Last Wild Boy (8 page)

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“Where do I go?” Mabon asked no one in particular. He was used to talking to himself, a consequence of having no one else to talk to for so many years. He was wandering about aimlessly, not far from the dead zone. He stopped at the stream for a drink, and then, out of curiosity, stepped up on the treed bank to investigate what looked like a path. He focused his pale blue eyes on the ground and found signs of others having been there.

He had heard a commotion earlier from his hiding place farther back in the trees — lots of loud insider voices. He figured the police had been called about the broken woman's body. He had known enough to stay far away from them. The insider police were even more dangerous than the rangers — they were just as ruthless, but had much more power.

Mabon knew he'd best get away from this spot fast. If the police were ahead, he had to see them before they saw him. He stepped back over the bank and into the cold water and began to follow the stream, continuously searching for signs of the police or rangers on either bank. It gave him something to do to take his mind of the loss of his home.

He was not used to his newfound freedom of thought. The monitoring device had connected him to his controllers every moment since his childhood posting with the rangers. It seemed odd to him that he could make his plans and travel anywhere without worrying whether he was breaking some rule, or being afraid that some controller's voice would break in, and a blistering headache — or even the stabbing pain he'd heard was a precursor to instant death — would be triggered. Now he could go anywhere and say anything and even think whatever thoughts pleased him. To his knowledge, he was the first ranger ever freed from the device without dying first.

Mabon continued along the stream, which he knew would deepen up ahead where it poured into a much-wider river. After travelling several miles, he finally managed to convince himself that he wasn't being followed. He relaxed a little then, and allowed himself to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the pleasant sound of birdsong filling the air. He took a bar of harsh laundry soap from his supplies and stripped down. The water was so cold it numbed his fingers, but he was relieved to finally have a chance to clear away the dirt and the grime from his work in the dead zone. When he was satisfied that he had scrubbed off as many of the stains as possible, he shook out his red-brown locks, dried himself off with a portion of towel, and dressed.

As he continued on his way, Mabon checked every possible gap in the brush along both banks, no matter how small, for signs of recent passage. He soon came upon a place where there was a dampness in the ground that might have come from a person or persons leaving the stream for dry land. He stopped and listened for sounds of movement, or voices, or any indication that there was someone nearby. But all he heard was the babbling of the creek and the lonely song of a single bird.

Mabon stepped gingerly toward the bank on his left-hand side and saw the imprints of a pair of small shoes. They disappeared in the thick grasses and ferns beyond the reeds. The grasses were bent enough that he was able to follow the path the person had taken. He moved slowly forward, heart beating with nervousness and excitement.

In the past, such physical responses would have been enough for the controllers to raise an alarm and, even though he knew he was free of the device, he braced himself for a pain that never came. He took a few deep breaths to relax and a moment or two to lean against a large oak and rest his eyes.

He wondered whose tracks he was following. From their size, they certainly didn't belong to one of the rangers. He figured they were probably some insider police officer or guard's. It was strange that the insider police would be this far out into the wild, though — insider officers never ventured much farther than the dead zone, and they didn't even come that far unless they absolutely had to; the insiders always sent the rangers to take care of any business in the wild. Either way, he figured it would be safer for him to follow the insider's trail than the other way around.

Mabon brushed himself off and continued on the trail of the mysterious small feet. He carried on this way until dusk, when the air became filled with hungry insects. He stopped and reached into his bag. Inside he found a jar of paste he had made from herbs that grew near the dead zone. He took a small bit of the paste and spread it across his face, neck, and hands and then continued on, brushing aside the few bugs not put off by the smell of the paste.

Darkness would not have normally stopped him on his journey, but as the sun disappeared over the horizon he found he could no longer detect the signs that marked the insider's trail. He decided to stop until the light returned. He knew that once he lost the trail, all hope of picking it up again would disappear. He gathered his things and rolled up under the low branches of a fir tree. He breathed in the rich smell of the needles and sap above him as he formed a nest in the cool soil below. He would be safe and secure under here, and in the morning he would continue his quest.

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Mabon was packing his gear when he heard the screams of terror. Alarm immediately spread through him, as though his racing blood contained ground glass. He grabbed his bags and dashed toward the sound, watching out for a broken hardwood branch large enough to serve as a weapon as he ran. He found one close to the path and barely slowed down as he plucked it from the ground. He picked up his pace and as he approached the location of the screams, he could make out another sound: frenzied barking and growling. He sprinted even harder until he arrived at a clearing, where he found a pack of wild dogs snarling and snapping at a young insider cornered against a tree.

Suddenly, a vicious-looking black dog leapt up and attacked the insider, clamping powerful jaws on a corner of the brown blanket she was holding. The dog started tearing at the blanket, trying to pull it free, but the insider just clutched the bundle tighter. The dog yanked the blanket savagely and pulled it down far enough for Mabon to see that there was a baby tucked inside. The insider yelled at the dog defiantly, but her green eyes were those of a trapped animal resigned to death. Mabon was deeply moved by her beauty and her helplessness and the way she held her ground for the sake of her baby.

Out of nowhere, a small brown dog, barely more than a puppy, leapt at the black dog and knocked him on his side. The black dog let go of the blanket and twisted around to attack the brown one, clamping his strong jaw on its leg. The brown dog howled and tried to tear his leg free, but the black dog just clamped down tighter. The girl yelled again, and the black dog suddenly let go of the brown one and turned its attention back toward the baby. It stood up on its hind legs and grabbed the hanging corner of the blanket, then tugged at it with all its might. The young woman screamed and kicked at the dog as the baby started to slip from her grasp.

Before he knew what he was doing, Mabon found himself charging at the dogs, wielding the branch over his head. “Arreeeeeeeew!” he howled, trying to get the dogs' attention off the insider and her baby. His plan worked. The pack turned and moved together toward him. The black dog let go of the blanket and snarled at Mabon, white foam dripping from its mouth. Then it reared back on its haunches and pounced at the young man. Mabon's muscles seemed to ripple and roll in anticipation as he waited for the dog to draw close. As it leapt up at him, fangs reared in anticipation of meeting flesh, Mabon swept the dog aside with one easy swing of his stick. The dog landed still near Mabon's feet, and Mabon, his pale blue eyes fierce and threatening, let forth a second howl.

It was clear to Mabon that something must have snapped in the brain of one massive, well-muscled black and tan dog. It separated itself from the pack and let out a menacing roar. The rest of the pack froze in their places. This dog was obviously the pack's leader. It thrust itself toward Mabon, leaping with the full force of its powerful legs for the young man's throat. Mabon stood his ground and waited. Then, bringing to bear his formidable natural strength on the swinging of the club, he inflicted a mortal blow to the angry dog, whose momentum knocked Mabon to the ground. The rest of the pack roared and lunged forward.

Mabon picked up the leader's limp body and heaved it in the midst of the pack. The dogs changed their focus and leapt on the carcass of their fallen leader, tearing its flesh apart. Mabon stepped back from the pack slowly and made his way around them to the insider and her child.

“Come with me!” he said, gesturing at the insider.

The girl cringed at him with narrowed cat's eyes. She appeared to fear him every bit as much as the dogs.

“We have to go!” Mabon said, trying to sound less commanding this time.

The girl still didn't move. She just clutched her baby tighter and stared at him with a look of horror in her green eyes.

“You have no choice,” Mabon tried. “It's not safe here. As soon as the dogs have finished with their meal, they'll turn on us again.” He held his hand out and smiled at the girl. “I won't hurt you or your baby. I promise.”

The girl looked over at the dogs, who were now fighting over the last of their leader's remains. They would be finished soon, and looking for more. She picked up her bags and basket, then took a tentative step toward Mabon.

Mabon gestured for her to follow, then disappeared into the woods.

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“I'm Mabon,” the young man said as he held a branch back for her so she could get by.

Nora stepped past furtively, keeping as much distance from him as she could. She'd never seen an outsider this close up before, and she'd never imagined they were quite as large or as strong as this one was. The outsider's broad shoulders and well-muscled arms showed through his rough-hewn tunic and gave him an air of power. It scared Nora, but also thrilled her in a strange way she couldn't quite understand. Still, she stayed as far behind him on the path as she could. “I'm Nora,” she said, her eyes cast down in front of her.

The outsider didn't say anything more. He just kept on picking his way through the dense forest, clearing a path for Nora wherever he could.

“Where are you taking me?” Nora finally asked.

Mabon stopped and turned to look at her. A boyish grin played across his tanned face. “To be honest, I have no idea,” he said, his blue eyes twinkling. “Away from those dogs. And away from the city.”

“How did you know I was trying to get away from the city?” Nora asked.

Mabon looked down at his feet, then turned and continued walking on without saying anything.

“Hey!” Nora called, alarm rising in her voice. “How did you know I was trying to get away from the city?” she asked again.

“I've been following you,” Mabon said, turning to her but not able to meet her gaze. “At first I thought you were the police, and I wanted to make sure you weren't going to double back and find me. And when we got farther away from the city than any insider police officer would ever venture, I guess I just got curious.” He blushed a deep crimson and continued making his way through the trees.

“Why would the police be looking for you?” Nora asked cautiously, slowing her gait to let the distance between her and the outsider grow.

“They think I harmed an insider.”

“Are you the one accused of killing the woman who fell?” Nora asked.

“I didn't kill anyone. I helped her.”

“I know,” said Nora. “I heard all about it. You're the cleaner.”

“Yes,” said Mabon. “Or I was. I can't go back to that now.”

“No,” said Nora. “You can't. They're looking all over for you. You broke the law of contact. They'll terminate you if they find you.”

“I know.”

They continued walking in silence for a long time. The afternoon sun was above them in the sky, and Nora was starting to tire. But she kept on following the young outsider, not wanting
to display any weakness in front of him. Her legs were heavy
now, and she was starting to feel dizzy and nauseous. She knew she couldn't go on like this much longer. When Adam awoke and started to cry, she was relieved. “I'll have to stop and tend to the baby,” she said.

Mabon didn't say anything. He just nodded and led Nora into a clearing. When he reached the middle of the open space, he held a finger to his mouth. He stood stock still for a moment, listening to the sounds of the wild. “We're safe for now,” he finally said. “You can relax and take care of the baby.”

“How do you know we're safe?” Nora asked.

Mabon watched as the insider took fresh diapers, cleaning supplies, and nutrifier from her bags and knelt before the baby. It made him nervous to have her here so near to him. He'd never been this close to an insider in daylight. This insider was lovely, but in a different way than the woman who fell. The other was like a small bird. This one was stronger, but in a softer, more pleasing way than an outsider. Her shape made him uncomfortable.

“The wild talks. All creatures have to listen to hear what it says if they want to stay alive in it. Anything moving inside the wild raises alarm: birds flushing and calling, squirrels chattering and scolding, the leaves and grasses whistling and rubbing together. If you listen now, you can hear the birds singing. Their song is peaceful and happy. If they go suddenly silent and the squirrels begin to chatter and chide, we'll know someone or something is near.”

Nora felt the outsider's eyes on her as she removed the baby's clothes and unfastened the diaper.

When Mabon caught sight of the naked child, he gasped. “That's an outsider!”

Nora nodded and continued to wipe the baby clean. She hadn't really wanted to reveal her secret to this strange young man. She still wasn't sure she could trust him. But she didn't really have a choice. “This is Adam.”

“I thought insiders were forbidden from bearing outsider children?” Mabon asked, stepping closer to look at the child.

“We are,” said Nora.

“So how did you do it?”

“I didn't,” said Nora, lifting Adam up and placing a fresh piece of cloth under him. “He's not my baby. His mother is the insider who fell from the wall.”

“
Her baby
,” Mabon said, sitting down on the trunk of a fallen tree. This was a lot for him to take in. “She said something about a baby, but I thought she was just delirious. She made me promise I would help him.”

Nora fastened the fresh diaper around Adam's waist. When she was finished, she picked up the dirty diaper.

“I can take care of that,” Mabon said, reaching out to take the bundle. Their fingers touched as he did so, and Mabon pulled away instantly. Even after his encounter with the fallen woman, touching an insider still felt wrong.

“Do you want to keep the rag?” Mabon asked, holding it up by a corner.

“Yes,” said Nora. “You'll have to wash it out, though. It really stinks.”

“That doesn't bother me,” said Mabon. “I'm used to much worse. I'll go take care of it.” He grabbed a bottle of water and disappeared into the trees.

While he was gone, Nora thought about running. But then she remembered the pack of dogs and started wondering what else might be out in the wild. She realized that even though she didn't know Mabon, and she certainly couldn't trust an outsider, she felt safer when he was around. And he seemed to know things about the wild that might be useful. She decided to stick with him for now.

When Mabon returned a few moments later, he was carrying the clean diaper, a full water bottle, and a good-sized fish.

“Where did you get that?” Nora asked, gesturing at the fish.

“I found a river nearby. There was a young bear there and he was tossing fish up on the bank. He ran away when I got there, so I borrowed one.” He beamed. “We'll cook it later.”

He handed Nora the clean diaper and the water bottle. “Can I ask you something?” he said.

Nora gulped the fresh water down. “I guess so,” she said, shifting Adam in her lap and picking up a tube of nutrifier.

“So this baby is a boy. He looked complete. Is this why you are out in the wild?”

“Yes,” Nora said, holding the nutrifier up to Adam's lips. “My companion and I found him inside Aahimsa, near the wall. I knew that if the police found him, they'd terminate him. I couldn't let them do that. I managed to smuggle him out of Aahimsa, but now I don't know where to go or what to do.”

“What happened to your companion?” asked Mabon. “Where is she?”

“She's back in Aahimsa,” Nora said, her heart tightening as she though of Alice. “She doesn't know where I am. She didn't want anything more to do with Adam.”

“Oh,” said Mabon. “I think I understand.”

“Can
I
ask
you
something?” Nora said, wiping a dribble of nutrifier from Adam's chin.

“Yes,” said Mabon. He sat down on the ground across from her, but made sure to keep his distance.

“What happened with the insider woman, Minn? Why did you help her?”

“Minn?” Mabon asked. “Was that her name?” He was glad to finally be able to put a name to her face. It somehow made the whole situation seem less like some strange dream. “She was hurt very badly, and she asked me to hide her. She was so fragile and so desperate, and I just felt this deep urge to protect her. I took her to my hut and let her rest on my bed. There was nowhere else. She was so sad and lovely. She begged me to help her baby if I ever found him. When she said it I thought she was crazy…but here he is.”

“And you broke the rule of contact knowing what would happen to you?”

“Yes, I knew. I couldn't leave her there in the filth of the dead zone to die alone.” Mabon cocked his head to the side suddenly and put his fingers to his lips. He listened for a moment. “We have to go!” he exclaimed, jumping up from his seat on the ground. “Hurry!”

“What's the matter?” Nora asked, scrambling to her feet and placing Adam in his basket.

Mabon picked up his gear and most of Nora's, then led her out of the clearing and into the woods.

“What's happening?” Nora asked, starting to panic.

“The birds have stopped singing. There's something wrong. I'm not sure what.”

Mabon led Nora deeper into the woods, trying to be as quiet as possible so he could hear any changes in the sounds around him. Suddenly he stopped and signalled for Nora to be quiet.

Nora listened hard. She thought she could hear some rustling in the woods behind her, where they had just come from.

“I think something's following us,” whispered Mabon, stooping down and picking up a large stick. “Or maybe some
one
.” He stepped in front of Nora and took up a protective stance.

Nora clutched Adam's basket closer to her and took a couple small steps back, trying to be as quiet as possible.

A pathetic yelp broke the silence, making Nora jump. It came from a tall stand of ferns nearby. Nora waited while Mabon investigated, his stick raised and at the ready.

Mabon used his stick to part the ferns, and looked down among them. Then he turned and gestured for Nora to come over. She stepped cautiously toward him and looked down. There, lying at the base of a gnarled apple tree, was the young dog that had defended Nora back when the pack attacked her. The dog's brown fur was matted with blood, and he could barely lift his head to look up at them.

“He must have followed us here,” Mabon said.

“Poor thing,” said Nora, bending down to touch his head. The dog whined and blinked up at Nora.

“Step back,” Mabon said. “I'll have to finish him. We can't leave him here like this.”

“Why not?” asked Nora.

“Because there are too many other creatures out here to come and find him. He'd be eaten alive, just like the leader of his pack.”

“But he's hardly more than a puppy,” said Nora, looking up at Mabon. “Couldn't we take him with us?”

Mabon stared hard at her. Her face was drawn and pale, except for her fiery red cheeks. He had noticed that she and the baby were breathing with a heavy wheeze and that her voice was raspy and tired. She was in no condition to go much farther on her own, let alone with a baby and a wounded dog. But something in her gold-speckled eyes told him that she was determined to take the dog with them, no matter what he had to say. “I'll have to carry him,” he said finally. “He won't be able to walk on his own. But that means you'd need to carry your own bags. Could you manage that?”

“How much farther will we have to go?” Nora asked, stifling a cough. “Couldn't we just stay here and rest awhile? It's not like we know where we're going anyways.”

“We can't stay here,” Mabon said, bending down and tearing a strip of cloth from his tunic. He picked the dog's leg up and carefully wrapped the cloth around its wound. “We're too out in the open, and the rangers will be looking for us. We'll have to find somewhere safe to stay for the night.”

“And what happens after that?” Nora asked. “Do we just keep walking forever?”

“I don't know,” said Mabon. “I've been thinking we could go to the Manuhome and see my old friend Dr. Ueland. I'm not sure what, if anything, he'd be able to do to help. Maybe he could hide us there, though I can't see how. But I don't know where else to go.”

“What's the Manuhome?” Nora asked.

“It's the main facility for both the agricultural and manufacturing homelands. It's where many of the outsider workers live, and the rest are trained before they're sent to their postings. I lived there when I was younger, before I was banished to the dead zone. Dr. Ueland is the head of the Manuhome. He trained me himself, and he was good to me.”

“How far is it?” Nora asked.

“I'm not sure,” said Mabon. “Maybe another's day's walk. Maybe more.” He stood up and brushed the dirt from his trousers. “We should get going. It will be getting dark soon.”

Nora's grunted as she picked up her own bags. She tried to lift Mabon's as well, but they were too heavy. “Don't worry,” Mabon said, picking them up and slinging them over his shoulder. “I'll take them. You just carry Adam and your bags.” He stooped low and gently raised the dog up. It whined, but settled into the young man's strong arms without a fight.