Gleanings

by Alice Sabo

  “I’ll stay here,” Wisp said. And Nick was positive he’d read his mind this time. “You can take them back, and I’ll hike back to the road with the Rovers.” Wisp nodded to the men. “They can head down to the outpost to check in, and I’ll scout ahead.”

  “Are you okay on your own?” Nick asked.

  Wisp stepped closer to speak softly. “These people are very worried about something. Probably the children they left behind with the old woman. The quicker you get them home the better. Something isn’t quite right. I just know that you need to get them back right away.”

  “Okay.” Nick didn’t like leaving Wisp behind but knew it wouldn’t be a problem. He was looking totally recovered. And if he had any worries about the Rovers, he wouldn’t have offered to stay.

  Nick led the two couples back to the vehicle in an awkward silence. He’d given them their names, but they hadn’t offered any in return. Names were a nicety, but not necessary. Nick had dealt with worse. “I hope you don’t mind a little mud,” he joked. “We picked up a couple of injured folks and a goat a ways back. They made a mess of the back seat.”

  “A goat?” The blond man grunted. They were supporting the injured woman, practically carrying her.

  “Yeah. Not sure where it came from. We’ll let people know we’ve got it up at High Meadow, and they can come claim it.”

  “What if nobody claims it?” he asked at the same time as the redhead asked, “Male or female?”

  “Not sure,” Nick admitted. “I was more concerned about the people.” He hurried ahead, pulling the doors open and the supplies out. After the men had carefully deposited the injured woman in the backseat, he gave them water and one of the Greeting Baskets.

  “What is this?” The dark-haired man asked in a tone of awe. The other three people made cooing sounds of amazement.

  “That’s a token. I know it’s hard to trust people these days,” Nick said gently. “We hand those out to smooth the way. Didn’t get a chance to give one to your Gran.”

  The trip back to the house took less time than Nick had guessed. The old woman must have heard him coming because she was at the top of the stairs with a shotgun.

  “It’s us, Maggie,” the redheaded woman burst out of the car to greet her with a bear hug.

  The men helped the injured woman out of the car. Half carrying her, they brought her over to where Maggie stood defiant and proud.

  “I guess you are what you claim to be,” Maggie grumbled at Nick.

  “Glad to be of help,” Nick said with a respectful nod. “Like I said, we got doctors and food.”

  “Doctors?” The redhead asked. “Real doctors?”

  “We’ve got a little hospital set up at the high school.”

  A lot of looks were exchanged. Maggie shook her head. The redhead grabbed her partner and took him aside for a low-voiced discussion.

  “I guess we owe you for this,” Maggie said to Nick.

  “No charge,” Nick said with a grin.

  The blond man went back to the vehicle to retrieve the remains of the Greeting Basket. “Look at this, Maggie.” He handed her a wedge of cheese.

  “Where’d you get this?”

  “We’ve got a couple farms that we’re trading with right now, and a dairy. We’re going to be setting up some kind of market where people can come in and barter.”

  “A market?” Maggie stared at him. “What kind of stuff you got. And how are people paying for it?”

  “Right now it’s strictly barter. But we’ll feed anybody up at the high school for a couple days until they can turn their hand at something.

  Maggie looked through the basket. She grabbed a small roll and sniffed it. “Where are you getting your flour?”

  Nick was hesitant to answer all her questions. This group looked okay, but information was still a high-value item. He was saved from having to answer when the whispering couple returned. The woman grabbed Nick by the arm, but the man walked past to the house.

  “I’m going,” she announced.

  Maggie shook her head. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”

  “My baby is poorly,” she said to Nick. “He isn’t getting any better. If you got a doctor, I want to go with you.”

  Nick gestured to the jeep. “I’d be glad to bring you. We should be home by dinner time.”

  The man came back from the house with a bundle in his arms. He handed it off to the woman, kissed her cheek and turned to glare at Nick.

  “I’ll have the Rovers stop by with a message as soon as we get there,” Nick offered. Then he explained the three different branches of militia and the armbands colors.

  Nick began regretting the offer as soon as the baby began to fuss.

  Chapter 35

  Those of us born in the decades before Zero Year can never understand the mindset of those born after. They will color the world with their experiences, for good or bad.

  History of a Changed World, Angus T. Moss

  THE GOOD NEWS WAS THAT the cleanup crews found three geese and a handful of other birds dead in the storm debris. The bad news was that the whole neighborhood was gone. Bridget stood in the scoured corridor of the tornado’s path. It was a clean shot for miles. There was nothing in the half-mile wide swath, no trees, bushes, not even grass. The soil was churned and mucky. To either side, wreckage was scattered, trees denuded, everything leaning away.

  She’d wondered if there would be any plums left. Instead, she couldn’t even find where the tree might have stood. The ground was bare where once a few overgrown gardens had flourished. It made her heart ache to see such devastation. No one had lived in the houses for at least a decade, but one more mark of humankind had just been erased from the world.

  The crew returned to the Depository feeling very subdued. She wondered if they would ever find the missing bodies. Once again they had augmented Stew-goo for dinner. She couldn’t tell if it was boar or goose, but it was different and a little greasy. After dinner, she was called up to Dunham’s office.

  Cougar Squad was back from the train station. Rick, the Squad Leader was sitting in front of Dunham’s desk. The general was tapping a paper. She took the other chair, next to Rick to hear the report. Her heart jumped at the news that the trains were running again but sank when they confirmed no new food had been stocked.

  “What do you think of this?” Dunham asked, handing her the paper he’d been tapping.

  It was a hand-written sign inviting people to a place called High Meadow. “How old is it?” she asked as a way to start the discussion. What she really wanted to do was grab her pack and go check it out right now.

  “Wasn’t there last month,” Dunham said calmly, but there was a hint of a grin.

  “Do we know anything about this place?” she asked. Her heart was beating hard. This was proof of other people. Organized people.

  “It’s a stop on the Continental Line,” Rick said.

  “Might be worth checking out,” she said casually, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice. She really wanted to be part of the team that went to check it out. Having been part of the successful hunter’s team, she thought she’d have a chance.

  “There is something else,” Dunham said, his face going serious. He gestured for Rick to speak.

  “The train board’s been carved up.”

  “Vandals?” she asked.

  “No, I meant geography. The big board with the train lines has been all marked up into different territories. There’s this group at High Meadow and another out west of here run by somebody calling himself General Washburn. Then there were two other areas that were marked as being run by raiders.”

  “Nice that someone cared to let us know,” Dunham said in a thoughtful undertone.

  “I don’t think they know about us. We didn’t leave any trace. Didn’t see anyone there,” Rick assured him.

  “Well, we need someone to take a look,” Dunham said.

  Rick sat a little straighter. Bridget waited. She was prett
y sure Dunham had decided on who was going as soon as he decided someone would be going.

  “Bridget, I want you to take this on. Just you and one other, your choice.”

  “Jace,” she said without a second thought. “He came cross country with me. He’s seen how bad it can get.”

  Rick shot her a sour look. “And because he scratches your itch,” he grumbled.

  Bridget ignored the comment. She and Jace had never slept together. They were good friends that worked well together. But Rick knew that. It was a very small community, and everyone pretty much knew everyone else’s business. Unconsciously, she rubbed at the slight bump in her forearm where her contraceptive implant was. They were only supposed to be good for five years, and it was nearly fifteen since it had been put there. She had been very careful the past few years. All of the women had been. This wasn’t a situation in which to become pregnant.

  “You can leave at first light,” Dunham said.

  She stood, saluted, and left without another look at Rick.

  Chapter 36

  It’s all a chain of cause and effect. If we hadn’t changed the weather with our industry, we wouldn’t have the current hub system which is essential to our settlement. With our current lack of manpower, we wouldn’t have been able to keep the old power grid or water system going.

  History of a Changed World, Angus T. Moss

  WISP HIKED AROUND THE edges of the storm wreckage. He’d guided the Rovers up to the road and sent them on their way to the outpost. It felt so good to be alone. He couldn’t keep a smile off his face. He liked the people at High Meadow, but they wore on him like a loud noise constantly buzzing around him. He took a deep breath of steamy air. It smelled of pine sap and mud. He stopped for a moment, searching the area around himself. There was no feeling of anything alive. The birds and rodents had fled or been killed by the storm. He checked the sky, but it was still a bright, uniform blue. With a light heart, he skirted the fallen trees, walking deeper into the woods.

  He was mud to the knees and soaked with sweat by the time that he reached the road. But it felt good to push himself. The days he’d spent in bed had been stultifying. His thoughts were clear, and his body was responsive. He took a moment to rest and reached out his senses to look for Nick. The tickle of pain was back. The feel of Ep was stronger and moving again. It was good to sense him. Automatically, he checked on his other brothers. Kyle was pleased, probably unraveling some chemical knot. James felt subdued, as he had over the past few months. That meant nothing in his situation had changed, which was a relief. Since Wisp had chosen to go after Ep, he’d been worried that James’s situation might get worse. He couldn’t go after them both since they were in opposite directions at the moment. Lastly, he reached out to Ted. He was a tumble of emotions, which might mean he was off on the road again. Wisp concentrated and could sense a slight change that told him Ted was moving. And Nixie was with him, so they had started off on another spoke of their wheel.

  Wisp swept the immediate area again. Nothing in the tangled trees or piles of storm-tossed debris. Closer in, he felt Nick. He was in a bad mood. A few minutes later the jeep appeared down the road. Wisp opened the passenger door to the wail of a baby. Nick gave Wisp a glare, then poked a thumb over his shoulder to the back seat. “He’s sick.”

  Wisp climbed in. He turned to look into the back. “He’s hungry. Are you nursing?”

  She looked surprised. “How do you know?”

  “Let’s just say he’s special,” Nick said.

  Her voice cracked when she spoke, “My milk didn’t come in.”

  “What are you feeding him?” Nick snapped.

  Wisp felt Nick’s worry top out his irritation. The woman’s emotions spiraled around guilt and fear. “Broth, but he doesn’t like it. He’ll take a little of it, but not enough.”

  Wisp felt the questions roiling around in Nick’s brain. He wanted to interrogate this woman, but she was so fragile right now he knew that she’d collapse in hysteria. And that would only increase the baby’s discomfort. And their own. “We have nursing mothers at High Meadow. Maybe they can help.”

  A muscle jumped in Nick’s jaw. Wisp felt him backing down. They rode in anxious disquiet, with the baby’s cries getting weaker. It was a relief when Wisp felt the solid knot of emotions that meant they were near home. A moment later the radio clicked. Nick let them know they had a sick baby on the way. There was a spike of astonishment from the woman, quickly followed by an aching hope.

  Ruth and Tilly were waiting on the steps when they arrived. Baby and mother were hustled away with the women nattering over the child. The sky was still holding light although the sun had set. A warm fragrance of bread and stew wafted past them.

  “Man that smells good!” Nick groaned. “I’m leaving this here until after we eat.” He scrambled out of the mud-caked jeep toward the school.

  Wisp followed, building back up his barriers. Shutting out the multitude of minds. The cafeteria was half-empty. Dinner had been served. Nick’s emotions tipped towards disappointment.

  Eunice banged out through the kitchen door with a piled tray. “No long faces!” she said with a welcoming smile. “We always have something to spare for you two.”

  Wisp gave her his thanks while Nick took the tray. Sarah left the kitchen with another tray, headed down the hallway. Wisp assumed it would be for the newcomer. Somewhere in the back of his mind a knot released. He hadn’t even realized he’d tagged the baby. But he was being fed now, and the hard pulse of need from him melted away.

  “I think they found a volunteer to feed the baby,” he told Nick between mouthfuls.

  The line between Nick’s brows smoothed out. “You think he’s going to be okay?”

  “I only sensed hunger from him,” Wisp said. “Once they figure out how to feed him, he’ll have the same chance as any other child.”

  Nick grunted, digging back into his dinner. Wisp felt the darkness in his spirit and knew he shouldn’t have used those words. They were true, but maybe too brutal. Sometimes Nick had sharp edges and sometimes those edges were from old pain.

  “I’ll tell Martin to send a Rover back with word that we got here. Then I’m ready to go,” Nick said as he wolfed down his meal.

  “I’ll check the weather forecast. Are you sure you want to leave tonight?” Wisp asked the question, but he already knew the answer. Nick was antsy. He wanted this foray started as soon as possible. Which was exactly what Wisp wanted anyway.

  “Yes,” Nick said in a clipped tone. He mopped up the last puddle of gravy with the last bite of roll as he got to his feet. “I’ll meet you out front. No point in putting the jeep away.”

  Wisp debated speaking with Kyle but decided to check in with Angus instead. A group of people was just leaving his office as Wisp arrived. He glanced in the doorway. Angus was standing at his desk looking puzzled, but there was a tired droop to his shoulders. Wisp knocked on the doorjamb.

  “Wisp! You’re back. Come in.” Angus beckoned him over.

  He was a little surprised that Tilly hadn’t told Angus that he and Nick were back. He felt for her, but she was fuzzy with concentration. Probably in the infirmary with the mother and child. “We found turkeys and a goat.”

  “Livestock?” Angus asked, his blue eyes twinkling. “I haven’t heard anything about that.”

  “Things are getting complicated,” Wisp observed.

  “Yes.” Angus gestured to the circle of armchairs. “I don’t know everything that happens anymore.” He chuckled. “I’ve got too many pies to stick fingers in them all.”

  “Nick and I are leaving tonight.”

  Angus sighed but gave him a nod.

  “We should be back in a day or two.”

  “And how long do I wait before I send out the dogs?” Angus asked with a faint smile that didn’t hide his concern.

  Wisp shook his head. “Don’t. If we don’t come back, it means we can’t.”

  “Do you think we’d leave you in troub
le?” Angus asked indignantly.

  “If I can’t get us out of trouble then I doubt you could,” Wisp said bluntly.

  Angus leaned back into the chair with a greater sigh. “I suppose you’re right. Please don’t let it get to that.”

  Chapter 37

  Every farm or garden had its specialty. We were able to act as an exchange to give potatoes to the grain farmer and bread to the dairy. By overseeing the transfer of produce, we could make suggestions to producers to balance the range available.

  History of a Changed World, Angus T. Moss

  TILLY’S HEAD WAS SPINNING. She didn’t even remember leaving the building, and now she was on the bus on her way to the warehouse in the pale light of early morning. The first shipment was coming in from the mall. It had all been arranged without her. She wasn’t sure if she was proud or outraged by that fact. Jean told her about it after it had already been put into motion. Hard goods would be shipped from the mall to the warehouse to be sorted and distributed by the Divvy Committee. She wasn’t sure what role she played in this anymore.

  The High Meadow Shuttle rumbled down the street to the train station. Tilly held on to the edge of the window. Since they’d taken out every other seat, the hand grip was too far away for her to grasp. Having been a pedestrian for years, the shuttle felt like it was going much too fast. She looked around at the other passengers. Six people, all of them strangers. She couldn’t imagine where they were going.

  The shuttle stopped at the train station. She stood up but the driver waved her back down. “One more stop, ma'am.”

  She plunked down, stunned. One more stop. The shuttle had only been running for a few days, and already it was operating like a normal bus system. She had heard that someone was setting up a route to wind thru the entire territory that Angus had claimed. Public transportation. Could they really manage to reinstitute the services that an established government had supplied?