by Hannah Ross
"You can lift some of the restrictions in such a way that having more children just won't be economically feasible for the undesirable sectors. People aren't very keen on having too many children anyway. Think about the cost of living and the near-impossibility of purchasing apartments. The average family has to slave away for most of their working years to buy a three-room hovel in the Urban Islands. And if any of the outcasts are still alive out there beyond the Boundary, you could allow them to come back. We're starting some new enterprises, you know, and will need working hands. The orphans, I'm sure, will be grateful for the chance to work for us, in return for a Class B Citizenship."
Dahl made a noncommittal noise as he approached his ball on the fairway. Conversation was suspended while he lined up his shot, swung, and gave a satisfied grunt when the ball landed on the green.
"Nice shot. Look, these are trifling matters, Alexander. You know that. The important thing is the formula. We must be the only ones who control it and, indeed, that affair must be hushed up. You can't arrest Keller without causing uproar, but you can monitor his every move."
"I am not concerned about the old man," said Dahl as they headed toward Andrew's ball, "We've offered him government protection and a very generous budget. He wants nothing more than peace and quiet for getting on with his experiments. He is content to work for us."
Andrew nodded with satisfaction. "That's the thing that matters, Alexander. That and the Boundary. There are some areas up north which I find quite tempting. The pollution is nothing by now, and the possibilities are endless."
"I don't know whether we can afford to include more areas in the Boundary, unless the Van Wullens are prepared to pay for the expenses themselves."
"But in many areas, the Boundary is no longer truly necessary."
Alexander gestured for Andrew to take his shot, which landed just short of the green.
A dry smile accompanied Dahl's nod. "The Boundary does more than keep pollution and undesirable elements at bay, Andrew. It gives people peace of mind. It confirms their belief in government protection. It helped restore order and normal life out of the post-War chaos. I'm not prepared to give up the Boundary, or even parts of it, right now, not before we subdue the riots."
"Sure. But think about it, Alexander. All the land we can distribute, the greatness we can restore."
"We'll do it. It will happen. But we must be wise and patient. All in good time, Andrew."
The heat and exercise collected the entire party around the table again. A fresh cloth was laid, and refreshments soon appeared, including pitchers of lemonade, with ice-cubes gently clinking against the glass, bowls of peaches, nectarines, and grapes, dishes of strawberries and bowls of whipped cream, and mounds of ice-cream scoops in ice-chilled bowls upon silver trays.
"We're going to have another game of tennis in a bit," Glenda said, "and this time, Andrew, you won't wriggle out of it. I brought your tennis things, and you will be one of the party. You too, Mr. President."
"You'll be sorry for that, Aunt Glenda," Stephanie said. "Dad plays better than any of us."
Eleanor smiled when Dahl just sighed.
For once, his sister-in-law failed to irk him. He looked down the length of the table, laid out so carefully and lavishly and listened to the chatter of women and the laughter of the children. He observed with pleasure the tennis whites, the carefree tans, the expert haircuts, even Aunt Daphne's feathered hat and pearls. He glanced at the beautiful lines of Silver Oaks, where his room was waiting for him, comfortable and splendidly furnished. He felt satisfied. Despite all the wars and upheavals, there was still proper rank and order in the world, and he was committed to preserving it.
The afternoon tennis game was much more pleasant than he thought it would be. He was not especially fond of tennis, but a smiling photo of the President and the First Lady, side by side in their tennis whites, always looked good in the press. Dahl also enjoyed the exercise, the smooth, powerful movements of his athletic body. It was good to feel his lungs expand with the draughts of sweet, fresh air. His heart rate increased just enough to allow for the challenge. He was content. He was in better shape today than twenty years ago.
His satisfaction did not diminish as he stood in front of the mirror later, dressing for dinner. My face looks so young. Not like it did in college, but in a different, ageless manner. Regular use of NOAGE is doing just what the professor said it would. And if it's perfected even further it can give me the greatest and most ancient dream of humankind. True immortality! Eternal life. Something denied the human race since their exile from Eden! Immortality for the best, the worthiest ones. What stability, what order and prosperity and affluence it could give mankind!
It would happen, Dahl knew. They were already doing it – fashioning a supreme race. He allowed himself a rare, thin-lipped smile, and when his wife emerged from the dressing room wearing a little black dress and a pair of magnificent pearl earrings, he walked over and kissed her on the cheek. With pleasure, he noted the smooth, lineless face, the shapely slender calves above a pair of gleaming thin-heeled black pumps.
"You look lovely. Like a proper queen."
She laughed. "Exaggerating a little, Alexander?"
"Not at all, my dear. The world may change, but the common people will always need someone to rule over them. And that is us. We are the new royalty, Eleanor."
Eleanor's smile suddenly faltered. "Alexander. All that is going on lately, the riots, the movement out there on the streets, it's…"
"Nothing that should concern you," he said.
"I know. But does it concern you?"
Dahl frowned. This is unlike her. She stays out of government affairs. No doubt Glenda put some completely unnecessary thoughts into her head. "The White Tower is extremely well-organized, and things are running smoothly. We're perfectly capable of dealing with the mob. They are no threat at all to the proper order."
Eleanor smiled. "I'm sure of it, dear."
"Come." Dahl offered his arm, she took it, and together they went down to dinner.
16
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Ben could not believe how soon their camp came back into view again. It seemed the trip to the Ravens' had been at least twice as long as the return.
Of course, their way north was shortened thanks to Raven, Dan, Patrick, Tanya Snow, and a couple of others riding double with them for the first few hours, up to the place where they all first met. Their backpacks were attached to the horses, and contained gifts of hard cheese, dried meat, pressed dried roe, and various herbs.
"We'll come up and visit you soon," promised Raven. "See you around, Ben."
She raised her hand in farewell, spun her horse, and rode back toward her camp. Ben watched the small, lithe figure until she disappeared beyond the next hill, followed by her companions, leaving Ben, Tom, and Enzo to continue their journey on their own.
They were happily received by the others in their cabin, who were all relieved to find them safe and well, and excited to hear about the other camp not so far away.
Elisa's enthusiasm knew no bounds. "Do you think it's possible to get some sheep from them? Oh, it would be great to be all set up for livestock."
"You can ask Raven when she comes up here," said Ben.
Her eyes lit up. "Will she? I hope they come with their horses. I'd like to learn how to ride. You did it, didn't you? Is it difficult?"
"We all did," said Tom. "It isn't hard. You just have to be prepared to fall down a lot. Ask Enzo. He's a real expert now in falling on his rear."
With crossed arms and a skeptical expression, Jen asked, "What kind of girl calls herself Raven, anyway?"
"Actually, her name is Lynn," Ben said, his voice sharp. "Lynn Raven. But everyone calls her Raven." And Raven suits her. A raven is a cocky, independent bird that flies everywhere and fears nothing. Just like her.
"Hmm." Jen pursed her lips. "Get your hands out of the honey po
t and come here, Marleen," she called out to her daughter. Turning back to the guys, she added, "We harvested some wild honey while you were gone."
"And Mac made a nifty wooden beehive to transfer the colony to," added Elisa. "I'll show it to you later. We placed it at some distance from the camp, so nobody accidentally bothers the bees and gets stung."
"Great idea," nodded Ben, distracted by his thoughts. Is that the neighing of a horse I hear? No. It isn't possible. They wouldn't have come so soon. It's just my imagination. He sighed. Too bad.
Two days later, they did have an unexpected arrival, but not one of the Ravens.
It was a bleak morning. After breakfast, the camp members dispersed each to his chores. Tom, Enzo and Jimmy were out fishing. Gabby started lunch. Elisa and Lauren went to tend to the goats and the vegetable garden. Ben found himself a seat on a battered stool in front of the fire and attempted to fix the peeling sole of one of his shoes with Permaglue.
"Next time we go to a town, we have to look for more of that," Mac said as he sat opposite him cleaning out his rifle. "Besides, I don't think that'll work well on leather. Why don't you just pick one of the spare pairs of shoes we have? Or better yet, convert to comfort, the way I did."
For emphasis, he wiggled his toes. Sometimes called Bigfoot by his friends, Mac found it challenging to obtain shoes in his size, a difficulty he solved by working leather and crafting his own. The moccasins, which laced all the way up to his knees, were supple and comfortable. To perfect his trade, he made pairs for Gabby and the children.
Their conversation was interrupted by excited voices outside. Someone yelled, and there was the sound of running feet, laughter, and a jumble of talking.
"What the…" started Mac. He shook his head, walked to the window and opened the shutters, followed by Ben. They saw three figures out in the garden, Elisa and Lauren who had her arms tightly wrapped around someone familiar.
"Ron!" Ben called out, and so did Mac. They and everyone who was home ran out, surrounding Ron in a tight circle, asking questions, and clapping him on the back. Ron smiled and shook hands, and finally allowed himself to be led into the house, with his arm still wrapped around Lauren's waist.
"He looked around the kitchen and the newly constructed log hall and said, "Wow! The place sure looks nice. But I'll tell you honest and true, I'm not sorry for missing out on felling and hauling all these trees."
Everyone laughed.
"Never fear," said Mac. "There's still a good amount of work to be done around here. It's great to see you, mate. How's everyone? Are you doing OK?"
"We're OK. Not great, mind, but OK. It's lonely without you all. I've wanted to come out for ages, but with so few people left, it's hard to spare anyone. Now, though, someone had to come here. There's news, see."
Ben squinted at him. "Why do I have the feeling it isn't good news?"
"Because you're right. But don't worry. It's nothing downright terrible." He smiled in response to Lauren's anxious glance. "It's just that Barry is calling an All Camps meeting."
"Is he, now?" Jen's voice quivered with anger. "How dare he think he can…"
"Anyone can call an All Camps meeting," Mac said. "But they had better have a very good reason. Did he tell you why he wants to gather everyone?"
"He dropped lots of hints, but actually told very little. He claims it's something important, something that can affect our entire future, and Barry sure has been fishy lately. Kept a low profile. Very unlike him."
"Well, I don't care," said Jen. "I'm not going back to the city, ever. I don't want to ever lay eyes on Barry's face again for as long as I live. Marleen and I are staying here."
"We can't all go anyway," said Elisa. "I'm staying too. Someone has to take care of the camp, the garden, and the animals."
"And if we bring the children along, the journey will be a lot slower," added Mac. "So how about if just a few of us make it? I'll go, and a couple of others, Ben?"
"Of course," said Ben. "Frank and Holly should come, too."
"Us?" Frank sounded genuinely surprised. "Why us?"
"Because you've never been to the city," said Mac. "And you don't know Barry. I think it's important that you see him, at least once."
"He's not very…not very nice, is he?" Holly asked.
"He killed Marleen's father," Jen said.
"Barry is scum, but you have nothing to fear," said Ben. "If he calls everyone, he knows he has to be on his best behavior."
This reassured Holly, but Ben was not so sanguine. He was not afraid, but he harbored a nasty suspicion about anything Barry was involved in. He expected nothing good from the Bear.
They set out the next day. After an uneventful journey, they crested a hill on the outer limits of the city. Frank and Holly, who were seeing it for the first time, stared ahead as if mesmerized, and Frank let out a soft, "Wow!"
"This is huge," Holly said. "Bigger than any Urban Island, I bet! Just imagine how many people lived here before the War."
Ben smiled. "It's not as impressive close up."
As they hastened in the direction of their old camp, they found everything the same as before they left. Muffled sounds followed their knock on the door and, once it was opened, they were greeted by a flurry of excited voices. The men shook hands, Frank and Holly were introduced, and Edeline came forward balancing Leslie on her hip and with her free arm hugged Ben, Tom, and Mac.
Breathless, she said, "Oh, it's so good to see you. And you, Lauren, I know you probably didn't come to stay, but…"
"No," said Lauren, taking Leslie out of Edeline's arms and kissing her. "I just came to spend some time with Ron, because he would come back." She threw him a reproachful look as he shuffled his feet in apparent discomfort.
Ryan, Leslie's older brother, claimed a place in all the commotion and stood there in the midst of all the adults, holding on to his father's hand.
"How are things, Andy?" asked Ben. "How are you getting on?"
"We're good." Andy nodded for emphasis. "Good," he repeated, lest anyone should doubt it, but Mac looked skeptical.
"You should get out of here. We've set up a nice spacious camp out in the country, and you'll all be better off there, especially Edeline and the children, Andy. Consider what's best for them, won't you?"
Andy sighed. "I told Edeline as much. I told her she should move out with the children, and I'll join her as soon as I can, but she won't hear of it."
"Someone has to keep an eye on you," Edeline said.
"And someone has to keep an eye on Barry," said Andy. "This meeting…if we weren't here, I don't think he'd have bothered letting you know, Ben. And it's all extremely fishy, if you ask me."
"What do you mean?" Ben frowned.
"Well, a week ago, some types we've never seen before came into the city."
"A new camp?" asked Mac.
"No. Not like us. Not orphans, I mean. They seemed different somehow. All purposeful and well-organized. And their English…it was weird. They had this accent, like Mr. Gonzales, the school caretaker. I think I heard them speaking Spanish among themselves. And you know no outcasts ever spoke anything but English."
"That's true," Mac said, nodding. "Nobody ever bothered to teach us any foreign languages."
"So they poked around for a few days, and when they met Barry, they got all chummy with him. They stopped talking to anyone else and just kept hanging out with the Bears. And a few days later, Barry called this meeting."
"But if they aren't from within the Boundary," Ben said, "where did they come from?"
Nobody seemed to have an answer to that.
"When's the meeting?" asked Mac.
"In two days, at the city center. Impossible to miss it. It's already abuzz with people. Some camps from outside the city have set themselves up there."
When they turned the corner onto the wide street that led to the plaza, Ben's imagination kicked in. This must have been a very handsome place before the War, with water cascading down the tiered fount
ain, multicolored flags waving in the wind on those poles, and the sun reflecting off the windows in the tall buildings. Now the buildings are crumbling, the windows broken, the fountain dry, the flags long gone. I wish I could have seen it before. One corner of his mouth curled up. But then I'd be older than my mother. Or dead. An odd ache in his chest came and went in a second. I haven't thought about her for a long time.
Mac's laugh interrupted his musing and he looked around. The usual look of desolation and ruin was softened by the crowd. The plaza was packed with makeshift buildings and tents, and the air was filled with the voices of more people than Ben ever saw at once in any area outside the Boundary.
Behind him, a familiar voice called out his name. He spun around to find Raven standing there with her feet slightly parted and planted firmly upon the ground. There was something surreal about seeing her in the city. The natural place for her was out there, on her horse's back, or with her crossbow in the woods, or laughing and singing with the others around the fire in a large hide tent.
She laughed at his expression. "Didn't expect to see me here?" She pushed a stray lock of shiny dark hair from her face. "I could say the same about you. I'd say you're the last person on earth to come at Barry's call."
"Really? Why?"
"I knew Michael. Something like that can never be forgiven."
"It won't be. But I still thought we should come, to know what's going on, if for no other reason."
Raven nodded. "I know. I had this feeling when I heard. I wanted to stay out in our camp and have nothing to do with Barry, but something told me I must know what this is about."
"Did you bring your horses?"
"Sure. It was much too far for trekking on foot. We left the horses a few blocks away, with Fred and Sean. They aren't used to so many people and I was afraid all the noise would startle them."