Martyr (The Martyr Trilogy) (27 page)

With
a loud bang the dark interior of the jail was abruptly flooded with brighter
light from outside.  Someone had thrown open the door through which we had
recently entered.  A voice shouted, “They’ve come!”

25

Running
into the street, we were relieved to learn from a pair of overly excited
children that the exclamation had referred to the arrival of the first of the
other camps, and not, as we had feared in a panicked moment, to an ambush by
Magus’ troops.  Once we reached the main thoroughfare once more, we could see
the far end of the road obscured by billowing clouds of dust.  They were
emerging from the forest and pouring into the main street of the city, but it
would still be some time before they reached our position. 

“That
is something I will need to deal with soon enough,” said Reya.  “But before I
do, there is something else I wish to discuss with all of you.  You two,”
indicating Jager and Kaire, “are already aware of this, but I think it’s
important to mention it while you are all together.  When Tal was alive, he
trained under Kuro, just as you have,” she said, now looking at me.  “As he
trained, powerful bonds of friendship and camaraderie developed naturally between
Tal and some of the people he had fought alongside.  Out of these
relationships, and those nurtured with other men from the camp, Chaer-Ul raised
up a select band of warriors to lead the fight on behalf of all the others. 
The choice of who would constitute this elite squad came not from Tal, nor from
a consideration of their respective skills, but came about naturally through
the instrumentality of Chaer-Ul, and bore his stamp of authority.  So clear was
the selection that nobody questioned it nor sought to be included if they were
not among those initially chosen.  Both Jager and Kaire were among those who
rode with Tal before.  I know not whether Chaer-Ul would do a similar thing
with you,” she said.  “Nor should we force it.  But I would ask you to be
watchful for signs of his leading in this regard.”

“I
can do that,” I said.

“Incidentally,
have you had a chance to interact further with Mana?” she asked.

I
exchanged a knowing glance with Maya, and thought better of disclosing Mana’s
recent indiscretion in such mixed company.  “Not yet,” I said. 

“Fine,”
Reya responded.  “Then I must welcome the first of our guests.  I would ask the
rest of you to confer with Charr about how you can be most useful in the
clearing and resettling efforts.  We’re about to need a whole lot more space.” 
Reya turned and walked about three steps in the direction of the new arrivals,
then stopped in place.  I saw her drop her head, clench both her fists, then
relax them.  Finally she took a slow, deep breath and turned around.  She
addressed Maya.  “May I please talk to you alone?”

As
Reya led Maya away in search of a more private venue, I stopped one of the
bone-gatherers and asked where we might find Charr.  Soon I was busy helping to
carry the remains of those long-deceased to their temporary resting place, and
guiding new arrivals to not-yet-occupied dwelling places.  Before long another
camp arrived, and near day’s end, two more whose paths here had intersected
while passing through one of the gaps in the mountain range to the south. 
Interestingly, I received no complaints about having to clear dead bodies
before beginning to settle in, despite the enormous distances I knew some of
these people must have traveled to get here.  Naturally some of them were short
on good-natured small talk, but on the whole they were exceedingly gracious,
and grateful, to their new hosts. 

Maya
reappeared over an hour later, grinning goofily and eyes puffy, but unwilling
to say more than “It’s good now.”  She quickly fell in alongside the other
helpers, and together we all put in a good day’s work.  It was exhausting work,
but of course we discussed the day’s shocking revelations as we had
opportunity, and occasionally teased each other to lighten what would otherwise
have been an entirely gruesome task.  We met many new faces, and as the sun
began to set over the dam, we had to agree that it had been a rewarding
experience overall.  When we left for home, nobody was without a place to lay
his head.

Maya
and I headed straight for bed, certainly hungry, but as we were a bit later
than usual, too tired to fire up the now-cool grills to prepare something to
eat.  I sunk into a deep sleep quickly, the thought of getting up to do the
same thing all over again tomorrow for a fresh new batch of guests only a
distant reality in my mind.  I dreamed.

I
saw an endless plain, parched and cracked, where no living thing grew.  As I
watched, a great form passed across the sun, casting its shadow on the
desiccated earth.  I shielded my eyes and bore the sun’s burning brightness to
see a great bird, with wings of one substance with the sky itself.  With a
mighty stirring of dust it alighted upon the ground, and immediately began to
pick at a piece of loose and crumbling sod.  As it removed a piece of crust a
moist shoot burst forth, unfurling emerald leaves.  With a flick of its head
the great bird snapped off the shoot at its root, then beating its celestial
wings, rose into the sky once more.  As soon as the bird reached a great
height, the plant began to grow once more within its beak, so that a thorn
pierced its eye.  Just then a dove appeared from under the great raptor’s wing,
taking shape from its own flesh.  Flying to a place near its head, the dove
plucked the thorn from its eye and flew away with it.  But the thorn had life
in it yet, and now sent shoots out in every direction, encasing the smaller
bird in a dense meshwork of twisting vines.  These vines also produced thorns,
which drove themselves into the dove’s body and wings all about.  The small
bird fell from the sky and landed on the dry earth below, dead.  Its diminutive
body then melted into a crystalline pool, which the thirsty ground eagerly
swallowed.

I
woke with an unsettled feeling, eased none by the realization that Maya was not
beside me.  A sense of foreboding prompted me to don my armor before
heading out.  Passing through the lobby I picked up the scent of
smoke, further intensifying my growing panic.  My fears were quickly
allayed, however, when I burst from the door into the cool morning air to find
Maya stoking the coals of one of the grills.  "Awww, you were
supposed to sleep in!" she said.  "I was going to bring you
breakfast in bed."
 
"You mean you were hungry," I replied.
 
"That too.  We'd better eat hearty though," she said.  "Reya
just informed me that another big group is slated to arrive this morning. 
They're gonna need all the help they can get."
The sight of Maya safe and sound, though welcome, did not completely
erase the apprehension I was feeling.  It must have shown on my face.
 
"Are you all right?" Maya asked.
 
"I'm not sure," I said.  "Maybe I'm just being
paranoid.  I feel like something bad is going to happen.  You
stay close today, OK?"
 
"Now you're starting to scare me," she said.  "Did
you hear something?"
 
"No, nothing like that," I said.  "Let's just try to stay
together.  Can we do that?"
 
"Gee, let me think...," she teased, hooking two fingers over the
top of my trouser and tugging me close for a kiss.  Breaking it off
abruptly she exclaimed, "Breakfast is burning!"
 
We stuffed ourselves, more than making up for the previous night's missed
dinner.  When we had finished and cleared the grill, Maya asked,
"Ready to work?"
 
"Ugh, no," I groaned.  "Now I need a nap!"
 
"Better to burn it off with a little menial labor," she
said.  "Come on."  She got up to go, but I held her
wrist.
 
"Hold on," I said.  "I want to let Kuro know where we're
going."
 
"Fine, but please hurry," she said.  "I can already
feel all that food turning into fat."
 
"Yeah, and I can see it," I said with what I hoped was a
sufficient dose of sarcasm.  She shook her fist at me in mock rage as I
ducked back inside the dam in search of Kuro. 
 
It took me a little longer to find him than I had expected, as he was
not in his own quarters but in a small lounge around the corner sipping
tea, or perhaps brandy.  When I informed him of our intentions he raised
his cup to me, wordlessly granting his approval.  I wondered if I should
mention my sense of unease, but decided that it would serve only
to burden him unnecessarily, especially since I had no evidence that it
was rooted in anything real.  I hurried to meet up with Maya outside, but as I
stepped out of the elevator and turned toward the lobby, a hand came to rest on
my shoulder.  Turning, I saw that it was Mana.  I grasped her arm below the
wrist and lowered it to her side.  “Mana…,” I said, “…this isn’t going to
happen.”

“Actually,
that’s why I’m here,” she said.  “I wanted to apologize for the way I acted
before.”

“I
appreciate it, but Maya’s the one you ought to be apologizing to.”

“See,
you’re right…,” she squeaked through a sudden deluge of tears, “…I mean…I
didn’t know you two were together.”

“Married,
actually,” I clarified.

“Married? 
You’re…wow, that’s just…well, anyway,  I would never have…that wasn’t even…me,
really…and I wouldn’t want to jeopardize the relationship we had before…I was
just…lost…and you were a piece of home.”

It
was a little disjointed, but sounded sincere.  How hard could I be on her? 
What she was saying resonated with me in a way that it couldn’t with literally
anyone else in this world.  I had felt that way, exactly, except that there was
nobody coming to my rescue, no familiar face – not one.  “Mana, I understand
how you’re feeling, I do.  And I’m sure it’s little comfort now, but you will
make other friends here…in time.  I know it’s scary and different, but there
are many things in this world…”

“
‘In time’?!”  The tears suddenly dried up.  “I don’t want to make friends
here!  I have no intention of growing to appreciate the many wonders this
wasteland has to offer!  Justin, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about – I
think I may have found a way that we can get back!”

“Back?”

“Home,
Justin.  Where we belong.”

This
wasn’t something I wanted to hear just now.  “Mana…if I’m ever going back…where
we came from – and I’m not at all sure that I am – this is definitely not the
time.  There are things I have to do, things…I need to do, here.”

“Oh
my God,” Mana said, her face a mixture of shock and amusement.  “I had heard
the rumors, but I never thought…Justin!  You don’t actually believe you are
this messiah character these people are hoping for, this ‘Martyr’, do you?” 

“Maybe
I’m starting to,” I said.

“Justin! 
These people are crazy!  They’re nice, and hospitable, and, and…frickin’ nuts! 
They have been looking for someone to volunteer to lead their armies in a war
against impossible odds, and then to die for them, and…guess what?!  Along
comes Justin Mayer!  Justin…I know how smart you are.  You’re smarter than
this.”

“Mana,
I have changed.  But I’m not stupid.  Or crazy.  And neither are these people. 
And I know what I want.  Don’t insult me.  You’ve changed too, and I’m not so
sure it’s for the better.  You’re the new one here, and as much as I empathize
with what you’re going through, there’s an awful lot at stake that you have
absolutely no clue about.”

“Oh,
I think I can put the pieces together: you’re all hot and bothered over a saucy
new piece, and so you’ve adopted her religion and all it entails, even if that
means you going on a suicide mission.  Sound about right?  Justin, when did you
stop thinking for yourself?”

“Maybe
when he started to care just a little bit more about others,” Knox said as he
stepped out of a nearby doorway.  Mana was temporarily speechless.  “Yeah,” he
said, “the walls are waterproof, but the doors aren’t soundproof.”

I
was already walking.  “Justin!” Mana shouted after me.  “I’m sorry!”  I just
kept walking.       

When
I stepped outside once more, Maya was gone.  A puurr-deer was
standing nearby.  Had she just called the deer for us to ride, only to be
snatched up by something...or by someone?  What part of
"stay together" had given her the idea…chitter…chitter-chit – my
thoughts were interrupted by a strange noise coming from behind and above me. 
When I turned to look I could see that it was a humbug, clinging to the wall of
the dam above.  Immediately it swooped down and landed on my shoulder.  It
gave me the message, "I've gone ahead.  Surprise for you.  Meet
me at the gym."  No sooner had I grasped the last word than it took
flight, disappearing almost immediately among the trees.  My
concern was quickly eclipsed by anger, a cauldron that Mana had already started
stirring.  I jumped on the deer and took off, hoping to intercept Maya before
she got too far.  No such luck.

There
were people on the road, lots of them.  Most of the faces were unfamiliar. 
Some were ascending toward the dam; others, like myself, were making their way
down to the city.  Occasionally someone was seen riding a deer, and once I even
saw a lone rider traversing a wooded ridge far below, probably sight-seeing,
but he was going in the wrong direction; Maya was nowhere to be found. 
Moreover the pairs and clusters of people were getting thicker, further
impeding my progress and frustrating my efforts to catch up to her.  I was
reintroduced to an experience I would as soon have forgotten, as more and more
of the faces came to reflect something like reverent awe at the sight of me, and
excited whispers were exchanged.  More than a few times I heard among this
chatter the hushed exclamation, “Martyr!”  It appeared that my mythos had found
its way to other camps as well, unless they had only heard of me after they
came to this place.  This seemed unlikely given the deep-seated emotion and
personal ownership of the statements.  I tried to steer wide of the larger
groups, but the landscape was well nigh impassable on either side of the road,
so I found it necessary to pick my way slowly, painstakingly, through the
adoring crowd.