Last Wild Boy (21 page)

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“Don't tell him anything, Mabon,” Nora said defiantly.

The ranger didn't say a word as he waited for Mabon's answer, but it looked like he was concentrating hard on something. Mabon knew how it worked. The ranger's control device worked the same way his had. He was probably communicating with his controllers using inner speak, waiting for their approval before he struck.

They waited what seemed like an eternity, but the ranger held his ground, his eyes set firmly on Mabon. Mabon remained stone
silent the entire time, ready to attack the ranger if he made a
move toward Nora.

Nora reached down, took Mabon's hand, and squeezed it hard. “I love you,” she whispered, realizing that this was the first time she'd ever said it out loud. The ranger pressed his machete harder against her neck and she felt the blade pierce her skin. She braced herself for the impending blow.

Suddenly a confused look came across the ranger's face, which quickly turned to anger. He raised his machetes threateningly, then, without warning, dropped them on the ground. They bounced off the hard-packed dirt and settled a few feet away.

“You can go,” he said coldly. “My controller said to tell you to run, and to hide yourselves well.” He paused and looked at Nora with disgust. “And someone named Alice says to tell you she's sorry.”

Nora nodded and smiled. She turned to Mabon. “Let's go find our boy.”

Nora and Mabon picked up their packs and weapons and ran off into the forest, leaving the ranger, alone and confused, in the clearing.

“What just happened?” Mabon asked. “Why did he let us go?”

“I'm not exactly sure,” said Nora. “But I'm not about to stick around to find out.”

There was a rustling of leaves and branches near the place where they had entered the forest, and the sound of running footsteps approaching. When they looked up they saw Lucky run out from the trees, followed by Adam, carrying his pack in one hand and his bow in the other.

“Adam!” said Nora, pulling him into a big hug. “Where have you been?”

“Lucky ran into the woods, so I chased after him,” Adam said. “By the time I caught him and we got back to the clearing, the ranger was there. I didn't know what to do. He was too far away to hit with an arrow, and I knew if I ran out to you he'd probably kill you. I was so scared!”

“You did the right thing,” Mabon said, ruffling his hair. “Everything's going to be okay, now, I think. We just have to get you to the Manuhome and get you hidden before they come after us again.”

C
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When Mabon threw the pebble at Dr. Ueland's window this time,
he hit it on his first try. Dr. Ueland must have been waiting right there, because his face appeared behind the glass almost instantly.

He met Mabon, Nora, Adam, and Lucky at Emergency Gate Three, and within moments they were back up in his office with the door locked behind them. The room still looked exactly as it had nine years before, and Mabon smiled when he saw it. “Still not one for change, I see,” he chuckled.

Dr. Ueland smiled wanly, but the stern look he usually wore didn't leave his face. “There isn't much time for catching up, I'm afraid. We've just been informed that the Manuhome has been put on high alert. Blanchefleur has ordered it locked down, but she won't tell us why, other than to say it has something to do with the Central Council, and that it's for our own safety.”

“What does she mean, ‘for your own safety'?” Nora asked. “Is it dangerous here?”

“I'm not sure what she means, but once we're in lockdown it's probably the safest place you can be. No one will be able to get in or out, not even me.”

“How long is this lockdown supposed to last?” Nora asked.

“I'm not sure,” Dr. Ueland said.

“So if we leave Adam here, we may not be able to get him back out?” Nora said, alarm registering in her voice.

“It's possible,” said Dr. Ueland, “though I don't imagine you'll be back for quite some time, and I've never heard of a lockdown lasting for more than a few weeks.”

“It'll be much more dangerous out in the wild than it will be in here, Nora,” Mabon said, putting his hand over hers. “We have no idea what to expect beyond the borders. This is the best place for Adam right now.”

Nora nodded. “What time is this lockdown supposed to happen?” she asked.

“I was supposed to order it immediately,” Dr. Ueland said, “but I wanted to give you a chance to get Adam here before I did. I was just about to give up and lock the doors…” He smiled again, this time a genuine grin. “I'm so glad you all made it here safely.”

“Thank you, Dr. Ueland,” Mabon said. “So are we.”

“Unfortunately, I can't hold off much longer,” said Dr. Ueland. “I'll have to order the lockdown soon, and you need to get out of here before I do. We have a lot to discuss, but we'll have to do it quickly.”

Dr. Ueland opened his desk drawer and pulled out some bread, a jar of Brin's honey, and a few bottles of water. “I figured you'd be hungry,” he said. “I'm sorry I wasn't able to do more.”

“This is plenty,” Mabon said. “Thank you.”

“Poor Brin,” Nora said, looking at the jar of honey. It was the first time since the battle that she'd had a chance to mourn her fallen friends, and the weight of their loss hit her like a ton of bricks.

“He didn't make it,” Dr. Ueland said. It was more of a statement than a question.

Nora shook her head sadly. “None of them did.”

The serious look washed back over Dr. Ueland's face, and he let out a sad sigh, hanging his head. “What a waste.”

As Dr. Ueland stared down at the floor, he noticed Mabon's
bandaged leg under the desk. “Mabon, you're hurt!” he said.

“It's not so bad,” said Mabon, giving Dr. Ueland a crooked grin.

“I'll get some bandages and we'll change your dressing,” the doctor said. “You can't go back out there like that.”

Dr. Ueland swept out of the room, and was back in no time with a pile of bandages and a bottle of pills. He sat down beside Mabon and changed dressing with expert skill. When he was finished, he handed Nora the stack of clean dressings and the bottle of pills. “These are antibiotics,” he said. “Make sure he takes one every day until his wound heals over. And try to make sure he keeps a clean bandage on his wound at all times.”

“I will,” Nora said. “Thank you.”

Dr. Ueland turned to Adam, who was sitting quietly in the corner, stroking Lucky's soft fur pensively. “I have clean clothing that I think will fit you, Adam. Once Nora and Mabon leave, you can shower and get changed into your uniform. It should be easy enough for you to blend in, physically speaking, for now, but there are other problems that we have to face.”

“What sort of problems?” Nora asked.

“Adam will be entering a very different and challenging world. I'm going to take him in and train him as an office administrator, as if he would be managing one of our operations here at the Manuhome. He'll have to live here under a false identity — no one must know who he is. Lucky for us, a young worker recently died in our infirmary. I haven't issued the death certificate yet,
and I won't, now that Adam is here. The boy who died was a
worker out in the agricultural homelands. No one here knows him here, so there shouldn't be any suspicion.”

He turned back to Adam. “It must appear to everyone that you belong here. You'll have to do everything you can to fit in. You'll
have to take on a new name, and you'll have to pretend to be
older than you are — the minimum age for new trainees is twelve. You'll also have to learn about the culture of the Manuhome — the rules of living here, the sports that are watched and played, the common knowledge and common attitudes of the place.”

“I can do that,” said Adam.

“Good,” said Dr. Ueland. “The worker who passed away was named Ned. That's your new name, okay, Ned?”

“Okay,” said Adam. “I'm Ned.”

“Perfect,” said Dr. Ueland.

“You'll be staying in a private room close to mine for the first
few months. At least, until I'm satisfied that you are ready to
be part of the general crowd. It's very important that you learn quickly. Most importantly, you'll need perfect control of your emotions. This won't be easy. You'll have to appear eager and happy, even if you're not. One mistake and the game is over. There will be times when you will have to disappear from sight, especially in the next little while, until the present crisis slows down.”

“Okay.”

“Now here is our biggest problem: Do you know the difference between you and the other outsiders?”

“Yes,” Adam said. “I'm special.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I can have children and the others can't.”

“That's right,” said Dr. Ueland. “Do you know why they can't?”

“No.”

Dr. Ueland turned to Nora. “How much have you told him about his situation?” he asked.

“Not much,” she said. “He's still a child.”

“That stops now, I'm afraid,” said Dr. Ueland. “He has to understand, no matter how hard it is. It's a matter of life and death for him.”

Nora nodded.

Dr. Ueland kneeled down in front of Adam. “The reason the other outsiders can't have children, Ned, is because after they were born they had an operation where the possibility of making children was taken away.”

“Oh,” said Adam. “That's sad.”

“Yes,” said Dr. Ueland. “The reason I'm telling you this is that, physically, you're different from all of the other outsiders here. That's why it will be hard for us to hide you here. You'll have to shower in private. Your voice will change when you get older. It will be deep like Mabon's voice is, and we'll have to teach you
how to hide it when the time comes. You'll grow a beard, too,
but we'll have to keep it shaved very smoothly.”

“Okay,” said Adam. “I think I understand.”

“Good,” said Dr. Ueland. “Now what's your name again?”

“Ned,” said Adam.

“Good boy.” Dr. Ueland smiled and patted Adam's back.

Nora had promised herself she wouldn't cry, but she couldn't help herself. The thought of leaving Adam in this place, not knowing when she'd see him again, was too much to bear.

“Don't cry, Mom,” Adam said, walking over and wrapping his small arms around her. “You'll have to be brave,” he said. “Just like me.”

Nora lost control for a moment and then gathered herself. “I'll try,” she said.

“I'm afraid I'll have to take you two back down now,” Dr. Ueland said, looking from Nora to Mabon. “I've already waited much longer than I should have to lock this place down.”

Dr. Ueland picked up a cloth bag and two rolled sleeping bags from the floor near the door and handed them to Nora and Mabon. “The bag contains some survival supplies and some food. It will help a bit, I hope.”

“Thank you,” said Mabon, shaking the doctor's hand. “For everything you've done. I hope one day I'll be able to return the favour.”

“You already have, Mabon,” Dr. Ueland said, pulling him into an embrace.

Dr. Ueland poked his head out the office door and, when he was sure the coast was clear, led Nora, Mabon, Adam, and Lucky back down through the bowels of the building to the security gate.

Nora and Mabon stepped out into the dark night, but Adam stayed inside. Lucky stood beside him, tail wagging.

“Can Lucky stay with me?” Adam asked.

“No, Ned,” said Dr. Ueland. “It's not possible. We aren't allowed pets here. Not even me.”

Adam's eyes brimmed over with tears. “When will I see him again?”

“I don't know,” said Nora. She glanced at the dog, who had a mass of white hairs around his eyes and ears and whose brown coat was beginning to fade. He was getting old, and Nora knew
there was a good chance the boy would never see him again.
Somehow this thought made the impending separation from her boy more real, and she was overwhelmed by the feeling of loss that washed over her. Her entire body started to shake involuntarily as she struggled to fight back her tears.

Mabon knelt next to Adam and pulled him close. Adam was looking away from him, but the shudder of the boy's thin shoulders and back betrayed the depth of his misery. First one large tear and then a second slipped from Mabon's eyes. He squeezed them shut tightly, as if to stem the tide, as he rocked Adam gently from side to side.

Nora could hold back no longer. She sobbed openly and without restraint. She sank to her knees, kissed Adam's wet face, and ran her fingers through his unruly hair.

Even Lucky joined in. He stood on his hind legs he joined the grieving mass of his family, licking the salty tears from their faces.

“I wanted to be brave for you,” Adam told Nora and Mabon, his head hanging. “I'm sorry.”

“You have been brave,” said Mabon.

“We'll take care of Lucky for you, Adam,” said Nora. “I can't
promise when, but we'll do everything we can to get you back with us as soon as possible. Until then, listen to Dr. Ueland and do as he says so you stay safe.”

“Whenever you are settled, come and get him,” Dr. Ueland said.

“Thank you, Dr. Ueland,” Nora said and hugged him.

“Where will you go?” asked Adam.

“There's a cave nearby we can stay in until things die down a bit and my leg's healed enough for me to walk,” said Mabon. “We stayed there with you when we fled Aahimsa all those years ago. After it's safe to travel, we'll head west and then south, where it's said the land was good long ago.”

“When we find a place that is safe and can provide for our
needs, we'll be back to get you,” said Nora.

“It won't be long,” said Mabon, ruffling Adam's hair one last time. “You'll see.”

There were more hugs and kisses and repeated good-byes,
and then Dr. Ueland said gently, “I'm sorry, but it's time. We have to go now, Ned.”

Adam hesitated and looked from Mabon to Nora to Lucky, and then joined Dr. Ueland behind the door. Nora and Mabon held
each other tightly and waved to their boy as the door swung
shut behind him.