The Garden of Darkness

“Do you think everyone in the city’s dead?” asked Clare.

“All the adults except the Cured. I would think the children that survived would have left by now. It’ll be a ghost town.”

They passed a boarded up Tastee Freeze, a derelict drive-in movie theater, a Big Boy with its signature sign planted head down in a parking lot.

The sordid little motels they passed began to make them uneasy.

“They look as though they’re inviting us in,” said Sarai uneasily.

“They want to chew us up,” said Abel cheerfully.

“I don’t like them,” said Bird Boy. But Bird Boy was easily distracted, and Ramah found him the red feather of a cardinal, which he happily wove into his hair.

They made a strange caravan. Ramah, still looking like Diana with her bow and arrows, walked with Bird Boy, whose collection of feathers had grown until they protruded from his hair and decorated all his clothes. As Clare watched, Ramah found Bird Boy an acorn cap, which he put on her head like a tiny hat, and then laughed when it fell off. Mirri and Sarai stayed together and sometimes tried to play Hangman or even Old Maid while walking. Abel, who could not be persuaded to take off his pink poncho, walked alone. Clare and Jem stuck together. At one point Clare, suddenly curious, turned and spoke to Ramah.

“Can you actually use that bow and arrow?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Are you any good with it?”

“Yes.”

Clare moved away from Jem and walked next to Ramah for a while.

“Did you know Bird Boy before Pest?” she asked.

“No.”

“How did you find him?”

“He showed up in time.”

“In time for what?”

“It doesn’t really matter, does it? Not anymore.”

It was like trying to make conversation with the Delphic oracle.

Then Bird Boy spoke abruptly. “Ramah is my parents. I don’t have no others.”

When they came to the junction with the main highway, they found a rest stop and decided that it was a perfectly decent place to make camp.

“We could go around the city,” Clare said, while the others were setting up the tent.

“We’re low on supplies, Clare,” said Jem. “The cart wasn’t full when we left, and there are seven to feed—and Sheba and the goat, too. Even Bear needs more food than he can hunt.”

“We could load up at a town somewhere nearby.”

“The city will have everything we could possibly want,” said Jem. “There’ll be warehouses of food, not to mention what we’ll find stored up in restaurants and shops. We need to go in.”

“All right.”

“But I’ve been thinking,” said Jem. “We don’t all need to go. I can go alone with Sheba. You and the others can meet me on the other side.”

A light breeze had picked up, and Clare felt cold. She could hear the sounds of the others as they finished putting up tents and as they got the fire started. She could hear Abel grumbling, and Sarai and Mirri chatting.

“You mean the two of us can go,” said Clare.

“Clare—”

“Obviously I’m going with you.”

“Clare—”

“If you leave without me, I’ll just follow you.”

Jem looked at her for a long time. “There’s no point in arguing with you, is there?”

“No.”

“All right. We go together and scavenge in the city as quickly and efficiently as possible. Then we meet the others on the other side. You’re really up for that?”

“Yes.”

“Plan?”

“Plan.”

They went back to the campsite together. Ramah looked up at them. “I thought it would go that way,” she said, as if she had heard the entire conversation. Then she went to the wagon and rummaged around until she had the map.

Ramah put her finger down on a green place marked ‘National Park.’

“We’ll meet you here,” she said. “We’ll wait until you come.”

“We won’t be long,” said Clare. But what she really thought was that there were many ways to die in the post-Pest world. Except old age. That particular option seemed to be gone. She looked closely at Ramah. “But don’t wait too long for us.” She hesitated and then smiled. “We can always catch up with you.”

“I understand what you’re telling me,” said Ramah.

“I knew you would,” said Clare.

“There’s something I won’t do for you, though,” said Ramah. “Sorry.”

“What?” asked Clare.

“Tell the others.”

That part didn’t go very well.

Sarai, Mirri and Bird Boy cried themselves to sleep. Abel looked gloomier than ever.

And that night Clare imagined a different world, one in which she could grow old. And Jem would be there. And Sarai and Mirri and Ramah and Bird Boy and Abel. And others she couldn’t yet see. Bear would be there too, and if Bear had to die first, he would do so curled up at her feet after having reached a ripe old age, toothless, maybe, but content.

She would give a lot for such a world.

And she did.





CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX





THE CARCASS OF THE CITY