Give Them Wineby Mary Brunini McArdleBook I
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| Chapter 19 |
In the mid-22nd century, a mysterious apocalyptic event has destroyed the world as we know it. In the Mississippi delta country, survivors reorganize in isolated enclaves and live in primitive conditions with little knowledge of their own history.
Donas, a beautiful, bright, curious girl on the verge of womanhood, discovers that her community is hiding a terrible secret: drug-induced conformity. She flees, taking her younger brother Mak and sister Rani with her. They make their way south and find a new life with a new people. They find hope, love and maybe some trace of their own past that might point the way to the future.
Following the telling of Donas’s story, Sebastian’s family group arrived home to find an old woman waiting for them. She leaned heavily on a walking stick, her lined face anxious. It turned out she was Alfreda’s neighbor.
“Barrett,” the old woman said, “Alfreda sent me to fetch you. I had to wait here because of my knees — I couldn’t make it up the hill.”
Barrett touched the old woman’s hand. “I know that. You needn’t apologize. But — is something wrong? Is — is Alfreda—”
“I think she is in hard labor, but it’s not going well.”
“Sebastian...” Frightened, Barrett looked at her husband.
“I think we should go over there now, all three of us,” Sewella interjected. “Donas, would you mind waiting here with Rani? I don’t want to disturb Lionel at his work unless it is really necessary.”
“Of course, Sewella.” Donas took Rani’s hand. “We’ll go inside and have some tea.”
“I don’t want any tea,” Rani said, once she and Donas were in the kitchen. “I’m tired. I want to go to bed.”
“Please, Rani, sit up with me just a few minutes. I’m tired too.”
Rani sat in silence playing with the ends of her plaits while Donas drank her tea. When Donas finished, she took Rani’s hand to lead her to their bedroom. They had just begun to get out their sleepwear when Sewella came in.
“Donas,” Sewella said breathlessly, “I need you to do something for me.”
“What is it?”
“Things are going badly with Alfreda. We think the baby is in the wrong position. She’s begging for her husband. Could you — would you go to the Storyteller’s Hall and tell him that for me? I need to get back to Alfreda’s house right away.”
Donas gulped. The last place she wanted to go late at night was that building. But how could she refuse?
“Rani, get in your bed. Sewella, I’ll take the message to Heath. You go back to Alfreda and your parents.”
“Thank you, Donas.” Sewella paused in the doorway, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “Oh, Donas, I’m so scared.”
“I know, Sewella. I know. You’ll feel better when you’re with her — that’s where you should be.”
“Why is Sewella scared, Donas?” Rani said drowsily.
“Because Alfreda is having difficulty giving birth.”
“Why?”
“Oh, Rani, I don’t know that much about it. Will you be my good little sister and stay here in the bed? It will be well if you could fall asleep. Mak and Lionel should be here soon.”
“I’m thirsty, Donas.”
Donas went impatiently over to the table and poured Rani some water from their jug. “Here, Rani. Now, I must go.”
Taking a lighted candle with her, Donas left the house. She cupped her hand around the flame and walked as fast as she dared, not wanting the flame to go out. The candle cast ghostly shadows ahead of her as she made her way toward the center of the City. It was awkward without a free hand to lift the skirt of the yellow dress; twice she nearly tripped. The more progress she made, the further she was from family dwellings where there was some light. The street became darker and darker.
The Guards stood in dignified silence in front of the building, which appeared even more sinister at night. Donas placed the candle on the pavement and knelt in front of Heath.
“My apologies for disturbing you at your work, Heath. But I am here on an urgent errand. Alfreda is having trouble and is asking for you.”
“No! She is not alone, is she?”
“Your parents and Sewella are there.”
Heath turned to his companion. “Pickering, I don’t think our honor will be jeopardized if I leave for a brief period, especially at this late hour when all is quiet. I’ll have Lionel find a substitute for me and send him to finish out the night.”
“Of course. See to your wife.”
Donas stood staring as Heath set off for home. ‘I can’t believe this,’ she thought. ‘Here I am, at this building, and there is only one Guard. And I have a fire stick. Is he going to march by himself? I could go inside! I could find out once and for all if there is anything to fear about these people! Better that I do it before I am wed — then there will be nothing to come between me and my love for Lionel — and our happiness.’
Donas stepped away, pretending she was leaving. She glanced furtively over her shoulder as the solitary Guard faced an invisible partner. As soon as he changed positions and began walking toward the outside corner of his side of the building, Donas gathered as much of her dress in one hand as she could and ran for the entrance.
‘I have about twenty strides with his back to me,’ she thought. ‘I must be out of sight before he turns again.’
There was the entrance, opening easily. Donas crept inside, and sheltered the candle with her hand to conceal its light. There wasn’t much to see on the lower floor, a single large room, empty except for several stashes of spears in the corners along with bolts of white material and a brick staircase leading to the upper level. The floor was of polished stone; small ventilation openings were near the ceiling.
Donas looked behind just once. The Guard had not come after her. She began to climb the stairs. The flickering candle made them seem uneven and precarious.
At the top there was a small landing and an arched doorway opening into a spacious chamber. Donas stood at the entry for a moment. From there she could barely make out some of the furnishings — several tables and chairs.
She glanced upward as she stepped inside and saw ventilation slits high up, just under the roof. She held the candle out in front, squinting into the darkness. Then she froze in horror.
Amidst little pots and several small objects that looked like feathers, there were things spread out on the tables; things nearly identical to something unpleasant and familiar — the parchment copy of THE ROSE. Some of the things were worn and faded and old, others appeared new.
As if — as if someone had been making them! But the worst was an incomplete page on top of one of the tables. There were markings that looked like this: “Known Species of Flowers from McCormick’s Garden Catalog.” Naturally Donas didn’t understand the meaning of the markings. But there was a sketch of a rosebud — and that she understood very well.
Donas felt bile rising in her throat. ‘I’m going to vomit,’ she thought. ‘I’ve got to get out of here.’
Before she could move, someone spoke from behind her. “Now, Donas, you know the truth at last. I’m almost sorry you had to find it out.”
To be continued...
Copyright © 2011 by Mary Brunini McArdle
