by Jen Minkman
“And may I just mention that Fools are apparently irresistible to your kind,” Walt continues unperturbed, “because your grandfather went on and married her in secret. Right?”
I wonder. How had they even managed to do that? Had Toja crossed the Wall one day, bumping into my grandfather like I bumped into Walt? Maybe grandpa smuggled her into Newexter claiming she was from the manor and her parents were dead. Sometimes, youngsters change so much between the ages of ten and eighteen that nobody recognizes them anymore when they return. And as far as I know, no one has ever told my mother that her mother didn’t belong in Newexter.
“I wonder why she ran away,” I mumble.
Walt slows down. “Well, there are Hope Harborers who can’t stand the wait. They tire of waiting for a lifetime for something to appear at the horizon.”
“Is that what your people believe in?” I ask dumbfounded.
“Yes. And hey, turns out we were right all along, because someone actually did appear on the horizon. Two people on a ship from the World across the Waters, bearing great news. But one of them had to pay for it with his life.”
“I’m sorry.” Somehow, I’m ashamed of what our leader has done, even though it’s obvious he’s crack-brained.
“Hey.” Walt slows down to a stop, looking at me earnestly. “It’s not your fault, okay? At least you tried to stop him.”
“I still want to,” I say fiercely. “In fact I want to stop everything. All the lies. All the misery. I want to know the truth at last. If Henry really is right and our way of life is based on lies, we should all hear it.”
“I’m not sure all your people will be ready for a truth like that. An Unbeliever isn’t easily converted.”
“So I guess it’s up to Tony to convince them. He has his work cut out for him. I mean, isn’t he supposed to be the Bearer of Great News?” My sarcasm turns my words into poison. Screw Walt and his stupid prejudices.
His eyes turn dark and his warm hand lands on my shoulder. “Look, Leia, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, indeed you shouldn’t have,” I snap. “Now, let’s just carry on, shall we?”
I shake off his apologetic hand and hurry on down the street. It still confuses me when he touches me.
***
When we finally get to the harbor this place is named after, I stop in my tracks. The incoming seawater is hugged by the rocky walls of a sheltered bay. I can make out a gigantic quay. The entire harbor is lit up by lamps and fires kept burning in stone towers erected on opposite sides of the bay.
“What are those towers?” I ask curiously.
“Watchtowers,” Walt replies. “Lookouts. So we can keep an eye on the sea at all times. They’re always manned, and the fires never die out.”
Waiting for salvation from the outside. Forever staring out at sea, hoping that one day, something or someone will come. I suddenly get why my grandmother wanted out. The air in this city breathes inertia, a sense of futility, of people biding their time. I understand why our forefathers called them Foolish for it.
“And what’s that ship over there?” I point out a three-master completely made of natural wood, anchored next to the dock. I’ve seen a ship like this out at sea once, but of a more modest size, carrying one mast only. But this… this is a ship to sail away on, never to return.
“That’s the Explorer,” Walt explains with a broad smile on his face. “The ship my dad helped build. Even the Bookkeeper himself assisted us. We were going to sail it soon.”
I stare at him. “Going where?”
He vaguely gestures at the endless sea and keeps quiet for a long time. “Past the horizon. To see what was promised to us with our own eyes,” he finally says.
-12-
WE GO aboard using a wobbly gangplank. Walt talked to the Bookkeeper at the harbor, who promised to bring men for our noble cause – at least one hundred of them. Saul and his small army won’t stand a chance against us now, but will we win the race against time?
Will Colin, Andy and Pete still be alive when we get there?
At the steering wheel, I can see the captain talking to a very tall, black-haired man with dark skin. Walt doesn’t even need to tell me who he is. This must be Tony. He looks different from all the other people I have ever seen. His skin isn’t dark from working under the sun, but has the natural color of wet sand on the beach.
“I wouldn’t have guessed you’d be so impressed by his appearance,” Walt quips. I’m probably gaping at Tony unabashedly.
“He just looks so… otherworldly,” I say with a blush. “So handsome.”
“Hmm.”
I glance sideways at Walt. He almost sounds jealous. “But I thought you looked really striking too, the first time I met you. With your white-blonde hair and all,” I say indulgently.
“You didn’t look at me this mesmerized.”
“Hah. How would you know? It was way too dark to see my face.”
“Oh, so you were enthralled by my obvious beauty?” Walt grins at me, and suddenly, I hate the fact that his grin looks so good on him. It’s the typical grin of a boy who’s used to people liking and admiring him – Walt, the Bookkeeper’s arrogant nephew.
“No, I wasn’t enthralled,” I reply defiantly. “I was scared out of my wits. Okay? I’m still scared out of my wits. Most likely my twin brother is injured or even dead, and here you are, flirting with me like there’s no tomorrow. Because you find yourself so desirable, and… and you think an Unbeliever girl would look good on your long list of dates.” I spit out the last few words viciously.
“And here you are, not even smittened by it one little bit,” Walt mutters in a huff. He gives me a soul-searching look, and to my utter annoyance, I can’t meet his gaze head-on without blushing.
“I’m going to talk to Tony.” I break off the conversation abruptly and stalk off to the captain of the Explorer and the man from across the waters. I patiently wait until they have time for me.
When the captain leaves for the forecastle, Tony turns around to face me. “You must be the young lady with the Star Wars notebook.”
I blink, staring at him uncomprehendingly. “I’m sorry, what?”
“The booklet with Luke and Leia on the cover,” he elaborates.
“Yes.” I nod hesitantly. “Yes, that’s me.” A booklet? Surely it’s not that small?
He leans against the railing of the ship and looks at me thoughtfully. “Well, what would you like to know?”
I have to think long and hard. This man allegedly said he knew our ancestors, but Henry claimed our life philosophy is based on an untruth. Frankly, I don’t know where to start.
“Tell me about the World across the Waters,” I finally say. “What it looks like. How the people live there. Why we never knew anything about your existence.”
“That world was destroyed for a long time,” Tony starts slowly. “It used to crawl with people, you know. Seven billion of them. All of them clamoring for a spot in the light. Some of them had a lot of worldly possessions, while others were starving. This caused much mutual jealousy. In fact, it made them so jealous that large groups of people fought each other in big wars.”
“Wars with so many people?” I don’t really know how much a billion is, but Tony’s face tells me it’s more than I can even imagine.
“Well, not all of them were involved. The leaders of those areas of land – countries – decided when and how they went to war, even if the majority of people in their country didn’t agree.”
“Kind of like our leader,” I mutter.
Tony nods solemnly. “Yes, just like him. Murderous, power-hungry, and always, always afraid of losing that power. This went on until one hundred fifty years ago, the leader of a large country unleashed a mutated virus onto the earth. They used to call it biological warfare. He didn’t use weapons to kill people, but germs.”
“Why?” I look at him in utter shock. “Wouldn’t that kill all people indiscriminately, even his own people?”
“No, because he thought he’d tweaked the virus in such a way that it wouldn’t attack people of his own race. That was the plan, anyway. The ultimate effect of the disease was that adults were killed by the infection, and children were hardly affected by it.”
“Children…” I gulp down the lump in my throat. “Up to what age?”
“The information my family has passed on through the generations mentions the age of ten, eleven.”
The age at which we become adults. Is that just a coincidence? I take a deep breath. “And then?”
Tony stares into the distance. “People tried everything to fight the infection – special clothes that would keep the virus out, airtight spaces with special ventilation. I’m sorry if you don’t know what I’m talking about; I’m sure your world doesn’t know these things. Suffice it to say humanity fought bravely, but to no avail. The only way to escape from the virus was by leaving the mainland. People fled to the coast. They wanted to take boats and sail out to sea, hoping the virus wouldn’t be able to cross the water if only healthy people were allowed on board. This is one of the reasons some people survived. But many still died after that because of the bombs.”
“What are bombs?” I whisper.
“Big weapons powerful enough to blow up entire cities or countries. The leader of another country dropped them on all large cities in the country that developed the virus. After that, the war continued on both sides until they ran out of bombs or there was no one left to press the button. And then, the poisonous rains came.”
I shudder. So this is the truth. The island is a paradise world compared to what’s on the other side of the sea.
“But that is all over now,” Tony assures me when he sees the disillusionment on my face. “One hundred and fifty years have passed, and the survivors and their offspring have managed to build a better world. We live scattered, and we leave each other alone. We only gather to share our knowledge, but that’s all. This is how we prevent conflicts.”
We’ve only talked for a short while, but in my mind I’m ten years older. We may not be alone, but I sure feel like we are. Our island is nothing more than an insignificant dot on the map of an enormous world we don’t know at all – a small star next to a bright, full moon in the night sky.
Which raises a new question. “How did you and Henry ever manage to find our island?”
“Because your ancestors left a message that wouldn’t be lost,” Tony says mysteriously.
Before I can ask him what he means by that, Walt rushes over to us. “The Bookkeeper found men who are willing to fight.” He points at the harbor. “Now we need you as a navigator, Leia.”
On the docks, I see a large group of people flocked together, boarding the Explorer via the gangway one by one. Men who have come together to get rid of Saul once and for all - but they’ll eliminate our way of life in the process as well.
Painful as it is, I think it is time.
It’s time for the truth.
-13-
SMOOTHLY, THE ship glides through the waves. Although the waters are calm, I don’t feel quite steady on my legs, so I hold on to the railing. Or maybe I’m just spinning on my legs because of all the stress.
Walt walks over and joins me. We look at the stars in the dark sky together in silence.
“I’m sorry,” he finally says, sounding genuinely contrite.
“For what?” I ask.
Clumsily, he puts a hand on my fingers clasping the railing. “I bet you think I’m an arrogant showoff.”
“Yes, I kind of do,” I admit frankly.
His face falls. “Oh.”
“Well, you’re being one.”
“True.”
“But you’re sorry about it?”
“Yes. Because I’m not like that.” He takes a deep breath. “I just don’t know how to behave when I’m around you. So I start acting all tough.”
Oh. I totally hadn’t seen this coming. I shoot him a nervous glance. “Uhm, yes, I sort of recognize that. I, uhm, feel that way too when I’m close to you. So I start acting all snappy.”
Walt nods slowly. The coastline is approaching on our left side. Or the ‘port side’, as the captain calls it. We’re almost at the eastern beach, and the moment of truth is upon us.
“Will you stay by my side when we go ashore?” he asks softly.
I grin awkwardly. “What, and run the risk of you acting all tough?”
He bites back a smile. “I’ll try to restrain myself.”
“Okay. We’re good, then.”
Walt flings an arm around me, pulls me close and kisses me gently on my forehead before walking away to join the captain. His smell lingers in my nose when I watch him walk away. He smells good.
The captain is busy instructing his helmsmen to get the ship as close to shore as possible before lowering the anchor. We have to disembark by using smaller boats – or sloops, as Walt said they were called – to get to the beach. In my mind it takes ages before we’re all standing on the eastern shore. Every moment that I don’t know what happened to Colin and the others seems to last a lifetime. Anything could be happening to them right now, and I can’t stop myself from thinking up all kinds of horrible things.
When we finally leave for Newexter, I lead and keep up the pace. The woods are dark, but I know my way here like the back of my hand. The night is pitch-black, and there’s a certain tension in the air that I pick up on our way to the village. Even before we get to my old village, I know something’s going on. Despite the late hour and the lack of moonlight, everybody’s awake. Agitated voices rise up from the village square. People have lit fires everywhere, and when I reach the square with the Bookkeeper’s army in tow, the Eldest hurries toward me with my mother at his side.
His jaw drops when he sees the others. “Who are they?”
“Fools,” I reply. “They’re here to help us.”
My mother takes my hand and pulls me into a warm embrace. “You’re still alive,” she stammers. “Colin wasn’t sure you…”
Colin. “Where is he? Is he here? Was he able to escape?”
She nods. “He and Pete came to us as fast as possible, and the other youngsters followed not too long after. Colin wasn’t sure you’d manage to get away from Saul’s guards, so he was worried sick.”
“What about Andy?” I look around me. “Where’s Andy?”
My mother shakes her head. “He didn’t make it.”
My stomach turns. “What? Is he...”
“He’s in the manor house,” the Eldest quickly explains. “Saul is holding him hostage. We went there, but Saul’s refusing to give up his position. If we attack, Andy will die, he says.”
“What will happen now?” Walt inquires quietly, lining up beside me. He’s really trying to stay by my side.
I breathe in and out, looking around the circle of people who have gathered here to listen to the conversation between me and the Eldest. I see Mara’s eyes, red and puffy with tears for Andy. I catch my mother looking at me expectantly. I’ve never had people looking at me for counsel, but it feels good. It feels right. I started this, and I’ll finish it, too.
“I suggest we go back to the house and break down all the doors and windows. We’ll keep at it until Saul has no choice but to come outside, let Andy go and surrender. And if he doesn’t, we’ll smoke him out.” My eyes take in the torches that the villagers are holding. The flicker of the flames lends the square a macabre atmosphere. “Let’s burn the place down.”
“Burn the manor house? But where will the youngsters live?” Mara’s mother cries out from the circle.
“Here.” I gesture around me decidedly. “They will live right here. With you, in the village. We belong together.”
I can’t explain why I know this, but I just do. Tony will provide them with all the explanations later. For now, what matters is that we belong together and we have to rely on each other. Deep down, I’d always hoped for this. I’d never said it out loud, like Colin, for fea
r of being ridiculed – or even worse, being disappointed. As disappointed as I’d felt when my mother wouldn’t look me in the eye that one morning when I moved out. But now, it is no longer hope. It is faith. I truly believe it, and it’s a truth that comes from the inside. A truth not taught to me, but learned by me.
As the men of the village are gathering to join the ranks of the Bookkeeper’s army, Colin comes running toward me. “Andy wasn’t fast enough to hide The Book,” he says dejectedly. “I think Saul stole it back. He might have even destroyed it.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” I reply. “Tony told me our ancestors left us a message that wasn’t lost, and never will be.”
“Really? What kind of message?”
“I’m sure he’ll tell us all about it.”
A little later we leave for the house that I’ve spent the past six years of my life in and around. I hate to admit it, but I’m actually thrilled at the thought of it going up in flames. It felt more like a prison than a home, even if the old Luke and Leia lived there. All the things that have taken place in that house would never have met with their approval; of that I’m sure.
Even though there are over two hundred people trudging through the forest by now, it’s strangely quiet. No one speaks. It’s not until the manor comes into view that a buzz arises among our ‘soldiers’. The crowd speeds up like one man, carrying hundreds of torches and muttering curses, and it doesn’t take us long to reach the entrance of the house. The Eldest steps forward.
“Saul, come out of there!” he calls out in a booming voice. “It’s over. You can’t win this.”
Nothing happens.
Just then, I see a stone sail through the air past my head. It hits the front door with a dull thud. It seems to be the signal for an unplanned attack, because more projectiles start being thrown: branches, stones, burning torches.
“Stop!” The Eldest bellows when the door finally opens a crack. “Someone’s coming.”
Saul steps outside, his face ashen. He’s tied Andy up with a rope around his arms and wrists, and he’s holding the rope in a death grip. His other hand is holding one of the bloodied swords from the dining room.