by Vicky Savage
“They’re not used to people, but she was apparently grateful for your cheese,” Ralston says, checking his pocket watch. “We have time for a quick cup of tea. Then we’d better get going. Your mother will have patrols spread over these hills by now. The sooner we flag one down, the sooner you will get to see her.”
My mother! I’d almost forgotten. My mood brightens immediately, and my stomach quivers with anticipation. I’m going to see my mother. It’s a miracle. Being kidnapped was worth it, being “glitched” into some creepy, post-Apocalyptic dome-world was worth it, for a chance to be with Mother again.
“I’m not thirsty,” I say rolling up my bedroll. “Let’s go.”
Ralston smiles, quickly repacking his teapot. “Whatever you say, Your Highness.” He exaggerates a bow in my direction, and hitches his saddlebags over his shoulder.
The day is bright, but the sky is empty of sun or clouds. A giant silvery mass glimmers high above our heads. Ralston explains that a protective layer of gases is maintained between the two layers of impenetrable clear material forming the dome. According to him, the silver gases let in enough sunlight for the plants to perform their food and oxygen-making functions, but not enough to burn the skin or damage the eyes.
Ralston scans the adjacent hills and the valley below before we begin our descent from the cave.
“You don’t think Blackthorn and his men are still looking for us, do you?” I ask.
“No, it’s too dangerous with everyone in the country searching for you… and them. They’ll be racing toward Wall’s Edge by now to a secret underground tunnel. That is how we got into the dome yesterday. That is how they will get home.”
“Who are those guys anyway? Why were they trying to kidnap me?”
“That was young Chief Blackthorn, the son of the Chief of Unicoi. The woman was his sister Catherine. The others were Unicoi warriors.”
“What’s Unicoi?”
“Ah well, that’s an interesting story, most of which can wait until later. All you need to know for now is that when the Great Disaster occurred and the domes were put in place, a few pockets of survivors completely escaped our notice for a number of years. The Unicoi lived on the edge of the Appalachian mountain range in what would be the state of Tennessee back in your world. They weren’t supposed to have made it at all. But due to certain serendipitous factors, such as the prevailing winds and the protection of the mountains, a rather large group actually survived.
“The population was made up mostly of Cherokee Indians, along with a collection of Spanish, British, and Irish settlers. They moved into a series of caves near Domerica where they devised ways to filter most of the impurities from the air through the use of animal skins and fabrics. It was tough going those first few years. There was an underground source of fresh water, though, and eventually, they learned to raise their own crops and livestock inside the caves.”
Traveling down the rocky hill is much easier than climbing up and, by a stroke of good luck, the fargen have moved off to graze in another area of the meadow.
“Ralston, what are those fargen things exactly? I mean, do people eat them?” I ask.
“Some people do, but the meat is tough and gamey tasting. They’re raised for their wool. One fargen produces as much wool as thirteen sheep, yet eats only as much as three or four. They look large, but they’re mostly hair. Fargen wool is the major source of fabric for clothing, bedding, rugs, and just about everything else in Domerica. That top you are wearing is made of fargen wool.”
I check out my soiled, torn, formerly white sweater. It’s very soft and must’ve been nice at one time. Hard to believe the sumptuous fabric came from those smelly beasts.
“The main road is about a mile that way.” Ralston points ahead. If we travel in that direction, we’re sure to be discovered in no time.”
Walking along the dusty trail Ralston chatters away, filling me in on more details about how the domes operate. “It’s quite ingenious really; everything is climate controlled. The temperature is always a perfect seventy-two degrees. It rains on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from three o’clock until five in the afternoon, leaving the weekends completely storm-free. The air is recycled through ionized filters every twenty-four hours to ensure it is properly oxygenated and entirely devoid of pollutants.”
“That’s awesome. Do IUGA Agents take care of all of that?”
He stops and looks at me. “Remember, Jaden, don’t say ‘awesome,’ that’s uniquely American and appallingly overused. Say ‘my but that’s remarkable,’ or something similar.
I roll my eyes, and we continue on.
“The answer to your question is ‘no.’ Domerica has a Dome Operations Center and crews of dome maintenance workers who handle the day-to-day operations. IUGA hasn’t been directly involved in the affairs of the Domes since the Great Disaster.”
I tilt my head and give him a look. “Oh, so you just operate behind the scenes now?”
He cuts his eyes toward me. “Let us say that we maintain a presence here to ensure continuing order. Our charter does not allow for direct interference with events on this planet.” He shrugs. “That provision was added after the Great Disaster. Some felt we should not have erected the domes in the first place.”
“They think you should have just let everyone die?”
“Yes, well, even cosmic accidents can be looked upon as a type of destiny. Reasonable men hold differing opinions on that point.”
We reach the main road in about twenty minutes, but see no patrols. Ralston suggests we continue walking in the direction of the palace, rather than waiting for someone to find us. We stroll along the dusty road, and I pepper him with more questions.
“You never told me why Blackthorn was trying to kidnap me,” I say.
“Ah, now that is an unfortunate story. The population of Unicoi is slowly and inescapably being poisoned. Its citizens are falling ill and dying at an alarming rate.”
“Poisoned! How?”
“By long-term exposure to the radiation and gas emitted from naturally occurring Uranium. Uranium, once contained deep in the mountain, has been exposed by all the excavation for underground building. The spread of the poison cannot be contained. They have no choice, but to leave their cities or die.”
“They’re all going to die? Why haven’t they just cleared out of there?”
“The only way they can survive is to become a part of Domerica or some other dome, or to have a dome of their own. Your mother and the other dome rulers have refused to allow the Unicoi to relocate into the existing domes.”
“But, that’s insane! Why would they refuse? I don’t believe my mom would do that.”
“It is a bit complicated, Jade. The queen is genuinely concerned about allowing the Unicoi population into Domerica for several reasons. The major one being that she believes, as many others do, that the disease killing the Unicoi is communicable. No one in this world really understands the nature of chronic radiation poisoning. It has never been studied because it was never an issue before. In her mind, she would be placing her own people at risk.”
“There’s got to be someone who understands it and can explain it to her,” I say.
“Yes, well, perhaps that will occur in time, but many political and practical considerations must also be dealt with when relocating an entire country. How will the population be fed and housed? Will they submit to Domerican rule or demand a chief of their own? Will they join the Church of the Chosen? Thorny issues, all. It’s a daunting proposition and one which your mother has been unwilling to address to date.”
“And they kidnapped me to force her to do something?”
“Yes. It was a foolish plan, but Ryder Blackthorn is young and fervent in his desire to save his people,” he says. “Ryder’s mother died last year due to Uranium exposure, and his father has contracted lung cancer from breathing the gas. Chief Blackthorn has become physically debilitated, although his mind is still sharp. Young Blackthorn has taken on a gre
at deal of the responsibility for running the country. A huge burden for a twenty-year-old.”
He pauses and looks over at me. “He is a very good man, Jade. Please don’t judge him too harshly based upon his treatment of you.”
“Oh, you mean don’t be angry with him just because he tried to abduct me and almost got me killed?”
“He was attempting to save hundreds of thousands of lives.”
“Well, I don’t hate him or anything,” I admit. “Actually, he was kind of nice. I sort of liked him.”
“I’m not surprised. He’s quite an appealing individual, isn’t he?”
“Umm,” I mumble, remembering the shared horseback ride. “Hey, Ralston?”
“Yes.”
“What were you doing with those guys?”
“I was young Chief Blackthorn’s teacher and trusted friend for the past two years. He knows nothing about the IUGA or my being a Guidance Agent, but I rarely left his side. I suspect he may be a bit put out with me just now.”
“So if you’re a Guidance Agent, and you go where you’re most needed, why were you with him?”
He looks at the swirling mass above our heads for a moment. “Because Ryder Blackthorn is the key to the survival of this planet—or at least he was before this little snafu.”
“You mean the survival of Unicoi?”
“No. I mean this version of earth. I mentioned that there has been no war on this planet since the time of the disaster, but war will come eventually. Blackthorn is the only one who can prevent total annihilation of the domes.”
I stare at him for a beat. “Holy crap Ralston, don’t you think you ought to be back there with him instead of with me? I mean… geez… the whole damn planet?”
“I think I can keep an eye on you both for a while.”
We walk along not speaking while I consider all this. Then something else strikes me.
“Ralston, how come the Blackthorns have such light skin and blue eyes if they’re descended from the Cherokee?”
“Well, for one thing, their mother was mostly Irish. For another, no copper-skinned Cherokee exist anymore. After three hundred years of living underground, the population of Unicoi is generally fair skinned.”
“How come they’re all so… well, gorgeous?”
He laughs. “Not all Unicoi are as handsome as the Blackthorns. No sunlight for three centuries helps. I suppose you noticed their flawless skin. Also, a kind of natural selection took place in the beginning, when the living was very rough. Only the strongest men and the most beautiful women survived and had offspring. I suppose you could say they come from a good gene pool.”
We follow the road a few more miles, when we finally spot a group of riders coming our way. “Excellent. This looks like a royal patrol,” Ralston says, grinning and waving to the men.
One rider breaks away, making a beeline straight for us. Frightened, I turn to run in the opposite direction, but Ralston catches my arm. “It’s all right, it’s Prince Andrew.”
Andrew? Drew? “Drew!” I yelp, sprinting toward him.
He jumps from his horse in mid-stride and catches me up in his arms. “Oh, Jade, we were so worried.” He hugs me fiercely, then holds me at arm’s length to look at me. A flicker of fear licks my insides, and I pray he can’t see I’m an impostor, but his eyes hold only concern.
“We found your horse. We weren’t sure if you were alive or dead,” he says.
“I’m fine, Drew. Really.”
“What did they do to you, Sister?”
“Nothing, I just fell,” I say, gingerly touching my forehead. I’m so happy to see his sweet face. His untidy curls are a bit longer than normal, and he’s dressed all weird, in a white poet’s shirt, leather vest, dark pants, and riding boots—but it’s still Drew.
“Truly? You’re all right?”
I nod.
He grins, taking my chin in his hands and examining my gash more closely. “I thought perhaps they tried to rearrange your face for you. I could have told them it was no use.”
Yup. Same old Drew. I knock his hand away.
“And, who’s this?” he asks, stepping back to look at Ralston.
“This is Ralston. He helped me escape.”
“Professor Constantine Albrecht Ralston, at your service, Prince Andrew,” he says bowing. That’s the first time I’ve heard his full name. No wonder he likes to be called Ralston.
Drew eyes him suspiciously. “You don’t look Unicoi. Who are you?”
“I am a scholar, a student of the world,” he says. “I lived in both Dome Noir and Cupola de Vita before taking a position as teacher and trainer to young Chief Blackthorn in Unicoi.”
“You’re Blackthorn’s teacher? Why, pray tell, did you help my sister?”
“While I respect young Blackthorn, I do not condone kidnapping,” Ralston says. “I felt it my duty to ensure that Princess Jaden was returned safely to her family.”
“And, how can I be certain you’re not a spy?”
“Oh, Drew, please,” I say. “The man just rescued me. He hid me in a cave all night and brought me safely to you. You should be thanking him. We’re tired and hungry and I want to see Mom… er, Mother. Let’s go home.”
Drew’s posture relaxes. “Of course you are right.” He holds his hand out to Ralston. “Thank you Professor Ralston for saving my sister and delivering her safely to us. You have the gratitude of all of Domerica. You shall be handsomely rewarded.”
Drew signals two of the patrols. They climb from their horses and offer the reins to Ralston and me.
“Uh, Drew, can I ride with you? I’m beat,” I say.
His brow creases for a half-second. “Of course. You must be tired if you’re willing to ride with me on Glacier.”
He climbs on his pure white horse, which thankfully is regular-sized, and holds his arm out for me. I take it and clumsily clamber up into the saddle behind him. I can hardly believe I’m on my way to see my new home and the mother I thought I’d lost forever.
EIGHT
Drew sends a man ahead to tell mother I’ve been found safe. He tells me she’s been “wretched with worry” since Blackthorn’s messenger arrived with the news of my kidnapping. Drew’s speech is a lot different here, but I’m grateful for his familiar company and relieved that, as usual, he’s a one-man gab-fest.
He keeps up an animated, mostly one-sided conversation about the frantic dome-wide efforts to locate me, the fantastic rumors flying around about my fate, and the poorly-timed arrival of the Ambassador from Cupola de Vita at the palace. I’m glad I don’t have to talk much because I’m so tired I’m afraid I might screw up and say something I shouldn’t.
When Warrington Palace finally comes into view, I nearly gasp out loud. Gleaming, white and enormous, it’s set like a pearl in the ravishing countryside. It looks like a fairy-tale castle straight out of the Brothers Grimm—with square towers, rounded turrets, and those saw-tooth looking things running the length of the roof. Ivy crawls along the walls, and dozens of mullioned windows sparkle silver in the soft dome-light. I can hardly believe this luminous citadel is going to be my temporary home.
We ride along the front promenade toward the massive palace entrance. Drew stops our horse near a rail post with a water trough underneath—the place where people park their horses, obviously. He dismounts and helps me off Glacier’s back.
The gigantic palace doors burst open, and Mother sweeps out onto the portico. Oh God, it’s her. It’s really her! My heart soars. So many times I’ve thought if only I could see her one more time, if only I could say all those things I never said, if only I had one more chance…. It takes me a second to collect myself. But I suck in my breath and fly up the stairs straight into her arms. We hug each other tightly, both weeping for joy.
“Jaden, darling,” Mother sobs. “I was worried sick. Thank God you are alive. They didn’t harm you, did they?” She pushes a lock of hair off my forehead, tenderly touching my wound.
“No, Mother, I’m f
ine.” I smile through my tears. “The cut is from a fall. It’s nothing. I’m just so happy to see you.”
“And I you, child.” She dabs at her face with a lace handkerchief. She is more beautiful than in my memories, even with red, swollen eyes. Her gown is dark blue silk, and her hair flows long and loose down her back. Quite a change from the business suit and short bob she always wore back home.
“Come inside, dear. You must be tired and hungry.” She leads me into the palace. “Oh God, Jaden, I believed I’d lost you. I did not think I could bear it.”