The Scourge

by Jennifer A. Nielsen

  "I only had time to check three of the twelve trunks. And there were probably other places I could have looked too. Next time I go in--"

  He grabbed my hands and looked me directly in the eyes. "No, Ani, you cannot keep doing this! Eventually, you are going to push things too far, to the point where nobody can save you."

  "What I just did is the first actual rule I've broken. The rest are just bad circumstances."

  "Maybe, but why do all the bad circumstances involve you? You're always in the middle of everything that goes wrong!"

  "That's my point. Something is wrong in this whole Colony, Weevil, very wrong! Everything I see brings up more questions with answers that don't make sense. If we melt in with everyone else, pretending not to see the problems, do you think they'll just go away?"

  "We don't have to make the problems go away! All we have to do is get you better and then find a way to escape this island. That's our only job. But if you go sneaking into the wardens' barracks, getting yourself banned from mealtimes, and making enemies with people whose help we might need to escape, you won't last here for a week. Don't you understand how dangerous this is? They will find a way to get rid of you."

  I understood perfectly. Getting rid of me was, in fact, their plan for tomorrow.

  But I couldn't tell Weevil that. So instead, I lowered my head. "You're right. From now on, I'll be the model Scourge victim of this Colony."

  Weevil brushed his knuckles across my arm. "I doubt you could do that, even if you tried. Just ... try harder. Now come on--we've got to find those caves before it gets dark."

  That was what I loved about my friend. No sooner had Weevil gotten me to agree that I would not break any more rules, than he was proposing that we hurry and break yet another rule.

  When we returned to the Colony square, Della immediately found us. Her hand was shaking when she reached for me, as if the muscles had already given up. The Scourge was taking her, far too quickly. She needed a stronger medicine. If I had discovered even a single sip of something that might help, the risk would absolutely have been worth it.

  "Here," she whispered. "This is for you."

  She pressed two rolls into my hands. They weren't enough to cover the hunger I felt, but they were something.

  "Why?" I asked, giving one to Weevil.

  Her eyes filled with tears, then drifted to the prison walls. "When we first met, I blamed you for stealing my boat, just to keep myself out of trouble. But today you took the blame for me. You could have used me to keep yourself out of trouble. Why did you do that, Ani? Why would a River Person do that for me?"

  For the first time, she hadn't referred to me as a grub. And I vowed at that moment never again to call her people pinchworms.

  I took her hand in mine. "It can't be you and me against each other anymore. It must be you and me against the Scourge." Or against the wardens and Governor Felling, who I was beginning to think were the far greater dangers here.

  She squeezed back, as well as she could. "Agreed."

  After a sideways glance at Weevil, I said, "You shouldn't stay in the old prison anymore. Come with us, Della. There's another place we can sleep tonight."

  She shook her head. "My father will come for me in the old prison."

  "He's not coming. I know he wants to, but they won't let him come."

  Her mouth pinched together. Then she said, "If your father knew where you were, how far would he go to get you out of trouble?"

  Tears welled in my eyes to think of him. "He'd split the earth to save me," I said. "If he knew."

  "That's what my father is doing too," Della said. "He does know where I am. I'll wait in the prisons until he comes."

  She lumbered away. Weevil took my arm and nudged me along with him. "We'll see her tomorrow, but for now, we should go," he said. "No one's watching." And we slipped away.

  Our plan for finding the caves wasn't particularly complex: go north. Eventually we'd find the caves or hit seawater. But no matter what we found, we were both firm that we would not stay in the prison. Aside from the fact that it was utterly depressing, I had a feeling that avoiding the infirmary required us to avoid the prison too.

  The infirmary. That's where Della was headed soon, and nothing I could do would stop it. Maybe if I got back inside the wardens' barracks and searched the rest of the trunks. Maybe all the medicines were kept in one trunk and I hadn't found it yet.

  Weevil seemed to be thinking the same thing, only in a far less dangerous way. "As I was searching for their herbs today, I tried to figure out which one was the most important for making their medicine, and I think I know which it is. It's the one ingredient I hadn't heard of before, spindlewill."

  I wrinkled my nose. "We don't have spindlewill in the river country, at least not by that name."

  "It probably can't grow in the higher lands. But if I could find some and sneak some away, we might be able to offer it to Della. Maybe in a more concentrated tea, the medicine would help her. We could make our own medicine."

  "We don't know anything about spindlewill."

  "No, but the wardens were very insistent on how much we needed to find it. If they do have a stronger medicine, I'm guessing it involves spindlewill."

  "I'm sure another medicine exists. When we were together in the physician's office, Della's father accused Governor Felling of giving that medicine to her favorites. And Sir Willoughby tried to take the governor's job in the last election, so let's assume his family is not amongst her favorites. By withholding that medicine from Della, the governor is punishing her father."

  Weevil grunted. "Get better, Ani. Get better and we'll take this fight right to the governor's front door."

  I pretended to be shocked. "Ever since coming here, I've done everything I can to stay out of trouble. Are you trying to corrupt me now?"

  Since he had accused me of the same thing only yesterday, he seemed to enjoy the retort. "Every chance I get."

  My hope was that once we reached the north shore, it would become obvious where the caves should be, but the reality was just the opposite. From where we stood, nothing could be seen except for sea, the shore, and the sharp rocks beneath our boots. Certainly there were no signs of a place where people could live, hidden from the eyes of the wardens. Everything was rocky here and I guessed the cave entrance was where the waves crashed, but guessing wrong could get us carried out with the tide. The shoreline was wider than expected, and the caves could just as easily be anywhere along this northern coast. It was already getting dark, and the evening breeze was picking up. I didn't like the idea of being out here overnight. Except for the caves, there was nowhere here to take shelter.

  Weevil touched my arm. "How are you feeling?"

  "I'm all right." His brows pressed together but I nodded. "Really, Weevil, I feel good." Maybe it was only my growing hope to leave this Colony one day, but I hadn't felt this good since leaving the river country.

  Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw movement to my left. It was quick, and my eyes might have been deceiving me, but I could have sworn I saw a head poke up from the rocks, right at the beach.

  I pointed it out to Weevil, and we went in that direction, crawling over the wind-carved rocks to get to the beach.

  When we were nearly there, Weevil pointed to a wisp of smoke drifting out to sea. It was very windy now, with competing currents coming inland and then out again. But the breeze carrying the smoke was our clue.

  We followed the smoke to an overlook with the beach a long way below us. Weevil lay on the rock and dipped his head down, then raised it again with a smile. "It's here," he mouthed, pointing right below us.

  Looking around, I saw a ladder made of uneven sticks lashed together with beach grasses. We climbed down the ladder and stood at the entrance of a cave. The entrance to our new home, if they would have us.

  "Marjorie!" I called inside. "Is Marjorie here? She invited us to come."

  Moments later, Marjorie came out to greet us. She hugged me first
and then Weevil. "I'm so glad you're here." With a hand on each of our shoulders, she said, "Listen, I'm very new here, so I have no way of convincing them to let you stay. I barely convinced them to let me stay here, and I'm townsfolk while you're--well, you'll have to do this on your own."

  An earlier version of me might've told these people if they didn't let us stay, I'd go back to the wardens and tell them where this cave was. But that was the old me, the one whose quick tongue and slow judgment always led to problems.

  The new me understood that I would never threaten these people with any secrets I already had. Not for any reward or under any risk to my own safety. I would be as dependent upon them for my survival as they would be upon me.

  Marjorie led us inside. The entrance was narrow, requiring us to scoot along sideways. Nature had given these people a brilliant place to hide. The tight entrance protected them from the evening breeze but still kept the air from going stale.

  That led to a wider room with another tunnel that we had to crawl through. Once we did, we were there. In a large room filled with a dozen people, most of them rolling out beds for the night. Their mattresses were made of stolen linens stitched together and filled with grasses. Lit candles were set into posts on the cave walls. Although there wasn't much light, it was enough. Another fire was around a corner, in a separate small room. It kept the cave at a comfortable temperature, and I guessed there was some sort of ventilation to carry the smoke outside since the air smelled clean in here.

  "It's perfect," I whispered.

  This was every bit as nice as any home a River Person had, and except for the twice-daily flooding, it might've been an improvement on our homes. Not only could Weevil and I be comfortable here, I felt we could also contribute to making this cave even better.

  Weevil cleared his throat and said to the group who had stopped working to stare at us, "We just came to the Colony yesterday. We ask permission to stay with you all. We'll do everything we can to help. We're good at fishing and gathering food, and--"

  A man in the back of the room stood and pointed at me. "Get out, grubs. You'll bring nothing good our way. Get out, or we'll toss you out with the tide."

  Weevil reached for my hand, but I didn't need it. I stepped past him. "What if we are River People? We're also prisoners of this Colony, same as you."

  "You're not the same," the man who had spoken before said. "We do everything we can to avoid the attention of the wardens. And from the minute you stepped foot on this island, you have broken every possible rule."

  I raised my voice, making sure everyone in this cave could hear me perfectly. "Is that your judgment of us, that we're rule breakers? How dare you?" I moved deeper into the room and grabbed one of the stitched blankets. "Were these linens gifts to you, or are they stolen? Is that why you allowed Marjorie to stay here, because she works in the laundry and can steal more when you need them? What about those candles on the wall? Who carried the candle wax here when you were brought on the boats? Or did someone steal them too, perhaps from the old prison? For that matter, which of you in this room has the wardens' permission to be here? Who is the greatest rule follower in this group? Stand and identify yourself!"

  There was silence for a moment, and then a woman said, "We're all breaking rules here--that is true. But the wardens are keeping an eye out for you. What happens when they look for you tonight and can't find you in the prison?"

  "Ani snuck into the wardens' barracks earlier tonight," Weevil said, crossing over to me. "She got in and out, right beneath their noses. If she can do that, she can sneak in and out of this place."

  More silence. Another younger woman said, "Why should we trust the word of two grubs?"

  Weevil's fist clenched, but I said, "There are skills River People have that can benefit you. We're no different from you townsfolk, not really." I felt Weevil's eyes on me then. He had never heard me refer to these people as anything other than pinchworms. Never again, I reminded myself. "Weevil doesn't have the Scourge, and I'm feeling much better than before. We won't be a burden here. River People are strong."

  The man who had spoken first shook his head. "River People are cowards."

  "My father was in the exploration ship that was lost last year," Weevil said. "He died for this country."

  "Where's the heroism in his being forced to go?" the man asked. "Why don't your people fight for your land; why don't you fight to vote, to be full citizens of this country? Anyone who's learned their history knows the River People didn't start the Scourge, yet you all just accept the lies and let us treat you with no more respect than we'd give an actual grub."

  I said, "Every time Keldan pushes us, there is talk of pushing back. But we don't fight, and it isn't because we're weak--it's because we know our strength. We know what would happen to Keldan if we took up weapons against our own countrymen. We love our country, the same as you. Times have been hard and they are getting harder. The only way our country will survive is if River People and townsfolk come together. Not if we fight one another. Please, let us stay now."

  Yet more silence followed. The people in the caves looked at one another, as if trying to come to an unspoken agreement for what they would do. Then a boy stood up from the shadows. He was a few years older than me and Weevil, with dark eyes and darker hair. His clothes were those of townsfolk, though they were nothing fancy like Della's, and time had worn down the fabric.

  He said to the group, "You know me, and by now you trust me. But perhaps you trusted me too much, for there was one secret I've kept from you since coming to the Colony. I worked for the townsfolk, as if I'd always been one of you. But what I am, and what I always shall be, is one of the River People. If you turn these two away for that reason, then you will have to turn me away as well."

  An older woman said, "That would be a death sentence, Jonas."

  I didn't know why he couldn't leave the caves, but my instincts had already guessed that was his name. Jonas Orden, Della's friend.

  He nodded and stepped closer to us, standing right next to Weevil. "You trusted me, and you can trust them too. They will never lead the wardens to us. They will never betray us."

  Although some grumblings were heard, the man from the back, who seemed to be the leader, said, "All right, grubs, you can stay."

  "My name is Ani," I said. "This is Weevil. You'll use our names or not refer to us at all."

  He smirked, amused at my boldness. "Very well, Ani and Weevil, my name is Clement Rust and I'm in charge of everyone in these caves. Betray us in any way, and I'll toss you into the sea myself. Other than that, this is your home now. If you need refreshment, get yourselves a drink of some hot tea. We have extra mattresses." Even as he said it, two thin cloth mattresses were handed over to us--I wasn't sure from where.

  Once we were settled in a corner, Jonas came over to sit beside us.

  After thanking him for defending us, Weevil asked, "Are you sure you're River People? There's no one by the name of Orden amongst us."

  "I changed the name, to fit in better with the townsfolk," he said. "My original name was Jonas Ord."

  I nodded. "Several years ago, the Ord family sent one of their sons to live with the townsfolk, in hopes of giving him a better life."

  He nodded. "How's my family? I miss them."

  "Life is hard," I said. "We help them as best as we can, but--"

  "Baked bread," Weevil said. "Twice a week, our family goes without our baked bread and my mother gives it to your family." Then he winked at me. "Ani supplied the wheat for that bread."

  "Thank you," Jonas said, sincerely grateful.

  I hadn't known that, but I should've guessed. Weevil's mother never would've continued accepting my wheat if she had not found a way to take my gift and turn it into an even greater gift for someone else.

  Weevil said, "I overheard the woman say that if you left these caves, you would be taken straight to the infirmary."

  Jonas nodded. "I can't ever leave. Not if I want to survive."


  "Della's here," I said. "She came with us to the Colony."

  Jonas's eyes widened. "What? She's here?" He brushed a hand through his hair. "She must have gotten the Scourge from me. She and I were so close--"

  "Friends?" Weevil asked.

  "More than friends," I said. "Correct?"

  After a pause, Jonas nodded again. "She never cared that I was a worker, though that might change if she knew I was from the rivers. Still, I think she genuinely cares about me."

  "She does," I said. "It would do her a lot of good to see you."

  "I want to see her too. But I can't leave."

  "She's been looking for you everywhere," I said. "She thinks they've already taken you to the infirmary."

  "And if I come out, that's where I'll go," he said. "One of the men here even works with the wardens. Pretended to look for me for days until he convinced them I'd probably fallen in the sea and drowned. He asked a warden what they'd do if they found me and was told if I'm still alive, I was going to the infirmary."

  "Why?" Weevil asked. "You don't look sick."

  "I don't feel sick. For the first week that I was here, I was terribly ill. Every day got worse, so much so that at one point, I could barely get down the prison stairs. The wardens stopped me one day and said it was time for me to go to the infirmary. I didn't want that. I've seen the people who go into the infirmary doors."

  "And never come out again," I breathed.

  "Exactly. So I ran and hid. I lay in some underbrush for a whole day, knowing I would probably die in that exact spot." Jonas pointed out a woman in conversation with someone else in the caves. "Her job is to gather herbs. She found me and brought me here, then mixed some herbs into teas. They saved my life."

  "Like a stronger, more powerful medicine?" I asked. "Made of spindlewill?"

  Jonas shrugged. "I don't know what she found, only that it really helped me."

  "Are you fully healed?" Weevil asked.

  "It's only been a couple of weeks, but I don't feel sick anymore. Many of the people here don't feel sick either. I want to show myself to the wardens, to tell them there is hope for everyone else at the Colony, but I'm afraid of what will happen if I do. I can't risk them finding me."

  "So you'll live out your life here?" I asked. "Why not build a boat and get back to Keldan?"