by M C Rooney
Frank staggered back in pain, and his eyes darted in the direction of the tower. He raised his sword straight up in the air.
A strange move, Buzz thought.
A signal! his father’s voice raged inside his head.
Buzz threw himself to the ground and rolled to the left.
Fred watched as his brother got belted around the Circle. He really wasn’t going to last long at this rate. Buzz was very good with the sword and was young and strong, and it appeared like it was only a matter of time before Frank would be killed. Fred then winced as Buzz’s sword sliced across his brother’s abdomen. He really felt an overwhelming urge to fire the arrow in immediate defense of his brother, but he had made a promise that he would wait for the signal.
Fred watched as Frank staggered back. He raised his sword.
“The signal,” Fred said to himself.
Fred could clearly see Buzz’s back.
“So easy,” he murmured, and raising his bow quickly, he sent the arrow speeding towards its target.
Buzz threw himself to the ground, then so did Fred.
Cheng saw an arrow fly through the air and gasped as Buzz had somehow anticipated the attack and thrown himself to the ground.
He quickly looked at where the arrow came from and saw Fred ‘The Head’ Carter dive down below the crowd level.
“I see you,” Cheng said.
Begovic felt an arrow fly almost over his shoulder and had a moment of sheer terror until he saw his friend on the ground, unharmed. He quickly turned around and saw Fred Carter duck down behind the crowd.
“I see you,” Begovic said.
Gaul had been watching Buzz beat Frank, or Fuck, as he liked to call him, around the Circle when an arrow flew across the crowd. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Buzz was unharmed but on the ground.
He looked at where he thought the arrow had come from and saw Fred ducking his head to avoid being seen.
“I see you,” Gaul said.
“I can’t see him,” Bronson growled as he looked amongst the crowd. That bastard had almost killed his friend and leader. How Buzz knew the arrow was coming was beyond him, but this just reaffirmed his belief that Buzz was the man to lead his tribe. As he scanned the crowd again, looking for Fred Carter, he felt something hit his head.
It was a banana.
“That arrow almost killed him!” the professor shouted out.
Look, the voice said, Fred Carter is crouching down behind some of those men.
“Why doesn’t anyone in the crowd arrest him?”
This isn’t a Chinese Police TV show like in the old days, you idiot, the voice snapped. Backstabbing like this is encouraged. That’s why Buzz had his friends to help him.
“Well, Bronson isn’t helping him,” the professor said. “He hasn’t made any move towards Fred.”
He can’t see him, the voice said in surprise.
“You’re kidding,” the professor replied. “He is right there,” he said, pointing down at the hidden man.
We are on a different angle, you moron. We can see everything from up here.
“Well, how can we stop him from taking another shot? They look like they are about to start fighting again.”
We need Bronson to get him.
“How?” the professor replied.
Well, I don’t know, the voice said, exasperated. Just get his attention somehow.
The professor thought for a moment. “Oh, I know,” he said and reached into his box of tools. “Here!” he said as he held up an object.
A banana? the voice rang with disbelief.
“Yes, well, it’s a plastic one,” the professor replied.
A plastic banana!
“Well, you know … bananas don’t grow in Tassie; it’s too cold … so …”
Are you missing Rodent?
“Oh, shut up,” he said and dropped the plastic banana thirty metres below.
Buzz was on his feet again and looked at where the arrow was embedded in somebody’s shoulder at the other side of the circle.
Frank looked back at him in disbelief. “How?” he muttered.
“Experience,” Buzz said as he walked around the circle.
Frank was moving away from him, so Buzz was now facing the direction the arrow came from. It was still dangerous, but at least if he was to die today, it would be with his face to the enemy, rather than being hit in the back.
“Why did you throw that yellow thing, you bastard?” growled Bronson, as he rubbed his head, looking up at the professor leaning precariously over the edge of the tower.
“Fred!” he screamed out, pointing towards the crowd.
“What?” Bronson shouted back at him.
“Fred is over there,” the professor screamed.
Bronson heard him this time, and judging where the professor was pointing, he strode into the crowd, pushing his way through in search of the betrayer.
Fred was terrified as he crouched down behind a few members of the crowd. Oh, they knew he was there all right, and seemed to be laughing about it, but a part of the challenge in the Circle was death coming from the crowd of surrounding onlookers, so he knew they would not point him out.
What am I to do? he thought frantically. Frank is going to die unless I do something.
I have to fire another arrow, he concluded. It was all or nothing now, and as he reached for his bow, he felt a hand grab his jacket and lift him to his feet.
“Hey, you can’t do that!” he cried indignantly to the man holding him. “Cheating is part of the game!”
And then his face went pale as he recognised who it was.
Begovic gave a sigh of relief as he watched Bronson stab Fred through the heart and noticed that, even in death, Fred Carter was still scowling.
He turned to his leader and shouted, “He’s dead, Buzz; finish it.”
Frank heard the shout that his brother was dead. And he knew he would soon be following him.
Buzz had smiled when he heard of Fred’s death and began to fight with real skill. He wasn’t holding back this time, and try as Frank might, he couldn’t stop the blade that opened his throat.
His last thought was that he hoped his mother was not waiting for him on the other side.
The professor watched as the crowd roared with delight and maybe a touch of relief, as Buzz won the fight and the leadership. The fires of the outer circle were more numerous now and spread out more evenly amongst the people, so Buzz could easily see more of them as he spoke.
“Is there anyone else?” Buzz shouted as he stalked around the Circle. “Anybody?” he continued. “For, now is the time to put up or shut up.”
Nobody came forward, and a silence fell over the crowd.
“Three years ago, we came to the Midlands,” Buzz began, “and all it has brought us is death and stagnation.”
That’s a bit harsh, said the voice.
“But it’s true,” replied the professor.
“We are Westerners,” Buzz continued, “and we don’t belong here.”
They’re leaving, said the voice in surprise.
The professor was surprised as well but continued to listen.
“I am proposing that we leave this land and head back to the west,” Buzz said.
“But what about the Martins?” someone cried out.
There was a murmur of noise throughout the crowd, as everybody knew the feud between Hockey and the Martins was huge and would likely lead to more bloodshed.
“The Martins have returned to the inner bushlands of the west,” said Buzz, “and frankly, they can have it.”
Where is he going, then?
The professor knew the answer.
“I am proposing that we return to the town on the West Coast that we all originated from at the time of the Collapse,” Buzz continued as he walked around the Circle, addressing the crowd. “I am suggesting we retake our hometown.”
“What about the zombies?” someone else cried out.
“What about
them?” Buzz replied. “They are slow, and they are old, but we are not, and with patience and planning, we can finish them off once and for all. And we can have a home, not live in a tent but have a real house.”
“The houses are useless. They are too big to warm. I much prefer my tent,” someone said.
“Oh dear,” the professor said.
“But I know how to warm those houses,” Buzz replied.
Oh dear, the voice said.
“How?” someone cried out.
“Him,” said Buzz and pointed straight up to the professor, where he sat on the tower.
And then the whole gathering turned to look up at him.
Fraser stood on the edge of the camp and waited for his father to show up. He knew he would. Father had arranged for the Circle, after all, and he had to have known that Frank and Fred would try to usurp Buzz’s place. Plus, he could not but help to hear all of the noise as Frank and Buzz did battle. He waited until he saw a shadowy figure moving through the tents of all those who were sick. Fraser noticed that his father was walking steadily and wondered why he was still staying in the unhealthy side of the camp when he was clearly well enough to be on the other side.
Hockey, that’s why. He was so bloody loyal to his old friend that it infuriated Fraser, whilst warming his heart as well.
He wondered how he would take the news about his eldest sons.
“Fraser, is that you?” he called out. “Or is it Fergus? You two look so alike.”
“It’s Fraser,” he yelled back. “Come closer please, Dad.”
“Oh, I suppose it’s all right,” he grumbled as he walked closer.
He still didn’t come within twenty metres, though.
“So what happened?” he asked from the darkness.
“Buzz won,” Fraser replied. “Fred shot an arrow at him from the crowd, but Buzz somehow knew it was coming.”
“And the boys?” he asked quietly.
“Both dead,” Fraser replied.
His father stood in silence for a moment.
“Dad, I’m sorry,” Fraser said sadly.
“Me too, Son, me too,” he said and wandered back to his side of the camp. Fraser noticed that he wasn’t walking as steadily as he had been before.
Buzz stood in his tent and looked down upon the professor, who sat on the floor. On either side of him sat Begovic, Fergus, Cheng, Gaul, and Bronson, and all were looking at him with determined faces.
“You don’t understand,” the professor said. “The tower only works within a radius of one hundred kilometres. Your township is too far away.”
“But there must be a way of transferring that power over to the coast,” said Buzz, who had all of a sudden become just as stubborn as his father.
“No,” the professor replied. “The only chance of power in the west is if you had a tower over there to provide it, and as you don’t, you can’t build one as you don’t have the power …”
“Am I making any sense?” he asked the voice.
Not really, the voice replied.
“It can’t be done,” he said to Buzz.
“So how did you build this one, then?” asked Begovic.
“We had trucks carry the steel, and the electrical equipment was sent in from overseas; it took years to build.”
From McShane the Insane, the voice said.
“Who?” the professor replied.
Never mind.
“Trucks?” asked Gaul.
“A big car, I think,” replied Cheng.
Buzz looked thoughtfully at the professor. “And what about that small tower of yours, the one that is three metres high?”
Ha, he has you there, the voice laughed in his head.
“That only supplies power for up to one hundred metres,” the professor replied.
“It looks easy to build,” Bronson said.
“It is,” the professor admitted, “and I have no doubt there is equipment still lying around somewhere that will suffice.”
“And if we build many of them,” Buzz said with a small smile, “they could join each other, and we could power the whole town.”
“Yes, it would, but it depends on the terrain, which I might show you. It will also be a health hazard having lightning spitting out every hundred metres, so be careful where you place them,” the professor replied. “But why should I give you this technology? What, to me, says that Buzz is a good leader who knows right from wrong?”
What are you getting at? asked the voice.
“What are you getting at?” asked Fergus.
Oh, that was spooky.
“Indeed it was,” replied the professor. “Gave me tingles.”
Buzz paused for a moment and looked over at the suit.
Ah, now I understand, said the voice.
“I will try to be a good leader,” said Buzz as he walked over to the silver suit, “because I love my people, and I want them to be safe and happy.” He now held the suit in one hand and drew a knife out in the other. “But I do not lead for the love of power,” he continued, “and nor should anyone else.”
Then, to everybody’s surprise—apart from the professor—he sliced open the suit and threw it on the floor.
Buzz looked at the professor, waiting.
“You know I am not coming with you,” the professor said.
“I understand,” Buzz replied.
“Then you shall have your knowledge.”
“And we shall leave at dawn,” Buzz commanded with a sigh of relief. He then turned to his friends. “Spread the word. We are going home.”
“And the sick?” asked Cheng.
“They have to stay,” he replied sadly. “The ones who survive can follow us when they are well enough.”
He is truly separating the sick from the healthy now.
“A tough decision,” replied the professor. “Some have family that will be left behind. Including Buzz.”
But it’s one a good leader needs to make with our population being so low, the voice said.
The professor looked at Buzz for a long moment.
“You were right all along, dear voice,” he said to himself. “He does have potential.”
That he does, the voice replied with satisfaction.
Hobart, Mayor’s Office
Lily had placed Locke’s hat where her father’s hat once was and now sat on her chair, patting her dog. Renee had ridden all night long to tell her the horrible news.
The poor girl was shaking so terribly when she told her of Locke’s death that her friend Daltrey had to steady her in case she collapsed.
Through all this, Lily processed the information in a calm manner required of a mayor and went back to her office. It was here that she had now sat in silence for two hours.
Doctor Pertwee had taken a short break from training his new students and called in to ask her to rest up for a few days. But what would resting do? Locke was still dead; Tom was still in danger.
She thought she heard a knock on her door but wasn’t quite sure until she heard a voice call her name.
“Lily, it’s me,” it said.
The door opened, and Lily thought she had gone completely mad when she saw herself walking into the room. But on closer look, she noticed that her image had darker hair and was a lot taller.
“Oh, Lily,” Ash said.
“Ash,” Lily said in surprise. “How … why … how did you get here?”
“A young girl came to get me,” Ash said. “The poor thing almost passed out when she arrived. She was so worried about you.”
Stupid young girl, Lily thought angrily. A ranger should know better, and Daltrey shouldn’t have let her go like that.
“Well, she shouldn’t have,” Lily said. “I’m quite all right.”
“Of course you are, Lily,” Ash said kindly and took a seat opposite her.
Lily stared at her older sister for a few moments, wondering what to say.
“How are the children?” she eventually asked.
“Oh, th
ey are all well,” Ash replied. “The younger ones send their love to their Aunt Lily.”
Aunt Lily!
She felt a strong moment of panic as she thought about Tom being out there on his own.
“And the disease, has it spread to Kingston?” she asked.
“We had a few cases, but Billy managed to organise everybody so it didn’t spread too much,” Ash replied.
“And what about Grovetown?”
“The same,” Ash replied. “Jesse has it under control.”
“That’s good,” Lily said. “We have a doctor in our town. He is training new students; perhaps we will send a new doctor to your community one day.”
“That would be most welcome,” Ash said with a smile.
Lily didn’t know what to say next, so there was a long, uncomfortable silence between them.
“The dog,” Ash finally said. “It is related to Uncle Ray’s old monster?”
“Yes,” Lily replied with a smile as she stroked the big dog’s fur. “A great-granddaughter you might say.”
“I miss them,” Ash said.
“Who?” Lily replied.
“Uncle Ray, Harry, Nan, and Dad, of course,” she replied. “There isn’t a day goes by when I don’t think about our father.”
Lily’s head turned automatically to look at her father’s hat and saw Locke’s instead.
“I gave our father’s hat to Tom, Jesse’s son,” she said as her breathing started to become erratic. “He’s out there all on his own.”
“In search of this tower I heard about?” Ash replied.
“Yes,” Lily said, “and there are these monsters out there who can throw lightning. One killed …Locke … before Tom killed it.”
Ash reached over and placed her hand on her sister’s.
“Jesse would never forgive me if Tom was killed,” Lily continued in a desperate voice. “I would never forgive myself.”
Ash said nothing, just held her sister’s hand.
“Renee gave me his hat. Just like Father’s.” Tears were flowing from her eyes now. “Why is it that the men I love die and just leave me their damn hats!”
