by J. F. Penn
The road turned inland towards Blenheim as it reached the shoulder of the South Island, and Rangi drove carefully as they navigated the route. There were fewer vehicles than Lucy had expected. The area was sparsely populated, but she had thought more might have made it north out of Christchurch and the south. They rumbled through Blenheim, people staring up at the truck as they passed, until they crested a hill that looked down on the town of Picton.
Two large ferries were docked in the marina. Even from this distance, Lucy could make out soldiers herding people onto the boats. A flotilla of medium-sized vessels was moored nearby, and it looked like they were being filled up as well. The harbor was a hive of activity, but the bustle was welcome. Movement meant life. Lucy felt a wave of hope as they descended into the town. She shook Amber awake.
"Look," she said. "The ships are here. We'll be safe soon."
The sisters embraced and Rangi smiled broadly as they drove down towards the docks.
Back in Kaikoura, Sitona winced as the woman stitched the wounds in his cheeks. She was thin and he could see bruises and track marks on her arms, but she had a light touch. It was better than being handled by those tattooed gang bastards.
"Here," she whispered and handed him a mirror. "It's the best I can do."
Sitona looked at his reflection. His smooth coffee skin was marred by two bloody slashes, the skin around them red and puffy, his eyes bruised, his lip split in several places. He wasn't vain, but he knew his work had been easier because he was young, reasonably good looking and therefore considered trustworthy. But now that animal had ruined his face, he'd have to take the shadier work. More than that, those kids would have made him a fortune and now he had nothing.
Less than nothing.
Sitona thought back to the brief conversation with Juno. His cousin was no longer concerned about his safety and his tone had been cold and distant. Sitona knew he needed to make up for his failure.
He'd heard that the big Maori, Rangi, was heading north with two girls. The bitches would be enough to save his reputation and make some cash.
Sitona smiled, his ruined face a grimace in the mirror. Rangi would pay for what he had done.
15
"Get in line!" the soldier barked at the crowd. His fingers drifted towards the gun on his belt. He gestured violently at a car that was trying to push into the queue of vehicles heading into the belly of the last ferry. Tempers frayed here at the crossing even in good times, and Lucy knew it would only take a spark to set off trouble now.
"Just gotta take your time, mate," Rangi said quietly, so as not to wake Amber, who had drifted off to sleep with her head against his warm bulk. His hands rested gently on the steering wheel and his calm demeanor permeated the cab of the truck. Lucy smiled at how Amber lay against him. She was certainly grateful for the big man right now.
She wound down the window and poked her head out, looking back along the road. The line of vehicles stretched as far as the edge of town now. In front of them, the cargo vessels were quickly filling up.
"Do you think everyone will get on in time?" Lucy said. "We have to get out of the harbor before the tides change."
"They'll have more ships coming, for sure." Rangi nodded towards Picton harbor, where boats of all sizes bobbed on the waves. "New Zealanders are water people. Up in Auckland, they have more boats per capita than anywhere else in the world."
Lucy grinned over at him. "We're nowhere near Auckland, though."
"True, but there's enough down here for us lot. It looks like they're forming a flotilla of the smaller boats to cross over with the protection of the larger ferries. Guess they want as many people out of here before dark as possible. There will only be more refugees tomorrow."
They didn't speak of the depth of destruction left behind, the South Island cities that had been crushed in the massive forces welling up from the earth and rolling in from the ocean.
The people who were lost.
There would be time for grief when they could be sure they were safe.
Lucy looked up at the sky. Dusk painted the clouds with hues of flamingo pink, tango orange and rich emperor's purple. The beauty was even more dramatic because of the dust in the air, the remains of those blown apart in the disaster as they headed back to the stars where they'd begun.
She realized that they would be out on the Strait as darkness fell, out in what many considered to be the most dangerous and unpredictable waters in the world. The Strait had strong tidal flows, unusual in their phasing. High waters met low, resulting in fluctuating currents and capricious surges. Death was a constant companion here, the dark side of this stunning setting, taking down those who disrespected the natural forces that controlled this place.
A shiver ran down Lucy's spine.
The Marlborough Sound was a glorious place to sail and explore above and below water, but it also called many to its depths. She remembered hearing about the French Pass scuba-diving incident, which had happened not far from where they sat. With the fastest tidal flows in New Zealand, it wasn't a place to be underestimated. Six scuba divers had been caught in a whirlpool that dragged them down ninety meters into Jacob's Hole and then pushed them violently back up to the surface, resulting in three deaths.
"Looks like we're in," Rangi said, breaking Lucy's pattern of thought. He grinned as the line started moving. "Next stop, Wellington."
He revved the engine and pulled forward onto the ferry with the next batch of cars, parking up close to the vehicles in front. Once they stopped, he jumped out and pulled open the back of the truck. Lucy ran around to join him, helping the refugees clamber out. She wondered how many of these people she would ever see again. She was sure there would be a procedure for refugees in Wellington, and they would all be looked after. The dying woman in the steam back in Christchurch still haunted her, but here at least, she had played a small part in helping.
The tannoy buzzed, and a loud voice echoed through the ferry.
"Please proceed to the passenger decks. Complimentary hot food and coffee is available to all. The first aid station is on Level 2."
They left the truck and walked up the metal stairs to the highest level of the passenger decks. There was a sheltered cabin with windows all around, but Amber ran outside to stand at the prow of the boat. The wind whipped her hair about her face, and she closed her eyes to let the salt spray touch her skin. Lucy felt a moment of happiness to see her sister alive and well. Despite everything that had happened, they would make it through this and begin anew.
A deep sonorous horn blasted, signaling the ferry was on the move. The engines throbbed below and the boat set off, weaving its way around the intricate bays and inlets of the Marlborough Sound.
Lucy stood next to Rangi at the railing, his huge bulk sheltering her from the wind. She felt safe next to him.
"Do you have family in the North Island?" she asked.
Rangi nodded. "Cousins, yes, and other whanau. Haven't seen them in a long time, though. They're up near Lake Waikaremoana."
Lucy nodded. "My Aunt Jenny is in Auckland, so I guess that's where we'll go. Our parents …" She made sure Amber was out of hearing range. "They died in Christchurch in the first wave."
"I'm sorry," Rangi said. "But I'll get you and Amber to your aunt." He turned to face her, his rugged face looking down, his deep brown eyes serious. "I promise."
The horn blasted again as the ferry finally reached the narrow channel between Arapawa Island and West Head, then moved out into the Cook Strait heading east towards Wellington.
"Raukawa Moana," Rangi said, his eyes fixed on the open ocean. "That's what we call this Strait. It means something like sea of bitter leaves."
He fell silent. Lucy listened to the ocean, the slap of waves on the hull, the rhythmic throbbing of the engine. Ahead of them they could see more of the flotilla, another large ferry and a number of smaller fishing boats, all crammed with people desperate to get to the North Island, away from the disaster in the south.
Then the wind shifted.
A smell of rotting fish and the stench of the dead rolled towards them. Clouds formed above the flotilla. A mist rose in the semi-darkness, cloaking the boats, hiding them from the land at either side of the Strait. The mist rolled onto the decks, a thick miasma that seemed almost alive as it touched them, clammy on their skin.
Lucy felt Rangi stiffen beside her. Amber came running back from the prow, huddling close between them as the mist swirled around. The three of them stared out towards the flotilla in front, hands gripping the railing as they waited, hearts pounding. Lucy felt nauseated and she swallowed down a revulsion that twisted her stomach.
Something was coming.
The waters began to boil around the flotilla, churning foam and spray into the air. Shouts rang out as the sailors tried to regain control. The boats rocked, the smaller ones spinning in a sudden vortex, smashing against each other. The crash of waves intensified, but couldn't drown out the screams of those on board.
The engine of their ferry reversed and the revving grew stronger as the skipper fought against the pull of the whirling waters before them.
Regardless, they were drawn ever closer to the floundering boats ahead.
Suddenly, a massive tentacle shot from the water, purple, thick and fleshy, covered with suckers lined with barbed hooks. It wound around one of the smaller boats and crushed it with one pulse, splintering its hull before it dragged the bulk of the craft under.
Some aboard jumped into the water, clambering onto what debris they could reach. Dead bodies floated around them, more popping to the surface as the sea churned.
The dark mist broke, opening up to the heavens above. The sky clustered with bright stars, the deep blue of almost-night. There was a moment of calm.
Seconds ticked by, and Lucy wondered if she had imagined the creature.
Then a low whistle came in the mist, as if something called to the deep, summoning the creature again. The sound made Lucy's skin crawl, like maggots erupting from a rotting corpse.
Black clouds swept over the stars and a thick curtain of rain descended on the boats, pounding down from the sky above, punishing the ships with stinging blows.
Lucy and Amber ran for cover, huddling under the shelter of a lifeboat. Rangi wrapped his arms around them and held them close, anchoring them even as they witnessed what unfolded before them.
The waters churned and frothed, spinning the boats ever closer to one another. Massive tentacles shot out of the water again, two of them whirling, barbed hooks visible even in the heavy rain.
They slammed into one of the bigger boats.
It heeled over under the creature's weight and then flipped upside down, trapping all those on board under the waves.
Lucy gasped. Amber hid her face against Rangi's side.
The tentacles emerged again, feeling up the side of the other ferry, the twin to the one they rode aboard. Surely it can't take down such a big ship? Lucy thought. Please, no.
More tentacles emerged, until all eight were anchored at points on the ferry. Then the bulk of the giant octopus lurched from the sea, its full weight hanging from the side of the ship. Men emerged on the decks, hacking at the tentacles, using whatever they could find to try and dislodge the creature.
But it was too much.
The ferry listed, and began to sink sideways towards its foe. The screams of the damned pierced the drumming of the rain.
"What is it?" Lucy said, her voice weak with horror.
"Te Wheke-a-Muturangi," Rangi whispered, his eyes wide. "It is a kaitiaki. A guardian spirit of this crossing not seen since the Time Before." He turned to Lucy. "It will come for us next."
16
"You must ask for help before Te Wheke comes," Rangi shouted. His voice could barely be heard above the raging storm and the crunching of metal as the ferry before them began to split. "We'll end up in the belly of the ocean if Tawhirimatea, the god of storms, breaks us apart. His anger is only just beginning."
"What do you mean?" Lucy said. "These are not my gods."
"Your pendant," Rangi pointed to her neck. "It's a powerful taonga, a treasure. Even though you're Pakeha, it was given to you for a reason. You may not know our gods, but they know you." Rangi turned and pointed towards the unfolding massacre. "Look at that. How would you explain it? Your culture has the kraken, the great sea monster that pulls ships down to the depths. That is our kraken, but it is not of this earth. We cannot defeat it with earthly things."
"Please, Lucy," Amber whispered. "Do something."
"I don't know how," Lucy said. She pulled the pendant out of her clothes, clutching the manaia between shaking fingers. "You should take it." She began to pull it over her head, wanting to give it to Rangi.
He stopped her with a strong hand.
"No. This is yours, for a reason that has not been revealed yet. But my grandmother told me stories on the marae years ago about the tests that the gods set for those in the old times. Perhaps those times have come again." He met her eyes. She saw fear there, but also trust in her and a belief in something much bigger than their tiny lives. As she clutched the pendant and opened her mind to possibility, she felt a soaring inside.
In her mind, she was lifted up into the sky, above the destruction. She could see her body below, frozen against the side of the lifeboat alongside her sister and their protector. She could see the giant octopus as it tore apart the ships that dared cross its path. Sea creatures swam below it, the silver flash of sharks feeding on the dead. The blood of sacrifice boiled in the water. Lucy felt the anger of the gods as it rippled through Aotearoa, causing the land to buckle and the seas to rise.
And she felt a tug of fire that ran north towards the volcanoes of the North Island. This was not yet the end, not for her and not for the people of this land. There was still a mighty reckoning to come.
But then she felt a blossoming inside, a tiny seed of hope, a warmth that spread through her body.
The earth itself did not want this all to end. She who gave birth to all things, Papatuanuku, the earth mother, the goddess, wanted restoration. Lucy felt a lightness inside, a kinship. Her family may have come to New Zealand later than the Maori, but her fierce love for this land bound her to it. Her blood ran with the rich earth of the south, the magma of the north, and the salt of the ocean that surrounded these islands.
In her mind, she asked the goddess for help. She called out from the depths of her soul, pleading for the people and the very earth they walked upon. She begged for mercy, and offered herself instead.
Take me, she whispered. Let the others live.
A whisper came on a warm breeze. Go north, child.
Suddenly, Lucy was back on the cold deck.
She was down on her knees, coughing and spluttering as the rain hammered down. She still clutched the pendant; it pulsed warm in her hand. She looked up into Rangi's dark eyes. He nodded at her, understanding sparking between them.
A sudden wind blew up, coming off the land to the south. It swept the mist and rain away and spun around the ships. As the air touched it, the giant octopus shuddered and pulled away from the ferry, slithering back into the ocean, retreating to the depths. The boiling of the waves subsided. Soon, all was still on the water again.
Those on the remaining ships thronged the decks. They looked down at the wreckage of the broken boats, the dead bodies that floated now on gentle waves. Sounds of sobbing came across the water as they mourned for those lost. Many more stood dry-eyed, silent as they bore witness.
The tannoy crackled and buzzed.
"This is the captain speaking." The man's voice broke, and there was a moment of silence before he continued. "We have witnessed truly terr
ible things tonight, but there's no time to stay and bring those lost onto the ships. We have to get you to Wellington in case … in case anything else happens. But be assured, there will be boats out tonight to collect the dead and lay them to rest. We'll be in Wellington within the hour."
Lucy, Amber and Rangi sat on the deck, remaining in their huddle by the lifeboat, arms wrapped around each other as the lights of Wellington drew closer. The capital city of New Zealand, surely it could shelter them before they headed north. Lucy sat wondering at the touch of the goddess, clinging to a warmth she could still feel inside.
But she also remembered the anger, and the vein of fire under the earth that ran north before them.
The boat limped through Fitzroy Bay and into the harbor, finally docking with a clunk of metal. Shouts of the crew rang through the night air. The familiar sounds roused the passengers, who began to gather their things.
Lucy stood up and stretched her arms and back as Rangi helped Amber to her feet. They all remained quiet as they queued to go back down to the vehicle deck. There was no pushing, no boisterous behavior, even from the children. People were blank-eyed, stunned by what they had seen. Had it really happened? There was a palpable sense of grief in the air, adding to the layers of suffering that these people already held within. But once again, there was no time to stop and think, no time to grieve.
Lucy helped Amber into the truck and jumped in beside her. Rangi revved the engine and pulled forward with the other vehicles. They passed foot passengers, their heads down as they walked from the boat. Lucy scanned their faces, watching for some who had traveled in their van, hoping that they could find safety here. She didn't recognize any of them, but she understood the heaviness in their steps. She felt an echo of it in her own soul, but Amber kept her going. She had to get her sister somewhere that would be safe, and then she would go north. Lucy felt the ticking of time passing. Every second was one closer to the end.
