Old Green World (25 page)

“We don’t have much salt,” Anya said.

“I’ll get some more from Mal.”

Albert was gone for a while. When he came back, he was still smiling, but was a little more pensive.

“I talked to Mal. We worked it out. He and his boys haven’t been able to hunt much, so they can use the meat. I’ll take him more, and he’ll give us some stuff we can use in exchange. See?” he said to Anya. “It’s going well. It’s been a good day.”

“Did he talk to you about the soldiers?” Anya asked.

“Yes,” Albert said. “I told him I’d take care of it.”

The next morning, Thomas answered a knock at the door. It was Mal Planck. He was there with a goat, a couple of hens, and some bags. “This is flour, and seed, and salt,” he said as he pointed. He looked at Thomas, eyes nervous. “We talked to Albert. If anyone can get that gang under control, it’s him.”

“Yes, he’s back, it’s a blessing,” Thomas said.

“I’m not sure he’s well,” Mal said. “But he needs to be. He needs to save us. Do you understand? You make him well.”

+ + +

They settled in to a pattern. Albert borrowed Mal’s ox and tilled and sowed the fields. Thomas learned to milk the goat and tend to the chickens, and how to make cheese and yogurt. Anya’s garden came up quickly, more quickly than Thomas would have said possible. All the crops started coming up quickly as well; they had ripened rows of barley and spelt within a month, which didn’t seem possible. It looked like it would be an early harvest, and a big one. Cyd started to grow, rolling over, then pushing up. Albert would play peek-a-boo with her. Even Anya relaxed a little.

A week after his arrival, Thomas turned Albert around from their spooning position and began kissing him. Desperate for affection and out of practice, he awkwardly clawed at Albert’s crotch. Albert pushed him back. “I’m afraid I’ll hurt you,” he said.

Thomas decided to try some of Albert’s own damaged logic. “You can’t hurt me while we’re on the farm. You promised us that.”

“You’re right.”

“So, there’s nothing to worry about, right?”

Albert paused for a minute, mouthing silent and mysterious propositions and conclusions. Then he smiled sheepishly at Thomas and said, “I guess not.”

There was a difference from before, an awkwardness. It felt like Albert was holding back something. Thomas didn’t think too much about it; it all still felt so good to him.

They had all been there almost two months before Aengus came. He came up to the front fence while Thomas was cleaning some mushrooms and roots for supper. “Albert!” he shouted. “I know you’re here. Albert!” He looked surprised when Thomas came up to him. “You’re here, too?”

“I am. How are you, Aengus?” he said, giving Aengus a friendly pat on the good shoulder. He had talked briefly to Aengus when he had come back from the war. There was a public ceremony, and his mother had given Aengus an honor on behalf of the city. Aengus had been distant and brief with Thomas that time: Thomas had dismissed it as the trauma of war and of losing his arm. He had heard that Aengus had settled down as a family with Will and Mila since then.

“Where is he? Where’s Albert?”

“He’s out hunting. Do you want to come in for a bit and wait for him? I’m sure he’d be glad to see you.”

Aengus looked at Thomas for several beats. “He’s all right?”

“I think he has some shock from the war. You all do, and that’s to be expected.” Talking to Aengus, Thomas remembered the old life, the Administrator life. He talked to Aengus like he would talk to a valued citizen. “I bet it will help him to see you. Please, come in. The barley’s come up fast, and we actually have our first batches of ale ready. I’d love to have you try them.”

“You and Albert are together now, aren’t you?” Aengus asked. “And he . . . he never told you about us, did he?”

Thomas looked at him quizzically. “Albert hasn’t talked a lot about the war, no.”

He didn’t know what to make of Aengus’s reaction. Aengus seemed embarrassed and in grief. “I didn’t think he would ever come back, Thomas. I would have waited for him. Do you hear me? I would have waited for him if I’d known.”

“I don’t understand what you mean. Did something happen in the battle? I’m sure he forgives you, Aengus.”

Aengus shook his head. “It doesn’t even occur to you, does it? Because it was always Albert and Thomas, since you were wee, all through school. Of course, he would just come back and settle down with Golden Thomas. Well, it was Albert and Aengus, too. As soon as your mama hauled you back to town after his parents were killed; all through Baixa, as well. He was mine, too. He was mine in war, when it mattered.”

Thomas couldn’t look at Aengus. He couldn’t hear for the ringing in his ears. He felt dizzy. “Please stop,” he said quietly. “Please go away. Please.”

“I’m not trying to hurt you, Thomas.” Aengus said, realizing himself. I just . . .” He stopped and took a deep breath. “I just wanted him to know I would have waited.”

Aengus walked back to his horse, mounted it, rode away.

Thomas went back to the porch, slowly, and took to cleaning the roots and mushrooms again. It was hard to focus on the mushrooms. After a while, Anya came to the door. “Cyd’s down for her nap. What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing, I . . .” He paused, and in that moment he decided this didn’t need to matter either. “Nothing.”

+ + +

The next day, Albert stayed in for the afternoon. They had plenty of meat curing, and he didn’t need to hunt for a while. Thomas was making a boar stew while Albert and Anya were sitting on the porch drinking ale. Anya saw the horses first, coming from the Plancks’. “Here it is. Here they come,” she said, agitated but also slightly self-satisfied. Thomas heard her and came to the door, drying his hands.

It was Daniel Bohm and Marcus, Mal Planck’s son. They looked worried, ashen. “Albert,” Daniel called.

“What?” Albert didn’t move from his chair.

“We were talking to Mal about getting some food. He said that we were supposed to talk to you.”

“Mal Planck? Marcus’s father? He is your father, right, Marcus?”

Marcus nodded. “Of course, he is.”

“I told Mal to send any criminal soldiers to me, and that I would take care of it.”

“All right,” Daniel said, choosing not to take the bait. “Well, we’re here because we were told to get food. So I guess you’re going to cover the Plancks?”

“I didn’t say I was giving out any food. I just said I was going to take care of it for Mal. That’s your father, right, Marcus? The man you just tried to extort food from, that’s your father.”

Marcus said nothing. Daniel said, “We can’t go back and say that. Peter will come back, and it will be trouble.”

“Peter? Who’s Peter?”

“Peter is the commander we came back from Baixa with, Albert,” Daniel said, exasperated. “Look, we’ve been up on the north side of Eden-town for a while now . . .”

“Eden-town? There isn’t any Eden-town,” Albert said. “You burned it to the ground.”

“Peter burned it,” Daniel said. “But things have been better since then. We’ve been on the north side, and everyone has been cooperative, and no one’s been hurt.”

“Right, they’ve just been starving themselves for you,” Albert said. “Starving so you wouldn’t burn and kill them.”

Daniel took a long pause. “He’s terrible, Albert. You don’t know what it’s like.”

“Seems like it’s pretty easy to me, actually. You get free food while other people suffer, and you get to blame it on this Peter guy. Anyway, you send Peter to me.”

“No, Albert, don’t do this—”

“
You send Peter to me
.” The command issued from Albert, but something seemed to be playing tricks on Thomas’s ears. It sounded like it came from everywhere. He looked around and everyone else seemed to be surprised, as well. “I will take care of it. Do you understand?”

“Please, no,” Daniel shuddered.

“You send him to me.” Then something changed back, and it was just Albert again. “It’ll be easy. Send him to me, and you both can keep avoiding responsibility for these awful things you’ve been a part of. Marcus? Marcus! Look at me.” Albert stood and walked toward them. “You send him to me, not your father, do you hear me? Can you manage that? Not to get him killed, his farm burned? Your father. Your farm.” He had reached Marcus by the last words and spat the words into his face, which showed only fear and shame and hatred.

“I know everything you’ve done,” Albert said to him, and then looked at Daniel. “I know everything you’ve both done. When this is over, you both leave. There’s no place for you here anymore.”

They climbed on their horses and rode off.

“When they come back, it will be all of them,” Anya said, without much inflection.

“Yes. And when they do, I’ll take care of it. You believe me, right?”

Anya nodded slowly. “Yes, I do.”

“Then drink up,” Albert said, taking a swig. “This ale is good. Nobody gets any of our ale without working for it.” He grinned.

+ + +

That night, all the soldiers came. They passed the Plancks’ and came directly to the fence of the farm. Anya took Cyd in her arms and clutched at Albert’s sleeve. “Where do I go? The baby . . .”

“You and Cyd stay in your room,” Albert said. “I’m going to take care of it.” Something in his speech sounded absolute and inevitable. She relaxed and nodded. “You can take care of Cyd, keep her calm,” Albert said. “I need you to do that.” Anya took Cyd to her room.

“I’m going with you,” Thomas said.

“No. You don’t need to see this.”

“I can fight, Albert! Everyone forgets that. I can fight.”

“I remember that, Thomas,” Albert said. He seemed to struggle silently with himself for a moment. Then he gave in and said, “Don’t fight until I say so. All right? Just stand back. Maybe there doesn’t have to be any fighting.” Albert didn’t even seem to convince himself. They went outside.

There were dozens of them. Many carried torches, and the flames disturbed the cool night with smoke and hostile flickering. “We’re here for Albert Todorov,” said a voice from the crowd of men and horses.

“I’m Albert Todorov. Is that Peter? Peter, come on forward. Let’s talk.”

There was a pause and a shuffling as horsemen climbed down from their mounts and came forward. Peter, and five more, all with torches, all armed.

“I know you,” Albert said. “Don’t I know you?”

“I was in Baixa, boy. You knew your place better then. I hear you’re telling the farmers here not to give us food. Acting like you’re in charge,” Peter said. “That’s a bad move.”

“I’m not in charge of anything,” Albert said. “I’m just a farmer.”

“You’re not just a farmer,” Peter said. “You were one of us. You had a whole platoon. But then you cracked up.”

“I used to be a soldier,” Albert said, “but that was a while ago.”

“Whatever you are, you’re causing trouble. We don’t want trouble in this town, but we’re not going hungry either.” Peter paused. “What am I going to do with you? I’ll give you one chance. Give us what we need, and tell your neighbor to do the same, and everything will be fine.”

Albert laughed. “That’s very kind of you,” he said. “I’m not giving you anything, Peter. And no one else is, not after tonight. It’s time to stop harassing these people. It’s time to stop crying about what you’re owed and do some work. If you need food, cut down some trees and start growing some crops. Raise some animals. Hell, if you want, I’ll help you do it. But that’s how you get food from now on. The extortion stops.”

“Bad move, Albert Todorov,” Peter said. “Bad, bad move. We need to farm? Maybe we’ll start by taking your goddamn farm.” Then he noticed Thomas, apparently for the first time. “Look, our lord and mayor’s here! This is making a lot of sense now.”

“Thomas is my friend, and he’s someone I protect,” Albert said. “He has nothing to do with this.”

“Of course not!” Peter said. “Of course the lord and mayor wouldn’t find the biggest, hardest soldier he could find and use that blond ass to get that soldier on his side. Try to make a new land grab. Don’t look offended, Todorov, I can understand it. He’s pretty enough.

“But I’m not letting it happen. No more mayors, no more Adepts, no more citizens running things. We burned down the town for a reason. We’re starting over. And if this is the new mayor’s house, then I guess we’ll just have to burn it down, too. I don’t care how big you are. There’s only one of you.”

“It’s not too late to stop,” Albert said, sadly. “Do you understand? Take a second, just a second. You can stop.”

“I don’t think so. I think it’s just starting,” Peter shouted. “I’ll do you a favor. I’ll kill you first, so you don’t have to watch what I do to your lordship.” Five more soldiers came down from their mounts, and the ten of them approached the gate.

“If you set foot on this farm in violence, it’s the last thing you’ll ever do,” Albert said.

Peter laughed, kicked at the gate, and marched in.

Then Thomas heard a voice that said
get back
, and it was Albert, but it was Albert’s voice like it was before, like it was coming from everywhere. And Thomas said aloud, “No, I’ll fight with you.” Suddenly, he was pulled back to the porch, and even though Albert stood in front of him, he knew the force was Albert, too.

And then a noise came from the forest, though Thomas couldn’t tell exactly where. It was an animal, but Thomas couldn’t tell exactly what kind of animal. He only knew that it was big and wild and terrible. And it grew closer, and with it came a shadow, and a wind. The wind blew past Thomas and toward Peter. And with it, Peter started screaming, the most horrible screaming, like the noise was eating him alive. Thomas squinted through the night and saw Peter being shaken and torn by something invisible. As he came apart, his screams became like the animal’s howls.

The two soldiers next to him began screaming and coming apart as well. And then it was all tumult and movement, and Thomas couldn’t tell what was going on. He made out something growing from the ground, plunging into the soldiers’ trunks, coming out through their chests and shoulders and mouths. Every soldier that had crossed the threshold was being destroyed. The ones in back were still newly screaming, writhing, collapsing; the first ones, closer to Thomas, were swaying more slowly. Thomas realized that the first bodies were dead, that something else was doing the swaying.