That was his life until one of the officers told everyone he was marrying his girlfriend and would be moving out. The three knew another officer who wanted to live in the flat and Quint was home when the new flatmate came by to look over his new lodgings.
Quint walked out of his bedroom to meet the newcomer.
“You’re the hubite!” the new tenant said. “You’ll have to leave. I won’t be living with a sub-human.”
The three officers tried to stand up for Quint, but the new person was adamant. “I was promised a room in a nice flat and this isn’t it. I’m going to complain to the personnel officer.” He looked at Quint with disgust. “You better start packing now!” the new tenant said as he stalked out of the flat.
“That was unexpected,” the lieutenant that was leaving said, plopping down on the couch. “I said we had a special flatmate, a senior lieutenant.”
“What’s going to happen?” Quint asked.
“The division owns the flat. You’ve been allowed to stay since you worked with us, but now that you are at military headquarters, the personnel officer could make you leave.”
Quint sat in one of the easy chairs. “What are the chances?”
The three of them looked at each other and shrugged.
“It isn’t up to us. You could appeal to Colonel Sarrefo, but he is traveling and won’t be back for two more weeks,” one of them said.
Marena walked in. “Where is the new officer?” she asked.
“He took one look at Quint and left in a huff. It looks like he will fight for his spot,” a flatmate said.
“And Quint will be kicked out.” she said, “since the flat is your organization’s.”
“Likely,” another officer said.
“Not to worry. I know of a place closer to the council palace that is open. I work there, too.” She looked at Quint. “You wouldn’t be sharing, but there might be other benefits, being in the international quarter.”
“What is the international quarter?” Quint asked.
One of the officers said, “It is where foreigners live, like ambassadors and their staff. I understand you need connections to live there.”
“I’m the connection,” Marena said. “I’m keeping that place clean, too. How much are you paying for the flat?”
Quint gave her what he was paying for rent. The other three whistled.
“We are paying two-thirds what you are,” they said.
“But you will have to pay a little more than what you are now. Can you afford it?” Marena asked.
“I can. I have nothing else to spend money on other than food and clothes.”
“Let’s see what happens, first,” one of the officers who remained said,
“Then you can make a good decision.”
“In the meantime, you can see the flat. Here is a key and the address. When you’ve seen it, give the key back.”
“I’ll do that,” Quint said. “In fact, I’ll take a look now.”
“I’ll come with you,” Marena said. “I only came to meet the new tenant. Now, I’m not so sure I’ll like him.”
Quint wore his uniform and his cap to hide his hair. Marena walked faster than Quint usually did, but she was in a good mood despite the circumstances in the flat.
“We will see if I continue to work at your flat,” Marena said. “It depends on the new tenants. I think you will be asked to leave. The personnel officer seems to be a stickler for rules from what I’ve heard. If the other three were honest they would tell you the same but cheer up. This flat is much nicer.”
They talked about Bocarre and the tension building up in the city. Quint was aware of it, but Marena gave some common examples of her contacts expressing their uneasiness. Her perspective would make it into Quint’s reports.
They came to what Marena called the international quarter. The buildings looked the same, but there was a different feel to the place. For one, there were other people mixed in with the willots. Dress styles were occasionally different, and the names of the stores weren’t always written in the common tongue or in the willot alphabet.
Quint stared at the mix. “I never knew this existed.”
“To most willots, it doesn’t. They ignore the place, but I work here as well as other places,” Marena said. “In here.”
She opened a door next to a lady’s hat and shoe store and led Quint up a set of stairs to corridor with two doors on either side.
“There are two more floors like this above this one,” Marena said. “The empty flat is on the top floor.”
The building was in very good shape. He wondered if the previous tenant didn’t like the stairs.
At the top there were three doors, and Marena used her key to open the only door on the side facing the back.
Quint walked in and stopped. The living area was huge. There was a set of windows that looked out over some rooftops with the dome of the council palace poking up in the near distance with a shadow of the Fenola Sea on the horizon. The furnishings were used, but better quality than the old flat.
“This would be mine?”
Marena nodded. “It has a full kitchen, indoor plumbing, and you will share it with only one flatmate.”
