The sun felt good on his skin as Raj retraced his steps down a handful of alleys, returning the piece of metal carefully to his pocket. He wondered how long the poor, dead woman had owned the piece, or where it came from. He envisioned the strange object traveling through the heavens on some strange craft, over distances he couldn’t imagine. Could it be that old? Helgid had said the girl didn’t know much about it, but she certainly knew more than Raj. Maybe if he asked more questions, she would remember something.
Of course, he didn’t know how long he’d stay, or if he’d even speak to her at all.
He walked until he found the alley where he’d tried helping the dead woman a few days ago. A large, vacant space sat between two houses, marking where her house had been. Only a few small piles of sand remained. It appeared The Watchers had already finished cleaning up the wreckage.
Looking at the area, he relived the memory of the pale, sand-covered woman for a moment.
Eventually, the weight of the object in his pocket made him recall why he had come, and his gaze wandered to the houses on either side of the vacant spot. Both doors were closed. Where did the girl live? A man on the opposite side of the alley stood at a doorway, looking at him. Raj suddenly felt conspicuous. The last thing he needed was to look like he was a boy in search of trouble.
Or a thief.
Looking at the closed doors, he wasn’t sure on which door he should knock.
He was about to make a choice when the door to the left-hand house opened and a middle-aged woman with a gray bun on her head walked out, carrying a pot in her hand. She emptied some of the extra water next to her doorway. Finishing her chore, she looked up and spotted him. Raj approached tentatively, putting on an innocuous expression and hoping she wouldn’t shoo him away.
“Do you know where I can find Adriana?” he asked.
The woman watched him for a second, gauging his intentions. After a pause, she answered. “She lives in the house over there.” Raj followed her pointing finger to the house on the other side of the empty rubble.
Before he could ask another question, the door opened and the girl he had seen at the ceremony walked out, smoothing her shirt and pants. Raj had a moment to take her in before she noticed him. It was hard to reconcile the crying girl at the ceremony with the calm person in front of him, or the wailing one he’d seen outside her grandmother’s house.
Adriana’s dark hair fell to her shoulders. Her cheeks were thin, her nose of perfect proportion. Her eyes were blue. She looked about a year or two younger than Neena. He was within a few feet when she looked over.
A small smile overtook the sadness on her face, as she called, “It’s you.”
Raj walked to meet her. Parroting the words The Heads of Colony told all of them, he said, “I’m sorry for what happened to your grandmother. I hope she finds her peace in the heavens.”
An empty silence filled the air as they appraised one another, and Raj felt the urge to leave. Now that he was here, his idea to ask her more questions felt silly.
“I appreciate what you tried to do for her,” Adriana said. “I will certainly miss her.”
Feeling a sheepishness he wasn’t used to, Raj said, “I got the gift you left for me.” He dug it out of his pocket, as if to prove he was the same person. “Here it is.” He blushed as he fought back feelings he hadn’t expected. Hoping to distract from his embarrassment, he held the object higher so they both had something to focus on.
If Adriana noticed his discomfort, she didn’t let on. Her smile grew as she saw the object in his hand, and looked back at him. “I’m glad you received it.”
“You didn’t have to give it to me,” Raj said. “I was happy to help.”
“You earned it.” Adriana said with a firm nod. “My grandmother would be happy you have it.” Sadness tugged at the corners of her lips.
Once again, Raj felt self-conscious.
Before he could excuse himself, Adriana said, “Would you like to come inside for some tea?”
Raj looked over his shoulder, as if someone might be expecting him, but of course they weren’t. Before he could second-guess his decision, he said, “Sure. I would like that.”
**
Adriana’s house was in better shape than some of the surrounding houses, or at least, it looked that way, from the inside. Unlike most of the hovels Raj visited, he saw only a few obvious patches on the walls. The place was tidy and clean, with the cookware placed on a stone shelf on one of the far walls. A few piles of clothes and blankets sat neatly in another corner. It looked as if someone lived here, other than her.
Answering his unspoken question, Adriana said, “My parents are down by the river. They are dividing up a few things we rescued from Nana’s house with some of our relatives.”
“I see,” said Raj.
Some guilt crossed her face as she said, “We were lucky in this last storm. We didn’t sustain much damage, unlike Nana.” Adriana sighed. “More than once, we asked her to stay with us. Nana’s house was one of the older ones. We did what we could to fix it, but she was stubborn. She wouldn’t leave. And she wouldn’t let us rebuild it.”
Raj nodded. He knew how the elderly could be attached to tradition.
“I used to have tea with her every morning,” Adriana said, putting a kettle over the fire. “It has been strange to wake up the past few days, without her.”
Raj nodded. He knew the pain of losing his mother and father, and with Neena gone much of the time, he often felt alone.
“I am speaking as if I am the only one who has lost someone,” Adriana said. “I’m sorry. I know you have lost people, too.”
Raj was confused, before he figured something out.
“I spoke with Helgid a while yesterday,” Adriana explained. “She told me you, your brother, and sister live alone.”
Raj lowered his head, as an unexpected emotion rose to the surface. “My parents have been gone a while.”
“It sounds as if you are lucky to have Helgid.”
“She is great,” Raj said, without hesitation.
“I could tell that,” Adriana said. “She spoke fondly of you, Samel, and your sister Neena.”
“Neena is out hunting,” Raj said. Revealing a fear, he added, “I’m worried she might’ve been caught in the sandstorm, but she is savvy. I’m sure she will be home soon.”
“It is rare to find a woman who can hunt to provide,” Adriana said. “She sounds special.”
“She is.”
“I’m sure she’ll be back soon,” Adriana reassured him.
She smiled as she poured him a cup of tea, and Raj blew on the top to cool it. For the first time in a while, he felt a sense of calm. Adriana was a stranger to him, and yet, it felt like he had known her for longer than a chance meeting. And she didn’t judge him, like too many others did.
Some of the initial questions he’d thought of came back to him.
Pulling out the object from his pocket again, Raj asked, “Do you mind if I ask some questions about it?”
“Sure. I expected you might come.” Adriana smiled. “I will answer what I can.”
“What does it do?”
“No one in our family was quite sure what it did, or used to do, but Nana insisted on preserving it over the years. She told me it was passed down through the generations.” Adriana sighed as she reflected. “Even when times grew tough, they did not trade it, or melt it down. Eventually, she gave it to me.”
“It is fascinating,” Raj said.
“I thought so, too,” Adriana said. “Like you, I wish I knew what it did, but I suspect we will never know.”
“How long have you had it?”
“About ten years,” Adriana said. “I am not sure why, but it gives me a strange comfort.”
Raj felt a pang of guilt as he stared at the object. “Why did you give it to me?”
“It felt right,” Adriana said emphatically. “I think Nana would’ve wanted me to.”
“You should take it bac
k,” he said, holding it out in his palm. “Surely you will want it, to remember her.”
Adriana refused the offer. Instead, she made a fist and clutched it to her chest. “Nana is always in here. Wherever she is, I’m sure she approves of my giving it to you.”
“Thank you,” Raj said, and he meant it. He stared at the object with an emotion he wasn’t used to feeling. Looking at the object made him recall similar, sentimental items, like one that his sister owned. “My sister carries my father’s spear. It was one of his few possessions. Whenever I see it, I think of him.”
Adriana smiled. “Was he a good hunter?”
“He was,” Raj said, with more than a little pride. “He taught my sister. He was supposed to teach me, too, before…” His words trailed off and he looked down, ashamed.
Sympathy crossed Adriana’s face. She set down her tea, touching his arm. “What happened?”
“He got sick.” Raj stuck his chin up, staving off his emotion. “I watched his body grow from strong to brittle. He left so that we wouldn’t have to take care of him, and so that we could keep on living.”
“He sounds brave,” Adriana affirmed, squeezing Raj’s arm. “I can tell by the way you speak of him.”
“The bravest,” Raj said, repeating what Neena always told them. “He looked after us for a handful of years, after my mother died giving birth to Samel.”
Letting go of his arm, Adriana looked to the ceiling. “Perhaps both of your parents are watching us now, with Nana. I think they would be happy we have met.”
A sad smile crossed Raj’s face. “I think so, too.”
With their tea cooled, they each took long sips. The drink warmed Raj’s stomach, even though the desert was quickly heating up. They chatted for a while, until their conversation segued to a comfortable silence.
After finishing their tea, Adriana collected the cups and told him, “Feel free to come by any time, Raj.”
“I will.”
Chapter 35: Neena
The landscape—easier to navigate when they first entered it—was now ridden with obstacles. Each step Neena and Kai took came with the fear of a foot sliding too harshly on a plethora of rocks. Normally, a twisted ankle would’ve slowed Neena’s pace notably, but now they had greater threats. They conversed little as they contended with the rockier path, concentrating on each footfall. A few times, they stopped to tap smaller trees for their water, getting enough of a drip to keep them hydrated. The sun had turned a hot day into a sweltering one. Kai wiped his brow more than she had noticed earlier.
Eventually, they reached an area of compacted ground, with fewer pitfalls.
Kai seemed lost in thought.
“You seem as if you are thinking about something,” Neena noticed, as she returned her flask to her belt from a drink.
“I was wondering about the years we’ve lived side by side, without knowing about each other,” Kai said. “And that reminded me of something you said earlier.”
“What?” Neena asked.
“You told me that your people often wander into the desert when they are ill, before they die,” he said. “That makes me surprised that we have never met any of them.”
“Our people find them,” Neena explained. “Most of the ill go off without their belongings, leaving their personal items to their relatives. They bring none of their possessions, so that their death is certain. We recover most of the bodies and bring them back for burial.”
Kai nodded.
Speaking of the dead brought some emotions to the surface that Neena had never had a real chance to process. One particular memory weighed on Neena as she walked. She concentrated on her footsteps, until some of her memories came out into words.
“I remember the day I found my father,” she recalled, not realizing that she was going to speak until the words spilled out. “It was several weeks after he left.”
Kai looked over sympathetically, waiting for her to explain.
“My father was a spiritual man,” she continued. “He believed in the powers of our ancestors, and the heavens. And so I respected his wishes and did not go after him, until later.” She paused a moment, making sure she explained her tradition properly. “If I were to find him before he died, he might not make it to the heavens.”
“I understand.”
“In the days after he left, my brothers kept asking questions. They were young, and they didn’t understand our tradition. Or maybe they didn’t want to. They asked me to go after him right away. A few times, I had to stop my oldest brother from leaving on his own. Eventually, I promised Raj that I would search for him when I hunted. I remember the looks on my brothers’ faces as I said goodbye for my first hunt. They hoped for a miracle that I knew I wouldn’t be able to give them. But I had no choice except to leave. We needed food. It was my first time, going out without my father.”
“You were the provider.”
Neena nodded. “I was all we had.” She sighed, looking into the sky a moment, before continuing her story. “It was strange, walking through the desert without my father. I was used to talking with him, asking questions. It felt as if he should be by my side, even though he wasn’t, or that maybe I would find him somewhere, waiting. A part of me wondered if maybe our ancestors performed some miracle and took away his sickness.” Neena sighed. “It was a childish hope that even I didn’t believe, but my brothers’ faith was infectious.”
Kai nodded.
“I searched for a while without finding him. I scoured the desert, and some of the caves and old fires near where we stayed, with his spear in my hand. Eventually, I came across a circle of rocks about a half day outside of our colony. As soon as I approached, I realized I would find him there. It was the first place we stopped, on our first hunt. It was the place where he took my shoulders, held my eye, and told me that I needed to be strong, if anything were to happen to him. It was the place where he taught me how to hold my spear.”
“He sent you a sign, even in his death.”
“He did,” Neena said, quickly blotting away a tear. “His body was there, leaning against a rock. He wanted me to find him, so that I would remember our talk, years ago. I’ll never forget that conversation. When I close my eyes, I can still see his face, and I can hear the things he taught me. They guide me on every hunt. And his spear reminded me of him. Of course, now that is gone.”
“I am sorry.”
“You do not have to be sorry.” Neena composed herself. “He was loved, and he was buried. Sometimes, that is all we can hope for in this life.”
They walked further, watching their feet, while Kai allowed her some respectful silence. “How did your brothers react when you brought him back?”
“I never brought him back,” Neena said, lowering her head as she made an admission. “I was alone, with no one with me to help with his body. And so I buried my father in the desert, underneath those stones, where no one would find him. In some way, I wanted to preserve my brothers’ hope.” She tightened her grip on the spear. “I am not sure if that was the right thing to do.”
“You did what you thought was best,” Kai said.
“It was the decision I made at the time.” Neena gazed into the clear sky. “Perhaps one day I will tell my brothers the truth. I think Raj suspects that there is something I haven’t told him. But hopefully, for now, they will carry him in their hearts.”
Chapter 36: Gideon
“Gideon!”
Gideon stared past the clustered colonists on the main pathway, searching for the source of the shout. Beside him, Wyatt tensed as he reached for his knife. All around them, men and women filled the streets and the areas around the mud brick houses. A few mothers hurried their children along as they saw two of the leaders coming, trying to keep occupied.
“Gideon!” the cry came again.
More commotion rose above the noise.
Seeing something, mothers pulled their children from harm’s way.
Gideon tensed as more people recognized somet
hing was happening and scattered. A hundred feet away, Thorne and two of his Watchers pulled a gaunt, flailing man up the path. Relaxing slightly, Gideon waited for the men to get close, appraising a man he didn’t recognize.
Spotting Gideon and Wyatt, Thorne gave the man a tug.
“Let’s go.”
More people emerged from their homes, stopping to gawk, or waiting for whatever came next. The air was silent, save the man’s desperate cries. Sensing the riveted eyes of a growing crowd, Gideon arched his back.
Projecting his voice so that everyone in the crowd swiveled to listen, he asked, “What’s going on?”
The man in the Watcher’s grasp stopped yelling. He opened his mouth to answer, but fear caught his tongue.
Cutting in, Thorne held up a bulging sack. “We caught him stealing from one of the pushcarts in the storehouses. He waited for a moment we weren’t looking, and made off with some vegetables before we could distribute them.”
“Is that true?” Gideon demanded, meeting the man’s fearful eyes.
No answer.
“Open the bag,” Gideon said.
Thorne undid the bag and opened it, revealing a sack full of vegetables and roots. Some were green, while others were wilted, their stems snapped.
Damaged crops.
The man opened and closed his mouth, reaching for an argument, too late.
There was no disputing the damning evidence.
“What should we do with him?” Thorne asked, snapping the bag shut with triumphant finality.
Gideon looked at the man, noticing a few long, bloody scrapes on his cheeks. The Watchers had undoubtedly tackled him. He looked sideways, as if he might find more conspirators in the crowd, but the rest were silent. “Take him to the annex. Throw him in a cell. Keep him there as long as I see fit.”
Chapter 37: Darius
Darius paced around his small hovel. For a while after returning home, he’d worked on one of the neighbor’s spears, but too many swirling thoughts made it impossible to focus.
Sandstorm Box Set Page 14
