‘Their memories?’ he repeated faintly. ‘They take their memories?’
Jack nodded. He felt sick delivering such news. He knew this was not when they had expected to hear. However, he did have more information for them.
‘They sell the processed humans at various livestock markets across the country. There’s no telling where they’ve been sent, or who has bought them without infiltrating the Realm itself.’
‘How … how do you know this?’ asked Cecilia.
Jack looked into Cecilia’s eyes. ‘I’ve seen it happen. I helped Avalon enter the Realm Headquarters to find out what happened to her little sister. While we were there, Avalon attacked the head of the human registration-’
‘Korra Waterson, right?’ piped a woman at the back of the room.
Jack nodded. ‘You heard?’
She nodded. ‘No one was sure what happened to her. We only know that she was attacked by the Fire-Mage.’
Jack took a deep breath. ‘She was injected with the memory serum. I saw it take effect on her. Her eyes glazed over … she didn’t know who she was, or where she was.’
‘And they did this to our families?’ asked Cecilia.
Jack nodded again. ‘Your families won’t know who you are. I’m sorry. They won’t know their own names.’
Jack let the effect of his words sink in for a moment. All was silent around the room.
‘The news isn’t all bad,’ said Jack after a few minutes.
‘Isn’t all bad?’ repeated Anton in a shaky voice. ‘They’ve sterilised and wiped the memories of my little girl!’
‘I know, I’m sorry,’ said Jack. ‘But something can be done.’
‘What? What is it? Can you heal them? Fix them?’ asked Cecilia.
Jack shook his head. ‘I cannot reverse permanent damage - I know because I’ve already tried. My Power doesn’t work like that. Your loved ones will never be able to have children if they have been sterilised. But that is why I joined the Realm’s army – to find information that might be useful to people such as yourselves.’
‘And what have you found?’ asked Cecilia, panicked. ‘Do you know where they are – where I can find my husband? Our families?’
‘No,’ Jack shook his head. ‘I don’t know where they are. But I have learned that Korra Waterson is recovering. They have found a cure to the memory serum. The damage is not permanent.’
‘What good is that if we don’t know where to find our families?’ snapped Anton, tears glistening in his eyes. ‘My baby girl could be anywhere.’
‘We need to get into the Realm and steal the cure,’ said Jack. ‘We can bring back the memories of thousands of humans who have been processed by the Realm. What better way to revolt than by undoing their work to oppress the human race? Once we’re in the Realm, we’ll be able to find a log of the entire registration, and see where the humans have been sent.’
Every pair of eyes in the room turned to Cecilia, as if waiting for her verdict.
She turned to her fellow Howl members and said. ‘He speaks the truth.’
They muttered between themselves.
‘What do we do next?’
‘But how do we get inside?’
‘Their security is so strong-’
Jack smiled. ‘That is why I joined the Realm,’ he said, ‘to gain access.’
‘They will let you inside the headquarters?’ asked Cecilia.
Jack shook his head. ‘No, I haven’t been granted entry as I’m only a temporary guard, but I can help you get inside.’
‘How?’ asked Anton. ‘The place is swarming with army men.’
‘We’ll need a plan,’ said Jack. ‘So, are you in, or what?’
Before anyone could consider this offer, Cecilia said, ‘We’re in.’
‘You have to promise me something, though,’ said Jack.
‘What’s that?’ asked Cecilia.
‘No one gets hurt,’ he said. ‘I don’t want blood on my hands.’
Anton stood abruptly, his face impassive. ‘I can’t promise that,’ he said. ‘If I come face to face with the bastard that hurt my baby girl-’
‘You’ll what? Kill them?’ asked Jack, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Anton glanced around the room. All eyes were on him, waiting for an answer. ‘If I can,’ he said, breathing hard through his nostrils. ‘I’ll kill them for what they did.’
‘I don’t want anyone to die. If I’m to help you-’
‘They’d kill us in a heartbeat!’ shouted Anton, pointing to the wall behind him as though it were responsible for their situation. ‘They’ll probably try to if we’re caught infiltrating the Realm!’
‘I won’t be responsible for any deaths,’ said Jack, his voice raised. ‘I’m a healer – it’s against my nature.’
‘To hell with your nature,’ yelled Anton. ‘This isn’t about you.’
‘It’s about me as much as it is about you,’ retorted Jack. ‘The Realm is hunting the only damn person that makes my life worth living. I don’t want to lose her.’
‘And you’re not mad about that?’ asked Anton incredulously. ‘You don’t want revenge?’