Drowning in Deception (34 page)

That morning she had first visited Gart
at the top of the Watch Tower. He was now the man in charge up there and it seemed
to her that he was doing a fine job of leading the people of Eadin. Smith was
his second in command and he had taught Gart some ideas about democracy, so
that all the people could have a say in the laws that Eadin now lived by. The
helichoppers still flew quite regularly, but it was only for the purpose of
sharing resources until such time as both cities were firmly established as
being self-sufficient.

The milk was clean now, although there
were those who preferred the feeling the drug gave them. It was readily
available for anyone who chose to take it.

She had paid a brief visit to her
friends, who were all happy and thriving. And finally she went to see her
family. She liked how Sprigg looked at her now. The pride in his eyes was
unmistakeable.

Her father had been permanently removed
from all work at the Watch Tower, and instead had taken up work as a carpenter.
It was decided that he would not be punished for his actions, as he had only
been enforcing the laws that had been established by his predecessors. He was
permitted to remain in Eadin so long as he reported to the Watch Tower three
times a day to be given his drug doses. Her mother accompanied him each time
and continued to take the drug herself. Aspen Swelton was the same: chipper,
cheerful, and sing-songy. Bromer, on the other hand, seemed to Clover to be
much more content. Even his usual jovialness had increased. In fact, she’d say
that he was more than content.

With her head leaning against Rye’s shoulder
and his snuggled on top of hers, they gazed into the waves of heat that flowed
off the seamless metal of the Wall. She realized that she too was content. But
it wasn’t a foggy, fake content. She had found true happiness.

“And how is everyone over there?”

“They’re good. Really good.”

“Sprigg?”

Her little brother was approaching
puberty. “Still no sign of the surge for him, so it’s still a waiting game as to
whether or not he is a Carnae.”

Clover lost herself in her own thoughts
for a moment.

“Rye?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you ever wonder what else is out
there?”

His hand was resting on her thigh and he
began absently tracing circles with his finger. “What do you mean?”

She stared dreamily at the Wall. “You
know, beyond Eadin’s boundary line, and past the wilderness outside of Quell.
Do you ever wonder if there are others? And if there are, what they are like?”

He raised his head. “I do. I used to
dream about running away. I always wondered what really happened to the others
who had. Were they caught and killed? Or did they find a new life somewhere
else?”

“So why did you never go?” She raised
her head now, looked up to his profile as he stared ahead with hard eyes.

“Because I knew that if I did find a new
life somewhere else, I would never return. My mother, Arma, Abilee…they needed
me.”

Clover sighed. “I’d like to go,” she
told him. “Not to find a new life, but to satisfy my curiosity about what else
there is in this world. We could go together. Before we settle down and have a
family. We could explore the world and come back with stories about great
adventures.”

She turned to Rye to see his reaction to
her suggestion.

“Hmm.” He turned with a smile and kissed
her cheek, then looked down to the workbook that lay in her lap. “Speaking of
stories, what were you working on?” 

“I finally finished the story.”

She moved the book from her lap to his.

“That’s great.” His grin was wide and
proud.

“Yeah. I hope Abilee likes it.”

“She’ll love it, Clove.”

She watched as he flipped back a few
pages, and then she quietly waited as he read the story’s conclusion to
himself.

When he finished, he carefully closed
the book and pulled her close to him. “I love it. And I love you.”

And so the beautiful, yellow-haired
maiden fell in love with the ferocious, man-eating monster. And they lived
contentedly ever after.

The End.

###

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