by Jason Letts
“After I replaced Will, he found a way to escape, him and his two friends,” Neeko grumbled, but as soon as he said “escape,” Jeremy started laughing and Neeko winced.
“Pathetic,” he snickered. “No, I didn’t see anybody. Only thing I can see is how laughable this camp was. It’s hard to find three people weaker than those powder puffs. And you couldn’t even keep a handle on them? Unbelievable!”
Neeko had enough of Jeremy’s gloating. He gave him a shove against the shoulder.
“I don’t see how you can be laughing. There’s only one place they coulda gone, right down to the other camp to find Mira. That means they crossed paths with you somewhere, but you were too dumb to spot ’em.”
“Hey,” Gloria interrupted, suddenly struck by a funny thought. Too tired to fight, the two young men turned to her. “You don’t suppose she had something to do with all this. Mira, I mean. Is it possible?”
“No, that’s impossible,” Jeremy spat, but his knee-jerk reaction didn’t seem to satisfy anyone. They stood there on a little circle for a moment, eyeing each other with plenty of remorse and discomfort.
“Boy, what a wonderful place the world would be if it were wiped clean of Mira Ipswich,” Neeko groaned.
“Just the lot of them…” Gloria began, but trailed off as the revulsion overcame her.
A rustling noise disrupted them from their griping at that moment, and they turned their eyes to the end of the gate. Kevin stamped on the loose wire as Jeana escorted Clara across. Soon the two parents were carrying the girl as they slowly descended the mountain. Jeremy, Neeko, and Gloria gave each other another sharp look.
“Now where do you think they’re going?” Jeremy asked.
As the hurtling ship crossed the last stretches of ocean to its final destination against the beach, every single person on the boat save its one power source crammed onto the top deck to wait for the right moment to jump off. A massive bonfire raged in the camp to assuage the darkness, and the boat was headed right for it.
Still standing at the front, Mira, Chucky, Vern, and Aoi enjoyed the last peaceful moments of their ride before the impending chaos rushed in to meet them. Baby Knoll started to squirm and whimper in Vern’s arms.
“Here, do you want to save him?” he asked Aoi, offering her the infant.
“Not a chance. He’s all yours,” she squirmed.
“It’s time. Let’s get ready,” Mira called, speaking loudly enough for those around to hear. Just then the boat started to rock violently, knocking a few passengers of their feet.
“What was that?” Chucky howled, leaning against a crate.
“The propeller probably fell off. Let’s go!” Mira said, pushing her friends toward the side. The boat started to fishtail a little as it reached shallower waters but still whizzed along to the beach at high speeds. The first nervous cry shot through the air and everyone looked back to see someone sailing over the side into the air. Soon everyone followed her over.
Like fleas from a dog, the ship’s occupants cleared the edge in droves. One after another, they leapt from the railings and turned to watch the ship soar past before they dipped underneath the surface. The railings collapsed in several places, leaving people tumbling just over the edges, slipping, falling, and pushing their way over. In the midst of the commotion, Aoi dove over the side, breaking the plane of the water with barely a splash.
Chucky went next, running through the air before tucking his legs under him and plummeting into the water below. The boat rocked as it started to skim bottom, and Mira and Vern looked at each other.
“You know, you look good carrying a baby around,” she said.
Before Vern could respond, Mira jumped over the edge. She had one hand in her pocket holding the carafe shard, and the other clamped down on her nose. Vern watched her ponytail flipping around as she dropped into the water.
Most everyone had evacuated the vessel by now, and the time had come for Vern to make his escape with Knoll. Holding him tight against his chest, he hopped over the edge as soon as the grinding against the bottom intensified. He dropped toward the water as the boat zoomed by on its collision course with the beach. Vern held out his hand, and instead of crashing beneath the waves, he changed directions and started to follow the boat as its front end smacked the shore and its tail end swung out wide.
A heart-pounding thud rippled through the air when that zooming mass of wood and steel lurched onto the unyielding sand. Shattering, twisting, collapsing, the boat tore itself apart trying to make it up the beach. The rusted metal on the outsides turned to dust, spewing debris forward. The boat, flagging to the side, started to tip over, and the colossal heap toppled onto its side, crumpling and destroying the navigation tower and the top deck.
People on the beach near the bonfire avoided the flying debris and watched the massive vessel fall apart into nothing more than a crumbled heap of precarious and dangerous wreckage. Small fires spotted its insides, and every second more material seemed to disintegrate and give in to the unavoidable pull of gravity. When it finally stopped sliding forward along the ground, no one could’ve guessed that it had ever been a boat.
Vern came out of his tumbling above the surface and finally let his legs slip into the water, which was only waist deep. Knoll was crying, and Vern tried to calm him down. Behind them, the army of refugees swum to shore. They trickled in, some of them falling against the sand after the exertion of the swim. Except for a few slaves near the bonfire, the beach was vacant of residents. When Mira, Aoi, and Chucky joined Vern, this was the first thing they noticed.
“I thought he’d be here waiting for us,” Aoi said, peering into the bushes for any signs of rustling or hidden eyes.
“There’s too many people around…too many living people,” Chucky suggested.
“Is there any chance Goober was trying to help us?” Vern wondered, bobbling Knoll.
“Maybe,” Chucky ventured. “He did manage to let me out of my crate.”
“If so, I have a feeling we’ve seen the last of his help,” Mira said, clutching the wrapped carafe shard.
Together they waded through the water and climbed onto the beach. It was dark, and the only signs of the ocean behind them were the flickering reflections of the bonfire. The strange feeling of walking amongst enemies persisted even though everyone around showed them little interest. They even saw Crimshaw climb out of the water down the ways. Drenched, he peeled away his uniform down to the waist and looked like an entirely new man.
But they did find someone who was extremely interested in them just as soon as they’d made it past the wreckage and started to dry themselves by the fireside. The flames writhed around the stone statue of Arent from the temple, and his expressionless face seemed particularly ghastly for its numbness. Mira bent over to stare off into the volatile expanse containing their snoozing adversary when a sharp wail accompanied frantic steps through the sand.
“My baby!” Vika cried, scampering around the fire with the collie at her side. The caw of the parrot echoed from in a nearby palm tree. Arms outstretched, Vika raced at Vern, and she lifted Knoll from him and squeezed him against her with the kind of cherishing smile of true and thorough joy.
“I can’t believe you brought him back! What a great deed you’ve done! I never ever, ever thought you had a chance. Oh, he’s so dear to me. I can’t bear to be without him for a minute. You must be pretty happy with yourselves. How did you ever manage to do it?” she asked at last.
It was a heartwarming moment, seeing them reunited, and it made all of the troubles and difficulties seem like nothing at all.
“We just had some good luck,” Vern said, rubbing her on the shoulder.
“I should say so!” Vika laughed before returning her attention to her beloved son. “And now I’m never going to lose you again.”
But Vika’s continued affection for Knoll began to dampen their spirits. As she showered him with kisses and repeatedly told him she loved him, it became increasing
ly obvious how painful it would be to pull them apart again. Her friends looked to Mira, who bashfully came forward to remind Vika of the unpleasant news. She reached into her pocket and removed the diamond shard. Unfolding the rags, it sat in her hand, glittering in the firelight. It caught Vika’s eyes, and she marveled at it.
“We took this from Arent, but he is not dead. This ship will fall apart until it is smaller than the grains of sand on the beach, but he will remain. It’s how he built his empire, on deceit and manipulation, and now we need Knoll to show us to the rest of it. Recovering it all is the only way peace will last, or else all we’ve fought for will be for naught.”
Vika shook her head, clutching the child closer. Her eyes jumped back and forth between them.
“But I can’t go through that again! I’ve only just got him back. What on Earth could possibly happen to him when I’m not around?” she cried.
Chucky came up and put his hand on her shoulder. They locked eyes, and he sighed with sympathy.
“I promise nothing will happen to him while we’re around. Everything comes down to this, and without Knoll we wouldn’t have a chance.”
Vika calmed down, though the substance of her fears remained. Casting her eyes over them gently, she then looked beyond them to the web in the sky, which for so long had been concealed.
“What do you do when you’re the only one who can save the world, but you’re too young to know it?” she mused.
The grim reality had drained Vika of all joy, but she appeared resigned to the unavoidable necessity of it. She gave Knoll another squeeze and prepared to give him up.
“We’ll bring him back to you safe and sound,” Vern promised, coaxing him back.
“How will you ever find me?” Vika asked, afraid.
“Give us one of your hairs. No matter where you are, it will always lead him right back to you,” Mira said with a smile, calling upon her own experiences with Yannick and the power that finds like things.
Vika slowly reached to her head just as the squirrel perched on her shoulder. She wrapped her hand around a long brown strand and yanked it out. She handed it over to Mira, who worked it around the shard and tied it tight, all without touching the sparkly cylinder. Vika took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then handed Knoll over to Mira.
“That was heroic of you,” praised Aoi.
Cradling Knoll, Mira let the child’s arm come near the carafe. Knoll seemed relatively calm and content, the firelight reflecting in his eyes. Mira pushed the carafe to his hand, and everyone watched to see the child’s reaction. Immediately, he rolled his neck and turned his eyes to the northeast. Knowing which direction to set off in made them all cheer.
“Now all we have to do is walk!” Mira laughed.
“I should only hope it’ll be that easy,” Chucky said, leaning up against her.
“Please be careful,” Vika implored. “And come back quickly!”
The older woman, fighting her remorse, stood up straight and held herself in check even as her eyes started to water. They all wished her solemn goodbyes and promises to return him to her soon. And then they turned to the gate, still wide open, that had sealed them within the camp for so long. It was dark, and they could see nothing through it on the other side, but they had all the energy of midday, which it should’ve been, after all.
Walking steadily but comfortably, they passed through the open gate. Vern let his fingers drag against the frame on his way through. And just like that they’d put it all behind them, the guards, the work, the tents by the beach. They were free again, only bound to their responsibilities.
Just a few paces out, they saw the flickering light of a torch in the distance. The divots of the caravan trail led right to it. Undaunted by the approaching specters, Mira and her friends faithfully took to the trail, unwilling to give up on their newfound liberty. They continued to walk until they could see the torch’s flame twist lightly in the breeze. It cast a hushed glow on three figures trekking along the trail. Their weary steps became visible long before their faces.
“Ha!” Chucky laughed, and together they heard some whispering. But as the light revealed Will, Mary, and Roselyn, soon they were all gasping with astonishment, stricken by the crippling shock sweeping over them. Cries and squeals of ecstatic delight echoed into the atmosphere as they rushed together, overwhelmed and rapturous.
Chucky lifted Roselyn and twirled her in his arms. Aoi was hopping up and down, clapping her hands. Between the torch and the baby, Will and Mira shared a hug as best they could. Mary threw her arms around Vern, putting her head onto his chest.
“I knew I’d see you again one day,” she confessed, tears streaming down her face.
“I…knew I’d see you again too,” he said, giving her a squeeze.
Mary reluctantly pulled herself away to accept a quick hug from Aoi. Mira approached Roselyn, who bashfully put her hand to her throat even as Mira shook her head. Their eyes were so puffy and the tears ran down to their smiles.
“Oh, don’t even,” Mira said. “When we found out you were OK, I can’t even describe it. It was like the Earth opened up to flood the atmosphere with happiness. It was the best news we could’ve ever gotten.”
“You can still be the center of all of the plans,” Aoi said, giving Roselyn a hug.
“What about you? It looks like you’ve been busy,” Will observed, gesturing to the baby and causing Mira to blush.
“What? You’ve lost your mind. He isn’t mine!” she chuckled.
“Don’t look at me!” Aoi scoffed after they looked at her. Vern laughed too.
“It’s our pleasure to introduce you to Knoll, whose mother so kindly put him into our care. He’s going to…” Vern said, until Will cut in.
“Take us to the diamond carafe,” Will said, and the foursome from the seaside camp were taken aback. “We figured out that’s what we need to do. That’s what this is all about. Well, actually Roselyn did. And she’s the reason we escaped too. We found her power again. It comes through in her drawings.”
Roselyn, indulging in a little of the gratification, swiveled her head to let her curls roll over her shoulder. And for a moment she basked in everyone’s affection. Will beamed at her, putting his hand on her back.
“That’s amazing!” Vern cheered. “It’s so good to have you all back. We were talking about it on the ship how badly we could’ve used your help.”
“Yeah, what happened with that?” Will continued. “Because we figured out how they were powering the ship, and we were so desperate to get the news to you, but then we got caught trying to get to Clara. Things went from bad to worse there, but now it’s all behind us!”
Mira opened her mouth to speak, but Vern’s voice rushed into the silence.
“It was all Mira. She planned the whole thing from beginning to end. It was incredible. The ship was falling apart because of Goober, but we got to Arent, she took out the carafe shard, and then she took over. The boat crashed on the beach, and now we’ve got to make the best of our head start.”
“It was all of us,” Mira faintly rebutted, but no one would hear of it. Soon all of them directed their marveling stares directly at her.
“And that must’ve been what made the sun set!” Mary said. “We were walking here, and I couldn’t believe my eyes when it started to move. I’ve never been so happy in my life! After all of the garbage in his songs, it was just such a relief to see the web was still there after all, same as it’s always been.”
“Wait, so Goober was with you?” Will asked, shocked.
“Wait, so what’s happened to Clara? What about my parents?” Mira asked, unable to hold herself back any longer.
Things got quiet for a minute. There was so much to explain about all the things that had happened while they were away. Their tingling happiness still persisted, but it was impossible to talk without the problems they still faced seeping into the conversation.
“We had to leave them, Mira,” Mary regretted. “We told them w
here Clara was and then we had to go. They wouldn’t listen to us or believe us. We have no idea what happened since we left.”
“I’m sure things have changed since we took the shard from Arent,” Chucky said, putting his hand on Mira’s shoulder. “They must have her. And with any luck we’ll meet them soon. Hey, if they’re all the way up there, maybe we can catch them on the way!”
They watched Mira, who still held the baby in her arms. She pressed herself for a smile, the first forced one any of them had seen that night, and nodded.
“Can we stop at Corey Outpost on the way too?” Mary asked.
“Yeah, we must be able to find some better clothes there at least,” Chucky added, and Vern burst out laughing.
“Oh, Mary, always thinking about clothes. Some things never change,” he chuckled, and both Mary and Aoi turned to watch him.
Altogether, they faced the open night, the cool breeze, and the web. Mira reached into her pocket and held her hand around the shard of the diamond carafe. The world around them was quiet and calm in anticipation.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Mira began, finding a little more heart. “We’ve got a long road ahead, and it’s not getting any shorter. We’ve never been so close, but we’re farther away than ever. It’s dark out now, but somewhere out there we’re going to find what we’re looking for. And then we’ll finally be able to build something of our own, something that’ll stand for the better world we’ve always wanted. And it’ll do so for permanent.”
BOOK 5
THE CARAFERS
“The elastic heart of youth cannot be compressed into one constrained shape long at a time.”
Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Chapter 1: The Final Trial Rematch
Mira and Chucky fled side by side down a narrow path, skirting around bushes and brush as fast as their legs could carry them. Their gasping breaths, pounding steps, and pumping arms all worked in unison to propel them through the forest. The trees looked different now as they whizzed by—many of the leaves were still brown and blighted—but the soft dirt paths were exactly as they had remembered them.