The Garden of Darkness

Clare tried not to look at Noah as she shook Rick gently awake. For a moment, she wished that Jem had come into the tent too. Rick must have been bone tired as it took her some time to rouse him. The tent was stuffy, and Clare smelled the underlying odor of death. When she finally made Rick understand what was happening, he brushed her aside and turned to Noah’s body.

“Aw, damn.”

Rick covered Noah’s face with a blanket and, with Clare’s help, carried him out of the tent.

They laid Noah in the center room. His body was red-gold in the light of dawn, but turned to greenish-blue as the sun rose higher in the sky.

“He knew it was coming,” Rick said.

“Pest,” said Clare.

“Yes,” said Rick.

Now that she could see him more clearly, Clare could make out the pustules on Noah’s throat and the lesions on his face.

Tilda turned away.

“Pest usually takes three days,” said Clare. “And it’s not usually so subtle. He didn’t look sick at all last night.”

“The stiff neck,” said Jem.

“I thought Pest only got you when you were old,” said Mirri. “Older than Noah, anyway.”

“He was already seventeen,” said Rick. “Although he was younger than I am.”

“I’m sorry,” said Clare.

“At least he didn’t suffer,” said Sarai.

“‘At least he didn’t suffer,’” said Rick, mocking Sarai. “‘At least he didn’t suffer.’ He’s dead. God.”

Sarai looked stricken. Bear gave a low growl, but when Clare put her hand on his head, he stopped.

“We’re all sorry,” said Clare.

“You’re all going to be where he is soon enough,” Rick said. “She’ll go first, though,” he said, and looked at Clare.

“Hey!” said Jem.

“It’s okay,” said Clare.

“It’s not,” said Jem.

There was no doubt in Clare’s mind that Bear was picking up on the tension; he stood stiffly between her and Rick.

Rick turned his back on them and began packing up the bright blue tent.

“That was a mean thing to say about Clare,” said Mirri. “I didn’t think you were mean.”

Rick looked up at Mirri. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry about all of it, Clare. Jem.”

“It’s okay,” said Clare, but Jem was silent.

Rick called Tilda. She came over to him right away, and he squatted down and took her by the shoulders.

“We have to move on now,” he said. “We have to hurry south now so that I can keep taking care of you.”

“Clare told me you’re going to the Master,” said Jem. “There’s no need to keep up the going south lie. We most certainly won’t be hangers on. You’re free to get there first.”

“If you know where I’m going, you should know that Clare ought to be coming with me. With us.”

“That’s Clare’s choice.”

“Stop talking about me as if I weren’t here,” said Clare. “It’s annoying.”

Tilda broke the tension. “I want Noah,” she said.

“Noah’s with the dead now,” said Rick.

“Will he come back?”

“No, sweetie. He won’t.”

“Can they come with us, too?”

“It would be best if she came.” Rick looked at Clare. He paused. “But they can all come if they like.”

“Good of you,” said Jem.

There was a glitter in Rick’s eye that Clare didn’t like, but then it was gone.

“Maybe Master can bring Noah back to life,” said Tilda.

“There isn’t a cure for death,” said Rick. “We’ll leave Noah’s body here.”

Jem nodded. Rick looked at him and sighed.

These are good people,” he said finally to Tilda, “they’ll help us bury Noah. And we won’t forget him.”

“Everyone counts,” said Mirri. “And funerals are good.”





THE GROUND WAS still hard with frost. They took Noah to the edge of the woods where they covered his body with earth as best they could before building a small cairn over him.

Tilda hugged each of them while Rick looked on. She made a move to hug Bear, but Clare said, “better not.”

And then Bear surprised them all by padding over to Tilda and nuzzling her.

“Maybe we’ll meet later,” Rick said. He was looking at Clare again.

“Goodbye,” said Jem.

“You know that it’s time to go,” said Rick. “For her. I wish you luck. I really do.” He held out his hand to Jem, and, after a second, Jem took it.

“This is for you,” he said to Clare and handed her a map. “The best way to get to I-80 and Herne Wood. To the place Master’s talking about. I marked the trail.”

Then Clare, Jem, Sarai and Mirri watched Rick and Tilda until they had climbed the rise behind the house and disappeared from sight.

“I didn’t like Rick so much,” said Jem. “But considering everything, he held up pretty well. He liked you, Clare.”

“Maybe.”

“Did you like him?”

Clare laughed.





CHAPTER TWENTY

JEM’S BIRTHDAY





THEY DIDN’T FINISH preparing for their departure until Rick and Tilda had a day’s head start on them.

Clare returned from the washing line, where she had hung out their sleeping bags to air, to find Mirri in the center of the living room, drawing. Her picture showed a giant next to a globe of the world. He had shoveled children into his mouth; arms and legs dangled from his lips

“What’s this?” Clare asked.