“To the storehouse,” replied one of the men.
“Set those down,” Thorne instructed, annoyed. “You need to break them apart first.”
“I know,” said one of the Watchers sheepishly. “They were stuck.”
Thorne shook his head as the men set down the boards about fifteen feet away from Darius. To an older Watcher, he requested, “Can you help them pry those apart?”
A tan, muscled man walked over to the others, slipped a knife from his sheath, and worked on prying apart the two boards. Darius kept a small buffer, while paying attention. When the older Watcher got them to budge, he set the blade down on the sand.
Inadvertently, Darius’s eyes roamed to the weapon.
His cane almost fell from his hands.
On the hilt of the blade were several, distinct, triangular markings.
Akron’s knife.
Chapter 24: Darius
“Darius? What’s wrong?” Elmer’s face was tight with worry as he saw his friend.
Darius looked over his shoulder, shivering, as if he might find a cluster of spears at his back. “Were you at the meeting?”
“I watched from the back,” Elmer said, with a nod. “I was too tired to push past such a large crowd. What’s going on?”
Darius reached for the door, closing it behind them. All the way to his friend’s dwelling, he’d kept an eye out over his shoulder, certain that The Watchers followed him. Not once had he seen something to raise his suspicion, but he no longer trusted his eyes. He no longer trusted anything.
“One of The Watchers at the meeting had Akron’s knife.”
“By the heavens.” Elmer’s face was incredulous.
Darius filled him in on the walk he’d taken after the gathering, and the observation he’d made while The Watchers disassembled the platform. In a quiet hiss, he told of the knife in the man’s possession.
“Akron’s knife,” Elmer said in disbelief. “So The Watchers were really there. They knew about Akron.”
“They covered up the cave,” Darius finished, with a fearful swallow. Saying the words aloud gave him a fear he might never outlive. It also gave him another thought. At first, he tried to dismiss it, until it became so persistent and so frightening that he couldn’t ignore it.
Darius sat in silence a moment, a feeling of dread crawling up his spine, down his arms, and tingling his insides. A half-formed thought became a full one, and then he was trembling.
“What’s wrong, Darius?” Elmer asked.
“What if the Watchers killed Akron?” The words hung in the air after he said them. He looked from his friend to the door, as if someone might break it down and haul him away.
Elmer opened and closed his mouth, his eyes widening. “Killed him?”
Darius’s heart rammed against his ribs. “I still remember the conversations I had with Gideon when I came out of the caves after I was injured. They forbade me from going back, but they also forbade me from speaking about them.” He kept his eye on the door. “A few times during those interrogations, it felt as if they might not let me go. They asked questions twice, then asked them again. More than once, I saw a flash of something in Thorne’s eyes that I didn’t like.”
“You think they were going to kill you, too?”
“Maybe for finding something they didn’t want me to see.”
Elmer was speechless again. After a long pause, he asked, “Do you think they killed Akron for his discovery?”
“That’s exactly what I’m thinking.”
Elmer bit his lip as another thought sprang to his mind. “If that’s true, why keep you alive? They could’ve easily killed you back then.”
“Perhaps they believed I hadn’t seen anything,” Darius suggested. “Or perhaps it was the fact that too many people saw me crawling out alive. I certainly made enough noise, with my injured leg. I gathered quite a crowd. Perhaps it was better to let me live at that moment. But Akron wasn’t so lucky. He died in the cave with what he found. Maybe they saw him going in and followed him.”
Pulling at his stubbly chin, Elmer said, “If your guess is correct, the leaders knew about what Akron found in the caves, or at least, The Watchers did. They killed him, covered up the passage, and took his things. But why cover up a skeleton? Why cover up something that happened long ago?”
“For too many years, I’ve watched the leaders speak their platitudes at their meetings. I know the difference between a simple lie, meant to keep us calm, and a grave one. I saw fear on their faces this time when they spoke of that other colony, and the stranger. Most might have thought they hid it, but I saw it. I saw the subtle changes on their faces as they shifted with their spears. I saw the looks of uncertainty in their eyes. What if Akron’s death isn’t their only secret?”
“What do you mean?”
Darius swallowed as he put together the thoughts circling his brain. “What if the girl was telling the truth, Elmer? What if somehow, what I saw in the cave—what Akron found—was something they knew all along? What if there is a monster, after all?”
Elmer grabbed for the corner of his chair, looking as if he might fall over. “If that is true, we are all doomed.”
Chapter 25: Neena
When Neena opened her eyes, sunlight spilled through the cracked doorway. For the first time in days, she awoke in a bedroll, rather than a hard stone floor or a rocky cave. She looked around, as if she might find a predator’s salivating jowls, but she saw only her brothers, sleeping soundly. Helgid was across the room by the doorway, peering out into the sunlight. Her peaceful silhouette gave Neena another wave of warmth she hadn’t felt in too long.
The aroma of cooking breakfast from the neighboring hovels, and the soft breathing of Raj and Samel, gave her a comfort she had forgotten. She flexed her fingers and toes and sat up, reaching for her flask.
“Neena, you’re awake,” Helgid whispered, shutting the door and crossing the room to her. “You slept deeply.”
“It feels good to wake here, instead of in the desert.”
“I’m sure it must,” Helgid agreed.
In unison, they looked toward Raj’s bedroll. “How is he?”
“He’s doing better.” Helgid’s face held a relief she hadn’t seen since she returned. “I gave him some more water overnight. He seemed lucid.” Allowing a small hope to enter her voice, Helgid said, “We’ll have to see what the healer says, but I’m starting to think he’ll be all right.”
“Thank the heavens,” Neena said, crawling over to check on him quietly. Raj seemed peaceful. If she hadn’t known about his injuries, she might’ve thought he was sleeping after a long day of chores and play. Brushing a lock of curly hair from his face, she listened to his soft breath before leaving his bedside, making her way to Samel, and checking on him.
“I spoke with Amos this morning,” Helgid told her, in a soft voice.
“What did he say?”
Looking toward the door, Helgid whispered, “He told me what the leaders said at the meeting, about the stranger with whom you traveled. He told me about the small group of people with whom that man lived.”
Small group? Neena swallowed. “Did they mention me?”
“Only to say that you were released, and that no one considered you a threat.” Helgid watched her carefully as she spoke.
“Did they say what happened to Kai?”
“Is that the stranger?” Helgid asked.
Neena nodded, wondering if she’d already spoken too much.
“They said he was no longer a threat, and they were keeping him in the annex,” Helgid relayed. “That’s all they said.”
Neena blew a breath of relief. She looked toward the door, recalling the attention she’d received on the way home. The colonists would continue staring, regardless of the leader’s words. But none of that mattered. What mattered was that Raj was safe, and so was Kai. For now.
“I think it was smart that you didn’t go last night,” Helgid said. “It would probably be wise if you ke
pt to yourself for a while.”
Neena nodded, but she didn’t tell Helgid about Gideon’s warning.
“Are people still hovering around outside?” she asked.
Helgid looked behind her. “Some are out there, yes. They are looking for gossip, not to help. I ignored most of them. You shouldn’t worry about what they think.”
“I’m not worried,” Neena said, and she meant it. She had gotten over her fear of people’s judgment shortly after her father died. “I’m worried about keeping my brothers fed and safe.”
“I know you’re strong, Neena, but you’ve been through some things,” Helgid said.
Neena opened and closed her mouth. Sometimes it seemed like Helgid knew her too well.
“If you need to talk about any of it…” Helgid was trying not to push.
“I don’t,” Neena said reflexively.
“You don’t want to, or you can’t?” Helgid watched her closely.
Neena contemplated her next words. Every part of her wanted to open her mouth, spill the details of what happened, and find a way to keep Helgid and her brothers safe. But telling them would put them in more danger.
Putting her fears into an excuse, she said, “I’m ashamed, Helgid. I’m ashamed of what I’ve put you all through, by my return. I caused a spectacle that I might never outlive.”
“I’m an old woman, with nothing left to be embarrassed about. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“But Raj and Samel…” Neena said, looking over at her brothers, who still slept.
“Children are resilient,” Helgid said, with a firm nod. “They’ll keep going, as they always have. They are strong.”
An emotion she rarely let herself feel escaped. Helgid didn’t need to say the words for her to know she was referring to Mom and Dad.
A knock came at the door.
“Who’s that?” she asked, as if Helgid might know.
“Probably the healer,” Helgid explained. “He’s been coming in the mornings. He said he’d be here to check on Raj.”
Neena nodded and went to the door. Surprise struck her as she opened it to find an old, withered man, holding a cane and a spear. She frowned as she recognized the man who repaired the colonists’ weapons and tools.
“Hello,” Darius said. “Can I come in?”
Chapter 26: Gideon
Gideon sat on the edge of his bed, pulled one leg up, and slipped on a boot. He dropped his leg, sighing, and put on the other. Looking around his room, from the floor to his shelves, he traced the sparse piles of clothing that sat there. Among them were a few of his father’s garments. Not many other objects occupied his room, other than a few tools and weapons.
He ran his life as he ran his colony: necessity over nostalgia.
A knock drew his attention to the door.
“Come in,” he said.
The door swung open to a crack, and Wyatt poked his head and skinny nose around. “Can I enter?”
Gideon waved him in.
Wyatt took a respectful step, standing near the door in a manner that showed he knew the early time.
“Sit,” he told Wyatt.
Wyatt crossed the room, settling into the chair that Gideon reserved for his impromptu meetings.
“How are things going outside?” he asked.
“Thorne reported to me a while ago. His men still haven’t seen anything from the cliffs,” Wyatt said.
Gideon breathed another sigh. “A good sign,” he said. “Perhaps our fears will be unfounded.”
“My hope, as well,” Wyatt said. “The people seem to have calmed down a bit, since our meeting. They are still concerned about the hunting ban, but most seem to be returning to their normal routines.”
“Another blessing,” Gideon said. “Hopefully, we can keep their confidence.” Looking at the wall for a moment, Gideon had another thought. “Enlist some of our Crop Tenders to help pass out rations later this morning. It will do our people good to see them working with The Watchers. The appearance of normalcy will help avoid any lingering doubts.”
“I think that will go a ways toward keeping their trust,” Wyatt agreed, scratching his nose in a nervous way.
“Is there something else?”
“We still have the matter of the man from New Canaan.”
Gideon fell silent a moment. Of course, the problem still existed. “It sounds as if we have gotten all the information we are going to get from him.”
“I agree,” Wyatt said.
Gideon looked around at the sparse shelves, the clothing, and the weapons. It didn’t take a genius to tell that the man wouldn’t fit under their governance.
“He is a criminal,” Gideon said. “Between his markings and his past, he cannot be trusted. And he certainly can’t live among us.”
Wyatt agreed.
“The people will look at him and imagine more people in the desert like him. His presence will erode their trust,” Gideon said plaintively.
Wyatt offered no counter-argument.
In a cold, pragmatic voice, Gideon said, “Relay the message to Thorn. Let him know of our wishes.”
Wyatt nodded. Neither needed to speak the order to know what it meant.
Chapter 27: Neena
Neena stared at the old man at the door. Past him, a few groups of people walked by, watching. Swallowing, she asked, “Can I help you?”
“I don’t mean to intrude. I know it has been a while since we talked.” Darius shifted in the doorway, making a show of some hidden pain. “I came to see how you were doing.”
Neena looked behind her. Helgid held the same confused, wary expression as she did. Everyone knew about the old, crippled man who fixed their tools and weapons. But it had been a while since Neena had had a conversation with him.
He wasn’t a close acquaintance, either to her or to Helgid.
Putting on a defensive air, Helgid said, “We hoped you were the healer. We have a sick child here.”
Darius looked past Neena and to the center of the room, where Raj and Samel slept. With a humble nod, he said, “I don’t mean any trouble. I was hoping I could come inside for a few moments.”
Neena furrowed her brow in distrust.
Holding up the spear in his hand, he said, “I figured you might need one of these.”
Neena eyed the alley beyond him, but it seemed that he was alone. Helgid gave a relenting nod.
“You can come in, but only for a few moments,” Neena stipulated.
Darius’s eyes wandered around the room as he stepped in and closed the door. Deep wrinkles lined his dark, sun-spotted skin. Noticing some of the flasks and towels around Raj, his polite smile gave way to sympathy. “What happened to him?” he asked.
“He has the sun sickness,” Neena said quietly, without elaborating.
“Ah, I see,” said Darius.
Neena stood between him and her brothers, guarding them.
Darius bowed his head. “I don’t mean to cause any more hardship. It is clear your family has been through too much lately.” He held up the spear. “I fashioned this a few weeks ago. It was a project I worked on between repairs. At the time, I had no one in particular with whom to trade for it, but I thought you might be able to use it.”
Neena frowned for a moment, wondering how he would know about her father’s missing spear. It didn’t take her long to figure out. Word had surely spread to him about her disheveled appearance, and the makeshift spear with which she’d arrived.
Neena studied the spear’s intricate carvings and the sharp metal tip at its end as Darius held it up. She couldn’t deny its craftsmanship. And she’d never gotten her other spear back.
“Take it,” Darius said, his polite smile returning.
Neena reached out her hands, before suspicion took over. Of course, she had nothing to trade for it.
“What do you want for it?” she asked.
“Nothing,” Darius said adamantly. “It is a gift, nothing more.”
“No one gives gifts, an
d certainly not to me,” Neena said.
Helgid stepped forward, standing beside Darius and eyeing him warily. “What are you really here for?”
Darius’s smile vanished. Nervousness washed over him as his old hands shook on his cane and spear, and he glanced behind him. “I was hoping we could talk, as I said.”
“About what?” Neena asked.
“Your trip to the desert,” Darius said plainly.
Neena looked behind him, as if some Watchers might burst through the door and put a stop to their discussion. Was this a trap, or a test?
“I have nothing to say,” she said adamantly.
Reading the tension on her face, Darius assured her, “You have nothing to fear from me.”
Neena kept up her guard. For all she knew, another word led to exile.
“I’ve told the leaders everything I know,” Neena said firmly. “I’m ashamed of how I acted the other day. I have no need to re-live my embarrassment.”
Darius’s opened and closed his mouth dejectedly. He looked from Neena to Helgid, as if the old woman might give him a different answer. Helgid stood firm.
Leading him back toward the door, Neena said, “You should go now.”
“Please…” Darius tried, offering up the spear again.
Neena swung open the door and kept her face hard, waiting for him to leave. Darius took a shuffling step, as if he might go, before turning and looking at her.
In a wide-eyed whisper, he hissed, “I believe what you saw in the desert, Neena. I know the monster is real.”
Neena looked around the alley, where a few adults walked by, staring idly. Quickly, she shut the door.
“Do you know what you’re saying?” she asked.
Looking over their shoulders, where Raj and Samel still slept, Darius kept his voice low. “I’ve made some discoveries that led me to believe you told the truth when you came back.”
“Delusions,” Neena tried.
“I wish I could believe that,” Darius said, with a grim expression.
Neena pursed her lips. She wouldn’t say anything to jeopardize her family, no matter what this man asked or offered. “Please go, before you cause a scene.”
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