Page 10 of Sparktopia
Yes, surely that was the problem.
So in went Spark Maiden number two—Marlowe Hughes—and all spark to up-city was strictly metered so we could keep track of what we used.
Three (mostly uneventful) years later, when the bells rang again, people were thoroughly confused. The metering worked. People conserved spark. We were using less than ever. And there were no signs of shortages. Everything was working just fine as far as anyone could tell.
So why was the god in the tower demanding yet another Spark Maiden?
Of course, Maiden number three—Mabel Paice, not to be confused with Maiden number five, Mabel Shaw—went in. This time things got worse. And the bells rang again just two weeks later. So in went Lucy Fisher.
Lucy Fisher was the breaking point for the people of Tau City. Two Spark Maidens in one decade? Weird, but OK. It had happened before.
Four, though?
No. No, no, no. This was abnormal. Something was very wrong. People panicked.
But, as one does when over time strange things return to normal, they forgot about it. When there were no more requests from the tower, we moved on with our lives, content that whatever the problem was, it had been fixed. This is what people do when times are good. No one wants to think about the bad times when nothing is wrong. What is the point of that?
There was no rhyme or reason for the next three called in—Mabel Shaw, Piper Adley, and Brooke Bayford. It was two years, then seven months, then eight months.
Brooke was the last and it’s been over a year now. With just three months left of our service, Haryet, Gemna, and I can’t help but hold our breath. It’s been tense. But today feels… different. Like we’ve turned a corner.
To us, these Little Sisters are like a salvation.
We’re going to make it.
And when I look at myself in the mirror, wearing this spectacular, handmade gala gown, it’s enough to convince myself it’s true.
“Are you ready?”
I turn and find tiny Haryet standing in my bedroom doorway all dressed up in her equally spectacular gown. It’s also made of glimmering champagne silk, the highest-quality linen, and hand-blown glass beads. But it’s shaped a little different, has a light blue sash that crosses her breasts, and more skirt layers than mine.
“You look stunning, Haryet.”
She smiles and curtsies to me, lifting her skirts up as she bows her head. “So do you!”
“So do we all.” I look past Haryet and find Gemna wearing her own version of our gowns.
She models for us, lifting up a hand to showcase her hair as she turns her head and cocks a hip. “Fab, right?”
We agree, laughing and smiling. But when that’s done, there’s a moment when we all go a little somber.
This is not the end. We’re close, but not there yet. There are dozens of galas just like this one in our near future.
It just feels a little bit…final, for some reason.
CHAPTER FOUR
As soon as the awe wears off, the five of us snap into action. Our first gala is in just two hours. We’re not meant to have much time to pull ourselves together for the first Choosing ball, we’re meant to have thought everything out ahead of time and the blue dresses we are all currently wearing are meant to be our gowns for the evening.
But every girl in Pledge, from the time they sign up at age twelve, secretly starts planning how she will amaze the Extraction Master on the first night because this is our first public display of spark.
There are about half a dozen girls who have a slight advantage in this area because they have exceptional spark displays. Spark display is genetic. You get what you get. But it’s what youdowith it that really matters.
And this is where my friends and I will shine.
We don’t have the best breeding, we weren’t blessed with up-city levels of genetic spark, but we are smart and we came prepared to stun. Because the five of us will be displaying our spark using our dresses. Embellishments, to be exact. Asidefrom the actual dresses we’re currently wearing, the Little Sisters are only allowed to bring a modest-sized makeup case into the dorm. From now on everything else will be provided—including all the basics such as food, and clothes, and personal health items.
It doesn’t even cross the minds of most Little Sisters to concentrate on making their dresses the one thing that sets them apart on the stage, because we have to wear the one we put on this morning to the gala tonight and the Choosing dress must always be made by our own hands.
