The room was bare, almost hospital like. I half expected a rack of old magazines to be sitting in the corner. When I turned though, it wasn’t. I don’t think the Consulate would allow something like that anyways. They were too obsessed with being pristine. So instead of reading I just sat and counted. I had gotten up to 230 when the door opened. Mame, my handler, came in with her usual non-expression. I had only ever seen her in a blue pantsuit and today was no different.

“How are you?” She asked, “do you need anything? Food? Water?"

“Water actually would be great,” I said.

Mame pushed a button on her watch and asked for some water.

There was not another chair in the room so she just stood.

“The decision still isn’t made yet,” she said while we waited for my water. “But I wanted to come check in because I know this period can be tedious."

Tedious is not really the word I would use to describe what was happening. Upsetting? Yes. Frustrating? Yes. Boring? Only in the fact that I wasn’t allowed to have a book with me. On a grand level the future of my life being decided by a room of people I do not know, I would not call that boring, no.

I smiled wanly at her. “I am alright, thank you.” I crossed and uncrossed my legs.

My grandmother had been right, truly the only way to get through any difficult situation but especially this one was to indicate that I am the rightful heir with the utmost decorum and hospitality I can display.

“How are you doing?” I asked. “This must be a long work day.” She had put me in this room sometime in the afternoon. There were no windows but I could tell by my tiredness that we had moved into the deep night.

Mame did not respond to my question. She just looked expectantly at the door a second before it opened. Did her watch indicate someone was coming? Does she have special hearing powers to listen for their footsteps?

It’s never been confirmed but ever since the Consulate showed up and then took over there have been rumors about their abilities.

The person who brought my water was dressed in the same royal blue that Mame was except they were in the tunic that all the helpers seemed to wear. Plus they had the customary lack-of-face.

I resisted a shudder. I’m sure when my grandma was talking about decorum she did not image I would be faced with this.