Dome Nine

by John Purcell

  * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  We went back the way we came, hopping off the edge of the cliff and dropping 20 feet to the loose earth of the slope below. From there, we scooted down the incline on a bed of sliding dirt and stones.

  When we came around the wreckage of the house, the circle of clapping children parted to let us inside. That’s when I realized that they weren’t children at all, despite being about my height. Some faces were more youthful than others, but most displayed the lines and wrinkles of middle age. All the men wore full beards.

  A man detached himself from the circle and came forward. His hair was black, his eyes were brown, and his skin was perfectly white. This seemed to be true of everyone. When he raised his hand the clapping died away.

  He addressed me. “My name is Rafael. I speak for the Wissahickon clan.” He extended his hand. “On behalf of everyone here, I thank you for killing those beasts. They’ve made our lives miserable for much too long.”

  I shook his hand. “I didn’t intend to kill them. This is the first time I’ve ever taken another life. To be honest, I don’t think I care for it.”

  Rafael nodded. “We share that sentiment, but don’t blame yourself. It’s part of Queen Scarlett’s game to leave you no choice.”

  “What does Queen Scarlett have to do with it?”

  “She created those monsters and brought them here.”

  “Why?”

  “For the same reason she does everything. But it’s bad luck to speak of Queen Scarlett. Let me introduce you to the clan.”

  I was about to tell him my name when he turned away and addressed the circle. “Gather around, everyone! Please welcome Teo, and…” He turned to me. “What’s your iPup’s name?”

  “Moto.”

  “…and his iPup, Moto!”

  The circle broke apart and smiling faces approached me from all sides. I didn’t know quite how to respond to their gratitude. I shook dozens of hands and nodded a lot. As it became clear that the well-wishers wanted to thank Moto, too, she unfolded her paws and started shaking hands along with me.

  This might have gone on indefinitely, if not for Moto. She suddenly cocked her head, folded up her hands, and took off through the crowd, barking. People stepped back in surprise, opening the way. I chased after her.

  She dashed up the slope to where the house had disintegrated, paused for an instant to listen, then disappeared behind a large chunk of the roof. When I caught up with her, I understood her hurry.

  A woman lay unconscious on the ground, her face blue. A baby python was coiled around her torso.

  Moto unfolded her hands and reached for the serpent’s neck, but I said, “No, Moto. No more killing.”

  I shrugged off my backpack, pulled out a shock wand, and jolted the python near its head. Its muscles convulsed and it went limp.

  As Moto helped me free the woman from its coils, a crowd gathered around us. Two men rushed to the woman’s side and began trying to revive her. She was still unconscious but breathing on her own. She seemed taller than the rest of her clan.

  As I stood up, Rafael approached me in alarm. “What is that weapon? Does it produce electricity?”

  I said, “Yes, it’s a shock wand.”

  He turned to the crowd, raising his voice. “Drone attack! Everybody get below!”

  Others took up the cry and the lower slope began to empty out as people streamed toward the ravine. The two men were preparing to lift the unconscious woman. One gripped her under the arms, the other below her knees.

  Rafael urged them on. “We don’t have much time!”

  I said, “If we’re in a hurry, maybe I should carry her.”

  The two men looked to Rafael, who nodded. They lifted her up and placed her in my arms.

  Rafael said, “Follow me!” and started for the ravine at a jog, assuming the woman would slow me down.

  Moto and I drew even with him. “You can run faster than that.”

  He picked up speed but still held back, so we passed him, following the crowd.

  Everyone was headed toward the rock face on the far side of the ravine, jumping the creek that flowed through the middle. Once across, they ran up the bank to a cluster of boulders. Then they simply vanished.

  Moto zoomed ahead and jumped the creek before me. As I leapt it myself, I could see that its waters were bright green. Halfway up the bank, I slowed to let Rafael catch up. People were arriving at the boulders from all directions and disappearing, one by one. I watched Moto disappear along with them.

  Rafael hurried past me, saying, “I’ll go first and you pass her down to me.”

  When we rounded the boulders, I could see why everyone was dropping out of sight. They were jumping into a circular hole, about 6 feet in diameter.

  Rafael let the last few people go ahead of us, then made the jump himself, landing atop a boulder that was roughly the same size as the hole. I lowered the woman into his arms and he scooted down to the stone floor. As soon as he was out of the way, I jumped myself.

  Two men were standing by, making sure everyone was in. Rafael gave them a nod and they put their shoulders to an enormous wooden wheel. As they turned it, the boulder began to rise, rotating on its platform. A wooden column the size of a tree trunk corkscrewed upward from below ground, pushing the boulder toward the opening above.

  As Rafael strapped the unconscious woman onto a stretcher, I helped turn the wheel. Moto came over and joined me, and soon the platform dovetailed into the hole, securing the boulder above ground. Two wooden posts lay on the floor nearby. We upended them and wedged them into place, bracing the platform.

  This struck me as futile. The supports might prevent outsiders from forcing their way in, but they didn’t stand a chance in a drone strike.

  Rafael came up behind me, sensing my thoughts. “Don’t worry, the drones never strike the ravine.”

  “Why not?”

  “Cassius provided us with a decoy. Every time a drone detects a signal, it traces it to the spot where the decoy is buried. Then it blasts away at it and the signal dies out and it flies off.”

  “That’s why the hillside’s been destroyed.”

  Rafael smiled. “Yes, and it’s about to take another beating.”

  “The drones patrol for electrical signals?”

  “Among other things. The GR believes that no electricity means no technology, and no technology means no threat.”

  “Then why wasn’t I attacked by drones when I got here?”

  “I’m not sure, but the drones ignore Low-bots, too. Your signal must be too weak to attract them.”

  This was certainly good luck.

  I said, “What else do drones patrol for?”

  “Gunfire, explosions, chemicals, anything that might be related to weaponry or bomb-making. Needless to say, there’s none of that here.”

  “But you do produce electrical signals.”

  He raised his arms, gesturing at the chamber around us. “See for yourself.”

  I realized, belatedly, that closing the hole had shut out all daylight. Nevertheless, the chamber was suffused with a gentle glow. As in Mr. Wu’s guest room, the glow had no source.

  I said, “I’ve seen this type of light before, but I have no idea how it works.”

  “I’m afraid I’m not a scientist. It transforms electrons into photons somehow. That’s all I can tell you.”

  “The drones can’t pick up the signal?”

  Rafael shook his head. “Not from a single Glorb, or even a dozen. But we have hundreds in the cavern.”

  “Hundreds?”

  “Yes. Ordinarily, nothing registers outside, but every so often a signal leaks out. It’s maddening, because we never know when it’s going to happen. We have to keep a lookout posted, day and night.”

  “How many people—”

  I was
interrupted by a shrill whistling sound.

  Rafael said, “Speaking of lookouts…”

  He crossed the chamber and spoke into the mouth of a metal pipe that extended upward, into the rocks above. “Nestor, what’s happening?”

  Nestor’s voice echoed down the pipe. “Drone’s here.”

  “The usual flight path?”

  “Yeah.”

  “The decoy is on, correct?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Thank you.”

  Rafael called us over, saying, “Come down to the cavern and you won’t hear a thing.”

  At the back of the chamber, the stone floor stopped short of the wall, leaving a 4-foot gap. I walked up to the edge and peered over. It was a straight drop into darkness. A web of ropes, like the rigging on a sailing ship, hung from the rear wall. Rafael leapt across the gap and grabbed hold.

  He said, “Come on. It’s an easy climb, but a long one.”

  Moto looked up at me.

  I said, “I don’t think there’s any other way down.”

  She unfolded her hands and we leapt together.

  The rigging was more stable than it looked. We descended quickly, facing the wall as we climbed, focused on the task at hand. I didn’t turn around until my feet touched bottom.

  I was expecting the cavern to be cramped and dimly lit. Instead, I felt as though I were standing in a city square at twilight. The walls soared high above us, aglow with points of light. Even the stone ceiling, 50 feet over our heads, shimmered like the sky at dusk.

  In the center of the cavern lay an enormous stone slab that seemed to function as a table. Dozens of figures stood in place around it, bent over their work, books open before them. Most were so small they had to stand on boulders in order to reach the tabletop. I realized that these were the real children, tiny offspring of child-sized parents.

  From the far side of the cavern came the flickering of firelight. Figures bustled about a wide stone hearth, tending to cauldrons suspended above the flames.

  The walls that towered over us were pockmarked with niches that appeared to be tiny bedrooms. Rigging was everywhere, and a horizontal web of ropes, tightly woven, hung just below the cavern ceiling.

  Rafael was watching me as I gazed about. “Welcome to our home, Teo. And welcome to you, too, Moto. You saved May’s life and for that we can never repay you.”

  Moto wagged her tail.

  I said, “I can’t believe my eyes. How many people live here?”

  “54 adults and 33 children.”

  “How did you ever find this place?”

  “Our clan has been living in this cavern for over a hundred years. The story of how it came to pass is a long one. Regrettably, I can’t share it with you.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it happened during the Bitter Years, and no one speaks of that time. You’re welcome to read about it, if you wish. We all studied it in school. But no one talks about it.”

  “It’s against the law?”

  “We have no laws. It’s simply a custom. But you’ll find it’s the case wherever you go.”

  I turned toward the stone table. “What are the children doing?”

  Rafael followed my gaze. “They’re working.”

  “I thought they might be in school.”

  “There’s a fine line between the two. They have classes in the morning. After lunch, they work.”

  “What sort of work?”

  “They’re scribes. We all are. It’s our contribution.”

  “I don’t know what a scribe is.”

  Rafael shook his head. “Forgive me. Simply put, we copy out books, bind them, and barter them with other clans.”

  “What books?”

  “We’re limited by what’s in our library, but it’s a reasonably good collection. Occasionally, we’ll go to the Ruins for something rare.”

  “There’s a library there?”

  “No, UNK/C reduced that to rubble. Before it was destroyed, though, certain materials were removed.”

  “How many books have you copied out?”

  Raphael shrugged. “We lost count long ago. Right now, we’re working on Huckleberry Finn.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s the story of America, Teo, as it once was, the good and the bad. You must read it sometime. Right now, though, I very much want to see how May is doing.”

  “I just have one more question: how is it you know my name?”

  “Why, Bim told us, of course.”

  “You’ve actually heard him speak?”

  Rafael smiled. “I didn’t mean to imply that. Bim writes down whatever he wishes to say. After all, we have plenty of paper.”

  “I was wondering about that. Where do you get it? Do you make it?”

  “No, no, we get it from various Finders.”

  “What are Finders?”

  Rafael smiled. “I thought you said one question. I don’t mean to be impolite, but I’m anxious to check on May. Will you come with me?”

  We walked in silence as he led us toward the side wall. As we neared it, I could see that we were approaching an underground stream. We turned and followed along its edge until it disappeared into an opening in the wall.

  Rafael said, “This is where we keep our infirmary.”

  We left the main cavern, following the stream into its tunnel, which was also aglow with light. I now understood why the Wissahickon clan needed hundreds of Glorbs.

  Rafael veered away from the stream, down a narrow passageway that seemed to be a natural fissure. It opened into a chamber that was just large enough to accommodate three beds, a desk, and rows of shelving, all fashioned from pale-blue wood. The lower shelves were stocked with boxes and bins and bottles. Electronic devices lined the top shelves. I had never seen anything like them in Dome Nine.

  May had the infirmary to herself. She was sitting upright in her bed, leaning back on a cushion, awake and alert. As we approached her bedside, I studied her for the first time. Her face had the creases and jowls of old age, but her piercing blue eyes showed no signs of senility. Judging by the bed, she was indeed taller than the rest of her clan. Her feet jutted out beyond the footboard.

  Rafael said, “Has Santos seen you yet?”

  May said, “A couple of minutes ago. After he checked me over, he went to find Miri.”

  Rafael took her hand. “How are you feeling?”

  May looked away. “Like an idiot, of course.”

  “Nonsense. It’s not your fault.”

  “Yes it is. I knew what I was getting into.”

  “You wanted to see them for yourself.”

  “Yes.”

  “I would have done the same thing.”

  May didn’t reply. She was staring into the distance.

  Rafael released her hand. “I’ve brought visitors. This is Teo and his iPup, Moto. Their quick thinking saved your life.”

  She came out of her reverie and gave me a half-smile. “Pleased to meet you, Teo. How can I thank you?”

  I said, “You shouldn’t. Moto deserves all the credit.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t mean for saving my life. I’m a useless old crone. I mean for killing those two monsters.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t proud of what I’d done. I was just the opposite, whatever that might be.

  Rafael filled the silence. “I know how you can repay Teo.”

  She turned to him. “How?”

  “He’s is an inquisitive young man and this is his first time Outside. It would be most enlightening, I’m sure, if you’d let him sit with you awhile.”

  “That’s pretty shabby repayment.”

  “I think not. He has many questions and you can answer them as well as anyone.”

  They exchanged a look and then she turned back to me. “Have a seat, Teo. I’ll try not to bore you to death.”

  Rafael offered me a chair. I pulled
it up to May’s bedside and sat down. Moto curled up beside me.

  Rafael said, “I’m going to check in with Nestor. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He turned and walked out.

  May gazed at me, waiting.

  I said, “You wanted to see the dead pythons because they killed someone close to you.”

  She held up her hand. “The first thing you need to know, Teo, is that no one asks personal questions Outside. If you don’t know someone well, it’s considered the height of rudeness.”

  “Why is that?”

  “I take it you’re from the Domes.”

  “Correct.”

  “Has anyone brought you up to speed yet?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do you know about the Invasion?”

  “Yes.”

  “And the storms that preceded it?”

  “Yes.”

  “And the Great Starvation?”

  Mr. Wu had hinted at this. “Did that take place after the Invasion?”

  “Yes, during the Glorious Salvation, as the GR so whimsically calls it. UNK/C let everyone outside the Domes starve to death.”

  “Why?”

  “Kim Jong-pil wanted them killed and it was simpler than trying to execute everyone. All the peacekeepers had to do was guard the Domes and wait.”

  “There wasn’t any food Outside?”

  May shook her head. “After the Crash, society crumbled. Transportation ground to a halt and the supermarkets were stripped bare. People were hoarding food, fighting and killing over it. Then UNK/C invaded and the real nightmares began. When it was all over, every plant or animal that could be eaten had been wiped out. The entire ecosystem was destroyed. Only one in fifty people survived.”

  “What does that have to do with asking personal questions?”

  She glared at me. “Think about it! Suppose you were one of the survivors and someone asked you a personal question. What would happen? The next thing you know, you’d be talking about all the friends and family you’d lost. No one wanted to talk about it. Everyone just wanted to forget. It’s as simple as that.”

  “Obviously, your clan survived down here.”

  “That’s the next thing, Teo. Nobody talks about the Bitter Years.”

  “I know, Rafael told me. But I got the impression he wanted you to speak freely.”

  “Sure, as far as it goes. That’s why I’m telling you about the Great Starvation.”

  “But you’re not going to tell me how your clan ended up down here?”

  May sighed. “For one thing, this isn’t really my clan, so it isn’t really my story. My grandmother was born right here in Philadelphia. The Wissahickon Clan is basically Peruvian. They came here as refugees from Atlantic City, after Hurricane Barney. They’d been working in the casinos for two or three generations. The government bussed them to a camp right here in Wissahickon Park.”

  “How did they know about this cavern?”

  “They didn’t. My grandmother did. Refugees were being rounded up under the Deportation Act. When the militias came after the Peruvians, my grandmother helped them hide. She knew about a gap in the rock face that led to a passageway. It was so narrow that only the children and a few young women could squeeze through. But the passageway went all the way down to the stream.”

  “So they had a source of drinking water.”

  May nodded. “There was food, too, fish and frogs and salamanders. But it’s the water that really saved them. During the Great Starvation, more people died of thirst, or from drinking contaminated water, than died of hunger.”

  “What became of your grandmother?”

  “She looked after them as long as she could. She brought them candles and blankets and books by the hundreds. And after the Crash she brought them one last thing: her baby daughter, April. That was my mother. April went on to write a history of the Bitter Years, the one all the children study in school.” May folded her arms. “You should read it yourself, because that’s the only way you’re going to find out anything else. Now that you’ve heard my little piece, that’s it! I’m done.”

  I could see there was no use arguing. “All right, enough about the Bitter Years. Are you willing to talk about Queen Scarlett?”

  She grimaced. “I suppose so. What about her?”

  “Rafael said she created those pythons. How is that possible?”

  “She tampers with nature the way she tampers with machines. She found a way to quadruple their size.”

  “How?”

  May looked at me in annoyance. “Genetic engineering.”

  “What’s that?”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I forgot. Scientists can muck about with an animal’s genes and change whatever they wish. They’ve been doing it for 200 years now. Naturally, Queen Scarlett uses it for evil.”

  “She’s a scientist?”

  “A brilliant one, in her own horrific way. Her skyscraper is chock-a-block with laboratories.”

  “She has a skyscraper?”

  “Oh yes. She rules Baltimore from on high.”

  “Baltimore is a city?”

  Annoyance flickered across May’s face again. “Yes, just down the coast from here. The GR has her ruling the Inland Baltimore Complex, all ten Domes.”

  “Why?”

  “I imagine she saves them a lot of money. Aside from that, who knows? The GR does whatever it pleases. We don’t waste a lot of time wondering why.”

  “I’m leaving for Washington, DC tomorrow.”

  May looked up sharply. “Well, don’t go through Baltimore, whatever you do.”

  “Why not?”

  “You’ll never be heard from again.”

  “Then how should I get there?”

  May shrugged. “Everyone goes the long way around, up 695. Queen Scarlett considers that her property line. But it adds forty miles to the trip.”

  “Is that the only route?”

  “Once in a while someone tries to go by boat. They’re never heard from again, either.”

  “Queen Scarlett rules the ocean, too?”

  “No. As a matter of fact, she won’t go near it.”

  “Then what makes the route dangerous?”

  “If she happens to spot a boat, she sends out a waterspout and drowns everyone aboard.”

  “Queen Scarlett can control the weather?”

  May nodded ruefully. “It’s one of her hobbies. But I’ll tell you something odd. The weather has gone back to normal recently. We’re getting downpours in the afternoon again. The drought’s almost over.”

  “Are you saying Queen Scarlett created this drought?”

  “Probably.”

  “But why?”

  This time, May let her annoyance show. “Teo, you’re going to get on everyone’s nerves if you keep asking that question! Queen Scarlett is evil, and whatever she does, morning, noon, and night, is evil, too! You might as well ask why the sun shines!”

  “All right, let me put it another way. What did she hope to accomplish with this drought?”

  “She wanted everyone to starve. No rain, no food.”

  “I don’t even know what you eat. Do you grow your own crops?”

  May ignored the question. “I’ll tell you how we got through the drought: python eggs. The mother laid them by the hundreds, eggs the size of your head. Queen Scarlett had us living like prehistoric mammals, scraping by on reptile eggs. We’d scurry out at night to collect them.”

  “And before the drought?”

  She looked at me in wonder. “There’s food everywhere you look.”

  “All I saw was blue weeds and brush and shriveled up trees.”

  “Oops. My mistake.”

  “So where is all this food?”

  “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

  “You aren’t going to tell me?”

  “I don’t want to spoil the surprise. Next question.”

&nbs
p; Before I could ask anything else, Rafael and another man entered the infirmary, joining us at May’s bedside. As I stood up, Moto hopped to her feet along with me.

  Rafael made the introductions. “Santos, this is Teo and his iPup, Moto. As you may have heard, they just dropped a house on the two monsters.”

  Santos smiled and shook my hand, saying, “Yes, word travels fast around here. I wish I could have seen it with my own eyes.”

  Once again, I was at a loss for words. All I could say was, “Pleased to meet you.”

  Santos turned to May. “How’s my only patient?”

  She sighed. “All talked out.”

  He turned toward the shelves. “Let’s check your numbers.”

  He took an electronic device from the top shelf and brought it over to May. It looked like a tiny television with cable attached to the back. At the end of the cable was a small metal disc.

  He touched this to May’s chest, watching the screen. “Aside from a slight drop in kidney function, your numbers are good. But I still want to keep you here until dinnertime.”

  May yawned. “Good, I could use a nap.”

  I said, “I appreciate your speaking with me.”

  She waved her hand dismissively. “I do prattle on. Good luck getting to Washington.”

  “Thank you.”

  As we were leaving the infirmary, Rafael said, “You’re going to Washington, DC?”

  “Yes. I leave tomorrow morning.”

  “I assume you’re going to see Cassius.”

  “Yes.”

  “How do you plan to get there?”

  We emerged from the fissure and followed the stream, Moto trotting between us.

  I said, “I’m not sure. At first I was planning to take Interstate 95, but everyone keeps telling me to avoid Baltimore. Avoiding it would make the trip a lot longer and it still sounds dangerous.”

  “In all honesty, there’s no safe way to get past it.”

  “There’s another problem. I was planning to follow the main storm drain all the way to the end, but an underground river joins it.”

  Rafael nodded. “That’s Wingohocking Creek. We’ve never gone past that point ourselves. But I know the outfall dumps right into the Delaware River.”

  “How far is that from the ocean?”

  “Now that New Jersey’s gone, you can scarcely to tell the two apart.”

  “So I could conceivably make it from there to the Atlantic?”

  “You would need a boat, of course. Have you got one?”

  “No.”

  “Well, we do.”

  I stopped in my tracks. “You have a boat?”

  Rafael turned. “Just a rowboat. A lifeboat, actually.”

  “What do you use it for?”

  “We don’t. The Delaware Clan needed a dozen copies of Death of a Salesman and they’d had a bad month. Instead of snakeheads, we accepted the lifeboat. We didn’t know quite what to do with it, so we put it up by the crow’s nest. The kids used to play in it, before the monsters arrived.”

  “Are you offering it to me?”

  “Of course. If you'd like, I can take you up to see it right now.”

  “Please.”

  Rafael led us toward the rear of the cavern, to the spot where we’d first arrived. He took hold of the rigging, saying, “The return trip is more tedious,” and hoisted himself up.

  He made the climb at a pace that was hard to match. When we emerged from the gap, I could see that the portal had been reopened. The sky outside was filled with maroon clouds.

  Two men were resting against the wooden wheel, keeping an informal watch. Beyond them, a ladder fashioned from blue wood was leaning up against the rim of the portal. Rafael led us to it, saying, “I’m afraid we haven’t much time. We have to close up before the rains begin.”

  Moto and I followed him up the ladder.

  The winds were gusting at ground level and the air had an unfamiliar smell. Clouds roiled overhead.

  Rafael was watching me. “What you’re smelling is ozone. There’s an electrical storm on the way.”

  Moto looked to the east and growled.

  I said, “Don’t worry, Moto, it’s just a thunderstorm.”

  This didn’t reassure her.

  Rafael said, “The boat’s at the top of the ravine. There are easier ways to get there, but we’d better take the fastest route.”

  He turned to the rock face and began to climb.

  I let Moto go first, in case she got into trouble. I needn’t have bothered. She scampered up as though she’d done it a thousand times. I hurried after her.

  The winds were stronger at the top of the bluff. We followed a footpath along the rim and soon came to the lifeboat. It was lying on the ground, bottom up, and was larger than I’d expected, almost 12 feet from end to end. It looked heavy.

  Rafael said, “We have to keep it upside down, otherwise it fills with rainwater. We only flip it over when the kids want to use it. Thanks to you and Moto, they’ll be able to go outside again.”

  Moto didn’t seem to be listening. She looked east and growled again.

  I knelt beside her. “What is it, Moto? Is the storm upsetting you?”

  She shook her head.

  “What is it, then? Is something wrong?”

  She nodded, eyes still on the sky. Then she began to bark.

  At the same time, someone started calling to us. About a hundred yards away, near the high point on the bluff, I could see a man waving his arms. His words were drowned out by Moto’s barking.

  I said, “Moto, hush.”

  She obeyed, looking very unhappy.

  The man, whom I took to be Nestor, was shouting, “Queen Scarlett, from the east!”

  I stood up, turning to look.

  Rafael grabbed my arm. “No time! Under the boat!”

  The rail of the upside down lifeboat formed an arch that was wide enough for us to squeeze through. From the inside, it offered a view of the dirt cliff and the wreckage of the house.

  Something swooped down from the sky, so fast it was a blur, and landed on the slope. It was some sort of enormous bird, with pointed ears and a claw-like beak. Queen Scarlett was seated upon its back, behind its wings, dressed in blood-red robes and a blood-red cloak, a jagged gold crown resting atop her head. Her face, harsh-featured and cruel, was surprisingly familiar.

  As the bird lowered its body to the ground, I realized that it walked on four legs.

  Queen Scarlett leapt off and strode down the slope, toward the woods. Inserting two fingers into her mouth, she blew through them, producing a piercing shriek. She paused, listening, then blew again. She took a few more steps toward the trees, head cocked. Then she looked over her shoulder toward the wreckage of the house, putting it all together.

  She strode back up the slope, past her beast, and disappeared into the wreckage.

  Rafael whispered, “In all my years, I’ve never seen Queen Scarlett come from the east. She always comes from the west.”

  I had a plausible explanation, but a long one. “What will she do when she finds them?”

  “There’s always hope she’ll think it was an accident.”

  She didn’t.

  She emerged from the wreckage carrying two banisters, one in each hand, and plunged them into the ground, both at once, working them down until they supported themselves. Then she crossed to her beast, drew a broadsword, and returned to the wreckage.

  I whispered to Rafael. “She carries a sword?”

  “No guns Outside, anywhere.”

  Half a minute later, she was back by her beast’s side, the sword dripping with blood. She wiped it clean on the hem of her cloak, sheathed it, and returned to the wreckage once more.

  She emerged with two severed python heads, carrying them by the tongues, and brought them over to where the banisters stood. Dropping one head on the ground, she raised the other, bringing it down hard, impaling it atop the
pole. She repeated this with the other head, then looked up at the bluff, as though she knew exactly where we were hiding.

  She called to us. “I bring you two lovely pets and this is the thanks I get! Well, I’ll be back with some new pets, and they won’t be half so cuddly!”

  She paused to look about. “For now, though, I think I’ll stroll down to the library. You don’t mind if I take out a few of books, do you?”

  She strode off downhill, toward the street.

  Moto growled.

  I said, “We’ve got to stop her.”

  Rafael shook his head. “Absolutely not!”

  I knew it wasn’t the right time to confront Queen Scarlett, but I couldn’t let her destroy any books, either.

  Just then, lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and raindrops began to spatter the lifeboat.

  Queen Scarlett turned, looking to the sky, and screeched, “Curse the rain!”

  As she ran for her beast, raising the hood of her cloak, she whistled—short, long, short. The beast got to its feet and started off at a gallop, wings beating the air. She caught up with it and leapt onto its back and they climbed into the sky, just clearing the bluff, passing directly overhead.

  I rolled out from under the boat in time to see them rocket straight upward and punch through the storm clouds. In their wake came an animal stench.

  I scarcely noticed it, riveted instead by a miraculous sight.

  The rain was pouring down now, soaking the blue weeds and scrub brush and trees. As I watched, they began to rise up and stretch toward the sky. The trees doubled in height, unfurling their branches. The scrub brush expanded upward and outward, forming tangled hedgerows. The weeds pushed away from the earth, turning to fields of tall grass.

  Rafael appeared by my side.

  I said, “How is this possible?”

  He smiled. “Ask Cassius, when you see him.”

  Before my eyes, the trees were producing fruit, the bushes were sprouting berries, and the tall grass was going to seed.

  I said, “This is what you eat, isn’t it?”

  “This is what everyone eats, since the Great Starvation.”

  “Cassius did this?”

  “Yes.”

  We watched in silence, getting soaked ourselves, as the trees and hedges and fields of grass danced in the wind and rain.

  The downpour eventually tapered off and stopped, but the plants kept their expanded forms.

  Rafael said, “We’d better do something about those snake heads before the children come out.”