by Jordan Rivet
“So you fought them?” David said. He met Esther’s eyes briefly. “A war?”
“Not war,” Emilio said. “Only fighting. Now we are here, river only, and they are there, lake only. Not amigos.”
“But they gave you fish before?” Simon asked. He mimed an exchange. “You traded?”
Emilio nodded his understanding.
Simon gave his shoulders an exaggerated shrug. “What changed? Why not friends now?”
Emilio rattled off an explanation, but Simon wasn’t able to decipher it.
“I’m sorry . . . something about death . . . church . . . I don’t understand.”
Emilio sighed. “They kill us, and they kill them.”
“Wait, who else do they kill?” Esther asked. A dull fear grew in her stomach like nausea.
“Them,” Emilio said. “The lake men kill the lake men. The Big Man says.”
Esther and her father exchanged glances. Civil war? Had there been fighting amongst the Lake People themselves? It seemed that at some point the lake men had decided they no longer wanted to trade with Emilio’s people. But what had they done to each other? Esther wondered if this “big man” was the one who hadn’t wanted his communications guy to share their roster with Neal. If he didn’t like trading with the locals, he probably wouldn’t want to cooperate with strangers from the sea either.
“I think I understand,” Simon said. “We don’t want to fight. Will they talk to us? Before they shoot?”
“I speak little English,” Emilio said. “You speak lot English. They talk to you maybe.”
“Hmm. So they seem to be sticking to their own tribe, in a manner of speaking,” Simon said.
“Just because we speak the same language doesn’t mean they’ll be happy to see us, though,” David said. “We’ll have to be very careful.”
“Or you don’t go to lake,” Emilio said. “Better maybe.”
“We have to go,” Esther said.
“You want what with them?” he asked.
“Mi hija,” Simon said quietly.
Emilio nodded, eyes solemn, and passed Simon another piece of the flat bread.
“Sí,” Emilio said. “They talk to you.”
Esther hoped he was right, but this didn’t sound promising. Emilio’s people were peaceful, even friendly. As soon as they knew the Lucindans wouldn’t hurt them, they had provided food, help, and hospitality. Emilio had even offered them a guide to help navigate the river. It sounded like they had gotten along with the Aguamilpa settlers at first. But then they had fought with the men of the lake. It had to be more than a communication problem. Whatever had happened, there must be something wrong with Naomi’s group and their “big man.”
Esther spotted Cody and Dax further along the table. They sat side by side, not making eye contact. She hoped they’d sort out whatever was going on between them and Cally soon. They had to be a team when they reached the lake. They might run into more resistance than they had expected if they tried to take Naomi away.
Dax stuffed the last bite of his meal into his mouth, stood, and approached the women serving the food. He asked them questions, mostly using sign language. After a few minutes one of the women pulled some vegetables out of a sack by the table and started showing Dax how to chop them up, laughing at his clumsy attempts. One of the others from the Santa Julia brought an extra helping of food over to where Cody was sitting. She sat beside him and chattered in Spanish while he stammered and stared.
The band of children darted down the aisle between the brightly colored tables. David had given Carlos back into Amalia’s care while they ate, but the pair returned as soon as they finished their own meals. They stared at Esther, David, and Simon with wide eyes as they finished their food.
Emilio led the way to another open pavilion after lunch, and his grandchildren followed. David kept turning around and pulling faces, making them giggle and shriek. After a few minutes Amalia pulled a pretty blue stone out of her pocket and handed it to him shyly. David bowed low over her hand as he accepted the gift, making the little girl smile even wider. Esther shook her head. She didn’t know how he did it.
They arrived at the second pavilion, and Esther felt more at home instantly. Machines and spare parts filled the shady space beneath it. A couple of mechanics, one man and one woman, were at work on a motorbike when they walked up. A handful of other motorbikes and one rusty car awaited their attention. The two mechanics straightened when Esther and the others approached. Emilio spoke to them in Spanish, gesturing to Esther as he did.
“Looks like it’s time for you to build a biofuel system, Esther,” David said.
“You got it.”
“We’ll go take a look around if you don’t mind,” Simon said.
“Sure thing. Don’t forget to take notes.”
The mechanics showed Esther their toolboxes, and she got to work right away, digging through the piles of gear until she found everything she needed to construct a quick prototype of her generator. Emilio took Simon, David, and the others off to explore the rest of the village while Esther worked.
The mechanics watched her closely, and one scribbled notes on rough green paper. Esther peeked at the sheet, where he was drawing and labeling each step with an impressive level of detail. This guy knew what he was doing.
Through rudimentary sign language she got the mechanics to help with the machine so they would be able to assemble more on their own. She had to improvise a bit using the parts they had in their workshop. The most important thing would be the algae to create the biofuel, but there should be plenty of it growing in the river.
Esther and the mechanics worked until the sun began to sink and Emilio and the others returned. David had acquired a few more admirers: children who laughed and danced around his knees to get his attention. Someone had given Simon a scarf woven from red and orange wool, and Dax had a huge sack in his arms overflowing with vegetables. Cody made no effort to help him carry it.
Esther made a few notations on the mechanics’ drawing so they could finish assembling the machine. Then she shook hands with the pair and wished them good luck. The tide would be high enough now that the Lucinda could sail past the sunken cargo giant and make her way onto the river. It was time to move.
Chapter 14—Rio Santiago
THEY MADE THEIR WAY back through the jungle, boarded the Santa Julia, and sailed toward the mouth of the river. The water level had risen. It ate further into the shore, lapping at the edges of the derelict town. They sailed until the telltale glint of the Lucinda’s hull appeared in the fading light. She waited for them beyond the little island making a fork in the river.
As they got closer, they could see Cally waving enthusiastically from the deck. Dax and Cody waved back at her, elbowing each other a bit as they tried to take the prime spot in the bow. David noticed and raised an eyebrow.
“I’ll explain later,” Esther said.
The Santa Julia pulled up alongside the Lucinda again. Handshakes were exchanged all around the deck, and then the team began to cross the rickety gangplank back onto their own ship. This time they brought an additional person with them. Their guide was a slight woman with short dark hair and wide-set eyes named Isadora. She wore a bright-green jacket and baggy trousers that looked almost like a skirt. She scrambled across to the Lucinda without a word. Emilio had told them that she spoke no English at all, but she would be able to point out problem areas as they navigated up the river.
Before Esther crossed back over to the gangplank, Emilio stopped her with a hand on the shoulder and handed her a map. It was a rough sketch of the entire river all the way to the lake. The river wound sharply through the land. In places it looked like a long piece of rope had been laid across the map and had its ends scrunched close together, the middle part folding in on itself like an accordion. Emilio’s people lived in an elbow of the river. She could see now that water surrounded the hilltop village on three sides, protecting their community while also providing sustenance in t
he form of fish, water plants, and birds. It wasn’t a bad place to live.
“Thank you,” Esther said, shaking Emilio’s hand and meeting his warm eyes.
“Be careful,” he said. “For the sister.”
“We will.”
“The Big Man is not a friend.”
“I understand.”
The sun had begun to sink toward the western horizon. Esther climbed onto the plank and clambered across to the Lucinda. When everyone had returned to their own ships, they shouted their final good-byes across the water. Emilio raised a hand in farewell, and several of his companions saluted. As soon as the Santa Julia pulled away, the Lucinda swung around and resumed her journey, leaving the village behind.
They wanted to get as far upriver as possible before the light faded completely, but they were almost out of time. It was surprisingly dark on the river, with almost no distinction between the water and the shore. They had never sailed like this before, in danger of running aground. If something happened to the Lucinda, they would have no way of getting home after it was all over. Before long the message went around the ship that they’d have to stop for the night. They couldn’t guarantee a safe passage through the river in the dark.
Esther wished they could keep sailing, especially now that they knew Naomi’s people were dangerous, possibly even to each other. They had already wasted too much time at the mouth of the river. But David made the final call to wait until morning, and they pulled the Lucinda in a bit closer to the shore and dropped anchor. When it hit the bottom of the river, they were able to determine that it was only about forty feet deep, the shallowest water they’d ever experienced.
David ordered a double watch that night, and Esther took first shift. She felt too alert to sleep anyway. She patrolled the deck, staring out at the shore. The river rushed against the banks, sometimes constant, sometimes sputtering and choking like a living thing.
Shadows and strange noises filled the jungle. Breezes rustled intermittently through the trees, carrying earthy, verdant smells. Each time the wind shifted, Esther imagined figures rushing through the darkness toward the Lucinda. She had no idea what kind of weapons the people dwelling in the jungle might have. Emilio’s compatriots had been helpful, but who knew who else might be living among those trees?
Esther wrapped her jacket close around her and leaned against the outside of the pilothouse. Midnight neared. A strange chirping sounded above the babble of the water. Could it be a bird? She didn’t even know if birds sang at night. She watched the shore and the dark depths of the water stretching around them.
Suddenly, there was a crash, followed by the most terrible screeching Esther had ever heard. She bolted upright. The sound pierced through the night like a combination of a seal call and a screaming human child. Esther darted to starboard and stared into the jungle.
She could barely tell any shapes apart through the shifting shadows and the swaying trees. It was so dark. The wailing got louder. The thing was coming closer.
Cody was also on duty, and he ran up to join Esther at the starboard rail.
“What is that?” He clutched a gun in both hands, his round face white in the glow from the deck lights.
“No idea,” Esther said. She felt as scared as Cody looked, but he didn’t need to know that. She gripped the wrench in her belt.
“It’s coming closer!”
“I know.”
“Should I shoot?”
“Not yet.”
The branches of a nearby tree swayed a little harder than the others. Esther could barely see the outline against the sky, but whatever was making the noise seemed to be in that general area.
“Got a light?”
“Here. It’s not very good.” Cody handed over a flashlight.
The slim piece of metal felt cool against Esther’s palm. She aimed the weak beam at the trees. The noise came again, louder this time, a terrible howling sound. Esther was surprised everyone hadn’t already woken up.
“See anything?”
“Nothing.” Cody stood a little too close to her, as if hoping she would protect him. She had no idea if she could or not.
More howling. The trees shook. Could it be the wind? More. Esther gestured for Cody to hand her his gun. His hands were shaking badly, and they couldn’t afford any accidents. Cody obliged, wide eyes still peering at the jungle.
Esther lifted the gun and looked through the scope, but it was useless in the darkness. Then the branches of another tree moved.
“There!” Cody hissed. “What is it?”
The flashlight beam swept the tree branches. Suddenly a pair of big yellow eyes popped out of the darkness, followed by bared teeth.
“Holy shit!” Esther nearly dropped the light. Cody stumbled backwards and tripped over his own boots. He landed hard on the deck.
“What was that?”
Esther searched for the yellow eyes again. There was a flick of something brown. The trees rustled. Then the movement and the howling were gone.
“I . . . I think it was a monkey,” Esther said weakly.
“That hell scream came from a monkey?”
“I saw a tail.”
“Great white whale!” Cody said, picking himself up off the deck. “I hope we go back to sea soon.”
The crew laughed over the monkey story the next morning. Cody told anyone who would listen about the huge teeth and the body the size of a walrus. It was easier to joke about it in the daylight, but Esther was surprised at how terrified she had been. She had never felt more out of her depth than she did staring at the shore in the night. She knew precious little about land.
The jungle didn’t seem as ominous in the morning, but it still felt like they were journeying through alien territory. With the exception of Cally, they had all seen trees before, but it had been so long that it was like trees only existed in storybooks. Esther had definitely never seen so many different shades of green. Each layer was different, and as the sun traveled across the sky the leaves changed color, shuffling through verdant shades from sea-green to teal to emerald to jade.
It grew warmer as they sailed inland, getting further from the sea by the minute. The trees and plants were dense on the rolling shores of the river, but the fields beyond flattened out quickly. The further they got from the coast, the more the land stretched out. Soon it became a flat expanse like the rolling of the sea, making it difficult to establish any sense of depth or distance.
Every once in a while they’d spot a piece of farming equipment, or a line in the land that looked a bit too straight, evidence of the extinct agricultural industry in the region. It didn’t look like anyone had been on land in this area in a very long time. They saw tracks in the muddy riverbanks occasionally, but none belonged to two-legged creatures.
After she’d gotten a few hours of sleep, Esther had returned to the rail. She leaned far over the water, searching for any signs of fish or other river creatures. The river itself was brownish, like kelp, the murky waters impenetrable. It smelled of dirt and algae and rot. She missed the crisp waters of the sea, where the waves reflected the colors in the sky, and the salted wind cleansed and renewed.
The still air grew heavy and hot. Esther pulled off her jacket and tied it around her waist, feeling sweaty and uncomfortable, missing the sea breezes. She went to sit in the shade of the pilothouse facing the bow. David found her there.
“What do you think?” he said. He had removed his sweater and wore a thin navy-blue T-shirt underneath it.
“It’s hot.”
“Relatively speaking, yeah. Temperatures are still below average for this region, according to what Neal can find out.”
“You got him on the satellite?”
“Yeah, while you were sleeping. Connection’s not great, but it’s good enough.”
“Has he heard anything about Naomi?”
“Not directly, but he finally got the Aguamilpa communications guy back on the line.”
Esther sat upright. “And?”
>
“He’s still playing dumb about the roster,” David said. “Neal didn’t want to push it, so he tried to find out how they respond to visitors. He asked if they had any neighbors. The guy claimed there are hostile tribes around them. He talked about tension with another settlement. Neal said he was starting to sound suspicious, so he quit asking questions.”
“Think the other settlement is Emilio’s village, or is there another one?” Esther asked, thinking about her night watching the jungle. What if there had been someone else out there besides the howling monkey? The trees could camouflage hundreds of people at close range. Unlike the sea, the land offered plenty of places to hide. Even the folds of the abandoned farmlands could conceal strangers. On the river they were exposed.
“Not sure,” David said. He wiped sweat from his forehead. “I hate going in blind like this.”
“At least we have Isadora to help us find our way.”
“Let’s hope she doesn’t turn out to be a liability if we have to play nice with the Aguamilpa leader,” David said.
Cally was patrolling the deck this afternoon, and Cody was keeping her company, even though he’d had a long shift the night before. Cally had pulled her thick hair up into a messy bun. Wispy red curls fell on either side of her face. Cody leaned close to her to say something, and Cally laughed, throwing back her head.
“What happens if there’s another lake settlement and we find the wrong group?” Esther said.
“The group we’re looking for, the ones Neal has been talking to, are mostly English speakers. That should make it pretty clear.”
“Hope so. Anything new from Boris?”
David frowned, fiddling with the sleeve of Esther’s jacket. “Marianna’s keeping her ears open. Boris left the Galaxy a week ago, and no other ships have reported seeing him since. Only . . .”
“What?”
“Boris is tricky. The Amsterdam folks are firmly on our side at this point, but I wouldn’t put it past Boris to have a few allies we don’t know about.”