Awaken (10 page)

“
Magic,” Finn whispers and
Tater nods his head.

“
There ain’t no such thing
Finn, don’t be foolish.” My words are to Finn but my anger is
directed toward Tater, daring him to argue that with me.

“
If he’s so all powerful and
magical whys he gotta send out men with iron shooters to kill
people? Why don’t he just do it with his magic?”

Tater stares at me for a bit, then
unexpectedly points at me and laughs.

“
You truly are an irksome
child. If I knew all the answers I could tell you why. I could also
tell you why the sun is in the sky or why the birds fly through the
air but I do not know why.”

He leans back against a dead log and
crosses his short legs.

“
Are you sure you are ready
to hear of the fate of your young kin?” He don’t give me a chance
to answer, to change my mind, he just goes right on
talking.

“
As I have said there have
been numerous villages in the past that have had the misfortune to
fall under his notice and all have ended up the same....murder,
pillaging, abduction of the children. It is said he takes the
children to work his iron mines and to be servants in his
residences. But there are whispers of other ….uses. Some believe he
consumes them, their youth and vitality…their very souls. They say
it’s what keeps him immortal you see.”

Tater’s eyes gleam at us eerily through
the darkness and a faint shiver passes over me. Finn gives a
strangled little yelp and his face goes all white, noticeable even
by firelight.

“
That is enough talk for one
night,” I say, more so to stop from hearing any more terrible
words. Like the boy, I am terrified at what Tater is telling us and
it’s almost like he done it on purpose. Why would he want to scare
us like that?

“
We need to get some sleep.
I want to get an early start in the morning.”

“
I wholeheartedly agree my
dear.” Tater is all smiles again now. “And if you don’t mind I
would truly love to accompany you to Littlepass. I have done the
journey many times. I could show you the way, cut maybe weeks of
walking off your journey.”

I don’t want to but I agree to Tater’s
company. I still have a lot of unanswered questions. I want to talk
to him some more, alone. I get an uneasy feeling that he knows a
lot more than he’s letting on to. But for now we need to
sleep.

The trees seem to go on forever.
Sometimes they’re so tangled and snarled I don’t think we’re ever
going to get past ‘em but Tater always seems to know the way
around. Most times when I truly believe we’re lost and walking in
circles he assures me he knows exactly where he’s going. He says to
me, “Not to worry my dear. I have been traveling these particular
woods for many years, far more then I would care to admit. I will
not lead you astray.”

He always says it with his toothy smile
but it irritates me some. His constant silly way of talking
irritates me most times. And to make matters worse there’s these
tiny flying biters that keep buzzing round our heads and nipping at
our skin. Sometimes they’re so damn bothersome I wanna scream.
Tater calls them ‘maskeetos’ but I just call ‘em annoying. They
seem to be pestering me more so than the others. Tater says it must
be ‘cause my blood is so sweet but he grins all strange every time
he says it, like he ain’t joking at all. I still don’t trust him,
not one little bit. But I got to admit, he is a real entertaining
storyteller. And real good with the musical flute. Lou used to play
too but he weren’t near as good as Tater. When he plays at night
while we’re sitting ‘round the campfire, the night just don’t seem
to be as dark and scary no more. And he does make Finn laugh so I
guess he’s not all bad.

There ain’t been much chance to talk to
Tater alone, and I’m still full of questions. Finn sticks as close
to the little man as a berry to its bush. But today’s travel had
been a hard one, and Finn had immediately fallen asleep the minute
we made camp. The ground we’ve been walking all day had been
sloping down, making it an effort to stay on our feet at times.
Well for me and Finn anyways, Tater seemed to have no trouble. I
still think he’s more mutie than man. So with Finn already sleeping
on the other side of the fire, I reckoned this was my chance to
talk with Tater alone. I push aside my own weariness. There were
things I needed to know, no time for sleeping just yet. I eyeball
Tater who’s lounging against a fallen tree sipping his usual drink.
I stare ‘til he finally raises a shaggy brow.

“
Well as my dear mother used
to say you look as if you have a bee in your bonnet. Spit it out
girlie,” he says.

“
Who exactly is the
Prezedant? Why is he sending his men out into the sand lands to
kill villagers and take young’uns? What’s he do with them when he
takes ‘em? Why don’t the people of Littlepass and Skytown and every
place else just stop him if he’s so evil?”

The words just pour out of me, I want
to know all the answers. Tater stares at me for a bit then laughs
all quiet like so as not to disturb Finn.

“
I can see this is going to
be a long evening,” he says. He thinks for a while, takes a sip of
his drink, then finally speaks.

“
Who the Prezedant truly is
I cannot tell you. That’s all he is known as. He has ruled for as
long as I can remember and longer than that. He is a very powerful
man…magician, immortal, as I have said. He is believed to have done
things no human should be capable of doing. While the rest of the
world’s lands are barren and dead, his lands are prosperous, alive,
fertile. How is that possible? The people, they whisper about his
so called ‘powers’ but no one can explain. I have heard many
stories in my years. Some say they have witnessed the man bringing
dead trees to life with a touch of his hand or make a dried up
spring run again with just a breath.”

I scoff at Taters words. That was pure
shite if I ever heard it.

“
Do not dismiss the stories
girl. As I told the boy, every story stems from truth. And do not
dismiss his power. His armies are massive and they follow his every
command. To them he is their god. And not just his armies. There
are many, I fear, who blindly follow the Prezedant. Lost souls who
have become as dark and depraved as the man himself. I warn you
girl, the things you will witness in Littlepass, in Skytown…they
will change you.”

He stops talking. His words chill me
but I nod at him to continue.

“
As for stopping him, some
have tried. There have been a few brave souls who have tried to
destroy him over the years. But their efforts have been in vain. He
hunts down those who dare oppose him and publicly executes those
who disobey. He holds no regard for human life. His lands are
cesspools of depravity, debauchery, unspeakable horrors for most.
For others, the scum of mankind, the twisted lowlifes, they are a
haven. Children are sold into slavery, put to work in his iron
mines, in his residences, sometimes far worse. I will not lie…the
young kin you are worried for has most likely already met this
fate.”

Even though I don’t understand all of
his words I get the meaning of what he is saying and it fills me
with utter despair. It feels like there’s ice in my belly and its
coldness is seeping slowly through my veins. But I need to know
more.

“
There must be some good
people….like this Lily. Surely gra’da wouldn’t send me to such an
evil place on purpose. Surely not everyone is this way. Gra’da said
Lily would help me. She cain’t be all bad,” I say, not wanting to
believe everything Tater is telling me.

“
Do you not know who this
Lily is girl? I assumed her to be your kin… your family,” Tater
says, surprised by my words. I hesitate. I don’t want to admit it
to him but finally I shake my head.

“
No. Gra’da….before he died,
it’s like he knew what was gonna happen and he told me I had to go
to Littlepass and find her. To tell her who I was and she would
help me.”

“
Help you to do what?” he
asks.

“
I…I don’t know. I’m hoping
maybe she can help me find Ben and the other young’uns.”

Tater ponders this for a
bit.

“
So your gra’da was from
Littlepass then? How is it that he knew of the Prezedant, his army
but never warned you of the dangers?”

I shake my head again. “No gra’da and
the others they lived in Rivercross…well their whole lives I guess.
Same as me. If he had known he would have told me of this
evil.”

Tater’s “Hmph,” bothers me
some.

“
What do you mean by that?”
I say.

He shrugs. “I didn’t take you for a
fool girl.”

“
I ain’t no fool!” I say
sharply.

“
Then why are you acting the
part?” I open my mouth to argue, my cheeks burning hot from my
anger, but he cuts me off.

“
Your gra’da sent you to
Littlepass for a reason. He knew of the place, he even knew of
someone who resides there, it just goes to show that he was very
aware of the outside world, of the Prezedant. And any village, no
matter how remote, that has had traders pass through would most
certainly have been told of the news from the other side of the
mountains. No, trust me your gra’da and all the other old folk of
your village, they knew of the dangers. They had just fooled
themselves into believing they had gone far enough into the sand
lands. That they would be unnoticed and passed over. That they
would be safe. Seems now nowhere is safe.” He says these last words
almost to himself and takes another drink. I don’t want to believe
what he is saying. There ain’t no way gra’da and the others had
known about this danger and not warned us. Not prepared us. But in
the back of my mind I hear Molly’s words as she was running from
the dust cloud.

“
They found us!” she had
said, and gra’da telling me ‘they cain’t be stopped’. I think of
all the times us young’uns had been sent away from the campfires
while a trader was visiting ‘cause the old folk wanted to ‘talk’
and I know deep down in my heart Tater is speaking the truth. They
had known.

I can feel the anger and resentment
growing in me at what I have just come to realize. How dare they
not warn us, not protect us from this Prezedant? They had known
everything, yet had in no way prepared us, and now Ben and Jane and
young Thomas were in the hands of a madman! I don’t even want to
think of what they may be going through right now, what they may be
suffering. I take my anger out on Tater.

“
Why don’t he kill you lot
then! You traders! Why do you get to live and travel the sand lands
free from his punishment?” My voice is getting louder and Finn
stirs in his sleep. I stop talking, I don’t want to wake him but
I’m simmering mad. Tater stays quiet for so long I don’t think he’s
ever going to answer me but finally…

“
I am not proud to admit
this but I assume we provide a service to him. We are his
harbingers of death. Nothing creates more fear….more obedience in
the populace than tales of the villages and people he has
destroyed. Through us his legend grows so the people, they become
more afraid of him. They stay. They obey. They serve and give
everything they grow and produce to the Prezedant. They live in
fear and despair while he and his elite live like kings. But they
live.”

I mull his words over in my head, truly
speechless at what I have just heard. I never could have imagined
such an evil existed. My anger at gra’da and the old folk for
keeping us in the dark ain’t lessening any, but I think I kind of
understand what they had tried to do now. They had tried to give us
a normal life…a happy life free from the fear that the people on
the other side of those mountains seemed to live in constantly.
Like Tater had said I guess they figured they would never be looked
for or found. They were so wrong and had paid a high price for
their ignorance.

“
You said the Prezedant
ain’t never come on this side of the mountains before….why now do
you think?”

He shrugs. “I could only guess. As far
as I know his armies have never made the trek through the
mountains….it is a hard journey indeed and as you well know the
sand lands do not have much to offer. He has in the past left the
exploring of the sand lands to us, the traders. The few brave souls
who have decided to try and eke out a living in these barren
desolate lands he has never shown much interest in. But with these
vehicles of his apparently more mobile now he must have a reason
for venturing into the sand lands. The man may be evil incarnate
but he never does anything without a reason.”

What kind of reason could he have to
just up and kill innocent people, I think. And why would gra’da
send me to Littlepass ….toward this prezadent? Into his lands? It
don’t make a lick of sense to me. Gra’da’s words on that day play
over in my head.

“
Find Lily, tell her she was
right.”

Right about what?

“
Tell her I should have sent
word long ago.”

Should have sent word….to her, Lily.
Tater’s words make more sense to me the more I think about it.
Gra’da had certainly known of Lily and Littlepass…but why had he
never spoke of her ‘til then? And was she able to help me get Ben
and the young’uns back?