to take the bad with the good and I urge you all to do so.
“Now, go in peace and may Fate be with you.”
And that was that. The Fall of Chance was over. Released from long-imposed restriction, the whole crowd rose in body and voice. Hours worth of suppressed conversation were suddenly released.
Only Unt, it seemed, was weighing Kelly’s words. It
Unt continued to watch the draw. There were sixteen girls left now and twenty three guys to choose from. The odds weren’t overwhelming but they were in Rob’s favour and the sixteen girls weren’t a bad set.
The first of those girls went to someone other than Rob, then another, then another. Each pin down shortened the odds. A good chance became an even chance, became a poor chance, became a long shot. At last, there were three girls left; two girls; one. One girl for eight guys.
Her name was Kitt and she held the hopes of eight men in her hands. She rolled and got the Functionaries. Excellent, thought Unt: that was Rob’s Order. He was one of three still left in the pot and as Kitt went to pick her fate, Unt surprised himself with how much he cared. Her hand went in. She drew a number: it wasn’t Rob.
There were six points of disappointment around the room and one great sigh of relief but from Rob there was nothing.
* * * *
That was the last pairing and all that was left now was to decide where each couple should live. After the seriousness of the two draws before it, such a thing seemed trivial and there was impatience to get it over with. All the youngsters cared about was that they were moving into a place of their own: where it was scarcely mattered right now.
This time, it was the boys’ turn to make the deciding roll and for most, it was a very simple matter. A single die would be rolled and on a score between one and three, the new couple would live with the man’s order: on a score of four or more, they would live with the woman’s.
Unt was the exception in caring because he didn’t want to leave his home. He was also an exception because his outcomes were different. On a roll of one, he and Crystal would move in among the Councillors: on a six, they would live with Crystal’s Medics. Anything else and they would stay where they were.
Unt had expected not to care, but he did. Living among the Councillors had a prestige to it. Living with the Medics would keep him in the same neighbourhood with Bull. They were both good options but the more he thought on it, the more he was certain he didn’t want to move.
When his turn came around, he rolled a three. He’d be staying where he was: Crystal would be moving in. In a day of victories, this one felt the most pure.
* * * *
When all the housing had been done away with, Kelly began his closing remarks. Everyone was now keen to get away but first they had to listen to the Councillor. “Partners in Fate, the final draw has been made and the Fall of Chance is concluded. Now, it is time to relax and reflect with friends and family.
“Try not to dwell on what you see as good or bad fortune. Fate is not judgmental, it is not biased, and it the end, it always adopts balance. The time to accept that might not be now but it will come and then, happiness will follow.”
True enough, thought Unt but the mood around the room didn’t reflect that. The contented ones listened with benign neutrality while the unhappy ones whom it was aimed at just didn’t hear the words. He was surprised at the negative vibe that held the balance.
The whole crowd shuffled as though ready to rise but Kelly wasn’t finished. “I have one last thing to say,” he said. “The Fall of Chance is not the end of your destiny. For each of you, there are pleasures and pitfalls ahead. There is no solution to this except to take the bad with the good and I urge you all to do so.
“Now, go in peace and may Fate be with you.”
And that was that. The Fall of Chance was over. Released from long-imposed restriction, the whole crowd rose in body and voice. Hours worth of suppressed conversation were suddenly released.
Only Unt, it seemed, was weighing Kelly’s words. It
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