And All the Stars Shall Fall Read online

  Nora felt better for hearing Mabon’s words. She felt happy, too, as she and Adam settled down on the couch and Mabon, nearby, wrapped himself in several soft blankets, a cushion from the couch under his head. He was soon asleep, his regular, mild snoring somehow comforting to both Adam and Nora. Adam slept next, happier than he’d been since they fled the valley.

  Nora lay awake for a short while, thoughts of Alice and her mother sweeping in and out of her mind. She had briefly met Tish when the child was younger. She wondered if the girl would remember that day when she found Nora bleeding and helpless near the concrete obelisk. She wondered whether Alice would still be as beautiful as she used to be; a dozen years can bring many changes to any woman’s appearance, especially a mother’s. She, herself, had changed a great deal, and she hadn’t even given birth to Adam.

  Moments later Nora fell to dreaming of the peaceful days they’d all spent together in the valley.

  Chapter 13:

  Hard Decisions

  Ueland stood in the dark stairway leading up from the tunnel, removed his keys from his pocket, put the small red flashlight between his teeth, and, by moving his head slowly, aimed it at the tarnished lock. He inserted the key and turned it slowly until with a satisfying click it opened. He then removed the key, wiped it against his trouser leg, and placed the ring of keys in the left front pocket of those suit pants. He opened the door slowly, trying to keep the squeaks from the rarely used hinges to a minimum. But his efforts were in vain as the rusty door squealed in protest. He stepped gingerly inside and he saw that Adam was wide awake and gazing at him from his place on the couch. Mabon and Nora were also awake again and alert, and watching him. They all, however, looked surprised and startled.

  “I thought you were sleeping inside with the others,” said Adam.

  “I had been. But I only managed to sleep a very short while. I had machinery to set up down below. I’ve finished with all that and we can leave whenever we’re ready,” said the doctor.

  “But we’re going to have time to talk things over first?” said Nora.

  “And eat something, maybe,” added Adam.

  “Yes,” said Ueland. “Who wants to go in and wake the others?”

  There were no takers. He looked from one to the other and laughed, then crossed the room to the door marked “PRIVATE” and disappeared inside the main sleeping quarters.

  “I hope he isn’t much longer,” said Adam after Ueland had been gone a few long minutes. And almost as if Adam’s words were a cue, the door to the inside room opened and Ueland stuck his head into the front room where the family waited.

  “I’ve water boiling for porridge and hot drinks. There’s tinned juice and some stale cereals. There’s a bit of mouldy cheese and hard tack. It’s not much but it will have to do. Wait a minute and everyone will be up, dressed, and ready to talk and then to travel. We’d best not get too comfortable here.” He glanced at Nora and then Mabon and Adam. “Not that I expect that there are many of us here who are all that comfortable. But trust me, that’s something that will likely improve. A minute or two and then come in.”

  Chapter 14:

  New Beginnings (along the lake)

  It was decided after some discussion that Mabon and Adam would head out first, as darkness approached, to scout out the camp. Nora would remain to guide the others after an hour or so had passed. Lucky would stay behind with them. Adam would return while Mabon uncovered gear and supplies. Nora would help the others decide what bedding and supplies they could safely and practically bring along. What they left behind would have to be well hidden in the tunnel or outside so it wouldn’t lead to their presence being discovered later.

  “Okay,” said Mabon. He kissed Nora and held her for a moment.

  “Be careful,” she said. “Both of you.” She tried to embrace Adam, who shied away uncomfortably, embarrassed, but smiled nonetheless.

  “We will,” they said with one voice. Quietly, and with no further fuss, they slipped out the door. Lucky had followed them to the door, but Adam told him to stay with Nora. The old dog settled beside the sofa and after a few moments went back to sleep.

  Alice had looked on as Nora said goodbye to Adam and Mabon. She found Nora and Mabon’s relationship fascinating, though awkward. It startled her at first, but their tenderness toward one another was obvious and natural, born out of comfort and trust, and heightened by Nora’s concern for the possible dangers Adam and Mabon might be facing outside. The cleaner and the boy were impressive, too, neither of them appearing aggressive or threatening to the insiders even for a moment. She had seen the curiosity in the boy’s face as he observed her and her daughter, and Tish, though obviously nervous around the outsiders, seemed to share his fascination. And now Alice felt her heart begin to race as Nora approached the building: her Nora, the Nora of her memories, her dreams, and her nightmares.

  “Let’s get our final packing done,” said her former companion, smiling and turning away as she passed by.

  Alice stopped, holding Tish back and turning toward Nora. “No, wait,” she said. “There are things I want to say to you.”

  Nora didn’t move. “There’s no time now.” Her face was full of sadness. “Later.”

  “I’m sorry for how badly I used to treat you, and about the boy.” Alice blurted these words and her eyes grew damp. She choked and smothered a sob.

  Nora didn’t move, but her face softened. “I’m sorry I left you to handle the whole thing. It must have been difficult…but we have to get ready.”

  “Yes. Let’s,” agreed Alice. “Come, Tish.”

  There was an awkward few moments as all gathered around the large mound of sleeping bags and pinned bedrolls and whatever gear they had gathered from the kitchen and the stores. They were soon all business.

  “Can we manage all this?” asked Alice looking over the huge pile.

  Nora laughed, then stopped, embarrassed.

  “Why are you laughing?” asked Tish.

  “I’m nervous,” Nora said. “This will be difficult and so disappointing. Perhaps I can ask a question to answer yours: How much can each of you manage? And remember that we have to carry and set up our own gear. We will be walking and perhaps even running for our lives. We have to stay out of sight and leave as few signs as possible of our having stopped here.”

  “Let’s try not to be nervous around one another if we can,” said Alice. “How long do we have before we leave here?”

  “Much less than an hour,” Nora said.

  “What do you suggest? What are you going to take with you?” Alice looked to Nora for guidance.

  Nora smiled, realizing that this was all new territory for the insiders. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of scissors and several books of matches, along with a small can opener. She picked up a cloth bag of dried food that included a few small cans.

  “What else?” asked Tish.

  “Nothing else from this place. I have some underclothes and a sweater and a few personal things in a backpack, and a bow and some arrows with our other things under the trees along by the water.”

  “So help us. This is hard for us. What should we take?” asked Alice.

  “A small backpack or bag. A few clothes. Small things you need. Medicine if you have it. Mabon has a medicine bag. We have a large tarp for shelter and a small axe. You’ll want a blanket or bedroll. Something small for a pillow if you need it. A cup, a small plate and utensils, a small knife, a toothbrush. A piece of cloth to wash yourself when you can, some other small cloths, a small towel. Remember that you’ll have to help carry your things and your share of our camp gear, etc. We all have to do our share.”

  “Suitcases?” asked Tish.

  “Do you want to carry a suitcase for hundreds of miles over rough terrain?” asked Nora, trying to make them understand without insulting them.

 
Tish began to cry. Alice felt like joining her; she, too, was taken aback as her expectations were shattered one after another and the reality of their situation was beginning to set in. Up to now they had been on a brief outing away from the security of the city, from their luxurious lives. They had left Aahimsa in the plush comfort of Blanchfleur’s private railcar. Even after the explosions that forced them out of the car, they had only travelled briefly in the dank, stuffy tunnel and exited into a relatively comfortable working person’s shelter with beds, a kitchen, and even a bathroom with a shower and a toilet. Now they were exiting into the wild, where they would be hunted by the forces of the Federation and Goddess knew what wild creatures.

  Alice took little Tish into her embrace and kissed the tears from her cheeks. “Let’s get started. That boy will be returning before we know it.”

  Half an hour later Adam arrived back and helped them pack and organize their few things.

  “This is a lot of stuff,” he said, and Tish gave him a surly glance. He ignored her and went over the instructions that Mabon had given him before he left the camp. “One of you follow close enough behind me that you can still see me. We’ll go in a line, slowly. Mom will go last. No talking and no lights, not even a match. When we get to the camp we’ll split up everything we need to carry and begin to walk. The night is mostly cloudy but there is enough light from the sky that we’ll have to stay close under the trees.”

  “How far?” asked Tish, her voice still shaky but somewhat calmer than before.

  “Mabon wants to get to the next service building. He doesn’t want to be too far behind Blanchfleur and Doctor Ueland. He says at least two hours, maybe three or four. If we don’t get there, or if it doesn’t look safe, we’ll set up camp nearby and try and get some sleep. The bugs don’t seem too bad tonight.”

  “I wondered where they were. How are they getting there? Are they behind us?” said Tish.

  “They took some kind of little cars down the tracks in the tunnels. I think they’re ahead of us,” said Adam.

  “Why didn’t we all go that way?” asked Tish.

  “Ueland thought it better to split up. He was afraid we’d all get trapped if they bombed the tunnels.”

  Tish didn’t like to think about her grandmother and Ueland being in danger. She changed the subject. “What about the bugs?”

  “Mabon has a salve that helps,” answered Adam, feeling sorry for the girl. “We’ll get some when we get to camp.”

  “What sort of bugs? We had no bugs in Aahimsa,” Alice said.

  “There are millions of flying bugs like mosquitoes and blackflies and other flies and bees and wasps. Some bite and some sting. Others are annoying, noisy, and pesky when they land on you and crawl on your skin and get in your eyes,” said Adam, having no true notion as to how much his words bothered the insiders, since insects had been an everyday part of his world.

  Nora sympathized with the insiders. She recalled her first evening in the wild after coming outside the walls with little Adam, before she met Mabon, and just before the attack of the wild dogs that had brought him to her rescue. The biting flies got into her eyes and hair. They bit her mercilessly. They bit the baby Adam, too, though he would have no memory of that at a few months of age. Before the dogs came she had buried herself and the baby under thick wool blankets to keep the bugs at bay. It had helped, but not all that much. Later, after he had rescued them, Mabon had shared his bug repellent and the bugs became almost bearable.

  After a time you get used to anything, she thought. But the memories of those first bug attacks were still fresh enough that she pitied the insiders as they were introduced to the worst realities of the wild. They were lucky, though, out here by the lakeshore, where the flies were less of a burden than they were farther inland among the trees and swampland and the wild grasses. “Leave the flies,” said Nora. “We’ll deal with them when we have to. If we’re lucky we won’t have flies tonight. If we do we’ll get you some fly dope right away.”

  “Let’s move,” said Adam. “Stay close. If we get separated, stay in one place and don’t call out. We’ll be back to get you. Lucky never lets us get lost.”

  Adam set a moderate pace and the others, Tish, then Alice, and finally Nora and Lucky, stayed close behind. Already Alice and Tish were having trouble with their packs and rolls and gear. They kept shifting things about, grunting or sighing frequently but managing not to say anything that might be heard. Nora would, from time to time, remind them of the severe consequences of making the smallest unnecessary noise.

  A short time later they arrived at a thick stand of evergreens and Adam slowed to help them get through the trees between dense, fragrant branches, into deeper darkness where the sky above the trees was barely visible, and after a short trek they stopped inside a small clearing. “We’re here,” said Adam.

  Alice and Tish looked around them and saw nothing but trees. “Where’s your camp?” asked Tish.

  At that moment Mabon stepped out of the shadows. “Welcome,” he said in a soft voice, almost a whisper. “I wish we could have left our camp set up as it was for you to see it. But we’re packed and ready to leave. Come and pick up what you can.”

  “I can’t carry all this any farther,” said Tish, her small voice in a panic.

  “You may have taken too much,” said Alice, worried.

  “I already left my really good stuff back there,” she said, ready to cry.

  “I can take some of it,” offered Adam. “I have room.”

  Tish’s eyes became pinched and her jaw determined. “I can carry my own stuff,” she said. “And I’ll help with the other stuff, somehow.”

  Adam smiled to himself. She was strong in her own way. She would get along fine.

  Mabon began to prepare by lifting a large backpack onto his powerful arms, followed by his quivers of arrows, his longbow, and several large bags of food and supplies. Nora did the same with smaller and lighter gear, and the others did their best to follow suit.

  Nora stood next to Mabon. “Mabon will lead the way for the first while. Please try to make no unnecessary sounds. Even a grunt or a sigh can let searchers find us, animal, human, or animatronic.”

  “Has anyone had a problem with insects?” asked Mabon. “If so, let me know. No talk, but you can tug on the clothing of the person in front of you and pass your message quietly along. When I feel a tug I’ll stop and we can speak softly. If you hear or see danger, just stop where you are. Adam and Nora and I will teach you safe sounds. For now we can all make a sound like an owl. Hoo, hoo, hoo,” said Mabon. “Three times like that and you freeze where you are and do not move. There are lots of us here and if one gets found by the searchers, we are all found. You all know the risks. We will begin now. We will go for what may seem a long way, but this will, unfortunately, be one of our shorter walks.”

  Tish spoke softly. “If it was light out, could we see any of the city wall from here? If we weren’t in these trees…”

  Nora spoke. “We’re so sorry, Tish. Mabon and I were much closer to the city than this when it exploded. It’s completely gone — the city, the Manuhome, everything. There is not even a sign of the walls or any part of the city left. It was dissolved by the big Federation bombs.”

  Alice and Tish stood speechless. They knew it had been ruined, but this was so much worse than they had imagined.

  “We’d better get moving,” said a sympathetic Nora, who had known such loss more than once in the past. “Sorry.”

  Mabon nodded at her and led the overburdened line of walkers away in the direction of their next destination, the next service building. As he strode powerfully along, he wondered how far Ueland and Blanchfleur had gotten as they rode their little electric machine through the dank darkness along the tracks underground. He hoped all was going well and they would all be seeing one another soon.

  Chapter 15:

 
Service Building 2

  A little more than twenty-five minutes after climbing aboard the service vehicle, following an uneventful but careful ride through the musty, dark tunnel, travelling about ten kilometres, Ueland and Blanchfleur arrived at the underground entrance to the second service tunnel building.

  Together, they manoeuvred the small flatbed into its service bay and Ueland connected its charging cables. This underground room was larger and better equipped than the first: there was an abundance of tools and equipment, including a second service vehicle.

  “Let’s hope there is enough reserve power in the batteries to start up this generator,” Ueland said.

  “And if not?” Blanchfleur asked.

  “I may be able to start the generator with a boost from the service vehicle battery. It is fully charged from the trip up here. Let’s go up. And I see there is a small portable gas-powered generator and charger for service call emergencies.”

  Ueland opened the lower door and they climbed up the short flight of stairs to the upper door, then entered a room that was an exact copy of the previous service building control room, except that the couch was larger and upholstered in blue fabric. The doctor walked to the console and inserted his master key, powered-on the console, then pushed the starter button for the generator. This time the big power source sprung quickly to life.

  “What now?” asked Blanchfleur. She stretched and yawned, walked to the large wall chart, and looked it over without speaking.

  “We leave it to fully charge the batteries, and then we wait,” he said. “Will you be all right if I go below to the workshop a few minutes? There’s something I should do.” He went out the door. Blanchfleur stepped slowly to one of the high windows above the sofa that looked down over the lake. It was still bright outside and the others may not even have left yet. She decided to grab this opportunity to lie down on the couch and snatch a much-needed rest. Ueland would be puttering around down below; that was his way.