Gateway To Vallis, page 37
“Look at him . . .” Dawa held the baby outward before finding a small, soft blanket to wrap him in. “You have another son, and he is beautiful.”
“We have another son, Dawa. He belongs to all of us, just like the one you are carrying will. He is perfect.” He was lighter-skinned than Charlie, but skin tones changed as they grew. He was nearly bald, where Charlie had been born with dark wisps of hair. His perfectly rounded face and chubby cheeks were tinged in red, which was probably due to crying. He was silent now, though his eyes were wide open after Dawa had wiped them clean.
“Do I get to see him? After all I went through? Bring him to me,” Cecelia called from the bed. She was propped up by pillows and though she seemed angry, once Dawa set the baby in her arms, her entire demeanor changed to that of a loving, doting, nurturing mama.
“What will we name him?” Reuben felt such a burst of joy. Another son—another blessing from the gods.
“Could we name him Fendol, after my brother?” Cecelia didn’t take her eyes off the child. Her chubby fingers softly touched the skin around his face, scalp, and chest.
Reuben glanced at Electra to see her reaction—after all, Fendol was the man she had intended to marry at one time. Would that be a painful reminder? But she smiled and gave a slight nod. “Fendol would be a wonderful name.”
Fendol was barely two weeks old when Reuben set sail for the gateway. He had plenty of time to spare, but he wanted to make an extra stop along the way. When they realized they needed to move some of the iron from the warehouses in Zuska, they decided to build a new warehouse farther down the coast. Joe located the small fishing village of Lewis about two hundred leagues to the west, and they were able to purchase a large tract of land and built a warehouse to store not only iron, but extra crates and barrels of wine and whiskey. The location was hidden away from sight, yet close enough to provide extra supplies without having to travel across the ocean.
If the second ship was successful in retrieving Stella’s child, they planned to rendezvous in Lewis. Reuben made sure that supplies for carrying a newborn were available when they arrived. Since Fendol’s birth, Reuben wanted more than anything to return to Masemba before his next two babies were born. Dawa was farther along than Electra by a couple of weeks, and she was positive that her child was female. “Like healers, seers are almost always female.” He was informed when he asked. “Mother’s vision was of a first-born seer; this vision she claimed was undeniable, along with being necessary to the future safety of the empire.”
If everything went according to plan, he should return home with time to spare before his first daughter was born. The seer of Grindle had also stated that he would be surrounded by all five talents. Electra informed him that Charlie had a good chance of inheriting his travel talent. If their firstborn had been female, she may have had healer talent. Since baby Fendol was Cecelia’s first born, he could inherit her reader talent. If that was the case, he would have three children with three of the five first-born talents. Electra was a healer, so he had four talents covered. How could he possibly sire any child with fire talent? Where women dominated seer and healing, men dominated fire, almost exclusively. Reuben didn’t even know anyone with fire talent in their bloodline. He had heard that the royal family of Carrabon did, but Reuben had no idea how that could help his cause.
After ensuring everything was in order in Lewis, Reuben’s next stop was Zuska. Joe had hired extra men to help them once they reached the gateway. If the amount of metal was similar to the last time, they would need to haul it down a steep slope to the river. Once there, they had rafts to float the crates before reaching the road back to Zuska.
Due to all the changes in his life recently, Reuben wanted to find the seer that worked out of Zuska. Electra and Greene had once employed her for a telling, and he hoped she might be able to make sense of where he was headed. Dawa’s mother was a well-respected seer, but it wouldn’t hurt to have a second opinion.
Unfortunately, he found where the seer had once resided and learned she was no longer available. Some of the nearby merchants claimed she had been evicted for not paying rent, while another claimed she left for a family emergency, and still another believed she had died. Regardless of what had happened to the woman, she had disappeared nearly a year earlier, and no one had seen or heard from her since.
They spent a couple of days unwinding in town. This gave Reuben a chance to rent wagons, horses, and a few mules to help them on their return. Most of the men would set up a camp a short distance away from where the gateway would appear. Only a few trusted members knew where the iron originated from, while the rest believed they were meeting the suppliers in the forest to exchange the metal for gold. Reuben worried if they set the camp any closer one or more may be tempted to cross over between worlds in hopes of a better life, but instead were burned to a crisp in the process.
Once Reuben opened the door, he found both Oliver and Rusty waiting for him like the last time. They both seemed much older and leaner than before. They had aged two years to his one, but it appeared to be more like ten years. They seemed so worn and tired. Had something terrible occurred? War? Famine? He had little time to discuss the world if he wanted to move all the supplies.
“Oh, Rube, you look as hale and healthy as the last time. We have so much to tell you but most, if not all, is written in our letters. I’m afraid Rusty wasn’t able to get near the same value for the gems. What we originally believed was a simple recession turned out to be much more devastating. You’ll read all about it. The entire world’s economy tanked, and what seems to be a world at war is on the horizon.” Oliver’s tone held such sadness, which was matched when Reuben caught a closer look at his face. Life was never perfect anywhere, but Reuben felt embarrassed by all his good fortune. Sure, he had problems and many dangerous situations to deal with, but he was surrounded by a large, loyal group of friends and family.
“Let me slide these crates across so I can hear more. I don’t need to receive the complete order of iron. I’ll look through the accounts once I have the time, so don’t worry about that. If either of you needs anything, you know that you’re welcome to those funds, right?”
“We have already been blessed by our association, Rube. We are some of the few lucky ones who will come out the other side strong enough to rebuild, but many others will not.” Oliver wasn’t especially muscular or strong, but he did his share in the tugging and pulling of the crates. There were far fewer than what Reuben had planned, but he was still thankful for any.
“Check the markings on the crates, Reuben.” Rusty pointed out the stenciling along the tops and sides. “Some of this came from the steel plants in Pittsburgh—you had mentioned wanting to find some. The steel mills have been commandeered for the war effort, so we won’t be able to get much more until things settle. I’ve all the accounts in order. As Oliver said, we are sitting better than most, and that is due to you and what we had begun before the bottom fell out of the economy.”
Reuben had formed dozens of questions in his mind before arriving, but now he couldn’t think of a single one that was relevant. He would need to wait to read their letters and hope some of his questions would be answered. Both his friends peppered him with questions as they worked. They seemed amused when he attempted to explain his three wives and some of the petty rivalries and arguments that arose while all three of them were pregnant.
By the time the last crate slid across, Reuben only had a few safe moments to say farewell before the gateway would disappear. He could not take a chance on it closing before he left. “I doubt if I’ll return at the next opportunity. Within my correspondence is an updated timeline, and I’ve circled several of the dates when I will try to return. Take care of yourselves, my friends.” Reuben hugged them both before stepping across. He still felt the disjointed sensation but had learned to ignore the dizziness. He closed the doorway and was ready to move forward. They moved all the crates down the slope before joining the camp where most of the crew were waiting. Reuben was overjoyed to discover they had erected a small tent and had a comfortable pallet set up inside for him to sleep on.
They worked hard the following day and made it back to the city after dark. Joe led the crews to the warehouse area to store their cargo before finding rooms for the night. “We could go aboard ship, but I’d rather have a warm meal before we set sail tomorrow.”
“I agree. Some hot food and cool ale to wash down the dust from the road. I’ll get us a table at Eleanora’s and meet you there. The tavern wasn’t the biggest or the best, but Reuben liked the food and because it wasn’t considered a pleasure house, most of the rowdy sailors spent their evenings elsewhere.
He recalled the last time he had left the portal with an armful of letters and how excited he was to read them, but this time felt different. If he had to put a name to it, he would say he felt dread and trepidation. He had seen how the last two years weighed on his friends, so it was hard to believe any good news would be discovered on those pages. Reuben set the packs of letters aside and tried not the think about them. Tomorrow, they would sail toward the port of Lewis and, hopefully, meet up with their other ship.
The crew spent the morning loading most of the crates into the cargo hold of the ship. Reuben helped where he could but was often called to check out one thing or another. Many of the boxes were labeled with notes with his name on them—books, cloth, modern utensils, and even some battery-operated gadgets. He didn’t know how he would change batteries and he wondered why they would send a radio when there were no radio stations in the entire world of Vallis? Maybe he could find someone interested in learning how to construct something similar.
Once the ship was ready, Reuben slumped to the deck and rummaged through the stack of letters. He might as well learn what was going on in the old world. Oliver had stacked the letters from oldest to newest with a ribbon tied securely around the stack. He recalled that Oliver’s wife had been pregnant with their second child the last time they spoke, and he discovered through the letters that she lost the child at seven months and died a month later due to complications. Oliver made an additional note that he believed she had lost her will to live. The baby would have been the daughter she had desired. He still had Harold, now five—Reuben checked the date on the letter and realized that Harold would now be six—and starting school.
He set the remainder aside and pulled out some of the accounting ledgers Rusty had sent. The investments weren’t doing well, but they still seemed to have plenty in reserve. The gems weren’t as valuable, but Rusty decided to hang onto most of the flawless diamonds and the larger of the other jewels until things turned around. “If we all go to war, history shows a time of prosperity generally follows war,” Rusty wrote, and Reuben hoped that proved true.
The entrance into the little hidden cove where they built the warehouse north of Lewis was difficult to see from afar. Woodland surrounded all but a narrow inlet, which wound south for a short distance and then west. The Rose of Alvetus was anchored near the shoreline, easily visible once they poled the ship around the final bend. Joe neatly navigated his larger vessel, Hoosier, alongside it.
Reuben’s eyes were on the shore, where several men stood watching their arrival and a young woman sat against a tree trunk with a wrapped bundle on her lap. Stella’s baby? Reuben sent a grateful prayer to the gods if that was the case. He couldn’t save Stella, but maybe he could save her child. He jumped off before they prepared the planking and rushed toward the group. Moke had taken the position of captain aboard the Rose, and he stepped forward with a rolled parchment in hand.
“What’s this?” As Reuben unrolled the top, he found a familiar code. The informant and Sam had come up with a way to keep their correspondence private, even if it were intercepted. Reuben had learned the code several years earlier, though it had been a long time since he needed to decipher it. He glanced over at the woman holding the child and was unable to contain a gasp of surprise. She looked remarkably like his first love, Sophia—same coloring, same bright eyes. Though this woman’s eyes were a light blue, the shape of them combined with her mouth and nose were nearly identical. “What’s your name?” Reuben stepped toward her.
“She can’t speak,” Moke answered. “Something might be in the missive, but she’s had her tongue cut out. It wasn’t recent. We found the goats and other supplies you left for us. The baby has been taken care of. I’ve never seen one so quiet, though. She hardly ever cries and seems content to snuggle with the woman.”
Reuben sat next to the woman and baby and unfurled the message. He attempted to gather his wits, but the proximity of Sophia’s lookalike was unnerving. Sophia would have been a little older and her hair had been longer, but the resemblance was uncanny. He looked the symbols over and came up with the sequence and meaning. “Fern?” He looked over at the woman, who smiled shyly and nodded. “Holly?” Reuben pointed at the baby, and Fern moved the baby and kissed its forehead dreamily. She loved the baby—that much was clear—and according to the message, Fern would come along with the child to watch over her and ensure her safety She was given instructions that if the overlord somehow captured them, Fern was to kill the child and then herself. And at that moment, Reuben vowed that the overlord would never learn of their whereabouts.
38
FERN AND HOLLY
Though prohibition came to an end, war was threatened from several directions. The Nazis were marching across Europe, while Italy, Russia, and Japan were all involved in political maneuvers of their own. America is suffering the worst depression in history. Normal food staples are being rationed, while farmers are going bankrupt across the once-prosperous nation. I can’t help but feel guilty for my good fortune.
- Emperor Tadesse
Since Fern seemed to understand most of the Welly language, Reuben went to work immediately on developing ways for her to communicate. He knew that Sam had books on American Sign Language because they had arrived in his first shipment of books. Reuben had never bothered to read them—had never needed to—but now he wished he had at least an idea about how it worked.
As long as they had the time, he worked endlessly with Fern. Though he didn’t recall the exact symbols for the letters of the alphabet, they created some of their own. He wrote out all the letters on a sheet of parchment, then sounded them out for her. Fern proved to be highly intelligent and picked up the process quickly. Since her hearing was exceptional, she caught the various sounds of letter combinations, and by the end of their voyage when Reuben pronounced a new word, she could write it out correctly nearly every time.
The ship docked in Masemba and to offload some of the cargo, and Joe planned to sail on to Wellington with the remaining supplies. They had crates of farming supplies for the province of Alvetus, and additional textbooks and teaching aids for Sam’s schools in Dankin. In one of Oliver’s letters, he explained the contents of a small box. It contained several board games and decks of playing cards. One of the games was a board game called ‘Monopoly,’ which Oliver thought he would enjoy since it was all about making money. Reuben set in with his other personal crates which would be taken to the palace.
He was surprised to find a well-rounded Electra waiting for him by the dock holding Charlie’s hand. Reuben hadn’t been gone long, but the lad seemed to double in size. He wasn’t sure if his son remembered him. At barely two years old, he didn’t think he would, but the excitement of seeing the ships arrive was evident. Electra looked happy but tired. Her eyes went directly to Fern, who carried Holly bundled against the cool evening breeze.
Reuben helped Fern to disembark before reaching for Charlie and giving Electra a careful hug. “You look beautiful, my love,” Reuben whispered. She scoffed, but hugged him tightly. “And look at this young man. Charlie, you have grown into a handsome lad.” Charlie giggled when Reuben picked him up and twirled him around.
As he set his son down, he realized that Fern stood beside him and introduced the women. “Holly is Stella’s child. I’ll show you the message when we get home. I think they will be safe with us inside the palace, but we need to invent a cover story before anyone spreads rumors.”
The carriage ride was not long, but they developed a believable back-story for their new arrivals. They didn’t think Holly would look much like Fern as she grew, so they decided on a sad version, close to the truth. The story would claim the family was decimated by floods in a small valley east of the Sabra Mountains. Their small cabin on the outskirts of town was demolished, and the village suffered many casualties. Several members of Fern’s family died, and others left to seek aid in a neighboring village, but they never returned. When Fern’s cousin went into labor, she was the only one available to help deliver the baby. Holly’s mother made her promise to care for the child if she didn’t make it. When she died, Fern carried her cherished burden into the Kashi Forest, hoping to come across some much-needed assistance, and met up with Reuben and his crew.
Electra pointed out possible problems with the story. “What if someone wants to know the name of the village? Or the name of the family?”
“Since Fern cannot speak, we have a reasonable excuse to not know all the details. As long as no rumor of dragonkin surfaces, we should be fine. Right, Fern?” She had listened closely to their discussion, nodding occasionally. She gave Reuben her ‘okay’ sign by bending her thumb and index fingertips to form a circle. “See, she’s fine with the story. As soon as we get the sign language books from your father, I want to begin training for the entire palace, including the staff. Fern will be able to speak with her hands, but we need to recognize her words.”
They arrived at the palace entryway before Reuben had a chance to ask about his new son, Fendol, or how Dawa was doing. He didn’t have long to wait as he glanced up at the doorway and found them all standing on the porch. Cecelia was holding Fendol, who was squirming and squealing. He was so different than the peaceful, quiet Holly, who was wide awake and seemed to take in the world through wide, intelligent eyes.
