by A N Sandra
“Do I need to take Cattu back?” Golda began to stand up.
“I left Equus there,” Celeste said. “After I helped them clean up the mess. You can’t take Cattu early again.”
Golda wanted to argue that she had taken Cattu early countless times when there had been an ivory box with the life essence of one of the creatures hidden in the middle of the dormitory, but she knew it would further anger Celeste. The idea of one mortal girl finding the box and claiming it for her own, possibly leaving the island with it and causing trouble on the mainland was the only possible outcome Celeste could see to Golda’s experiments.
“I will be more careful,” Golda told Celeste with as much repentance as she could muster, which was thin. “Would you like to sit down and eat with me?”
Celeste couldn’t resist the urge to stay around Cattu and she dropped to the bench across the table from Golda without any more fuss.
“My newest chart of the stars is complete,” Celeste said, obviously changing the subject, but also clearly pleased with herself. “I’ve added several new ones and named them already.”
“Splendid!” Golda was happy for Celeste’s accomplishment. Celeste and her nighttime disciples of the heavens spent long hours searching the night skies. “If you like, I can help your preserve your map—”
“The way you preserve your samples?” Celeste looked disapproving and intrigued at the same time.
“No,” Golda smiled. “I preserve my samples by keeping the life energy of the animals energized with small crystals. I have sealed them completely in boxes made of bone so they will last until I am allowed to make new animals from the life samples.”
Celeste knew that information and still found it interesting in spite of herself. She feared becoming too interested in Golda’s research, so she cut to the chase. “How do you want to preserve my map?”
“Oh, I have a wonderful crock of tree pitch mixed with minerals that I coat all my important papyrus documents with. Merk helped me make it. It was his idea.”
Before Jurgon, Merk had been Golda’s assistant. Merk had become infatuated with a quarter-Eternal woman and the two of them had fled to the mainland under the dark of night rather than be asked to leave or pair for the duration of the life of the child they were about to bring into the world. They had left the mainland later with their child, in a boat, chasing a dream they could not articulate to anyone else, or fleeing Blood Drinkers. No one was sure which.
“So, when the documents are coated, they don’t fade?” Celeste asked.
“Correct,” Golda answered. “And if something is spilled on them, they will not be stained.”
“That sounds lovely,” Celeste said. “I’m taking the map to have some decorative work done and then it would be nice for you to preserve it.”
“Can we work early today so I can get done early?” Jurgon said, appearing almost from nowhere.
“So you can bother women in the laundry room?” Celeste looked at him without turning her head, she simply rolled her green eyes toward him, a move that intimidated many people, but Jurgon was too excited to be nervous.
“So I can help build the weapons to fight the Blood Drinkers with! Sith is starting to work on them right now!”
“What?” Celeste jumped to her feet. “We didn’t vote on that—”
“Building weapons isn’t the same as using them,” Golda said.
“We have an agreement not to use our learning to hurt anyone or anything!” Celeste was flushed. “Weapons of any kind will cause the destruction of innocent life. The destruction of innocent life will push us into the void!”
“We can go see what Sith is really doing,” Golda said. “Maybe Jurgon didn’t understand.”
“I’m not a mistaken child!” Jurgon was offended. “I heard it from Rynd’s assistant and Glinn!”
“Oh, he heard it from two second hand sources,” Golda said with a gentle smile. “We’ll see for ourselves what Sith is building. He might not be building anything at all.”
“It’s going to be incredible!” Jurgon said, dancing along beside Celeste and Golda who were headed out the door of the refectory. “Sith is an amazing designer!”
“We will see,” Golda said, holding onto Cattu’s loose neck fur as they went.
Sith wasn’t in the lab where medicine and group projects were made. He was in a part of the compound that was more of a general engineering complex. Tools, schematics for all the buildings, and materials for construction were stored there. On a large plaster wall, Sith had drawn some plans for what appeared to be a very complicated vortex with something Golda could not identify inside it. She felt a little dizzy trying to understand it, even holding onto Cattu.
“I didn’t call any of you here,” Sith said pleasantly. “But I’m happy to explain what I’m doing if that’s what you’ve come to hear—”
“You admit you were being secretive,” Wessland huffed. He must have run when given the same information Golda and Celeste had received.
Golda had not seen him come from behind, but he must have been following them closely because his voice caused her to jump it was so near. Instinctively, Golda turned slightly and put her hand on Wesslan’s arm, acting as a conduit between Cattu and Wesslan.
“This is a very new idea. Barden and I spent all night working it out, but we have a wonderful solution for self-defense against the Blood Drinkers when they come,” Sith said brightly.
Golda felt a rush of attraction that even exceeded her normal level of magnetism for him. He was actually shining with inspiration. Next to him, Barden looked very exuberant. Unlike a mortal man of his years who had lost a night’s sleep, he didn’t look haggard. He vibrated with the shared energy of the idea that had captivated Sith.
“I admit to finding a fantastic solution to the invasion of Blood Drinkers that we all know is coming,” Sith began.
“We do not all agree that such an event is inevitable,” Wesslan sneered. “You are taking measures not agreed upon—”
“This community has never imposed restrictions on the research of anyone who means well for our colony,” Golda said, drawn to defend Sith.
“We don’t build weapons,” Wesslan sputtered. “We would never—”
“I am not building any weapon that would be used for aggression,” Sith assured the small crowd that had gathered and was growing larger by the minute. Wesslan was temporarily speechless with anger, so Sith was free to go on. “All I am proposing to do is magnify the ray that is sent out by Barden’s crystal dagger. His father left it with his mother to defend herself and she used it for that purpose. The ray blinds anyone who looks directly at it for a short time. If we magnify the ray, we could distract Blood Drinkers seeking to overtake our island home. If nothing else, taking the sight of our enemies for a very brief time would allow us to mount a proper defense in the face of a surprise attack.”
Golda thought that was brilliant. Her own mother had a similar weapon. No one had ever been hurt with it, but it had gotten her out of tight spots. Not just with Blood Drinkers, but others who had threatened a single mother alone in the world with an energetic child. Wesslan’s eyes were popping out as he stared ahead in a state of distress.
“This is your fault,” Wesslan told Golda, pulling his arm back from her hand. “We let you continue with your sick work, and now people are planning actual destruction without any advance discussion.”
“That’s not what’s happening at all,” Golda responded, feeling like she had been unexpectedly punched in the face by Wesslan’s words. “How did this become about me?”
“Wesslan, don’t waste your thoughts in this forum,” Celeste said in a very tight voice.
“You can’t possibly agree with him.” Golda knew Celeste didn’t like Golda’s samples from totem animals, but Wesslan’s behavior was so reactionary that Golda was shocked Celeste was sympathetic.
Celeste didn’t answer. She took Wesslan’s arm and he didn’t draw back from her. Instead, he allowed her
to lead him away.
“I am ready to explain my plans,” Sith said to the group that now stood open-mouthed at the exchange that had just occurred.
“No, you won’t.” Gari stood behind the group with his totem animal, Phan, a creature who was large for a totem animal but small by elephant standards. Gari didn’t speak much, but when he did people listened. The entire crowd was completely silent. “The founding members of this Colony are going to meet now. Everyone else will go back to their scheduled tasks. Immediately.”
The crowd melted the way oil runs over a hot pan. Sith and Golda were left standing with Barden, Cattu, and Phan.
“I’ll gather everyone for a meeting,” Gari said quietly. He looked at Barden. “You are not invited to this meeting.”
Barden nodded and walked away, Golda knew he was walking toward the beach. There were so many things she wanted to say, but no one was receptive. On her way to the meeting she stationed Cattu in front of her totem animal samples.
“Don’t let anyone past you, no matter what,” Golda told Cattu, hoping it wouldn’t come to that.
The founding members of the colony were all seething with the unsaid points they hoped to make as they entered the room. There were no totem animals to smooth anyone’s feelings. They were all engaged keeping the younger members of the colony calm since they were so susceptible to the tension from the older members.
“We can’t have weapons here,” Wesslan began hotly. “Not even strictly defensive ones, they will be misused—”
“Just because the younger members of the colony aren’t perfect doesn’t mean they are completely worthless,” Sith pointed out. “We raised them. They have to be able to defend themselves and they can be trusted—”
“We can’t trust each other,” Celeste went off on him. “How dare you begin to develop something like this without speaking to us first?”
“We can’t do nothing until we all agree on what to do,” Sith told her.
“Yes, we can!” Wesslan insisted. “And that is the only correct path to take—”
“I am sorry to interrupt, but you have real problems out here.” Braxion opened the door to the meeting room. “Now! You need to come see this, right now!”
Dread hit Golda like a wave of icy water, and she stepped outside with everyone else. The winged serpents of the Blood Drinkers were in the air, approaching the island. Because they had never agreed on a plan, there was none in place. Everyone scrambled to protect whatever was the most important to them, leaving chaos on their shores to greet the invaders.
Chapter 14
October 25th, Interior Alaska Homestead
“I need some chili powder,” Helena fretted. “I can’t believe we’re out already.”
“I can, you put it in everything lately,” Christina commented from the whiteboard in her room. A complex equation was spread across it with notes and small stick figures added by Peter, off to the side.
“Well, try to make tacos without it,” Helena said. “It’s impossible.”
“Are we having tacos?” Peter wanted to know. “If we are, don’t put in raisins again.”
“No, we’re having enchiladas, which I should have started an hour ago, but I had too much math. I’m going to storage for chili powder. Anybody need anything?”
Peter and Christina shook their heads no. Helena put on her coat and boots and walked down the path that was trodden in the snow to the storage building. The place was silent. The food was neatly arranged on simple steel shelving units, and behind the units Miss Jan’s art studio glimmered. Helena was surprised Miss Jan had left a light on. When she located the chili powder she wanted, she walked around the shelves to turn it off.
Tawna lay on the floor of the art studio in a strange sprawl. Her golden hair was spread around her and the coat she wore was open with her legs at odd angles. She looked like a broken Barbie doll with brown roots in her hair, and she did not appear to be breathing.
“Shit!” Helena turned and fled through the storage building, back down the path of beaten snow and flung open the door to her house. “Mom! Tawna’s passed out in Miss Jan’s art studio! Something’s wrong. Maybe she had a seizure?”
Christina Harris dropped the dry erase marker she had been holding and bounded to the door to put on her boots. The pajamas she was wearing wrinkled around the tops of the boots, because she didn’t take any time to straighten her clothes before she ran out the door.
“Get your dad!” Christina called back over her shoulder.
Helena flew down the path to the tiny house her father shared with Tawna and her children and flung open the door to their house. Joel was sitting at his table with Lourdes and Ray. Their school books and notebooks covered the table. Clearly Joel was the home school parent on duty.
“Dad! Get to the storage building, now!” Helena burst out. “Mom needs you!”
Without waiting for him to put on a coat and boots, Helena ran back to the storage building to see if her mother could use her help.
Christina Harris was kneeling on the floor next to Tawna with a syringe in her hand, staring down at her face intently. Tawna moaned softly and Helena felt herself sigh in relief. She stepped back behind the food shelves with her own private thoughts. As much as she despised Tawna, she didn’t want to see her dead.
“Oh, God,” Mr. Harris threw himself down on the ground by Tawna. “What happened?”
“What do you think happened?” Christina’s voice was icy. “We all knew she drank all the wine you brought for special occasions, so she had nothing left but to raid the medical stores and get into the oxy.”
“I’m so sorry,” Joel breathed. “Do you think she’s going to be okay?”
“Sadly, yes. But I’m going to have to take inventory of the pharmaceuticals and bring them back to my house and lock them up. God help us now if someone really needs the oxy she took. She took almost half of the whole supply.”
“I’m sorry,” Joel said, again. “I know she’s our weakest link. The whole time we were waiting for her and the kids I kept thinking she would do something to get us all caught and killed.”
“She is the weakest link,” Christina agreed. “But we don’t have a twelve-step program to get her into here, do we?”
“Do you think it would help?” Joel asked, slightly hopefully.
“Twelve-step programs help addicts, they don’t fix personality disorders.”
“That’s it then, you don’t think she can be helped?”
“There is a reason you are supposed to wait two years before marrying someone,” Christina said with certainty. “Anyone can hide a personality disorder a few months. She is a classic case of borderline personality disorder, and I think you know it.”
Helena sucked in her breath behind the boxes of protein powder and dried beans. She wasn’t sure what a personality disorder was but listening to her mother give such a strict diagnosis in such a clear voice validated every feeling she had ever had that Tawna was dangerous.
“I was foolish to marry her,” Joel Harris admitted to his ex-wife. “I knew it right away. I was just so happy to feel desirable after—”
“That’s how borderlines operate,” Christina said heartlessly. “They make people feel desirable and lavish attention on those who are feeling vulnerable—”
Joel Harris answered with his own heartless tone of voice. “When I knew you could never really love me, I felt vulnerable. You have ASD yourself. You were so wonderful to be around I overlooked the fact that you didn’t love me the way I loved you.”
“You knew that anyone who started college when they were nine years old was unlikely to be a normal mate,” Christina snapped. “I can’t feel guilty for not being a normal person. I won’t, either. We need to deal with Tawna before she does something that gets all of us killed.”
“Why’d you bring her back to life, then?” Joel Harris sounded exhausted. “If you think she’s so bad, why would you save her?”
“It was human instinct,” Ch
ristina said, sadly. Clearly, she was ashamed of her empathy now that she’d had a little time to see the consequences. “I probably shouldn’t have.”
There was a long pause. Helena was trying to absorb everything she had just heard. It was too much to process easily.
“Do you have any suggestions?” Joel finally said.
“We need to keep her in an altered state. She was fine as long as she was sneaking wine in her own house.”
“We’re out of alcohol. I was thinking of snowshoeing to Fairbanks for some better news and a few Christmas presents, but I couldn’t fit enough booze in a backpack to keep her happy for three weeks. Could we build a still?”
“And distill the food our children need to thrive so Tawna can drink?” Christina was both sarcastic and amused at the same time. “Go to Fairbanks, get the news, get some Christmas presents, but fill most of your backpack up with pot to keep her happy. Get some seeds and next summer we’ll grow our own. Heck, we have some grow lights. I was going to use them for garden starts but we can use them for that too.”
Joel Harris sighed in relief. Helena was struck by her mother’s good idea. So practical for someone who often seemed to be out of touch with the daily reality others were forced to exist in. Slowly, Helena backed out of the storage building before her parents realized she had heard their exchange.
As she scurried back to her house, she realized that she’d dropped the chili powder she needed. Tucking through the doorway to her cozy house she looked up at the clock on the wall. With a sigh, she realized she was going to be hungry long before she could finish enchiladas.
“How about mac and cheese,” Helena asked Peter.
“It’s not the same now that you make it with goat’s milk,” Peter fretted.
“Goat’s milk is the new normal,” Helena looked sternly at her brother. “You all are going to have to deal. Powdered cheddar would make Maria gag, but that’s what we’ve got.”
“Powdered cheddar and goat’s milk mac and cheese,” Peter laughed. “I can’t believe we’re eating it.”