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Authors: Aimée & David Thurlo
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the child that remains true to the tribe. One is needed to balance the other. Do you understand?”
“I understand, but I don’t believe it. For one, you’re not evil and neither am I,” she said flatly. “So much for that.”
“What we believe is not important. How some people will react to us and to our children because of it, is.”
He had a point and Ella knew it. “Tell me everything about thislegacy. I want all the details, particularly how it began. Maybe there’s a way to debunk it.”
Clifford stood and looked out the door. A figure, moving slowly, was about a hundred yards away, walking in their direction. “I’ve got a patient, sister. Our conversation will have to wait.”
Disappointed and frustrated by the unexpected interruption, Ella left and drove back to the highway. She wason her way north toward the cafe when she saw Philip Cloud’s patrol unit ahead on the highway, going the same direction as she. The young officer had been her friend and a trusted ally for years. She knew that, as a source of information, he was completely reliable. She closed the distance between them, and used her spotlight to signal him. Seeing it, he pulled over to the side of the road.
Ella parked on the shoulder behind his vehicle and got out as Philip walked back to meet her. “I wanted a chance to talk to you privately,” Ella said. “I need your help.”
“You’ve got it,” Philip answered. “Just tell me what I can do.”
“Things have been very quiet these past few months. We haven’t had any burglaries for a while, except for a residential break-in now and then, which is normal.Half of our people still don’t bother to lock their doors when they go out. But after the break-in at the clinic, and the livestock killings, I think we’re all going to need to stay sharp. Have you heard anything from the gangs, or are there any rumors going around that we should be paying attention to?”
“The gangs have been really quiet for the last nine or ten months. The few hardcore kidsleft are staying in their own neighborhoods, and vandalism is way down. The Fierce Ones have been keeping an eye on them, I think, and have managed to intimidate the gang leaders. New kids aren’t being ranked in either, now that the Fierce Ones are also pressuring parents to control their kids.”
The secret vigilante group still made her nervous, but, so far, they’d been more of a help than ahindrance. “Anything else? Anything at all?”
Philip shook his head. “The rains came in time this year, and people are busy with their harvest.”
“Have you heard anything that might give me a lead on that burglary at the clinic?”
“A friend of mine is a nurse there, and she says everyone is talking about it. The most interesting theories speculate that someone was either looking for informationto establish a paternity suit, or maybe catch a straying husband.”
For a moment she considered the possibility someone would try to blackmail her, but then discarded it. Her pregnancy would be common knowledge soon enough, and she intended to ask nothing of the baby’s father. He could remain completely anonymous if he chose. There would be speculation about his identity, of course, but childrenwere the property of the mother, from whom they would inherit someday.
“If you hear anything more let me know.”
“You’ve got it. I’ll put my brother on the alert, too. His patrol area covers the outlying districts where more of the traditionalists live and, as far as possible suspects go, they have my vote.”
“You’re thinking that the traditionalists might have targeted the clinic?” Ella reallyhadn’t considered the possibility.
“They’re probably innocent, but, let’s face it, the clinic does represent the Anglo way of doing things. Our older people have always regarded modern medicine with suspicion.”
“Okay, let’s see if your brother Michael can get something more for me. And tell him to also report anything
“I understand, but I don’t believe it. For one, you’re not evil and neither am I,” she said flatly. “So much for that.”
“What we believe is not important. How some people will react to us and to our children because of it, is.”
He had a point and Ella knew it. “Tell me everything about thislegacy. I want all the details, particularly how it began. Maybe there’s a way to debunk it.”
Clifford stood and looked out the door. A figure, moving slowly, was about a hundred yards away, walking in their direction. “I’ve got a patient, sister. Our conversation will have to wait.”
Disappointed and frustrated by the unexpected interruption, Ella left and drove back to the highway. She wason her way north toward the cafe when she saw Philip Cloud’s patrol unit ahead on the highway, going the same direction as she. The young officer had been her friend and a trusted ally for years. She knew that, as a source of information, he was completely reliable. She closed the distance between them, and used her spotlight to signal him. Seeing it, he pulled over to the side of the road.
Ella parked on the shoulder behind his vehicle and got out as Philip walked back to meet her. “I wanted a chance to talk to you privately,” Ella said. “I need your help.”
“You’ve got it,” Philip answered. “Just tell me what I can do.”
“Things have been very quiet these past few months. We haven’t had any burglaries for a while, except for a residential break-in now and then, which is normal.Half of our people still don’t bother to lock their doors when they go out. But after the break-in at the clinic, and the livestock killings, I think we’re all going to need to stay sharp. Have you heard anything from the gangs, or are there any rumors going around that we should be paying attention to?”
“The gangs have been really quiet for the last nine or ten months. The few hardcore kidsleft are staying in their own neighborhoods, and vandalism is way down. The Fierce Ones have been keeping an eye on them, I think, and have managed to intimidate the gang leaders. New kids aren’t being ranked in either, now that the Fierce Ones are also pressuring parents to control their kids.”
The secret vigilante group still made her nervous, but, so far, they’d been more of a help than ahindrance. “Anything else? Anything at all?”
Philip shook his head. “The rains came in time this year, and people are busy with their harvest.”
“Have you heard anything that might give me a lead on that burglary at the clinic?”
“A friend of mine is a nurse there, and she says everyone is talking about it. The most interesting theories speculate that someone was either looking for informationto establish a paternity suit, or maybe catch a straying husband.”
For a moment she considered the possibility someone would try to blackmail her, but then discarded it. Her pregnancy would be common knowledge soon enough, and she intended to ask nothing of the baby’s father. He could remain completely anonymous if he chose. There would be speculation about his identity, of course, but childrenwere the property of the mother, from whom they would inherit someday.
“If you hear anything more let me know.”
“You’ve got it. I’ll put my brother on the alert, too. His patrol area covers the outlying districts where more of the traditionalists live and, as far as possible suspects go, they have my vote.”
“You’re thinking that the traditionalists might have targeted the clinic?” Ella reallyhadn’t considered the possibility.
“They’re probably innocent, but, let’s face it, the clinic does represent the Anglo way of doing things. Our older people have always regarded modern medicine with suspicion.”
“Okay, let’s see if your brother Michael can get something more for me. And tell him to also report anything
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