Children of a New Earth (39 page)

“Don’t try to convince her we didn’t do anything,” Lexa said. “She’ll never believe you anyway.”

“And that horrible incident with that one fellow, Mike, was it? I thought he was a bad apple, when you were here.”

The whole of the Robin’s Nest family was there to greet them. They immediately took the two girls to the bathhouse for hospitality. Amy was so happy to see everyone that they were already soaking in the hot water before she remembered that she should have been embarrassed.

They plied both Lexa and Amy with questions all the way back to their house and well into the night. They knew most of the big events, but they were hungry for every detail.

Early the next morning, Luke was on their front step. He was clearly troubled. Amy hurried out to him. “What’s wrong?”

“We are leaving,” he replied. “Today. Now.”

“Why?” She was suddenly afraid. Had something more happened?

“Let’s just say I found out what happened at the village. I have to get the others. Get packed and meet up at the workshop. I’ll explain when everyone’s up there.”

“Lexa!” Amy cried running inside.

“She’s already at the workshop,” Luther told her.

“Wexa at work,” Ewan agreed happily.

Amy dressed quickly and threw her few things into her pack. She had known they wouldn’t be here long, but it was disconcerting to have to leave so suddenly.

Lexa was waiting for her at the main workshop. She had heard the news. She ran into Amy’s arms crying.

“You have to leave already?” she cried.

“I’m so sorry. I wanted to stay, but I can’t.”

“I promised myself I wouldn’t make a scene,” Lexa sobbed, “but just look at me.”

“It’s okay.” Amy held her tightly. 

Luke was coming down the path, scowling. Several of the others were following him. The two broke off their hug.

“What is going on?” Amy demanded as he passed.

“The men have gone nuts,” Luke replied gruffly.

“What men?”

He turned and faced the expedition. “Jacob and the others. The villagers sent some people out to check on them. Jacob wouldn’t believe them. He thinks we’ve been kidnapped or something. He took hostages and is refusing to let them go until we are returned unharmed.”

“It is true,” Lorn said coming down to meet them. He too had his pack. “The village has a whole contingent out there now. They have been in a standoff for several weeks. I will be accompanying you out that far, to see if I can help in any way.”

“We will be leaving as soon as you all get your packs loaded. Needless to say, we need to make haste,” Luke said.

“Where’s Kurt?” Daniel asked.

“He’s not coming,” Luke said.

“What?” Patrick flared for the first time since they had left the Cyclers. “What do you mean, not coming?”

“Not coming,” Luke repeated. “The rest of us are leaving in five minutes, understood?”

As Amy loaded her pack, she found Daniel at her shoulder. “Two negatives,” he whispered.

“So are you staying too?” she whispered back.

He nodded toward Luke. “He needs me right now. For Luke, I’ll go back. I have already sent word to Joseph. He’ll be expecting me back next spring.”

“That’s great, Daniel,” she said, truly happy for him.

The next two days passed in a blur. Luke pushed them at top speed to reach the village before anything worse happened. When they reached there, they stopped only long enough to refuel and then pressed on.

Amy spotted the Akiras’s house in the distance. She longed to stop and talk to Ruth. If anyone could help her with her decision, Ruth could. She also wanted to tell Ruth everything they had experienced. But there was no time.

By noon on the third day, they arrived. A harried looking Johnathan Quimby rushed out to greet them. He was obviously relieved to see them.

“Maybe now that they can see you, they’ll calm down,” he said.

“Take me to them,” Luke said. He had Patrick’s pistol strapped to his waist. The others hung back, but Amy followed the two men. 

The villagers had dug a low trench as a barricade about thirty feet from Liberty Farm. Jacob and the others left behind had taken some shots at them, but nobody had been hurt yet.

The villagers had made no hostile moves. This was partially out of their peace-loving nature and partially out of respect for Luke.

“It’s my fault,” Luke admitted quietly. “I thought that sending the map and a note in my own hand would be enough. I should have known how suspicious Jacob can be sometimes.”

“No one blames you,” Johnathan replied. Amy wasn’t sure about that. She had seen some dark looks at them as they came in.

“Still, it’s my responsibility,” Luke replied. “It’s my mission. Let’s go have a talk with them. They won’t shoot me.” Amy hoped he was right as he went up over the barricade and started walking slowly toward the farm. Taking a deep breath, Amy followed.

As they approached, Amy saw the end of an M-16 sticking out of one windowsill. Her heart raced. She was sure the shooting would start at any moment. Less than six feet from the door, Luke halted.

“Who goes there?” a familiar voice called out.

“You know damn well who goes there, Horace,” Luke replied.

“Luke? Is that you?” The door opened slightly. “Come on in.” Horace appeared and beckoned them in.

“Luke, it is good to see you. And you, Amy. Are the others with you?”

Luke nodded as he and Amy entered the room. William had pulled the M-16 in from the window and was watching them.

“Thank god, you’re back,” he whispered. “Jacob’s gone nuts. We all believed the note, but he would have none of it. The doctor they sent out was of Asian extraction, but he thought she looked Arabic. That made her a terrorist, as far he was concerned.”

“He had some trouble when he lived down here, you know?” Horace whispered. “That and the illness . . . I think it’s finally unhinged him. He ruminates constantly. He’s not sane.”

He broke off as Jacob came into the room. They were all wearing the same faded fatigues they had worn all summer, but Jacob’s were even dirtier than the others. He was unkempt and unshaven. He carried an M-16 over his shoulder, a bandoleer of ammo around his chest, and a large knife in his belt.

His eyes burned with a wild sort of look. They narrowed suspiciously as he saw Amy and Luke. “Luke!” he said. “They finally let you go, son. Now if they can provide us with the others and the supplies we need, we will think about releasing some of these damn hostages.”

“You haven’t hurt anyone, have you?” Luke asked.

“I’ll ask the questions, boy,” he sneered. “What’s your report?”

“My report,” Luke replied with the same ice, “is that we were never held. The message I sent was true. We bartered with the village for what we needed, but then had to travel some distance to get it. We now have the supplies and are ready to go home, sir.” He drew the last out until it was almost an insult. “Now can we let the hostages go and get a move on?”

Jacob looked angered and confused. Beyond him, Amy could see the hostages in the next room, tied to chairs. Other than that, they looked to be okay.

“Where are the others?” Jacob demanded.

“Down by the trucks,” Amy responded, “with the supplies.”

“How do I know it’s not a trap?” 

“Daniel!” Horace cried as Daniel stuck his head in the room.

“We’re back,” Daniel told Horace. Apparently most of the crew had taken advantage of the distraction to cross the barricade.

“It’s over,” Luke insisted to Jacob. “Let the hostages go.”

“Watch that tone, boy,” Jacob growled. He started to lower his M-16. “I am in charge here, not you. This is my mission, and those hostages stay where they are until I say so, understand?”

Luke caught the M-16 by the barrel. Patrick’s gun appeared in his hand, inches from Jacob’s face. “No, it is my mission. You gave it to me,” Luke responded. “And I did it, even though it meant babysitting a bunch of immature punks for two damn months, negotiating half a dozen deals, and god knows what else. I did it. And I am going to see it through, no matter what. I did it without violence. I did it by being fair and making trades. You, apparently, think the only way to get what you want is to take it. Fine, if you are going to insist on violence, just hold on to that gun while I count to three, and we’ll do it your way.”

The gun slipped from Jacob’s shocked grip before Luke even took a breath.

“You are out of line,” Jacob warned.

“No, you are,” Luke returned. “Taking hostile action against civilians despite ample evidence that they meant no harm. Even now, with us back and telling you, you still refuse to believe the truth. You gave me this mission and the full authority to see it through. I am in charge until I say otherwise. That will be when the hostages are released and we are away from here.”

Confusion crossed Jacob’s face. “You really weren’t taken prisoner?”

“No sir.”

“You have the supplies?”

“Yes sir.”

“Very well, but this is still insubordination.”

“We’ll let Amos decide when we get back home.”

“Fine,” Jacob replied turning away.

“What’s happened?” Shawn asked from the doorway.

“Luke’s grown up,” Horace said, laughing as he took the gun Luke handed him.

“He was getting way out of line, Luke,” Willie kept saying. “We never thought of mutiny, though.” 

Luke appeared startled at the word.

“Don’t worry,” Horace laughed. “We’ll stick up for you when we get home. He’ll give you no trouble, nor will Deaton.”

“So what do you think of Amos Deaton’s chances now?” Lorn remarked from the porch.

Amy looked up in time to see Shawn’s toothy grin. “I think a lot of things will be changing when Luke gets back.”

“Who’s that?” Willie asked.

“That’s Lorn.”

“And her?”

“That’s Lily.”

There was going to be a lot of explaining to do. Amy left them to it and slipped into the other room. She found a knife and freed the hostages herself.

They spent the rest of the day at the edge of the farm. They alternated between catching the older men up on the trip and trying to mend the gap with the villagers. Luke seemed to be doing a fair job at both. True to their word, the older men were now on their best behavior.

Amy wandered back and forth, lost in thought. The villagers were sending a runner back with news. Wren, who had been one of the hostages, was ticking off names of various lovers who needed to be informed in addition to her husband. The runner shook his head ruefully as the list grew and grew.
Daniel was right about one thing: it is one strange world we have stumbled into
, Amy thought.

That night she dreamt, again, of a flat plain, the horizon clear and the blue sky like a bowl over them. In her dream was the redheaded girl again. This time, Amy recognized the place around her and the girl as well. “Hey sister,” Lexa said, holding out her hand. Behind Lexa, Amy saw trees and long, low earthen houses within. Tir-Na-Nog. They were waiting there, on one of those wide porches: Luther, Merlin, Rowan, Daisy, Winnonna. 

“We have no right to expect anything of you,” Merlin had said at their farewell. “But if you are ever back, for a short time . . .” he had paused, fixing her with a meaningful look, “or a long one, we would be honored to have you in our family again.”

That morning, she pulled Jake and Luke aside. “I have made my decision,” she told them.

They both looked at her expectantly. “And?” Jake blurted out.

“I’m staying,” she said.

“Here?” Luke asked.

“At the Greenbowes.”

“You can’t,” Luke declared.

“Why not?” she challenged.

“The ranch needs you.”

“No, they don’t. They need a mechanic. Jake will do.”

“He might not stay.”

“Lily was raised by the Cyclers. She’s as good as Jake.”

“The ranch would never accept a female mechanic.”

She just looked at him.

“Right,” he mumbled. “What about your father?”

“It hurts to say it, but we both know he’s dead. He didn’t have a week to live when we left. I said my goodbyes. Besides, if anyone would understand, it would be him.” She sighed. “You’ll have to tell Elisabeth, though. She likes you, you know. With Kurt not coming back . . .”

She left it unsaid but saw the understanding through the pain in his eyes.

“I don’t want you to go,” Luke persisted.

“I know, and I’m sorry.”

“I love you.” It was barely a whisper and Luke didn’t look up as he said it.

Amy sighed, “I know.” She reached out and touched his cheek. “But even if I felt it too, I’d never be the wife you want. You know that.”

“You could learn.”

She rolled her eyes. “No. All I want to learn is what it’s like to live somewhere where people don’t expect me to be a certain way.”

About the Author

Ms. Eliason is both a writer and a fan of deeply immersive science fiction and fantasy novels. She loves writing about diverse characters in unique situations. She loves to share with her fans the worlds she is creating, and the ones she is discovering.

Her books can be found on
Amazon
or anywhere books are sold online. Check out these other books, or check her website:
rjeliason.com
for more information.

Check out the Bear Naked Series: