be a Knight! If he hears that you treated me like–”
Terry grabbed Steven by the front of his shirt, brandished her hook at his nose and shouted furiously, “Daddy’s not here, you arrogant punk! Honorary Knights are just volunteers! Nobody owes you anything here, and if you disobey me again, I swear I’ll kill you myself!”
Alia and I exchanged smiles. We were used to Terry and knew quite well that far from killing the boy, she wouldn’t even hurt him because that would only slow us down. The others were visibly unsettled, however, and a few began to cry.
Releasing Steven, Terry said to me, “Adrian, bring up the rear and make sure no one falls behind. And that includes the spoiled Council boy.”
Then, ignoring Steven’s scowls, she walked back up to the front of the line and faced the crowd. “Now, listen up!” she barked. “We’re all in this together and we’re going to get out of it together. Keep your spirits up and your damn egos to yourselves. Let’s go!”
Near dusk, Terry informed us that we had come more than halfway. How she knew this was beyond me. All of the forest looked the same.
Our crew was a ragged bunch. Everyone was sweaty and muddy. Even the kids who hadn’t come in their nightclothes were wearing only thin summer clothing, and a full day’s march through the forest had reduced them to tatters.
The baby had soiled Patrick’s harness, so we took James’s shirt next. I asked nicely and James didn’t complain. With nothing for the baby to eat, I doubted she would need another change on this trip.
I asked Patrick, “Did you think of a name for the baby yet?”
“Yes, sir,” he replied earnestly. “We named her Laila, sir.”
“We?”
“It was Alia’s idea, sir.”
I glanced at my sister, who gave me an apologetic smile. I just nodded and smiled back. Alia had liked Laila Brown a lot. If I was Alia’s brother, and Terry very much family as well, Laila had been Alia’s first real friend. I looked at baby Laila sleeping peacefully in Patrick’s new harness, and realized that I was quite happy with her temporary name.
As we settled down for the night, Terry said to me in an overly casual tone, “So I guess Mr. Simms wasn’t all that dead when you passed him in the factory tunnel.”
“I guess not,” I replied stiffly.
Terry frowned. “So what happened down there, Half-head?”
“That’s my business.”
Terry looked like she was about to snap at me, but then shrugged. “Fair enough.”
I asked her, “Do you believe what he said about New Haven? Did the Angels really take the city?”
“From what I saw at NH-6, it’s very possible,” replied Terry.
I picked up a dry twig and twirled it around in my fingers. “So much for Mr. Baker’s great experiment. New Haven was probably doomed from the start. It attracted too much attention, especially from the Angels.”
“Well, there’s still a chance that the Knights took our buildings back or that they’re in the process of doing so now,” said Terry. “We won’t know until we regroup. Besides, even if the Angels did take the city, there are still plenty of Guardians and Guardian breakaways in other places. We’ve been divided and scattered before. We’ll survive.” Terry smiled, adding, “Maybe we’ll make a new city somewhere else. A New New Haven.”
“What would be the point?” I scoffed. “New Haven was hardly a safe haven for psionics. We were always in some kind of danger there.”
Once, a pair of Angels had tried to kidnap Alia and me a mere two blocks from NH-1 in broad daylight.
Terry shook her head. “It was only dangerous for us because of who we are and what we did. For ordinary Guardians, that town was a paradise compared to where we’re going now. I grew up in the splinter cells, Adrian, so believe me, I know.”
I shrugged. Wherever Terry was taking us, I sincerely doubted it would be the worst conditions I had lived in. We would survive.
Terry gazed up at the dark tree
Terry grabbed Steven by the front of his shirt, brandished her hook at his nose and shouted furiously, “Daddy’s not here, you arrogant punk! Honorary Knights are just volunteers! Nobody owes you anything here, and if you disobey me again, I swear I’ll kill you myself!”
Alia and I exchanged smiles. We were used to Terry and knew quite well that far from killing the boy, she wouldn’t even hurt him because that would only slow us down. The others were visibly unsettled, however, and a few began to cry.
Releasing Steven, Terry said to me, “Adrian, bring up the rear and make sure no one falls behind. And that includes the spoiled Council boy.”
Then, ignoring Steven’s scowls, she walked back up to the front of the line and faced the crowd. “Now, listen up!” she barked. “We’re all in this together and we’re going to get out of it together. Keep your spirits up and your damn egos to yourselves. Let’s go!”
Near dusk, Terry informed us that we had come more than halfway. How she knew this was beyond me. All of the forest looked the same.
Our crew was a ragged bunch. Everyone was sweaty and muddy. Even the kids who hadn’t come in their nightclothes were wearing only thin summer clothing, and a full day’s march through the forest had reduced them to tatters.
The baby had soiled Patrick’s harness, so we took James’s shirt next. I asked nicely and James didn’t complain. With nothing for the baby to eat, I doubted she would need another change on this trip.
I asked Patrick, “Did you think of a name for the baby yet?”
“Yes, sir,” he replied earnestly. “We named her Laila, sir.”
“We?”
“It was Alia’s idea, sir.”
I glanced at my sister, who gave me an apologetic smile. I just nodded and smiled back. Alia had liked Laila Brown a lot. If I was Alia’s brother, and Terry very much family as well, Laila had been Alia’s first real friend. I looked at baby Laila sleeping peacefully in Patrick’s new harness, and realized that I was quite happy with her temporary name.
As we settled down for the night, Terry said to me in an overly casual tone, “So I guess Mr. Simms wasn’t all that dead when you passed him in the factory tunnel.”
“I guess not,” I replied stiffly.
Terry frowned. “So what happened down there, Half-head?”
“That’s my business.”
Terry looked like she was about to snap at me, but then shrugged. “Fair enough.”
I asked her, “Do you believe what he said about New Haven? Did the Angels really take the city?”
“From what I saw at NH-6, it’s very possible,” replied Terry.
I picked up a dry twig and twirled it around in my fingers. “So much for Mr. Baker’s great experiment. New Haven was probably doomed from the start. It attracted too much attention, especially from the Angels.”
“Well, there’s still a chance that the Knights took our buildings back or that they’re in the process of doing so now,” said Terry. “We won’t know until we regroup. Besides, even if the Angels did take the city, there are still plenty of Guardians and Guardian breakaways in other places. We’ve been divided and scattered before. We’ll survive.” Terry smiled, adding, “Maybe we’ll make a new city somewhere else. A New New Haven.”
“What would be the point?” I scoffed. “New Haven was hardly a safe haven for psionics. We were always in some kind of danger there.”
Once, a pair of Angels had tried to kidnap Alia and me a mere two blocks from NH-1 in broad daylight.
Terry shook her head. “It was only dangerous for us because of who we are and what we did. For ordinary Guardians, that town was a paradise compared to where we’re going now. I grew up in the splinter cells, Adrian, so believe me, I know.”
I shrugged. Wherever Terry was taking us, I sincerely doubted it would be the worst conditions I had lived in. We would survive.
Terry gazed up at the dark tree
Similar Books
