by Jordan Rivet
“What if they do something really bad?” Esther wasn’t sure how bad being caught with a man was for unmarried women here. She was still trying to get a handle on the Lake People’s customs.
Bole hesitated. Then he whispered, “We offer grave offenders back to the lake.”
“What do you mean?”
“Breaking the Code is real serious, Esther.”
“You drown them?”
“It’s better than a firing squad. But today it’ll just be the ash from the flowers and some of the roast. It’s symbolic.”
Esther’s heart beat like thunder in her chest. She chose her words carefully. “Does everyone agree with executing people like that?”
“Look, the world has changed,” Bole said. “What else are we going to do with serious Codebreakers? Allow them to continue eating up all of our resources without contributing anything?”
Simon had been listening in. “Who decides whether the Codebreaking is bad enough for a death sentence?” he asked. He met Esther’s eyes, and she could tell he was struggling to keep his voice casual. He, too, must want to grab Bole’s collar and wring the information out of him.
“It’s up to the Dentist,” Bole said. “Last I heard, there were two or three people in for the chop. I’m kinda surprised they didn’t have one lined up for tonight. Maybe they didn’t think it would make a good impression on ya’ll.”
The Dentist had moved closer to the bonfire. He was still talking about offerings and the blessings of the lake, but Esther found it hard to focus on his words. He loomed like a big, dark shadow before the fire.
“Doesn’t this bother you?” she asked.
“It’s a little messed up, I’ll grant you that,” Bole said, “but what do you expect us to do? Codebreakers put the rest of us in danger. I reckon the Dentist has got it right. And if the Lord wants us to give them to the lake, it don’t bother me one bit.”
Esther could almost see the logic in eliminating people who were a danger to the community rather than allowing them to continue using up resources. But her sister was under the Dentist’s thrall. Of course, Naomi couldn’t actually be in line for execution, not for so small a crime.
Esther resisted the urge to ask more questions. They couldn’t have Bole wondering why she and her father were so interested in Codebreakers.
The Shepherds sang another hymn, and when the last notes faded away, one of the women scooped a container of hot ashes out of the bonfire with a shovel. Remnants of burnt flowers floated away on the breeze.
The Shepherd handed the container to the Dentist. He lifted it over his head for a long moment. The townspeople held their breaths or whispered quiet prayers. Then the Dentist drew back his arm and hurled the ashes into the lake. There was a hiss and a splash. The cheers of the crowd rose over the lake once more.
“May the Lord grant it so,” the Dentist said. “Now bring forth the feast!”
Chapter 23—Feasting and Dancing
MEN WEARING BANDANAS OVER their faces stoked the fire, and others brought out huge slabs of meat, including a whole pig, already partially cooked, which they hung over the bonfire on spits to char the skin. Wood smoke filled the air, drifting over the gathered townspeople and obscuring the stars. The aroma of roasting meat permeated the crowd.
Now that the ceremony was over, the townspeople stood and moved about, talking to friends at other tables while they waited for the food to be ready. The Dentist and his band of Shepherds vacated the stage, finding seats at random among the people.
Cody asked Bole about the meat, and Bole promised to take him on a hunting expedition, saying something about wild pigs and spears. Esther only half listened. She couldn’t help searching the crowd for Naomi, just in case. The news of the executions was worrying, but she couldn’t imagine Naomi’s offense warranted the ultimate punishment. That had to be reserved for murders and the like. But there was no telling what sort of punishment she would receive. If the Dentist learned what they were after, it could jeopardize Naomi’s position further. They had to find out where she was being kept—and soon.
The other townspeople began to notice the newcomers, and a few came over, seeking introductions. Bole conducted his role as their keeper or whatever he was with glee, clearly enjoying the attention he got as the Elder in charge of the visitors.
“What did you have to do to become an Elder, Bole?” Simon asked during a lull in the greetings.
“Oh, I’m one of the originals,” Bole said. “I traveled to the lake with the Dentist, so I’m automatic. All the men from the first group—thirty-six of us—are Elders. I’m the youngest of the bunch. Any other guy who wants the job has to work up to it. That’s why Thompson’s got such a chip on his shoulder. He hasn’t had a chance to really prove himself since he came to the lake.”
“So he didn’t arrive with the Dentist?”
“Nope. Thompson’s crew were nomads. They figured they’d be better off settling at the lake than scrounging in the wilderness forever. I wonder sometimes if the Dentist doesn’t raise him to Elder because he was their leader before. What’s to keep his stalk from growing too high, you know?”
“What does the Elder role entail?” Simon asked.
“We’re sorta the Lord’s honor guard. We protect the community, guard prisoners, keep an eye on visitors like yourselves.”
Esther leaned forward. “So these pris— ”
“Look! The food’s ready,” Bole said. “We’re real informal here. You can help yourselves.” He offered Esther a hand as she climbed over the bench. “Say what you want about the Dentist, but he was right about the lake of plenty. We’ve been eating like kings ever since we got here.”
They followed Bole toward the bonfire, where the food was set up buffet-style along the edge of the stage on wide wooden trays. Esther had never seen so much land food in her life. There was grilled fish from the lake, of course, but also vegetables, chicken, and glorious golden ears of corn. A burly man in a sleeveless shirt sliced huge slabs off the roast pig, steam rising around him. Luke would be upset he had missed the barbecue. They piled their plates high, and Esther realized she hadn’t eaten since they left the Lucinda that morning, except for the single piece of jerky Bole had offered her hours ago.
Bole accompanied them back to their table to join them for the meal, though David took the seat next to Esther before he could. As they dug into their food, Simon and David asked Bole polite, careful questions about the town. If he was in the Dentist’s inner circle of Elders, they couldn’t trust him no matter how friendly he seemed.
Esther concentrated on her food. The succulent meat dripped with hot, fatty juices. It was stringy, and the tendons caught in Esther’s teeth as she gnawed at the bones. It tasted delicious, but Esther had begun to feel a bit queasy. Her head felt hot and heavy. She tried to shake it off. It was probably just because she wasn’t used to this kind of food. She was worried, out of her depth. She needed to work her way through this situation, figure out how to fix it. Naomi needed her.
She looked over at a group of white-robed Shepherds filling plates with food at the buffet. They carried the plates over to the Dentist, who was deep in discussion with a group of older men. The men barely glanced up as the women laid down their offerings. Then the Shepherds stepped back to watch the Dentist eat.
Esther frowned. She wasn’t sure what she had expected of the lake town. She was surprised that the community was so fully established, with its own customs, traditions, and even its own brand of religion. She remembered how Penelope Newton had taken charge of the religious life on the Catalina and it had morphed into something that may not have resembled her old faith. The End Times had consumed every discussion, and Penelope had tried for years to connect the events of their world with the prophecies she studied in the scriptures. Some people on the Catalina had found solace in what she was trying to do. Others had stuck to their own faiths in their own ways.
But here the Dentist had created his own religious framework,
expanding on an existing religion and twisting it for his own ends rather than trying to fit the new world into the old way. He had positioned himself as both prophet and admiral. If the people’s fervency was any indication, his bid for power had worked.
“Wanna dance with me, Esther?” Bole said suddenly, snapping Esther’s attention back to the table. “The band’s setting up now. Gotta claim the first one.”
“Um, okay, sure.”
David shifted beside her.
“Great! I’ll go dump our plates. Meet you at the end of the table.” Bole stood and jogged toward the bonfire.
“I’ll see what I can get out of him,” Esther said in response to the flat look David gave her. “You should go dance with Yvonne. She thinks you’re dreamy.”
Esther walked between the tables, dodging the townspeople milling amongst them. The people chattered and laughed, many offering each other bites of their food. The town was a little like the Catalina in that everyone seemed to know each other well. It would be idyllic if Esther hadn’t just found out that they killed anyone who didn’t conform to their rules.
Now that all the meat had been cooked, the townspeople added more logs to the bonfire, causing sparks and flames to leap into the sky. The fire roared like storm winds. Esther spotted the Dentist at the end of the table nearest to it, still surrounded by the group of men—Elders, perhaps? The fire threw harsh shadows across his face. He raised a wooden stein to his lips. Was he watching her?
Esther turned her back on the Dentist and found Bole waiting for her.
“Can you dance the reel?”
“Huh?”
“It’s a line dance. You just have to do what everyone else does.”
“Okay.” Esther reached for Bole’s shoulder, but he pushed her hand down.
“No, you stand here.” He positioned her on one side of a wide patch of dirt, stepped four paces away, then faced her.
Other couples joined them, the women on one side and the men on the other. David and Yvonne stepped into line four couples away from Esther and Bole.
“What do we do now?” Esther called across to Bole.
“Wait for it . . .”
A fiddler moved to the front of the stage, where a four-piece band had finished setting up, and the music began. It was an energetic song with a fast tempo. The women on either side of Esther stepped toward the men, looped their arms through their partners’, and spun them around. Esther stood frozen, unsure what to do. Before she could move, the women had returned to their places. Then the line of men danced forward. Bole looped his arm in Esther’s and spun her in a wide circle.
“You’re going again next,” he said. “Get ready.”
This time Esther advanced when the other women moved and tried to mimic the way they grabbed their partners’ arms. She accidentally punched Bole in the stomach when she came forward. He just laughed and guided her around in a circle again.
Then the dancers were moving far too fast. Stamping. Twirling. Stepping this way and that. Esther tried to fumble through the movements, concentrating hard on the feet of the woman next to her. Her skirt swirled around her legs. She wouldn’t have a chance to get information from Bole with this kind of dancing. There was no time to actually talk!
The lines separated, and then the couple at one end met in the middle and danced and twirled between the two lines while everyone clapped in time to the fiddle. Another couple followed, doing different steps. How was she supposed to know what to do?
David and Yvonne were next, and he twirled her down the line, spinning her in perfect, tight circles all the way to the end. How did he know how to do that?
When it was Esther and Bole’s turn, she leapt forward and closed her eyes, allowing him to guide her through the movements. The world spun around her as Bole dragged her inelegantly down the line. She heard laughter, but she kept her eyes closed until they reached the end and he released her.
When she opened her eyes, the last couple was spiraling its way down the line, and then all the couples were off again, stamping and twirling and clapping in an ever-faster rhythm. Esther barely made it through the remainder of the dance. Her head was pounding when the music finally stopped.
Everyone cheered, and Bole patted her on the shoulder.
“You did great!” he said. “Wanna go for another?”
“No! I mean, thank you, but I need a break. Shall we sit down for a minute?”
“I’ve promised a dance or two to another girl. I’ll catch you later.” Bole deposited her on a bench and trotted off to find his next partner.
Winded, Esther watched him go. There went her chance to get information. It had all happened so fast! Maybe she didn’t like dancing after all.
She shifted on the bench and glanced across the table where Bole had left her—directly into the petroleum-gold eyes of the Dentist.
“Oh, um, hello,” she said.
“Evening,” the Dentist said. He studied Esther silently, expressionless. His companions were nowhere to be seen.
Esther wasn’t sure what to say, so she simply held his gaze and waited for him to speak again.
“I heard a rumor,” the Dentist said. He turned his stein slowly between his wide hands, the contents swirling around and around. “Someone asked you whether they could leave the town with you. And you said yes.”
“Who told you that?”
“I gave clear guidelines,” the Dentist said, “about spreading dangerous ideas among my people. Don’t test me.”
“Or what?” Esther said.
The Dentist smiled. “You remind me of someone.”
“Really.”
“Oh yes. Enjoy the rest of the dance, Miss Harris.”
Before she could respond, the Dentist stood and left the table. He disappeared into a group of townspeople.
By the time Esther got back to her table, she was shaking.
“Are you okay, button?” her father said. “You look flushed.”
“The Dentist knows we’re up to something,” she said. “Just had a weird conversation with him. And he used our surname. We never said it in the lodge. Thompson, Jones, and Bole heard it, though. And Yvonne knows. At least one of them is reporting back to the Dentist on us.”
“We must be extra cautious then,” Simon said. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Fine. Just out of breath from the dancing,” Esther said. Why wouldn’t her hands stop shaking?
David returned from the dance with Yvonne in tow. She was flush with laughter, and she collapsed onto the bench beside Esther.
“He’s quite a dancer,” she said.
David smiled politely and sat down next to Simon.
Cody hurried up to rejoin them too. He had apparently been taking a closer look at the bonfire, because there was a smudge of charcoal on his face. But he wasn’t smiling, and he looked like he had something to say. He stopped short at the sight of Yvonne sitting with them.
David noticed Cody and jerked his head slightly at Esther. She turned to distract Yvonne while Cody leaned in to whisper something to David and Simon.
“Can you teach me how to do that dance?” Esther said. “It was fun, but I was a mess.”
“Of course!” Yvonne giggled. “You just need to learn the count, and then it’s easy. Let me show you.”
She tugged Esther from her seat and steered her to the middle of the aisle. As they moved, Esther’s head spun like an out-of-control turbine.
“Okay, the reel is on an eight count. Do you know what that means?”
“Uhh . . . not really.”
“It’s the rhythm. First let’s clap. One, two, three, four.” Yvonne beat her palms together. The noise was sharp, cutting into Esther’s skull. “Five, six, seven, eight.” The people around them were talking too loud, their laughter shrill. “One, two, three, four . . .”
Esther’s balance wavered. She looked back at the men. Cody seemed to have finished telling them what he had found out. David did not look happy about whatever it
was.
“You know, on second thought,” Esther said, “I’m not feeling too well. I think I’ll call it a night.”
“Are you sure?” Yvonne said.
“Yeah. You should go dance with Cody. I’m sure he’d enjoy it.” She returned to the table, her steps sluggish. “David, would you walk me back to the dorm?”
“Gladly.”
“I’ll teach you tomorrow then,” Yvonne said. She grabbed Esther’s hand and whispered in her ear. “Don’t let him go inside the dorm. Remember what I told you.” Then she pulled Cody away and skipped back toward the dancers.
“I’ll fill her in,” David said to Simon as he offered Esther his arm. Both their faces were grave.
“Get some rest, Esther,” Simon said. “And be careful.” He turned to watch Cody and Yvonne walking away, concern furrowing his brow.
Esther and David made their way through the crowd toward the town. A handful of older people shuffled away from the tables, leaving the dancing and noise behind. Esther and David walked in silence, waiting for the others to disperse toward their cabins and leave them alone. Esther still couldn’t shake the pounding in her head.
“Esther, you’re really warm,” David said. “Are you feeling okay?”
“It’s been a long day,” Esther said. “What did Cody find out?”
“The Lucinda has been sent away.”
“What?”
“Thompson told Cody that the Dentist contacted Zoe on the radio and told her I ordered her to retreat several miles downriver. They’re not going to allow the rest of the crew to come into town. The Dentist thinks we’re up to something, but he doesn’t know what.”
“Salt. So we’re on our own?”
“For now.”
“I talked to the Dentist,” Esther said. “He definitely suspects something.”
“We need to move fast. I don’t like being isolated from our crew. Let’s meet tomorrow morning to make a plan. I’ll see if I can learn anything else tonight. They put the three of us in an empty cabin, though, and I understand the curfew is strictly enforced. You might have better luck with your roommates.”