Order and Chaos

Face the music, loser.

I looked myself in the eyes and concluded that I was right. After all, it had been my idea in the first place to turn myself in.

"We'll stand trial, then. It's starting soon?"

"It's time, my dear," a guard said, fumbling with the keys. As the cell door awkwardly swung open, he simply held the keys out in his hand.

"I think it's going to be easier if you let yourself out," he said apologetically. "But don't think you can try anything just because I'm blind! I'll be listening for your footsteps."

I unlocked the cuffs, on both the bed and the radiator. Both of me stood up and followed him. He seemed puzzled, probably because it sounded like I was walking twice as fast as he expected.

Nonetheless, he guided us to the courtroom, where the Harmony would decide our fate. I had to admit, I was nervous. I knew I was innocent, or was reasonably sure I was, at least. But would we both be judged as one? What song would await us within that chamber?

And why did I feel as though I wasn't entirely there?

I'm confused but I picked the jailbreak....

"I don't trust you at all," I told myself. "For all I know, you found some way to rig the Harmony."

"If you don't trust me, you don't trust yourself. And how could I interfere with the Harmony? I can barely play the recorder."

"I can. You represent the road not taken. Maybe that includes more musical training."

"Whatever. I said I'd stand by my decision, and I will. Jailbreak it is."

"But how do we... get out..."

Even as I said it, I realized our bonds had vanished and the door hung open.

"When did that happen? Did you do something?"

"No. The guard opened the door to take us to trial, and he gave us the keys so we could release ourselves. Then he took us to the Harmony for judgement."

I stared at the other me.

"Are you telling me there's another pair of us running around?"

"At least. I only know about those two because I saw them leave. Regardless, escaping should be rather simple, so that only leaves the question of where we should escape to. What do I say, Mary?"

---

The Harmony was a thing of terrifying beauty. I couldn't help but reflect that most of those unfortunate enough to come before it would be unaffected by its imposing appearance. Indeed, the other Mary and I might well be the first to actually see it, other than the craftsmen who had made it so long ago.

"The accused will now play for the Harmony," said the judge. "Let the content of your character come out in its song."

I held up my recorder, and my other self held up a knife. I wasn't sure exactly how this was going to work, but it couldn't be that complicated when I knew only one song.

I played Three Blind Mice as best as I could on a recorder that decided to be a knife half the time; fortunately, the other me apparently was able to pick up the other half. I didn't really want to think about how that worked. I didn't want to think about anything. All I could do was play, and hope that it worked out somehow.

When we finished, the Harmony began to warm up. Its next song would decide our fate.

And that song was...