Charlinder's Walk

by Alyson Miers

  He didn’t even have time to worry that Bruce might hear his footsteps and turn on him; his only impulse was to get out of there and find reinforcements. Charlinder ran back towards the cabins. He kept running until he found Jess and Theo. When Miriam saw the three of them rushing back to the woods, she asked what was the matter. They had no time to answer, so she followed after. When they got back in the woods, Bruce was still pounding the blood out of Kenny, who was now unconscious. Jess and Theo took one look at Bruce and froze in their tracks. Bruce flung Kenny's limp body on the ground and went on punching him in the face. Theo kicked Bruce in the nose, knocking him aside and breaking him out of his fugue. Theo and Jess grabbed Bruce by the arms and pushed him face-first into a tree while Charlinder took Kenny by the upper torso and dragged him out of the way. Bruce wrenched himself free of Jess and Theo, but didn't turn on them. He lunged back toward Kenny, where Miriam was helping Charlinder look for signs of life. Miriam raised her fist as a reflex and landed a lucky shot in Bruce's neck, sending him reeling backwards in a choking fit. Jess knocked Bruce's feet out from under him and Theo followed by kicking him in the groin, which got them the first yelp of pain they'd heard all night.

  "Don't beat on him, guys, just hold him down!" shouted Miriam.

  "Look what he did to Kenny!" Jess protested.

  "Will you just restrain him!" she insisted.

  Miriam stood up from her spot to walk over to the struggle, her long skirt obscuring Charlinder's view. When she'd gotten far enough to let him see, Bruce was pinned to the ground on his stomach with Theo holding his wrists and Jess at his ankles. By that time he was breathing heavily and still coughing slightly, and Charlinder could see just enough to tell that Bruce's eyes were fixed on Charlinder and Kenny, but he now looked dazed instead of unhinged. Miriam planted her foot on Bruce's head, over his jaw and neck.

  "Are you finished yet?" she demanded.

  "Let me, let me go," Bruce panted.

  "I said, are you finished yet?!" she repeated.

  Before Bruce could give a coherent answer, new footsteps crunched through the dry leaves and twigs, and another woman's silhouette appeared.

  "What's going on out here?" asked Yolande. "Nadine said you all were running this way--stop that!" she cried suddenly, upon seeing that Miriam was standing on her brother's face. "What are you doing to him?!"

  "We just stopped him from killing Kenny!" said Miriam.

  "I wasn't trying to kill him," Bruce protested, while Yolande looked in Charlinder's direction and saw what was left of Kenny.

  "Kenny?!" she cried and rushed over for a closer look. "Is he okay?"

  "He's breathing," said Charlinder.

  "Oh my God, Bruce, did you do this to him?" she demanded.

  "Yolande, where's Stuart?" asked Bruce.

  "I left him with Mom, now did you do this to him?" she repeated.

  "Yeah, he did," said Theo. "So take one guess why."

  "He wouldn't listen," Bruce grunted towards Yolande from under Miriam's foot.

  "He wouldn't listen to what?!" Yolande demanded. "The blood coming out of his eyes?"

  "Guys, let him go," said Miriam, taking her foot off Bruce's jaw. Jess and Theo looked at her. "I said, let him go. Yolande, take your brother home. You and your family can deal with him until I get the Council together."

  Yolande took Bruce by the upper arm and led him back towards the village. Kenny continued to breathe, slowly but steadily, but otherwise didn't move.

  Chapter Nine

  Changed

  The Council met the next day and agreed to lock Bruce in the Cell, an empty cabin isolated in the woods, for a month or until Kenny was up and about. Their mother, Theresa, and two younger siblings helped Yolande look after Stuart until Bruce was released. Kenny was in the charge of Darrell, who expected that he would be laid up for several days, though he regained consciousness the day after the beating. Charlinder went to see him the following day. Miriam was already there. Kenny appeared only dimly awake, though he smiled when Charlinder came in.

  "I'm sure it's a stupid question, but how do you feel?" asked Charlinder.

  "I've been better," Kenny grunted. "What happened to me?"

  Miriam rolled her eyes but said nothing. Darrell gave a little knowing smile. "Bruce took you out to the woods and beat you up, don't you remember?" Charlinder asked.

  "No, I don't remember it, but everyone tells me the same thing, so," he gave a twitch of the head and shoulders in an attempt at a shrug, "I guess he did."

  "Do you remember anything from two nights ago?"

  "I was leaving dinner, and Bruce came up and asked to have a word with me. I think I said yes, but then next thing I know I'm waking up in here, all messed up."

  "I'm sure it's a memory you can do without," said Miriam.

  "By 'everyone,' how many other people do you mean?" asked Charlinder.

  "My mom came in with Yolande and Stuart yesterday. They were here when I woke up--that was nice," he added with a grin. "My brothers came in later. Then you and Miriam today."

  "Then I guess you've already heard Bruce is in the Cell for doing this to you."

  "What did I ever do to him, anyway?" Kenny wondered. "Other Faithful guys try to tell us what to do, but I haven't heard about them beating anyone up over it. How did I get Brucie so pissed off at me?"

  "Whatever it was you did to get on his bad side in the first place, I think we can all see why he’s paid you so much attention," said Miriam.

  "I won't stay away from Yolande, though," Kenny said stubbornly.

  "Of course you shouldn’t have to, but I’m sure what she wants most of all is for this not to happen again," Miriam responded.

  "I haven't gone near Bruce since the beating," said Darrell, "but I've spoken with Jess and Theo about the incident, and with Theresa," he explained. "From what they've told me, the beating had everything to do with Bruce and very little with Kenny. Bruce was in a divine rage that night. He was convinced he was doing God's work, is what his mother tells me. He might even still be convinced of that."

  "Yeah, that's what I like to hear," was Kenny's sarcastic response.

  "So we won't release him as long as he's out for your blood," Miriam reassured him.

  While Kenny was not convinced, Charlinder could see that Darrell wanted something from Miriam. When he caught her eye, some communication appeared to go on between them until she relented. To Charlinder's surprise, Darrell went outside first, followed by Miriam, who beckoned to Charlinder to join them.

  "My parents were in the first generation of descendants," said Darrell. "They grew up around most of the survivors, who came from the Information Age." Charlinder forgot his confusion and looked properly at Dr. Darrell, as they called their village medic. He was possibly the oldest person in the village, now over eighty, and he looked thin, frail and colorless. He also had the hardest laser beam stare and the steadiest hands in the village. "They remembered the September 11th and July 7th attacks, they grew up with conflict in Northern Ireland, endless media coverage of fighting in the Middle East, the civil war and genocide in the Balkans, then in the Sudan, and they had much better knowledge of history than we do, I can assure you. They knew what happened when people decided to make religion into a dividing line. They had a better idea than we do of how many people were killed because someone else didn't agree with how they worshipped.

  "It's beginning," he continued. "We're a very long way from the conditions for that kind of power struggle, but it always starts with something."

  "If Bruce had been allowed to continue," said Miriam, "we're pretty sure he would have killed Kenny."

  "I could see that much," Charlinder replied.

  "And that doesn't mean Bruce is beyond hope, either," Darrell continued. "It won't end with him, though. There will be more incidents like this, and worse."

  Hadn't he, Charlinder, been saying the same things for months?

  He looked away from Darrell's bright blue eyes boring into hi
m long enough to see that Miriam was looking at neither of them, and then Charlinder understood to whom Darrell was really talking.

  "So what do you suggest we do about that?" asked Miriam wearily.

  "Nip it in the bud before all the nearby villages grow too big to stay apart," was the medic's answer.

  When Charlinder looked back at Darrell, he found the old man now peering into Miriam's eyes.

  "What Dr. Darrell wants to tell me is, you're going on your trip," Miriam said at last, "and Bruce just reminded us all why."

  "But you don't sound like you've changed your mind."

  "I still don't like it, Char. But I know you won't be talked out of it."

  "Sounds like Dr. Darrell is on your side," said Roy that afternoon.

  "I was never really concerned about him," replied Charlinder. "I'd like to hear something a little better than 'I know I can't talk you out of it' from Miriam, though."

  To Charlinder's surprise and mild annoyance, Roy started chuckling. "You have more than enough support for your journey already, you know."

  "Yeah, I do, but..."

  "And you do know Miriam loves you like her fifth child, don't you?"

  "I never doubted that."

  "So as long as no one is getting in your way, be happy with the support you have."

  "All right, then, lend me your wisdom on this," Charlinder began, "because something still has me confused."

  "And what's that?"

  "What was Darrell's speech about? Was Miriam going to listen to him just because he's older? He didn't say anything I haven't said already."

  "Maybe it was just a matter of timing and circumstances, or, yes, maybe a lucid elderly man's opinion means more to some than that of a twenty-year-old agitating for change. But what's the difference, really, between religious believers and godless heathens like us?"

  "Logic, perhaps?"

  "Fine, smart-ass, but if we're the ones with the right idea, then how did theistic religion become so successful pre-Plague? You don't need to answer right now, but give it some thought. I think you know it already."

  "Yeah, I'll give it some thought."

  September passed into October without incident. Whenever Charlinder talked to one of the Faithful about the beating, their opinion was that Bruce should have put more effort into praying for Kenny to see the error of his ways rather than take it upon himself to mete out punishment. None of them agreed that it wasn't Bruce's place to decide Kenny was doing anything wrong. When Kenny was able to walk without terrible pain, Charlinder took a trip out to the Cell.

  He'd seen the place before, but he'd never taken a good look at it. The wood was visibly older than that of most of the standing cabins; it was rotting and crawling with bugs. The door was locked from outside with a heavy bolt. There was only one window, a small square cut into the east-facing wall, too high to let anyone inside see another person's face. The only other opening into the structure was a low slot sawn out of the bottom of the door so the prisoner could receive food. Never before had he thought about the condition Bruce must have been in after being shut in there for weeks.

  "Hey...Bruce?" he called tentatively.

  "Who's there?" was the hoarse reply.

  "It's Charlinder."

  "Of course. I haven't heard your voice in a while."

  "Yeah, it's me. Listen, how are you in there?"

  "I'm just fine."

  "You don't sound just fine. What do you have with you in there?"

  "Just me. It's cold and damp and full of bugs, but I’m used to the smell by now."

  "Uh...good. Who else has been by to see you?"

  "Ruth brings all my meals, so I get to talk to her a lot." By now he was picking up steam; his throat was clearing out and his voice sounded healthier. "My mother's come to visit, and she thinks I'm a madman. Yolande's been here with Stuart, so I get to hear how my nephew's doing. Miriam's come over, but she just wants to lecture me. Taylor and Robert visit a lot. Someone threw a sack full of sheep crap through the window a week ago; I think that was Jess and Theo."

  "Well, you did almost kill their brother. Has Yolande told you she isn't pregnant after all?"

  "Yeah, she let me know."

  "So, have you thought about what you did to Kenny?"

  "I wasn't trying to kill him, I just wanted to...scare some sense into him. How is he doing now?"

  "He's getting a little tired of Darrell. He's still nervous about whether you'll hurt him again, you know."

  "I'm not going to beat him up again. I don't think I'll have to."

  "That doesn’t answer the question."

  "Look, I know that violence doesn't make the situation any better, but my wrongdoing was for a night. Kenny's been on the wrong path for years, and most of the village have been ignoring the word of God for much longer."

  "So you think your actions were justified?"

  "I won't beat anyone again, but those of us who believe aren't about to give up on the rest of you."

  "I'm sure you mean well, but we're doing just fine--really just fine--without your help."

  "Char, I don't think you realize what you're doing without. Have you ever noticed how we Faithful are so much happier than others? That's the benefit of listening to God."

  "Kenny was pretty happy before you did your number on him."

  "No, he wasn't. I'm sure he thought he was, but he doesn't know what true joy is."

  "And you're here to tell the rest of us what it means to be truly happy?"

  "Look, Char. I'm sure you'll find something when you take your journey, but if you're going to make it around the world, you'll need to depend on more than just yourself."

  Charlinder decided not to tell Bruce he also planned to take one of the village’s animals, though of course that wasn't what Bruce had in mind. "Thanks for the kind regards, Bruce. I'll see you when you get out."

  As he walked back to the village, Charlinder understood the "difference" his uncle meant, in fact he'd seen it as soon as he'd made the decision to travel to Italy. Hearing the passion in Bruce's voice, he knew why Darrell had needed to say his piece.

  Chapter Ten

  Approach

  To his own credit and everyone else's relief, Bruce remained true to his word. After Kenny regained full use of his limbs without pain, Darrell agreed that he was sufficiently recovered. Bruce was released from the Cell, and while he still remarked on the dangers of "promiscuity," he didn't say anything specifically about Kenny. Yolande went back to raising her son with Bruce, while he and Kenny gave each other a wide berth. Kenny could often be counted on to say something rude about Bruce's sexual history (or rather his lack of it) but never where Bruce could hear him, as they now avoided each other whenever possible. This made life annoying for Yolande, but as she'd always been mildly annoyed between the two of them, she agreed that it was the best she could ask for.

  Charlinder, meanwhile, found himself doubly busy as the weeks marched into December. Not only was he nearing his departure date, he was also involved, along with all the community, in the preparations for the Christmas celebration. At school, he and Judith taught the children Christmas songs and had them dip candles. After school, he and some older students folded his precious linen-fiber paper into ornaments for the tree. The meeting room inside the council building was at its busiest time of year. Spinning wheels crowded into the room with looms and the clicking of knitting needles joined the whir of drop-spindles and the squeals of small children as their mothers, aunts, the occasional grandmother and Charlinder worked like bees to produce as much yarn, covering and ornamentation as possible before the Winter Solstice. They were occupied with knitting angels, snowflakes and other decorative objects out of linen thread as well as producing blankets and broadcloth for anyone who found themselves insufficiently insulated. The dense crowding and feverish pace were contrived partly to meet the demand, and partly to keep the spinners and other worker bees from freezing their limbs off. Charlinder stood with Phoebe and Nadine while
they spun wool on their drop-spindles to supply the nearest weaver with weft.

  "So I said to her," Phoebe ranted, "'Look, Mom, if you send me to help clean fish for six days in a row--like you've been doing--then I don't wanna hear about how my hands smell!' Just because she's numb to cold and heat, honestly."

  "Just think, someday it'll be your daughter talking to you like that," said Nadine. While Charlinder and Phoebe laughed, she went on, "Change of subject. I was mending a fishnet with Ruth this morning..."