by Perrin Briar
He pushed Graham, but it was so weak it had no effect. Anger flared up in Graham like a geyser. He would have laid the old man out if he’d been half his age. Instead, he gritted his teeth, grabbed the old man, and swung him over his shoulders into a fireman’s lift.
“You’re a fool!” Jeremiah shouted. “Imbecile! Moron! Idiot!”
“Maybe,” Graham said. “But I’m not decrepit yet.”
Jeremiah glowered at Graham, and then looked away. He might not like being manhandled but he knew he didn’t have much choice.
Jeremiah was light, but after a couple of hundred yards the weight seemed to swell. Graham shifted the old man like a bag of fresh potatoes onto his back. Jeremiah wrapped his arm around Graham’s neck, unmindful of whether he was strangling him or not. The locals, still peddling, pointed at the scene taking place.
“Stop them!” Leader shouted as he bounded out of the castle. “Stop them!”
The remaining guards still at their posts ran at the fugitives with swords raised. Graham met Carlos. They skidded to a halt. Within moments they were surrounded.
Leader pushed his way through the guards, a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
“Your childish attempts to stop us have failed,” he said.
“Why are you doing this?” Graham said. “Why punish all those people you’ve never even met before?“
“Because their ancestors used us and tossed us aside,” Leader said, eyes burning pits. “Do you know how that feels? To be used and then tossed aside like you were worthless?”
“Yes,” Graham said in a small voice. “I do.”
Leader blinked, but he quickly recovered.
“I won’t let you do it to us again,” he said. “We have the right to purpose.”
“No one wants to take that away from you,” Jeremiah said. “But you can’t destroy people because of what our ancestors did to your ancestors centuries ago. You have to let go. There are places on the surface that are making the same mistake as you. They focus on the past, to get vengeance. They never develop, instead relying on the forward-thinking of other nations.”
Graham peered around at the guards and locals close enough to hear. Jeremiah was playing a trick. He was looking at Leader, but speaking to them.
“We’ll create giant sinkholes under the cities of the world, and take them for ourselves!” Leader said, madness flashing in his eyes.
“The world is too big,” Jeremiah said. “You’ll never sink all our cities.”
“We just want what was promised to us!” Leader said. “We want our promise fulfilled!”
“Sometimes people don’t keep their promises,” Jeremiah said. “Sometimes you have to go out and get what you want.”
“That’s exactly what I intend to do,” Leader said.
“With peace,” Graham said. “Not war.”
“Easy to say when you’re the ant before the boot,” Leader said. He turned to the guards. “Seize them.”
“Hey!” a voice shouted. “Pick on someone your own size!”
It was Chief Digger 138. And he wasn’t alone. A whole retinue of town folk stood beside him. The other town folk, still on their power generators, slowed, and then stopped.
“Get back on your generators!” Leader shouted. “Get back on them now! Guards! Guards!”
The town folk didn’t flinch. Chief Digger 138 stepped forward and stood with Graham, Jeremiah and Carlos.
“We’ve been led by bad blood for too long,” he said. “It’s time we lead ourselves.”
“Attack them!” Leader screamed. “Hack them to pieces!”
“You’re our sons, our daughters, our wives and husbands,” Chief Digger 138 said, addressing the guards. “We shouldn’t be afraid of you. You should be our protection from Leader. Be on our side now. Defend us.”
The guards wavered.
“Useless!” Leader said. “The lot of you! If you won’t restore the honor of our ancestors, I will.”
He jumped on a power generator and peddled, cycling with every fiber of his being. The digger he was powering thrummed and carved its way through the soil. There was a loud crack from the end of the tunnel, and an echoing rush that made the little people’s eyes widen to the size of saucers.
“Stop him!” Carlos said. “Stop Leader now!”
A second crack followed, louder than the first, and a heavy rush spilled down the tunnel. It burst into town, knocking the first few rows of shacks flat.
Leader looked up at the last moment, and was caught full in the face as it smashed into him, knocking him aside and out of view.
The town folk screamed and ran for the castle, the highest point in the domed space. The water rushed through the town’s streets, submerging the low buildings. The water roared as it spewed out. It took only a matter of minutes before the town was flooded. The last of the deluge dribbled out the end of the tunnel.
“You tried to destroy us, and ended up destroying yourself,” Carlos said. “There’s a parable there somewhere, I think.”
“I’ll make sure to enjoy it when I’m sipping on a mojito on a Caribbean beach,” Graham said.
“This is your fault,” Leader said.
He was drenched head to foot and crawling out of the water onto the muddy embankment. Two guards bent down to help him up, but he waved them off.
“Don’t touch me!” he said. He turned on Graham, Jeremiah and Carlos.
“This is your doing,” Leader said. “You were sent here to destroy us. Yes, I see it now. You only pretended to help us! You knew this was going to happen the whole time!”
He launched at Jeremiah with his long nails drawn. But Chief Digger 138 was faster and seized Leader by the arms.
“Take him to the dungeon,” Chief Digger 138 said.
And just like that, Leader’s power was transferred to Chief Digger 138. It could have been anyone who’d said it, and they would have become the new leader in the others’ eyes, but it had been Chief Digger 138.
“You can’t do this!” Leader said, kicking and screaming. “I’m the leader! It’s my born right! Let me go!”
“Now what?” Jeremiah said.
“Now we go home,” Graham said.
“What about these poor people with no homes?” Jeremiah said.
“We’ll be all right,” Chief Digger 138 said. “Now we’ve got a castle to live in.”
“Where does the exit come out?” Carlos said.
“Who cares?” Jeremiah said. “Let’s just get out of here.”
“I’ll lead you,” Chief Digger 138 said.
Graham turned to address the locals.
“I’d like to thank you all for a wonderful stay but… you know,” he said.
They pulled a wedge of driftwood from the ruins and floated across to the exit tunnel, the mud sucking at their heels. They followed the darkness of the tunnel up and up and up.
Where would they emerge? Graham wondered. He didn’t care if they emerged in Pyongyang. He’d be glad to be out of that hellhole with a god-like ruler and military state.
Graham frowned, cocking his head to one side. Maybe they’d been in North Korea the whole time.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
BENEATH THE corner of a large rock was a hole. A passer-by could have easily mistaken it for a rabbit hole. Its edges began to crumble and fall away. It grew wider. Several pairs of hands dug at the edge from the inside, widening it further. Then a pair of eyes looked out.
The sun was low, burning a deep glowing red like iron left in a furnace. It hovered just above the horizon. It was the most beautiful thing Graham had ever seen. There was a chill in the air. He climbed out, before helping the others.
There was a gasp behind Graham.
“So that’s what stars look like,” Chief Digger 138 said. “You’re right. Not very beautiful at all.”
He beamed, clearly loving the view. A shooting star skimmed across the sky, swiftly followed by a second and a third.
“I should be getting back,” C
hief Digger 138 said.
“Aren’t you coming?” Graham said.
“We have to rebuild,” Chief Digger 138 said. “It’s the only home we’ve got.”
“You’re not going up onto the surface?” Jeremiah said.
“We will,” Chief Digger 138 said. “But not right now. Better to be somewhere you know than somewhere you don’t. Plus, I’ve got a family to be getting back to.”
“And a people to lead,” Jeremiah said.
“If they want me,” Chief Digger 138 said.
“You’d get my vote,” Jeremiah said.
High praise indeed from a man such as Jeremiah.
“It’ll be strange carrying out new duties,” Chief Digger 138 said. “It only took three hundred years to get my first promotion.”
“What’ll you do now?” Graham said.
“I don’t know,” Chief Digger 138 said. “We’ll just have to find our way somehow.”
“Don’t be a stranger,” Graham said.
“I’ll come dig up your garden sometime,” Chief Digger 138 said.
And he left.
“Now what?” Graham said.
“Now we head home,” Carlos said.
“We’re in the Outback,” Jeremiah said.
“Are you sure?” Carlos said. “We could be anywhere on Earth.”
“I’d recognize old man saltbushes anywhere,” Jeremiah said.
“Which direction shall we head in?” Carlos said.
They peered around at their bleak surroundings. It looked the same from every direction.
“Anyone want to choose?” Jeremiah said.
“We’re seriously just heading out into a desert in a random direction?” Carlos said.
“We’ll find something eventually,” Jeremiah said. “Even if it’s nothing.”
“We’ve got a long way to go yet before we get out of this desert,” Carlos said.
“It’ll give us time to get to know each other,” Graham said.
“Depress me even more, why don’t you?” Jeremiah said. “I already know more about you than I’d ever want to.”
“You old flirt,” Graham said.
“All’s well that ends well,” Carlos said.
“We don’t yet know the effects on the surface,” Jeremiah said. “For all we know Leader’s plans might have worked and a city somewhere has sunk.”
“Fingers crossed it’s Darwin,” Graham said.
He reached into his jacket and took out Jeremiah’s deeds.
“Here,” he said. “Keep them. I couldn’t give them to my boss anyway. He’s a son of a bitch.”
“But you’re not, suddenly?” Jeremiah said.
“I am,” Graham said. “But not that much of one. You should keep your house.”
“I don’t know,” Jeremiah said. “I’ve been thinking about going into a home lately. It might be nice, socializing, meeting new people. Activities. I’ve been on my own too long.”
Graham looked into the middle distance.
“Maybe there’s a way you can have both,” he said. “Keep your home, as well as socialize.”
“You’ve got that dangerous look in your eye,” Jeremiah said. “You’ve got an idea?”
“I do,” Graham said. “And it’s a doozy. Do you remember when we were in prison and I said I had a way for you to keep your house? It’s pretty simple. You set up a business that will be of benefit to the people who will end up living in the new homes around you.”
“What kind of business?” Jeremiah said.
“Anything,” Graham said. “It could be a playground for the kids, a wildlife reserve, a park. Anything that the locals will enjoy.”
“Won’t your building plans already have those things?” Jeremiah said.
“They do,” Graham said, nodding. “But if we found a lenient judge we might be able to convince her you’re offering a better service than the property company can provide.”
“I don’t have the kind of money I’d need to set up a business like that,” Jeremiah said.
“Don’t worry,” Graham said. “I’ve already thought of what it’ll be. And it’s fully self-funding. But you’ll need a decent project manager…”
“The job’s yours if you can provide everything you say you can,” Jeremiah said.
Graham ran back to the tunnel, got to his knees, and shouted into it.
“Chief Digger 138!” Graham said. “Wait!”
Silence answered him.
“Chief Digger 138?” Graham shouted again.
“Yeah?” Chief Digger 138 shouted back.
“Don’t go anywhere!” Graham said. “I’ve got an answer to all your problems!”
“I’ve heard that before,” Jeremiah said. “And it never fails to disappoint.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
“IT’S BEEN A week since the quake and few feel safe in their homes. The earthquake has, quite literally, shaken the Adelaide population to the core. There were no deaths, but plenty of speculation as to what caused this natural phenomenon in an area not renowned for seismic activity.
“The quake has sparked growing interest nationwide in geology and seismology. Here in Alice Springs a new tourist resort has opened up that hopes to capitalize on this newfound interest. Tourists enter the huge tent to discover the world right beneath their feet, educated by a tribe who call themselves the Manu. Exciting? Yes. Eccentric? Certainly. This reporter has already booked her ticket and looking forward to the voyage of discovery. This is Pamela Abbey for ABC News.”
Graham switched off the news app and tucked his earphones in his pocket. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. He passed the lucid ‘Righteous Brothers’ sign and proceeded down the narrow corridor to the large office at the end. The secretary rose to greet him, but she was cut short by Graham’s raised hand. He pushed the door open and entered.
Mr. Pearson looked up from his desk. It was cluttered with paper. He looked like a frog collecting pebbles to impress a new mate.
“Graham!” he said. “I wondered where you’d got to! I thought you’d slipped off the face of the Earth! I gave your desk to Dwayne. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Why should I?” Graham said.
“Did you get the deeds?” Mr. Pearson said.
“Yes,” Graham said.
Mr. Pearson blinked in surprise.
“You did?” he said. His expression brightened into a grin. “Of course you did! I knew you could do it! You just needed the right motivation, that’s all.”
“I returned them to Mr. Witness,” Graham said.
Mr. Pearson’s unibrow frowned.
“Come again?” he said.
“I had the deeds, and then handed them back,” Graham said.
“Then you’re out of a job,” Mr. Pearson said. “Get out.”
He bent back over his documents. He looked up when he realized Graham hadn’t moved.
“What?” he said.
“It’s a felony to coerce someone into carrying out illegal activities,” Graham said.
“And who’s going to believe you?” Mr. Pearson said.
“Dwayne does,” Graham said. “He’s actually a very nice guy when you get to know him. He was in the car when you gave the order, if you’ll recall.”
“He doesn’t have the balls to do something like that,” Mr. Pearson said.
“He wouldn’t, normally,” Graham said. “Except that he is very ambitious. I’d say he would do just about anything to get ahead in his career. Even sabotaging others’. As you say, he’s got the nose for it. That’s how you got to your position, isn’t it? By betraying others?”
Mr. Pearson pressed a button on his phone.
“Come into my office,” he said.
A moment later, Dwayne entered.
“You wanted to see me, sir?” he said.
“Is what Graham tells me true?” Mr. Pearson said.
“About the coercion?” Dwayne said. “Yes, sir.”
“Get out,” Mr. Pearson said.
“Yes, sir,” Dwayne said.
“It would be your word against mine,” Mr. Pearson said.
“I’m sure we can find more people to testify against you,” Graham said. “I hope they give us the big court room. We’ll need it.”
“What you’re doing is entrapment,” Mr. Pearson said.
“Maybe,” Graham said. “But right now it’s just you and me and no ambitious witnesses.”
Mr. Pearson sighed.
“I wish you’d grown a spine sooner,” he said. “I could have used you then.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t much like being used,” Graham said.
“What do you want?” Mr. Pearson said.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
JEREMIAH TOOK a sip. He grimaced. He’d added too much coffee again. He added a little more milk. He needed smaller teaspoons. He turned to the coat stand by the door. His shoulders were bunched up. He relaxed them. He didn’t need to walk like that anymore. His home was clear, free of the newspapers and other detritus. The sinkhole had taken care of that. His cleaner took care of the rest.
The little men were terrific builders. They moved like a single unit, passing materials to one another, often without looking at what they were even passing, or who to, like it was choreographed. They rebuilt Jeremiah’s floor within a few hours, and then offered to do the whole house. But Jeremiah kindly refused. Every hole and scratch and mark was a prod to a memory. At his age he needed as many prods as he could get.
He put on his ragged coat and stepped outside. He was instantly assaulted by the murmurings and excited squeals of families queuing up. They were standing outside a huge tent that covered almost the entirety of Jeremiah’s land.
“Please follow us inside, ladies and gentlemen,” a little man said, shepherding the people into the tent. “And prepare to be amazed!”
“Will we really go down, Dad?” a little girl said. “Will we really go deep down?”
“Of course we will,” her father said with a smile that showed he didn’t really believe that.
The families filed into the tent, revealing a pair of figures watching from the other side of the field.
“How are we doing?” Jeremiah said.