The Garden of Darkness

“A Cured was going to hurt me,” she said. “Bird Boy scared him. We ended up here.”


“Not much food here anymore,” said Bird Boy, looking away from them.

“We have goat milk,” said Ramah. “But I have to leave some food out every day for the two Cured.”

“Or they try to get into the house.” Bird Boy nodded seriously. “I want to show the goat,” he added.

Bird Boy went deeper into the house and returned with a small brown and white goat that looked at them with its strange goat eyes.

“The goat stays inside unless I’m here,” said Ramah. “Bird Boy used to act as goatherd, but he gets distracted.”

“I do,” said Bird Boy sadly.

Ramah looked around at them. “I’ll cook the rabbit,” she said.

Clare went out to the wagon and came back with ham and cold yams.

“Thank you. We’re always hungry,” said Ramah.

“Always,” said Bird Boy. He filled his mouth with food.

“How old are you?” asked Clare.

“Ten,” said Ramah. “I don’t know how old Bird Boy is.”

“I don’t know how old Bird Boy is either,” said Bird Boy.

“I would guess you’re fourteen or fifteen,” said Clare.

There was something oddly formal about Ramah. But Clare knew deep down to her core that Ramah would be straight with them. She was nothing like Darian, with his over-familiarity. If anything, Ramah had an air of being a little aloof.

Clare liked her.

Bird Boy, it seemed to Clare, was strange—but Clare trusted Bear’s judgment absolutely. Something seemed to have happened to Bird Boy, but then something had happened to them all. There was no question in her mind as to whether or not he and Ramah would travel together. Pest created some bonds that couldn’t be broken.

Clare’s thoughts wandered as she and Ramah sat on the stoop and watched the goat pawing through the mud and snow for withered grass.

“Did you ever run across a boy named Darian?” Clare asked.

Ramah looked at Clare for a moment, as if sizing her up, then spoke.

“Darian was here,” she said. “He killed two of our goats when we wouldn’t let him in the house. We didn’t dare go outside to get the bodies; we thought he’d left, but we weren’t sure. The goats stank by the time we got to them.”

“Did he hurt you?”

“He was afraid of Bird Boy. And...” she considered. “And I think he was afraid of me. So, no, he didn’t try to hurt us.”

“We welcomed him in with open arms,” said Clare.

“He fooled me, too,” said Ramah. “Until he slaughtered the goats. I would have let him in when he first got here, but Bird Boy wouldn’t let me.”

“Darian’s dead now,” said Clare.

Ramah said nothing.

Clare went indoors to find Jem. Mirri passed her on the way out, and Clare heard Ramah speaking to her.

“They’re very close,” said Ramah. “Clare and the boy.”

“Of course,” said Mirri. “Anyone can see that. And his name is Jem.”

Clare found Jem in the living room. He was sitting on the stairs alone, and he looked unhappy.

“What is it?” asked Clare.

“I was just thinking—“

“What?”

“You seem so much older than I am these days. I’m never going to catch up.”

“Really? I was thinking of how different fourteen is from thirteen.”

“Yeah,” said Jem. “Yeah, I guess it is.”





RAMAH INVITED THEM to bring Sheba into the house for the night, in case the Cured came, but the horse refused to go near the door. Sheba was gentle and mild and soft-eyed, but she would not move. So, while Sarai and Mirri settled into Ramah’s guest room, Clare and Jem, with Bear, made camp in the muddy snow.

Once Sheba was tethered and the tent was pitched, Jem and Clare looked at each other awkwardly. It felt odd without Mirri and Sarai there.

“You sleep first,” Clare said to Jem. “I’ll keep watch.”

“Clare?”

“What is it?” she asked, but Jem was quiet for a long moment.

“Nothing,” he said finally. “Let’s check on Sheba.”

The mare was asleep on her feet in the moonlight. Clare could see a star between her ears, and silver light seemed to run down her sides and pool around her hooves.

“It’s as if she were made of light,” said Clare.

“It’s some kind of optical illusion,” said Jem.

“You would say that,” said Clare.

“No bickering.”

“You know what?”

“What?”

“I’ve never hated you, either. Ever.”

Jem looked at her, and the moonlight was in his hair too. Then Sheba moved a foreleg in her sleep, and more light seemed to pour down her in a steady rivulet.

So Clare was taken off guard when the attack began.

The faces of the two Cureds, a man and a woman, seemed to rush up into the firelight, but the light that made Sheba glow did not touch them.

“Go away,” yelled Jem. As he scrambled to find the heavy flashlight, the man grabbed at Sheba. The woman laughed. Then she had Clare by the arm and was twisting it.