by J Peregrine
Again, I stopped, because before me was the most incredible space. The stone was streaked in red and gray and white. The ceiling was high above and there was an opening at the top that let in air, and light. Vines crowded the opening and trailed down the walls to a pool of water below. A small stream trickled down the side of the wall creating the pool. Sunlight streamed through the plants giving the room a soothing glow. All along its path the water had turned the gray stone a rusty brown which complemented the green of the plants. The vines had taken hold of the wall around the pool.
There were tables and benches set up all around the room. We sat down on benches at a table near the pool and Jake started eating at once. I hesitated, feeling the need to wait for the woman. She looked at me as she set a water pitcher and some cups on the table.
“Eat,” she said. “You must be starving.” She smiled. Then she sat down and watched Jake and I as we ate.
I felt self-conscious. There was only the sound of trickling water and us eating but I was starving so as I ate, and the food took hold of me, I relaxed. It was the best food I had ever tasted. Not that I had much to compare it to. Grandfather and I had a simple diet and rarely had any spices to add to anything. This had smells and tastes I had never experienced before.
“I’m sorry you felt you had to leave,” she said, after watching us.
He finished chewing and shrugged. “They were hunting us, and causing havoc, and they weren't going to stop.”
The woman gave a sad smile and closed her eyes briefly. “You know we are accustomed to that. You shouldn’t feel it is only you that brings us to the mouth of the lion.”
Jake smiled. “He was going to destroy everything.”
Chapter 26
At the sound of feet, she turned to see a group entering. She got up and moved quickly and effortlessly to speak with the tall, dark man that led them.
I stopped chewing and looked at Jake, my curiosity roused. Leaning into him, I whispered, “Who is the one you were referring to and what does he want so badly?” I asked, watching him.
“He is the Albino, and he wants me,” he said, his eyes holding me in their gaze. I wanted to ask why but the look he gave me took my words away.
V and the man joined us at the table after they had finished their brief discussion. Jake stood and he and the man embraced briefly. “Elzbeth,” said, V, “this is Dungadar.”
The man nodded to me and they sat down. We all looked toward the kitchen as there was a sudden rush of boisterous voices.
“My group are hungry as bears,” Dungadar said, in a deep and resonating voice.
I had never seen a man as large as Dungadar. He had muscles everywhere, and his head was void of hair, but he had a thin mustache and beard.
V gazed at him for a moment as well and then turned to me. “Can I ask where you are from?” she said, softly, not in a prying way but curious.
I couldn’t decide what to say. If I started with the lie it would be hard to tell the truth later even if I wanted to, but I was not sure I could tell them my whole story.
“Perhaps I should begin,” said Dungadar. “We have ears all over the outlying areas leading into the city,” he said, his dark eyes enveloping me as his voice thundered forward. “We received information from travelers who had seen the Agency patrol coming down off the mountain. They said they were towing an old vehicle with them and were asking for information on a girl traveling southward alone...”
I looked down but my eyebrows raised spontaneously.
V cut in, “We knew someone who had been living on the mountain. We assumed he had died long ago. But when we heard the agency had an old car in their possession, a car they couldn’t seem to gain entry to, well... It made us wonder ... Then we heard they were hunting a young girl.” V looked at Dungadar and then at me.
My heart was vibrating, but I could barely breathe. I wanted to trust these people. I wanted to feel at home, connected, but I was scared to tell the truth.
Others had come with plates of food and sat down at nearby tables. One of the men came over and spoke in Dungadar‘s ear.
What if I admitted that I was the girl the Agency was looking for? Would they turn me out, or turn me over to the Albino? More people filled the room. They seemed to be families or at least friends. They moved close to each other, smiling and kidding each other. I could see that they were comfortable with one another, connected in subtle ways. They created in me a longing. I wanted to be a part of this, to call them my own. Could I tell them the truth?
The other man moved away and Dungadar concentrated his attention on me once again. He slid his hands forward across the table to encompass one of my hands. “You are not in danger here, not from us at any rate.”
It felt so good, to be sitting here among all these people eating as if we were together. I decided cautious truth was the best plan of action. “You’re right." I had been staring at my hands but now I looked up at them. "Josef was my grandfather, it was his car. Those men came to the mountain. After they blasted a hole in our roof and killed Grandfather I used the car to escape, but they caught up with me. I don‘t know what they were looking for, but I’m sure it wasn’t the car. I abandoned it in the river and headed cross-country to get away from them. That’s when I ran into Jake.”
When I finished there was silence. I had seen them glance at each other as I spoke and raise their eyebrows in concern.
“I am very sorry for your loss,” said V. Her voice remained even but her face seemed concerned.
“That’s nothing,” said Jake while he chewed. “She thinks Moses is her father,” he gave V and Dungadar a challenging look. “Moses!”
Chapter 27
“Moses is my father,” I said. “He left when I was a baby, but my grandfather made me promise to find him before he died. He is a scientist like my grandfather.” I instantly regretted telling them.
Jake waved his hunk of bread my way. “Look...like I said before, he can't be your father. He’s not the kind of person that is anyone's father. Maybe your grandfather wanted you to find him for some other reason." He stared at me, but I stared right back at him. He got up and stormed round the table towards the door.
Dungadar was on his feet and stopped him before he got there. “Jake,” he said, with hands calming the air. “Come, it’s all right, sit back down.” His hand was on Jake’s shoulder, talking to him in his low, calming voice as they came back to the table.
My heart and mind raced, what had he said? What did he mean? It took everything in my power to stay seated at the table. I felt a connection to these people, and I didn’t want to lose it. Plus, he had promised to help me find Mo, and he owed me.
“You need to explain,” he said to V and Dungadar.
They exchanged a look, but we were interrupted by a young man coming out of the kitchen door with a steaming jug. Handing Dungadar a stack of cups, he poured the hot brew from the jug and as he did, it gave off a heavenly aroma. We sat silently for a few moments cradling the cups in our hands.
As I waited for someone to break the silence, I thought back to what I knew about Mo but there wasn’t much. I took a sip of the tea and watched as the milk swirled. “Maybe you're right. I don't know anything about Mo, but Grandfather made me promise I would find him and that's good enough for me.” I paused and sighed. Suddenly I missed the comfort of Grandfather’s company more than I could say. It occurred to me this was the first time in days that I’d had the time to miss him. “My grandfather was my teacher, my companion, my friend, and he made Dog for me...” I wiped my eyes on my sleeve.
Dungadar had a questioning look.
Jake saw the look. “Dog was a lifelike robotic dog. He was her protector, but he was hit by Bee Bots in the woods, they drilled in, shorted out his circuits.” He swirled his tea and drank.
Dungadar raised his eyebrows as he looked at Jake. “And who had the Bee Bots?”
Jake didn’t look up. “We ran into cannibals, but we’re still here except for t
he dog.” He gave them a small smile.
Dungadar and V grimaced and sighed but said nothing.
After a few moments, Dungadar asked, “Elzbeth, do you have any memories of your mother?” He looked at me with no expectation on his face just curiosity.
I thought for a moment and stole a sideways glance at Jake. “No,” I said, and shook my head. I was sad to admit this, but it was true. “I was told she died when I was a baby. It made Grandfather sad and uncomfortable to talk about her so...I don't know anything about her.” I looked at my hands again.
Dungadar showed no reaction, he just nodded. "Go on."
I had questions, too, but I realized mine would have to wait. “When I was a child, I asked about my father, but I always got the same reply, he had gone away. When I got older and pried for more details, he told me that my father’s name was Mo and he had gone to the city because he couldn’t solve the problems of the world on a mountain top. Grandfather said we would join him someday, but he became more and more fearful about venturing outside the cave. In the end, he wouldn’t leave home at all.” I hadn’t realized how sad this had made me until I said it. “If only we had left sooner,” I said, and shut my eyes to stop the tears and then I took a deep breath and wiped my face.
I looked away from them and up into the diffused light coming in from above. I wished I could tell them about the notebook, maybe they would suggest we burn it and I would be okay with that, and then I could stay here with them and have the community I so longed for. But I had promised to deliver the notebook. I didn’t know why but that’s what he had wanted and that‘s what I was going to do.
“If you never really knew Mo, why would he send you to the city to find him?” said Dungadar.
"Exactly," said, Jake. "That's what I said."
“Because Mo is the only person in the world besides Grandfather that knew me even if I didn‘t know him.” As soon as I said this, I felt again the heavy weight of my losses. I wished I could go home, kiss Grandfather, hug Dog and go up to my room. “I had wanted to leave the mountain for so long...He had promised we would leave, and the morning of my birthday I wanted it so badly. Then suddenly they were there, blowing holes in our roof, and then the Albino appeared. He spoke to Grandfather as if he knew him but before I could convince Grandfather to run with me, they killed him in cold blood."
They listened in silence but then Dugadar spoke and his voice seemed to make the table hum. “The Albino is not looking to kill, at least not exactly.... He wants to use you like he uses everyone else. As for Mo, he has an exceptional mind, but he has gotten caught up in the fascination of his power. His ego has taken over and he has lost touch with his humanity.” He stopped and a sad look passed between them.
“Someone should have stopped them,” Jake pounded a fist on the table.
Dungadar dropped his head then looked at Jake. "We didn't know they had ulterior motives." He sighed and looked at V.
“What were they doing?” I asked.
Jake looked at V and V looked at me. “There had only been rare births after we left the shelters, and if someone did become pregnant, they miscarried. The few children who were born, were born with deformities that usually resulted in death.” She paused as if she was worn out by telling this.
“When Mo first came down from the mountain, he lived among us. He said he might be able to help. So, he did tests,” said Dungadar.
V jumped in again, “We were desperate, we wanted children and we couldn’t bare the idea that we would be the last. Can you imagine that there would be no one else after us? We would be extinct.” Her eyes glistened as she looked into Dungadar’s. There was sadness in the look they shared but there was also complete and utter love and understanding. I felt the love travel between them. It was like an ocean of waves flowing back and forth between them. I had never witnessed such a thing before.
“Since that time, we have found herbs and other things to help the younger ones but at the time nothing helped.” V looked at me. “Mo said he would help us...and I think in the beginning his intentions were good...”
Jake scoffed. "How can you excuse what they’ve done, they’re playing God with our lives.” Jake was clenching his fists, but he didn’t move this time.
“I think Mo wanted to help. It was Andre who forced him to play God,” said V quietly.
Then everyone was silent for a time.
“I assume he helped you become pregnant?” I said.
“He didn’t just help them. He made almost everyone under the age of twenty,” Jake fumed.
Dungadar patted Jake’s back and looked at V.
“What do you mean he made you?” My skin prickled, and my forehead broke out in sweat. I stood up and took a step towards the kitchen. I suddenly wanted to get very far from here.
A commotion erupted in the kitchen. There was a shout, maybe someone needed help. I was half-way to the curved rock of the hall opening when the blast struck.
Chapter 28
My eyelids fluttered and my mind was confused by what I saw. I felt like I was seeing the world upside down and shapes appeared then disappeared again into a fog. There was a roar in my ears like the sound inside a seashell and I wanted to retch.
As my vision cleared, I saw that the fog was dust and it was starting to settle. As I lay there, Jake emerged from the dust carrying something. He came towards me and then crouching down, he lay a bundle on the floor a little ways away. It looked like he called someone to him, but I heard only the roar in my ears. V came to his side and knelt next to the body he had laid on the ground then he went back into the dust. I felt like I must be dreaming except for the gigantic pain in my head.
I sat up and pieces of rock and dust fell from my hair and chest onto the ground. My hand reflexively went to the side of my head and found a large, moist bump. V reached out to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. She was talking but I couldn’t hear her. Then she got up and disappeared into the dust. I was too dizzy to move so I sat there dumbly.
After what felt like forever, Dungadar and some other men emerged from the hallway followed by Jake and V. They were armed with guns now and moving quickly. They stopped near me and I could tell Jake was arguing with V and Dungadar. He kept pointing towards the dust, towards the surface and a look in my direction. They argued but finally they seemed to acquiesce. V and Dungadar spoke with the other men then one of them picked up the silent body and they headed through the side door.
V leaned over me and cupped my face in her hands. Then she released a leather cord at her neck and swung her cloak off her shoulders, threw it around mine and secured the cord. I wanted to ask what had happened and what would happen now, but my ears could only hear the roar and my brain felt incapable of making words, let alone sentences. She gave me a pained smile and I tried to smile back. Then she said something to Jake and gave him a quick hug and a kiss before she turned and followed the men out the far tunnel.
Jake took hold of my arm, said something, and then seemed to understand that I could not hear him. He helped me up then pulled me along after him to a tunnel opening on the other side of the cave. He let go of my hand as he entered the tunnel and I followed him moving in single file. My head throbbed and my ears hurt. I wanted to know what had happened and where we were going but all I could do was follow.
We moved as fast as we could. A few times we had to squeeze through narrow sections and duck our heads as we climbed through fallen rock. Slowly my ears started to clear so I could hear a little as our feet crunched over the rocky ground.
The coolness of the tunnel made me glad for the cloak. As we moved farther in, I realized Jake must have been carrying a light stick or something for us to see by. I could just make out the ground at our feet and the tunnel wall around us. When I felt fresh air on my face, Jake put out the light stick and we slowed.
By the feel of it, we were coming to the end of the tunnel. The air got cold and there was wind and moisture on my face from mist blowing in. At the edge, we looked
out onto a forest of sorts. It was dark and deathly quiet except for the rain. Jake squatted down and looked out into the darkness. I assumed he was listening. So, I sat down with my back against the tunnel wall and wrapped the cloak around my front, my head still throbbing I was glad for the opportunity to rest.
The next thing I knew, Jake was jostling my shoulder. When I opened my eyes, he quickly put a finger to my lips and pulled me to my feet. I followed him in the darkness as we jumped down from the tunnel onto the rocky ground below and moved slowly downhill.
When we came to a stand of trees and underbrush, Jake crawled in and pulled me after him. He took my hand and then locked his arm through one of mine. "We're going to sit down on the side of a wash," he whispered. "It's a slide." So we sat and then slid down the slick stone into the heart of the undergrowth. Our bodies shoving together down into a ravine until we slid to a stop and had to run forward into the trees till we caught ourselves. Then I followed him onto what seemed to be a well-traveled path.
We walked for a long while in silence except for a bit of wind and the sounds of a legion of insects. When we finally came out from under the canopy of trees and brush, we found ourselves on the edge of a rocky knoll. The moon peeking through the clouds shed its light on a strange sight. Tucked between the grayness of concrete on all sides and the sky above was a giant, wild, green space. It looked black in the darkness and its wildness made it look like a scene out of a horror film. I could see the remnants of a great park from an ancient time, smooth pathways, and staircases. I recognized what must have been an ancient bandstand. There were mountains of what looked like roses that had gone wild alongside twisted chunks of metal from God knows what. I could imagine couples sitting here on a Sunday afternoon, picnic blanket beneath them as they listened to music from the orchestra playing down below while they talked and had cheese and wine. I had watched recordings of symphonies played in an open-air bandstand like this. In what used to be buildings at the edge of the grass, there had probably been museums and art galleries.