The Garden of Darkness

Bear almost herded her through the door in his apparent eagerness to get Clare inside. Rick followed. The frostiness between Rick and Clare was obvious, and Clare saw Jem watching her curiously.

When Rick and Noah and Tilda had all peeled out of their clothes and emerged from the tent in their sleepwear, the room began to smell of sweat and unwashed bodies. It was no worse than Clare, Jem, Sarai and Mirri smelled, but, Clare thought, it wasn’t their sweat and unwashed bodies. Not that they didn’t ever wash, but cold water baths tended to be cursory. Noah rubbed his neck.

“Let me see,” said Jem.

“That’s all right,” said Noah. “It’s just a stiff neck.”

The three travelers disappeared into their tent.

The other four retreated into their bedroom. Clare and Jem decided to keep a watch, but Clare found it hard to stay awake. She went and sat on Jem’s bed, and he climbed out of the covers and then draped a quilt around the two of them.

“It’s strange to see other children,” said Clare. “They’re so normal.”

“They’re secretive.”

“Maybe,” said Clare. She thought of Rick. “Yeah, I guess they are.”

“They don’t quite seem like children to me. Except Tilda.”

“What did you talk about while I was outside?” asked Clare.

“I played chess with Noah.”

“Who won?”

“Please.”

“Show off.”

“What about Rick? What were you two talking about outside?”

Clare could hear the soft breathing of Sarai and Mirri.

“They know about the Master; they’re keeping their destination a secret; they don’t want what Rick called ‘hangers-on.’ And we talked about whether or not I’m close to the onset of Pest.”

“You know you are.”

“I’ll be sixteen in the spring. But Noah and Rick look like they’re almost eighteen.”

“Let me guess. They don’t want us, but Rick invited you to go with them.”

“Well,” said Clare. “Yeah. How did you know?”

“I saw the way he looked at you. What did he say when you turned him down?”

“Not much.”

Jem was very quiet. It was too dark to see his face. As they sat on the bed, Clare knew that she would never tell Jem about Rick’s question. Ever.

Time passed. It was warm under the quilt.

“Are you still awake?” Clare asked.

“Still awake. I’m thinking.”

They huddled under the comforter. And, at some point, they both dozed off.

Clare awoke a few moments later to see Tilda standing at the foot of the bed. Bear was sitting up, alert, and then he did something very strange. He walked over to Tilda and nudged her.

“Noah won’t move,” said Tilda, putting her arms around Bear.

“What do you mean?” asked Clare.

“He’s lying on Bunny, and he won’t move.” And Tilda just stood there, a darker part of darkness.





CHAPTER NINETEEN





A DEATH





“DID YOU WAKE up Rick?” asked Clare of the sibyl-like figure at the end of the bed.

“He’s asleep,” said Tilda. “But not as asleep as Noah. I can hear him breathing. Rick. Not Noah.”

Jem was still leaning against Clare. He was sound asleep. It was chilly in the room, and, after lowering Jem to the bed, Clare covered him with another blanket. Hoping that there would be no need to wake him, she followed Tilda to the bright blue tent, which was outlined by the glow from the woodstove.

Tilda made a move to go in, but Clare stopped her.

“No, I’ll go.”

Clare only had to touch Noah’s shoulder to know.

She left Tilda at the door of the tent and went to get Jem. When she entered the bedroom, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Then she was by Jem’s side, shaking his arm, telling him to wake up. His breathing and his warm flesh reassured her.

Life.

He stared at her, confused. Then, muddled by sleep, he reached out and pulled Clare to him. “Clare?”

“Bad news,” she said.

“Clare! Are you all right?” He started to clamber out of bed. “Is it Sarai? Mirri?”

She could hear the others stirring.

“It’s Noah. He’s dead.”

“Where’s Rick?”

“Still asleep.”

“How could he possibly sleep through someone dying?” asked Jem.

“I guess he was tired,” said Clare.

“Where’s Tilda?”

“I left her by the tent.”

By then Sarai and Mirri were out of bed, and Jem explained to them what was happening. Mirri was out of the bedroom before Clare could make a move to stop her. Sarai followed. Tilda was standing in the dark, Bear by her side.

“What if Rick won’t wake up either?” Tilda said.

“I’ll wake him up, don’t worry,” Clare said. “You stay out here with Jem.”

“Clare, do you want me to—” Jem started to say.

“No. It’s okay.” As Clare entered the tent, Bear gave a low whine and made as if to go with her, but she put him in a sit.