There was a wash and murmur of voices filtering through the cave system. The low hum was like an ocean swell, ebbing then flowing. Individual words mingled to form a community of sound. It was reassuring for Lily, who’d experienced silence for most of her life.
Lily slid her legs over the side of the bed and sat up, momentarily dizzy. There was a full glass of water on the table and she drank it thirstily. Rosemary had left a few items of clothing on the end of her bed and some sandals. The shoes were larger than Lily needed, but at least they allowed her to leave on the bandages.
She dressed, smoothed her hair and scrubbed at her eyes before pushing aside the screen and walking up the passageway towards the main cavern. Her dizziness had subsided, but she was lightheaded, as if she were floating somewhere outside her own body.
What struck Lily first when she left the passageway and entered the amphitheatre was the sound of children’s voices. They seemed to be coming from a section near the entrance of the cavern that sloped down beside the rock staircase. Even having seen the cavern the night before, she was still amazed at it’s size. Lily headed towards the voices, walking as quickly as her bandaged feet and over-large sandals allowed, passing the floaters and the living areas. She rounded a high set of wooden shelving and stopped abruptly.
Babies and small children were gathered in a natural rock depression that was obviously a play area. The children were absorbed with one another and with toys, some of which were brightly coloured, some natural wood like Peter’s harps. The play area was carpeted with an array of rugs and sheepskins, so there were no hard edges to bruise small limbs.
The sound of their young voices threw Lily abruptly back to her brief school days, though she couldn’t remember ever having seen such young children; only Alice when she was a baby. Scattered here and there were small groups of people who looked like they were in their late teens or maybe their twenties. Lily supposed they were the parents of the little children who were tumbling about. Some of the women were breastfeeding, others were pregnant. A man was showing a small boy how to play chords on a makeshift guitar. Babies lay on the sheepskins or slept at their parents’ feet.
‘So you found our play area?’ Rosemary put her hand on Lily’s shoulder, making her jump. ‘And I see you also found the clothes I left for you. They’re not very stylish, but they’ll do for now. We’ll get you some others after you’ve had a proper bath.’
Impulsively, Lily threw her arms tightly around Rosemary.
‘Good morning to you, too,’ Rosemary laughed. ‘it’s a bit overwhelming at first, isn’t it? You’ll get used to it soon enough,’ she said, turning towards the play area. ‘These women are having their children naturally, with people they love. No one’s forced to be with anyone they don’t want to be and the babies will grow up in a loving community.’
Rosemary guided Lily to a small table and chairs near the children’s play area.
‘Show me your wrist,’ Rosemary said.
Lily had been so engrossed she’d barely noticed her injuries since she’d woken. Now she saw there was an unappealing seepage from the bandages on her wrist and her arm.
Rosemary took a fresh bandage from her pocket and some kind of salve in a jar. She cleaned Lily’s wrist with water, dressed the wound and then did the same for the back of her head.
‘Rosie!’ A small boy with a long fringe came scampering over and grabbed Rosemary round the legs. He pronounced her name ‘Wosie’, which made Lily laugh.
‘Hello, Sam. Who’s shooting up like a beanstalk?’ Rosemary said to the little boy.
‘Me!’ Sam said.
‘This is Lily, Sam.’
‘I’m four now,’ the boy said. ‘Bye.’
‘He’s a livewire, our Sam,’ Rosemary laughed. ‘He can’t keep still for a second, whereas Bethany over there doesn’t like loud noises. She’s not very keen on Sam. If he comes too close, she tries to pinch him.’
‘How do they learn?’ Lily asked.
‘Everyone contributes,’ Rosemary said. ‘We all have different skills. Even if people just tell their own stories, it’s valuable. Bill over there is a musician. He’s trying to teach guitar to Alex.’
‘Obviously there are no computer screens,’ Lily said, looking around.
‘No, but we’ve got a precious store of paper and writing materials. We try to collect them on missions over the Wall. We try to find books, too, but they are harder to come by. We ask everyone to write down their experiences so no one ever forgets. Anyway, listen to me rambling on again. You must be starving. With all that went on last night, you didn’t get any food, did you?’
Lily shook her head. Now that she thought about it, she was ravenous.
‘Come on, breakfast time. Cheers, kids,’ Rosemary said, waving.
‘Bye, Rosie,’ some of them called, before returning to what they were doing.
Rosemary led Lily from the play area, past the living rooms and the floater alcoves to a dining area with tables and chairs, deep inside the cavern. People sat around the tables on their own or in groups. They looked at Lily, nodded to Rosemary and then kept eating.
Lily was starving, but what exactly was this food? Most of it wasn’t instantly identifiable. The only things she recognised were apples and nuts.
She must have looked sceptical because Rosemary smiled. ‘Yes, it’s not ideal, but we make do with what we can get from our raids on the food-storage factories and hydroponic facilities just inside the Wall. Plus we grow our own medicinal herbs and some fruit and vegetables. You might have noticed the garden doubles as a shield for the entrance to the cave system,’ Rosemary said.
Lily nodded.
‘Everyone here forages for food. You’ll be expected to do it too when you’re well enough. Anyone able-bodied has to contribute because, as you can see, between the children, the elderly and the floater people, we’ve got a lot who aren’t able.’
‘It must be hard to find enough for everyone,’ Lily said.
‘Well, we supplement our expeditions to the food facilities with hunting and gathering, though the warming has left the landscape pretty depleted. Only the hardiest, most adaptable plants and animals have survived out in the open.’
‘Where does the water come from?’ Lily said.
‘We’re lucky because we have our own supply,’ Rosemary said. ‘There’s actually a natural spring that rises at the back of the cavern. It also has a hand in energy generation and ventilation. I’ll show you later, but first you have to eat.’
Rosemary brought her a bowl filled with a kind of muesli of nuts and sultanas in thin, watery milk. Lily picked up a spoon and dived in. She gulped the odd mixture gratefully. The water Rosemary brought was icy and clean-tasting.
A woman with long brown hair joined them. ‘Hello,’ she said, nodding to Lily. ‘I’m Mary.’
Lily introduced herself and Mary turned to Rosemary.
‘Can you please come and have a look at Pam, the girl Sal brought in yesterday? She’s in with me for the time being. She’s listless and I’m worried about her. Maybe there’s some kind of herbal mix that will buck her up,’ Mary said.
‘I’ll come now,’ Rosemary said. ‘Bye, Lily. I’ll catch up with you later and show you the natural spring, maybe even get you something more stylish to wear.’
Once Lily had finished eating, she wandered towards the bedroom alcoves. She thought she’d go and see Peter. She wanted to learn more about the rescue group that was going back inside the Wall the next day and she wanted to make sure he hadn’t changed his mind about her going with them. But Peter wasn’t in his cave room. Lily stood uncertainly in his doorway, breathing in the smell of wood shavings. They smelled like life. Harps in various stages of completion stood against the walls like docile children.
‘How’s it going, Lily?’
She spun around, her heart hammering.
‘Kieran!’
‘That’s me.’
‘You scared the hell out of me,’ Lily scolded
playfully.
‘Yes, well, I can have that affect on people,’ he said. ‘Show me your hand.’ He took it without waiting for permission, bending down to examine the parts of her arm that weren’t bandaged.
‘Do you always boss people around like that?’ She pulled her arm away. ‘Anyway, I’m fine.’
He was grinning at her and she couldn’t help noticing his beautiful blue eyes again.
‘Thanks for asking, though,’ she added, smiling back.
‘Has anyone taken you on a tour?’ he asked.
‘Um, no, a bit, not really. I saw the place where the kids play. I was waiting for Peter.’
‘He’s out on a reccy. You can see him later. In the meantime, why don’t I show you around? And you could probably use a bath.’
‘Oh, really?’
‘You’re blushing, Lily, under the dirt.’
‘Shall we go then?’ She stalked ahead, but then realised she had no idea where she was going and had to wait for him. He moved ahead of her, his body like a cat; completely lean. But she knew how fit and strong he was. He guided her towards the dark interior of the cavern, greeting people as they went.
‘I’m going to show you our water system, not because you need a bath, necessarily, but because it really is the most important thing about this place. Without it, we’d still be searching for a safe place to live. The water is literally our life-blood and we have to protect it,’ he said. He was deadly serious now, no more teasing. ‘And it provides us with natural ventilation and air conditioning. Come on, I’ll show you.’
‘Kieran?’
‘Yup?’
‘I haven’t thanked you yet for bringing me here, saving me. I know it would have been easier just to leave me.’
‘It’s a pleasure, Lily,’ Kieran smiled at her. ‘We couldn’t leave you there, not after the time before, when you went back to check on Shannon. Like I said, that was brave, no matter what Sal says. And bringing people over the Wall is what we do. If we can rescue even one person, it’s worth it. Plus, I’ll do anything I can to mess with those bastards on the Committee.’
‘So you’re coming over the Wall with me tomorrow to find Daniel and Alice?’ Lily said quickly.
‘Wouldn’t miss it,’ Kieran said.
As they threaded their way towards the back of the cavern, Lily gaped at the honeycomb of openings that led off the main cavern.
‘I’ve been wondering what those pipes are for,’ Lily said, pointing to the tubes that were attached to walls and which snaked down passageways.
‘That’s our ventilation system. Fresh air comes in from an outside vent quite a distance away, cooling as it passes over water. You’ll see when we get to the water area. it’s brilliant, actually.’
‘This place is even bigger than I thought,’ Lily said softly. ‘It’s amazing. Who found it?’
‘Peter is the best person to ask about that,’ Kieran said. ‘He was part of the group that stumbled onto the cave system years ago, not that long after the Wall went up. He helped to develop the water system, too. As you can see, we’re heading gradually downwards. The entire system is embedded in a massive layer of rock. It’s ingenious really. it’s like someone prepared it, knowing one day there’d be people who’d need to hide and have access to a permanent water supply.’
‘The water must come from deep underground,’ Lily said, thinking about the dry rivers and parched landscape that the warming had brought.
‘Yes, apparently there wasn’t much water at first,’ Kieran said. ‘It was just a single spring, but gradually Peter and his team of engineers increased the volume and split the flow. Something about tapping aquifers, pumping, whatever – it’s not my area. I’m just glad it exists.’
They’d arrived at last at the end of the cavern and now stood on a flat rock platform. Lily looked back the way they’d come. She couldn’t see even the faintest glow from the entrance. The only light now came from the globes.
In front of them, three separate waterfalls gushed out of the rock face at the very back of the cavern. Lily moved to the edge of the rock platform and peered over. The waterfalls fed into three separate pools. Stone steps led down to each pool. Lily saw that the overflow from the pools gushed over small rapids and disappeared underground. Moisture coated the cavern walls, trickling down the rock. The air was thick with the constant low hiss of water. There was more natural water here than Lily had ever seen in her life. She breathed deeply.
‘Pretty awesome, isn’t it?’ Kieran smiled. ‘The water in the first pool is for drinking, the second is for bathing and washing, and the last one’s for power generation.’
The third waterfall flowed strongly, driving a large water wheel, which was attached to some serious-looking equipment.
‘That wheel generates all our energy,’ Kieran said. ‘Peter helped build it and it’s maintained by people like him who know about hydro-power generation.’
‘And are those the ventilation pipes?’ Lily said, pointing to a series of pipes that emerged at the side of the power-generation waterfall and had been fixed to the rock walls. The pipes snaked away into the cavern.
‘Yes,’ Kieran said. ‘That’s the start of the vent system that draws in the air from outside and circulates it through the cavern. As I said, the air passes over water on it’s way to these pipes and is cooled that way.’
The water sounds drew Lily’s attention to the fact that she itched all over from sweat and dirt, despite Rosemary’s fresh clothes and her brief wash the night before.
‘I’d love to take a dip in the washing pool,’ Lily said.
Kieran walked across the rock ledge and selected a faded towel from a small pile. He also picked up a lump of something from a dish.
‘Soap, allegedly,’ he said with a grin. ‘Doesn’t look so good but it works pretty well. Take it and the towel with you when you’re finished. You’ve just inherited them. I’ll do you a favour and get going now Leave something on the top step to show anyone who comes along that the bathing place is in use. I’ll see you later. Enjoy.’
Lily weighed the soap in her hand. Despite it’s irregular shape, it was as smooth as a pebble, with a lemony eucalyptus fragrance. She shivered slightly, suddenly feeling a little lonely without Kieran. Telling herself to snap out of it, she left her sandals at the top and went down the steps.
The pool was almost perfectly circular in shape and the water was a brilliant green colour. It was incredibly cold when she first plunged in, but she quickly got used to it.
Lily wanted to stand under the waterfall forever, with the icy, jade screen beating down on her. Her skin squeaked. The wound on her wrist didn’t look too gross and the back of her head no longer throbbed. She tipped back her head and drank deeply. Like the water at breakfast, this was sweet and delicious.
She prodded her head gingerly with her fingers and felt only a small twinge, much the same as when she had woken that morning. There was no sign of the headache that had plagued her in the last days at her parents’ house. This should have made her happy, but it just reminded her of Daniel.
She had to go back over the Wall; she couldn’t be here while he was there. And Alice, too. Lily hurried out of the pool, dried herself and dressed quickly. When she reached the top of the steps, an unfamiliar boy sat waiting.
Her breath caught in her throat. He was possibly the most beautiful person she had ever seen.
‘Hello,’ the boy said. He was about Lily’s age, with an incredible smile and fine, regular features. Lily couldn’t take her eyes off his hands, which looked like an artist had drawn them.
‘Is everything all right?’ He was looking at her curiously and Lily realised she’d been staring.
‘Sorry,’ she mumbled. ‘Have you been waiting long?’
‘Nope, you get to know the times when there won’t be that many people here.’ His eyes twinkled.
‘Um, well I’ll leave you to it,’ was all Lily could think of to say. His looks were ridiculously distracting and s
he couldn’t afford to be distracted, not now. She had to stay focussed on going back inside the Wall the next day. Lily nodded quickly and made to pass him, but the boy sprang up nimbly and held out his hand.
‘You must be Lily, our new arrival. I’m Luca.’
‘Hi.’ She took his hand, noticing his heavily scarred wrist. The indented tissue told her that he’d been lucky not to lose his hand. She should stop staring and leave, but he held on to her hand, grinning, so she had to pull away awkwardly. This made him grin even more.
‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘I’m not used to seeing boys, er, people, my own age.’
‘We all feel a bit like that when we first arrive,’ Luca said.
Lily nodded, biting her lip. ‘Better go …’
‘I take it you were kept inside?’ Luca interrupted.
‘Yeah, my parents …’ She shrugged. ‘I didn’t see much of outside after the Wall went up.’ Her hair was dripping water onto the floor.
‘So, Lily, would you like to see what’s outside our cave?’
‘Sure,’ she said.
‘Okay. I’ll have my bath and then I’ll come and find you when I’m finished.’ He dropped his shirt on the top step, waved and disappeared.
FOURTEEN
Rosemary was busy sewing when Lily returned. ‘I see you’ve got yourself a towel and soap,’ she said.
‘Yes, Kieran gave them to me.’
‘Our water supply is pretty fantastic, huh?’ Rosemary said.
Lily nodded. ‘Rosemary can you give me something else to wear, please?’ she asked.
Rosemary put down her sewing and laughed. ‘Is that a polite way of asking if there’s anything more stylish?’
‘I don’t care about that,’ Lily said, even though she did a bit. Rosemary’s clothes were too big and without the bandages on her feet, the sandals flapped about.
‘Don’t worry, I was young once,’ Rosemary grinned.
‘I tried to find Peter earlier, to talk about going back over the Wall tomorrow,’ Lily said. ‘He wasn’t in his room.’
Days Like This Page 14