Year of the Orphan

by Daniel Findlay

  80

  It were funny she thought, it were more than passin strange that on the way back it always seemed to go quicker or maybe it were that she was puttin distance between herself an that terrible dead place. Poisoned an dry, bones an glass. It were a place of beasts. If she never hadta go there ever again itd be too soon but she knew it were gunna have to be dealt with sumtime, an she were the wun what hadta carry that. The Old Woman had dun sumthin to her, sowed sum kinda seeds what had come up a tough dry grass that werent gunna let her go.

  The winds was favourin her, had been blowin hard from the West for days an sendin her back towards the System fast but she knew she’d took too long. Had pushed herself as hard as she dared, huntin her brother back across the flats. Hopin to see the dust trail of a ship or his tracks in front of her but he werent nowhere to be seen. She were days quicker than the run out but in the end she knew she’d been slow. Slow to come to evrythin an if she were too late werent tellin what the Block was gunna do or where Karra might be. The light was goin but she werent gunna stop now she’d figgered what was happenin. In front of her the whole time. She were blinded thinkin she were special, thinkin she were so special with all them knowins the Old Woman had given her. Thinkin she were the only wun what ever heard of Maralinga an the only wun who wanted to find it. What did she reckon? Karrad turned to proper treachery overnight, that he’d sudden woke up an just figgered to become the boss? Nah, evrywun got their plans she knew now an evrywun had their own ideas, was the middle of their own stories. Karras story was gold an havin fellas do as he told em an she knew that he werent wun to get his hands in the muck less he really had to. He dint mind a mess but if he could get sum other fellas to clean it up for him, so much the better. The Old Womand had it mixed up but then again maybe she hadnt. That place she’d come from mighta lasted a real long time. Maybe though, she were right an it was gunna start leakin stuff inta the water an the rocks and the sand real soon an they was all gunna die off, the whole lot of em. Sooner or later what the Old Woman had feared was gunna come to pass but there werent no tellin whether it were her fear that had sowed the seeds for Karra to be so hungry. Just no tellin. She dint know what he were doin with the stuff either, even figgerin his fellas found a way to carry it back to him. That fucken fool.

  She could see the light from the System on the horizon now. She’d made real good time but she’d been smellin smoke in the air two days past an she thought of Jon again. How long had it been? Were the Ghosts comin over the sand like a wall of dust, eatin evrythin in their way? That were meant to be her blud. He’d seemed real set in his mind when they parted ways and she dint have enough histery with him that she could figger what he were gunna do. He were her brother though an he’d gotta know that there was folks worth savin in the System, even if they was just orphans like her. There were smoke driftin over the place an she fancied she could see sumthin gatherin like blud in the late arvo light. Her senses was all bleedin together like they did sumtimes an she wondered again just how much poison was in her already an what the pit had done to her. She heeled the Wide Open Road over to skirt a shallow dip where water mighta once run in the old days an as she come closer to the walls she saw no Watch were set. At the entrance to the Silent Gates she dropped the mainsail an kicked out the sand anchor an leaned on the brake with her other foot. She stowed the Open Road up good an took a drink. It were near enough the first time in days she hadnt been up at speed, leavin a dust plume across the waste. She knew she were still weak an that her brother woulda made better time but it dint look like he’d got there ahead of her. Mayhap other business in the deep. Mayhap he’d been raisin them Ghosts up an marchin em. Whatever it were she were gunna take the time as a gift. Hadta find the Block. Hadta word him up.

  In the tunnels she dint need to tax her mind too much. The brighteyes was back now she werent in that terrible place but in her chest was growin sum kinda fear an all what she’d seen from outside the walls was quiet an smoke an sumthin bad in the air an she were near sick thinkin what she might be comin up to when she stuck her head above ground. She hit the end of the tunnels an started up the ladder to the rubbish pit an as she got her head out an into the night air she realised she couldnt hear nuthin. None of the usual chatter that echoed round the System at all hours an also no screams, no cries of Ghost. It were real strange. She pulled herself up inta the heap, the smell of the rottin garbage fadin inta the background an she saw sum fellas, hooded up ahead an lookin like they was waitin for her. Just yungens by their looks and she thanked dust that Block were clear enough still alive an it dint look like Jond arrived yet with his Ghosts. She walked towards em, hand on bayonet an careful as she ever were an as she reached their backs they turned to her an she saw the confusion in their eyes. She dint know em by face an that werent unusual, she dint know all of Blocks lads but there were sumthin wrong an they looked real afraid of her. She got a bad feelin right down in the pit of her stomach and she had the long knife half drawn when sumthin hit her, right in the spot Jons stone had not that long ago an the world turned to water an smoke an then it were gone all together.

  81

  Dark

  We ken it now Reckoner, we know the truth of it.

  Im sorry.

  Shes kin. Blud of you an the witch.

  Shes blud to me. Sister.

  We ken it good now Reckoner an we aint without mercy. Stay your blade an spare the blud but that place must scorch. Put it to blade an fire an yer sister be spared. Shes blud of you an the witch, dust rest her. Go now an reckon.

  It will be done.

  82

  Bring her in. Keep her hands tied tight, shes real handy with a blade.

  Karra werent takin no chances with the Orphan. Not now, an not ever again he reckoned. His lads brought her in still knocked out an she dint stir as they put her on the floor. He used his foot to tip her onto her side, dint want her chokin afore he could have a word with her. She’d aged since he last saw her, fact she seemed to be lookin a bit grey around the face when he looked close.

  Didja get anythin out of her?

  Nah boss, just put her on her arse. They was comin and goin through sum kinda tunnel in the rubbish.

  No wun else though? Ya dint see the Block?

  Nah boss. Just her. Sent two fellas down the tunnel though an they aint come back. Been gone a while. I told em come get me when they come up.

  If they come back up.

  Yeah, yeah boss.

  Karra waved them out the room. The Orphan lay there like a sack of rocks, just the gentle rise an fall of her ribs lettin him know she were still alive. He looked at her real close, all them little scars an nicks what come to an orphan in the world an she were carryin a whole lot. He was almost feelin tender to her while she was quiet like this an sure enough after all these years he hadta be wun of the only fellas what knew her as a real little kid. Were fucken strange how things turned out. His mind was turnin in the past an unbidden thoughts of the old fella come up and thinkin how hot the blud were when it run out the Old Mans throat an down his hand. He’d spent a lotta time over the years turnin that minute over an over but he clear couldnt think of anythin else he coulda done that would have seen him sittin here now, high as he were. Nah, regrets was for them what dint get up. He got nuthin to regret an once he’d sorted out the Block he werent gunna have to worry about nuthin no more. He waited too long he was realisin now, waited too long an let him get too powerful an now he was payin the price. Steppin on a rat instead of a roach. Still, dint have no regrets. Was still breathin an was gunna see this out. Just had to figger how best to play the Orphan. Were she bait? Or were he best to just take her out the way right now. Knife her up or have his lads take her outside the walls an bury her in dust. His head was achin an there werent no room for clear wine or nuthin to ease the pain. He werent at his sharpest an he knew it, swingin between decisions that oughta be easy, an he were feelin like the Orphan had sumthin to do with it. That an the fellas what kept showin up s
ick. Them fellas he’d sent out huntin for him come back all shaky. The fellas what swore theyd seen clean bones gone to dust an et by beasts out there in the West. The bluddy smoke in the air from the burn pits was gettin in his eyes. Shoulda been used to it by now. The Orphan were stirrin a little an he walked over to her from behind his desk an turned her on her back, watchin her eyes flinch an glimmer as the lamplight hit her. She werent in a good way. He were enough of a healer to know that. His lads musta hit her hard but he sposed he should be grateful they hadnt kilt her. Then he wouldnt have no choices at all. Werent no talkin to her until she opened up her eyes good anyway, that were sumthin about the hands, they werent no use in the dark or to the blind.

  83

  They got her.

  Who?

  He knew an he dint wanna hear em say it.

  The Orphan. Karras lads got her. We seen em draggin her away, too many for us to take.

  Block took his time breathin. She were back again. An he aint got to her. She were on that bluddy block again. Outside the wind were pickin up an he could hear it whinin through the wires, whippin up dust an blowin down hook and cut, seemin to come from all directions at once. There were a sandstorm comin. It were bad blud stirred up an made red in the air.

  Whered they take her?

  Straight to the bald bastards place. Took her inside. She were out of it, reckon they belted her or sumthin.

  Werent nuthin for it. Hadta move things along he reckoned, before that bastard figgered he had sum kind upper hand an used the Orphan for bait or whatnot. The fella was keepin hisself surrounded with blokes just like always.

  Listen good. Yer gunna go check all them spots I told ya an fetch up all the yungens whatve gone to ground. Unnerstand?

  They nodded.

  An then yer gunna come back here an we’re warrin. We’re doin this now, not tomorrow or the day after, now. Unnerstand?

  Again, the glassy nods. They dint have no idea what was comin. Werent nuthin for it though. Hadta chance his hand.

  84

  She were dreamin of family, she knew it. Dint wanna wake up though, it were better in the dream. She dint know when the arvo ritual started or when she began lookin forwards to it but sure enough she did. The sun were comin down over the System an outside the dust in the air were makin evrythin a bit softer than it normal was. Werent too much cryin out an the ciphers was silent for once. Most of the lasses an lads was gettin a feed of sorts an a few was cardin real quiet an summa the clever wuns was lernin their letters. She let the curtain fall an turned back to the room she an Block was in. The roof was rustin bad she saw when she looked up, dust comin in. Dust evrywhere. She was gunna have to get up there an fix it for him wun of these days she reckoned. She crossed the room, Block not lookin up and she let herself sink down inta the second chair he’d had brought in an she picked up the papers she’d scavved the last time she were down the Glows. It were all he seemed to want, paper an rounds. She swore it were more important to him than the gold an food an whatnot they traded it for. First thing he always asked when she come back from the waste was did she find any lernins, or readins. Blocks eyes werent gunna lift from the pages for a while she reckoned, this were the quiet time. Her eyes drifted back up to the roof an watched the fine sand comin in like an hourglass cept it werent markin nuthin, just vanished into even more dust on the floor.

  85

  The yungens he had left was standin round him an it were nearly like them times from the near longago. Couldnt think too much on that. Too many faces missin.

  Orright.

  There was a rumble from the lads an lasses around him an Block nearly smiled.

  I know ya mournin ya bluds like I am. Yer family an aint nuthin more important. I took each of ya in an plenny of ya come up in the System same as me. We was caught short an thats on me. Sold out an down by wun what we called family an there aint nuthin worse than a snake cept a rat. Gus were both. An he werent on his own.

  He had em now. All eyes was glued to him an he looked around the yungens, meetin the eye of evrywun of em.

  Ya all know Karra, ya all know hes the big fella of the System an he do what he wants. I knowed him when he were a belongin an I know that he aint as gully as he reckons he is. He took sum of our fellas and left our lads in dust an now hes took the Orphan an got her at his place right now. Ya done good stayin alive an dust knows right now I aint got much right to be askin more of ya. But family is family an I want this bloke. I want blud. Tonight in the dead hours Im goin in to snatch his life an get the Orphan an any of ya wanna come with me is welcome. I wont hold it against ya if ya reckon its all gone too far an ya just wanna fade but if yer family, this is how its gunna be. Im goin in there for the fellas what got ended, goin in there for Cutter and for the Orphan an honest, Im goin in there for bluds sake. An I will not lose. Its endin tonight an we’re either runnin this place tomorrow or we’re dust. Thats the way it is.

  86

  The back of her head was on fire an she could feel the layers of pain pressin on her eyes all the way through. There were a howlin in her ears an she could hear a sound like Ghosts an wind screamin together. Sum big pressure was buildin up there an she blinked in the low light, eyes comin to rest on a familiar face. Karra. She felt her guts drop. The howlin werent stoppin, it come from the wind outside an she could hear a big dust storm brewin. Her eyes closed again an she couldnt help a grunt of pain comin out. When she opened her eyes again he were half leanin over her lookin down an it were almost like the years bled away an he were wakin her up to go fix the boss’s tucker or head down to the hook to trade. She tried to shift her hands an felt them come up short. They was tied fast behind her back. Yeah, almost like old times but not quite. There werent no point pretendin she were out of it she reckoned so she grunted again an moved her legs round, sittin up half slumped against the wall. There were sumthin big weighin on her but her head was fogged. The Block. Needed to see the Block. Reckoner comin, brother comin, storm comin. She needed up an out. Hadta be out there now. He were comin.

  Orphan.

  Real soft with his hands, like he dint wanna rile her up. Too late fer that though. She took her time, rollin her tongue round her mouth, feelin real thick but wantin to make the words right.

  Karra.

  Its still boss to you, Orphan.

  Karra.

  She said it again, wantin him to know.

  Whyd ya do it? Whyd ya go lookin for that poison? Boss were tellin the truth, werent nuthin but a beast.

  He sat back then, rockin on his heels an suckin in his breath. His clothes seemed like they dint fit too good now, like they was gettin too big for him an she wundered just how much he really knew about what he was doin. He took a long time gettin his hands in order.

  What are ya runnin yer mouth about now, Orphan?

  It were gunna be like that.

  There werent no gold, Karra. Werent never no gold or treasure out there, or anywhere as far as I knew. The gold died with the old fella. I told ya that. That werent gold out there Karra.

  He were lookin at her face like he were concentratin and she realised for sure that he was sick. That he might not know for sure what he had done. Knew it were bad but that might be all.

  His hands whispered, like spiders. What’re ya talkin about ?

  It were the poison ya bastard. It were the poison an it were real. It werent a story, it were real. You an yer fellas been sick havent they? Yer fellas brought ya sumthin back dint they?Sumthin out the ground. Theres moren more fellas gettin sick out there, aint there? What didja do with it? Wheredja put it?

  Karra shook his head. Burned it. Burned it on the pits. Were rubbish. Weren’t nuthin.

  She dropped her eyes, takin deep breaths, feelin the blud pound in the back of her head. Looked back up at him, crouched in his robes in front of his desk.

  Yev kilt us all. Yev kilt the System.

  87

  It were dead hours an the wind was whippin up sumthin terrible. There were a dust st
orm real close an the air were gunna be full of iron, he knew it. Might be a good thing for a bad nights work. Never knew. Been a while since the last big wun an itd ripped the System half to bits. He looked at the lads mustered up. All of em. Not a wun was missin. In the alleys around Karras place they was watchin and waitin. Block dragged his finger over the burrs in the sharpened hook blade an rolled em out on a thimble, straightenin the edge like hed done evry day since he were a littlun. In the shadows of Karras door he could see a coupla fellas lurkin. His ladsd make short work of them he reckoned. All he hadta do was get inside an get upstairs. The lay of the place werent tricky. In an through an up an to the left, round the stair an then inta the door at the end of the hall an hope the bastard was between him an the Orphan. A bitter gust blew sand and rubbish across the cut an the wind picked up even more. The stars was gone altogether now, no sky to be seen an the air was comin down all close an dull. Like the place was holdin its breath.

  88

  Karra werent his old self now. All the puffed up bullshit were gone an he were lookin at the Orphan like she might help him an she knew she couldnt an dust forgive her she had nuthin in her heart for him. He were gunna get evrythin he deserved an maybe more when he started rottin from the inside out. Just a question of how many others was goin the same way. Karras hands was movin real slow an even though she knew it were probably gunna take a long while for him to go, she fancied the blud thatd drained outta his face made him look like he was dyin right there in front of her.

  Whered ya burn it?

  West edge, by the Stacks.

  Out near the lowest of the low, the orphans an Ghost kids an the wuns what looked after em. Of course they did. But the stupid bastards dint care that the poison smoke was gunna blow back over the place and they dint know what they was burnin neither.