The Foundling Saga: Revelation (2 page)

Keller was always going to be taller than most of the other Outsider children due to his “privileged genes”. Successive generations of Outsiders hadn’t the same availability or variety of food that the wealthier city dwellers had. The family didn’t eat meat more than once a week and Keller craved these meals like most of the others. The exception to this lack of meat was during the two September festivals. This was when families celebrated, firstly the end of the summer, and then to pour scorn on the coming winter by feasting, dancing and singing throughout the night.

It was shortly after one of these September festivals that heartbreak hit the family when Nola’s father, who had doted on her adopted son, passed away in his sleep one night when Keller was only five years old. Nola and her grief-stricken sister received immediate support from friends and wider family, but particularly from her younger sister’s new husband, Cormic.

Prior to this, Nola herself had probably relied too much on family help bringing up Keller, particularly from her father, her sister and Cormic. She had yet to find a suitor that she could tolerate for more than a few weeks, perhaps preferring to spend time with Keller. In truth, in a strong family community like theirs, single mothers were never left alone to fend for themselves.

Nerys and Cormic had moved to their own tent in recent months but Cormic soon took over as the fatherly influence for Keller. This was somewhat under the influence of Nerys who kept a close eye on the wellbeing of Nola, and Cormic dutifully began to help provide for both families as a hunter and a trader. In the absence of any joy of their own in conceiving, Cormic was all too happy to help with the upbringing of Keller and was confident in his ability to provide for both families. His trade with the city dwellers was important in keeping the families fed and healthy.

Most meat farmed by the families, such as mutton and goat, was saved for trading with the city dwellers, as were herbs, seeds, vegetables, conserves, craft items including brushes, other wooden tools and so forth.

The city dwellers themselves were known colloquially as ‘Regents’. This was a reference to their soft un-worked hands, and the squeamishness of their children when watching the butchers at work on trade days. All of this was reminiscent of the last Prince Regent, Caspar II, whose reign ended about 200 years ago. Regardless of what was written in any history books, the common people of England remembered Caspar II only for his reputation for being a particularly delicate and sickly person.

Most of the Outsiders in the immediate counties would only ever come across city dwellers from London. The other city dwellers were beyond reasonable travelling distance in areas such as Bristol and Portsmouth, and there were no city dwellers to be found in the North for some distance until a weary traveller reached Glasgow.

The trade days were always held on the first Sunday of each month, on the outskirts of London in a no-man’s land known as Stansted Mountfitchet. This large area of trade attracted many Outsiders, representing their family groups, who would arrive with their goods on various types of wagon or carried by mules. Some would arrive leading sheep and goats ready for slaughter, the animals adding to the noise of the somewhat disorganised scene. They would be vying for trade, aiming to make the long trips worthwhile, to obtain medicines, certain tools and other necessary marvels that only the Londoners seemed to be able to provide.

The trading area had a scruffy red and white zigzagged barrier between the Outsiders and the Regents. This barrier was low and just over an arm’s length wide to allow goods to be passed across between the buyers and sellers. These barriers could be moved for larger items if necessary, such as sackfuls of vegetables, but only under the control of the Londoners who were ever wary of the Outsiders. They generally perceived of them as an unclean ‘hazard’ rather than a particular physical threat.

Whenever Keller witnessed trade between the family and any Regents, he noticed that their children, when present, were taller than the children from the fields. He would watch these tall, plumper children who would be staring from a safe distance at the disorderly noisy families on the other side of the barrier. They would be in the background whilst trading took place, somewhere behind their fathers or guardians, and they would watch the strange Outsiders in their heavy, often tattered, clothes with many of the men sporting unkempt beards. The children were generally in awe of the Outsiders and showed a politeness and respect that their guardians clearly demanded.

Trading with the Outsiders was a necessary part of life for the rich particularly for herbs, spices, vegetables and certain meats and game. The Regents would allow children to attend and watch from afar but often parents themselves would send paid guardians to do their trading at the barrier.

Keller attended his first trading Sunday in the early summer, aged seven years old, after a long trek from Suffolk Road. The trading area was known to the Outsiders as ‘The Arpo’. The story his elders told him was that the pre-war people used to ‘fly’ from the Arpo to other parts of the world. Keller’s imagination went wild when he first heard that, visualising a race of graceful flying angels in his young mind. He soon forgot about this vision when he saw how some of the men and women behind the barriers seemed to have no warmth in their faces and no smiles. These were the troopers. They all wore the same grey clothes and carried the legendary and frightening stun guns that he had heard about from the other children who shared his field.

Nola, standing nearby, told the young Keller not to stare. However, he noticed no fear in her eyes when she looked over at the troopers. Nola took his hand and distracted him with a task to watch over their bundles of unsold herbs and other items.

Keller sat on the bundles and watched the brisk trading. Other members of his family were involved in discussions at various points along the barrier. Nola told him that each member of the family had a set task - effectively seeking a different type of product to trade for - be it medicine, tools, or manufactured and imported items.

Cormic was seeking a musical instrument which was said to have come from the eastern lands of China. He would trade some jewellery and precious metals for this. Cormic was one of a group of men from the family who would wear protective haz-suits and venture into the abandoned cities and towns further north in the country. His expeditions would take weeks at a time but his homecoming was the most exciting time for Keller. Whenever Keller saw what the old people had left behind in the cities, he would wonder how such a clever people were no longer rulers of this world.

On Cormic’s return there would be a procession of relatives and friends visiting Nola’s tent. Cormic would have his ‘showing’ in this tent which was roomier than his own. In truth, Nola loved to have visitors and her and Nerys would provide freshly baked bread, fruit and cider for the occasion. He would lay out all his treasures on a blanket and would talk about them one at a time to those present who sat in awe while he described his latest adventures.

Later in the evening, when the procession of visitors had ceased, Nola insisted on hearing again how each of her favourite treasures had been found and what trials Cormic had endured to get the items. He had small toys on strings, jewellery in abundance, sharp knives for cooking and butchery, long boots for walking into the river with for fishermen, coats that required no drying as the water would run off the fabric. The treasures seemed never-ending to Keller, but these items were few and far between unless a man was willing to search for days in the old cities and towns. Keller would never forget the wonder of those evenings and he loved to see his aunt and mother having such fun together.

Cormic once told Keller that whilst the Regents had advanced technology and seemed well fed and healthy, their dependency on their life-style and the privileges that came with it was a form of imprisonment. They rarely left the city limits and didn’t experience the simple freedom of walking through the countryside. Truly there were areas requiring haz-suits for whoever travelled through them, but there was still enough world out there which could be safely explored by a person for a lifetime.

At the age of nineteen, his world was turned upside down at the Arpo. He was by then 6ft 1in tall and had attended these trading days several times a year since he was seven. He stood at least a head taller than the rest of his family. His blue eyes and fair hair added to his distinctive looks. He walked tall and proud and was rarely bothered by his peers who shied away from tormenting him. They had learnt that he had strength and speed and could look after himself. Perhaps more relevant was the fact that Nola and his immediate family had a fierce protective streak for their foundling son. Keller was still a little embarrassed at the memory of his Aunt Nerys ducking some poor boy in the stream half a dozen times for throwing stones at Keller when he was thirteen, and in his view capable of dealing with the situation himself.

Keller was never allowed too close to the Regents when he attended the Arpo. He didn’t question this. He knew that his family were wary of them.

On this particular occasion, whilst Nerys had stayed at home, Cormic, Keller, Nola and a number of others had attended the Arpo. Keller sat by his family’s bundles of goods protecting them from straying hands whilst they traded nearby. He noticed two of the Londoners staring at him. A heavily built portly man, who deserved the ‘delicate’ tag, was talking to a trooper and gesticulating in Keller’s direction. Keller looked on with interest and a little nervousness. A second trooper was called over and the original two observers were having what appeared to be a discrete discussion with the third, a trooper of some rank, judging by his distinctive uniform insignia.

Keller now saw his mother suddenly alert further down the barrier. She concluded her discussion with a Londoner and came over to Keller with one eye on the trio showing interest in Keller. As she approached she called out to Cormic, who was in deep in negotiations with a Regent across the barrier nearby.

Cormic looked up as Nola gestured towards the trio of Londoners who were now warily looking from Nola to Keller. His reaction finally caused Keller to be concerned but he still couldn’t understand the situation. Cormic came over to Keller and told him to leave the family bundles to Nola and to walk with him towards the far side entrance of the Arpo.

“Keller, come with me and don’t look back. We need to leave immediately.” He said taking Keller’s arm and leading him away. “You can’t come to the Arpo anymore; it’s not safe for you. Those pigs will take you.” Cormic seemed fearful.

Keller realised later that he only became really scared when Cormic described the Londoners as ‘pigs’. This was not a light insult amongst the Outsiders.

He only glanced back once as he was led away and took in a situation that frightened him. The Londoners were looking towards Nola, and, with her hands on her hips, she was clearly berating them. Others on both sides of the barrier were now watching the situation develop, and he noticed one or two looking in his direction.

“Don’t look back Keller, let’s move!”

“I don’t understand!” said Keller as he obeyed him and headed for the Outsiders usual exit. “What’s wrong?” His confusion, and fear, led him to raise his voice for the first time ever to Cormic, who didn’t seem to react to Keller’s tone.

“Just keep going, we can discuss this later,” Cormic continued in a calmer voice now, not looking back but holding onto Keller’s arm with a tighter grip.

Keller and Cormic waited some way beyond the entrance, which itself was almost a ten minute walk from the barrier. In the distance, most of the traders seemed to be continuing with their business. He could, however, see a group heading towards his position, and with a sinking feeling realised that his entire family were making an early exit. He knew the hardship they endured each month just to get here. Not all of the family were able to get to each trading event and may have waited several months or so between visits. This early exit was something to do with him and he didn’t understand what had led to this.

“Cormic, they are all coming back. What’s wrong? Why were the Londoners staring at me?” He said as he paced up and down. He held his hands by his sides and Cormic observed the clenching and unclenching of fists, and sighed.

“Listen to me Keller, you are safe with us but we can’t bring you here again. Nola and I will talk with the older ones at tonight’s meeting and then we will come to you and I hope we can explain.” Cormic spoke with real concern. This was the man who would wander bravely into the abandoned towns and cities in the North wearing a haz-suit, but suddenly he seemed afraid. Keller knew he needed to give Cormic time to gather his thoughts as something was clearly wrong.

Nola reached them first. She looked hot from the exertion, and clearly angry. Standing between the two of them she looked at Keller with concern and then towards Cormic. “We must go on. I think they are likely to follow. We have to get moving.”

Keller saw the look between the two of them. It was a look of mutual concern and he saw something else, perhaps sadness or possibly resignation.

“I agree, let’s get ready and go,” Cormic said, looking back towards the rest of the family. Keller followed his gaze. There were a dozen adults bringing up four mules. Several children were accompanying them, and further behind were a group of eight young adults of his age.

The trek home back to the tents would normally be a good eight hours with several stops for rests, both for the family and for the mules that pulled the small carts. Keller noted that the pace was definitely faster than the outward journey.