The Last Survivors (Book 6): The Last Conquest

by Bobby Adair

  "You're sure about that?" asked Jingo.

  "She said after I take the pin out, dropping it would be very bad. She said it could kill me."

  "Did she say what the hand grenade would do exactly?"

  Oliver nodded. "She said it would ex…" Oliver forgot the word.

  "Explode," Jingo helped.

  "Yes," said Oliver. "She said it would explode."

  "Did she say what that meant?"

  "She said it was like a burst of lightning and thunder. Anyone close to the grenade when it exploded would be killed. That's why she wanted me to throw it at the demons."

  Jingo reached again. "May I take it from you?"

  Oliver put the grenade into Jingo's hand. Jingo hefted it and asked, "What's supposed to happen after the grenade explodes and the demons die?"

  "She said she'd come to our tower and talk to us."

  "Why didn't she come with you this morning?" Jingo asked.

  "She said she needed insurance," answered Oliver. "She said she has more hand grenades, and she wants us to understand what kind of power they have."

  "She's afraid we might harm her?" asked Jingo, nodding as he said it. "Of course. She doesn't know us. She's being careful."

  "That's what she told me," Oliver confirmed.

  Jingo examined the grenade in his hands. "It doesn't look three hundred years old. Did she say her people manufactured this?"

  Oliver shook his head. "Should I have asked?"

  Chapter 20: Oliver

  Oliver, Beck, Ivory, and Melora all stood on the platform at the tip of the tower. The thick fog dampened every sound and made it hard to discern the shapes of the bodies down on the ground.

  "One of us should be down there with him," said Ivory, referring to Jingo, who was on the second floor, stationed in front of a small window, looking out for demons.

  "It might not be safe," Beck told them. "Jingo said that device could kill all of us."

  "It won't kill us," Oliver argued. Despite what seemed to be everyone's mood after Jingo told them what the grenade could do, Oliver trusted Kirby.

  "We don't need to endanger everyone to find out," said Beck. "We only need to wait."

  "What do we do if that thing kills Jingo?" asked Melora.

  "It won't," Oliver told her.

  "We leave this place as fast as we can," said Beck. "If this Kirby woman's device does what Jingo says it will do, and if she has that gun, then we'll all be in mortal danger if we remain."

  "But if she has all this power and wants to kill us," said Oliver, "why didn't she already do it?"

  Ivory nudged Beck and grinned. "He's got a point, don't you think?"

  Oliver smiled. It was a powerful compliment; at least it felt that way to Oliver, who was able to talk with Beck for a moment as an equal.

  "Yes," Beck admitted as he refocused his attention at the foggy ground below.

  "I think I see some demons," said Melora, pointing. "Over there, coming through that gap in the wall."

  "I see four," said Ivory. "No, six."

  Oliver looked over two fallen timbers in the stockade wall and saw six ghostly, gray man-shaped things moving into the compound. They could have been regular people. They could have been soldiers from Brighton. They could even have been the ghosts that Melora was so sure existed, but they weren't. Oliver, like Ivory, guessed they were demons. In a few moments, they'd know for sure.

  "We should let Jingo know," said Ivory.

  Beck shook his head and started to say something.

  "From where Jingo is looking out the window," said Ivory, "he can't see that part of the stockade wall."

  Beck looked at the coming figures in the fog.

  "He's right," added Oliver, getting nervous.

  Ivory had already crossed the platform and was mounting the ladder to head down.

  "Tell him and then come right back up," said Beck. "I know you don't think you're in danger, but you might be."

  With a nod of acknowledgment, Ivory disappeared down the ladder. He was hurrying down the rungs and making too much noise because he was rushing.

  "Should we get their attention?" Melora asked, looking at Beck. "If we want them to come over, we should, shouldn't we?"

  "Yes," agreed Oliver.

  Reluctantly, Beck nodded. "Better to get this experiment done with."

  "Hello!" Melora called loudly.

  Oliver saw the gray shapes in the fog come to a stop.

  "Hello!" Melora called again. "Over here!"

  The gray shapes all turned and hurried toward the sound of Melora's voice.

  "That's good," said Beck.

  Jingo said something through the window four floors down.

  "He can't see them yet," said Beck, "but he knows they're out there. He must be calling them. They'll come to his voice."

  Melora looked toward the hole in the floor where the ladder led down. "Ivory doesn't need to warn him, then."

  "If you go down there, you'll be in danger. Ivory can handle himself. Don't put yourself at risk needlessly."

  With a nervous sigh, Melora turned back to look over the rail at the coming demons.

  From the window down on the second floor, Jingo called again.

  Ivory's footsteps echoed through the tower as he sped down the stairs.

  The demons ran. They were close enough that Oliver was able to see for sure that they were twisted men with misshapen heads and bony warts on their joints. They were racing around to the front side of the tower, trying to find the source of Jingo's fog-diffused voice.

  "It's working." Oliver pointed. "They're coming around to the front."

  Melora looked toward the ladder again. She was worried about Ivory.

  "He'll be fine," Oliver told her.

  Beck leaned over the rail for a better view down below.

  Jingo called again.

  The demons were nearing the front of the tower, slowing down as they looked at it, trying to figure out if the voice they were hearing was coming from inside.

  Oliver peered over the rail for a good look. The demons were close together, a little bit confused.

  Without warning, a black, innocuous object flew out the window at which Jingo had been stationed.

  The hand grenade.

  Oliver watched, eager to see what the Tech Magic would do.

  The grenade hit the ground near a pair of the demons. It bounced and rolled. All six demons looked at it. They, of course, had no idea what it was.

  Yellow and orange light flashed.

  Thunder boomed.

  A cloud of dirt blew past the demons and quickly dissipated in the fog.

  All six demons were on the ground. Two were as immobile as the dead settlers. The other four were moving, barely.

  "Did you see that?" Oliver nearly shouted.

  "Yes," Beck answered.

  "That was amazing! That was Tech Magic!"

  "And your friend has those?" Beck's tone was odd.

  Oliver nodded enthusiastically.

  Beck stiffened and pointed toward a nearby tower. "Is that her?"

  Oliver followed the line of Beck's finger and saw Kirby coming out of the fog from where she'd been hiding. She had her long gun at her shoulder. Oliver waved a hand and called. "Kirby! Hey, Kirby!"

  Kirby waved without any enthusiasm and put her hand back on her gun, taking care to keep the weapon pointed at the window inside which Jingo stood.

  "That's the rifle," Oliver told Beck, showing off his new word. "She brought it with her."

  Beck leaned on the rail and squinted, as if to clarify his view.

  "She can kill us all from down there," said Melora. "Unless the legends are lies."

  "She won't," Oliver said definitively.

  After walking past the rotting bodies, frozen from the night's chill, Kirby came to a stop a few dozen paces from the tower's front door. "I'm Kirby," she called. "Oliver told you about me."

  From downstairs, Jingo called, "I'm Jingo, and I'm in here with four others.
May I invite you inside to join us?"

  "Yes." Kirby took one hand off her rifle, reached down to her belt, and lifted a hand grenade, holding it high for everyone in the tower to see. "You know what these can do," she told anyone who could hear. "I don't know you people. I don't trust you. But you know I have these. If you try to harm me…" Kirby left the rest of the threat unspoken.

  "We have no wish to hurt you," Jingo called back. "You'll see once you're among us. We have questions, many questions."

  Oliver hurried over to the ladder and had already passed through two levels before the hinges on the heavy door at the base of the tower creaked open.

  Chapter 21: William

  In the time William and Jasmine had been talking, half of Winthrop's priests had returned with fresh demons they'd chased down, and the women were skinning them next to the fire. Others in the camp were waking up and preparing breakfast.

  "Winthrop's not back yet," Jasmine said. "Maybe we should find Phillip."

  William agreed. They set off from the big fire and wove through the crowds of waking people. Some of them squinted and wiped their eyes, like William had. It looked like they were battling the same headache he'd woken up with.

  The air held the lingering scent of cooked demons and the stench of unwashed men. Despite that, William had shed most of his fear. He had a full breakfast of berries in his stomach. He had Jasmine at his side. He had a handprint and Winthrop's assurance that he was immortal.

  Things could be worse.

  He followed Jasmine through a maze of people. A couple nodded at William as they talked about the night they'd shared. For the first time, William felt as though he was their equal. They treated him as any other adult. They allowed him to drink snowberry. They talked about battle, and demons, and women, and they didn't quiet down when they saw him, like Ella, Melora, or even Ivory would have. He felt like he'd finally made it inside one of those pubs that he'd been pulled away from. Most of the men's faces were marked with smeared blood, sweat, and soot, but they wore smiles as they talked about returning to Brighton. The women cursed as they brushed stubborn tangles out of their hair. In spite of that, they seemed happy.

  Through a pack of laughing men, William caught a glimpse of Phillip. He was assisting another man carry a demon. He greeted them with a smile.

  "I can handle the demon, if you need to talk," the other man said.

  "Thanks," Phillip said. He joined Jasmine and William. "Did you eat?" he asked.

  "Yes," Jasmine answered. Her eyes roamed to the sides of the dome, where several people were already climbing the stairs. "Father Winthrop's not back yet."

  "You want to explore," Phillip guessed, a smile crossing his face, as if he'd had the same thought.

  "I was thinking we might be able to check it out, before we leave this morning," Jasmine said.

  "We'll need to make sure Winthrop is provided for." Phillip looked around, as if Winthrop might be waiting to give orders.

  "A few of the priests were cooking him breakfast. It will take him a while to eat. And it will take him a while with the priestesses he chose this morning."

  "Maybe we can go for a bit," Phillip agreed. "Are you coming with us, Rowan?"

  "Yes," William said.

  They continued through the crowd of people, creating a path between the blood-printed men who were stuffing meat in their mouths, or cleaning off their spears. One group of men described a battle using exaggerated hand motions. Others tipped flasks that appeared to be almost empty, as if they were celebrating. William tuned them out, focusing on the site of the building's interior. The dome was even more magnificent in the daylight. Above the first five or six levels of ancient stone, several more angled out above them, and above that, several more. Rusted, ancient metal bars hung out over the uppermost layer of stone, extending into the building. A few of these had fallen into the lower levels of the dome—metal pieces that were large enough to crush anyone underneath, had they been standing in the way.

  "What do you think those are for?" Jasmine asked, pointing.

  William thought on it. "They held up things," he said.

  "How do you know?" Jasmine asked.

  Pointing at one of the long metal bars near the top, he said, "I don't think people could sit on them."

  "I wonder what the Ancients did when they gathered here," Jasmine asked.

  Recalling the conversation he'd had with Bray earlier, William said, "This place was used to play games. The Ancients came here and watched something on the ground, like we watch our harvest races or pig pulls."

  Jasmine watched him with renewed interest. "You are smart, for a demon boy."

  William smiled at the compliment.

  "Those pieces of metal would be worth some coin, if we could take them back," Phillip said, gesturing at a few of the fallen metal beams.

  "I don't think we'd be able to carry them," Jasmine lamented.

  "You're probably right," Phillip said. "But maybe we'll find something smaller we can take with us."

  They walked with renewed purpose towards the edge of the dome. The brown grass was longer by the edges, where it had escaped the trample of the army's boots. Reaching the first set of cracked stairs, they walked past several people who were conversing at the bottom. As they started up the steps, William felt the same exhilaration he'd felt when entering the Ancient City. All around him were the creations of people who had walked many years ago, whose imprints were still impacting people today. He was still one with the Ancient City.

  Even without his demons, he could still hear the whispers of the Ancients.

  He sprinted up the first set of stairs as he explored the first level, leaving Jasmine and Phillip temporarily behind. Rusted metal frames were embedded in the stone, evenly spaced, as if the dome had been built around them. Some were more decrepit, but they looked like places to sit. He grabbed on to one stuck piece of metal, trying to wiggle it, but it wouldn't budge.

  "Be careful," Phillip said, coming up behind him. "You don't want to get a cut from the metal that will spread sickness through your body."

  "I know," William said, recalling how one of his friends had developed a shaking disease that seemed to last for months.

  They continued exploring the lowest levels, which were nearly identical. A few times, they stepped around cracks in the ancient stone that were wide enough to stick a foot in. Several hearty weeds crept from these cracks, as if they were trying to pull William, Jasmine, and Phillip in. On some levels, they encountered other blood printed men and women, and they traded speculations and held up empty hands they'd hoped to fill with treasure. William guessed that anything valuable had probably been scavenged a long time ago.

  After walking by most of the other groups, they moved on up the stairs. William watched the girders grow closer and the people on the ground grow smaller until they were at the landing of the top layer, breathing heavily, looking around.

  "It's wonderful," William marveled.

  People were everywhere in the dome. Deep in the center of the building was the bonfire where they'd slept. The gaping entrance at the front was clogged with people that were passing in and out, some carrying demons, some carrying flasks. Smaller entrances dotted the sides, where people gathered and looked from the city to the dome. William scanned around until he found Winthrop speaking with a circle of people, waving his hands.

  "He's still busy," Jasmine noted, pointing. "I don't think he's had his breakfast yet."

  "It looks like we have some time," Phillip said.

  They chose a spot to sit that was free from debris, where they could rest from the climbing and exploring. William sat on the end, Jasmine and Phillip next to him.

  "I haven't seen this many people together except at the square," William said with wonder.

  "Was the Davenport square large?" Jasmine asked.

  Remembering his lie, William said, "Not as large as this, or as Brighton's, I imagine."

  "You're looking at the strongest of Blackth
orn's army," Phillip said proudly. "The ones who lived on, even after Blackthorn was killed. Those who lived long enough to see the devil die so they could follow Winthrop."

  "We will be the ones to deliver the message to Brighton," Jasmine said. "We are Winthrop's chosen."

  William nodded. He looked down at the blood print on his chest, feeling a sense of belonging that he hadn't felt in a while. The last time he recalled feeling that way was when he was walking with Bray through the forest, following the tracks that would lead to Melora. His mother had trailed behind, and Bray had regarded William with admiration—respect, even—as he led the way.

  But that moment was over, and it would never happen again.

  William pushed the thought from his mind and remained in silence next to Phillip and Jasmine for a while, observing the parade of the army below them. And there was plenty to look at. Every so often, a stream of men left the dome through the gaping entrance and another returned. William looked up, watching several birds take flight from the top of the dome, disappearing into a cold, clear sky. Looking back at Jasmine and Phillip, he caught them trading a smile. A sense of peace came over William. For once, he wasn't running from Brighton. Instead, he was headed back into it, under Winthrop's protection.

  Chapter 22: Winthrop

  Winthrop walked through the stinking army of pig chasers, dirt scratchers, and foul women, out of breath from crossing most of the giant dome. He headed for the big fire that had become his quarters. He was hungry. Several stringy-haired priestesses clung to his arm, but he shook them loose.

  He'd already had his pleasures.

  Besides, they stank from too many days without a bath.

  Winthrop's human urges were starting to annoy him. Over the course of days, a dull pang in his stomach made Winthrop realize he needed food, and other aches made him realize he needed women. He indulged those urges, but only because he was still completing his transformation into a god.

  Wiping his hands on his robe to clean off some of the filth, he reached his fire, which had already being stoked by some of his faithful. He avoided the stares of a group of people who were waiting for a reverent gaze and looked for the tall man who had been coordinating his orders.