by Scott McCord
“One more thing,” Ayden says. “Group 14 is the primary benefactor of this plan, so it is only fair the sacrificial child should come from their own. Will, you know what you’re looking for, so you choose. Happy hunting.”
28
Mim
The night is a long one, or maybe the morning is just taking its time, but either way I’ve decided to head back to the Ark. It’s not that I don’t want to stay, I do, but I have friends and a lot of unfinished business at home. I’m eager to get back, for Gas and Ellie to have a life here…and decide if I want the same with Will. Everything good is at my fingertips, but it wouldn’t be right to take any of it without talking to my friends first. I slept on the wall, but I’m wide awake now, watching the stars, thumbing the knife I took from Slate. I can’t stay. I slide to the ground, sling the quiver to my back, grab my bow, and walk down to the Edge to sit and stare at the black Outside. I wonder about crossing in the dark.
“You’re up early.” I’m so lost in thought, I don’t hear my dad until he’s right behind me. “What are you thinking?” I don’t answer, but I move over to let him know he’s welcome to sit. He does. “It’s a bad idea to cross at night,” he says.
“I’m going at daybreak.”
“What’s the hurry?”
“I’ve seen what I need to. There’s hope, but it’s not time to—”
“Rest?”
I nod.
“I’ve felt the same way for a long time. But there are peaks and valleys, times to slow down and times to run like hell. The pilgrims are all across, and it will be a while before the heavy lifting starts again, before Brother Ark pushes off and we scramble to redeem everyone we can from the culling field. Then we have to hide them and feed them and teach them, condition them, and find a new place for them to live, all the while making sure they don’t give us away. You’ll be amazed at how many people we’ll lose because they can’t let go of Community. You’d think asphyxiating on a post would be enough to open their eyes, but some still try to run back to tell all about the Slitters who took them.”
“What happens to those people?”
“They don’t make it…but that’s not the point. You have to rest when you can, Mim. You have to take the moments you get, because if you don’t, you’ll either burn out or become something you don’t want to be.”
The sky is beginning to lighten. I push to my feet and my dad stands with me.
“I can’t stay, not yet. I want to go home.”
“Home?”
“To see Jack, Mary, and the kids,” I say without thinking.
My father smiles. “Me and the boys are here for a few more days. We have to figure out what to do about those bears before they become a problem. Your bow would be nice to have.”
I shake my head.
“Okay then, be careful and say hey to everyone for me.”
With my bow in one hand I reach up to hug my father with my free arm. He hugs me back. There are no more words, so I turn and step into Outside.
29
Mim
The day is cool and the travel is much faster without the pilgrims. I run for a few miles to stay ahead of a herd of Loppers, and by the time I reach the Ark, it’s only a few hours after noon. A lot of day is left when I walk into the Utugi camp.
“Mim!” Rosie shouts, rushing to greet me. Jack, Mary, and a few others stand to watch. “I didn’t expect you back so soon.” Rosie catches me in an embrace, almost squeezing me to the ground.
“I’m really tired,” I say.
“Lean on me. Let’s get you sitting down.” Rosie smiles up at me as we walk. It’s good to be missed.
“Where are the boys?” I ask.
“Checking rabbit traps with some of the guys.”
“Camp seems empty,” I say.
“About two dozen left.”
“You’re back early,” Jack bellows, interrupting the conversation. He puts his big arms around me for a tight hug.
“Is everything all right?” Mary asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “New Hope is beautiful. They’re putting up permanent buildings, and they’ve started a huge garden.” Mary glances at Jack, but his eyes stay on me. “Dad is hanging back to take care of some bears while he has a team over there.”
“And you?”
“Bears aren’t my thing, besides, I’m ready to be home.” I touch Rosie on the shoulder, and she smiles. “New Hope is a good place to be…probably a great place to live.”
“I’d like to see it,” Rosie says.
“Me too,” Mary adds.
Jack takes a deep, contemplative breath. “You look hungry.”
I nod I am, and Mary takes me by the arm. “Rosie, run tell Cassandra Mim is home, and she’ll be by as soon as she eats.”
Rosie dashes off, returning to sit next to me before I can take my first sip of cold soup. I stir the congealed grease with my finger, mixing it with the liquid and chunks of bird meat. I don’t notice Cassandra until I turn the bowl up to my lips.
“You’re back,” she states, startling me.
I suck the broth down the wrong pipe, almost drowning in the greasy concoction. I hack and sputter as Rosie pats me on the back until I’m finally able to answer. “Yes,” I choke out.
“Good, follow me…and Jack, you come too.” Without waiting for an answer, Cassandra turns and walks off.
“Can I bring my soup?” I call after her, but a smile from Rosie and a scowl from Mary is the only response I get. “I guess not,” I mutter, as Jack gives me a hand up to follow our abrupt leader into her tent.
Cassandra sits at her table while Jack and I stand. “Tell me,” she says.
I’m not sure what she’s talking about. “Tell you what?”
“Didn’t Jonathan send a message?” I shake my head. “Did he check the markers?”
“Yes,” I say, realizing what she wants to know.
“Tell me.”
I glance at Jack.
“It’s okay, if it’s bad I want him to hear,” Cassandra says.
“New Hope is growing. Dad is worried all the settlements will eventually be connected, and if the Ark lands on one of the islands, Community will be able to reach every one of them…all pilgrims everywhere.”
Cassandra folds her hands on the table. She regards me, her thoughts reeling through a thousand scenarios.
Jack is horrified. “What does this mean?”
“It means…we have a lot to consider,” Cassandra says. “We’ll wait until Jonathan returns to make any decisions, but we may be forced to raise a colonial army.”
“But that goes against everything we…what will happen if—”
“I know,” Cassandra interrupts. “But we cannot rely on the goodwill of Community. Old ways…old governments die hard. The truth is a threat, and The Body will act against it…of that I’m certain.”
“But—,” Jack starts to protest again.
“I won’t make any decisions until I hear from Jonathan, but if we do this thing, you’ll have to go to New Hope and take Mary with you. If there is a bright side at all, it is that I’ll need you there.”
“I’ll ruin it.”
“You’ll save it. You may be the only one who can…but let’s not get ahead of ourselves, we need to wait for Jonathan.” Cassandra sighs faintly. “These decisions are burdens, belonging to us and us alone. We’ll let the others know when the time is right, and not before. Am I clear?”
“Of course,” Jack answers.
“Yes,” I say.
Cassandra drops her hands to her lap and leans back from the table. It’s time for us to leave. We step outside, but Jack doesn’t turn for the tents and Mary, he heads into the woods instead. I follow him.
“Jack,” I call, but he keeps walking. “Jack,” I call again…still no response. “Dammit Jack, will you stop and tell me what the hell is wrong with you!” He freezes to consider if I’m worth an explanation. “Jack, come on, you’re my friend,” I say.
He drops
his shoulders, craning his neck to stretch out the tension and summon his patience. He turns slowly, taking a seat against a tree. I sit on a log across from him.
“A standing army at New Hope is not good. It’s made up of men in uniforms who willingly give up right and wrong to follow orders. They don’t decide anything, only do what they are told…and they will…do what they’re told.”
“Dad thinks Community will hurt those people. Are you saying he’s wrong?”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t know. Maybe not. Why would they? It’s a big island and a brand new life for everyone.”
“Then you’re a fool, Mim. The Body will march its militia and its Scorpions right into those settlements, burn the houses to the ground, and kill every pilgrim there. If they can, they’ll destroy it all.”
“Why?”
“Power, control, wealth, religion…there are a lot of reasons.” He runs his hand back through his hair. “But mostly because they’re the bad guys and every story has them.”
“You’re not making sense. If you agree with my father, why don’t you want the army?”
“There’ll be an army. There has to be, otherwise all the wrong people will die. I was just hoping not to be part of it...not to see it. The world isn’t old enough to already be trading one evil for another.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Armies become police, and police live on imposts, and imposts are taken from the people. Give the government a military, and what keeps it from taking everything…an innate sense of right and wrong? Ha! Look how The Body runs Community…with Scorpions. Power is born to be abused.” He shakes his head. "I don’t know why I’m even worried about it. When it’s all said and done, I’ll say my piece to Cassandra and Jonathan, check my misgivings at the door, and follow orders…whatever they decide.”
A breeze in the canopy above sounds like water. The trees sway, allowing broken bits of sunlight to rain down on the forest floor. A hint of daisies passes on the air, and Jack retreats into his thoughts. He closes his eyes. I watch him, wondering what he’s thinking, until a question comes to mind.
“If they decide to raise an army, why does Cassandra need you on the island?”
Jack doesn’t open his eyes. “To train men.”
“But why you? Why not Dad?”
“Jonathan is a scout. I am a Scorpion.”
“Are you kidding?”
“I don’t talk about it. I’m ashamed of the things I did while wearing black and crimson.” He opens his eyes. “Rosie and the boys don’t know. Please don’t tell them.”
“Of course not,” I sigh, still trying to understand all he’s saying. “How did you come to be here…with Cassandra? That’s a pretty big leap, from Scorpion to Utugi.”
Jack stares at me, deciding whether or not to go on. “They found me after Battle-Out.”
“Battle-Out?”
“Scorpions don’t retire or take other jobs when they’re done. We get chosen for Battle-Out—the final game—the last secret honor a Scorpion does in service to The Body. You’ve never seen a Scorpion strapped to a culling post because they send us to The Fangs instead.”
“What’s that?”
Jack’s eyes go dim and far away. “A tall corral, circled on the outside by Scorpions with four foot spears. It’s high sport if you can stab a competitor through the rails. It’s supposed to be an honor to win Battle-Out. You compete for the priests as they wager and cheer from the platform. It’s not like dangerball, The Body is right there, close enough to spit on. You hear them call you by name.”
“I’ve never heard of this.”
“It’s ceremonial, only between Scorpions and their masters.”
“What do you have to do?”
“The chosen—sometimes two, sometimes six, sometimes more—are armed with knives and released into The Fangs. The victor is the one who comes out. I went in with four others. One was a friend.” He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “I still dream about the shouting and jeering, the faces pressed against the corral and the spears thrusting in from all around. I hear my name called from the platform, and I delight in the sound of it like a trained beast.” He drops his hand away from his face and looks at me. “I won.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’re banished. They call it Quest. The Supreme kisses you on the forehead and they drag what’s left of your body out to Middle Ground and throw you across. You are to live as a rogue warrior, taking vengeance on Slitter scum until the day you leave this life. And when that time comes, you transform into a protector spirit, watching after the women and children of Community. It’s bullshit, but we eat it up.”
“But you didn’t die.”
“Yes, I did. The priest who came to bless my travels slid an extra knife between my ribs to make sure of it.”
“But—”
“Mim, there was nothing but black…and cold. I couldn’t move, and I couldn’t get away when the shadows came to feed on me. It’s not a place I can ever be again.” Jack shudders. “Cassandra said I was dead when they found me, but somehow, by the grace of God I made it back—born again to make up for the evil I’d done. And now—”
“They want you to go back to being a soldier.”
Jack nods.
“It’s not the same.”
“Maybe,” he says, “but what choice do I have?”
“What if we found someone else—someone with training—someone I trust to take your place?”
“No.”
“But my friend Will—”
“Will is a Scorpion. He cannot be trusted.”
“If I talk to him—”
“No.”
I stand up off the log. “Why not?”
Jack pushes to his feet. “He’s a Scorpion and Scorpions are all the same until the day they die. He is not good, and he will not reform.”
“But you were a Scorpion, and you reformed.”
“No Mim, I was reborn, and there is a huge difference. I appreciate the thought, but I’ll do whatever Cassandra and Johnathan decide.”
“So you’ll follow orders?”
“Yes.”
“No matter what?”
“No matter what,” he says. He tries to smile, but doesn’t quite make it. “Let’s get back. I’ve sulked enough.”
He starts to walk by, but I catch him by the arm. There’s more for me to say.
“So all this Scorpion business, it’s the reason you won’t move to New Hope…you don’t think you deserve it?”
“There’s too much work to be done here.”
“What about Mary? What about Rosie and the boys? There’s a whole life for them on the other side, but they won’t cross without you.”
“You haven’t been here long enough to know anything, Mim.”
“I know what not forgiving yourself looks like, and I know you’re wallowing so deep in your penance that you don’t have a clue what you’re doing to those who count on you most.”
“Fill me in, princess.”
“You’re so full of shit, Jack. You can’t lie to me—not about something like this. In some twisted way you enjoy punishing yourself, but you’re not the one getting hurt. Mary and those kids are paying the price for your pathetic self-indulgence. They are staying here because you won’t leave…and for what? Some crap that happened a lifetime ago. That’s not right. It’s not right for them.”
Jack glowers at me, grumbling to himself, trying to decide whether to answer, walk away, or slap me to the forest floor. I’ve overstepped and he’s angry, almost scary. The battle waging somewhere in his mind flashes in his face. It’s there…and it’s gone. Jack sags like he’s laying down a heavy weight.
“Jeremy can’t go,” he says under his breath.
“What? Why?”
“Ben, Rosie, Mary—they’re all conditioned. They could cross easy, but Jeremy, he gets sick Outside. Even if I carry him,
he wouldn’t last the trip.” Jack purses his lips. “He thinks it’s part of learning. He doesn’t realize he’ll never leave the Ark.”
A lump grows in my throat. “I’m sorry,” I say.
“I’m the only one who knows. I haven’t even told Cassandra.” He shakes his head. “I don’t want…it’s better if everyone believes I’m staying for reasons other than Jeremy. I’m old and grisly. I can handle the judgment and the criticism…but that little boy…if he knew he was the holdup…and other people…” Jack shakes his head again. “I don’t want that for him. It’s better it falls on me.”
“Mary?”
“I haven’t told her.”
“Ben and Rosie?”
“They need to leave the Ark, but I can’t figure out how to get them to go without Jeremy. I’ve put it off a long time, hoping I could get him to come around, but he seems to get worse every time I take him out.”
“I could try,” I say.
“Unless you have some magical powers, it won’t matter.”
For a moment I consider staying with Jeremy so Jack can leave. I’d be stuck here without Gas and Ellie, and a new life with Will would drop right out of the cards. Jack wouldn’t do it anyway, so I don’t embarrass him with the offer.
“You’re not really going to follow orders, are you, Jack?”
“I will if they suit me.” He forces a smile.
“If you don’t help at New Hope, a lot of people will die.”
“A lot of people will die anyway.”
“Hey guys, look what I got!” Jeremy calls when he spots us in the woods. He holds up three big rabbits. “Ben has two more, and Mary says if you’ll come clean them, she’ll start up the stew.” Jeremy grins wide and I can see his eyes sparkling from here. “Come on, hurry up, Mim! I want to hear all about New Hope!”
30
Will
As soon as Ayden tells me to choose from Group 14, my mind goes straight to a girl I haven’t thought about in months. She’s as good a choice as any, and there’s a chance she might come along without much fuss. This mission is the best plan for keeping Community safe, but even so, I hate conscripting a child from my home group. Guilt flickers like a dying candle as I approach Group 14, but I’ve gotten pretty good at looking beyond my conscience to the big picture, so that’s what I do.
