Rebel Heart
Page 58
They’re thinkin, I’m glad it ain’t me in that cart, says Molly. Wonderin if their turn will come one day.
Wouldn’t they like to know what we’re sittin on, says Ash. I am dyin to have a go with them little pinballs of Slim’s. I sure would like to of seen that causeway go up. Ka-boom! She winks at me. Ash, never more cheerful than when she’s got trouble to look forward to.
Bram kicked Tracker out. He’s keepin up with us, slippin through trees, runnin low through fields, disappearin from time to time, then showin up agin a bit further down the road. He knows he’s gotta stay away from other people.
Creed an Tommo ride close behind the cart. Creed cain’t take his eyes offa Molly. He tries, but eventually he gives up an jest outright stares. She ignores him fer a bit. But you can see her windin up. Gittin more hotter an crosser an vexed by the minute. Finally, she snaps.
Stop starin at me, she says.
Stop bein so gorgeous an I’ll stop starin, he says. Smile at me, Molly, please. One little smile an I’ll die a happy man.
You tire me, Creed, she says.
That’s my strategy, he says. I’m gonna wear you down, like water on rock.
I wouldn’t paddle in a shallow stream like you, she says. She sinks into her corner an glares at the road ahead.
He winks at the rest of us. I’m makin progress, he says.
Tommo’s makin every effort not to meet my eyes. What a relief. I couldn’t take trouble from that quarter too. Not at the moment.
Creed an Ash an Maev seem to of reached some kinda unnerstandin of what happened at Darktrees. Some kinda peace between ’em that’s led ’em to decide to stay here an work with Bram an Cassie to build the resistance. To do what has to be done, in the service of something greater than ourselfs. DeMalo agin. I cain’t git away from him. Right here in front of me, it’s what they’re all doin.
Maev’s quiet. She makes answer if somebody speaks to her, but I can tell she ain’t really here. She’s somewhere deep inside her own head, her own heart, tryin to work things out. Like me. I glance at the back of Lugh’s head as he talks with Bram, as they sit there, shoulder to shoulder on the driver’s bench. They seem to be gittin on pretty good.
Lugh an Maev probly won’t git the chance to be alone before we hafta leave New Eden. After this is over, after we git Emmi back, we’ll be straight on our way. An even if he did git a moment, knowin Lugh, he’d funk the chance. He’d never admit what he feels fer her. If Maev knew, maybe she’d change her mind an come with us. Maybe not. Maev ain’t run of the mill. Love ain’t all there is. An, like Molly said, you cain’t know nuthin fer sure, least of all the ways of the human heart. Still. I think she needs to know.
I jig her with my foot an she looks up. I slide my glance to Lugh, then back to her. I look at her steady. She goes pink. He loves you, I mouth at her. She goes even pinker, looks flustered, her eyes goin to him. Then back to me, with a little frown. He told me, I mouth. Do you love him?
She hesitates. Then, her eyes soften. Her face. She smiles. I give a little laugh.
What’s funny? says Ash.
Nuthin, I says. Nuthin.
The land we travel is rich an fruitful an kind. Lugh’s head keeps turnin to look at this an that. He asks Bram about crop rotation, irrigation an all sorts an I remember what Auriel said about him. Lugh dreams of a settled life. He longs to plant himself in one place, plant the land around him. His hands itch to work good earth, put food on the table that he’s grown hisself, raise children. That ain’t you.
She’s right. The thought of workin the land don’t heat the blood in my veins. Too bad. I gotta fall in with what’s best fer all of us.
We pass a little slave gang. Three women an two men with iron neck collars, chained together at the ankles. Watched by a Tonton, they’re clearin stones an rocks from a field right beside the road. They all stand, easin their backs, as we rattle past. One woman raises her hand in greetin. Low, outta sight of the Tonton. I nod in reply. I wonder what they did to end up like this. Probly nuthin but be the wrong sort of person. Not fit into the new order.
With every roll of the wheels, every rattle of the cart, what DeMalo said repeats an repeats. The old an the sick. The sick an the weak. The old an the sick an the weak.
Precious resources. Water an land.
People like me. People like us.
The young an the strong.
Some of the people. All of the people.
I ponder his words. Who deserves a share of what little there is? Who decides?
Have I lied to you?
The lies that lurk in the shadows of truth.
It’s comin up to dusk, nearly curfew. My belly starts to tighten with nerves. We passed through the first two guardposts no problem. Bram shouted the right password fer the colour of flag tied to the barred road gate, an the Tonton guards lifted it an waved us on. We left the farms behind some time ago. Ahead of us, the road disappears. Swallowed up by a vast plain of giant boulders, great glints an rock slabs the height of ten men.
The Field of the Fallen Mountain, says Bram. We should see Resurrection any— there it is.
It comes into view.
Holy crap, says Creed.
I ain’t never seen such a gigantic Wrecker buildin before. A massive, sheer wall of concrete rises up from the boulder-strewn plain below. It stands half a mile long an looks to be jest as high.
Remind me, says Maev, how high did you say it is?
I make it seven hunnerd foot, says Bram.
There’s the four floors with windows he told us about. They run along the top of the vast wall. Otherwise, it’s faceless. Solid.
There’s the gatehouse, says Bram.
It’s perched at the end nearest to us. It looks like a dot. It’s jest like he told us, when he was takin us through the plan. He drew it, we seen it, I imagined it, but now, seein it fer real, the size of it—
Unbelievable, I says.
Now I know what a flea feels like, says Molly.
She looks grim. As do we all. But not Ash. A half-smile crooks her mouth.
Fleas plague you, she says. Swamp skitters can kill you, an a little thorn – so small you hardly notice – it can work its way unner the skin an after a bit, yer hand’s infected. Maybe you lose a couple fingers, maybe the whole hand. Maybe yer blood goes bad an you die. Tiny things can cause plenty of trouble. Cheer up, people!
Okay, says Bram, we’re comin to the last guardpost. This time of day, their mind’s on other things. All they wanna do is lock the gate an git their supper on to cook.
Ahead of us, on the left, a stone-walled hut with a door onto the road. As we approach, we can see the barred road gate. It’s up. No coloured flag. The rumble of our wheels brings a Tonton from the hut. He’s holdin a chunk of flatbread in his fist, chewin. When he sees who it is – four Tonton with a cartload of prisoner women – he waves to come on through an goes back inside.
What’d I tell you? says Bram. He clicks at the horse an we pick up the pace.
We ain’t more’n thirty foot away. Another Tonton rounds the back corner of the hut, twitchin his robes into place. Call of nature. When he sees us, he shouts somethin an breaks into a run. Th’other guard comes dashin outta the hut to pull down the gate. Bram curses.
What is it? says Ash.
There shouldn’t be a commander here, he says, He’s too high up. Okay, they’re stoppin us. No problem, we done this before. No eye contact an I do the talkin. He slows Ted to a walk. The Tonton in charge – the commander – steps into the road.
Wouldn’t they like to know what we’re sittin on, says Ash. I am dyin to have a go with them little pinballs of Slim’s. I sure would like to of seen that causeway go up. Ka-boom! She winks at me. Ash, never more cheerful than when she’s got trouble to look forward to.
Bram kicked Tracker out. He’s keepin up with us, slippin through trees, runnin low through fields, disappearin from time to time, then showin up agin a bit further down the road. He knows he’s gotta stay away from other people.
Creed an Tommo ride close behind the cart. Creed cain’t take his eyes offa Molly. He tries, but eventually he gives up an jest outright stares. She ignores him fer a bit. But you can see her windin up. Gittin more hotter an crosser an vexed by the minute. Finally, she snaps.
Stop starin at me, she says.
Stop bein so gorgeous an I’ll stop starin, he says. Smile at me, Molly, please. One little smile an I’ll die a happy man.
You tire me, Creed, she says.
That’s my strategy, he says. I’m gonna wear you down, like water on rock.
I wouldn’t paddle in a shallow stream like you, she says. She sinks into her corner an glares at the road ahead.
He winks at the rest of us. I’m makin progress, he says.
Tommo’s makin every effort not to meet my eyes. What a relief. I couldn’t take trouble from that quarter too. Not at the moment.
Creed an Ash an Maev seem to of reached some kinda unnerstandin of what happened at Darktrees. Some kinda peace between ’em that’s led ’em to decide to stay here an work with Bram an Cassie to build the resistance. To do what has to be done, in the service of something greater than ourselfs. DeMalo agin. I cain’t git away from him. Right here in front of me, it’s what they’re all doin.
Maev’s quiet. She makes answer if somebody speaks to her, but I can tell she ain’t really here. She’s somewhere deep inside her own head, her own heart, tryin to work things out. Like me. I glance at the back of Lugh’s head as he talks with Bram, as they sit there, shoulder to shoulder on the driver’s bench. They seem to be gittin on pretty good.
Lugh an Maev probly won’t git the chance to be alone before we hafta leave New Eden. After this is over, after we git Emmi back, we’ll be straight on our way. An even if he did git a moment, knowin Lugh, he’d funk the chance. He’d never admit what he feels fer her. If Maev knew, maybe she’d change her mind an come with us. Maybe not. Maev ain’t run of the mill. Love ain’t all there is. An, like Molly said, you cain’t know nuthin fer sure, least of all the ways of the human heart. Still. I think she needs to know.
I jig her with my foot an she looks up. I slide my glance to Lugh, then back to her. I look at her steady. She goes pink. He loves you, I mouth at her. She goes even pinker, looks flustered, her eyes goin to him. Then back to me, with a little frown. He told me, I mouth. Do you love him?
She hesitates. Then, her eyes soften. Her face. She smiles. I give a little laugh.
What’s funny? says Ash.
Nuthin, I says. Nuthin.
The land we travel is rich an fruitful an kind. Lugh’s head keeps turnin to look at this an that. He asks Bram about crop rotation, irrigation an all sorts an I remember what Auriel said about him. Lugh dreams of a settled life. He longs to plant himself in one place, plant the land around him. His hands itch to work good earth, put food on the table that he’s grown hisself, raise children. That ain’t you.
She’s right. The thought of workin the land don’t heat the blood in my veins. Too bad. I gotta fall in with what’s best fer all of us.
We pass a little slave gang. Three women an two men with iron neck collars, chained together at the ankles. Watched by a Tonton, they’re clearin stones an rocks from a field right beside the road. They all stand, easin their backs, as we rattle past. One woman raises her hand in greetin. Low, outta sight of the Tonton. I nod in reply. I wonder what they did to end up like this. Probly nuthin but be the wrong sort of person. Not fit into the new order.
With every roll of the wheels, every rattle of the cart, what DeMalo said repeats an repeats. The old an the sick. The sick an the weak. The old an the sick an the weak.
Precious resources. Water an land.
People like me. People like us.
The young an the strong.
Some of the people. All of the people.
I ponder his words. Who deserves a share of what little there is? Who decides?
Have I lied to you?
The lies that lurk in the shadows of truth.
It’s comin up to dusk, nearly curfew. My belly starts to tighten with nerves. We passed through the first two guardposts no problem. Bram shouted the right password fer the colour of flag tied to the barred road gate, an the Tonton guards lifted it an waved us on. We left the farms behind some time ago. Ahead of us, the road disappears. Swallowed up by a vast plain of giant boulders, great glints an rock slabs the height of ten men.
The Field of the Fallen Mountain, says Bram. We should see Resurrection any— there it is.
It comes into view.
Holy crap, says Creed.
I ain’t never seen such a gigantic Wrecker buildin before. A massive, sheer wall of concrete rises up from the boulder-strewn plain below. It stands half a mile long an looks to be jest as high.
Remind me, says Maev, how high did you say it is?
I make it seven hunnerd foot, says Bram.
There’s the four floors with windows he told us about. They run along the top of the vast wall. Otherwise, it’s faceless. Solid.
There’s the gatehouse, says Bram.
It’s perched at the end nearest to us. It looks like a dot. It’s jest like he told us, when he was takin us through the plan. He drew it, we seen it, I imagined it, but now, seein it fer real, the size of it—
Unbelievable, I says.
Now I know what a flea feels like, says Molly.
She looks grim. As do we all. But not Ash. A half-smile crooks her mouth.
Fleas plague you, she says. Swamp skitters can kill you, an a little thorn – so small you hardly notice – it can work its way unner the skin an after a bit, yer hand’s infected. Maybe you lose a couple fingers, maybe the whole hand. Maybe yer blood goes bad an you die. Tiny things can cause plenty of trouble. Cheer up, people!
Okay, says Bram, we’re comin to the last guardpost. This time of day, their mind’s on other things. All they wanna do is lock the gate an git their supper on to cook.
Ahead of us, on the left, a stone-walled hut with a door onto the road. As we approach, we can see the barred road gate. It’s up. No coloured flag. The rumble of our wheels brings a Tonton from the hut. He’s holdin a chunk of flatbread in his fist, chewin. When he sees who it is – four Tonton with a cartload of prisoner women – he waves to come on through an goes back inside.
What’d I tell you? says Bram. He clicks at the horse an we pick up the pace.
We ain’t more’n thirty foot away. Another Tonton rounds the back corner of the hut, twitchin his robes into place. Call of nature. When he sees us, he shouts somethin an breaks into a run. Th’other guard comes dashin outta the hut to pull down the gate. Bram curses.
What is it? says Ash.
There shouldn’t be a commander here, he says, He’s too high up. Okay, they’re stoppin us. No problem, we done this before. No eye contact an I do the talkin. He slows Ted to a walk. The Tonton in charge – the commander – steps into the road.
