Gateways 07_ What Lay Beyond - Diane Carey [22]
Three elders a leadership in turmoil. One for Keller’s way, one against, and one vacillating. Kymelis knew hers was the swing vote, but also didn’t know whether to trust Keller, a stranger who had soared through the gateway after the signal from the Anointed was silenced. Was Keller the one who had stopped the signal? What had happened to the Anointed? These many troubled months hadn’t been smooth skating for Keller or his message of welcome from the other side.
Of course, one key factor was that Issull did want to go through the gateway, as all their histories planned, but he didn’t think this was the time. That meant he could eventually be convinced. Keller only needed two Elders to go his way.
“Time’s running out,” he murmured, more to himself than Braxan.
“If my multiplication’s right, it’s been almost thirty hours on the other side. They can’t hold the gateway open much longer.”
“I think you’ll prevail,” she said quietly. “My people listen to you.”
“Well, the Living don’t waste. I’m a stranger, but I’ve got special knowledge and skills. They can’t ignore me… it’s not exactly the same as listening.”
“You are a champion of many here, especially the young ones like Donnastal. He defies everything for you.”
“Mmm… that’s because I’m the suave foreign substitute teacher. What I am is the focus of conflict, really.”
“Our first leader, Ennengand, meant for us to go through. We have invested generations in this. I still believe.”
“But is Nick Keller the messenger?” he asked. “Ol’ Cyclops isn’t sure.”
Braxan’s glossy eyes regarded him warmly as he came out of his thoughts. “There are some who say you treat me gently for the sake of influence. So I’ll go with you.”
“Hey, hey… don’t blame the messenger.” Keller grinned, caught her hand, and pulled her up close. In a cold world, she was his only warmth and therefore all the more precious. “You always wanted to go to the other side. I didn’t change your mind, did I?”
“Random order sent you to us to tell us it’s time to leave. Why would you be here otherwise?” Like a silver bell on a cord she swung in his arms, and appreciated him with her eyes.
“I’m glad you’ve survived,” he murmured, “even if you have to bear the burdens of an Elder.” Usually he tried not to be so candid. But for this moment, would a little selfishness hurt? “How do you stay so nice in a place like this? You don’t even realize how much death breathes on this place, do you? It’ll always be a subsistence living here. If more resources appear, the population expands just enough to make it subsistence again.”
“We have enough to survive,” she said.
“You have metal. Nothing else. No help from others, no neighbors in space, no way to make medicine… you live on candleflies and legends of better places. People are afraid to form relationships, children are pushed away by their parents, nobody dares to care too hard… there’s complete insecurity. You lose everybody you love, or they lose you. The only thing in my culture’s history, the only parallel I can think of… is the Black Plague.”
“You always speak of other colors,” she said, steering him away from his morbid subject. “We have darkest dark, this “black’ you’ve shown me. I like to hear about the others. Red and green. Cobalt and pumpkin… very exotic names.”
“They’re exotic.” He twiddled his fingers through her coppery hair.
“Not quite as exotic as you, I don’t think.” With his eyes out of focus he hugged her and gazed at the silver dome over their heads. “I wish I could remember… sometimes I dream in colors… but I’m afraid I might be forgetting what they really look like. Seems to have been an awful long time…”
“Time” She pulled away, her shiny eyes bright. “It’s time for the hunt. I have to be there.”
“I know.” He sighed. “You, me, coupla hundred other hunters, and my trusty tricorder.”
She smiled. “Again you’ll take it onto the plain?”
“I have to reset it just before the capture. You know that.”
“You reset at the last hunt, and the one before, and before that.”
“Oh, I s’pose,” he mumbled as he palmed the instrument. “Clears the head… electrical