Dead End (Book 4): A Very Dark Place

by P. S. Power

  "Well, no one said that a leader should be wealthy. Morten, if you'd start an accounting, as if she were my daughter?"

  His son hopped to his feet, grinning himself.

  "Heh. Mother will love that, won't she? Still, it is a good thing. First daughter or second?" Whatever that meant Morris laughed at him and waved the idea away.

  "Third, thank you very much. I never slept with her mother after all."

  The boy ran off. He wasn't a boy though, not by the rules of his culture or almost anyone else's. He was a man. Old enough to drink Back Before in America and with his own wife and daughter, she was still lying on a rug off to the side.

  "Hi Ginny." Jake said the words as if the girl could answer, which she did by looking at him wide eyed and smiling. She was little still, not even walking yet.

  That greeting apparently meant he was supposed to watch her or something because Morris ran outside, leaving them alone. Whatever they were doing didn't take long though, since the leader came back a minute later, holding glassed of something that looked brown. It had bubbles in it too and chunks of ice.

  "Soda from your part of the world. Well, Mexico actually, because they made a superior product there. Cola." He handed the glass over with a smile and waited expectantly for Jake to take a sip. It was pretty good. Sweet and slightly biting on the throat, but it brought back memories of a better time. One that he hadn't even known was good.

  Without waiting then he explained the reason for the trip, setting up the various plants and getting the materials delivered, along with the distribution teams. The man looked serious for a long time and then simply agreed, as if it was the plan the whole time.

  "You should check with the Vulcans as well, they would be most honored to be included I think and not just relegated to the mining portion of things, though they excel there."

  He nearly lost it, but managed to put things together before looking like a bigoted moron.

  "Right, the fellow... Winsor, he's in charge of that, but having a production facility next to the materials is just common sense. Good three down, seven to go. We have teams to run them, or will at least. Your people are too important to waste on that part of things." Jake looked down then held his head for a second.

  "That sounds awful, doesn't it? It's the truth though. We could, eventually clear enough space for people to survive without you, but it wouldn't be easy. Not that this will be. I don't know if anyone really get's it yet, but this will take decades. On the good side we can get the main cities cleared in a few weeks. That and farms first. We have a whole world to do though. I hope you're all ready for it. Oh! Some good news too."

  He explained the food assemblers that the Technologists had offered them all, which got Morris's attention pretty quick. He made a face, but then shrugged.

  "So much for my fortune from the spice trade. Well, if the Ba-Dehist says it should be so, who am I to argue?" His face sobered then though, losing all trace of humor, which was odd for the man.

  "About that, I humbly beg forgiveness for having doubted you before. I'd just assumed that you were playing the part to help us all and that the Bawdri girl had put you up to it. I was surprised when she admitted to her ruse, but didn't know that she'd been correct the whole time. Oopse?" Then he smiled and spread his hands.

  "Who would have known? All the killing you've done, I thought it a dead giveaway you know. No Dehist kills easily after all. I lacked faith."

  "Faith doesn't do much anymore. Hardly a big deal."

  Morris didn't agree with that part at all. In fact he seemed pretty upset about it all, like it was a huge thing indeed.

  "No, no and no again Ba-Dehist. You must come and live here now, I won't hear otherwise. You can lead us from safety and in comfort. For us to have risked you all this time... It is on me, for not seeing your honest and true nature. Morten did. He always knew. Our Cameron too. Morten though, he argued with me night after night, insisting that you were the true Ba-Dehist and that we should care for you as is proper. Bathed in scented oils and with women to tend the needs of your body each night, not living huddled in a house with hundreds of others, cold and near starving at all times."

  It was Jake's turn to laugh then.

  "I don't need to be coddled Morris. What I need is for you and your people to be leaders now. I know that not everyone is thrilled with you all the time, what with the bad reputation and all, but that has to change now. I need an force of... Travelers to set the world right. You shouldn't have to, but if you don't, I think that we all die."

  He shook his head, looking at Ginny on her red and blue striped rug. The whole floor was covered with them in different colors.

  "I don't need comfort, or love or anything except that. If I die, the world must go on, and that means that you and your people have to go on and become what you were truly meant to be." Whatever that was. Jake was vamping though.

  After all, he had no clue where he was, if Morris refused to let him go home. Hopefully Cam would be willing to help the "Ba-Dehist" out, if it came to it, even if her leader said otherwise. Luckily Morris just agreed with him. That was nice, because it would make everything easier.

  "But tonight we must celebrate! We need to gather the rest of Cameron's friends, her family leader, Nate, those she holds dear. They all need to come and witness her adulthood. I can go get them now, I think, let me get my darling in to take Ginny..." He teleported out so quickly that Jake was left speechless. It was nearly instant.

  The people that came were on foot though, a group of men and women that pulled him away, out into the city of nice looking tents and houses. There were sheer cliff faces all around them and the air was thin, meaning it was probably high in a mountain range somewhere. Puffs of steam rose from the ground in places, explaining the warmth.

  It was like some kind of natural greenhouse, open to the sky, but filled with vegetation anyway. Trapped here, away from the rest of the world, a secret place that short of being one of Cam's people, or at least knowing one, wasn't something that a person could really reach on their own.

  One woman, who seemed fairly familiar, for all Jake didn't know her name was carrying Ginny on her hip, wearing loose clothing in bright colors. It was unusual but festive looking. Everyone was dressed like that, ready for a party, except for him. He smiled though and tried not to seem as awkward as he felt. It was an intrusion, except for the fact that Cam was one of his people too. Part of his family.

  If she had something to celebrate, he did too.

  No one really said much to him, though about half of the people were looking at him funny, as if letting him know they recognized him, but were too cool and relaxed to make a big deal of it. The rest of them did less than that, which was kind of nice. One too many "Ba-Dehists" that evening would drive him nuts. It was just after noon here though, early enough in the day that not everyone was busy playing, some actually doing work. Including cooking.

  The women pulled off after a bit, no one explaining anything to him, probably because they didn't all speak English. He couldn't understand them either, but they seemed pleasant enough, the men that were left. A couple of the younger ones, who looked to be about nineteen or twenty tugged his arm over to a pile of wood and gestured to an ax. One of them smiled expressively and waved at his clothing, then Jake's which really made a lot of sense. He wasn't in his party clothes. It was warm enough for him to take his jacket off and the button up under it, a plaid thing that had seen a lot of hard use and wear. It had stains on it, both on the sleeves and front. Old blood. More than one person had bled on it too, including him. He draped both over a near-by rock and started on the rounds. Hopefully they were for the big fire later, or at least would help someone and this wasn't just about some guy dodging his chores.

  It was about three hours later that Tansy found him, her face looking a bit pale, like something was horribly wrong. The guy that had gestured earlier was dressed in the same clothing, and it still looked clean, though he was currently looking a
bit crestfallen too.

  "What are you doing?" Tansy looked ready to cry.

  "Crud, I didn't cut up the special ceremonial wood or something did I?"

  "No..." Then she turned on the man next to her and started a string of words that Jake couldn't understand, but that didn't sound nice at all.

  "Or rather yes, but you shouldn't have been doing it, this... Paka, was supposed to get that done." She growled the last bit, as Jake went back to work. There were only two more rounds left after all.

  Between swings he spoke, not out of breath, having measured his pace. It wasn't a sprint after all. They had time to get it done. Or he thought they did at least. He'd need to wash up before any kind of party... if he was invited. He hadn't thought about it, but it was a different culture. Maybe it was an all girl thing or something? The guys had colorful clothing on too, and it wasn't daily wear. Morris and Morten always wore black, or at least dark clothing to work in, going to meetings or whatever.

  "He did get it done. Just be a bit here."

  It was a little longer than that, but the other two didn't seem to need him for anything, arguing as they were. It was a little stressful for him, but he didn't let that stop the flow of work. He did laugh when he finished though.

  "Done! Now, if you two will behave, or at least pretend to be friends again, maybe I could get to a bucket of water or something?" He was covered with wood splinters, bark and bits of dirt, and hadn't even stacked the wood anywhere yet. It was a lot too. Leaving it there probably wouldn't do the trick either.

  "I mean, after I get it to where it needs for the fire?"

  "No Ba-Dehist. That is a job for the children. The splitting is a man's task." She said something to the guy next to her again, but this time translated for Jake's benefit as the man turned a deep beet red.

  "I told him that it was well done by a true man. It's a bit insulting, since you're an outsider and can't remove yourself, but if he fails to realize that those things on your belt are weapons and that no one would doubt your ability to protect yourself that isn't my fault. I don't think he realizes that I'm calling you Ba-Dehist even and not just invoking the name. I'm so telling his wife later. She's my sister. Passing one of the sacred duties to another is rather a... bad thing to do." She turned her back and made her voice go low, but smiled up at Jake, just a tiny bit, since they were about the same height.

  "Though technically getting you to do it is a good... sign for Cam. She's alone in the world now..."

  That got Jake to stop suddenly, shaking his head firmly.

  "No, she really isn't."

  It didn't sound mean. It was happy even. Peaceful. It was like his old self was coming back again, which could really work out for a party like this. He decided to let it, if he could. He noticed Tansy tearing up though at his words. It wasn't a sad thing though.

  "She has a huge family, closer in many ways than most. It isn't the same as her mother and father, true, but she certainly isn't alone."

  That got him a hug and a leer from the man behind her, who he made a face at. The guy didn't do anything though, or say anything in his strange language, just smiling and walking away. Probably to tell on them, but it was an innocent enough thing. These people didn't seem hung up on things like that anyway, not from what he'd heard. Relationships were permanent, but more fluid than what he was used to. It was a different culture after all.

  Which didn't mean he couldn't use a bath if people were going to be hugging him like that.

  That was actually arranged rather quickly, with him being taken to a portable shower set up almost immediately when he asked about it. It was a communal thing, but had a curtain, so he wasn't standing in the open naked doing washing. He didn't have fresh clothing available, but when he came out wrapped in a towel he saw that his clothes had been taken away and a pile of brightly colored things left in their place. A little too big, but the style worked for him there, his boney frame hidden in the loose folds pretty well. The top was in green and purple, but made of something like cotton and was heavier than he would have thought just to look at it, the inside being a nice practical black color. He nearly used that side, but realized that making himself comfortable and less ostentatious wasn't worth potentially ruining the event.

  It was Cam's day. If the rule was for bright colors, then he could do that. If it was for somber black, he could manage that too, with a few minutes time and a bush for modesty. It was probably the colors for the day though, since that was what everyone else had on. When he came out, having arranged his short hair with a few wipes of a towel, a really nice one that was actually all the way dry, not having been used by anyone else first, he was met by an older woman he was pretty sure he'd met before. She didn't have little Ginny though so it was hard to tell.

  Smiling she waved for him to go along with her. Jake followed, hoping it was the right thing to do and that it didn't mean he needed to stay where he was or something specific he just didn't get. It was a lot more comfortable when he could understand others. That part was taken care of pretty fast at least, since he was led into a strange tent that hadn't been there earlier, a thing in slightly stained white, that looked used and a bit run down, but that had things in it already. Carpets, a large chest, a single futon mattress with nice sheets and bedding and in the middle of it, dressed all in silk, Cam. She giggled and tossed him a pillow.

  "Like it? It's all mine. I'm supposed to decorate it myself now, but this is kind of the starter kit. I probably won't have a lot of time for that though, if I'm out traveling all the time, right?" She sounded a little wistful, but smiled at him and waved at the ground.

  "Sit Ba-Dehist. How did you know that I could do it? The best I've managed on my own before that was fifty seconds. Is it some "Very Good Man" power?"

  Jake dropped the pillow and settled on it smoothly, as if he'd done that kind of thing all his life, a move not missed by the girl in front of him at all. After thinking for a while he nodded.

  "It is. You see, I have faith in you Cam. Oh, you could have failed, sure, but if it was within your ability to do it, you would. This time you kind of blew the whole thing out of the water though, didn't you? I hope you don't have to keep that Ladle though, It's Lois's favorite you know."

  Cam nodded.

  "Why I took it. Right from her hand too. Had to wrestle it from her a bit. I can return it though, after the thing tonight. Did you know that Morris is putting up my bride price? He's not even a relative." She sobered when the words came out, her voice going low and a tear coming to her eye now too.

  It was probably a big deal then. She'd spent months having to service the police force of Westwood sexually, sometimes in ways that were physically painful and hadn't shed a tear over that in his presence, even though she had a right too. All the women from there did.

  "It's a quarter of everything he owns Jake. He's powerful too, so it isn't just a few little things he collected when no one was looking. It's..." She shrugged.

  "We don't have money now, do we? If it was a year ago it would have been millions of dollars worth of things. Maybe more. All to go to my future husband, if I pick one. If I don't I'm on my own, of course. I probably won't for a while, but I can now if I want too. Or have sex." that was said with a flirty air to it, but it didn't seem to be real. She knew that he wouldn't sleep with her, not that way.

  "Anyway, my friends are supposed to stand with me later, if they're adults. I asked Morris and he said that it would count if they were that for their different cultures. Think anyone will show up? Morris went to get them from the House, but came back so they could get ready, if anyone wants to come. I mean, he's going to pick them up later."

  She looked downcast about it though.

  Did she not think she had friends or something? He shook his head, which she didn't see, looking at the rug in front of her.

  "We'll see who can make it. I'm willing to bet it will be more than one or two." He sounded dry but didn't add anything else. He honestly didn't know if anyo
ne could come. They were all kind of busy suddenly, weren't they?

  About an hour later they were called out, he thought when he heard a woman yelling loudly, at least Cameron got up and gestured for him to follow, walking to the center of the town, or whatever you called a collection of tents like this. There were rows of people, a lot of them, hundreds, that were all brightly clad and smiling, but on the right hand side, standing with Morris, his wife, Morten and Tansy, were Cam's other friends. It was a powerful message to the world, he could see the symbolism clearly. These were the people that would stand by Cam. Two spaces had been left, which were obviously meant for her parents. She looked at it, then at the rest of the people that had bothered to show up.

  It was more than a few. About a hundred more. Not all of them were people from the House either. Indeed, other than the fact that they were leaders of their kind and a few others that he might have seen around once or twice, there were just some that Jake didn't know at all. The Grand Comtrice stood by Lamont, and Julio Mendez was near the center, right next to Sammi and her "Uncle" Robert. Colleen was a few people down, so he moved in next to her, since that put him near Vicki, Tipper and Matilde. Half a dozen other Vals too. Including Stander and Yalla.

  Powerful friends indeed.

  There was a whole ceremony, which involved Cam speaking in a cracked voice for a while, sounding nervous as hell, but in her own peoples language, then going over it in English and, to Jake surprise, in Spanish. The words weren't complex, but it was a nice speech.

  "I stand here before the world, a child no more. I accept the duties of an adult, the burdens and the trials. I put away the things of my past that are unneeded and hold dear those that stand with me. Those I shall never put away." She made eye contact with the crowd then, one by one. It took a while.