Spanners - The Fountain of Youth (8 page)

“Brogg can only defend against the populous for so long,” said Trey.

“I’ve never heard of the populous,” said Mayfly. “What are they?”

“A spanner class that Juan’s steward Balthasar controls,” said Trey. “They’re a mob with one
mind.”

“Like you?” asked Mayfly
.

“Not quite,”
said Trey. “They live their lifespans with a thousand consciousnesses, all mixed together and spread out evenly. You can’t reason with them; there are just too many voices and thoughts floating amongst their collective psyche. Juan has Balthasar send the populous on these riots to pick up spanners and bring them back to his compound.”

There was a clank and
a grunt as the populous started attacking Brogg outside.

“Brogg’s fighting
the mob off,” said Trey. “But he won’t last more than a minute; we need answers.”

Mayfly thought for a moment.

“We can’t fight them,” said Mayfly, “but can we hide from them somehow?”

“No,” said Trey. “The populous
see anything that’s different from them and destroys it.”

Mayfly thought for a moment longer.

“Then that’s it,” said Mayfly with a smile. “We’ll join the riot. If we fight alongside them, they won’t see us.”

/***/

Brogg ran with the empty dumpster bin and threw it through a plate glass window. He chose to throw it through an abandoned storefront, and so far they were all fitting into the mob without hurting any innocent people. But when the police showed up with tear gas, it enraged the mob further. Whenever Mayfly eased up on the violence just a little, someone from the populous would start beating him. So Mayfly continued to fight and so did the rest of his team.

“The cops need about ten more minutes to contain everyone, so we have to make it count
!” yelled Trey. “We can get arrested by the police, but we can’t get dragged to Juan’s compound.”

Mayfly saw a small bakery that was empty
and figured he could do ten minutes of damage to it without completely destroying it. He took a brick and threw it through the front door, avoiding the plate glass window at the storefront. He looked outside and saw that the rest of his gang were taking care of themselves, so he looked for a place where he could do minimal damage.
Or better yet
, he thought,
hide.

Mayfly scanned the room and found a walk-in pantry in the back of the kitchen.
The populous will never find me there,
he thought,
and if they do, I’ll hear them coming in.

Mayfly went to the back room and opened the pantry. When he did, an old man hiding inside came out carrying a baseball bat. From the man’s demeanor, Mayfly could tell it was the
storeowner, and that the old man was blind.

“Easy,” said Mayfly.

“Stay away,” said the old man in a thick accent.

“You got it, sir,” said Mayfly. “But I’m here to tell you—”

“Stay away!” said the man.

“I will, sir!” said Mayfly
. “But I’m here to tell you that those aren’t just rioters outside. If they see you in here, they’ll—”

There was a
crash!
as the plate glass window of the main storefront shattered and smoke billowed in. One of the populous had thrown a tear gas canister through the glass, and the old man started to cough. Mayfly saw police in the streets, but he also saw ten vacant-eyed populous spanners coming in through the shattered window. He figured if he could hold them off for a minute, the police would have enough time to stop the riot, and the man would be fine.

“I’m gonna have you hide, sir,” said Mayfly.

“But I—”

“Unless they’re the cops, hit anyone who comes through that door,” said Mayfly.

In a flash, Mayfly shoved the old man and his baseball bat into the pantry, and then bolted the heavy door behind him. Mayfly turned around and saw the ten populous spanners staring at him with dead, faintly glowing eyes.

Mayfly looked around and
searched for a weapon; he only needed something that could hold them off until the cops came. One of the stools had fallen on the ground, and without taking his eyes away from the approaching populous, Mayfly put his hand on one of the metal legs and wrenched it off. He thought for a moment that he might resume destroying the store, but couldn’t bear to do any more damage. He held the metal rod up like a sword and then stared at the approaching group.

“Are you
… one of … us?” three of them said simultaneously, their eyes glowing through the haze.

“The cops outside might think so,” said Mayfly. “But no, I’m not.”

The populous stopped to think, and then spoke again.

“Are you a mayfly?” they asked. “We gather
… mayflies.”

“That’s my spanner class,” said Mayfly. “But you won’t be gathering me
, or my kind
, not today.”

Mayfly charged at them with his pole. They were quite effective as a swarm, but in a pack of ten they were slow and easy to fight. Mayfly
knew he only had a few moments before the cops showed up, but a few moments was all he would need. He just wanted to send a message to their collective consciousness that if they were ever sent to collect a mayfly again, they should think twice.

PHOE

Isla del Sol, Bolivia

Kalar awoke at dawn in the meadow and had no idea how she had arrived there. She went to the shore and splashed her face with the waters of Lake Titicaca and saw her reflection in the water after she dried herself off: she had clear, soft skin, thick golden hair that fell around her face like a picture frame, and two large brown eyes. She stood up and then returned to the interior of the island, trying to piece together the night before as she walked. She couldn’t quite remember what had happened; it was only a haze. As she got up to face the sunrise, a few memories came back to her; she had a feeling of great despair, sadness and then anger, but she couldn’t remember any details. She remembered leaving her room to cool off outside, and then … nothing.
Did I go to the—?
she thought, but she was interrupted by a younger sister, a girl named Fiora.

“Kalar,” said Fiora. “Master Chergon’s barn was burnt to cinders last night. Did the fumes make you pass out?”

“Burnt to cinders?” asked Kalar. “But it’s—”

“They think Dano did it,” said Fiora.

“Dano didn’t do it,” said Kalar. “He would never do anything like that.”

“Love can drive people to do awful things,” said Fiora. “We should talk to Porella right now.”

“But she married Master Chergon only yesterday!” said Kalar.

“Master Chergon’s sick,” said Fiora, “and she’s crying. We should talk to her.”

/***/

Kalar reasoned that perhaps Dano
had
burnt down the barn; he was in love with Porella, and she with him. But Master Chergon took her to be his fifth wife (
his fifth!
), so that was that. Kalar didn’t believe it to be true at first because Chergon was three times Porella’s age, but now Kalar consoled her friend as the girl wept bitter tears.

“Dano
didn’t burn down the barn,” said Porella. “They framed him.”

“Master Chergon would never—” said Kalar.

“They framed him,” said Porella.

After a brief pause, Fiora spoke.

“Porella, you should be happy you’re marrying our leader; your ascent into Heaven is now—”

“
I want Dano, not Heaven,” said Porella, “and I don’t want to marry our Master! It’s not right!”

Kalar wanted to tell Porella
to run away, but didn’t have the courage to say it. Kalar could do nothing but repeat what she’d been taught for years.

“It’s every girl’s dream t
o marry the Master,” said Kalar. “It assures your ascent into Heaven.”

In response, Porella slapped Kalar’s face
. After a moment, she kissed Kalar on the cheek and started to cry again.

“I’m sorry,” said Porella. “It’
s not
my
dream to marry the Master.”

“I understand,” said Kalar.

“You may come to understand more than you think,” said Porella with a touch of sympathy and not a hint of malice. “There are rumors that the Master wants to marry you next.”

Kalar’s heart sank at the thought. She’d never thought that she would marry
at all
, let alone marry
the Master.
He was three times Porella’s age, but
four times
hers! How could she marry a man such as their Master? He had taught them since she was young; he was to be wise and trusted, not to be married! She allowed herself to calm down, and then had a sudden thought.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this rumor
, thought Kalar. Girls were teasing her about this yesterday, and it made her feel so bad that she
had to go for a walk
. It was then that she blacked out and—

“Kalar,” said Porella, interrupting. “When I told you the Master was interested in you, what did you think?”

Kalar tried to come up with a lie, but couldn’t think of anything to say; she had never been good at lying.

“Deep sadness,” said Kalar. “That’s all I thought. Deep sadness.”

“Fiora, did you see it?” asked Porella.

Fiora nodded.

“What?” asked Kalar.

“Right after I told you about Chergon
, your eyes flashed,” said Porella. “They seemed to glow orange.”

/***/

“I’ll have to give the sermon,” said Brother Bocephalus. “Master Chergon is feeling a little … indisposed.”

Brother Bocephalus took the lectern and coughed twice; wet, deep coughs. He was built like a bear, but his voice was calm and soft, even through his wet coughs.

“I’m feeling a little under the weather myself,” said Brother Bocephalus. “Something’s going around.”

Kalar heard a few sniffles in the audience and looked around to see that quite a few people were
ill. Kalar felt fine and all her friends seemed fine, but the elders in particular looked like they all had the flu.

“But sickness is part of God’s world,” said Brother Bocephalus, “as is death, disparity, cruelty and suffering. In our former homes we denied God’s truth, that the world was a place of
cold, hard lines
, with suffering a part of God’s plan. The dark truth of our existence may be harsh to our ears, but God’s reality is all around us, and we have but two options: deny it, or accept it and obey
His
rules. God didn’t make humans because he needed us to love Him, because God doesn’t
need
our love.

“God didn’t make humans to love each other either
, and His will is evidenced by nature. For if a lioness devours a deer in front of its fawns, is that evil? If the deer evades the lioness and the cat’s cubs die of starvation, is that an abomination?

“Neither occurrences are wrong
because they’re both God’s will. Reality may appear harsh to us, it may seem cruel, but it’s not unjust. God made the universe simply
as it is
, and the rules that He set just
are
. We are blessed to have the only being on earth that can interpret those rules in Master Chergon, and from Master Chergon’s blessed lips we will learn truth.

“The world outside our island enclave seeks only to deny the truth that Master Chergon disseminates, but we accept it and follow the Master.”

Brother Bocephalus stopped speaking to get a glass of water. He coughed twice, and Kalar noticed two odd pustules were growing from his neck.

“But to some of you, truth might still not be good enough. You might ask yourself, ‘
Why? Why should I follow the Master?’

“And I tell you
, in the harshest of terms, that the world is coming to an end and God doesn’t care what happens to you individually, for we’re but a colony of ants in God’s holy garden. I’ll also tell you that amongst other holy truths, God has magnanimously lent Master Chergon
the path to Heaven
. There is but one road to God’s firmament, and this road doesn’t belong to the deserving, the good, the bad, the swift deer or the hungry lioness. This path just
is,
and only Master Chergon knows its way. And when Master Chergon goes to Heaven in the end times, it’s up to us to hang on to his coattails, or stay behind and burn.”

Brother Bocephalus coughed once more into his handkerchief. Kalar noticed that
drops of blood had stained the cloth.

“We are all Chergon’s children,” said Bocephalus. “And it’s our decision to follow him to
Heaven or not. So do as Chergon says, for when our souls ascend to paradise, he’ll not come back for those left behind; that’s not God’s way. It’s not fair, it’s not soft, and it’s not warm. The truth just
is.
”

/***/

Kalar was doing her chores later that day when she noticed that one of the native Bolivians was coughing. Kalar put down her bucket and went over to the woman and noticed the same pustules that had started to grow on the other village elders. The boils didn’t look nearly as bad on the woman’s dark skin, and the woman wasn’t coughing as badly as Bocephalus had been. Kalar didn’t speak
Aymara
well, so she spoke to the woman in Spanish.

“
What is this sickness from
?” asked Kalar.

The Aymara woman thought a minute and then laughed.

“
You people think everything bad comes from God
,” said the woman. “
But this plague isn’t bad, and it doesn’t come from God
.”

“
Where does it come from, then?” asked Kalar.

“From the Devil,
” said the Aymara woman, “and this plague is good. It’s a blessing.”

“
Our people don’t believe in the Devil,” said Kalar. “But if we did, the Devil wouldn’t bring blessings.”

“
The Devil was created by God to cleanse the earth of sin,” said the woman. “And he’ll clean this place thoroughly.”

“
The Devil is coming here?”

The Aymara woman laughed.

“I’m sorry if I’m speaking in riddles,” she said. “But yes, the Devil has sent this plague here, and he’ll manifest himself in two forms that will arrive shortly.”

“
Two forms?”

“
Two men who appear to be demons, and though they may frighten you, they will cleanse this place and rescue you.”

Kalar was trying to understand this woman. Was she delirious because of her boils? Was she simply speaking nonsense?
No,
thought Kalar.
This woman is too lucid, too direct to be speaking nonsense.

“
Please tell me,” said Kalar. “What’s going to happen?”

“
The Devil will come in the form of two men,” said the woman. “They will destroy this island and rescue you.”

“
Rescue me? Why?”

“
Because it’s not your destiny to stay here,” said the woman. “It’s not your destiny to marry, produce children and then die an old woman.”

“
What’s my destiny?” asked Kalar.

“
Your destiny is to burn brightly,” said the Aymara woman, “and you can’t burn here.”

“
What do you mean?”

“
The Devil will save you because you are
La Paloma del Fuego
,” said the Aymara woman. “And
La Paloma del Fuego
must burn to fulfill her destiny.”

Paloma del Fuego,
thought Kalar,
the “Dove of Fire.”

/***/

Kalar had been led by the elders to a large room to spend the night. The suite was quite luxurious; it was filled with soft pillows, an oversized bed and blankets with frilled edges. Despite the strange day, Kalar fell asleep in the silken bed quite easily.

She awoke at midnight to
sharp knocks at the window; Porella was outside and she was no longer crying. Kalar looked out the window and noticed that her sister Porella was with Dano.

“We’re leaving,” said Porella with a smile.

“Where?” asked Kalar.

“It doesn’t matter where,” said Porella. “We just have to leave.”

“But you can’t get into Heaven without Master Chergon,” said Kalar.

“I’ve got all the
Heaven I need right here,” said Porella, pointing to Dano.

“I don’t understand—”

“You don’t understand because you’ve never been in love,” said Porella. “And you won’t find it here, especially not with Chergon. Now come with us, please.”

“I can’t—”

“Come with us, Kalar,” said Dano. “
I
didn’t burn the barn, and they wouldn’t care if I did. Chergon wants all the males gone anyway; we’re competition. They’ll follow us for a day, but once we’re off the island, they have no power. We’ll be free.”

“But Master—”

There was a clamoring outside and some faint coughing sounds; someone had been alerted that Porella had gone missing from Chergon’s bedchambers.

“If you don’t leave with us,” said Porella
, “you’re to be married to Chergon tonight. This room you’re in is a
bridal suite.
And if you marry him, you’ll never escape this island.”

Kalar nodded and then gritted her teeth. They were right; she had to escape. She
tried to open the window further, but it wouldn’t budge. She tried again with Porella and Dano’s help, but the window simply wouldn’t move. Dano got a rock and smashed it through the glass, but the hole was too small; the windows of the bridal suite weren’t built to allow escape. Kalar tried to open the door, but it was locked.

Kalar looked around the corner and saw two adults running slowly at Porella and Dano; the two adults were covered in boils and looked quite weak.
But still
, thought Kalar,
if they catch Porella and Dano, it won’t be pretty.