Mutely, Allie shook her head.
‘It means “in name only”. So the chairman of this organisation mostly ran meetings, hosted dinners, and made sure things… happened. Until I came along.’ She smiled demurely. ‘I changed things.’
Fascinated and confused, Allie tried to keep up. She wished she was taking notes so she could remember it all later.
‘How did you change it?’ she asked.
‘I instituted a voting system – so now the board votes on all our actions. And I lobbied to let children from different backgrounds into Cimmeria,’ Lucinda explained. ‘As you know, entrance to the organisation starts at school level. Night School is the main youth group, but there are similar groups at a few other top public schools. Until I came along, entrance was by heredity – if your family were members you were accepted. I changed that… as much as I could. Now some students – fewer than I’d like – are admitted based on ability and intellect. Fresh blood, they call it.’
Allie thought of Carter, the orphaned son of a kitchen worker and a mechanic. It made sense now, that he was in Night School.
‘OK…’ she said. ‘But what exactly does… Orion… do?’
Lucinda considered this for a moment before answering. ‘It makes sure certain things are run properly.’
‘What… things?’
‘The government,’ Lucinda said. ‘The banks. Major corporations. The media. The courts.’
This didn’t seem possible. ‘Doesn’t the government run the government?’ Allie asked.
‘Of course,’ Lucinda said mildly. ‘We just help them.’
‘Help them how?’
‘By making certain the right people are elected. People who are members of Orion. People who understand what we’re doing.’ Lucinda cocked her head to one side. ‘Does that make sense?’
‘No.’ Allie didn’t like the sound of this. ‘Are you saying when people go and vote their votes aren’t real?’
‘Oh no. Their votes are very real,’ Lucinda assured her. ‘But the people they’re voting for are part of Orion.’
A moment of stunned disbelief followed.
‘All of them?’ Allie’s voice was small.
‘Certainly not,’ Lucinda said. ‘Just… enough of them.’
‘And the judges?’ Allie said faintly. ‘Them too?’
‘Absolutely,’ Lucinda said. ‘The court system is very important. Particularly the Supreme Court. Actually, we do run that one completely. It’s… necessary.’
A long pause followed as Allie digested this. The normal sounds of everyday life around her suddenly seemed out of place – the kettle in the corner ticking as it cooled; laughter floating in through the walls. As if a secret organisation were not running everything around them.
‘So Orion controls… everything.’
‘It doesn’t completely control,’ Lucinda said. ‘But effectively. Yes. I suppose that’s fair.’
‘Why?’
‘It’s a long story.’ Lucinda poured more tea into her cup. ‘You see, Orion is a very old organisation. It dates back more than two centuries to a time when the crown had lost most of its power and Parliament’s strength was growing but still unsteady. After the revolutions in France and America, the noble families feared a revolution would happen here. The king was too weak to control his government, much less his country. So a group of the country’s most powerful land owners and parliamentarians joined together to ensure the government was run well. They called themselves the Orion Society.’
‘Orion…’ Allie said with a thoughtful frown. ‘Like the stars?’
‘Orion the hunter,’ Lucinda said. ‘In Greek mythology, he was a god. The founders chose to name their group after him because he could walk on water. Hubris if you ask me, but –’ she held up her hands – ‘it’s only a name.’
‘So… what did they do?’ Allie prodded her.
‘They took over the reins of power. They helped each other. Made sure they became prime minister, chancellor, regent – whatever was needed to make sure power was held smoothly, transferred without interruption. Controlled.’
‘And nobody knew they existed?’ Allie’s tone was dubious. ‘How is that possible?’
‘We are very good,’ Lucinda said, ‘at keeping secrets.’
‘How did you end up in charge of everything?’ Allie said. ‘And your dad? How did he?’
‘It’s very simple: we inherited it. The leadership passes from one family to the next in order. Each family acts as chair for three years and then passes it on. Or, at least, that’s how it worked until I came along. My great-great-great-great grandfather was one of the founders. The Earl of Lanarkshire.’ Her piercing gaze held Allie’s. ‘That’s who we are, you know. Technically, I am Lady Lanarkshire. So is your mother. And so are you.’
Allie gaped at her. ‘I’m a… Lady?’