“Keep up, Steward, we have a long walk.” Cassandra trudged up the long, sweeping walkway of her Ascender. Wind blew dust everywhere, and Steward was almost running to keep pace. The Ascender had started just a few blocks from the House of Bendor. There were two guards at its entrance, and from what Steward saw, only those known by the sentries were allowed to pass by. Once on the Ascender, the slope steepened. On each side were four-foot-high walls running the length of the pathway.
Steward caught up with Cassandra. Ahead he could see only open sky and other Ascenders under construction, each heading toward the same mountainside.
“It’s getting narrower.” Maybe she’d slow down to respond.
The walkway was broad at first, at least fifty feet from wall to wall, Steward guessed. But now it was half that. And, several hundred yards up at the place where the construction was still underway, it looked no more than twenty feet wide.
Cassandra slowed her pace as they were nearing its end. “The farther out we build, the less width we need. By the time we connect to the mountain, it will only be six feet wide. Just enough for a horse and cart.”
Steward froze, looking out over the edge. It was a long way down! “Um, Cassandra, I’m a little nervous about heights. Do you mind if I stay back a bit?”
She walked to the very edge of the pathway hanging several hundred feet up in midair, with nothing but sky and open space ahead. “Blast those workers! There should be a barricade here. Someone might get distracted and fall.”
The thought made Steward dizzier. “Does that ever happen?”
“Not often, but it only takes once.”
Cassandra walked back to Steward and pointed down the ramp. “Here come my workers. Now you will see the importance of hard work and using the Quash in the right way.”
Steward looked back. A small army of workers of different ages and sizes plodded their way up the Ascender. When they arrived, they started hauling loads of rocks to the edge, where masons were preparing to lay a new line of wall. The whole process seemed well organized, and yet the workers were sullen, with an underlying anger that was not hard to sense. Suddenly, one worker dumped out his rocks and swung his Quash at a coworker who, apparently anticipating the attack, threw up his Quash and caught the blow before it could injure him. The sound of the clang rang out across the work area, but no one even looked up.
“Theodorus! Anthresis! Get back to work!” Cassandra demanded.
They exchanged two somewhat lesser blows and then picked up their rocks and continued their work.
“What’s that about?”
“Just short tempers. We’re all under a lot of stress.” She looked across to another Ascender and scowled. “And there’s why. Curse them! They’re beating us. They’ll get to the mountain before we do. We have to work harder and faster.”
Steward looked out at the impressive face of the distant mountain that jutted up from the valley floor. “What’s on the mountain that’s so important?”
“What’s on the mountain?” She sighed and spoke as if she were lost in a dream. “My dear Steward, everything you could ever want is on the mountain. There’s security, peace, contentment, and power. You have control of life up on the mountain. No one can tell you how to live. You are completely your own person up there. No more toiling every day in the hot sun. The rewards for hard labor are there. It is all up there, Steward, and I will be up there to get it. All the way at the top. That’s where the rewards are the greatest.”
Steward scratched his head. This valley was beautiful. There were streams, orchards, stands of aspens. What more could anyone want? And could all this work and anger be worth it?
Steward was still intimidated by Cassandra, so he chose his words with care. “Respectfully, Cassandra, it seems that most everything you describe is available here in the valley. Do you really need to go to the mountain to find it?”
Cassandra scowled and faced Steward. “Of course you do! Are you out of your mind? None of these things are available down here. Do you think I would be investing my whole life in attaining something I could get just as easily here in the valley? How dare you even imply such a thing!”
He stepped back, surprised by the look of anger that filled her face. “I…I’m sorry, Cassandra.”
She gave no pause to hear his apology. Turning to one of her lieutenants, she shouted, “Markus, we need more workers! And where is the paving mixture?”
As the man turned to run down the path, Cassandra continued yelling at her workers and demanding that they work faster.
And they did.
Are they all working this hard to get to the mountain? Or are they just afraid of Cassandra?
Markus returned with another small army of workers, most of them carrying Quashes full of a dull, reddish-brown liquid that had the texture of smooth cement. One by one they poured the contents onto the ground that had been prepared for the paving mixture, and other workers smoothed it out with large trowels. The mixture dried in moments in the warm morning sun.
They were there for most of the morning hours, and the Ascender grew by several meters under Cassandra’s watchful eye. By midday, Steward had had his fill of the building process. The sun was hot on his neck.
How do Elopia and Astrid occupy their days? Not out here in the hot sun, I’ll bet.
He waited until Cassandra paused between shouting orders and cursing the slow progress of competing building teams. “I am very grateful for your hospitality. However, I would like to return to the house and rest. My journey has been long, and I am afraid my stamina isn’t what it should be.”
Cassandra flipped her hands in the air as if to dismiss him. “Of course. Perhaps tomorrow you may join us in the construction work. All who work will be rewarded when we reach the mountain. But before you go, I have something for you.”
Cassandra walked over, picked up a used Quash and a clean tan sash, and handed them to Steward. “There. Now you are a real citizen of Ascendia.”
What a nice gesture, especially after the way I offended her with my questioning. “Thank you, Cassandra. This is most generous. I will wear it with pride. And tomorrow I will come and help you build.”
She smiled at him. Steward suspected she was just relishing the thought of one more worker on her Ascender.
Steward placed the sash over his shoulder and settled the bowl into place, wincing a bit from the weight hanging from his shoulders. When combined with the chains from Petitzaros that were still wrapped around his forearms, it made his legs ache as he walked down the steep slope of the Ascender.
Once at the bottom, Steward searched for Elopia and Astrid. It didn’t take long to hear Elopia’s voice raised in an angry shout, the bellow competing with the clang of Quashes colliding with each other.
He hurried over and found Elopia and two other women hurling insults at each other.
“You’re crazy. Anyone who thinks like that should be locked up!” a lady screeched.
Elopia shot back. “Perhaps it’s narrow-minded fools like you who need to be put away.”
Is that really Elopia? It’s one thing to do this in private, but out here?
Elopia picked up her heavy Quash and swung it at the woman, who raised her own Quash just in time to block the attack. A deafening clang rang out as the two metal objects collided.
And as suddenly as it started, it was over. Not only did the two women sit down and continue normal conversations, but no one else at the table took any notice of the confrontation. A few people on the street had stopped for a moment to watch, but they turned and went on their way, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Elopia caught sight of Steward and squealed. “Steward, how nice to see you! I am glad you got away from Cassandra and her mutant army so you could see how life is really lived here in Ascendia.”
She ran to him and took him by the arm, leading him to a table where several of her friends were seated—including the women she had just attacked. They were enjoying delightful-looking sandwiches, tarts and fruits, and several kinds of drinks made from things Steward had never seen before. Everyone at the table was laughing and talking.
Elopia waved her hand. “Attention, everyone. This is my new friend, Steward. He is visiting Ascendia for just a few short days. Please greet him.”
How could everyone be so nice after what just happened?
The people at the table gave courteous replies, and Steward sat and ate and drank with them well into the afternoon. The conversation was delightful, ranging across a whole spectrum of fascinating topics, punctuated with jokes and uproarious laughter.
Steward studied the Quashes hanging from most everyone’s sashes. They were different from Steward’s—they all seemed to have sharp edges and more than a few dents. None of these had ever carried a rock or paving mixture up Cassandra’s Ascender.
From time to time harsh words broke out, followed by a collision of Quashes swung to injure or maybe even kill. These learned, mature people responded as if summoned up by some deep internal demon. Only a few moments later, it happened again. One of the diners rose up and thrust his or her Quash at someone else at the table.
When an attack was not averted in time, the blow landed on the side of someone’s head or across his or her arm. Steward winced at how painful the blow must be, and yet any howl of protest was kept inside, and a counterattack was launched. These skirmishes lasted only a few seconds, but they were so sudden and vicious that Steward remained on edge.
He leaned toward Elopia. “Elopia, why is everyone fighting? Someone will be killed! I don’t understand.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Steward, whatever are you talking about? If you mean the teasing and occasional sarcastic jab, then we’re guilty as charged. But fighting? Killing? You have quite an imagination.”
He was not imagining this. Something was wrong with these people, and he would rather leave than stay and try to dodge the blows.
“Thank you ever so much for your hospitality. I have enjoyed the afternoon; however, my journey has been long, and I would like to return to the house and rest for a while.”
Elopia looked surprised but nodded in agreement. “Of course, certainly. We will see you there later this evening then?”
Steward thanked her then rose to say his farewells and left the strange company to continue their eating, drinking, and attacking one another. As he walked back to the house, he grew anxious. He did not like Ascendia at all.
Why is this place part of my journey? What could possibly be here that will help me see the king?
Back at the House of Bendor, he held his Quash in his hands and examined it. What are these things? Tools? Weapons? Ornaments?
As he thought back to the events of the day, there it was again.
That noise! The machines seemed louder now, as if they were creeping closer.
What did Elopia mean by “other things” added to the mortar?
He’d love to see them, but that would have to wait. He stretched his sore shoulders. Enough time to ask about all that later. For now, he needed rest.
For the next two weeks, Steward worked for Cassandra on the Ascender. He didn’t mind the hard work in the warm sun, and he liked hearing about the great reward that awaited them all as he worked.
He carried rocks to the workers, glancing at Cassandra as he did so. “Tell us again what awaits us once we get to the top.”
As always, Cassandra was happy to oblige, looking up to the top of the great peak as she spoke. “They say the mountainside is the most peaceful place on earth. There are fewer cares there. You have control of your time and the power to do as you please. The closer you get to the top, the less anyone can tell you what to do. You can create your own destiny and have the power to do whatever your heart desires. There, people respect you and fear you. On the top of the mountain, every need is met, every desire fulfilled, every dream achieved. There are only a few who make it—but for those who do, the spoils are endless.”
Her vision was wondrous indeed. “Do you know anyone who has lived there?” Steward asked.
That brought her gaze back to the work at hand. “No, not directly, but the stories of those who have made it to the top are legendary. Seldom if ever does anyone return to the valley once they have made it to the mountainside, so we only have secondhand reports to go by. But last year my uncle met a man who returned. The stories he told…” She shook her head and closed her eyes as her voice trailed off.
She opened her eyes and looked at Steward. There was a wildness to them now. “I listened through a keyhole night after night as they talked about the riches and power and happiness at the top.”
“Why did he return?”
Cassandra was lost in the memory, and it took a long time before Steward’s question registered.
“What? Oh, well, I’m not sure I ever knew why. Not that it matters. The mountainside is not for everyone. Only those who are gifted and work hard enough will ever achieve it.”
She looked down toward the valley and saw her sisters walking along the promenade. “I am afraid neither Elopia nor Astrid will ever experience the happiness of the mountain.”
Steward saw them as well.
Surely you will all go together. “Won’t you take them with you when the Ascender is complete?”
“Why should I? I did the work, sacrificing my life and career to build this thing. I organized the workers, took the risk, gave up the leisure life, and dedicated myself to this task. If I did all that, why should they enjoy the benefits of the reward when they have done nothing?”
“But they’re your sisters. They’re family. Doesn’t that matter?”
A sneer curled Cassandra’s lips. “To the weak, maybe. But not to me.”
Steward looked up to the mountain and across at the dozens of Ascenders covered with workers. Their frenzy to reach the mountain was amazing, but…
What if it wasn’t as wonderful as Cassandra hoped and believed?
Steward whispered under his breath, “What a shame it would be if the mountain turned out to be less joyful and peaceful than it is here in the valley.”
Not quiet enough. Cassandra heard it and turned to Steward, her nostrils flaring. “Steward, I have tried to be hospitable to you, but if you are not committed to the construction, then I must ask you to leave. There are many who desire to work alongside me. Our schools prepare our young people to invest their lives in this work. If you do not have the passion to do this, then it is time for you to leave and give your place to someone who does.”
Steward studied her. Every action and angry word demonstrated the stress that drove her—just like the people of Petitzaros. They just exchanged chains for Quashes.
He stood. “I’m sorry, Cassandra, but you’re right. I don’t share your passion. I hope the mountaintop fulfills all your dreams. But for me, I have a journey to make, and it is time for me to prepare to continue. Thank you for the chance to work with you and for the Quash. I will go back to the house and prepare to leave tomorrow.”
With that, Steward walked back down the Ascender. Why did I need to stop in this place on my way to see the king? What’s here for me? He shook his head. Zedekai, I don’t understand.
In the distance, the rock-grinding machines rumbled.
I guess I’ll leave without ever seeing them.
Suddenly, there was a tug on his shirtsleeve, and he turned around to see Elopia signaling him to follow her as she scurried out of the sunlight and into a shaded archway.
Steward followed.
Elopia was breathless. She looked around as she spoke, her eyes wild with excitement. “Steward, you must come and see Ascendia for what it really is. Cassandra hasn’t told you the entire story. There’s more here you must know. That’s why Zedekai sent you. You must not be deceived. Please, stay close to me and stay low. I will show you the real secret of Ascendia.”
She took Steward’s hand, looked in all directions, then led him out into the woods through a small opening between two great trees. They followed a path that led them deeper into a wooded area, and soon they were alone. But Elopia didn’t stop. She scurried along a path that wound through heavy underbrush and up a steep trail. By the time they reached the top, Steward was out of breath and begging to stop. They sat down next to a large tree and rested against it to catch their breath.
“Good heavens, Elopia. Where are you taking me?”
“Up there.” She pointed to a small ledge that stuck out from the face of the hillside not far from where they sat. “Listen, Steward.”
He slowed his breathing, and as he did so he noticed that the sound of the grinding machines had gotten louder and closer. Unless he missed his guess, he should be able to see the source of the sound from the ledge where Elopia was leading them. With newfound strength, Steward climbed to his feet and grabbed Elopia’s hand.
“Come on.”
They eased their way to the ledge, being careful not to be seen. As they approached the edge, Steward could hear the grinding sound increase in intensity. On hands and knees, he inched his way out onto the outcropping of rock. The sound of the grinders was right beneath them—along with another sound.
Voices.
But these voices…
Steward had never heard anything like them before. Some were stern, some angry… and some crying out.
What was happening?
Steward crept out just far enough to look over the edge to the scene below.
On his right was one of the huge machines, the source of the grinding noise. It was an enormous rock crusher, and above it was a chute where workers dumped in cartful’s of rocks. The machine gobbled up the rocks and crushed them into gravel and sand, spewing out dust and a sound that was deafening. Steward could feel the entire ground shake as boulders the size of horses got crushed in its huge jaws.
Once crushed, the gravel and sand poured from the machine into a chute and straight into a second machine, smaller and quieter than the first. Here, the sand and gravel were crushed again and mixed with a liquid that flowed from a third machine on Steward’s left. It was the combination of the sand and gravel from the rock crusher and the liquid from this other machine that created the reddish-brown paving mixture for the pathways of the Ascenders.
Then Steward saw it.
No.
His heart pounded and his stomach churned.
Impossible! This is not happening!
A line of people, like those he had seen walking the streets of Ascendia, were being brought by guards, one by one, onto a platform that reached up to the edge of the liquefying machine.
Why don’t they struggle? No, I see it. They don’t know what’s about to happen.
Once there, the guards took their Quash, and before they could fight back they were hurled into the mouth of the machine! Their screams were drowned out by the relentless sound of crushing rocks and—now Steward realized—the sound of the crushing of human bones.
He put his hand over his mouth to keep himself from vomiting and scrambled back off the ledge.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe it. It’s…it’s horrible!”
He grabbed Elopia and shook her. “I’ve never seen anything so horrible in my life! Why are you killing your own people? Who is doing this? Why doesn’t anyone stop them? Elopia, why is this happening?”
He struggled to catch his breath and slow his pounding heart.
Elopia’s countenance didn’t change. Her tone was even and cold. “I think you need to ask Cassandra.”
“Cassandra? Yes, she has to be told about this. If she knew what she was pouring right there beneath her feet—”
He stopped and looked down at his sandals, still covered with the dust and mud from the Ascender.
“Oh…oh…!” He barely made it into the woods before he emptied his stomach.
The workers on Cassandra’s Ascender continued at their frenzied pace. The sidewalls of her Ascender moved ahead more quickly now—several meters an hour—and the constant flow of paving mixture from the Quashes of beaten-down workers kept the pathway growing at a steady pace.
It wasn’t enough.
Cassandra stood near the end of the Ascender and looked out across the sky at the other construction projects racing toward the mountain. Next to her were two Phaedra, each whispering, but just loud enough for her to hear it above the din of the construction work behind her.
“It appears that Lassiter, Phileus, and Amanda are all ahead of you, Cassandra. If they reach the mountain before you, they will keep the best places for themselves.”
The second Phaedra moved closer and pointed a spiny white finger at the mountain. “And there are already several who have made it to the top. You must not fall behind or you will not have the place you so deserve high up on the mountain.”
The first continued. “Cassandra, this is up to you. You do want to get there first and live at the top of the peak, do you not?”
Cassandra ran her hands back through her hair then grasped it between her fingers and pulled.
No matter how fast I work or how hard I push my crew, I can’t build fast enough to beat the others.
Her heart ached for a place at the top of the peak. It was so close she could almost touch it, yet there remained so much work to close the gap between where she stood and the final meter that would connect her with her prize. And even then she would need to trek up the mountain and claim her space before anyone else could get it.
She dropped her hands and began to pace, each step kicking up dust as she stomped.
“I won’t let others beat me to the mountain.” She looked at the two Phaedra tormenting her. “I will be first up to the summit and claim what I have worked so hard to attain. Nothing will keep me from this goal. Nothing and no one!”
Steward came running up the path toward her. His face was red and covered with sweat, and he was gasping to find his breath.
“Cassandra! Cassandra, do you know what you are standing on? Do you know what this paving mixture is made of? Dear God, Cassandra, do you know what they are doing at the crushing site?”
Everyone within earshot paused, and the Phaedra stepped closer.
Cassandra came close to him and signaled for him to quiet his voice. “Steward, if you have information for me about the construction work, then please tell me. However, let’s walk back to the house where we can sit in private, and I will hear you out there.”
He would have none of it. His voice trembled as he shot out the words. “People, they are using people—”
“Steward! We will discuss this at the house. Do you understand?”
Five large men closed in around him. Cassandra’s guard now encircled him. He knew he was in danger. And now it was clear.
She knows!
Steward nodded and replied in a hushed voice. “Yes, at the house, of course, Cassandra.”
Elopia was right. Cassandra was well aware of the atrocity. How could she stand there each day and watch workers pour the hideous mixture onto the pathways? She knew. She approved. But it was worse. She drove the project so hard that more and more people would need to be abducted and…
A wave of nausea welled up in him again.
The guarded procession neared the end of the Ascender, but instead of turning right toward the House of Bendor, they turned north toward the sounds of the distant crushing machines.
Steward stopped to turn the other way, but the guards obstructed him. “Where are we going? This isn’t the way to the house!”
Cassandra took him aside. Her eyes narrowed to a sinister glare. “Yes, of course I know what is in the mixture, but none of the workers know. It is a well-kept secret between the Ascender builders and the operators of the crushers. You see, naïve little Steward, most people in the city are not pulling their weight. They’re freeloaders, spending their time on unproductive tasks and enjoying—actually enjoying—their life in the valley. These valley lovers are, shall we say, expendable. If it makes construction progress more quickly and the mountain more accessible, then what happens to the nameless citizens of Ascendia is really no one’s concern.”
Before he could protest, the guards seized him by the arms. As they carried him away, Cassandra glowered at him. “Dear young Steward, today you will have the honor of becoming a permanent part of Ascendia.”
No! This can’t be happening!
The guards began to force him down the road toward the crushing site. He struggled with all his might but could not break free. The chains from Petitzaros and the weight of his Quash were so heavy that he was exhausted after several attempts to escape.
Was this how his journey would end? Hurled into the jaws of the machine? Where was Zedekai? As he struggled, he heard a crash of Quashes—
Guards were falling around him. He was free!
He turned to see a small figure with a veiled face racing away from the scene where Cassandra’s guards lay dazed on the ground.
“Come on, run!”
Steward ran with everything he had, trying to keep up with the fleeing figure in front of him. He heard yelling behind them, and then more yells ahead of him as workers dumped their rocks and came toward them.
“This way!” The veiled rescuer grabbed Steward’s hand and jerked him past the guards and back up the Ascender.
“Where are we going?” This was the last place he wanted to go. Once on the Ascender, there was no way of escape.
“Trust me!”
What other options did he have?
They ran up the Ascender, men in pursuit. They ran past the masons working on the walls, then around lines of men with Quashes full of paving mixture, waiting their turn to dump their gory loads onto the pathway. Finally, Steward and his guide reached the end, where the ramp ended.
Only open air lay ahead.
With the men closing in from behind, Steward prepared to be captured again and thrown into the crusher for sure.
“Grab my hand! Now!”
Steward didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the hand held out to him just as the first guard came running at them.
“Jump, Steward!”
And before he knew it, he was being pulled over the edge.
They fell together through the air, Steward grasping the arms of the rescuer with all his strength. The figure grabbed a hook from beneath its tunic. It was fixed to a rope tied at the waist. With a quick flick of a wrist, the hook wound around a beam in the scaffolding that undergirded the ramp. As the rope snapped taut, they swung together around the scaffolding and came crashing down on a crossbeam just out of sight.
Steward lay there on the large beam of wood. “We’re…we’re alive. I can’t believe it!”
Groaning, he struggled to his feet. His shoulder ached, but the pain was lost in his miracle of being rescued. “Who are you?”
His liberator pulled back the veil. Steward stood frozen, stunned.
“Astrid!”
Her eyes gleamed and her face was filled with color and life. Where was the pale, timid girl he met at the House of Bendor? She was…
Beautiful.
“Astrid, how did you do that, and why and…who are you?”
Astrid removed the rope from her waist and smiled at Steward. “I’m the reason Zedekai sent you to the House of Bendor. You needed to see what is happening in Ascendia before you see the king. Elopia saw to that. Now that you’ve seen it, I’ll make sure you leave here safely.”
Astrid brushed by him and began working her way down the crisscross of beams that made up the huge scaffolding. She led Steward down through the maze, halting and hiding when people underneath passed by. Finally, when the street was empty, they jumped down from the lowest beam and scurried out of sight into a small side street.
Soon they reached the gates of the city. Astrid waited for the right moment, then she grabbed Steward’s hand and ran through the gates and into the woods far beyond the city walls. She didn’t stop until they reached a small clearing. Finally, Astrid turned and sat under a large tree, resting her back against it.
“We’re safe here.” She wiped the perspiration from her face.
Steward sat down against a rock where he could face her. He had so many questions. “Astrid, why? I mean, if you know what’s happening, why do you stay in Ascendia? And if you’re this strong, why don’t you rise up against your sister and stop this madness?”
Astrid ignored the questions for the moment. She took a drink from a flask that she’d worked loose from a leather waist belt. She offered the flask to Steward, but he wanted answers, not a drink.
Astrid obliged. “First of all, you’re welcome.” She let the words sit for a moment then smiled.
Steward hung his head. “I apologize, Astrid. Yes, thank you for saving my life. I can never repay you for what you’ve done.”
“No need. It is what I was appointed to do.”
“Appointed by whom?”
“By the king, of course.”
Steward came to her. He turned her face toward his.
“You know the king? You have seen him?”
“Yes, I’ve seen the king. And so shall you.” She took off her waistcoat and rubbed her shoulders. “You ask why I stay and why I don’t mount a rebellion against my sister. Well, the problem is far beyond my sister. She is just one small pawn in a much larger game. It is the entire system that must be changed. It’s attitudes, minds, and hearts that must be changed. Violence can’t do that…although it is tempting to try. It will take a change of heart by the ramp builders to finally pull down the crushers. And so I work quietly, among the people of the valley.”
She sat back down beside him and looked up at the sky as she spoke. “Many do not want to climb the mountain. They want to live at peace in the valley. I help them find refuge from the guards and encourage them to carry on.”
She looked back at Steward. “That’s why I stay. I warn some about the crushing machines. I help others who don’t want to spend their lives toiling on the ramps. And though there are fewer and fewer people who aren’t lured by the promises of living on the mountain, I wait for the day when change will come in the hearts of my fellow citizens— and my two sisters.”
She was amazing. How brave and noble and…beautiful.
Steward put his hand on hers. “You are a good and brave person, Astrid.” The touch sent his pulse racing. He didn’t want to leave her side. “Too good for this place.”
That was it!
Steward drew his hand back and jumped to his feet, his voice shrill with excitement. “Why don’t you come with me to see the king? You can help show me the way. I would so much love to have the company. Do say yes. Come with me, Astrid.”
She smiled, and something in her eyes…
Could the attraction be mutual?
She stood and turned away. “I can’t come with you. This is your journey, and you must make it alone.” She returned to his side and put her hand in his. “But know that my thoughts and prayers will be with you, and”—she gave him a playful look—“we shall see each other again.”
“We will?”
Astrid nodded. “Yes, but you must go now and continue your journey.” She walked over to a mound of branches and leaves. She pulled away the brush and there, to Steward’s amazement, were a fresh set of clothes, a cloak, a sleeping roll, and his old satchel. He opened the flap and found it filled with food, wine, and water.
“Astrid, you are full of surprises.”
“Not I.” She smiled. “Zedekai is always looking after you.”
Zedekai, the Phaedra, the king. An unwelcome sense of doubt caught him off-guard.
“Astrid, when did you see the king?” It startled even him to hear the words come from his mouth.
She frowned. “When? I don’t remember. Not so long ago. Why do you ask?”
“I was asked by a Phaedra how I knew the king really existed. I was hoping you could assure me.” He looked around, relieved they were still alone. “Do you listen to the Phaedra?”
“These are questions you must answer for yourself. All of us must decide for ourselves if the king is real and who we will listen to. I cannot answer that for you, Steward. It is part of the reason for your journey.”
Steward wasn’t satisfied with that answer, but he sensed it was all he was going to get. He started to take off his sling, and the Quash fell into his hands. “And what do I do with this?”
“Take it with you. It will remind you of Ascendia and of what you have seen and learned here. And perhaps it will also remind you of me.” She gave him a smile. “Now you must go. It will be dark soon, and you must reach the edge of Pitcairn Moor before nightfall. You will be safe on the edge of the moor, but Steward…” She grasped his arm. “Don’t stay either on the moor or in the woods. You must stay on the edge of both. Do you understand?”
He was surprised by the passion of her words. “Yes, yes I think so. But I do wish you could tell me more and even come with me. This journey is long, and I have so many questions, more than when I started. You could help me find the answers.”
Astrid put her hand to Steward’s cheek, gave him a tender kiss on the forehead, and stood back. “You must find them for yourself, Steward. But only at the right time. Be patient, keep your heart pure, expect to hear and learn and know, and you will. The king has promised it.”
Then she took up her Quash, tied her tunic tight, and after one look back disappeared into the woods.
Steward stood for several minutes, staring after her. He rubbed his hand across his skin where she had kissed him. For the first time in his life, he had the sense of falling in love. “I will see you again.” It was a promise to her—and himself.
With the day closing in toward evening, he turned his attention to the journey—and Astrid’s words about Pitcairn Moor. Steward shed his shirt and put on the new tunic. The chains from Petitzaros rubbed his arms bare in places, so he unwrapped them and applied some balm that he kept inside his satchel. He then dressed, and with his satchel over one shoulder and his Quash over the other, he set off down the path for Pitcairn Moor.
~~~~~~~~~~
Anna laid the book down. Merideth stood and walked to the large window looking out over the garden at the back of the house. In the darkness, all she could see was the moonlight reflecting off the roof of the garden shed, playing in odd patterns on the side panel of the greenhouse.
Merideth’s hands shook. Cassandra’s voice rang in her mind. This couldn’t be happening. What had happened to her well-honed defenses? This was the last place she wanted them to fail her!
How could Dad have known? This is my story. I can’t let it in…can’t let it overcome me.
She jumped when an arm encircled her shoulder. Anna stood there. “Mer, are you okay?”
“Anna, I’m…okay? No, not at all. I can’t give in to this. There’s too much at stake.”
“It’s all right, Mer. We’re all processing the story in our own way.”
Merideth continued staring out the window. It was time for her to own this. “Anna, Cassandra’s story is my story, and Dad knew it. All my pushing away won’t free me from the truth that my life has been dominated by the mountains that always loomed ahead of me, by my insatiable appetite for…ramp building.”
She closed her eyes and could see herself standing on an Ascender, building her future on the bodies of those she had always labeled as less motivated. The confession cut her. Her defenses were crumbling. She rested her forehead on the window as the tears began to flow.
Reed went to the kitchen, and Alex joined him. They needed to give Anna and Merideth some space.
Reed leaned against the counter and waited for Alex to close the door. “That was a stake to the heart. Dad couldn’t have written it any better.”
“You mean for Merideth?”
Reed looked at him. “Yes. What did you think I meant?”
“I thought he wrote it for me, that’s all. I know Cassandra is a woman, but I’ve spent a lot of the last several years building my own ramp to the mountainside. How about you?”
“Geez, I thought I was done when Steward left Petitzaros. Now I have to admit to living in Ascendia as well?” Reed laughed, and he was glad Alex joined him. The laughter was a welcome reprieve from the heaviness of the night.
Alex didn’t let the light moment last. “I don’t think either of us can escape this. Dad’s writing about us, all of us. What do you suppose drives us to be ramp builders?”
Reed shrugged. “Our culture, capitalism, pride, fear? I dunno, probably all of them.”
“Fear. Fear of failure. Fear of coming to the end of life and having nothing to show for it.” Alex stopped as Anna walked in.
Reed moved over so she could fill two glasses of water from the sink.
“What do you think, Anna? Is it a fear of failure that drives us to be ramp builders?”
She wiped off the outside of the glasses as she thought. “Maybe. But I wonder, was Dad a failure? I can’t remember any ramps he was trying to build. Yet he left so much behind. Stuff that mattered.”
Reed looked at his two siblings. Silence. Anna’s words hung in the air.
She turned toward the door. “I think Mer needs this.”
“Is she okay?” Alex asked.
She drew in a deep breath. “Are any of us? I don’t know if I can take two more lands, and I have a feeling the next one’s for me.”
Reed held the door for her, commenting as she passed. “I guarantee you, if it’s like the first two, it will be for all of us.”
Walter strolled in, passing Anna as he entered the kitchen. Reed cocked his head and said, “Walter, how much of this story did you know before tonight?”
Walter hesitated before answering. “Sam let me read parts of it as he finished them. I gave some feedback, did some proofreading for him, but I have never heard it from beginning to end before tonight.”
“And how are you finding it?” Alex asked.
“Convicting. I must admit I came here praying that it would speak to you, all four of you. But I am finding my own heart aching.”
Merideth appeared next to Reed in the doorway, startling him. “So there’s a little Cassandra in all of us?”
Alex threw his hands into the air. “Guilty as charged. How you doing, sis?”
Merideth sipped her water then set the glass down and crossed her arms. “Look, I’m struggling, okay? I’m going to need some space and time to deal with this. I’m not ready to go much further yet, but,” she glanced around the room, making eye contact with each of them, “but I’m glad we’re here, hearing this together.”
That was the sister Reed missed. There was a time when they could talk like this, all of them, so long ago. Before life, jobs, pressure, alienation—and fear. There it was again. Maybe Alex was right.
How did Mom and Dad figure out how to live without fear?
Reed longed for the answer. It was likely they all did.
Reed followed his siblings back into the living room. “Has anyone figured out the Quash yet?”
Anna shook her head. “I was wondering the same thing. Most of the imagery makes sense, but the Quash is beyond me.”
Reed raised his eyebrows, signaling his own confusion. Alex just shrugged.
“Power, control. That’s what I heard.” Merideth sat back in her chair. “I mean, we all have it. What matters is how we use it. To build our ramps, to attack each other, or, like Astrid, to serve each other. What do you think?”
The grandfather clock in the living room chimed out ten times.
“Wow.” Anna yawned. “Does that sound bring back memories.”
Reed stretched. “Agreed. But it’s also reminding me it’s been a long day. First, Mer, I think you’re probably right. Power, makes sense. Thanks. Now, how far do we plan to read tonight?”
Alex examined the depth of the remaining pages. “Good question. By my estimate, we have at least five hours of reading left to finish the book. So what’s the consensus? How far do we read before calling it a night?”
Reed looked at Walter. “Any advice?”
Walter pointed to the open book. “Why don’t you get young Steward through the next two lands and then pick it up tomorrow.”
Reed agreed. “That shouldn’t take more than two hours. That puts us in bed by midnight. Is everyone okay with that?”
Anna walked over to the couch and slumped into it. “Fine with me, but I’m not sure I can handle reading what’s coming.”
Merideth nodded. “I need time to think all this through.”
“No problem.” Reed took the seat by the book. “My turn.”