Unison (The Spheral) (31 page)

I looked at him curiously.

“The woman in the cabin was our previous conductor. What was she like?”

I closed my eyes, trying to keep my attention focused on the discussion. Confronting my role in Old Woman’s death reawakened all my guilt which I managed to put aside for the last two years.

“I understand if you don’t want to talk about it,” Roth said.

I opened my eyes. “She was opinionated, strong, and one of the wisest Outsiders I’ve met, next to Wilfrid.”

“Why did you report her then?” Roth asked.

“I had no idea she was helping the Strikers.”

“Would it have made a difference?”

“I had my doubts about the Sacred Oath on the day I entered her cabin. Had she told me she was the conductor, I still would’ve reported her.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Try to stop yourself from admitting to something you don’t want to admit to and then you will.”

I traced the etchings of the chalice with my thumbs as I contemplated my return to the cabin. Wilfrid sat down with a deck of cards in his hand and shuffled them.

“Keep my future to yourself, please.”

He set the deck on the table.

“I don’t want any outside influence this time—I’ve made my decision.”

“You cannot save everyone.”

“I’m to blame for what’s happening in Unity. I can’t turn my back.”

“That’s a big burden you carry,” Wilfrid said. “Are you the only one responsible?”

I had to think about an answer, mostly because I knew where Wilfrid was leading me. “I was well respected for my work and had support.”

“Without support, would you have been able to do what you believe you did?”

“No, but that doesn’t absolve me.”

“You told Roth you left Unity because it doesn’t represent who you are.”

“I spoke the truth.”

“My grandfather told me a man of honor will admit when he’s wrong and accept whatever the consequence without making excuses. You, 
Nomad
, are a man of honor,” he smiled, emitting a calming energy.

“You’re looking for a leader, but Littlefield already has one. Since my first day here, I’ve never heard you raise your voice. No one speaks against you or even looks at you with hostile intention.”

“I never realized you examined me so closely.”

“It used to be part of my job—understanding human behavior.” I laughed. “If only I could understand my own.”

Wilfrid picked up the deck of cards and shuffled them. “Old habits cannot be unlearned in one afternoon. If you feel you are needed…go.” He set down the top card, a ten of diamonds. “It would seem the cards agree with your decision.” He smiled at me. “You’ll find happiness in a new land.”

Michael sat by the river fishing with Shisa by his side. He didn’t speak to me for two days after he found out we were moving on. I thought about leaving Shisa with him, but after all we went through, I couldn’t part with her. I sat beside Michael who didn’t even acknowledge my presence. “Catch anything yet?”

He continued to ignore me.

“We’ll visit after every other transport—”

“It’s not fair. While you two are out having your adventures, I’ll be stuck here doing the same thing every day.”

“What do you think you’d see if you leave here?”

“Something other than Littlefield, and this boring river. It seems like—”

“There’s more for you beyond this boring forest?” I smiled.

“Yes, but how will I find it if I can’t leave this place?”

“You’re still young—”

“I’m tired of hearing that. I’m not afraid of facing the bandits. I’m good with a long bow.”

“At least wait until you finish your studies before becoming a warrior.”

“You don’t understand how hard it is to be in one place because you’re always moving around.”

“That wasn’t always the case,” I said. “Ever since I was a boy, I wanted to explore the world. I didn’t know anything existed beyond Unity, and once I came to this side of the tunnel, Earth became a much bigger place than I ever imagined.”

Michael petted Shisa. “It feels like Grandfather and my mother are trying to force me to be a farmer, but I want to decide what I want to do with my life. Is that wrong?” He gazed at me with the same inquisitive expression I saw in both my boys.

“I have a proposition for you. If you don’t give your mother any trouble, I promise to take you to New Athenia in your sixteenth year.”

“Really?”

“As long as your mother approves.”

“Thanks, Damon!”

“Will you walk with us?”

He nodded as Wilfrid approached.

Wilfrid and Michael escorted us to the tunnel where we all said our goodbyes.

“Safe travels, Nomad.”

“Don’t forget your promise,” Michael said to me.

“Never.” I shook his hand and pulled him towards me for a hug.

Sometimes having both your legs broken can bring you good fortune, and for me it did. For the first time in all my incarnations, I had the closest thing that resembled a family.

Thinking about all the work waiting for me at the cabin made leaving Littlefield difficult. I grew to admire the interdependence of village life and was uncertain how I’d handle the isolation. Roth detected my unease. He spent the first half of our journey attempting to assuage me by reaffirming I’d have everything I needed. Our roles reversed when we first spotted the old tunnel. Roth became less talkative and slowed his pace.

“We’ll be safe,” I said.

Roth eyed Shisa. “No one would dare bother us with your dog around, right?”

“Shisa doesn’t take anything from anyone.”

“Is that story Michael told me about her true? Did she really go to Littlefield to get help for you?”

“If it weren’t for Shisa, I wouldn’t be here today.”

“How did you train her to obey you?”

“Dogs are naturally loyal creatures. Show them kindness, and they’ll stay by your side no matter what.”

We soon arrived at the opening of the tunnel and entered. I began to regard my treks through the old tunnel with a hint of romanticism. The trains spoke to me of a world I never knew. To create such wonders meant the Ancients weren’t told their inventions went against some god or man-made edict. An Ancient at heart and an Outsider in body, I was born in the wrong age.

The shade was up in the trainlet where the attack on Roth and the passengers took place. We went in to investigate, but nothing seemed amiss.

“Sephroy must have cleaned up.” I looked under some of the benches and found a wallet. Inside was a small picture of a couple.

“That’s them,” Roth said.

I placed the picture in my pocket.

“Why are you saving it?”

“It’ll remind me why I’m going back.”

Roth didn’t want to stay in the trainlet, and I couldn’t blame him considering what happened. After a brief visit with Sephroy, we walked through the remainder of the tunnel without rest.

We reached the cabin and found it vacant. Roth gave me a few last-minute details, and he was ready to return to Unity.

“I’ll be your only contact with the Strikers,” Roth said. He handed me a crumbled paper with the details of the transport. “When we meet up, I’ll bring you a new holologue and wireless signal interface. You’ll have to live like a true Outsider for a while.”

“Been doing that for the last two years.”

“On my way back, I’ll run a diagnostic on the transceiver. If there are any problems, I’ll replace that as well.”

“It’s behind the large rock on the western side of the eroded—”

“Already know where it is. The Strikers have been maintaining it for the last conductor. She was good at transporting but knew very little about electronics.”

Roth patted the side of my arm, sensing my guilt over the mention of Old Woman. “This is your chance to make things right.”

“That’s why I’m doing this.”

“Anything else you’ll need?” Roth asked.

“A set of violin strings and some—”

“Berry ale.”

“You’re good.”

That’s why I got this assignment.” He smiled.

“As a Striker or Unity Guard?”

“Both.”

“That takes talent. I only knew one other Unitian who could make the same claim.”

“Who?”

“Someone I was very close with.” I had no idea to whom I was referring, but it felt like I did when I said it. After going through a list of people I knew in Unity, not one of them fit the description of the person I mentioned. I surmised COR was active, but without a way to prove it, I returned my attention to the mundane part of my life. I cleaned the cabin, restarted the solar trap, and tended to the garden that needed hours of weed pulling, digging and planting to return it to its former glory.

I soon began transporting passengers and visited Littlefield on every other return. In contrast to my previous incarnation, I looked forward to meeting the passengers and engaged them in conversations about their hopes and dreams. Hearing their reasons for leaving Unity strengthened my conviction to continue as the conductor. I liked where I was, and I wanted to remain for a while longer, but fate never agreed with my preferences. Exactly as Sutara predicted, my memory returned four years after my departure from Unity, when I found Flora unconscious at the bottom of the ridge.

A SOUVENIR TO REMEMBER