The Wild Children Trilogy Box Set
Page 85
"I can't clear off, Pris, much as I'd love to. I might still be needed. This was one heck of a fight."
Priscilla squeezed his hand, noticing he looked drained and exhausted. "Then let's just sit here in peace for a while. Tell me, when did you get here?"
"We got an alarm message from Resurrection Town by signal and all flocked here to help protect the town. Not one man too many, either. We barely stood against the government troops. There were so many losses." He closed his eyes, looking as if he'd love nothing more than to go to sleep for a whole year. "They really wanted to flatten us outright, but it didn't work. So now they're trying to cut us off from the supply lines. That won't work either, though."
Priscilla was still dwelling on the word losses. She was afraid to ask the question, but couldn't keep silent. It was better to find out at once. "Was anyone we know…" She couldn't say the word.
Ben scrunched up his eyes as if in intense pain, but opened them once more to look at her. His voice hollow, he said, "The bastards got Ron and David Oak."
Priscilla bit her lip. Both Ron and David were old camp members of Ben's, whom she knew well and was fond of. She couldn't grasp the idea of never seeing them again.
Another woman in an apron moved forward. "Excuse me, is that my tray of equipment?" she asked in an annoyed voice. "Why is it here? Am I supposed to look for it all over the place?"
She picked up the tray and walked away in a huff. Priscilla was immune to her disapproving look at the moment, though. She had eyes for nobody but her husband. "Ben, I've been sick with worry. I guessed you might be here. God, I don't know what I would have done if…"
"It was butchery, Pris, plain and simple. They were trying to pick us off one by one. Some of Thunder Cloud's men were killed as well, and Thunder Cloud himself was wounded, but it's nothing serious. I wish they'd sent the army instead of the Tower's security forces."
"What?"
"If they'd tried, they'd have been in for an unpleasant surprise."
"What do you mean?"
"I've told you we have friends inside the Boundary. Some are in the military, some in the police, some even in the White Tower. I think the Tower realizes they don't fully control the army they way they do the internal security force."
"But…"
"Pris, please. We can talk more about it later. Right now, there's so much else to consider. Like all these wounded. We're fortunate to have Elisa here with us."
"Elisa's here?"
"She and Sidney arrived as soon as they got word of the fighting. Many of the free clans did as well. I think it was the arrival of the Ravens that really turned the tide, though. They fought like devils."
"Things are going to get tough now, Ben."
He gave a short, sarcastic laugh. "You don't say. Well, of course. Resurrection Town is dependent on the Boundary. Most of the people here have citizenships, though many of them are class B. They weren't prepared to be completely cut off from the Boundary. I expect some people will panic. Come, Pris. Let's get to the main hospital and see if we can find Elisa and Sidney and the others. Will you help me put my shirt on?"
"I didn't allow you to get up!" the nurse said in a stern voice, seeing Ben rise from the chair and begin to walk away, with his arm wrapped around Priscilla's waist. He turned around and offered her a wan smile.
"Don't worry about me, Julie. I'm fine. You look after the others."
They walked to the car, as driving was easier than walking all the way to the other hospital. "Might be better if we walk and save the gas, though," Ben said. "Fuel is going to become a major problem in the next few days."
"Nonsense, Ben. You're injured and exhausted. Come on, it's a short drive."
As Ben slid into the passenger seat next to her, Priscilla was about to start the ignition, but her hand faltered for a moment. She faced her husband as tears welled up. "Oh, Ben," she whispered.
He was facing her, and she saw the little crinkles around his eyes and mouth which she was sure weren't there when they last said goodbye. He looked tired and was dirty and reeked with sweat. Priscilla remembered those distant happy days when they just got married and moved to their cabin, and spent almost all their time working on home improvements. After a long day spent at rigorous labor, they would peel off their clothes and jump into the ice cold little creek, screeching with laughter and splashing each other with water. Then they would get out, numb with cold, their teeth chattering, and head inside, where they would light a nice cozy fire. They would sit in front of it, wrapped in one blanket, and there was no one but the two of them for many miles around.
Priscilla leaned her forehead against his. "I want to go home," she whispered. Ben wrapped his good arm around her and held her and she buried her face in his chest.
"So do I, Pris. But we can't just walk away now. We chose not to, though we could... but now we hardly can. It's war, and there's nowhere to hide."
The hospital was even more packed than the warehouse, and the nurses moved around with a sort of determined frenzy, hardly sparing a look or a word for anything that wasn't directly related to their work. The resources they had were ridiculously inadequate, Priscilla knew, and things would get even harder as the medicines and supplies ran out.
Walking through the wards, they finally spotted Elisa. She was sitting next to a man stretched out in a bed, taking his pulse. When she saw Ben and Priscilla, her face brightened. "Prissy, good to see you! Ben, I'm glad you're on your feet. I hope you aren't overstraining yourself."
"Never mind me," Ben said, peering down at the unconscious man. "What about him?"
Priscilla looked at the man, wondering if he was someone she was supposed to recognize. His face was ashen and bloodless, but familiar. She only saw him once, many years ago, but a chord was struck in her memory. "Isn't this…"
"Yes," Elisa nodded, "it's Barry."
"I never saw anyone fight like he did today," said Ben, shaking his head. "He took on six or seven government soldiers at once. He saved at least a dozen people, shoving them aside and rushing into the thick of it instead of them. Who would have thought?"
Elisa nodded. "It was as if he didn't care about dying." Her voice was soft. "I wonder what happened to him to make him turn out this way."
Barry moaned, and she snapped back into the efficient demeanor of a nurse. "Sorry, guys, I really need to get back to work. You can find Raven in the next ward if she hasn't run off yet. She has a shoulder wound and really needs to rest, but won't listen to me when I tell her to lie still."
Elisa was right. Raven sat on her camp bed in the corner, tapping her foot and looking extremely annoyed. Taylor, who appeared unhurt, was dozing in a folding chair next to her bed, and his eyes snapped open at the entrance of the visitors.
Raven cheered up immensely upon seeing Ben and Priscilla. "Ben, Prissy, you're here! I'm glad to see you looking well. Wish I could say the same about myself." She winced.
"Is it bad, Raven?" Priscilla asked.
Raven let out an exasperated sigh. "I've been better. And it wasn't even a bullet that got me. My horse got spooked and threw me off, and I got this shoulder injury." She scowled. "I expect I'll be knocked out for some time now."
"How are the rest of your people?" Ben asked.
"We were lucky enough not to lose anyone, but Dan Crow is pretty bad. Elisa's concerned about his leg. She hopes they won't need to amputate."
"I wish we could get more staff here," Ben said. "Pris has come to help out, but I'm afraid I've distracted her a little."
"You know the White Tower has cut off the power lines and closed all crossing points, I suppose?"
"Yes. It's a blow, but it was to be expected."
"All to the good, I say. As long as they stay there and we stay here, well apart, we'll manage."
"Yes," Ben said. "I guess we will... somehow. The problem is, we're disorganized. Getting everyone here to fight was a huge ordeal, and I'm sure there are camps that missed our signals. And getting everyone to work to
gether is nearly impossible. There's always petty squabbling over something or other, and disagreements, and people tugging the rope their own way. What we need, I think, is some sort of centralized leadership. One that would keep some basic sort of order. Something like..."
"A government?" Raven prompted with an even deeper scowl. "I thought we're trying to throw the government off our backs, not make a new one. Don't you value your freedom, Ben Grey?"
"I do, and that's exactly why I want to do what has to be done to preserve it. We've got to be realistic, Raven. If we're just a bunch of camps randomly thrown together, we won't be able to work through this."
"I don't see why not."
Priscilla was not surprised at her reluctance, given Raven always was very stubborn. "Ben isn't suggesting we set up anything like the White Tower around here. But if people elect those who they know and trust to represent them, it can make things a lot easier. It's like... the Ravens chose you for their leader, didn't they? You get the final say on all sorts of things, like when to pack up the camp and move on to better pastures, or how many sheep to trade for supplies with another camp. A local government is kind of the same, just on a larger scale."
Raven opened her mouth to protest, but stopped. Finally she said, "It isn't my decision, anyway. The people will choose what they want. I just have to say that every year, I offer to step down from the position of leader, and one day I'll do that. I know I have no power of my own without being backed up by my camp. One has to be careful when wielding power, because it has a tendency to go to one's head."
After making sure Ben was comfortable and settled for the night, Priscilla went on to help in the wards, working under Elisa's instructions, and finally let her head drop on the pillow beside Ben well past midnight.
* * *
As morning dawned, the disarray continued. The independently produced electricity was just enough to power the lights and refrigerators in the hospital, and to work the pumps that were responsible for conveying water from the river to the hospital plumbing. The grocery store and a few large community centers had solar panels as well, but most of the houses were cut off.
There was also the depressing task of digging graves for those who didn't make it through the night. Ben, despite his bad arm, and several other men went to Warren's, picked up shovels, and proceeded to a vacant plot of land beyond the edge of town. Priscilla accompanied her husband, whom she could hardly bear to let out of her sight following the recent events.
Darren, who walked next to Ben, looked east, shielding his eyes with his hand against the sun. Startled, he said, "Hey, look over there. What's that?"
Priscilla looked. In the distance, silhouetted dark against the bright sunlight, a throng of people walked toward town.
They approached with a slow but steady step. There were men, women, and children, young and old, pushing carts and carrying large backpacks. Some had babies in their arms or toddlers astride their shoulders. The survivors could just stand there and stare, their mouths agape, while the newcomers moved forward.
"What on earth..." Ben mumbled, but stopped as the first in the long column of people came in clear view. They stood on the other side of the empty lot, peering uncertainly at the group of men with the shovels.
Ben put his shovel down and went over to talk to the strangers. He addressed a dignified-looking bald man who looked slightly younger than his father. "Greetings. Do you come from the Boundary?"
The man nodded. "The crossing points are officially closed, but unofficially those who are prepared to leave all their property to the government are allowed a one-way pass."
"A one-way pass?" Priscilla asked. "Does this mean you aren't going back?"
"No, we're not. Not unless things undergo some drastic change in there, which doesn't seem very likely. We'd rather take our chances out here than be shot in the streets by the police or thrown into jail for saying the wrong thing about the wrong people."
"Is it really that bad in the Boundary right now?" Ben asked.
"Bad enough for people to abandon their hard-earned homes and savings and venture out here. It's civil war, young man."
"Well, we don't turn anyone away, but you must know things are pretty tough here right now as well. We can no longer rely on the Boundary for power and supplies. We have precious little to offer refugees."
"Maybe we can work to earn our way. I'm an obstetrician. Do you happen to need any such around here?"
"A doctor!" Priscilla's face lit up. "Yes, of course we need doctors, the more the better! There are many wounded people in the field hospital, and…"
The man shook his head. "I don't think I'm the right professional for this. You see, I specialize in—"
"We don't care what you specialize in," Ben said. "You're a doctor, which is more than can be said about any of the current hospital staff. Welcome, doc. Tell everyone to get moving. We'll do what we can to accommodate them."
* * *
Raven stared at the crowd of lost-looking refugees with her mouth hanging open. "There must be a thousand people here," she finally said to her husband in a low voice. “Have you guys thought how we're going to feed them all? Food is going to be pretty lean in the near future, and it doesn't look as though they've brought much with them."
Taylor shook his head.
"We'll send out hunting parties and fishing parties," said Ben. "Scrounge around the supply stores. Teach these people to look for edibles. Do what we did to survive out here in our first years. Next year it will be easier. We'll plant more crops and try to raise more livestock. More people is a good thing, actually. We'll need bigger numbers if we want to become independent."
Raven, who couldn't be kept in bed by the whole hospital staff and Taylor combined, made a sound that was suspiciously like a snort. "You're dead set on this idea, huh?"
"Not just me. Many people think the same way. Even Thunder Cloud."
"And besides," Priscilla said, "Some of these people might have valuable skills they can pass on. Doctors, nurses, engineers. We could set up a trade school for them to teach in!"
Ben smiled. "Hold your horses, Pris. For now, let's just focus on keeping everyone fed with a roof over their heads."
* * *
Later that day, as the sun was about to disappear beneath the horizon, Ben and Priscilla sat on a rock watching the dying light. Ben broke the long silence, squeezing his wife's hand.
"What are you thinking?"
It took Priscilla a moment to refocus. "About what's going on in the Boundary right now. The phone connection doesn't work. I wish there was a way to call."
"Are you worried about your family?"
"My family? The Dahls and Van Wullens know how to keep themselves out of harm's way. No, it's Tilly I'm concerned about. I just hope she's alright."
"I hope Jordan's keeping his head down. I checked to see if maybe he and his family came with the refugees, but they aren't here. I know Mom's going to eat her nails raw with worry. You better drive to check on Mom and Dad, Pris. And on Ian, too. He's never been away from you so long. And there are enough hands in the hospital now."
"Tomorrow," Priscilla said, pressing close to him. "I don't like to drive by night. Tomorrow I'll go back to the farm. But tonight I'm staying here with you."
* * *
The next day, people swarmed to the central area of the town, the place where the farmers' market was held every Friday in the spring, summer and autumn. The residents of Resurrection Town, farmer settlers from the area, Freeborn from camps and homesteads and refugees from the Boundary all stood shoulder to shoulder, looking expectantly at the makeshift wooden stage in the center.
Ben climbed up and cleared his throat, looking self-conscious. He held no megaphone, but it was quiet enough for his voice to carry in all directions. "Thank you all for asking me to speak. We find ourselves in a pinch, locking horns with the White Tower, though we never planned on a direct confrontation with them. But they've overstepped their authority too blatantly
this time and all we can do now is hope the civil war puts them in their place."
He stopped for a moment, looking a little awkward and embarrassed, but the crowd cheered him on. There was a smattering of applause and several voices called out: "Hear, hear!"
"Anyway, my opinion, as many of you already know, is that we should become completely independent from the Boundary and the White Tower. We've come to rely on the supplies they send to Resurrection and their power and communication lines. I think we can do without those. It won't be easy, but I think we can learn to get along on our own."
There was more applause. "Let them just leave us alone, and we'll be fine!" someone called.
"I agree. But to do that, we need some sort of a... a central organizing system. It can be something really simple. I suggest a group of, say, twelve people who would be responsible for various aspects of the settlement."
"How would those people be elected?" someone asked.
"That's easy. Candidates will declare their names. We'll collect and count people's votes. Those who get the most votes win. Does this sound reasonable so far? Who approves?"
A thicket of hands, far more than half, shot up into the air.
"Good," Ben said, "we can go on, then."
"You want us to have a government," someone challenged from the front row. He was a burly man who kept his massive tattooed arms crossed. Ben met his eye.
"Yes. A government, but nothing like the White Tower. We'll have no one here lording over others. No dictators. Ours will be a people's rule."
"And you really think you'll be able to pull this off?"
Ben didn't flinch as the man's skeptical gaze bore into his eyes. "Yes. I think we have to pull this off if we want to stay alive and free."
21
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A wide paper sheet was pinned to the large notice board of the marketplace in Resurrection Town. Nineteen names were listed, all of prominent figures among the Freeborn and the townspeople of Resurrection who decided to run for leadership. Several volunteers helped run the impromptu election office. Poised with sheets of paper and pencils, they were ready to write down the votes.