The Scourge Read online

  I bit my lip, even as I let myself move closer to him. "This will change everything, Weevil."

  He wiped some strands of hair off my face, and his hand continued around to the back of my neck. "It's already changed. The only question is whether we want to admit it."

  I smiled, aware of how near his mouth was to mine. When he kissed me, his lips were softer than I'd expected, though maybe it was because rain was still pouring down on us. But in that moment, the chill in the air was replaced with warmth and fullness. I forgot about the storm and about Della and Jonas on the other side of the fence, and even about the Colony. As he pulled me closer, all I could think was that Weevil was here with me, and I wouldn't have him be anywhere else.

  When we parted, he brushed my cheek again, this time with the back of his knuckles. "Now I'm all right." He shrugged and the glimmer of his eyes reappeared. "I've wanted to do that for a while."

  "Well, don't wait so long for the next kiss," I replied.

  He leaned forward again, but then a hand pounded on the opposite side of the fence. Jonas.

  "Townsfolk sure aren't very patient about being rescued from evil wardens," Weevil said, chuckling as he started to work at the knot binding our wrists.

  We tied my end of the rope to the nearest tree, and then Weevil slipped back into the water. He would return to help Jonas bring Della under while I worked on this end to pull the rope against the current.

  "Keep hold of that rope," Weevil said with a wink.

  "Stay on the other end of it," I replied.

  Weevil jumped in and disappeared beneath the fence. The rope immediately pulled tight, and I grabbed it, ready for his signal. Luckily, the storm above us was finally beginning to let up, or at least, the thunder and lightning had passed, even if the rain was still fierce. That was good news, except it would also make the wardens more likely to come out and search for us.

  Where was the signal? Hurry, Weevil!

  Finally, I felt the tug on the rope, but it was heavier than I had expected. They must've all gotten into the water at once. The rope wasn't made to hold three people. Weevil should've known that! Threads began snapping. It wasn't a question of if this rope would break, only when. If I let it break too soon, my friends would be lost to the river.

  I grabbed the rope and braced my weight against the same rock Weevil and I had used to climb out of the water, but with so much mud beneath my stockinged feet, I was mostly slipping around, almost falling back into the water myself. There wasn't much I could do to help them swim forward, but at least my hold was taking some pressure off the weight on the rope.

  Finally, Della's head popped up from beneath the fence. I released the rope and reached out a hand to her, then pulled her onto the riverbank. Immediately afterward, Weevil and Jonas came through, similar to how he and I had done it. Della and I took their hands, and together, everyone made it to shore.

  "What took you so long to come back?" Della asked.

  Weevil and I shared a mischievous grin, which Jonas must've noticed because he only rolled his eyes. "Good grief. Now?"

  While they continued catching their breaths, I asked, "Did any wardens see you?"

  "I don't think so," Jonas said. "And they won't believe we ever made it upstream through that river. I don't think they'll look for us on this side of the fence."

  "Of course they'll look," Weevil said. "Hopefully not tonight, though. Let's find a shelter to rest until morning."

  We got up to begin searching, except for Della, who was smoothing the wrinkles from her wet, muddy dress. She said, "Well, Ani Mells, these ribbons are definitely ruined now, and it's all your fault." Before I could protest, she looked up at me and smiled. "Thank you for getting me this far."

  "We have farther to go before we're home." I offered her a hand to stand up. "I'm glad you're with us."

  Jonas suddenly patted his pockets, as if panicked, then shoved his hand in one and his face lit up. He withdrew a handful of thrushweed leaves, knelt beside Della, and offered them to her.

  "Where did you get those?" I asked.

  "They were in my cell in the infirmary. I asked the man in the neighboring cell about them. He said infirmary patients were given as many as they wanted until they felt healthy again."

  This confirmed my suspicion that Colonists were healed of the Scourge once they went into the infirmary. However, I was still confused about why people were given the Scourge in the first place and what happened to the people after they were healed. Why heal people that nobody would ever see or hear from again?

  Once Della had put a leaf in her mouth and begun chewing it, she made a face. "This tastes awful! River People like these? Have you never had real food before?"

  I grinned. "If that's a hint you want to come for dinner in the river country one day, it won't work," I replied. "Once you get a taste for thrushweed, real food will never be the same again."

  "It's not a hint," she said, though we all knew Jonas had a lot more thrushweed in his pocket to give her. She didn't have to like it, but he'd make sure she ate it.

  There were no buildings on this side of the fence, and the terrain here was hillier than in the Colony, but otherwise, the two halves of the island felt roughly the same.

  In the darkness, we slowly moved southward until Della noticed a rocky overhang with a shallow cave beneath it. Enough wind had blown around earlier that the ground was muddy, but little rain was falling there now. If we squeezed together, the four of us could fit inside the cave. I didn't mind that. Both Della and I had been shivering since getting out of the river, and other bodies near ours would keep everyone warmer.

  Once we had wedged ourselves inside the cave, Weevil obviously wanted to talk, but Della said, "I still feel terrible. Can we figure everything out in the morning?" I didn't hear Weevil's answer, for by then, I had already fallen asleep on his shoulder.

  The scene we awoke to was so beautiful, it was hard to believe a violent storm had passed through only hours ago. The skies were blue, birds were chirping overhead, and the trees and bushes were bright and glistening.

  Everything was still dripping wet, and it bothered me to realize that wherever we went, we would leave behind a trail of prints in the mud. When I pointed that out, Jonas suggested we walk on rocks whenever possible, to at least slow down anyone who tried to follow our trail.

  Weevil snorted, and I knew he was thinking that Jonas had lived in the towns too long. No tracker with a week of practice and the common sense of a fly would be fooled by that. But it was the best idea we had. Hopefully, wardens were stupider than the average fly. I was pretty sure at least a couple of them were.

  "How are you feeling?" Weevil asked me.

  "My legs are sore, and my neck is stiff from leaning on your shoulder all night. Otherwise I'm all right. You?"

  He grinned. "My shoulder is sore from having someone's head on it all night, but I didn't mind."

  Jonas was helping Della, who seemed to be feeling a little better and was already chewing on more thrushweed. She looked up at us and smiled. Maybe she was getting a taste for it, despite her protests. Some food would help her too, if we could find any.

  "Where do we go now?" I asked. "Even if there are any boats still at the Colony, it's not safe to return there. I suppose we could build a boat ourselves, though we have no tools and it'll break apart when we're halfway across the sea."

  Weevil's grin widened. "There's a reason my plan was to get past the fence. While in that tree last night, I think I saw something at the far end of the island. I could be wrong, but in one of the flashes of lightning, I saw what looked like the mast of a ship. For me to have seen it this far away, it must be fairly large."

  My brows furrowed. "Why would the governor send a ship to this half of the island?"

  Weevil shrugged. "I'm just telling you what I saw. A ship that size is bound to have a large crew, who probably won't be interested in taking us home. And if it didn't leave port before the worst of the storm, then it probably san
k during the night."

  "So," I said, "this isn't great news."

  "But it's something," Della said.

  She was right about that. It was, in fact, the only plan we had. Even a little hope was better than no hope at all.

  So we set out walking southward, remaining cautious about whatever we might find once we reached the ship, but hopeful that it could prove to be an end to our troubles. Della was unable to walk for most of the time, but Weevil and Jonas worked together to carry her while I forged a little ahead, seeking out the best possible trails to follow.

  As we walked, Della talked about her father's attempt to win the election against Governor Felling a year ago.

  "He had great plans for Keldan," she said. "Ways to bring us together so that we can become strong again. He wants good things for everyone in our country." She turned to me. "Even River People, Ani. I'm so sorry for the names I called you before. My father taught me better than that."

  "Our fathers worked together in an attempt to rescue us," I said. "When we find them, I think they'll be proud of us for coming together too."

  Our conversation was cut short by the discovery of some food, which also provided a good opportunity to rest, something we all needed. The food wasn't much and certainly nothing tasty or filling, but the storm had unearthed some edible roots. If there was nothing better to eat, such as the crusty sole of one's shoe, for example, River People sometimes boiled these roots up and pretended they didn't taste like slimy dirt. But when I bit into one, I decided they were even worse raw. I offered mine to Weevil, who offered both of ours to Della, who said they weren't so bad and ate them down. The thrushweed must've numbed her sense of taste.

  At our next stop to rest, we found several blueberries, which tasted perfect. The bush was cleared before any of us were ready to stop eating, but Della brightened up afterward and insisted on walking the rest of the way there.

  "It's a relief not to carry her," Weevil whispered to me a few minutes later.

  "Why?" I asked. "Are you afraid your muscles were getting too big from all that work?"

  He grinned and brushed a hand down one arm. "I just didn't want these muscles to tear my shirt."

  We laughed, and when Della asked why, Weevil quickly said, "Ani is jealous that I've been carrying you all day. She wishes it had been her."

  That deserved an even louder laugh from me. And a sharp elbow to Weevil's side.

  Hills gradually rose along the island's shores, particularly as we moved farther west. It bothered me to realize how well traveled our trail was. Had wardens carved out this path, beginning at the door Weevil found in the fence and leading to the ship? If so, why? And more important, when would they be on this trail again?

  "Look!" Jonas said, pointing southward.

  We had just rounded a bend in the trail, which gave us our first look at the southern end of Attic Island. We were higher in elevation than the shore but a wide beach opened up ahead. Until last night, it had probably been made of beautiful white sand, but now it was cluttered with fallen tree branches and whatever sea litter had washed ashore with the tide.

  Most notably, however, a large vessel had washed onto the beach, which was probably all that had kept it from sinking in the storm. The ship had been braced by boards to keep it upright, but there was clear damage to the hull. A crew of maybe twenty men was already hard at work making repairs on it.

  We couldn't risk being seen by these strangers before knowing a little more about who they were, so we shrank back into the cover of the foliage. Our tracks would show there, but at least we'd be out of sight. When we came to a clearing, Weevil suddenly grabbed my arm and yanked me down low, behind a fallen tree. Jonas and Della crouched beside us.

  "What's wrong?" I asked.

  "The flag," Weevil whispered. "Look again."

  I rose up just enough to catch a glimpse of the ship's flag, shredded in the winds and wrapped around its post, but I knew the orange and gray colors well enough. It was the flag of Dulan.

  "This isn't right," Della said. "Dulan and Keldan are enemy countries. They must've washed ashore in the storm."

  "It's the ship I saw last night," Weevil said. "It was here before the storm began."

  "Do you think they're planning an attack on Keldan?" Della asked.

  "I heard Dulan wouldn't come anywhere near this island," Jonas said. "That they were too afraid of the Scourge."

  "Unless Dulan knows the Scourge isn't real," I said. "Which would mean they are here in cooperation with the governor." My mind raced. "We know that Keldan citizens are given the Scourge, then forcibly taken to the Colony where they get so sick, it finally breaks their spirit, their will to fight. Once they are broken, wardens bring them into the infirmary and help them get better."

  Weevil looked at me with widened eyes. "And once they get better, the wardens escort them out of the infirmary, and take them here. But why?"

  "I think I know," I mumbled. "Before I left Keldan, Governor Felling told me I was a servant now. I think that was the exact truth. That's what the Scourge Colony is--a breeding place for people to be sold to Dulan as servants!"

  "But why would the governor do that to her own citizens?" Jonas asked.

  Della drew in a sharp breath. "What if she doesn't have a choice? Keldan was out of money--my father said our country was all but bankrupt. Then right before the elections a year ago, the governor suddenly had enough money for the country's needs. This must be how she got it!"

  "And that's why she said that the Scourge was helping Keldan," I said. "To save us, she will destroy our people."

  "She is still destroying us," Jonas said, pointing down the hillside.

  Not far below, four wardens led by Warden Gossel and ending with Warden Brogg were escorting a group of nine people toward the ship. Nine people whom I had failed to rescue from the infirmary last night. Nine people who were about to discover a horrible reality. The Scourge was not a disease carrying a death sentence. The Scourge was servitude, carrying a life sentence.

  While Jonas waited high on the hillside with Della, Weevil and I decided to sneak as low as possible to overhear the conversation between the Dulanian sailor and the wardens. It was a huge risk, but we had to find out as much as we could.

  The sailor who greeted Warden Gossel was clearly upset. "My name is Bartek, and I'm in command here. We expected you last night."

  "There was a storm last night," Gossel said without humor. "Perhaps you noticed it." Even from here, I could see a bulging bruise on his forehead. Maybe he had a bulging headache too, or at least, I hoped he did.

  "We haven't seen you in a while, Warden Gossel, so you might have forgotten our agreement. If a storm is coming, you must deliver the slaves early so we can get off the shore." He pointed behind him. "Look at my ship now!"

  "No one forced you to wait here," Gossel said. "You should have left."

  "I will not return to Dulan with an empty ship," Bartek said. "Your governor was already paid for these slaves. She should have delivered them on time."

  "My apologies, then," Gossel said, sounding more humble now. "We were delayed by more than a storm."

  "You've never been delayed before. Why now?"

  He cleared his throat. "We brought a couple of young people into the Colony from the river country. River People are not ... cooperative. One of them, a girl, caused us particular trouble. We couldn't leave the Colony until she was under control."

  Beside me, Weevil squeezed my arm and beamed with pride. I felt happy too, that I had caused enough trouble to get Warden Gossel into some trouble of his own.

  "And is this ... child who made life difficult for so many grown men finally under control?"

  Gossel hesitated, then said, "She fell into the snake pit last night. We found her boots still there."

  "So her boots fell victim to our snakes. How tragic. Where is the rest of her?"

  "Probably drowned."

  Maybe that sounded plausible to Bartek, but Gossel would've kno
wn that was a lie. That room didn't set fire to itself.

  "You have the Colonists now," Gossel continued. "Take them and be gone. We'll have more ready for you next week."

  Bartek looked over the group. "We were promised ten, but I only see nine slaves."

  "The girl--she released some of the prisoners who were supposed to be here."

  "And was this before or after the snakes got her?"

  Gossel stiffened, but continued on. "We grabbed a few others this morning. It should make no difference to you who we bring, as long as they're ready to serve."

  As long as they're broken. That's what Gossel meant.

  "We were promised ten," Bartek said. "Or do you want me to report to my commander that Keldan does not honor its commitments?"

  Warden Gossel scuffed his boot on the sandy beach and in a quieter voice said, "The warden at the back, the larger man. You can have him."

  Brogg. He was staring at the sand beneath his boots right now, with no idea of what Gossel had just done. By then, I'd gotten a better look at who the wardens had brought with them. Marjorie was here, and Clement, and three of the men who had helped me on the treadmill. I doubted that was a coincidence.

  "He'll do," the sailor said of Brogg. "We'll add him to our ship's crew, along with the others."

  "Fine." Gossel waved his arm forward, and the wardens continued escorting the Colonists toward the ship. On a signal from Bartek, once they were close enough to the ship, more sailors pounced upon Warden Brogg, quickly disarming him and dragging him alongside the beached ship toward the rest of the Colonists. Brogg struggled at first and cried for help, but no one responded. After a few loud threats by the sailors, he merely gave up and began to comply with whatever orders they were giving him. Gossel turned away when it happened, as if it bothered him to betray one of his own men. Funny that it hadn't also bothered him to betray nine of his own citizens.

  I had Weevil's hand in mine again and we sat there, frozen in place, while the wardens finished their business at the beach. Then Gossel turned and ordered his remaining men to walk back to the Colony.

  "You gave up one of our own?" a warden grumbled as he passed Gossel. "Will you give me up next week?"

  "Keep complaining, and I might!" Gossel replied. "What else can I do? It's those grubs who caused this. I warned the governor not to take River People, I told her this could happen, but she said that the punishment had to be honored."