The Thousand Steps

by Helen Brain

  We creep along the passages, pausing at every turn to check for more guards. At last we reach the exit. I unlock the door and one by one we creep out. It’s the middle of the night. There’s a lamp in the guardhouse, but the rest of the shrine yard is dark. We keep to the shadows, creeping along the walls until we can see through the window of the guardhouse. There are two soldiers inside, both sound asleep. Good old Lucas, I think as I see the empty wine bottle on the floor next to them. He’s thought of everything. Why he’s helping me, I don’t know, but I’m not stopping to find out. We slip through the gate and we’re free. It’s over.

  We’re all safe. I want to hug and kiss Letti and Fez, but Clementine is waiting outside the gate. She’s frantic. She runs across the road and up the mountainside, beckoning to me to follow.

  “This way,” I whisper, grabbing Letti’s hand.

  “Where are you going?” Jasmine whispers. “We should go to the harbour.”

  “The road is the first place they’ll look.” I whisper, starting up the path.

  Micah nods. “You’re right. The harbour’s on the other side of the mountain. We can go up and over. Let’s go.”

  As silently as we can, we climb the mountain. The moon is big and round in the dark sky. Enough light to see the path. Enough light to be seen by.

  Fez stops to cough. He’s wheezing from the effort, and Letti keeps stumbling on rocks she can’t see.

  “Get on my back, Fez,” I whisper, bending low. He jumps up. Micah piggybacks Letti, and we keep climbing. All night we climb, stopping to rest briefly only when we’re exhausted. There’s no time to ask questions. We’re focused on one thing only – getting to the top of this seemingly endless slope.

  Jasmine is right behind me, and as we reach a stretch of sheer rock face, I feel her hands guiding my feet into the right footholds.

  As dawn breaks, the sky over the mainland turns pink. It won’t be long before the darkness fades.

  “Where are we going to hide?” Jasmine asks. “Any minute they’ll look up and see us.”

  Fez is peering over my head at the mountainside. “There’s a cave,” he yelps, drumming me with his heels.

  We scramble at full speed up the last fifty metres of rocky slope. As the sun begins to peep over the purple mountains on the mainland, we reach the dark opening and crawl inside. Every muscle in my body aches. I want to throw myself down and sleep for a week.

  Micah checks the interior of the cave. “It’s a good hideout,” he says. “We’re high enough to see if anyone’s coming.”

  The twins are exhausted too. They sink down against the wall and fall asleep almost instantly.

  “You two should also sleep,” Micah says to me and Jasmine. “I’ll keep watch.”

  He settles down just inside the entrance, where he can see out without being seen from below. I sit down next to him, and he puts his arm around me.

  “Hello, beautiful,” he says. “I knew you’d rescue us.”

  “I didn’t do it alone.”

  I tell him about Lucas. He doesn’t seem surprised and I briefly wonder why, but time is precious and I have other, more important things to say to him.

  The mountains of the mainland are purple-blue and the sky is soft. This world is so beautiful. In spite of everything Prospiroh’s followers have done to destroy it, it still fills my heart with joy.

  “No matter what happens,” Micah’s eyes are fixed on the horizon, where the sun is rising like a golden ball over the mountains. “I want you to remember that I love you. I’ve loved you since we were little kids.”

  I take his chin, turn his head to me, and look into his deep brown eyes. “I love you too,” I say, and my heart rolls over with joy. He’s said it. He’s said it at last.

  We might be caught today and executed. But this moment – watching the sun rise with Micah – this moment is perfect.

  I fall asleep next to him. A couple of hours later Fez and Letti’s excited voices wake me.

  “So much colour!” Letti exclaims. “The sky is so huge. “

  Fez is fascinated by the ocean. “You mean this was all once land?” he asks. “All the way to the mainland? People lived there, in houses?”

  “I was lucky,” I say. “Greenhaven was just high enough to escape the rising water.” But I’m parched, and talking about water isn’t helping.

  Jasmine is scrambling around at the back of the cave. “There’s a little stream of water running down the rock face,” she calls.

  One by one we put our faces up against the rock and let the water trickle into our mouths. No water has ever tasted sweeter.

  Jasmine waits until I’ve finished drinking. “Ebba,” she says, looking at her feet. “I’m sorry about the shitty things I said. I know you risked everything to come and rescue us.”

  I’d like to just say, “It was my pleasure,” and “Of course I forgive you,” but I can’t. It’s not that simple.

  I try to explain. “You think I’m selfish not to give the High Priest my necklace, but he wants more than that. There’s a spiritual battle …”

  She looks at me sideways, to check if I’m serious.

  “The land I inherited – my wealth – it’s not mine. It belongs to my family. To the Den Eedens. I can’t just throw it all away. I’ve got to look after it. I’ve got a holy task – there’s a prophecy about me, in Aunty Figgy’s Book of the Goddess.”

  “You don’t believe all of that Goddess stuff, do you?” she asks. “Surely it’s old wives’ tales and superstition. It’s like the High Priest. He doesn’t actually believe in Prospiroh. None of them do. It’s a scam to get inside our heads and manipulate us into doing what they want.”

  How can I explain about Clementine? About the Goddess? The amulet? “There’s a battle raging between Theia and Prospiroh for control of the earth,” I say, watching her carefully. She’s never going to believe me. “I’m a descendant of Theia, and it’s my duty to fight for her – to try to regain some of her power. My ancestors are helping me.”

  She snorts. “Surely you don’t believe …” She stops and looks at my face. “My word, you do actually believe it, don’t you?”

  Fez and Letti are listening with awe. “You’re a descendant of a goddess, Ebba?” Letti asks. “And that’s why you look different. Is the mark on your hand part of it?”

  “Yes. And my amulet necklace. It was made by all the most important gods and goddesses. They gave it to Theia when she was born.”

  Fez stares at me like I’m crazy. I can’t stop myself blushing. And it’s not like I’ve got proof, apart from Clementine and her child, who nobody can see except me and, it seems, Lucas. How do I persuade them of something they can’t see?

  Then Micah is standing behind me, with his arm around my waist. “Your turn to be on watch, Jasmine,” he says. “And Ebba’s right. We are in a battle. Whether the High Priest believes in Prospiroh or not, and where Ebba’s necklace comes from, is incidental. The High Priest is a corrupt dictator and we need to overthrow him and the general, and let everyone back into the settlement.”

  It’s one thing we all agree on.

  We’ll have to agree to differ about the rest.

  IT’S AFTERNOON AND we’re hungry and anxious, and wagons of soldiers are still leaving the shrine to search for us. “We should get going,” I say to Micah. “When they don’t find us near the roads they’ll start searching up the mountain.”

  “We have to wait till dark,” he says. “They’ll see us as soon as we start moving.”

  So we sit and watch them scuttling down below, nervously waiting for the sun to go down.

  In the late afternoon, they start moving up the mountain. There must be fifty of them, with rifles. They’re spread out in a line, sweeping upwards, checking every rock and bush for signs of us. They’re heading straight for the cave.

  “Shit,” Jasmine says. “We’d better run for it while we’ve got a head start. If we just keep moving upwards maybe they won’t catch us.”


  “They’ll know where we’re going,” Micah says. “They’ll be waiting at the harbour. They’ll surround Greenhaven too.”

  Fez’s having a coughing fit. We’ll never be fast enough if we’re piggybacking Letti and Fez. They’re holding us back. I think it, but I can’t say it.

  Letti sees my worried glance. “Leave us here,” she says.

  “Never!” I exclaim. “We stick together.”

  “Then we’d better run.” Jasmine is adamant. “Come on, let’s get started.”

  Micah holds up his hand. “Wait. There’s one more option. I can be a decoy – if I go out now I can lead them away from the cave. They’ll follow me. I’ll get to the harbour and send word to Chad, the maintenance man who let us in. He can come and fetch you.”

  “But you’ll get killed!” I exclaim. “They’ll shoot you.”

  “I’ve got a gun too, remember. And I know the mountain better than they do. And I’ve escaped before.” He counts off his advantages on his fingers.

  Jasmine slowly nods. “It’s our best chance. I think you should do it.”

  “Maybe we should take a vote,” Fez says. “Everyone in favour, put up your hand.”

  Four hands go up. I’m the only one who thinks it’s a terrible idea.

  “That’s decided then,” Jasmine says.

  Micah pulls me to the back of the cave. “I’ll be back for you, I promise,” he says, looking into my eyes.

  I gulp down the lump in my throat. “I’ll wait for you. I’ll never ever fall in love with anyone else.”

  He kisses me. Our love for each other, our whole future together – I feel it all in his kiss and the way his arms enfold me.

  It’s bittersweet and I can’t let him go. I can’t lose him.

  He pulls away. “See you all on the other side,” he says, tucking the revolver into his waistband. We watch him crawling across the mountain side until he’s a good thirty metres from the cave. Then he stands up and begins to run up the mountainside, zigzagging away from us towards the nek. The soldiers shout and give chase.

  My heart is in my throat as I watch him run. He’s like a buck being chased by a pride of lions. Will I ever see him again?

  MICAH DISAPPEARS AROUND a rocky outcrop. We sit glumly in the cave and wait.

  “Who would have thought?” I say. “In all our conversations about the world above, we never imagined we’d be hiding out on the mountain, being hunted by hundreds of soldiers.”

  “At least we’re together,” Letti says. “It was awful in the colony after you left. We thought you were dead, Ebba. And when they came for Jasmine we thought she was being sacrificed too. I cried and cried.”

  “I’m really hungry,” Fez says. “How long till someone rescues us, do you think?”

  Jasmine is closest to the cave mouth. She peers out. “There’s someone coming.”

  “Is it Chad?” Fez asks, jumping up. “Thank goodness. Hope he brought food.”

  She pulls back into the cave. “It’s a soldier.”

  I sidle to the opening. “Can we get away?”

  “No. He’s too close. Oh, shit. There’s another one. And two more. They’re heading right here.”

  My heart sinks. There’s no other way out.

  “You two run for it,” Letti says. “At least let some of us get away.”

  “Never,” Jasmine says. “We’re sabenzis. We belong together.”

  “We need to get as far back in the cave as possible,” I whisper, grabbing Letti’s arm. “Come on, hide.”

  But there’s nowhere to hide. We shrink against the back wall, waiting for the inevitable.

  “We’re such easy targets,” Fez mutters. “I hope they just do it quickly.”

  I’m holding Letti’s hand. She’s shaking. Jasmine can’t sit still. She’s running her hands over the wall, kicking the stones. “Be quiet, Jas,” I hiss. “There’s no point in drawing attention to ourselves.”

  “I refuse to give up,” she snaps. “There has to be a way out of here. How did you get out of the cell?”

  “My ancestor – and Lucas.”

  “Well, Lucas isn’t here. Can your ancestor help now?”

  “I thought you didn’t believe in her.”

  “We’re really desperate. I’ll believe in the tooth fairy if it finds us a way out.”

  I lift my hand to my neck, and rub my amulet against my birthmark.

  “I know!” Jasmine exclaims. “The trickle of water. It’s getting into the back of the cave from somewhere. And it must be going somewhere.”

  “Listen,” Letti whispers. “The soldiers. There’s three of them.”

  They’re right outside the cave. We can hear them talking. We huddle at the back. Jasmine is hitting the rock face behind the stream.

  “Someone’s been here lately,” we hear a man say. He’s at the entrance, silhouetted against the light.

  “Help me,” Jasmine hisses. “See if we can break away some of the rock.”

  We’ve got nothing to lose. We bash on the wall, pushing, shoving. Nothing gives.

  “Goddess help us,” I beg.

  “There they are!” the man shouts. “Got them!”

  “Damn it!” Jasmine screams. She’s so frustrated she stamps her foot. The rock under our feet wobbles.

  “Come out,” the soldier commands. “Don’t make me come and get you.”

  “Jump!” Jasmine yells. We leap into the air and thunder down on the floor. The rock moves, but it’s not giving way.

  The cave darkens. More soldiers have arrived. They’re blocking the entrance.

  “Goddess, please!” I yell. “Clementine, where are you?”

  Then she’s there, with us. She leans her back against the rock and shoves.

  “Jump,” Jasmine shouts again.

  We’ve got one last chance. Seconds. The soldiers are coming to get us. We gather our energy and thunder on the rock with all our weight.

  “Got you!” a soldier yells, grabbing the back of Fez’s tunic.

  Something gives. The rock totters and falls, opening a sinkhole.

  “Go!” Jasmine yells, grabbing Fez’s arm.

  They leap into the void.

  “Go on, Letti!” I shout. She half jumps, half falls down the hole.

  The soldier grabs my shoulder. I shove him backwards, and jump.

  I’m falling. Letti is screaming below me. I land with a smack in a pool of icy water.

  Jasmine grabs my arm as I surface. “Get away from the opening,” she gasps. “Hurry.”

  My feet find the bottom of the pool. Thank the Goddess, the water is only up to my ribs. We’re in an underground river. We just have to follow it and …

  A gun fires. Bullets ricochet off the wall next to my head. The sound echoes around and around the rock chamber till it sounds like a thousand guns are firing at us.

  “Come on!” Jasmine hisses, pulling me into the dark tunnel.

  “I’m scared,” Letti whimpers. She grips my hand. “I can’t swim.”

  “It’s the dry season,” I whisper. “We’ll be able to walk.”

  “To where?” Fez’s voice is tight. “Where will it take us?”

  I have to sound confident. I have to hold it together. “It’ll come up to the surface soon. Maybe we’ll be lucky and it will come up near the harbour.”

  “Do you think they’ll come after us?” Letti whispers as another volley of shots peppers the water.

  “Not without ropes or they won’t be able to get back up.”

  “It’s so cold,” Fez says. His teeth are chattering.

  “Keep moving,” Jasmine says. “That will warm you up. Come on, let’s get going.”

  None of us want to go into the darkness. But there’s no other way. We couldn’t climb back up to the cave even if there weren’t soldiers there with guns. Staying where we are will mean certain death.

  The only way is forward. We may still die. But at least we tried.

  “I’ll go first,” Jasmine says. “I’m the
shortest.”

  No one argues. Letti goes behind her, one hand on her shoulder, followed by Fez. I grip his right shoulder and we begin to trudge down the tunnel in single file. It’s slow going. And once the dim light from the shaft has faded, each step seems to take a lifetime.

  “How long do you think the tunnel is?” Letti’s voice sounds above the rushing water. “How many steps?”

  I think it will be thousands of steps, but Letti’s voice is wavering, so I grab the first number than comes into my head. “Three hundred and seventy-four.”

  “Okay,” Jasmine says, “let’s bet on it. The person who comes closest to the right number gets one of Aunty Figgy’s malva puddings all to themselves. Agreed?”

  “Agreed. Wait till you taste her pudding,” I call to Letti. This is the old Jasmine back again, the one who is always practical and never whines. The one who knows how to get us to pull together in a crisis. “It’s sweet and sticky – with dates and honey in it, and pecan nuts, and you eat it with a big dollop of fresh cream. It’s like something the gods would eat.”

  “You’re on,” Fez says, with a cough. “A whole pudding just for me. Six hundred and eighty.”

  “I say five hundred,” Jasmine says.

  “One thousand,” Letti bets.

  She’s probably right. We start to count as we walk. We’ve got up to the two hundreds when I feel the current changing.

  It’s stronger. It’s pulling us forward.

  “The water’s higher,” Letti says. “It’s up to my shoulders.”

  “You okay, Jas?” I ask.

  “Fine. All good.”

  “The water’s getting louder,” Fez says as we reach three hundred and ten.

  I listen. The rushing sound is much louder and the current is swirling around us.

  “I’m scared.” Letti’s voice is small. “We’re all going to drown.”

  I clutch the amulet with my left hand and talk silently to the Goddess. “Goddess Theia. You made everything in the world. You made this watercourse, the water, the rocks. You can save us. Don’t let Prospiroh win. Find us a way out before we drown. And keep Micah safe.”

  A few steps on and Jasmine says, “I can’t stand anymore. It’s too deep.”

  “Get on my back,” I say. “Fez, can you lead?”