by Hannah Ross
Ben didn't know what to think. Could Barry really have changed? It was hard to reconcile the bully who caused so much grief and who killed an innocent out of thoughtless pride with the man who rushed to meet the government troops, and his own death, with grenades in his hands. He guessed it would always remain an enigma. Barry was gone, having at least partly made up in death for all that passed during his life.
"Anyway, Ben," Raven said, "I hope to see you well and up on your feet again soon. I've taken your place on the Council of Leaders for the time being because nobody else would step up to the plate, and let me tell you, it's a pain in the neck. There are some whackos who've gotten piss-drunk on this victory, and think we just ought to push on until we tear down the Boundary."
"What? That's crazy. The White Tower can finish us all off without breaking a sweat."
"Easy, Ben," Priscilla said. "Nobody is going to attack the Boundary. You really should get more rest."
"I agree with Ben," Percy said. "However, the Tower might choose to avoid conflict if it isn't absolutely necessary. They have enough to be getting on with, as the civil riots are still going on within the Boundary. And they've had a taste of what dealing with the Freeborn is really like. The time might just be ripe for a treaty."
"Do you think they'll treat with us?" Ben asked, his face full of doubt.
"They might. It depends on what they think will profit them most, of course. If they want to keep things nice and smooth, they might agree to recognize the independence of the wild lands, which, in my opinion, is what we ought to strive for."
Priscilla's head shook. "I know the people who sit in the White Tower and they can't be trusted to leave us alone, even if they sign a dozen treaties."
Ben looked at her and nodded. "You ought to know better than anyone, Pris."
Percy gave her a curious look. "You really are Priscilla Dahl, aren't you?"
She pursed her lips. "I used to be."
"So you understand why I did what I did and why I left."
She nodded. "I used to hope for a reform within the Boundary, but have given it up as pretty much hopeless. At least in the foreseeable future. I think our best hope is that they might want to keep away from us for the sake of their own peace and profits. Considering us savages pushed out to savage lands is probably the best we can hope for from them."
"We have to make very clear demands, I think," Raven said. "Independence from the Boundary. A complete abolition of the Registry. A full stop to the abuse of the Freeborn."
"The Freeborn are not the only ones who are abused, you know," Hawthorn said. "There are many Class B drudges like my brother who are exploited on farms and in factories. I wish we could help them all. I wish they would all dare to leave."
"They probably won't," Sidney said, "but we have to start somewhere. Now, how about we knuckle down and begin drafting a treaty?"
24
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Ned Thornton took his cigar out of his mouth and slammed it forcefully onto the ashtray. "Preposterous!" he snarled. "What do these… these hobos, these pathetic ragged gypsies, think they're about? Independence, ha!" He gave a bark of sarcastic laughter and reached for his whiskey.
"All in all, Ned," Andrew Van Wullen said, "I think it's better to play along."
Thornton looked at his wife's uncle as if he were crazy. "Play along with this farce? Are you serious, Uncle Andrew? Give up on the lands to the south and west, after all the trouble we've put into securing them, and hand them over to the savages?"
"We will still have all the lands to the north. What used to be New England, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. That's plenty of land to resettle, and we can do it right this time. Send an organized Class B force under skilled supervisors. Don't try to mess with the Illegals at all. They're more trouble than they're worth. And besides," he said with a faint smile, "do you really think their so-called new government will hold ground? It's nothing more serious than kids playing with plastic guns."
"Those kids flattened us in the Resurrection Town battle."
"A stroke of fool's luck, thanks to outside help. Nothing more. Trust me, Ned, their new creation will topple like a house of cards in a few months at most, and when that happens, we can take advantage of the chaos and resume the Registry program. In the meantime, we can profit from this situation by offering all the Class B citizens to choose: do they want to stay here, under a stable rule, or do they want to give up their citizenship and go to live with the Wild Children? No third alternative. No flitting back and forth across the Boundary. This way we'll weed out all the rebellious elements."
"But we need the Class B labor force."
"Of course. But not many will leave. People are not that stupid. They know Resurrection Town and the surrounding areas will be a wreck without our supplies and power lines, which they've depended on all the while. Those who want to ruin themselves playing pioneers, well, let them. We only need to sit back and allow things to take their proper course."
Ned looked at the older man appreciatively. "How come you always know what to do, Uncle Andrew?"
Andrew Van Wullen returned a modest smile. "I spent many years counseling my brother-in-law. This kind of experience doesn't go to waste. We have nothing to be afraid of, Ned. Trust me. Things will return to the right track before long."
* * *
The historical day on which the treaty between the White Tower and the Freeborn was to be signed dawned overcast and grey. The meeting place was the crossing point—a symbolic location—for what stood behind the tall walls was forbidden to the free folk of the wild lands, and many who stood before it now had been turned out of the Boundary through these very gates.
The representatives of the Freeborn traveled to the place well beforehand, and a crowd of tents was located some distance away from the gate, with features as mundane as cooking fires and makeshift clotheslines visible around the camp. Ben and Priscilla were there, as were Raven and Sidney Coleridge, Andy Steel and Carl of the Spotted Cats, and many others. Some farmers and residents of Resurrection Town were present as well, among them Tim Dustin who, with the help of the new doctors who came to work at the field hospital, retained his injured arm and made a full recovery. Elisa Wood stayed behind to run the hospital, and Percy Hawthorn decided to stay in Resurrection Town as well, deeming it unwise to show his face after so publicly switching sides.
"I think they're coming!" Andy said, shielding his eyes as he squinted into the distant dusty haze of the road, where a few slowly moving, gleaming spots were seen.
"Is everything ready?" Ben asked. "Everyone?"
"It is, they are," Andy said with a grin. He was looking forward to the meeting and what everyone hoped it would accomplish.
The great gate opened and three shiny, black, official-looking cars drove through, stopping just before the camp. People in dark suits and expensive ties stepped out, contrasting with the mismatched attire of the Freeborn. Ben and Raven walked forward first, followed by the other Council members.
Hands were stiffly shaken and the appointed negotiators for each side retired to the large tent.
"Is it necessary for four of your security men to attend this meeting?" Ben asked Ned Thornton.
Thornton managed to convey his distaste at having to suffer the presence of inferiors with a curt, "Yes."
Ben shrugged and smiled as he looked up at the closest Black Suit and asked, "You all ex-military?"
The man nodded.
"Good." Ben's smile widened.
Thornton was momentarily confused by the exchange, but said only, "Let's get on with this. I have more important matters to deal with back at the White Tower."
He opened the folder his aide slid in front of him and tossed a bound copy of the Treaty across the table to Ben, who paged though it, frowning.
"I can get someone to read it aloud to you," Thornton said.
"We can read, thank you."
"Indeed. I… Well, I'll just summarize all the
legal jargon. This document essentially says that the United States, represented by the White Tower government assembly, relinquishes the hold on your whole…err…settlement. We will not make any demands of those who were born without a permit, or any of their descendants, and we regretfully give up the prospect of civilizing them through the Registry program. At the same time, we withdraw all support we have previously bestowed upon Resurrection Town as a colony of the Boundary. We will not provide electricity, infrastructure or supplies. You will have to resolve these issues on your own to the best of your abilities." He finished with the shadow of a derisive sneer on his lips.
Raven scowled. "That's it?"
"No, there's more," Ned Thornton said, with the air of a magician about to pull a rabbit out of his hat. "Citizens of the Boundary will not be permitted to reside in the forsaken lands, such continued residence being considered a federal crime from this day onward. Those who wish to remain here, or who were thinking of moving out here, will have to consider that doing so will deprive them of their legal status. Those who would like to trade their citizenship for a savage life among Illegals are allowed to do so by law, of course."
As he rode to the meeting, Thornton wondered what reaction his harsh terms would elicit from savages facing permanent exile with no further help of any kind from civilization. He imagined looks of shock, yelling about unfairness, even a small riot where the leaders of the Illegals were pummeled to death by crowds begging the Tower to forgive them and welcome them and rule them. But the blasé looks of indifference that met him from the other side of the tent clearly took him unawares.
"Is that everything?" Ben asked as the others at the table and behind them sat and stood quiet and calm.
Thornton looked at him as if he just noticed something he had missed before. "Those are our rather generous terms. Consider yourselves lucky we didn't send in more troops to wipe you out."
"You mean the troops we soundly defeated not long ago?"
Thornton flinched the slightest bit as Ben smiled. "Perhaps you'd be kind enough to step outside with me for a minute or two, Mr. Thornton. There are a few things you haven't considered, but I think I can make most of them clear enough for even government men to grasp."
He rose, stepped to the opening of the tent, and after the other Council members exited, said, "Please. After you."
"What is this about?" Thornton demanded as he stepped into the sunshine.
"Education, Mister Minister. Please bear with me for a moment."
Ben led Thornton and his security men to a tree, to which a long piece of cardboard was nailed. On it were three black circles six inches in diameter vertically spaced a foot apart.
"You can see there are no holes in the cardboard. Now you and your men please move back about thirty feet." He waved other people left and right until there was a wide clear path heading west and no one behind the tree. Then he joined the others, raised his hand over his head, and made a circling motion as he said, "Everyone remain calm, please." Seconds later, three shots rang out, spaced about five seconds apart.
To their credit, none of the government people moved, though the four plainclothes agents all had their weapons out.
"I've been telling myself all morning I wouldn't flinch," Ben said as he walked over to get the cardboard. "But I did." When he rejoined them, he held up the cardboard. The first shot hit the top circle just off dead center. The second shot hit about an inch off-center and the third just inside the right edge of the circle.
"He's not gonna be happy about that third one," Andy muttered. "Must have been a gust of wind."
"Please look west, gentlemen," Ben said. In the distance, they saw someone waving a hand over his head. "If any of you agents are good at judging distance, please tell Mr. Thornton how far away you think that person is."
The agent closest to Thornton said, "Five, six hundred yards," before he turned to Ben and said, "Where'd he get a military rifle?"
"It's not. It's a hunting rifle."
"He can shoot like that from that distance with a hunting rifle? I don't believe it. What kind?"
Ben looked over at Andy, who said, "He uses a Remington 700 ADL with a .308 Winchester round. He's walking back now if you want to wait a few minutes and take a look at it."
"Where do you…"
Andy grinned. "Every old city and most towns outside the Boundary have abandoned gun shops and department stores. You'd be amazed at some of the arsenals we have out here. It wouldn't surprise me if collectively we have more small arms than the military and police inside the Boundary. We…"
"Thanks, Andy," Ben said as he turned to Thornton. "Please. Let's go back inside."
Once they were all settled at the table, Ben said, "We wanted to demonstrate to you that we're not the illiterate, helpless savages you think we are. Yes, we live different lives than you. Ours are not filled with luxury, but we've survived and thrived, even those you all callously tossed out like garbage when we reached twelve years old. But no hard feelings. We've done well and we haven't had to live like rats in cages the way so many within the Boundary still do these days. Now, please take a moment and imagine today's shooter, or any of the many others we have, hidden in the trees at Silver Oaks or the Van Wullen estate."
Thornton jumped to his feet, his face a mask of rage. "How dare you threaten me or anyone else?"
"I suggest that you sit down," Ben said, his gaze hard. "No one threatened anyone. I was just pointing out one of many possible scenarios that nobody wants to see happen. Another possibility is all-out war between those inside and outside the Boundary. I'm pretty sure nobody wants to see that, either, which is why we're here today."
His eyes locked with Thornton's for a few seconds, then with each of the security men. "Have any of you wondered how a bunch of supposedly uneducated rabble managed to destroy a battalion of The Tower's Security Forces?" He watched doubt fill their eyes. "I'll tell you, Ned."
"You'll address me as…"
"Anything I want, Ned. I mean, how else would I address my brother-in-law?"
"What?! You're…"
"Right. Prissy's husband. Nice to meet you, Ned. But back to business.
"The reason we won was because we had help. Help from within the Boundary and within your troops, both on the ground and in the air. But more about that later."
"Help?" Thornton's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What on earth are you talking about?"
Ben met his eye with a satisfied smirk. "You don't really expect me to lay all my cards on the table, do you, Ned?"
Ben picked up the copies of the treaty Thornton brought and ripped them in half.
Thornton's eyes saucered. "What do you think you're doing?"
"We just rejected your Treaty offer and would like to propose an alternative. But before we do, there are some things that need to be made clear.
"There are a lot of people inside and outside the Boundary who've grown tired of the Van Wullens and Dahls and Thorntons and other such families living in luxury while everyone else leads a miserable existence. Now, don't worry, we have no plans to send you all off to Zone C to mine silver, though in your case, it would certainly be justified. No, we realize any good government needs good bureaucrats to keep things running smoothly, so most of you will keep your jobs if you want them. But you'll be running a new kind of government, one that exists for the benefit of the people, not one that exploits them.
"There are still a lot of details to be worked out, but basically, the Boundary will remain in place. Those who live within its walls will be subject to its existing laws, rules, and regulations, though many of those will likely change in the near future. Those who live outside the Boundary will not. Passage between the two regions will be open and free at all gates. All Boundary-dwellers who are currently outside the Boundary stealing our resources will return to the Boundary. The Boundary will provide certain commodities like electricity, medicines, fuels…things we cannot produce for ourselves yet, and we'll pay for them with ore and me
tals we mine or permit to be mined, under reasonable conditions, of course, as well as other commodities.
"Anyone living within the Boundary is welcome to move outside and establish a homestead, or build a home in Resurrection or other such towns as may be established."
He turned to Raven. "May I have a copy, please?"
With a smile and a nod, she handed him a folder, which he slid across the table.
"Ned, before we go over the Treaty, I'd like to have a few minutes alone with you. Family business. Okay?"
The security men and all the present Freeborn stepped aside, and a minute later, they sat alone.
"Ned, if you were not married to Prissy's sister, we would not be having this conversation, and most likely I wouldn't have cared three straws about your future. But I feel an obligation to my wife to do all I can to ensure that nothing unfortunate happens to the people who are related to her, however distasteful we both might find them."
"How kind of you," Thornton replied, his voice tinged with sarcasm.
Ben ignored it. "Earlier, I think you were interested to hear more about the network of people we have inside the Boundary. We've been working on developing it for some time and it's extensive and growing. We have people in the military as I mentioned, but also in the police, and the government." He nodded at the question he saw in Thornton's eyes. "Yes, even in the Tower."
"I don't believe you," Ned Thornton said in a strained voice. "How can you prove you aren't bluffing?"
Ben shrugged. "I'm not going to. You can believe me or not. I really don't care. As I said, we're only having this conversation because of Prissy. Like it or not, you have your work cut out for you, Ned. You can do the sensible thing and believe me, or you can take your chances and keep fighting, and watch the White Tower topple and burn. But honestly, we're not you. We have no desire to accumulate wealth and power. We just want everyone, inside and outside the Boundary, to be free to live their lives however they see fit."