The Annals of Fear

"Century!" Mello beamed from beside the car. It had taken so long between the train pulling away and the teenager coming down the metal staircase, that Mello had half suspected that Century hadn\'t come. "How much do you hate me now?"



"Mello." Century replied, grimly. He hoisted a huge rucksack further up onto his shoulder, despite the fact that he was about to put it into the car.



Mello pushed himself away from the door, revealing Matt sitting in the passenger seat. "You must be really looking forward to your eighteenth birthday. Not long now, then no fucker can blackmail you. " He held out a present. "I brought you a lollipop. Peace offering."



Century took it warily and shoved it into his pocket. They both knew he would never put it into his mouth. It might be poisoned. Mello opened up the Camero\'s boot and waited while Century deposited his rucksack into it. The teenager glanced at him, "Why are you in Machynlleth?"



Mello stared at him. "Say that again."



"Why are you in Machynlleth?"



Mello nodded. "Absolutely nothing like we were pronouncing it. You\'re not big on vowels in Wales, are you? I\'ve just been directing Matt here using a map. We went for 30 miles on consonants alone." He was trying to be friendly. Century just ignored him, wandering off away from the car, down the street. "Where are you going?" He exchanged glances with a bemused Matt. By the time he looked back, Century was nearly at the corner, turning it. "Century!" Mello took off at speed, racing after him. Matt started the engine and put his foot down. He overtook Mello at the huge Clock Tower, but Century wasn\'t hiding. He was standing in front of a grey stone building. Now Mello was annoyed. ".... the fuck do you think you\'re doing?"



Century took his own lollipop from his mouth and indicated the building. "You know what we have here?"



"Someone who\'s never going to see his 18th birthday?"



"14th century building. The first parliament of Wales, the Cynulliad, was held here. Owain Glyndŵr was crowned Prince of Wales." Century sucked slowly on the lollipop. "In 1404. In the presence of the leaders of France, Scotland and Spain. Free from England at last."



Mello stood his ground. "You do not run away from me again, do you hear me?"



Century surveyed him with unconcerned, dark blue eyes. "The train, he goes to Aberystwyth."



"So?" The information dawned on Mello. He had seen signs to Aberystwyth not long after leaving the Manor. It was probably much closer than this place. "It took us the best part of an hour to get here, Century."



"I know, but here is where I wanted to meet you." Century reached out and touched the walls of the Parliament House. "You requested my help. Just so we know where we stand."



Mello leaned in, his glare glinting dangerously. "And what year was it when England kicked Wales\'s fucking arse back into submission?" He pointed. "Get into the car right now. I\'m not joking, Century. Do it."



"I\'m here because I agreed to it. You\'re in my country now, Mello." Century ran a gloved hand along the building, passing by Mello, but swerving behind him to climb into the back of the Camero. "Matt."



"Century." Matt nodded.



Mello yanked open the passenger door and leapt into the seat. "There was a nearer station, Matt." He repeated, but Matt had heard the whole conversation. He didn\'t react, utterly impassive in his coldness. Mello, though, was all fire. He twisted in his seat to glare at the Welsh teenager. "Yes, I requested your assistance. Yes, you agreed to it. But if you hadn\'t, you would have had me and Matt voting against you on anything you raised with Watari. Something which would include your ability to leave outside the institution. In fact, I\'d have had your arse there so fast, you\'d have left scorchmarks in the tarmac." Mello retained his glare, even as Century\'s gaze slid away to the street outside. "Don\'t fuck with me, Iestyn. You haven\'t got Chrissie to hide behind this time."



Century smirked. "Oh?" They both knew that Chrissie had spent the best part of the evening on the comms, arguing with Hal and Mello in turn. Even as Salvo was driving Century halfway across country to drop him off at a train station, Chrissie had been trying to get this stopped. "Were you at the institution when you were seventeen?"



"You\'ve got cocky over the summer." Mello accused. "Are you still scared of guns?" The words hung in the air and the teenager seemed to wilt in his seat. "Well then." He turned back to look at the road. "Is this the right way, Matt?"



Matt nodded. "I\'m just taking us back the way we came."



"Fine." Mello smoldered in his seat, viciously snapping off chocolate. "Century, for the record, I\'ve always liked you. You never bought into the system and I respect that. But right now, I am the system and you will do as I instruct." He caught a bit of the wrapper between his teeth and had to pause to extract it. "I brought you home, didn\'t I?"



"I\'m not a Cardi!" Century gasped.



Mello and Matt let that pass, neither knowing or caring what he meant by that. The miles passed in loaded silence, until Mello eventually sighed. "Have you read the casefiles that I sent to you?"



Century dragged his attention back from the nightscape outside his window. The heavy mountains in shadows, dotted occasionally with lone lights. "Yes."



"So, if I said a hideous woman with dogs to you, what would you say?"



"Mallt-y-Nos." Century replied.



"In English."



Century paused. "That\'s her name. What\'s Mihael Keehl in English?"



Mello glanced sharply at him. "Why say that name here?"



"I thought this was the new era of openness." Century shrugged. "You called me Iestyn back there."



Mello punched the dashboard. "Enough!" Though he didn\'t clarify what was enough. Beside him, Matt drove silently and without flinching. Mello calmed. "Tell me about Ma.... say it again."



Century sighed. "Mah." It was repeated by Mello. "Now put the tip of your tongue against the back of your two front teeth and just breathe. Don\'t try to enunciate a sound, just breathe. That is the \'ll\' letter. Then \'t\'. Mallt." Mello tried it a few times before it was declared correct. "Da iawn! Mallt, that\'s her name. Then \'ee-nos\', y nos. Mallt of the night."



"Mallt-y-Nos." Mello tested out the name. He could just hear Matt saying it too, under his breath, as he drove. "What can you tell me about her?"



Century watched the countryside passing. "You\'re in the right location for her. Sir Ceredigion. She\'s a..." There was a loud beep and Century immediately stopped talking, in order to respond to his incoming texts. "Must have got a signal here."



Mello waited, knowing that the text messages would be from Chrissie. He had better let the teenager reply to them. Mello glanced at Matt, dreading the quietly seething thoughts that must be going on in his husband\'s mind. Matt had retreated into himself, as he was wont to do in the present of other Wammy alumni. Mello missed the sense of him being there, despite his physicality. In the back, the text messages kept on coming. There was a whole conversation going on. Mello eventually cracked. "Is that Chrissie?"



"Has she not texted you?"



Mello smiled. "She hasn\'t got my number." He recognised a road leading away from the main A485. "Matt, up..." But Matt was already signalling and turning. "You\'ve got it." The rest of the distance passed wordlessly, punctuated only by the tapping in the backseat, as Century bowed over, intent on his \'phone. The track to the manor house took them by surprise, seeming to arrive much sooner than they were expecting. Mello checked the time. They\'d only knocked ten minutes off it. He jumped out to open the gate, enjoying the sounds of the forest and water below. Yet he felt watched. It was a sensation that crept up on him gradually and Mello shook his head, trying to dislodge it or to find its source. He turned slowly, but the mountain was dark behind him and there could be a whole army out there, unseen, but seeing him in the glow of the car\'s lights. He hurriedly shut the gate as soon as Matt was clear, then dived into the passenger seat. If either Matt or Century had spotted his discomfort, neither commented. "Century, there are some documents in there, that you need to..." He stopped dead, staring ahead.



There were lights on in the manor, which neither of them had left on. A silver BMW was parked in their spot. Matt sucked in a breath. "Are we expecting anyone?"



"No." Mello hissed, then turned his attention onto Century. "Who were you texting?" But before he could respond, the ancient door opened and they all recognised the woman walking back towards her car. She shielded her eyes against their headlights. "What the fuck is Deontic doing here?" Mello barked. "And why has she got a key?" A third thought assaulted him. "Is there anyone else coming?"



Century shrugged. "Not as far as I know."