House of Dust by Paul Johnston Read Free Book Online

Council’s ambitious incarceration policy. We believe that the imprisonment of criminals is an essential component in the drive towards the eradication of crime.”
    I looked around the crowd, most of whom were paying avid attention, and wondered how many of them remembered the original Council’s proud boast that crime had been eradicated from Edinburgh. Admittedly it took them over ten years of fighting the drugs gangs to achieve that end – and, like all boasts, it didn’t tell the whole story. Still, for a few years, there was very little serious crime in the city. The guardians had even been able to close the last prison on Cramond Island. And now we were in for another dose of incarceration. Call me a pessimist, but I had to see that as a mark of the Council’s failure. So we had work, welfare, housing, education and sustenance for all. But we also had a climate of disaffection among citizens that the reintroduction of imprisonment was hardly going to alleviate.
    The senior guardian, real name Lachlan Lessels, was young, earnest and bespectacled. He ran through the objectives of the prison: discipline, compassion and reintegration into society. Why was it I got the feeling that the first of those was going to be the main feature of the New Bridewell? Then he turned his reedy voice to praising the expertise of the Oxford academics and their great experience in carceral matters. This propensity for skilful arse-licking had got him the nickname of Slick. Before I could consider what that implied about the university city, he invited Administrator Raphael to address the multitude.
    As the imperious woman left her gown-clad colleagues and approached the edge of the balcony, stopping on the way to shake the senior guardian’s hand, I looked around the crowd again. Hamilton was in the pit with the rest of us, his jaw jutting out aggressively, while his deputy was up on the higher level with the nobs. Beyond him I caught sight of a crumpled figure in a wheelchair. Billy Geddes. I might have known the city’s financial genius would be on the case.
    â€œMany thanks, senior guardian,” the administrator said, her voice ringing out across the chamber. She was obviously well versed in holding the floor. “I’ll be brief. The Hebdomadal Council – New Oxford’s ruling body – is delighted to have been able to provide expert guidance in the implementation of the incarceration policy so courageously embarked upon by the Council of City Guardians in Edinburgh.”
    If that was her idea of brief, I was glad I didn’t have to attend many meetings chaired by her.
    â€œWe believe that control and authority must be applied rigorously in twenty-first-century society,” Raphael continued. “And we believe that education is the root of progress and the cement of social cohesion.” She looked round her listeners. “To that end we are pleased to offer places at the University of New Oxford for fifty of Edinburgh’s most promising students.”
    There was a pause as the crowd tried to ascertain whether that surprise announcement was to the taste of the Council. When the senior guardian applauded vigorously, the noise level increased several-fold.
    Sophia gathered up her daughter and turned towards the exit. “Too much,” she said. I wasn’t sure whether she was referring to the racket, Slick’s performance or the administrator’s offer.
    I mouthed goodbye at Maisie. Again the little lass stared at me, then her face broke into a wide smile. It seemed I’d made at least one friend during the evening.
    Fortunately the speeches didn’t last much longer. I went in search of whisky, food and entertainment. I found the first two easily enough then looked around for the third. Billy Geddes was deep in conversation with one of the Oxford academics so I headed over.
    â€œEvening, Billy,” I said, butting in.
    The man in the gown stood up