by Mark Tufo
“You will give up the person or persons who broke into our hut or there will be serious repercussions for this entire quarter!” It was Lericho, the second-in-command of the Brokers. He was shouting at the gathering; his Brokers fanned around him. Some were walking through the throng, looking for a guilty party or at least someone that was acting that way, I would imagine.
“What’s going on?” I asked Cedar. She’d had her Walk a few months after me. We’d not known much about each other in the Wards, but once we were out we had become best friends, I would share berries with her and she would share bread with me. In the sunlight, her hair was a true reddish-gold and she was nearly as tall as I. I knew that the boys thought she was beautiful; they always did stupid things when she would approach like see who could hit each other the hardest or throw rocks the farthest. She usually ignored them.
“Where have you been, Winter?” She looked scared.
“Slept in,” I lied.
“Someone killed a Broker and stole some of their things. Now they’re insanely mad. Those things they’re carrying make some really loud noises and they said they can kill people instantly and they will start doing just that if they don’t get their stuff back. Do you think that’s true?”
“I don’t know.” Now I was scared not for myself, but for what I had brought down upon my town. Anybody that got hurt, the responsibility could be laid down directly at my feet.
“Oh…hi, Tallow,” Cedar said as he approached. We thought it would be best if we didn’t come in together.
“I’m not going to ask again!” Lericho shouted. The crowd jumped as one as he pointed the rifle into the air and released another bullet.
“So that’s how you do it.” Tallow was looking intently at Lericho’s fingers.
I could hear cries as Brokers were pushing people over. Lericho lowered his rifle and now had it pointing at the people up front, who were pushing back trying to get away from it. I could not allow this to happen.
“I’ve got to stop this.”
“What are you going to do, Winter? What can you possibly do?” Cedar asked.
I took a step. Tallow’s hand shot out and gripped my shoulder hard enough that I could feel his fingers dig in. I turned to look at him. He shook his head, his lips closed tight. No, he mouthed.
The rifle blasted again and there were screams. The crowd started to run in every direction–to stay in place was to risk getting trampled. Tallow did not release his grip as we ran. More shots were fired. We ran back to Tallow’s apartment with Cedar in tow. From his window it was possible to see down onto the square we had just vacated. Six people lay on the ground unmoving, pools of blood spreading out from each of them.
“I might as well have put those bullets in them,” I cried with my head against the glass.
“Winter, get away from there,” Tallow said as he gently grabbed my hand.
Cedar had come up as well. I didn’t want to move; I think I would have felt better if one of those bullets found its way up to me. “You didn’t do this, Winter. Lericho is just a bully. He always has been. That’s why he’s one of the Broker officers. And, just curious…but what are bullets?”
Tallow shook his head. “Not now,” he told Cedar.
I cried so hard my tears were running down the glass. We could hear people yelling and shouting words of alarm all around us. The Brokers were not quite done with their rampage. They were now finding stragglers and were attempting to beat information out of them that they did not possess.
“Is that Jeb?” Cedar asked, putting her hands up against the glass. “He’s only ten!” One of the Brokers was dragging the small boy to the center of the square by his hair. Jeb had his hands wrapped around the Broker’s arm, trying his best to mitigate the pain. At some points his feet weren’t even touching the ground as the Broker easily lifted him up.
“That’s enough!” I slammed my hand against the wall.
“What are you going to do?” Tallow asked.
“I’m going to stop them.” I guess the set of my jaw and look in my eye was enough to convince him not to step in my way.
“I’m coming with you then. We’re in this together.”
“No, you stay here. I mean it.”
My legs felt weak as I walked toward them. Jeb was on the ground crying, three Brokers hovering around him.
“Stop,” I said so weakly I barely heard it. I walked closer, my knees knocking together as I did so. “Stop.” This time it came out loud enough that they heard, or maybe they’d just now seen me.
“What are you going to do about it?” one of the Brokers growled.
“He’s ten. He...he doesn’t know anything.”
“Then he’ll be dead,” the same Broker said. His pronounced hairlip made him constantly look like he was snarling as one corner of his mouth upturned in a sneer. He was actually one of the nicer ones, but not today. “Someone killed my buddy and I’ll kill everyone in this crappy little town until I find out who it was.”
“We can’t kill everyone,” Lericho laughed, startling me as he came up on my side. “What about you little girl? Where were you the night before last?” I cried out as he tugged on my hair.
“Ain’t no way she took Durgan down,” the one who had dragged Jeb said.
“Yeah, but she might know who did. How about it? Do you know anything?” Lericho asked as he stepped in closer. The smell of him was offensive. “Because if you do, now might be the time to let us know.” Lericho nodded to the Broker with the hairlip who placed the end of the barrel against Jeb’s head. The boy went from crying to stock-still. “Ever seen what happens to a head when someone is shot from this close? Of course you haven’t, you ignorant savage–you don’t know anything. You’re born and bred for one of two things: fight in The War or breed.”
“I know it’s against the law to kill.”
“Oh you know that, do you?” Lericho was now in my face, droplets of saliva hitting me as he yelled.
I told him the Law of Life verbatim as we had been taught in class. “All human life in Dystance is held in high regard; for without it, we would fall prey to our enemies that surround us. Any life that is needlessly taken, whether through hostility or preventable accident will be dealt with severely and is punishable by death.” That last part always struck me as funny. In order to even out the needless killing of a citizen they would kill another. That made no sense as far as I could tell.
“And who are you going to tell, little missy?” Lericho laughed.
“The Overseers are expected to visit next month. I will gladly tell them all that I have seen here today, or I won’t,” I threatened.
His laughing stopped immediately. “And what if you disappear as well?”
I didn’t have an answer for that.
“I saw it, too,” Tallow said, coming up behind me.
Lericho looked over my shoulder.
I had not realized how incredibly quiet it had become while I was confronting Lericho. People were staring at us from various windows all along the square. I heard a window open up behind me. Cedar shouted down, “I saw it, too!”
Then there were dozens of “Me toos” throughout the area.
Lericho spun, looking in every direction. I could see the machinations in his head, wondering if he could silence all of the witnesses.
“I’m going to remember your face, little princess.” His meaty finger was thrust toward my nose. “Fine!” he shouted. “You little bastards want to kill one of my men, it’s half rations from here on out!” He turned to leave.
“No,” I said defiantly. “Full rations.”
“Who are you to tell me anything!” The vehemence which he delivered the words threatened to bowl me over.
“Full rations. Your men already take enough. Full rations or I swear I’ll tell the Overseers everything that happened here and more.” I stood my ground. The Overseers would give the Brokers some leeway for their violent dispensation of discipline, but six Dystance citizens were dead an
d that could not be ignored. There was a high probability the Overseers would make the Brokers pay some sort of remittance, we were six soldiers down now; it was not unheard of for a Broker to be sent to fight in The War. And I was pretty sure they wanted nothing to do with it, not nowadays.
“Full rations,” he spat. “But I will remember you, Princess, and someday I’ll catch you out here alone. When I do I’m going to gut you like a fish.”
“You touch one hair on the princess’s head I’ll hide your ass.” Brody, the leader of the Brokers said. I don’t know where he’d come from, but it was easy enough to tell he had been running to get here. “What the hell happened?” He was looking at Lericho.
“Justice for Durgan,” Lericho spat.
“Justice? You idiot! This was a slaughter. Get your ass back to the barracks before I dispense some ‘justice!’” Brody roared. “Dammit,” Brody said as he ran his hand through his hair. He waited until all of his men had retreated, then said, “I’ll send the Meddies to get them properly taken care of once I sort this out.” He turned and followed his men. The Meddies' idea of “taking care of” the dead involved reducing them to ashes and using the resultant gray substance as a fertilizer for the fields. I stood there defiantly until I could no longer see him. When Tallow came up next to me I wanted to collapse into him; it was all I could do to stay standing.
“Tallow, get me out of here,” I said breathlessly. I leaned heavily against him as he half carried me back to his apartment.
“What were you thinking?” Cedar asked. “That was the craziest, bravest thing I’ve ever seen! People don’t do that to Brokers.” Her eyes were shining with excitement.
“Maybe they should,” Tallow said as he placed me down gently on a chair. I was shaking like the last leaf on a wind-blown tree.
Cedar was going on incessantly about all manner of things. I couldn’t understand a word of it, partly because Cedar has the ability to talk at speeds that make words begin to slide into each other, as if she has so many thoughts she has to rush to vocalize them. The other problem was that I was lost so deeply in remorse and mourning, nothing could penetrate it.
“Cedar, I think Winter needs to get some rest.”
“Rest? How can she possibly sleep after what has happened? I mean everyone just saw what she did. She’ll be a hero!”
I heard “hero” but knew it did not apply to me. I was a thief, a liar, and worse, a murderer. Not only had I murdered a Broker, I was also directly responsible for those six citizens. Another wave of despair crashed over me; I was smothering in it. I moaned.
“Cedar, close the door on your way out,” Tallow said, although I got the distinct impression my friend hadn’t yet moved.
“What’s the matter with her?”
“She needs some sleep, Cedar. I’ll have her find you when she wakes up.”
That seemed to mollify her. She bent down to look at me. “You sure do look a little rough, Winter. I’ll talk to you later.”
I let the blackness enshroud me; I had dealt with my reality long enough. I don’t know how long I was out, but, the sun had definitely shifted by the time I awoke. I found myself in my underclothes curled up tightly on Tallow’s feather bed. I sat up. He was sitting in a chair across the room, his feet propped up on a crate, his eyes partially closed.
“You alright?” he asked.
“Better, I guess. How’d I get here?”
“I put you there, not quite the way I’d imagined but...” Tallow’s face changed in an instant, his feet slipping off the crate. He looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Winter. I…umm, I didn’t mean it that way.”
“How did you mean it?” I asked.
He stirred uncomfortably and changed the subject immediately. “The Brokers are doing their patrols in groups of two and sometimes three, but they’re looking a little scared.”
I’d thought about still playing with his bed comment, but it seemed wrong. Those deaths were so fresh in my mind.
“I know what you’re thinking, Winter. I can see it on your face. You did not kill those people. The Brokers did.”
“Because of something I did, Tallow.” Tears were welling up in my eyes.
“If anything, then, it’s my fault.”
“What?”
“You did it to protect me. If they didn’t kill me outright, they surely would have beat me and stuck me in Detainment until the next war cycle.”
I knew he was right. I’d done what I had, to protect Tallow. Now I was left feeling guilty whether or not my actions justified the outcome. Tallow and I were safe at the expense of seven other souls. “Why were our lives any more valuable than theirs?”
Tallow was quick with his response. “Think of how many lives you saved, then.”
“What?” I looked up at him with blurred vision.
“You saved that kid’s life. And just think of how many people would have died if Lericho went through with his threat for half-rats.”
I did think on that, but it was a circular thought that always came back to the rifle slamming into that Broker’s skull. The rest of the night was somewhat of a fog for me; at some point Tallow left to get some food. We ate a thin stew that was more liquid than anything of substance. I cried a few more times, once so violently that I thought my head would explode from the pressure. I drifted off into a restless sleep, my dreams polluted with images of violent deaths, of children in the dirt, then the face of my mother…sad, disappointed. Some were so disturbing I would awake with a shudder, and look for Tallow, thankful that he had stayed with me. His closeness was comforting.
That next morning I realized I couldn’t stay in town. The six would be reduced and some solemn words would be said at their Resting ceremonies. After that I wanted to be gone. I had no doubts Lericho would keep his word on his threat. And just because I knew I would be released from the guilt didn’t mean I’d welcome it. There were a few Brokers milling about the periphery of the gathering, but none of them had their rifles. Lericho and the one with the hairlip were nowhere in sight.
“I want to leave,” I told Tallow after the urns were removed.
“Sure,” he said without hesitation.
“I mean for good.”
Now he did hesitate.
“You said it yourself. We should stay out there.”
“I’m not sure if that’s actually possible; I meant it more as a cool suggestion.”
“Just a way to steal a kiss,” I said accusingly.
“I don’t think anything was stolen, Winter.” A look of hurt covered his features.
“Tallow, I don’t want to live like this anymore, dependent upon what rations the Brokers throw our way, and now constantly looking over my shoulder to see if Lericho is nearby.”
“But we have friends here.”
“They can come.” I knew this was unrealistic. Finding food for two was hard enough, and if people started to disappear, others would come looking for them. “Don’t give me that condescending look.”
“Winter, I’m not even sure I know what that means.”
“I’m sorry, Tal. I just need to get away.” That, he could understand. That I had no intention of coming back was maybe something I didn’t need to convince him of right now.
Chapter 5
Kill or Be Killed
WE LEFT, COMPLETELY unaware that we were being followed. It was unnaturally quiet between the two of us during our hike. Usually the farther we got away from town the happier and more animated we were. This time the mood started glum and moved to funereal. We made our first stop by the blueberry bushes. They were still a couple of weeks from peak ripeness but there were a few worth eating. Tallow, at least, could curb the pang of hunger with them. He’d somehow never lost his taste for them.
“I wonder if I could use that rifle to kill an elk?” Tallow was stooping over, looking for berries.
“We should just destroy it. I wouldn’t care if we ever saw the thing again.”
“I admit it’s scary, but it cou
ld make our lives a lot easier.”
I could see his point, even if I didn’t want to. An elk or even a hog would go a long way to ensuring our survival out here and maybe even convince him we could stay and bring our friends. The Brokers could go to The War, and I know what they could do with their rations. Tallow handed me some berries to hold for him. If I hadn’t dropped a couple I would have never seen one of the Brokers duck down behind a ridge about fifty yards away. I fought to keep myself under control, to not reveal that I’d seen him. Every fiber of my being wanted to make a run for it–but just like facing wild dogs, I knew if they had their rifles it wouldn’t make a difference. The only thing that kept me in check was knowing it must not have been Lericho, because he would have fulfilled his promise right then.
“Tallow, listen to me. Keep doing what you’re doing.”
“Do you want me to listen to you or keep doing what I’m doing?” he asked, standing up from his stoop. He placed one hand behind his back and stretched.
“Keep picking and DO NOT look around.”
“Okay, why? Is there a rabbit near?”
“There’s a Broker.”
“What?” He stood up and looked around.
I grabbed his arm. “What did I just tell you?” I said harshly.
He stooped back over. He was making a picking motion but he wasn’t anywhere near a bush.
“Yeah, that’s convincing,” I said.
“Does he have a rifle?” Tallow questioned.
“I don’t know. Should I go over there and ask him?”
“That would probably not be a good idea.” He said it so seriously I had to stop myself from snorting. “We need to get to the book building.”
I knew why he wanted to go and just the thought of it sent ice through my veins. “He will find the window! And then what, Tallow? Will you shoot him? When will it stop? Besides, right now he’s not doing anything other than spying on us. We should go back to town and come back out another time.”
