“Madge from… another place.”
“No, I mean your last name.”
“My previous name before Madge.” I grew worried. How did he know?
“Oh my God. No, I mean. My name is Blake Davis. You are Madge… who?”
I stared.
“Your second name. Last name.”
I shook my head. “Just Madge.”
“You don’t have a last name, or you don’t remember your last name?”
“I don’t have one.”
“You have to have one.”
"Why would you ask me if I forgot it, if having one wasn’t an option?”
"We’ll move on ... just Madge.” He wrote something down. “Where do you come from?”
“Before I got here?”
“Yes.” “I cannot tell. I will not tell. They are a hidden band of people who are kind and want to remain hidden. They are human, though.”
“There’s another group of humans alive close by?”
“Yes. And they are clean and civilized.”
“We are too.”
I shook my head. “Oh, no, you may think that. But when you see Burt and his people, you will know otherwise.”
“Okay. So you lived in this clean place?”
“No, I stayed there. I lived elsewhere.”
“Now, we’re on to something. Where? I’m gonna guess… the Straits.”
“Yes.”
“Esperanza?”
Just on the chance he would ask if I knew the Mare, I chose another location. “No. Tekana.”
“There’s another strait called Tekana?”
“Oh, yes. A beautiful area beyond Esperanza.”
“I never knew that.”
“Now you do.”
“And you came from there to find us. Why?”
“I told you, to join the rebellion. Now, have I proven that I don’t need bunkering?”
He hummed and bobbed his head. “Maybe. You’re a little off, but… okay. Tell me five things you miss about the old world.”
“What I miss about the old world?”
He nodded.
I took a moment to think. I was reaching back to my childhood, but to me, childhoods were all similar. “Oh, I know. I miss being fanned.”
“Excuse me?”
“The days of my mother fanning me when it was too hot to function. I know …” I waved out my hand with a smile, knowing he was probably judging my mother. After all, what good mother fans her child instead of having the servants do it? “It’s odd. But it was a great bonding ritual. She would fan me. I’d giggle.”
“Fanning. Okay, what else?”
“Well, I miss the days when the smell of hay in the morning would flow through my drapes. Fresh bundled hay, moist and…”
“Stop.”
“Did I pass?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“So, you’re convinced?”
“More than ever. Yes. I am convinced.” Davis nodded. “If you want to be a part of Angeles City, for sure you go in the Bunker.”
TEN – VALA
I was surprised to find out how long the celebration would last. Even if I were happy about the marriage, there was no way I would want to celebrate into the deep evening hours. I stayed back, of out the spotlight, rarely communicating with others. I watch the gala. I especially watched my sister Sophie.
Susan had arrived in the late afternoon celebration. She had been at the ceremony but left for a short spell.
“Don’t look so glum,” she said, approaching me.
“I’m not,” I said, “I’m just observing.”
“Are you concerned about tonight?” Susan asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I know that you are not mentally prepared for your wedding night.”
“What is so special about the wedding night?”
“Come now, you are not that naïve,” Susan said with a bashful smile. “Are you?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Okay, you were a big fan of I Love Lucy. Ricky and Lucy were married,” Susan said. “They celebrate the wedding night, they spend the night as husband-and-wife.”
“Ah,” I said. “Yes, that will be uncomfortable if I’m asleep in the same room as Iry. But at least, like Ricky and Lucy, we will have separate beds.”
“But the Tanners did not,” Susan said, referencing ALF.
I knew the show ALF very well. And I knew the Tanners. I gasped and my eyes widened. “I cannot sleep in the same bed as Iry.”
“That’s not all. I believe you know where babies come from. That is something that is expected on the wedding night. To try to create a baby,” she said, watching me carefully.
I did not know. I mean, nobody really explained all that to me, except for Marie. She explained the painful facts of life. I must have looked horrified.
“No worries,” Susan said gently. “Your husband is not that way. He will not push you into anything. I see by the look on your face, that you were not prepared for that yet. I kind of knew that.”
“What if he asks?”
“If he asks,” Susan said, “then you explain to him. He will…”
Susan’s eyes moved across the room and the words just trailed to a murmur.
I looked up to see what had caught her attention and saw who entered the room.
Both Tanner and Snake entered together, escorted by Iry, who brought them over to me. Tanner looked nervous, and like he had been crying. His eyes were glossy and he swayed a little.
Snake looked at me. “Looks like a feast is laid out. Mind if I help myself?”
“Please, do,” I replied, transfixed on Tanner.
“Thanks.” Snake smiled, stepped away, and returned. “By the way, Vala, you look beautiful.”
Bashfulness swept over me and I mumbled thanks to Snake. Then I shifted my eyes to Tanner.
Iry said, “I’ll leave you be.” He leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek.
Tanner groaned.
“What?” I asked.
“Your husband is not a bad guy,” Tanner said sarcastically.
“Why are you so angry?”
Tanner forced a laugh. “Seriously?”
“Yes, why would I not be serious if I asked you if you were angry?”
“I am mad,” Tanner said with an edge to his voice, “because you married the guy.”
“I had my reasons.”
“There are no reasons good enough.” He lowered his voice. “You came here to spy, Vala. You didn’t come here to sell your soul.”
“I said I had my reasons.”
“Well let me give you my reasoning,” Tanner said. “I came here now to look around. I will find a way to destroy every single one of the Ancients.”
“You can’t do that.”
“You don’t think? Why are you even here? I wonder,” Tanner said. “I will finish what you started. I will bring them all down.”
“If you do that,” I whispered, “you will destroy my sister. That is why I got married. That is why I am here. Thanks to Nito, my sister is now one of them.”
ELEVEN – TANNER
I was certain that they were listening to our conversation. Even though no one was near us, the Sybaris had that weird ability. At least I thought so. I really didn’t know much about them, and Vala was the closest source of information I had.
Finding out about her sister threw me through a loop. It was not what I expected. I thought her sister was dead, since Vala had told me she was carried off.
I didn’t know how to react. It now made total sense why she had decided to remain there.
“Promise me,” I said to her softly, “while you are here, you will not give yourself to him.”
“I will not give myself to him.”
“Good.”
“Tanner, there are expectations of me. In exchange for taking care of my sister, and ensuring that she will be all mine, I must eventually produce an heir.”
“No,” Tanner said. “Listen
, I will figure a way out of this. I promise you. Vala, I like you. I really like you. I wouldn’t have come all this way for you if I didn’t. Please, believe me.”
“Tanner, I don’t know what to do.”
I grabbed her hand and lowered my lips to it. I held my kiss there with my eyes closed for a long time. When I lifted my head she too had her eyes closed. “Believe me.”
I looked around for Snake and spotted him enjoying the food at the table. As I passed the table, I noticed that the food did look really good and I grabbed what looked like a huge leg of lamb. I walked up to Snake and we headed to the door. Once more I glanced back at Vala, trying to convey my reassurance to her. I would do what I had to do. I wanted her in my life. I found her, and I wasn’t going to lose her. I would get her out of there.
She may have left to save the human race and defeat the Sybaris. However, now, in a sense, she was trapped, and it was up to me to continue and be successful in that task.
TWELVE – NITO
It was decided I was to be placed in a bunker for reconditioning. Davis told me it was in order for me to reconnect with my human self. I wondered how well that would go, and the thought of it made me laugh. However, I was curious as to what this reconditioning process entailed.
I was taken into a building, and waited for what seemed like an eternity in an uncomfortable wooden chair set in the center of a hollow galley. I did not know what Davis was up to; perhaps he was watching me from afar. He had that look in his eye. Eventually he led me down these hallways filled with human history. Dramatic music flowed through in an attempt to draw emotions. I conveyed my interest and pretended that I remembered events that I had no idea about.
We descended into the basement. As soon as we entered the dingy place, I was sure I was going to be tortured as part of my reconditioning process. The more I took in the room, the more I realized that they had made a vain attempt to make it pleasant enough. Across the room was a large fluffy chair in front of a black box. I recognized that large black box, Burt had told me they had them in Hopeland and used them to watch movies once a week. I was not familiar with what a movie was, but I pretended well. If anything I was a wonderful theatrical performer.
Davis left me alone in that dismal chamber and then returned shortly.
“Well,” Davis said, lifting his hands and dropping them. “You’re stuck with me down here. People think you’re just too weird to deal with.”
“I don’t know what that means.” I said. “What is weird?”
“Exactly.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will. After you finish the process,” Davis said. “Have a seat in the big chair.”
“Are you going to torture me?” I asked.
“It depends what your definition of torture is. If television reruns are your definition of torture, then yes.” Again, another term I wasn’t familiar with, and I was certain I wasn’t going to like it. I didn’t like the idea of being at the mercy of Davis, despite how attractive a man he was.
“Explain?” I asked. “Being stuck down here with you?”
“Well, the entire process sometimes takes days, or weeks.” Davis explained. “Depends how fast you return to normal.”
“I am normal.”
“I doubt that. I doubt you were this way before.”
“Before what?”
“Before, well, you know, everything went to shit.”
“I will assume I know what you’re talking about.”
Davis whistled. “Man, you’re really bad. Tell you what, it’s afternoon. I bet you’re hungry.”
“I am famished.”
“Good.” Davis clapped his hands together once. “Have a seat, relax, just do nothing, touch nothing, and I’ll be back.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to get us lunch,” Davis said. He walked to the main door. It was a big rusty, metal thing that took a lot of strength to open. When he slid it closed after leaving, I could hear that he secured it.
“Dastardly.”
So I was a prisoner. I wonder what vile things he was going to do to me. I reconciled in my mind all the horrible things I have done to humans, and a part of me thought maybe it was my turn to receive. Payback of sorts.
I wandered around the chambers. It was simple enough. I didn’t see anything that would harm me. After several long moments, Davis returned.
“I brought us lunch,” he said, carrying a tray in. He closed the door with one hand and then walked over. “You can eat this at the table, or -while you watch TV.”
“TV?”
“Oh my God. The big black box. You are not that far gone, are you?”
“No. Not at all. I thought you said… eat and watch me pee.”
“You thought I told you to eat while you watch me pee?”
“Yes. That’s why I was so stunned.”
“Well whatever you prefer to do. Other than watch me pee.”
“That would be obscene.”
“There are worse things,” he said. “I’m gonna eat mine over at the desk.”
“Why are you seated at a desk?”
“I’m your bunker monitor. I get a desk.”
I took my seat in the big fluffy chair and Davis placed my lunch in front of me on the table. It included an apple, some sort of meat substance, and a beverage in a glass. I examined it. “What is this white substance in the glass?”
“Milk.”
“Milk?” I asked. “Mother’s milk?”
“Geez, lady. Why in the world would I give you mother’s milk? You’re worse than I thought. No wonder no one wants to be down here with you. This is tedious.” Davis walked over to the black box, the television set. “We start at the beginning.”
“The beginning of what?”
“Television.” He turned on the power, then pushed a button in the box above the television, then walked over towards his desk. “Enjoy the show.”
Images appeared on the television box, and I gasped, enthralled at the technology. It would be interesting. At the very least, I would get to know the culture of the human race. Admittedly it was something I needed to know. And I was looking forward to having my lunch, although I was not convinced the white substance called milk was not mother’s milk. Why Davis found that so offensive, I don’t know. It had the most nutrients. I dived into my lunch, and into the human culture. Why it this process would be considered torturous as Davis had said, I wasn’t sure, but I was ready. I was strong. I could take anything they threw at me.
THIRTEEN – VALA
“Will we live here always?” Sophie asked as she helped me undress that evening.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you think Mother will like it here? Why did she not come to the wedding?”
“What is with all the questions, Sophie?”
“I don’t know. It seems strange. Mother should be here. Was that not the plan? Were we not all supposed to be here if one of us were chosen?”
“Yes, that was the plan,” I sighed.
“Why don’t I remember being chosen or you being chosen?”
“Because …” Iry’s voice entered my bedroom, “you were asleep, Little One. It was a rare nighttime choosing.” Iry smiled.
Sophie acted delighted to see him, as if she hadn’t seen him all day. She raced over to Iry and embraced him.
“Now, you know you must rest,” Iry told her.
“I don’t feel tired,” Sophie said. “Not at all.”
“You’re just excited. Go on. Susan is waiting for you.” He leaned down to accept a kiss to his cheek, the Sophie ran up and kissed me as well.
“Goodnight,” she called as she ran out.
Iry waited until she was gone and closed the door.
“Seeing how Ancients do not sleep,” I said, “how is it she is going to rest?”
“If she is still long enough, she will fall into a trance of sorts, time will pass. Can you imagine the boredom if we were unable to do that?”<
br />
“Do you?” I asked.
Iry walked to the table by the door and poured a glass of wine. “No, I find other things to keep me busy. When I sleep you will know.”
“Oh, that’s right you sleep for long periods of time.” I turned toward the window.
“My wife …”
I spun to face him.
“Is that not what you are?”
“I am not a prize.”
“Ah, but you are. Will you please be nice to me?”
“In which way do you mean?”
“I mean talk. Smile. Have fun. Would you like to walk the street and see the lights?”
While our home was quite a distance on the road from everything, I could still see the lights, how they lined the streets, blinking in full colors.
“It’s fun out there,” Iry said. “So much to do.”
“I see many out there,” I said. “Do they just wander?”
“Some. They also party.”
“Do the Ancients not work?” I asked. “I know you do. You are an educator. But the rest?”
“Oh, without a doubt. Some are medicine workers, some keep this city running. They are servants.”
It shocked me to hear. “Ancient servants?”
“Not all can be wealthy, and not all can be of royal blood. Some must be the support. The vein of human existence does not come cheaply.”
“Don’t I know it?”
“Vala,” he moved closer, “I am not expecting anything of you other than your company and companionship this evening. Anything else will come in time.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“Because despite what you say, there’s something there. There’s something between us.”
I wanted to say ‘yes, my sister’. My sister was the reason I had stayed, married him. There was no hatred toward Iry, not disgust like there use to be. And I would admit that I didn’t dislike him. In my mind, however, a marriage had to be based on more than just tolerability and family obligation.
My sister was my obligation. Her existence in a new form baffled me, and I hadn’t yet figured out how that would all play out. She was an Ancient and she would forever be a child. She would, by all purposes, outlive me. She would live beyond the years that I could care for her, unless, I too, became an Ancient.
The War for Mare (The Fall of Man Book 3) Page 3
