Whisper Gatherers (2 page)

When I was a bub I used to think it was alive. I stared at the roof, at the long slim metal pole that pointed to the sky, and remembered Santy Breanna tell me that it was a lightning rod to protect the building from being split in two during a storm. To this day, I flinch each time I hear thunder.

There came a rustling from behind the building. A murmur, guttural and low. Followed by a thin grey mist that spread out and fingered its way towards us.

“Inside before they lock up for the night.”

“But, Santy, that noise, that fog.”

“In!”

She pushed me forward and I almost fell through the entrance portal.

“Now, up those stairs, let me time you.”

I bolted up the polished steps and flung open the great glass doors. The white hallway was brightly lit. I was dazzled each time I set foot in the space. The familiar smell of just-washed everything stung my nostrils till I sneezed.

“You must be the only hominid in NotSoGreatBritAlbion to react allergy wise to clean.”

My nose ran. However, before I could commit the transgression of wiping it on my sleeve, Santy Breanna whipped out a nasalwipe from her tunic pocket and pressed it against my snout. “Ta.” I was about to drop the soiled thing onto the floor, when she raised her eyes to the wallcams. “Oh, right, yep, sorry. Habit.” I threw the snotty sheet into the wall incinerator and winked at whoever manned the cams.

“Indeed. Just where did you learn such a filthy custom?”

“Erm, well, from you actually.”

“What? I have never…” Santy did not finish her sentence. Instead, she gave me a grin. “That was a one-off girly.”

“Yeah right.”

“Besides, we were out in the Wilderness where toiletries are not readily to hand.”

“Erm? As I recall, the only time we went near to the Wilderness, it was only a footstep over the perimeter fence.”

“True. I meant Cityparc.”

“Cityparc? How can two half dead trees and a patchly-patch of browning grass become a wilderness?”

“It can when it is used for reconnaissance training. No more backchat girly. Up the steps. I shall be clocking your ascent. Yesterday you were two secs slower.”

I ran to the great stone staircase at the end of the hallway, waited for Santy Breanna to click on her wrist timer, then legged it up the six flights to our living space.

Nad!

She was already by the front door waiting for me, without a loss of breath.

“Better than yesterday, but still one sec down on your best.”

“How do you do that?”

“Outside emergency exit stairs. Plus, I am S.A.N.T. and Backpacker trained.”

I let out a whistle through my closed teeth and bent over to suck in oxy. When I recovered, Santy swiped the unlockcard across the entrance slit and the door opened. A blast of sanitising vapour doused us soundly when we stepped inside.

I sneezed again but avoided smearing the mucus on my clothing. Instead, I reached over to the hankybank attached halfway down the wall, pulled out a cloth, wiped my noz and disposed of the thing in the Sanitybin next to it. It made a gurgling noise as if swallowing, then all went quiet. When I was no taller than knee height, I thought a Wolfie lived in the refuse tube and guzzled down all our rubbish whole. Santy stared at me. I felt a prickly heat rise up my face.

“Addy, I noticed a stain upon your pantaloons. Now, the only place that I can think of that would produce such a smear is the wastebin site in the Minion quarters, or the Trashland area. I hope you and your chums have not been frolicking in an outlawed place? If any folk eyeballed you and told, you’d be up before the Lawenforcer again.”

“No. I swear to the OneGreatProvider I was not there.”

“Tell the truth.”

“I am.”

“Then where did you spring from?”

I tried to avoid her unblinking stare, but such was the force of her half-closed eye missile, that I crumpled and blabbed all. “Drysi and Hrypa dared me to climb the main infoboard in Centralplaza place. They wanted me to tell them if I could see over the perimeter fence for the Carnieval. We thought we heard the thumps and sing-song of said festivities from afar.” Santy let out a longly sigh. “They said if I didn’t then they would put it about that I was feeblefem, scardybird and no S.A.N.T. camp would let me in.”

Santy Breanna looked down her long thin nose. “What age are you?’

“Seventeen orbits and seven moon cycles.”

“No more than a bub’s breath away from wombreadiness. You should be preparing for a match of settledown, not engaging in kiddle sport.”

The mention of my readiness for femhood and bub bearing caused a clenching of my fingers. “I will not become a missus to spend the rest of my lifespan spreadlegged and docile.”

“So, you want to be a S.A.N.T.?”

“Yep and then some.”

“Then behave as one who would deserve the honour and conduct yourself accordingly. Plus, you should respect the memory of your nearest and dearest by behaving in a manner they would be proud of.”

I forced out a, “Sorry,” at the mention of my departed ma and pa. Santy lost the look of disapproval.

“Quite an achievement. That screen is mighty tall. I think you might have what it takes to step into my shoes.”

I grinned and she cuffed me gently on the noggin. We walked through the bright, white hallway into the kinsfolk room where Deogol sat in the same place as I left him at sunrise.

When Santy called his name, he merely tilted his head, grunted, then went back to tip tapping on the keypad. All the while staring into the flickering compscreen as though it held the answer to everything. Santy shook her head and gave forth a greatly sigh. “I wonder your eyes don’t melt with all that peering at numbers, symbols and the like. I’ll take you both on a camping trip. Some outside air is what you need young male.”

Deogol paused from his tapping. “I have no relish for outdoor pursuits. I would have you cease from trying to make me what I am not.”

“No good will come from being stuck to the whispering and whirling of those tech things. They are for info only and not meant to be adjusted for your own pursuits. If the sheriff were to…”

My bro lifted his fingers from the keyboard and stood facing Santy Breanna. “I will never be sanitised again. I will commit the worst-of-all-sins before I would let them drag me to the Decontamination place.” His face was redder than a bub’s in full squeal. Both Santy and I took a step back. Deogol ran his hands through his thick blond hair. “I have found things out. Things that the great infoboard does not tell. Things about the Agros and the missing Kiddles.”

Chapter Two
 

Giving In To Temptation

Santy Breanna closed the comp lid and pushed it to the back of the glass-topped desk. Deogol frowned but said nowt. I winked at my bro. My belly gave out a roar and I rubbed it. “Not taken in any nutri since morningmeal. I am greatly famished.

“Not surprised what with all your doings high up.”

“Addy, did you do the dare?”

“I did.”

My bro stood and gave me his fist to bump. Santy raised her eyebrows for a sec, then went to the foodprep room that directly led on. I waited until I heard her open cupboards and rattle plates around, before beckoning Deogol to sit on the comfycouch next to me. What with all the ear pulling and sniffles, I had all but forgot about my excellent discovery so was eager to tell my bro.

“I saw something.”

“What?”

“Birdypoop.”

“Where?”

“On the ledge behind the great vidscreen in Centralplaza.”

My bro gave me a look of intense. “You can’t tell anyone.”

“Can’t tell anyone what?” Santy stood in the doorframe and folded her arms.

“Erm.”

“Adara, tell or you’ll not have any soylygrub this eve.”

My tum screamed at me to tell, but my nonce and heart would have me keep silent. She gave me another lowered lid look. I gulped and put my hands on my stomach to deaden the loud rumblings that issued from it.

“Well?” Santy looked from me to Deogol then turned her head in the direction of where the smell of heating food came from. “If you do not relinquish the info I have asked for, not only you but your brother, will go without.”

“Wha? But that’s not fair.”

“Perhaps it is not in your eyes Deogol, but I seek honesty in this abode. Anything less is a slight upon our kinship. The info you give will not go further than this place, you know that.”

I was humbled by her words and guilt-ridden about Deogol missing a meal. The portions of grub had been somewhat less of late. When I played quickgrab with my bro yesterday I was able to wrap my fingers all the way around his bony wrist. I took in a deeply breath and said, “I found birdyplop behind the great vidscreen in Centralplaza.”

Santy put her hand to her mouth. “You must tell no one else. Promise?” I nodded.

“You too Deogol.”

“I’ll not say a word.”

My palms began to sweat a bit at the realisation that I came so close to letting rip when I was above ground. The sight of birdle poop had awakened my birth power. All I craved was to exercise my voice to see if I could bring down a real live birdybird. My inner turmoil must have showed without, as Santy sucked in her cheeks and half closed her eyes. “Adara, you must not take it into your nonce to practise your namegift.”

“I wasn’t, well, mebbe a bit.”

“You must not.”

My innards scrunched. My entire time upon this forsaken land was all about deceit and furtive. I had a gift, given to me by who-knows-what, but still, I had it and yearned to use it. “But how will I learn to control it.”

“You will not, because I forbid you to try it out. Too much danger is attached to it. What I say is for the utmost best, of that you can be sure.”

“I’ll be discreet.”

Santy folded her arms and gave me a half smile.

“I promise. It will be as if I never made a sound, so careful.”

“Like the last time when you sneaked to the perimeter, bringing forth raptors instead of tweeties?”

“I learned from that Bro, I learned.”

“There will be no goings to anywhere by the border fences for either of you. Carnies are rumoured to arrive. Also, Praisebees have been seen trying to get in.”

“Praisebees? What do those zealots want in this sanitised setting?

“Who knows? Maybe the Agros have cut back their supplies and they seek comfort here.”

“Or mebbe, they’ve heard about the Carnieval. They have come to see what those freaks deliver in their bizarro show. Or, mebbe, they want to know what meat tastes like and have heard about Adara and her skill. Mebbe you should sing after all to help ease their sufferings.”

“You would ask your big sis to reveal herself, become a slave to all who would abuse her gift? Just to satisfy the curiosity of unstable devotees. Or to appease the perverse hunger of Carnies? Those folk are nothing but trouble.”

“Some say they cannot help themselves and have gone nutso from the torment of their urges.”

“Carnies, mad? My robust behind. They are not afflicted, merely lustful for that which they cannot, should not have.” Santy rarely raised her voice and when she did, we knew not to answer back. “All settled?” We both affirmed with a head nod. “Good, now let us go to the foodprep room to partake of our nightly meal.”

We followed her to the place and sat down at the round metal table. Santy ladled out a spoonful of soymix. I waited for her to garnish the plate with some greenery like she always did. She did not, instead she sat down and said, “Eat up before it cools. Although tasty enough, this particular flavour is lacking somewhat in agreeableness on the palate.” Her portion was less than ours and I began to wonder just how many provisions the Agros were holding back from Cityplace.

We demolished the bland foodstuff. The ache in my innards relented a tad when Santy poured us some milk as a compensational treat. We gulped it down like a hungry kittle. She watched us drink and I swear I saw a tear form in her left eye. She coughed, picked up the plates and put them in the dishwash. It made a whoosh sound for a sec, then Santy sprayed the table, heatinghob and walls with hygenespray. Blinking, I pinched my nostrils together so that I wouldn’t sneeze, so letting loose more germs. Then sighed and took to staring at my bro.

His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed. He intertwined his fingers before placing them beneath his chin, like someone deep in thought. On looking at him in such a contemplative state, I would have taken him for a wise oldie. I held my breath and thought I would use some telempathy to mind connect in order to find out what the huff he was thinking about. Then I recalled his cryptic words about knowing stuff about the Agros, and my heart stuttered.

“Addy, tomorrow is your last time at the place of learning,” Santy said, thus breaking the spell between my bro and I. He opened his eyes and sat back, whilst I slumped a little from the effort of trying to delve inside his noggin. “We must plead your case before the Oldies, see if they will allow you to train as a S.A.N.T.”

“I hope they will.”

My bro smirked and leant forward. “Yeah, they’ll let you go, Addy. Easier than trying to find someone who’d want to be your hubbie. You’re too squat, too thick of waist to attract a potential mate. Not in all your juve time has a rutting male come sniffing at this door.”

I pinched Deogol’s arm most savagely, and he let forth a high-pitched squeal. “I could have the pick of any in Cityplace if I chose. But I do not.”

“Well said, Adara. Deogol, those words were not apt. Your sis is of a rotund physique, which may indeed prove unsupportive if she wished to attract one of the opposite. But she has made clear on more than one occasion, she would rather become a Backpacker than a missus.”

Deogol sneered. I blinked slowly to indicate I was not fussed by what he’d said. Although a part of me did flinch when he pointed out the lack of teensap attention. All the other girlygigs I knew had romfriends in abundance. I became all face pink and hung my head. Santy touched my short cut hair and said, “You have more to offer this sad land than any flighty fem. You will be a most welcome addition to the S.A.N.T. clan.”