Wandering Soul

by Steven Anderson

  I opened my mouth, closed it again. When she left I asked Winona, “Was I really doing it again?”

  Winona grinned, enjoying my misery. “No more than usual.”

  We ate slowly, still having an hour to kill before Father Ryczek was supposed to meet us.

  At fifteen minutes before 1800, a waiter we hadn’t met brought us refills for our drinks, a sweet bubbly concoction that tasted a little like guava. Winona thanked him and reached for her glass.

  “Finally. That lasagna was salty.” Before she could wrap her lips around the straw a very large man sat down with us at the table. He was maybe fifty and completely bald except for the tattoo of a dragon draped across the top of his head, the wings coming down his cheeks and crossing his mouth.

  “You’re Alice’s daughter, that’s for sure.” He smiled and his teeth made it look like the dragon’s wings had claws. Winona never took her eyes from him as she pulled her glass closer to her mouth. The man took Winn’s glass away from her and stuck a couple of his fingers into it. Winona watched him, more curious than upset. He touched his fingers to his tongue, made a face and spit into her drink. He turned his chair around, surveying the other patrons, finally settling on a stylishly dressed woman sitting a couple of tables away. She was staring at us and he waved a short fat finger at her.

  “These two are mine, Odette,” he called to her. She shrugged and waved back at him.

  “Did you order a second round?” He asked Winona.

  “No, sir.”

  “Did you know the man that brought it to you?”

  “I assumed he was a waiter.” Winona sounded embarrassed.

  “My name is Cuza. Father Ryczek sent me to pick you up.”

  “Can you prove that?” Winona asked him.

  “Ho! You’re a quick one, aren’t you?”

  “I’ve heard Hannah and Dad talk about him,” I told her. “His illustrations are distinctive.”

  As he walked us to the door, I asked, “What would have happened if you hadn’t stopped us from drinking those refills? What would have happened to us?”

  “Oh, Odette mostly fills orders for domestics.” He looked at us closely. “But she’s not above snatching up a couple of girls for the doll trade if an easy chance comes her way. Either way, you would’ve been sold by day’s end tomorrow.” He smiled at us without humor. “Welcome to the Warrens.”

  It had gotten dark while we were inside, and the soft bed I had slept in the night before seemed very far away. I felt Winona’s fingers wrap around mine as I took her hand.

  “Whatcha got there, Cuza?”

  Tammy / Giselle was leaning against the wall of the building watching us.

  “Evening, Maribelle. Just a couple of new recruits. What you doing out here? Guarding the café?”

  “Those two had me worried some so I stuck around after my shift. It’s a relief to see they belong to you.”

  “Yeah, Odette was about to roll them, though. If I hadn’t been a bit early they’d be on their way to the block by now.”

  Maribelle came up to me and touched my hair, smelling it, and then ran the back of her fingers down the side of my neck. “Jasmine. Odette would’ve made her nut for the quarter on this one.” She turned to Winona. “And the other one. Have you ever seen eyes like hers? It’s like she can see right through you. She’s special, probably worth even more than the blonde to the right buyer. You need to be more careful with your things.”

  “Yes, ma’am. And you need to be more careful if you was planning on messing with Odette again. That’s a sharp knife she carries in her boot.”

  “You would know. Go carefully, Cuza.”

  “And you too.”

  Winona did something very surprising when we climbed into the truck next to Cuza for the ride to the mission. She started to cry.

  CHAPTER 10

  THE WARRENS

  “She always cry so much?” Cuza asked me.

  “No, never. And today she was the one in control while my brain was just frozen.”

  Cuza nodded. “She’s one of those. A friend of mine was the same way. He was cold as winter wind when things got interesting, then, once the troubles was over, he’d shake so bad he couldn’t stand. Damn, I miss him.”

  “Was he killed in the war?”

  “Naw, third wife got him. I told him having three at one time was a bad idea.” He shook his head, remembering.

  Winona sniffled and looked from Cuza to me. “I’m done crying now. Our reports about current conditions in the Warrens were grossly inaccurate. I believe someone may be intentionally misleading Ms. Weldon. We have to determine who and why. It may just be underlings trying to enhance their own reputations by painting an unrealistically optimistic picture, but I suspect that it’s Janus Boden feeding false information to the commission in order to keep them from wanting to investigate ground truth.”

  Cuza laughed. “I got no idea what she just went on about, but if you suspect Boden of anything underhanded, there’s good odds you’re right.”

  She looked at him. “I believe this man will be invaluable to us.”

  “And I reckon Maribelle was right about your street value.”

  “I know she was right,” I squeezed her hand. “Winn is worth ten of me. Probably worth way more than ten.”

  “To the right buyer,” Winona added. “Anything from Sam?” she asked, ignoring the compliment.

  “No. I tried him again just before our ‘refills’ came. No messages and he’s not answering me.”

  “There could be lots of reasons for that.”

  “None of them good.”

  “No, none of them good.”

  Cuza drove up to the Mission’s front gate, actually driving. His hands were on a wheel and his feet were doing things on the floor. I’d never seen a person drive before; it looked like it could be fun under other circumstances. He pushed something that was supposed to open the gate, but nothing happened.

  “We just cleaned all the trash and dirt out of the track this morning and it still ain’t opening.”

  The truck’s running lights were shining on the gate. “I think your problem is the chain,” I pointed. “It looks like there’s too much slack. I’ll take a look at it in the morning and get it working for you.”

  Cuza was studying me, eyes narrowed, then he grinned. That dragon on his head was going to take getting used to. “Mala Dusa, when I look at you I see Alice, but when you talk I hear Teddy.”

  He got out of the truck with a hammer to get the gate moving again while Winn and I looked at each other. “Teddy?” we said together.

  “Now I can’t wait to see him again,” Winn grinned at me.

  “Yeah, me too.” I couldn’t smile, though.

  Father Ryczek met us when we pulled up to the main building. I’d only seen him in videos and pictures that he’d sent to our church when he had been asking for funding or telling about how the Mission was helping the Warrens. He’d seemed an experienced and wise administrator. Seeing him dressed in stained coveralls there in the courtyard, lit by security lights, and with the smells of the Warrens in my nose, he seemed eternal and elemental. Father Ryczek had always been, was now, and would always be there tending to the people that needed him.

  He put his hands on each side of my face, his smile making the lines around his eyes deeper than they already were. “Mala Dusa, Little Soul, you’ve traveled a long, weary road to be here with us. I pray that the yoke ahead for you is easy and the burden light.”

  “Seeing you makes it so.” I replied.

  He turned to Winona and greeted her in the same way and then he sighed, looking at us, taking it all in. Two sixteen year old girls, dressed in fine clothes for the council meeting, the blood stain on Winona’s shoe, hair askew from ten kilometers on the road, no bags.

  “Fugitives.”

 
“Yes, sir,” Winn answered. “We would like–”

  Father Ryczek cut her off, holding one bony finger in front of her nose. “I know why you’re here, Ms. Killdeer.” He turned toward me. “Your parents arrived on my doorstep with secrets and hidden agendas. I took them in knowing God would use them anyway, and he did, although at a terrible cost. I thought maybe your heart was pure, at least until I got that letter from your father begging me to release you from this assignment. Tell me again why you’re here.”

  I tried to hold his gaze, but couldn’t. I looked at the ground while I answered. “I came because I wanted to find out what happened to my mother. And to serve God.” I looked back up at him, pleading. “I do want to serve God.”

  “Your family has been a thorn in my flesh for almost twenty years, including all the letters Alice sent me begging to come here. I don’t know how God is going to work things out this time, but I’ve no doubt he will.”

  Father Ryczek shook his head. “Well, come on then, let’s get you inside. You’ll have to share a room and I’ll see if I can’t find some clothes for you. Oh, I almost forgot. You have a visitor waiting for you in the dining hall.”

  Sam stood when I came into the room. I wanted to run to him, but there was something about him that made me hesitate. He was pale and seemed very unsure of himself, pulling on the collar of his shirt like it was scratching him.

  “Hey, Mala Dusa.”

  I walked up to him slowly and put my arms around him, resting my head against his shoulder. He held me like he was afraid to touch me.

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t reply to your messages,” he whispered.

  “Couldn’t?” I whispered back.

  Winona and Cuza had joined us by then and we all sat down together, Cuza smiling at Sam. What little color had been in his cheeks drained away.

  “Were you able to talk to the Union ambassador?” Winn asked.

  “Yes, that part was easy. He brought me right in to his office even though he was in a meeting. He was with, um,” he pulled on his collar again. “He introduced me to Mr. Boden. They’re all very concerned about you. You need to come back to the embassy with me. Tonight. Both of you.”

  “Why?” Winona asked slowly, her eyes never leaving his.

  “It’s important.” His collar was bothering him again. “Running makes you look like criminals. It puts your parents at risk. The Guards just want to talk to you, get some things straight.”

  Cuza leaned close to him. “If Janus Boden is looking for criminals he need look no farther than his bathroom mirror. That bastard needs to burn and I’m the man to light the match.”

  Sam put his hand to his collar. “You shouldn’t say that.”

  “That buzz you’re feeling there is a feedback pulse,” Cuza told him. “There ain’t no signal getting out of the Mission tonight.”

  “You have a jammer?”

  “If it was any stronger, God wouldn’t be able to hear Father Ryczek’s prayers.”

  Sam sighed and closed his eyes. “MD, first Wandering Star and now this. Are you trying to get me killed?”

  “No, I’m really not.” I reached across the table to him and he reluctantly took my hand.

  “I’ve examined events in the lives of her parents and grandparents,” Winn told him. “There’s a definite pattern of drama and adventure far outside the norms. I’m not even sure what to call it, but I’m developing a working theory that may account for it. Isn’t it exciting just being with her?”

  Sam didn’t look excited. “I was able to talk to Captain Kelang before I talked to Ambassador Killian. What’s left of Wandering Star should be on orbit in the next day or so. He thinks RuComm may be able to do something, maybe at least get your parents off planet. The Captain said to tell you that this time he’ll take action personally, whatever that means.”

  I nodded. “What about you? Can you keep providing information about what Mr. Boden is planning? We need someone inside the embassy that can–”

  “Your mom, is she Ysabeau Romee?” he interrupted.

  “She’s my mom. She needs my help and I need yours.”

  “You met Boden. Choosing a side here ain’t difficult,” Cuza added. “Did he threaten you or bribe you?”

  Sam was looking down at the table. “He made me a promise that my RuComm contract would be terminated and I’d be stranded on Bodens Gate if I didn’t come here tonight.”

  “What else?” I asked gently.

  “If you come back with me, you, Winona, and your father will be deported. No charges will be filed.”

  “And my mom?”

  “A fair trial?”

  “Ha!” Cuza snorted.

  “It’s better than if you don’t come with me. All four of you will be charged.” He took my hands and lowered his voice, “He said you and Winona probably wouldn’t last long enough to stand before a judge. He was really graphic about it.”

  Winn blinked at him. “It’s a bluff. No evidence exists that Hannah was Ysabeau. He wants us back under his control so he can put pressure on her to confess. I knew we did the right thing in running. He knows that he’ll be forced to release her in two or three days due to lack of proof, pressure from RuComm, lobbying by senior Union leadership, and sniping from his enemies within the Central Government.” She ticked the reasons off on her fingers, then reached out and took one of Sam’s hands away from me. “Samuel, you should stay here. Don’t go back until they’re released.”

  He pulled his hands away from both of us. “No. My ship will be here in a couple of weeks. I have reports to prepare and RuComm is counting on me. Every step I take to help you, it just gets deeper. There’s no bottom to it. I’ve lied for you, defied my team lead, and I’m in technical violation of my contract. That’s just from knowing you for ten days. What comes next? Will you have me out in the Warrens with a gun in my hand fighting the Guardians of the Peace and killing your enemies?”

  “It ain’t a bad life,” Cuza told him.

  “No.” He stood up. “Your family, your friends, you’re all crazy. Dangerous. I can’t do this anymore. I’m sorry, Mala Dusa, I just can’t.”

  “Well then,” Cuza said, standing, “I guess we need to get you back to the border so you can get a taxi and go tell your new friend Boden all about our little chat.”

  “I won’t tell them anything.” There was a sullen, stubborn look on his face.

  “Uh huh.” Cuza nodded, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. I had never heard someone’s life being threatened before.

  “Just take him back, Cuza,” I told him. “Back to his clean new starship and clean, simple RuComm life while we stay here and try to save my parents.”

  Cuza put one hand on Sam’s shoulder, making him flinch. “I could introduce him to Odette on the way back. She probably thinks I owe her one.”

  “No, please don’t.” I stood. “Goodbye, Sam. Thank you for all you did for me on the ship.”

  “Thank you for being my friend, Mala Dusa. I’d still like to–”

  I closed my eyes and he stopped talking. I didn’t open them again until I could no longer hear the sound of Cuza’s boots on the flagstones, proud of myself for not crying.

  “I’m sorry, Duse.” I felt Winn take my hand. “I’ll find you another one.”

  I sighed. “But I wanted that one.”

  Winn spent the next two days talking to Cuza, the teachers at the Mission school, and some of the people taking shelter with the church. She was making notes and trying to figure out how the Confederation that Hannah had founded in the Warrens had been compromised and why the Commission had been misled.

  I worked on getting the front gate to work, realigning and tuning the communications array up on the roof, and trying to make the hot water boilers work properly. I had no idea what I was doing most of the time, but I think I was more successful than Wino
na.

  I was doing my best not to be worried about my parents. After the initial excitement in the media, there was almost nothing. Winona kept reassuring me that there was no evidence and that Hannah would never admit to anything. I prayed she was right.

  I went two days without talking to Sam. I’d like to report that I went more than twenty minutes without thinking about him, but that would be a lie. He haunted me. I found myself losing focus while I was working, seeing his eyes looking at me instead of seeing the greasy innards of the equipment I was trying to fix. I dreamed about him at night.

  “Cuza is taking me to the market tomorrow morning to talk to some of the local merchants. Do you want to come?” Winona and I were eating dinner on Friday evening and I was tired from working all afternoon realigning the stage lights in the sanctuary, Father Ryczek critiquing every millimeter of movement, color overlap and focus change.

  I stared at her, almost choking on the chunk of bread I was stuffing into my mouth. “What happened to ‘Promise me you won’t go outside the gate, Duse? You’ll be ravaged and die a horrible death before you make it five meters.’ You threatened me with snow to keep me in here.”

  “That was different. Now the risk is worth it.”

  “How’s that? Worth more than me finding out about my family?”

  “Yes.” Winona was studying the contents of her salad bowl, shoving green and purple things around with her fork, looking for the perfect next bite. “I believe your parents will be released day after tomorrow. Hannah will be asking me what happened and I need to have an answer for her, at least a preliminary one.”

  “What makes you think they’ll be released?” I asked it in my best calm voice, but I could feel my heart pounding. I’d been following the news and exchanging messages with Captain Kelang. No one had heard anything yet.

  “You’re not going to like it.”

  “If my parents are being released, I’m going to like it.”

  “Sam told me.”

  I felt my mouth fall open, like it always did when my brain was stunned into no longer being able to think.