Noah laughs, even as he tries to defend himself. “Eve, I realize how it looked, but it was pure chance, I assure you. My intention was to diffuse the situation — but then I saw that fat weasel hugging that tree trunk and I couldn’t pass it up. I just couldn’t.”
“Mmmhmm,” she snips. “It’s funny how that worked out for you. Your record of impeccable timing serves you well, dear husband.”
He shrugs before crossing the line. “It did prove rather effective.”
She shoots him a dark glare and walks a few steps ahead. “Be that as it may Mister Impeccable, I feel rather full of myself knowing something that
you don’t.
”
Noah’s eyes flicker, and he hopes that she is about to reveal what he has been ruminating over all day. “I’m all ears.”
Evelyn smirks before continuing. “If it were anyone other than Mia, I would say she’s a loony, but I believe every word for some reason. Maybe it’s because I can hear the fear in her voice. She is a tortured soul, Noah, and we must help her no matter what happens.”
“Well, you know my thoughts on that,” he agrees. “So please, tell me what she told you. I am literally dying with anticipation.”
“Do you feel cheated?” she asks, all cheek and sass. A devilish smile takes shape as she tiptoes through the weeds. “Oh alright, you’ve suffered enough. Our conversation was astonishing and at the same time terrifying. I can’t believe what I’m about to say, but… apparently… Mia leapt into Max’s subconscious without him even knowing she was there.”
The statement catches Noah by surprise. “
What
? That is truly remarkable. Could she hear his thoughts?”
“Remarkable, without a doubt, but no, she couldn’t hear his thoughts. That was my first question, too. It was like she was a casual observer to what Max was experiencing.”
“Fascinating.”
She makes a pained face. “What you find fascinating, I quite frankly find terrifying. I love that poor girl, but she scares the piss out of me Noah.”
“I understand your trepidation, and it’s warranted, but imagine the possibilities of her power. I think we have only scratched the surface of what she is capable of.”
“Exactly, which is why I’m terrified. In the wrong hands, her power could have tragic consequences.”
“Indeed. Which is why we will have to protect her and keep her ability a secret now and forever, even after we get out of this mess. So when did this occur?”
“It happened while you were with Atua at their camp. Apparently she was with you while Max was talking to Maaka farther off?” She shrugs.
Noah thinks for a moment before he snaps his fingers. “I think I know exactly! I was finishing up the torches when I noticed Mia was next to me, practically catatonic. I tried to get her attention for several moments, and she just wasn’t there. Then, suddenly, she snapped to and looked disoriented and said she was tired. How was she able to get back to herself?”
“She isn’t entirely sure, and before you ask, yes, she
has
tried to do it again, but unsuccessfully.”
“With anyone besides Max?”
“I asked her that as well, and she admitted she was too afraid to even try. Thankfully. I feel for her, I really do. She wants no part of this.” Evelyn shakes her head in pity.
“Unfortunately, she may have no say in the matter. I am convinced that she will only develop this power further — even if she tries to suppress it. It was just a few days ago that I suggested she open herself up to her abilities, and now this. We will need to work closely with her and help her develop her skill.”
“We? What do you mean,
we
?”
“Oh come on, I would think that this would be something you would relish as a scientist —”
“As a scientist, yes,” she interrupts. “But I have no understanding of what’s
happening
here. This is so far out of my frame of knowledge that I haven’t even heard of it before.”
“That’s exactly why you are the perfect person to study her. If anyone can find the science behind this, it would be you.”
“Lucky me,” she says incredulously.
When the Lockhearts return to camp, they find a snack of eel waiting for them. Noah is thrilled by the unexpected bounty, but the thought of eating eel makes Evelyn gag momentarily. Her hunger eventually supersedes her discriminating tastes. In all, three eels were caught during the contest, with Atua’s team snagging two to Hiroshi’s one. After eating the one eel, they take the remaining two and stow the cooked pieces in a tin, and place it into the stream to keep cold for tomorrow’s breakfast along with Noah’s fresh haul of insects. With nearly full stomachs, the group falls into a restful sleep, filled with dreams of home and normalcy and routines that include anything but survival and trudging through the wilds of southern New Zealand.
*************
At dawn, the travelers awaken suddenly to the cacophony of thousands of birds screeching overhead. One by one, they file out of their shelter to witness a plague of panic in the skies. The avian swarm wings purposefully north; they too are fleeing the inevitable doom that awaits the South Island.
Luna covers her mouth in astonishment as Hiroshi steps from the tent. Having slept deeply for the first time since they landed, he is the last to witness the scene unfolding. Luna reaches for him, squeezing his hand tightly, and he can feel the fear in her grasp.
Hiroshi doesn’t notice Noah approach him, and he can barely hear his voice over the deafening squawks.
“An ominous sign!” Noah shouts.
“Agreed. We need to move out!” Hiroshi yells back.
They quickly break camp, and are soon on the trail once again. They eat a breakfast of eel and insects wrapped in trigyna leaves — a perfect meal to eat on the go. They begin the morning walking through a lush valley filled with fields of emerald and lavender wildflowers swaying back and forth — another beautiful spring day on the island. Once again, Atua leads the others, but today Mia, Max, and his cousin Kaewa join him in setting the pace.
“What did you mean about your brother Maaka… something about living up to his namesake?” asks Mia.
“Oh… that,” Atua smiles at Kaewa, and they share a laugh. “It’s something we always teased Maaka about when we were growing up. In the Maori language, Maaka means god of war. As you have seen, he enjoys starting trouble whenever the opportunity arises.”
“Damn straight,” Max agrees.
Mia shrugs and then sighs. “We all have our roles I guess.”
“I know Maaka is difficult, but honestly, his bark is worse than his bite,” says Atua, sticking up for his brother, yet again.
“Speaking of Maori legends... what’s the story with Mount Ahi’s revenge?” asks Max.
“You don’t want to know about that, mate,” Kaewa dismisses, shaking her head.
“Oh, come on,” protests Max. “Now I really want to know!”
Kaewa glances over to Atua, who nods back at her. “Alright then, you asked for it. In the beginning of creation, the Gods and Goddesses were at war with each other. There were four Gods: Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire, and each God was intent on destroying the other. The weakest of the four was Earth and she was dying. In a last-ditch effort to save herself, she made alliances with Wind and Water, and together they conspired against the Fire Goddess. The Earth then lured Fire to the Great Mountain and told her that she would yield to her. When Fire went to the mountain, Earth shook her so forcibly that she fell into the mouth of the Great Mountain. The Fire Goddess was enraged by this deception and she erupted, shooting fire to the sky. Wind and Water came to Earth’s aid to snuff out the fire and seal the Goddess inside the Great Mountain. With the Fire Goddess trapped and powerless, the Earth thrived and, together with Wind and Water, they lived in harmony. But the Fire Goddess vowed that someday she would free herself from the mountain and set fire to the Earth in revenge for her treachery.”
“And that’s why we named the Great Mountain Mt. Ahi,” Atua says. “Which translates in English to —”
“Fire mountain,” Max interjects. “Yeah, we get it. Nice story.” He looks ahead and spots Maaka and Pango far out in front of them. “So, what’s the deal with the big guy. Are you related to him too?”
“Pango?” Atua asks. “No. Maaka and him have been best mates for years. Long before I even knew I had a half-brother, they were already inseparable. As the story goes, Maaka was walking home from school one day, and he came across Pango, who was getting roughed up by two kids who were actually much smaller than he was, which I guess comes as no surprise. Even when he was young, Panger was the size of a elephant.” He pauses to smile at Mia, who beams right back at him. “Anyways, Maaka jumped into the brawl and just laid into those two kids and beat them up so badly that Pango actually had to jump in and hold
him
back so that they could get away. And, from that day forward, Bob’s your uncle.”
“Hmmm, touching.” Max doesn’t try to hide his sarcasm.
The traveling party has broken up into packs of threes and fours, and the day’s journey seems more disjointed and less organized than on previous days. As they march on, the chain of mountains grows small in the distance. They walk on flat grasslands that seem to stretch endlessly. With visibility now far beyond what they had experienced, and a sense of comfort that comes with easier footing, several members have become more independent about traveling at their own pace.
The Lockhearts bring up the rear, attending to Josette, who is faring poorly, vomiting from what Evelyn has decided is nothing more than pure exhaustion. With precious fluids pouring out of her and her strength diminishing, Noah has no choice but to sling her over his back in a fireman’s carry. He shoulders her weight through the fields of grass as she hangs listlessly in his arms.
It is mid-afternoon when the survivors are treated to their first glimpse of civilization. After a grueling eight-day hike through the most desolate stretch of New Zealand, Atua has led the lost travelers to the promised highway. Never has a stretch of winding asphalt seemed so welcoming. Several actually jump for joy, cheering in exultation, while others collapse by the roadside. Resting their tired bodies, they wait for the others to trickle in, one after the other, until finally, the Lockhearts cross the threshold, an unresponsive Josette drooping in Noah’s grasp.
Most of the others had been unaware of Josette’s condition and express concern, but Evelyn assures them that she is only dehydrated and exhausted. Everyone gathers at the roadside — except for Maaka and Pango who have continued to press on; refusing to be burdened by the others, they are no longer visible, and their whereabouts are unknown. While the road is a welcome sight, Atua informs them that they are still far from the nearest town. Several express hope that they will come across a passing car, but with the sun starting to plummet, Noah knows that they will need to seek some sort of shelter before long. He confers with Atua and Hiroshi about the road ahead, while the others give each other high-fives and words of encouragement, sensing their ordeal is almost over.
After a short respite, Noah informs the group that they will continue walking until they can find a proper place to set up camp for the evening. Josette, now lucid and invigorated by the sight of the highway, insists that she is feeling better and that she can continue under her own steam. They start again, sticking together this time, traveling down the paved road in two long rows at a quickened pace.
An hour later, and not a single car has passed, nor is there any sign that they are nearing civilization. The brisk pace has slowed considerably. During the ebb in enthusiasm, they are violently reminded why they set forth on this perilous journey in the first place. The road begins to shake and heave, finally giving way, sending several people crashing to the asphalt, as the earth roils and quakes. Those who are still on their feet help the others who have fallen and, following Noah’s lead, they make their way to a nearby field of tall grass.
The quake is powerful and continues to rattle and shake for over a minute. Then, an earsplitting crack sounds above the din of the rattling earth. The sound is so deafening that the crew cowers to the ground and muffles their ears. After several agonizing moments, the earthquake seems to have ceased, and in its wake, the dazed travelers stumble about, gaping at one another. A few begin to cry, but most appear detached, having become desensitized to the series of seismic disruptions they have had to endure since their journey began. Noah cautiously ventures back to the highway, which has been split in half, with a long jagged crevice that stretches the length of the road in both directions for as far as the eye can see.
“Bloody hell,” Noah curses, scratching the top of his sweat-soaked head.
“That was a hellacious quake,” says Atua, stating the obvious as he inspects the cracked highway.
Noah takes a sweeping inventory. “Is everyone alright?”
His question is greeted with some casual nods but nothing more. The mood has shifted and whatever good vibes there were have been shaken away. All that remains are the frayed ends of their fleeting hope. With nothing else to do, they keep moving, this time in a long line on the side of the road. They follow the twisting road until it straightens out like an arrow, pointing to what appears to be a sanctuary in the middle of nowhere.