by James Garvey
“We met, didn’t we?”
“Yes, Magarat. I was able to – occupy - Thresh for a moment. That’s when I asked you to kill her. It was a terrible thing to ask you to do. I’m so sorry I put you in that position.”
“I’d have gladly done it if I knew I could.”
We head to the city center and get some food into Eliza. Magarat cleans herself up and puts on a fresh dress. She’s a beautiful woman, even if she’s a little worn.
“Thanks so much for caring for Eliza,” I say, combing my hair.
“Didn’t have much say in the matter. That woman, she killed my husband and my little boy.” Her voice trails off.
“I’m so very sorry for you.”
“You’re like her, aren’t you?”
“What do you mean Magarat?”
“You’re able to control things, take possession. A terrible power you have.”
“Well, it’s not like I have much of a choice in the matter.” I pause gazing at my daughter who doesn’t know who I am. “Does Eliza show any of these abilities?”
Magarat does not answer. “Do you mind if I get some rest m’am? I’m dead tired.”
I nod as the haggard woman leaves me alone with my daughter. Eliza’s immediately concerned. “Where’s Magarat?”
“She went to get some sleep, sweetheart. Do you want to play?”
“Sure.”
I pull out a small doll that I borrowed from one of the neighbors. She eagerly takes the toy and begins talking to it in a language I don’t recognize. I suppose it’s similar to the gibberish I used when trying to escape Troll.
Theo appears. “How’re you faring?”
“We’ll manage. What of the prisoners?”
“They’re locked away. The sooner we dispatch Thresh, the better for all of us.”
“I’m having trouble with that. It’s one thing to kill her in battle. But to execute her in cold blood – that’s not something I’ve much of a stomach for.”
“You telling me that this woman who’s stolen your baby, killed most everyone you loved, and wants to destroy all that is right and clean should be spared? Not to mention that she could conjure more of those things from the lake? Did you fall off a horse and damage your head?”
“I pity her, Theo. The power’s destroyed her. The same could easily happen to me.”
He kneels down and tries to pet Eliza’s head. The girl will have none of that and scampers away into a corner. He steps back. “Amy, you are good. Your soul’s good. You’d never go foul like that. Thresh must die and soon, before we’re pickled again.”
The town square bell rings unexpectedly. “What’s going on?” This can only be bad.
Theo jolts to the door. “I’ll let you know as soon as I can.”
Eliza plays with her doll, her voice low, almost as if it is growling. “Eliza, what are you doing?”
She turns and looks at me with vacant eyes. “They’re coming to town.”
I open the window to hear shouting and scuffling in the streets. I stop one of the villagers whose dressed in light armor. “What’s the matter?”
“The dead. They’re rising from the lake.”
“You mean the soldiers from today’s battle?”
“No ma’am. All of them.”
The tradition of Yellow Stone is to bury their dead in the lake. They’ve been doing this presumably since the fall of the ancients. If he was being literal, that means a lot of dead people are approaching the city.
I’m experiencing a vivid recollection. Here I am alone with Eliza with my city under siege. The prize presumably is us. Perhaps Bets was right to suggest that we’re cursed. Thankfully, Theo arrives. He grabs his staff and says, “We need to get the girl to safety. The bodies are tearing at the fence line.”
“How’s that possible? I thought the fence was supposed to keep the fog out.”
“I don’t know why, but they’re doing it. Maybe it has something to do with Thresh being in the city.”
“She’s here, inside the walls?”
“They brought her to the jail. I thought you understood that.”
“I need you to take me, us, there now.”
We run into the street and find our passage blocked by a bloated, animated body missing part of its head. I barely recognize it as Wenn. It croaks, “Daughter.”
“Wenn, my brother, what has that witch done to you?” Theo’s face is fish-belly white.
The body advances. “Need daughter. So sorry.” His clothes are tattered and soaked.
I fall to my knees sobbing. “Theo, kill him. Release him from this hell.”
I cover Eliza’s eyes while Theo takes a staff and beats the remainder of Wenn’s head into a mash. Wenn drops with a wet thud.
More bodies appear in the streets. Some are recently dead from the battle, others are nothing more than slick strands of sinew and bones. Theo knocks them out of our way as we rush to the jail compound. We arrive to find no guards and a dead soldier trying to grab keys and release Thresh from her cell.
Thresh is so frail. She looks as if she hasn’t eaten in weeks. “So, Amy Marksman. We meet again and flesh to flesh. You look hearty.” She peers over my shoulder. “Eliza sweetheart, are you well?”
The girl beams and runs to the bars. “Mommy? Why you in a cage?”
“Those mean people locked me up, honey. Run and hide, now.”
Before we can react, Eliza bolts down the dark hallway, littered with dozens of cells and passages. Theo yells, “Liza, come back here. We’re good. Please?”
“Let her hide, Theo. I don’t want her to see what is about to happen.”
Thresh chuckles. “Amy, face it. You’re going to lose. I’m drawing them to me. I can feel them killing men, women, and children right now, in the gilded city. Delicious. And they’re doing it for me and for you.”
“Thresh, you’ve no idea how much I’ve grown while you’ve stagnated in your hatred and petulance. You don’t deserve the abilities you have. I pity you. It’s time for you to go.” I feel myself entering the tunnel and I’m on the other side of the bars looking at me. I make sure that Thresh is still conscious and surprised while I force her hands over her nose and mouth. She struggles weakly for air as her vision blurs and turns grey. The last image she sees is of me staring at her with disgust.
CHAPTER 19: THE INSTITUTE
A veil has lifted from Yellow Stone. People are happier and colors seem brighter. The wicked smell of the lake has abated.
This happiness and relief did not emerge immediately after the emancipation. We spent the first few days after the battle disposing of the revered dead, who unfortunately were littered by Thresh across all the streets and walls of the town. Most of the bodies were returned to the lake. I burned Thresh’s body and sent her ashes into cold, empty space via the Raven. Her lover Jonah will rot in jail for the remainder of his days. He’s quite insane, preaching continuously about the fall of the unrighteous and the rise of the damned.
In these peaceful days, the brown ooze no longer appears, although I know the danger is still there. Without a magnet like Thresh, nothing draws it out of the portal. But the others still watch without eyes hungrily from beyond. I see them when I fly the Raven over the lake when continuing my daily lessons from Fromer. I’ll learn to stop them soon, I hope. Fromer keeps telling me to be patient.
Once we’re certain the immediate danger is gone, Etch and I travel south and west to the mountain lodge at Yosemite to retrieve our friends. We land both ships in a grassy meadow downhill of the building. I marvel at how quickly the scars of the spring battle with Thresh have healed. Samuel greets us with a bottle of ripe cider. “Where’ve you been?” He’s beaming and a little drunk.
“Oh Samuel, if you only knew.” I hug him, noticing that his beard’s much longer and that he’s much lighter.
We walk to the lodge where Grey and Gorian hold Ferris, who’s grown into a curious and mobile toddler. She’s an interesting mix of her parents and would be a gre
at companion to Eliza, if Eliza ever bursts through her shell. There are four copies of Iggy roaming the grounds rather than one now. The only difference is that Iggy’s slightly greyer and moves slowly. Sam greets us with his artificial voice. I swear he’s become more personable – likely a result of much tweaking by Gorian. The last person to greet us is father. He’s aged precipitously while we’ve been away. He seems vacant, lost in his thoughts.
We sit by a roaring fire, the heat still welcome in the cool summer night in the mountains, discussing the events that occurred and those that might follow. “So, you all will join us at Yellow Stone?” I ask.
“Sam, what do you think of that?” Gorian asks the lodge.
“I would miss you terribly. Would you visit me?”
“Of course Sam. This is as close to a home as I’ve ever had. This will be a cherished holiday spot.”
“To more serious issues.” Grey sits forward. “You mentioned that the Fuerst chased off an Institute vessel. I’m surprised that you haven’t been bothered further.”
“Oh, they are coming.” Etch shifts in his chair. “The Institute is being cautious, particularly given our response and the presence of the FRT outpost on the moon. Their resources are spread thin and they do not want to raise suspicion by sending an armada to harmless earth.” He chuckles. “I am unsure whether the FRT knows about the portal. The Yellow Stone villagers think so, but I suspect they were misled by the Institute. The FRT forces probably still avoid earth because of the quarantine and have no knowledge of the richness in their territory. Fear of that doomsday substance is a powerful ally for us.”
“So, we need to reach Yellow Stone and protect it from encroachment by the two warring factions? Sounds easy.” Gorian’s fidgeting with some mechanical toy she’s built for Ferris.
“Fromer’s convinced that Amy holds the key to the portal in the lake.” Iggy suggests.
I clarify. “Actually, Iggy, to be more correct, the lake contains a froth of portals winking in and out of our reality.” I look around nervously considering all I’ve learned from Fromer.
“She’s starting to talk like us.” Gorian chortles.
Samuel walks in with a bundle of logs. “Sounds to me that you intend to use Amy as a gambling chip. They’ll need her to use the holes or whatever you call them in the lake. With no Amy, there be no travel. Amy darling, how’s that make you feel?”
“Self-important and cheap at the same time,” I laugh. “I guess I’ll be whoring myself to the highest bidder.”
Grey isn’t smiling. “This is deadly serious folks. Thresh had some scary monsters, dead walkers, and stone-age weapons to do her bidding. The Institute and the FRT have nuclear weapons and lots of well-armed soldiers – not to mention ships. They can take Amy by force if they want to.”
Etch turns to me. “What do you want my fellow pilot? This is your life we are discussing. You could simply walk into these woods and vanish from our sight. You would have no more worries about threats from beyond.”
“Etch, I have responsibilities whether I want them or not. My first goes to Eliza. She’s confused and lost. I always had my mother and the xyn to accompany me.” I look at my vacant father. “You too, father.” He mumbles something. “So, I need to help her come back to me and find a way for her to harness her abilities. After that, I’ve only begun to explore the possibilities of the lake for all of us, including those brutes in space.”
“We will defend you. But I cannot guarantee your safety. I propose that we deal with the Institute and FRT directly. In fact, we should pre-empt them. This will give us bargaining power. And the ability to set the terms to our liking.”
“What exactly do we plan to offer them?” I’m feeling slightly sick at the thought of being the keeper. “I can see the portals but I can’t begin to show pilots how to navigate them. For that matter, I’d have no idea how to get them back.”
Etch stretches. “I suggest that the first course of action is for you to propose developing a map. The Institute - and the FRT if they decide to play - will need to work with you to explore these areas. They can send probes to gather information. You provide your visions in bits and the bastards will grow dependent on you.”
Iggy spritzes his skin, his eyes half-closed in amphibious pleasure. “Etch, this is a brilliant idea. We must act quickly. How will we transmit the message?”
Gorian smiles. “I’m on it.”
Within a day, we’ve packed up our things and walk through the make-shift front door of the lodge for a final time, trying to suppress the memories of the horrors that occurred there. “I will miss you,” Sam says quietly.
Gorian cradles Ferris in her arms. “I’m going to put you to sleep, Sam. When you wake up, it’ll be like no time has passed.”
“Let’s hope it won’t be centuries like before.”
“Of course not, my dear machine. Sweet dreams.”
The Fuerst and Raven streak through the sky, taking us to our new home. Gorian has broadcasted our message via universal transmission throughout known space:
DEAR CITIZENS, A WONDERFUL EVENT HAS OCCURRED ON PLANET EARTH. A STABLE PORTAL THROUGH SPACE-TIME HAS OPENED, ALLOWING ACCESS TO INFINITE NEW FRONTIERS. EARTH REMAINS DANGEROUS TO VESSELS AND THE QUARANTINE FOR THE POTENTIALLY INFECTIOUS MATERIAL ON THE PLANET IS NOT LIFTED. HOWEVER, SAFE PASSAGE MAY BE NEGOTIATED VIA CONTACT WITH US. TRANSMIT QUERIES TO THESE COORDINATES: 9008-A-8567.
“That will get their attention,” Grey mutters.
“Greed always does.” Etch responds.
We land the ships near the east wall of Yellow Stone at dusk. Bright bursts of colorful fire, like suspended falling stars, appear and fade in the sky above us.
Etch slaps the hull of his ship. “It appears that our Institute and FRT friends have engaged in battle over access to the portal. Gorian, you are quite the trouble maker.”
“Who’ll win?” I ask.
“Depends on who wants to rule the universe.” Grey shrugs, carrying Ferris toward the town gate.
Samuel helps father walk up the path. I marvel how those cousins have diverged over the past year. Father wilted while Samuel blossomed. Iggy and his spawn are surrounded by village children. The Yellow Stone kids have seen strange things during their short lives, but the naurons are a special novelty. I wonder how Iggy’s babies will like the lake and playing with their new human friends.
I’m feeling guilty. Part of me doesn’t want to reunite with Eliza. Perhaps she’d be better off with Magarat and forget me. That’s silly of course. I can’t let Thresh take her away. I approach the small house that’s been given to me by the village and swallow hard. I enter to find Magarat and Eliza playing on a table. Eliza looks up indifferently and goes back to drawing.
“Welcome back, Amy. We’ve been drawing pictures. Eliza, show your mommy what you’ve done.”
“My mommy isn’t here.”
My heart shatters. I want to run away, more so than during any other time in my life. “I’m your mommy Eliza. We’ve got lots of time to get to know each other again. See my eyes?” She looks up. “They look just like yours.”
Interest flashes briefly by Eliza’s face and then she resumes her drawing. I look to see what she’s creating: a woman in a red dress.
I run outside and vomit.
Magarat peeks out. “Amy. It will take time for her to adjust. She’s a good, smart girl. She’ll warm up to you. I do promise. I’m gonna leave now for a while.”
I want to plead for her to stay but know better. I join my daughter. “Eliza, let’s draw pictures together.”
The images that appear on the paper are vivid, beautiful, and often disturbing. Grubs, bleeding bodies, and flames are mixed with glorious, detailed pictures of flowers and animals. I hope, through time, that the gentle visions overcome the gruesome ones. For now, she needs to let both flow out of her.
I draw a picture of my mother. It’s been so long since I last put ink to paper at the lodge. My nerves calm. Eliza looks at the picture.
“She’s pretty. Who is she?”
“That’s your grandma, sweetie.”
I spend the rest of the glorious evening with my daughter on my lap as I tell her stories of the garden, the xyn, and the wonders of the natural world.
After I’ve gotten Eliza to bed, I step out into the darkness and stare at the sky. More streaks of fire rage silently as the battle overhead drones on.
Etch walks by. “Good evening Amy. Enjoying the starlight tonight?”
“Etch, how long do you expect them to keep fighting?”
“Perhaps a month.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I am not Amy Marksman. Both sides of the conflict have considerable resources and will not stop until the other is defeated. Gorian’s message brought the war’s front to earth’s doorstep. Before this is ended, earth’s orbit will be littered with thousands of destroyed ships.”
“You knew this would happen?”
“Of course. I have seen wars many times. They must burn hot before the flames are extinguished.”
“Why aren’t the forces coming down here to fight?”
“Foremost, it is fear of the weapon that destroyed civilization on earth so many years ago. Also, it makes no tactical sense to put your troops on the ground when they are vulnerable to fire overhead. The victors will arrive with time as they become confident that the threat on the surface is gone. I recommend that you continue your studies with Fromer and enjoy your time with Eliza. When the winning faction arrives, peace will most certainly vanish.”
“Fromer, do you really think the terrorist weapon is gone?”
“I do not know.”
Almost a month to the day I conversed with Fromer, the explosions in the sky stop. I am sipping tea and watching Eliza sleep when Magarat steps in quietly. “Amy, you really need to go outside and see this. They’ve returned.”
Lights again dot the surface of the new moon. Theo rushes to me and holds my hand tightly. “I guess this means we’ll be getting visitors soon Sprouter my love?”
I tighten my grip and lead him inside.