Botanicaust (55 page)

Sucking in a breath, she continued her story.
“
I don
’
t know how long I was with them.
The woman who protected me.
I think she
’
d lost a child. She kept me close. When the Haldanians came
—
the Blattvolk
—
I thought they were angels.
”
She could still see the hazy halo of smoke around the man who had lifted her into the duster.
“
I thought that for a long time.
”

Sister Amelia gasped.
“
They
’
re abominations!
”

Tula drew herself up and locked eyes with the woman.
“
They saved me from the cannibals. The Haldanians seek to end hunger, end cannibalism, so they change people to be like plants and make food from sunlight. I would have been eaten if not for the Blattvolk. I would not be here now to see Papa again, and cousin Bethy, and whoever else might remember me from so long ago.
”

Sister Amelia
’
s eyes widened and she screamed and plastered
herself
against the window. Tula stiffened, wondering which of her words had upset the woman. Levi
’
s attention slid past Tula.
“
Eily! You were supposed to stay with Beth!
”

Tula twisted and saw Eily peering from the doorjamb behind her. She put an arm around the child and drew her against her side.

“
They gots kids, too?
”
Josef didn
’
t seem distressed.

Levi answered.
“
I
’
d meant to introduce you to Eily later. She was a cannibal who the Blattvolk converted.
She and her twin sister.
But the bad scientists
—
not Blattvolk, the ones who live in the mountain
—
stole them and were doing bad things to them. And to Katie.
”

“
That
’
s when your papa rescued us all. He carried me all the way out of the mountain.
”

“
Does she eat people?
”

Eily stepped further into the room. Dirt and leaves caked one entire side of her skirt.
“
Eat people bad.
”
She spoke in Old Order. Tula beamed at
her,
glad Levi had taken time to teach the girls.

Sister Amelia
’
s hands fluttered about her throat, but she
relaxed
as she looked Eily up and down.

Levi met Tula
’
s gaze over Eily
’
s head.
“
She doesn
’
t speak very well, yet. But she knows the Lord
’
s Prayer.
”

“
Do you like being green?
”
Josef asked, sitting forward.

Eily cocked her head at the boy. She looked over her shoulder at Tula.
“
Boy is sick?
”
She spoke cannibal.

Tula nodded.
“
Levi
’
s son. Josef.
”

Eily turned back and approached the bed. The nurse
’
s butterfly hands darted toward Josef and then back to her throat.

From the pocket of her skirt, Eily produced a long thread she must have taken from Beth
’
s weaving. Sitting next to Josef, she wrapped the strands around her fingers and held them out.
“
Play.
”

The boy regarded her with solemn eyes, checked in with his father, then plucked at a string. Eily flipped her hands around and started her singsong voice with a story. Although Josef couldn
’
t understand, he played along, a smile darting over his face.

Tula stepped into the room, freeing the door so the nurse could leave.

Sister Amelia stayed and watched the game.

“
There are a lot of sick children.
”
Tula
’
s thoughts returned to the larger problem as they left the Ward, passing room after room of sleeping children.
Ten percent of the population, if Levi
’
s numbers were correct.

They walked to Bethy
’
s in near darkness, lights from the perimeter fence a few miles away glowing against the drift of steam from the methane stacks. They each held one of Eily
’
s hands. Tula was glad for the connection.

“
God has beset us, though we know not why.
”

“
You think God wants your children to suffer?
”
Tula was horrified.

“‘
Accept that which we cannot change, and turn always to the Scripture for comfort.
’“

“
But you sought change.
”

Levi was silent for a few steps.
“
I sinned against God. I put the life of my boy above Gotte
’
s Wille.
”

“
But maybe it is Gotte
’
s Wille for you to find the cure. It is curable, you know. The Haldanians can do it. When they found the flaw in your DNA, I begged them to fix
—
”

“
You must not talk this way.
”

“
Science can make people better!
”

“
God created everything according to its Kind.
The green plants of the land, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea.
He gave the world to us to care for, to have dominion over. But to mix the plant with the animal, the bird with the fish, that is against God
’
s purpose. The Blattvolk are an Abomination of Kind.
”

The air was suddenly too thick to breathe. Her chloroplasts were a part of her, a part she had long treasured. She hoped Levi might come to accept the value of her photosynthesis. The scar on her arm, hidden by the darkness, itched.
“
Do you really believe I
’
m an abomination?
”
she whispered.

Levi halted. Tula turned to him, but couldn
’
t make out his features.

“
I
’
m sorry. I
’
m reciting dogma. You are not your body. You are your soul, and your soul is good and beautiful to God. And to me.
”
He raised a hand and cupped her cheek in the pale dark.

“
Levi.
”
A man
’
s voice called from Samuel and Beth
’
s porch. Levi jerked back the hand on Tula
’
s cheek as if he
’
d been burned. A dark form clumped down the steps toward them.
“
There
’
s been a call to meeting. At the Lundgren
’
s.
”

“
Yes, Brother Amos.
”

“
The Blattvolk are not welcome.
”

“
They can stay here.
”
Beth
’
s voice emerged along with a shaft of light from the house
’
s open doorway. Tula gratefully pulled Eily into the warmth and comfort of the kitchen.

The congregation had been preparing for the evening meeting all day. Hard wooden church benches filled the downstairs of the Lundgren home, the accordion wall pulled aside to make room for women on the kitchen side and men in the sitting area. Men greeted each other with handshakes and low words, while women kissed each other on the cheeks and eyed Levi warily. There were no children at this emergency evening meeting, no tables laid with sandwiches and pies. The scent of sassafras tea wafted from an urn on the sideboard, and men filled ceramic mugs before taking seats on their side of the gathering. The women
’
s side seemed emptier than normal.

Out of habit, Levi held out a hand to greet Brother Abe as he found a seat next to him. Abe looked at the offered hand and said,
“
May the Lord come to your help.
”
He turned and placed his hat beneath his bench.

You
’
re in the Bann
. Shunned. Of course he won
’
t greet you. But Levi
’
s heart broke.

The Brethren didn
’
t often meet at night, and most members were tired from a long day of work. Men in field clothes rather than Sunday vests murmured together from their places on the benches. Women had donned proper bonnets, but wore daily work aprons. In the far corner, Levi spotted Brother Peter surrounded by Brother Yonnie and several others. The old man twisted the brim of his hat around and around in his bony hands as he nodded in response to their murmured words.

“
We apologize for the late hour,
”
Bishop Eldon greeted everyone as the last stragglers found their seats.
“
With Communion Sunday in a matter of days, and the return of Levi, we felt we needed to address our Unity in the Scripture one last time.
”

The room fell to silence as all eyes turned to the bishop.
“
The Elders have met with Levi and discussed his removal from the Bann. We, as your servants, do not presume to take his request upon our shoulders alone. The decision to remove him from the congregation was decided upon in unity, and the decision to bring him back must also be considered with the Scriptures and voted upon. Let us take a moment of prayer that God may guide our decisions.
”

Levi eased to his knees on the floor before his bench and silently recited the Lord
’
s Prayer, focusing on
‘
thy will be done.
’
At the end, however, he entreated God to give him the words he needed to provide for Tula and Eily.
If it be your will, God
.
The entire house remained silent for several minutes as everyone present asked for the Lord
’
s guidance.

Shuffling among the pews as people regained their seats was the only indication prayers had ended. The Bishop spoke again, his words the traditional reminder spoken at every Council Meet in review of the Ordnung.
“
I ask everyone gathered here to remember that adherence to rules and regulations does not promise us Salvation. True obedience comes from willing love, not fear of punishment. Our forefathers set us to review and ratify the Ordnung twice yearly, that better and more spiritual rules could be accepted and adopted, according to our times.
As our Lord bid us in the book of Matthew, as the Prophet taught us during a period of great upheaval.
But the principles of the Scripture are unchanging, now and forever.
”