Tuesday, 8th of August 2006 – Camille entered the cafeteria complex alone at half past one in the afternoon. She stopped at the entrance of the hall and sighed, thinking, 'I hate eating alone'. Finally, gathering herself, she slowly entered.
She wore a plain white blouse tucked into light jeans and a grey jacket – nothing striking, yet the faint tiredness in her eyes made her stand out more than she wanted.
As usual, the place was packed. Many heads turned and she heard many whispers. There had been a subtle buzz around the Palace of the recent failure of the Zeta Squad but the details had not been made public. Even so, everyone saw that the squad returned without the bounty hunter. They were asking questions. And silence was all the answer they needed to make up stories.
Furthermore, the news of Faris Naji, the freelance Mystic, being treated in the Aquarae had been causing a stir as well. The man seldom visited the Palace and was even rarely seen at Ayn. But him being treated at the Northern Hospital at the same time as the Zeta Squad raised a lot of questions.
What had happened? Who or what did the Zeta Squad encounter? Even Camille was not at liberty to tell anyone. So, she walked along the border to the kitchen and then quietly sat at an empty corner table to eat.
While most avoided eye contact, whispers still kept tickling her ears, but no one approached her.
'They either believe we did something terrible,' she thought, 'or maybe they don't even wanna know what actually happened.'
All the others from her squad had decided to stay at home and rest for the day. Camille sighed and brought out a book from her purse. She placed it beside the tray before her – a bowl of warm rice porridge, a side of pickled vegetables, and a steaming cup of herbal tea that smelled faintly of mint and something sweeter. She ate slowly, each bite measured, her body grateful for the warmth.
The Sokidu flipped through the pages whilst she ate. It was a compilation of poems by 'Robert Frost' and commentaries.
"Voilà!" she whispered as she leaned ahead. She had found the verse she was looking for. "Yes! 'and miles to go before I sleep…' I knew I heard that somewhere."
Vincent had recited a portion of the poem when they were in Jamaica. She went through some commentaries in hopes of understanding what the bounty hunter may have meant. She wanted to uncover the secrets inside the man's head.
'And miles to go before I sleep…' she kept wondering. 'What are you looking for? Sleep… death? Or satisfaction, maybe?'
She turned a page and took a bite. 'He read the last stanza only. Promises to keep… He's out looking for something and got stuck with Hugo and maybe ended up enjoying the momentary captivity… no, Cami! Something's missing.'
She shook her head. 'I need Hugo's side to make sense of this. I have a feeling he knows that guy…'
Before she could finish up her meal, Zaatsu Master Kenji Masaki, leader of the Delta Squad and a friend of Hugo, approached her. She did not notice.
"Hey, Cami," he said, sitting across from her.
"Oh, sorry," she was startled. Straightening herself and gulping the veggies down, she said, "I didn't see you there, master."
"Don't worry about it." Kenji smiled. "Just came to tell you that your brother was looking for you."
"Hugo?"
"Hmm." He crossed his legs and leaned back. "Were you not home this morning?"
"I left early. Went for a walk, then the checkup at the clinic… you know."
"Of course. And how're you feeling now?"
She sighed and then smiled. "A lot better actually."
"Well, ah… I guess check the hostels. See if you can find him. He asked me to tell you. He knew you'd be here in the afternoon."
Camille chuckled and dropped her head. "Alright, I will. Thank you, sir."
By the time she got to the hostel, she was told that Hugo had already left. So, she decided to head back home.
At three o'clock, when she arrived at her place, she found Hugo along with Faris sitting at the kerb in front of the gate. They had donned their standard Eye attire and as they saw her walk over, they smiled. She noticed a large paper bag with them as well.
"Heya, Cami." Faris smiled and placed a hand over the bag. "Be a dear and help us heat this up, will ya?"
For a moment, she just stared – eyes wide, lips parting into a stunned half-smile. Then she laughed softly, unable to help herself.
"You two..." she murmured, shaking her head in disbelief.
Camille sat dumbfounded by the unreal display of fried-chicken devouring as the senior Martial Artists went through several boxes. She could not bring herself to even take a bite. Similar was the case of the milkshakes – the two drank at least three each, while she sat there with just one.
"What's up, kiddo?" Faris asked, with his mouth full. "You haven't eaten a thing…"
"I already had my lunch." She slowly shook her head. "And I kind of lost my appetite too…"
And yet, they continued undeterred.
Finally, Camille leaned ahead and cleared her throat, grabbing their attention. "Bro, you were looking for me?" she asked. "Master Masaki told me at the cafeteria."
"Oh, yeah, yeah." Hugo took a long sip. "Hadn't checked up on you since the mission so… And also…" he paused and smiled. "I needed an excuse to get out of the Palace."
"Fair enough." She smiled as she nodded. "I could hear Lord Seear talking with you and Erina from the other side of the curtain… didn't feel right."
Faris leaned back, smirking. "One trip to the Continuum and you're rebelling already? How dare you defile the Lord and Protector of all?"
Camille's chest tightened. It was not that she feared Faris, but the way he joked about treason made her skin prickle – like even laughter could be dangerous.
"Cut it out, Faris," said Hugo.
"No but seriously." The Mystic dusted the crumbs off his fingers. "Don't go speaking like that in public. They'll skin you alive."
With the meal finally over, Faris and Hugo washed their hands and returned to the table once more. Sitting triumphantly, looking at the empty boxes being collected by Camille, Hugo asked, "You seem somewhat troubled… anything specific on your mind?"
She threw the boxes in the bin and then came back and sat down. With her head dropped, she said, "Vincent."
"Ah… of course."
"It's just odd, you know." She looked up. "I was just trying to get a grip on him, but he's… he's tough to understand."
"How so?"
"Do you remember what he recited back in the Bahamas?"
"Oh… promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep… yes, I remember."
"Well, it made me wonder… what could he have meant?"
"Hmm… Do you know the poem that's from?"
"Yes. I found it and even read a few commentaries about it. But I just can't put a finger on it. Was his time with us a pleasant stay at the woods?"
Faris leaned in, interrupting them. "Ah, which poem are we talking about?"
Hugo shook his head and looked at Camille saying, "Let me explain it to the illiterates first." With a hand on the Mystic's shoulder then, he recited the poem:
"Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here,
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer,
To stop without a farmhouse near,
Between the woods and frozen lake,
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake,
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep,
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
Camille found herself leaning in without realizing, her lips mouthing along with the final lines. They had been haunting her since Vincent first whispered them. Hearing them again, spoken so easily, made her throat tighten.
Smiling, Hugo added, "We read that in our world literature course back at the academy. Never forgot it…"
Faris let out a whistle. "Looks like the white-haired guy is toeing a familiar line, eh Hugo?"
The Zaatsu chuckled. "It sure as hell felt like it. But then the jackass ran away."
"Wouldn't blame him. Working through the mess is much tougher."
As the two dropped their heads, Camille leaned ahead and placed her crossed arms on the table. "What do you guys mean?" she asked. "What line is he toeing?"
"He's a man on a forced mission, Cami," Faris explained. "That's a simple interpretation of why he would recite that." He picked his head up and added, "He didn't choose to do what he's doing. But he knows it's the right thing to do. Or…" he turned towards Hugo and shrugged. "He's working an angle and has different motives entirely – not a supporter of the Eye, the Alchemist, the anyone. Maybe he's just serving his own agendas."
Hugo leaned closer smiling. In an almost whisper, he said, "The anyone, huh?"
"Oh you know how it is…"
"She's my sister, old friend. No need to speak in riddles. And besides, she loves to ask questions herself, don't you Cami?"
With a narrowed gaze, Camille half-smiled and slowly asked, "Are you guys talking about the Outsiders?"
Her pulse spiked. The Outsiders – it felt heavier in her mouth than she expected – a name she had only heard whispered like a warning. She braced, half-expecting them to shut her down.
Faris looked at Hugo. "Those kinds of questions can get her into trouble, bud…"
He smiled. "Not while I'm around."
The Sokidu leaned back and crossed her arms. "What is it with you guys? Were you really an Outsider? And you too Master Naji?"
Faris smiled. "What do you mean were? And please, call me Faris."
"Seriously?"
Hugo leaned back and stretched. With arms raised and hands clasped behind his head in an easy sprawl, he smiled. "Seriously?" he said. "You've still got doubts? Come on, Cami. Analyse what's been happening these past few days and see for yourself. You're smart enough to understand."
"I would love it if you guys could set that record straight, please."
The duo exchanged a look. "Alright, Cami, I'll try to make it brief," said Hugo.