Etched in Bone

by Anne Bishop

  CHAPTER 2

  Windsday, Messis 1

  Monty took a seat at the conference table and wondered if anyone else was baffled about his presence at a meeting that included Lakeside’s mayor and police commissioner, an ITF agent, and Captain Douglas Burke. He was just a lieutenant in charge of a two-man team.

  He tried, unsuccessfully, to convince himself that the duties of that team had no relevance to his being there.

  “Thank you for putting aside your important duties to speak with me.”

  Walter Chen, the new acting mayor, smiled at each man in turn. It was a gentle smile in keeping with the man’s small stature and quiet voice. Deep lines spread from the corners of his brown eyes, and his black hair was carefully combed back from his face.

  “We appreciate the opportunity to meet with you,” Greg O’Sullivan replied. Then he nodded at the other man Monty didn’t know.

  “You know Police Commissioner Alvarez?” Chen asked, sounding a little surprised.

  “We didn’t work in the same precinct in Hubb NE, but Agent O’Sullivan is related to Governor Hannigan, and I have the pleasure of being among the governor’s friends,” Alvarez replied. A handsome, robust man in his early fifties, he had flashing dark eyes and a headful of dark, wavy hair.

  Monty glanced at Burke and wondered what his captain knew about the man.

  “Please sit,” Chen said. “Would you like coffee? Tea? We have black and green tea available. The green tea has come all the way from Tokhar-Chin and is sold at a small market in my neighborhood.”

  They all declined the offer of refreshments, took their seats, and waited for the mayor to begin.

  But Chen seemed reluctant to begin. He gave them all another gentle smile.

  Greg O’Sullivan leaned forward. “May I ask a question?”

  “Please.” Chen sounded relieved.

  “Why were you and Commissioner Alvarez appointed to these positions?”

  Alvarez looked at Chen, then addressed the other men around the table. “I support the governor, and I’m fresh blood. That’s going to make every station chief in Lakeside unhappy since, under usual circumstances, one of them would have been selected to fill the position after Kurt Wallace’s involuntary resignation. But circumstances aren’t usual. This city is vital to the health of the entire Northeast Region, and the human government here can’t afford to make any more mistakes. I didn’t support the Humans First and Last movement. That’s on record. I’m hoping that will weigh in our favor in the weeks ahead.”

  “Weigh in with whom?” Burke asked.

  Alvarez smiled. “With the terra indigene in the Lakeside Courtyard—and beyond.”

  “I, too, did not support the Humans First and Last movement,” Chen said. “Some businesses in my council district were damaged by HFL supporters, and there were a few physical altercations that convinced the merchants who participated in the open markets to stop bringing their carts.”

  A new police commissioner who supported the governor and hadn’t supported the HFL, and a new acting mayor who had people in his neighborhood harassed and even hurt by the movement. Just like some of the businesses on Market Street. Nadine Fallacaro’s bakery and café had burned to the ground. If Meg Corbyn hadn’t felt a desperate need to make a cut and if her warning hadn’t been interpreted correctly, Nadine would have died in the fire.

  “Mayor Chen and I also bring an additional benefit to our respective jobs,” Alvarez said, looking at Burke. “He has family ties to people in Tokhar-Chin, and I have family ties to people living in the human areas of Felidae. We can receive news from those places and, hopefully, assist in continuing to trade with those parts of the world. Just as you, Captain Burke, have family connections in Brittania that have proved useful.”

  “I haven’t heard from my cousin Shamus since early Sumor, but the assistance he provided to the terra indigene is a big reason ships are still permitted to travel between Thaisia and Brittania.”

  Alvarez looked at Burke, Monty, and O’Sullivan in turn. “There is a rumor that the three of you met an Elemental that commands the Atlantik Ocean.”

  “We did.” O’Sullivan shuddered. “She—at least I had the impression of female—will permit Thaisian ships to travel to Brittania, Felidae, the Storm Islands, and Afrikah, but if we try to go to what is left of the Cel-Romano Alliance of Nations, she will destroy any Thaisian ship that touches her domain. That includes fishing vessels.”

  “Tokhar-Chin?” Chen asked.

  “The Elemental who guards the Pacifik decides about travel between Thaisia and Tokhar-Chin, but we have no reason to believe there is a conflict between the people there and the terra indigene.”

  Chen nodded. “So. We are living in a paper house, are we not? We have a city still governed by humans and land still under human control even if it is leased from the terra indigene.”

  “Who can refuse to renew a lease and evict the humans living on that land,” Burke said. “The Others on the West Coast did it when there was trouble in Jerzy; they can do it here.”

  “But not all at once,” Chen said. “The boundaries of the city weren’t set by a single agreement. Neighborhoods were added as more people came to settle here. When troubles started between humans and Others, I checked the land leases for my district. I was dismayed to discover how few years are left on the current lease, and . . .” He stopped and seemed to struggle with what he was going to say. “Lakeside is a city made up of neighborhoods, and neighborhoods often contain families who came from a specific part of the world. The majority of families in my district came from Tokhar-Chin. There are neighborhoods of people from Felidae and Afrikah. I think those who came from Brittania are spread out among the neighborhoods made up of people whose ancestors had come from the Cel-Romano Alliance of Nations.”

  “That sounds about right,” Burke said.

  “When I looked at what the city pays for those land leases—information that was not hidden but also not easy to find—I had to wonder if government officials might forfeit the lease for one district in order to ensure there was enough money in the city’s budget to pay the lease for what they considered a more worthy neighborhood.”

  Monty stared at Chen. Burke swore under his breath. O’Sullivan sat back and said, “Gods above and below. Was that seriously considered?”

  “I do not know,” Chen said softly. “At the time, I was one man on the city council and had little influence. Now?” He let the question hang.

  Burke leaned forward. “There are four places situated at this end of Lake Etu within easy reach of each other: the city of Lakeside, the town of Talulah Falls, the village on Great Island, and a mixed community on River Road. Of those four places, Lakeside is the only one under human control. It’s the only one where the human population can do what it pleases on the land it controls, whether that’s farming or running factories or beating each other to death in the streets. At least, that’s how it used to be. As long as we didn’t interfere with the Others who were assigned to keep watch over our shenanigans, the rest of the terra indigene didn’t step in. But that’s no longer true. Humans did interfere with the terra indigene who were assigned to watch us. The Others were attacked and some were killed, and that enraged the residents of the wild country—the terra indigene that every cop who ever did a tour of duty in the wild country prayed he would never see. But they are on our doorstep now, and they are going to make sure we don’t forget it.”

  “There is no safety in the dark,” O’Sullivan said. “The actions of the people in the HFL movement erased the boundary between the human-controlled land and the wild country, and there is no going back.”

  Alvarez looked thoughtful. “No safety in the dark. Does that mean you’re recommending a curfew that begins at sundown?”

  “Within the city limits, I think people going to the movies or the theater or out to dinner won’t be any more
at risk than they’d been before when the only predators roaming the streets not only looked human but were human,” Burke said. “But anyone foolish enough to leave the city limits after dark? That’s just a gruesome way to commit suicide.”

  “Which begs the question,” Alvarez said. “Are you recommending a curfew?”

  Burke hesitated, then shook his head. “Unless there’s a nightly slaughter, you won’t convince the majority of people to be tucked in at home before dark, especially at this time of year. A request that all businesses close by ten or eleven p.m. would be better. That way most employees who work in the evenings would be home before midnight. The fewer people on the street, the easier it will be for us to handle calls for assistance instead of herding people who have more bravado than sense.”

  “Very well,” Alvarez said. “That request can come from my office since the police will have to handle any trouble between people as well as any . . . results . . . of conflict with the terra indigene.”

  Any results of conflict. Monty looked at Alvarez and thought that was a diplomatic way of describing what the Elders had done to the humans who had been in their way as they raged through the city. The medical examiner was still trying to match body parts to the people listed as missing.

  That much settled, the men went on to the next concern.

  “Travel between regions is erratic. Even bringing in cargo over the Great Lakes is not without dangers,” Chen said. “Lakeside has used household ration coupons for many months to discourage hoarding of perishable foods by allowing merchants to charge more for an item if it is not accompanied by a coupon. For the most part, people were sensible when it came to buying things like eggs and butter. Then we had shortages of things like flour—shortages caused by HFL supporters who were willing to let the people in Thaisia go without in order to sell to Cel-Romano for higher profits. Now when people see empty shelves because of shipping delays, they are not so sensible, are not able to believe the lack of a particular food is temporary. My office receives several calls every day, asking what I am going to do about the food shortages. People don’t believe me when I tell them that, while some foods may not be available in abundant quantities, there is still a bounty of foods to eat. Therefore, an equitable distribution of food is vital but will also create hard feelings. The Others in the Courtyard may be blamed if a shop runs out of a particular item, especially if the Courtyard continues to receive supplies.”

  “Earth native trucks bring in goods from farms run by Intuits or Others, and the Others mostly buy products made in Intuit and Simple Life communities,” Burke said. “Those aren’t items that have ever been on the shelves in city shops.”

  “Anger and reason are rarely partners,” Chen replied. “And do the Others not purchase things like gasoline for their vehicles?”

  Monty sat quietly, but it took effort. Before the storms and the primal terra indigene who ripped their way through the city, Lakeside had had a population of approximately two hundred thousand people. What humans didn’t consider, despite recent events, was that if people tried to stop deliveries, if they prevented the Others from buying gas for their vehicles, if they interfered with bringing in food that belonged to the Courtyard . . . From the Others’ point of view, there were two hundred thousand meals within easy reach. And most of those meals would be easier to catch than the deer the Wolves hunted now.

  “I’ve been reviewing the reports submitted by the station chiefs, including the monthly bills for supplies and utilities,” Alvarez said. “The Chestnut Street station no longer pays the water tax that everyone else in Lakeside has to pay?”

  “The water tax was lifted on that station and the Lakeside Hospital as thanks for our assistance when the Courtyard’s Human Liaison was injured,” Burke replied.

  Alvarez and Chen looked at Burke, then at Monty, but neither man asked about Meg Corbyn. Did they know what she was?

  “In that case, a courtesy for a courtesy,” Alvarez said. “We expect there will be some gasoline shortages since getting anything across regional borders is an exercise in diplomacy these days, but I’ve already received a directive from the governor that the gas pumps connected to the municipal garages will have first rights to any gasoline that reaches the city since that’s where the police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances fill up. Captain Burke, why don’t you and Lieutenant Montgomery approach the Courtyard leaders and offer to let them fill their vehicles from that source?”

  “That’s generous,” Burke said.

  Alvarez smiled. “It’s also practical. Our survival depends on the goodwill we can generate.” His smile faded. “I don’t think people have truly taken in how much was lost in recent weeks—or how much more we could lose if we’re not very careful now.” He focused on Burke. “As a young police officer, I, too, spent some time in a village located in the wild country. There was another village about an hour’s drive away. One night there was trouble between humans and Others, and we were called to assist. I still wake up some nights with my heart pounding and my hands shaking because of what I saw in that village after the more aggressive forms of terra indigene retaliated. Whatever help you need to prevent that from happening here . . .” He stopped. “Or happening again, since I understand that some officers learned the same lessons you and I did.”

  O’Sullivan blew out a breath. “Governor Hannigan would like me to set up an official office for the Investigative Task Force here in the government building.”

  “But . . . ,” Monty began, then stopped. O’Sullivan worked for the governor, and it wasn’t his place to comment on O’Sullivan’s decision—or the governor’s order.

  O’Sullivan nodded as if he’d heard the rest of Monty’s protest. “Oh, I’m going to keep the desk in the consulate because it was offered and I don’t want to lose that connection with the Courtyard. But I suspect I’ll be dealing with some people who feel hostile toward the terra indigene, and it would be better to meet them on human ground.”

  “I can arrange that,” Chen said. He studied O’Sullivan. “A foot in each camp. Not an easy place to be.”

  “No, it’s not, but when the Wolfgard were attacked in the Midwest and Northwest, the governor responded to the information I provided fast enough to prevent similar attacks in the Northeast.

  “That was a real danger?”

  “We’ll never know,” Burke said. “But considering the way the Wolves in the Courtyard responded, I’d say the Wolfgard in the Northeast had been under a similar threat, but the attacks were successfully blocked before they could begin.”

  Chen seemed lost in thought. “We are lucky,” he finally said. “So many places are isolated now. We don’t even know yet how many places, how many people were lost. As Captain Burke pointed out, we are within reach of three other communities and are not so isolated. And we have working telephone and telegraph lines connecting many towns in the Northeast Region, so we have access to information instead of wondering if we alone survived.” He looked at Burke and Monty. “Could you arrange a meeting with the leaders of the Courtyard? A goodwill visit?”

  “I would like to be included in that, if possible,” Alvarez said.

  When Burke looked at him, Monty said, “I’ll ask.”

  That ended the meeting. Burke gave O’Sullivan a lift to the Chestnut Street station while Monty and Kowalski headed back to the Courtyard.

  “Let’s patrol the neighborhood first,” Monty said when the Courtyard was in sight.

  Kowalski turned left on Crowfield Avenue and passed the two-family house and apartment buildings that now belonged to the Courtyard.

  “Anything I should know about?” Kowalski asked.

  “Our new mayor wants to meet the leaders of the Courtyard.”

  Kowalski drove for a minute, saying nothing. Then, “As long as he doesn’t ride a bicycle to the meeting, he should be fine with the Wolves.”

  “I wasn’t worr
ied about him meeting the Wolves. I was thinking about Tess.” And what Chen and Alvarez might say when they met Meg Corbyn and saw the proof of what she was.

  Officer Michael Debany

  Chestnut Street Station

  Lakeside, NER

  Dear Michael,

  You know how Mom and Dad look when they’re having a very intense discussion, which really means they’re having an argument about something? And how they can turn it off and speak normally to us as if nothing is happening, then go right back to being intense as soon as we leave the room? Well, I think I saw that kind of discussion yesterday between Jesse Walker and Tolya Sanguinati. I was riding past the general store in Bennett and saw them through the window. They saw me too. Jesse waved and Tolya smiled, and that’s what made me think of Mom and Dad.

  I’m not gossiping. I’m really not. It’s just that Jesse is the leader of the Intuits who live in Prairie Gold and Tolya is in charge of Bennett, and having them mad at each other isn’t good, especially since the rest of us don’t know why they’re at odds all of a sudden when they’d been working together so well.

  Could you ask the Sanguinati in Lakeside if they’ve heard anything about this? I’m not trying to butt in. Okay, I am, but I like it here, and one of the houses was cleared out this week and available for new residents, and I was given first choice, so Buddy and I are moving in to our new place next week. It feels weird to choose furniture that belonged to people who were killed by the Elders, but people buy furniture and other things from estate sales all the time, and I guess this is sort of the same thing, except the whole town died and it wasn’t from old age or illness. So I’m trying to think of it like a town-wide estate sale, but I’m glad they cleared out the house before I saw it.

  I usually don’t dwell on why there’s a whole town empty of people. But it’s like a friend telling you that their parents are getting a divorce and then coming home and catching your own parents in the middle of a heated argument. You tell yourself it won’t happen to your family, and then you see it could be possible if people aren’t careful about what they say and do.