The Island (9 page)

Sarah turned back. She sat on the stool that was offered, keeping her distance from Nipper. She looked around the room. “Have you got everything you need for the night?”

“We do.” Nandy didn’t add any thanks. She sat, too. Nipper gazed up at her and after she smiled, he resumed his place, leaning against her leg. “No one told us we couldn’t leave the units.”

Sarah looked behind her at the door. When she was satisfied that it was shut, she spoke, very quietly. “Where are Rachel and Pathik?”

“They went to have dinner with—”

“How does that matter?” Malgam interrupted Nandy. “Look, we came here in peace. If we’re not welcome, we can—”

“It’s not that you’re not welcome.” Sarah frowned. “I’m just trying to make sure they’re with good people.”

“They’re with that girl, Hannah. And her friend.” Vivian dismissed Malgam’s look with a flick of her hand. “I want to know they’re safe, Malgam.”

Sarah looked relieved. “Hannah’s family is fine. They’ll be safe with them.”

“It sounds like there are people they wouldn’t be so safe with, though.” Daniel leaned forward. “Is that right?”

Sarah looked at the door again. Then, she studied each of them in turn. “It’s changing, here. There are  . . . things happening, in the last few years, that don’t seem right.” She shook her head. “Forgive me, but I’m taking a risk saying even that, and I don’t know you people at all.”

Daniel sat back, watching Sarah. Finally, he nodded, as if to himself. “We don’t know you, either, Sarah. All we can do is try to show you we mean no harm. But it would help if we knew what we were getting into here. Who are the people we should be watching out for?”

Sarah sighed. “I don’t think I can answer that.” She shook her head, frustrated. “I don’t think I know who they are, not really.”

“I don’t understand.” Daniel kept watching Sarah’s face.

“I don’t know how to explain it.” Sarah shrugged. “You’ll see what I mean. At least maybe you will—in time.” She turned her hands palm up on the table. “I know that sounds strange, but I haven’t got more answers right now.” She watched Nandy ruffle Nipper’s fur. “You have quite a way with that animal.”

“His name is Nipper,” Nandy replied. “I helped him when he needed it—he was a baby—and I think it earned me his trust.”

Sarah narrowed her eyes. “I think it might be more than that.”

“What do you mean?” Nandy looked quizzical.

The door opened, startling everyone. Rachel and Pathik spilled in, laughing together about something. When they saw Sarah, they both stopped.

“Is everything all right?” Pathik looked across the table at Malgam, who nodded.

“See? Back safe and sound.” Sarah rose from her stool. “I’ll be going.” She caught Nandy’s eye. “Maybe tomorrow we can talk a bit.” Then, she bid the group goodnight and left.

“They said we’ll be formally introduced to the community tomorrow at the assembly.” Rachel rubbed her eyes sleepily. “They’re going to announce the Honoree of Celebration, too.”

“What is this Celebration thing all about?” Malgam sounded skeptical.

“From the sounds of it, it’s a way to mark another year of survival,” said Pathik. “Hannah and Tom wouldn’t tell us much else.” He frowned. “They have all sorts of food, and there are games and they reveal this Honoree. Hannah’s family was excited because they think she might be the Honoree this year. I think there’s something strange about it.”

“What’s so strange about that?” Nandy raised an eyebrow.

“I think Pathik’s right. There’s something strange,” said Rachel. “Hannah’s parents were excited, but she wasn’t, and neither was Tom. They both just looked . . . nervous.”

“Nervous about Celebration?” Daniel waited while Rachel thought about it.

“I don’t know. Hannah said Celebration is usually fun, and that there’s a lot of good food and nobody has to work for the day. But I think she was nervous about the possibility that she would be chosen as Honoree. I think she was actually sort of frightened about it.”

“Do you think she might just be shy, that the idea of being the center of attention might make her feel uneasy?” Vivian seemed hopeful that it could be explained that way.

Pathik and Rachel exchanged looks. “Maybe.” Rachel was too tired to say much more. “Is it okay if I crawl into that cot and go to sleep? At least until my turn to take watch?”

“I think you’d all better get some rest. Vivian and I will stay up for first watch, right?”

Vivian nodded, and Nandy rose. “I’ll leave our door open a crack, and you leave this one open, too, Vivian. That way if either of us needs help we can make enough noise that the other will hear.”

Everyone hugged their goodnights, Pathik and Rachel still a bit awkward about showing any sort of affection in front of their parents. Nandy, Malgam and Pathik trooped out the door to the other unit.

Vivian added a blanket to the bedding already on the cot. “You get some rest Rachel, and you too, Daniel.” She smiled at her husband. Then she sat back down at the table and stared at the tiny orchid starts. She listened to the sounds of her family as their breathing changed from waking rhythms to those of slumber. She listened hard for any sounds beyond their door, alert to all, ready to attack any threat with the particular fury a mother, a wife, a woman who loves, will bring.

Much later that night, Rachel sat at the same table, on the same stool, turning first one and then the other of the orchid cubes in her hands, inspecting the plants inside for signs of distress. Vivian was asleep, her turn at watch done, and Rachel was thinking of Pathik, who was in the next unit taking the same watch shift as her. She wondered what he was thinking about.

A sound from beyond the door brought her out of her reverie. She leaned her ear toward the door, waiting. Another rustle. Rachel crept toward the door and tried to see out of the tiny slit where it was open. She still couldn’t see, but she could definitely hear something, just beyond her range of vision. She risked nudging the door open a bit more. A flash of movement, then a voice, whispering right into the crack.

“Can you come out?”

Rachel was so startled she stumbled backward a couple of steps. It was Hannah. She checked the bed: her parents were still sleeping. Slowly, she edged the door open enough to slip outside.

It was dark, the cave lit by only a few of the oil lights used during waking hours. Shadows of the flames flickered on the stone walls. Rachel couldn’t see anyone stirring, though she assumed there must be guards posted at night. Hannah was crouched against the wall, as low as she could get.

“What are you doing out here?” Rachel crouched next to Hannah.

“I wanted to give you something.” Hannah scanned the cavern. “I figured you might understand, because of Pathik. And you’re the only person I can really trust right now. At least for this.”

“What do you mean, because of Pathik?” Rachel could see from Hannah’s face that whatever she had to say, it was serious.

“Because you love him.” Hannah looked worried. “You do, don’t you? Like I love Tom.”

Rachel looked down the row of units to the one next to theirs, where she knew Pathik was awake behind the slightly opened door. “I do love him,” she whispered, even more quietly than she had been already.

“Then you’ll understand.” Hannah held out a small packet. “I need you to keep this for me. Keep it hidden, and if I get chosen as Honoree, I need you to give it to Tom.”

“What is it?” Rachel took the packet. It was made of fabric, sewn shut. It felt like there was paper inside.

“It’s . . . it’s me I guess. Me and Tom.” Hannah bowed her head to hide them, but Rachel had seen the glint of tears. “It’s all my thoughts and feelings about us, things that only he and I know. Things that make me—make me myself.” She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, and smiled. “It may be they’ll choose someone else, and then it won’t be important, but if they don’t, you’ve got to promise you’ll give it to him.”

“I don’t understand.” Rachel reached out toward Hannah. “What is all this about the Honoree? What happens—”

“Shouldn’t you be home in bed, Hannah?” Filina’s voice was silky, calm. She walked toward the two girls silently.

Rachel shoved the packet in her coat, wondering how Filina had managed to just appear, as if from nowhere. “We were just having some girl-talk. It’s my fault. I asked Hannah if she could meet me.”

“Hannah’s got a big day tomorrow.” Filina smiled at them. We all have extra work preparing for Celebration.”

Hannah got up. “Sorry, Filina, I didn’t mean any harm. I’m on my way.”

“I’ll walk you home.” Filina put an arm around Hannah’s shoulders and they started walking away. “You should probably get some rest, too, Rachel,” she said, not bothering to turn around.

Rachel felt a chill then, though the cave wasn’t cold, really. She watched them until they had disappeared. She was turning to go back into the unit when she noticed the door of Pathik’s was open wider than it had been before.

“Pathik?” She whispered the word.

He stepped out then, just enough so that she could see him. “Are you okay?”

“Were you there the whole time?”

He nodded. “I had to be sure you were okay.”

“Did you hear what she said?”

He nodded again. “Something’s wrong.” He looked behind him, into the unit. When he turned back to her, he made a motion with his head, indicating that Malgam and Nandy were stirring. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

It wasn’t until Daniel had relieved her of watch and she was curled under the blankets on the cot that Rachel realized: Pathik must have heard her say she loved him. She smiled. But then, she frowned. Why was it so hard, just to say it? It felt like a risk to her, every time. Like she might lose him just because she told the world what he meant to her. She wondered if it was the same for him.

T
here were so many people. Rachel thought there must be over a thousand. The crowd was relatively quiet for one of that size; people stood in loose groups talking softly. Some of the older people sat on benches or stools, their families gathered around them, everyone facing the raised platform in the center of the large assembly area. There was a feeling in the air, whether of anticipation or of dread, Rachel could not tell.

The cave was lit with so many lamps a false day seemed to have dawned. Smoke, black and sooty, drifted down, floating like oil on water. Some people had fans made of a bit of paper, or a scrap of thin metal, which they waved to disperse it. Rachel scanned the crowd for a glimpse of Hannah and found her, standing next to Tom. Not far behind them were Hannah’s parents and her little sister, Polly. When Hannah saw Rachel, she waved, a small, much more tentative gesture than Rachel would have ever expected from her.

Rachel and Pathik had told the others about Hannah’s late night visit. Over a hasty breakfast the group had tried to figure out what was going on.

“So, being chosen as Honoree is a compliment according to Hannah’s mother, but Hannah and Tom don’t seem to agree.” Daniel squinted. “Did Hannah say what was involved?”

“No.” Rachel shook her head. “She just said that if she was chosen I needed to give Tom the packet. Like she wouldn’t be able to.”

“And Filina, she just showed up?” Nandy stared at the empty platform.

“Yes.” Rachel snuck a look at Pathik, remembering the night before. He hadn’t made any mention of the fact she’d told Hannah she loved him.

The crowd noise swelled from a hum to buzz as David and Jim, the men who had helped abduct Rachel, stepped up onto the platform. As soon as they were both standing in the center the crowd went silent.

"Welcome to all." David spoke. "And may we celebrate another year tomorrow."

The crowd made approving noises.

"Today's assembly will be brief. We've much to do to prepare for Celebration." David smiled at the groans from various quarters. "I know, I know. But in order to feast we must cook!" He grew serious. "We have chosen our Honoree for the year."

More noise from the crowd, less jovial this time. Filina stepped up onto the platform and David and Jim stepped back, yielding their places as if she were royalty. She waited until there was silence in the cave.

"We have another announcement, before we name this year's Honoree." Filina surveyed the people, her expression neutral. “New community members are joining us today.” She pointed to Rachel and the others in the group with no hesitation. She knew exactly where they were standing. “Come, please.” She spoke the words as one accustomed to having her orders followed.

Rachel looked at her father. Some of her apprehension must have been visible on her face, because Daniel reached out and squeezed her hand. He bent toward her. “We’re together,” he whispered. “Don’t worry.” He turned to the rest of their group. “Ready?”

They moved together toward the platform. Rachel felt many eyes upon her. She tripped on something, some uneven section of ground and Pathik, who was right behind her, steadied her. He didn’t let go of her hand again until they had all ascended the steps to the platform.

“Let me introduce our new friends.” Filina’s smile was wide, but it never reached her eyes.

Daniel stepped forward before she could say more. “I’d like to introduce us, if that’s all right.” He didn’t wait for Filina’s permission. “My name is Daniel.” He looked down at all of the people who were looking back up at him. “This is my wife, Vivian.” Daniel put his arm around Vivian and squeezed her shoulders. “My daughter, Rachel.” Daniel nodded to Rachel to step forward, which she did. “Malgam, his partner, Nandy, his son, Pathik.” Each stepped forward.

“We hope we’ll be welcomed here. We hope to make a life with you—we’ve come a long way on that hope.” He scanned the faces below him. “We’re told we are your guests. That if we so choose, we can leave.” Daniel waited, listening for a moment to see if any stray murmur contradicted this. The crowd was silent.

“That’s not what we want. We want—we hope—to build lives here with you. We hope that we can learn from each other and prosper. We want to thank you all for the chance.”

Rachel was gratified to hear sounds of approval from the crowd. She knew her father had taken a great risk, because she’d been watching Filina’s face while he made his introduction. When Daniel had spoken about them being free to go, Filina’s jaw had tightened, though she’d kept the smile frozen on her face. Rachel got the feeling she wasn’t used to people speaking openly like that, nor did she like it. By doing it, Daniel had ensured that the terms of their stay as they understood them were broadcast to all.