44 Chispa’s Proposition

The dinner bell clanged at seven o’clock. I rolled over toward Taylor. Her eyes were open.

“Are you ready to pretend?” she asked.

“I’ve never been good at it.”

She leaned forward and kissed me. “I know. But we have to.” She got out of bed, walked over to the mirror, and combed her hair. “I’m kind of afraid to see Abi again.”

“Me too.” I breathed out. “You look pretty.”

She forced a smile. “Thank you.”

I put my shirt on. “Let’s go.”

We walked from our room down the tiled corridor to the dining area. Except for a few kitchen staff milling about, the dining room was empty, but its doors were open to the patio. It was a beautiful evening, and we could hear flute and drum music coming from outside.

“Looks like the party’s outside,” I said, still holding her hand.

“It’s a nice night for it.”

We stepped out into the courtyard. The outdoor area was festively decorated with strands of overhead lights interspersed with small yellow and pink flowers.

“This looks fun,” Taylor said.

The music played…. “We’re going to party, karamu, fiesta, forever….”

“That’s an oldie,” I said.

“It sounds like my parents’ music.”

Everyone except for Ian, Ostin, and McKenna were already in the courtyard. They were all smiling and laughing. Everyone looked happy. Tara was standing next to Zeus. She waved to us from across the patio. Next to the musicians, Quentin was sitting next to Epicurus. He was holding a panpipe and blowing on it, while she laughed and clapped her hands.

“They’re still together,” I said.

“Still not legit,” Taylor said. She breathed in the night air. “There’s something about the air here. It’s so… pristine. It just makes you feel good. Just look around. Everyone’s having a good time.”

“Do you feel that?” I asked.

She suddenly stopped, as if she’d just heard something. “Yes. It’s the same thing we felt earlier.”

“We’re being filled with happiness.”

“It’s like a drug.”

“I think that’s the point. Happy people don’t question things.”

To one side of the patio, opposite the musicians, there were three large buffet tables, two of which were crowded with colorful Peruvian delicacies. The third looked like a different cuisine.

Suddenly Chispa took me by the arm. “Bienvenidos, amigos,” he said. “Michael, Taylor, would you do us the honor of dining next to us?” He gestured back toward the head of the table. Abigail, dressed in a beautiful lace gown, sat on one side. “After you choose your food, of course.”

“We’d be honored,” I said.

“I know this isn’t your first trip to Peru, but I still suspect that some of this cuisine might be a little foreign. Am I right?”

“Very right,” Taylor said.

“Let me help you out. You might want to start with one of our famous ceviches. You probably know what that is.”

“Raw fish cooked in the citric acid it’s marinated in,” Taylor said.

“Yes. We have two kinds, the traditional, and this, right here in the drinking glasses, is called tiger milk. They are both ceviche. Try them both; you’ll like them.

“This roasted little rodent is cuy, guinea pig. Sometimes it takes foreigners a bit to get over the look, but I assure you, it is quite tasty.

“These next two dishes are my personal favorites. This beautiful dish is rocoto relleno, stuffed spicy peppers. I should warn you, the ají chili is about ten times hotter than a jalapeño, so that first bite is something to be reckoned with, but the sweet and savory filling inside, melted fresh cheese and eggy cream sauce, softens the heat.

“And this is another favorite,” he said, gesturing to some fried pieces of meat on wooden skewers. “Anticuchos de corazón is grilled heart. North Americans aren’t used to heart, but it’s leaner than the finest filet mignon and tastier than a rib eye. These hearts are from alpacas, which are a bit more unique than the traditional cow.

“The rest you can figure out—rice with duck; roasted chicken; and a regional favorite, lomo saltado, stir-fried beef. I recommend that you take a little of each. Then, after you decide which ones you like, get a fresh plate and load up.”

“That sounds like a wise choice,” I said.

“I’ll be with Abigail waiting for you.”

“Thank you.”

We did as our host recommended, though neither of us felt adventurous enough to try the cuy. I’d had it several times before, and I still wasn’t over the look. As a child, Taylor had had a pet guinea pig, so it was especially inedible for her.

Nichelle was standing next to the third table, sampling, as if she was eating right from the buffet.

“Can I get you a plate?” I asked in jest.

“I’ll just take the whole table,” she said. “It’s French cuisine. My favorites, in fact. Cassoulet, boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin, salade Niçoise. Seriously, I don’t know where they found a French chef out here, but this is well prepared. I’m talking authentic. They live high in the colony.”

“How do you know French food so well?” Taylor asked.

“Really? I was Hatch’s pet for most of my life. He ate well.”

“That would do it.”

“Where are the drinks?” I asked.

“The bar’s over there.”

We walked over to the bar, where there were two drink dispensers. I lifted a glass of water and drank. The water tasted normal. So did the lemonade.

“No juice?” Taylor said.

I took her hand. They’re listening to us, I thought. I looked into her eyes to see if she was able to read me. She nodded slightly.

We got two glasses of lemonade, then carried all our food back to the table. Chispa smiled as we approached, then stood, still holding Abigail’s hand. I couldn’t tell if he was doing this to show affection or to relieve his pain. Maybe both.

“Sit, please, sit,” I said.

“As you wish,” Chispa said.

“Hi, Miss Abigail,” I said.

She looked at me and smiled. “Hi, Michael. Taylor.”

Though she was smiling, I knew it was pretense. Even her voice sounded different.

“You look beautiful in that dress,” Taylor said.

“Thank you.”

She is way too formal.

“I had it made especially for her,” Chispa said. “There are some talented seamstresses in the nearby village. Of course we had to order the material from France.”

“I noticed the table of French food,” Taylor said. “I plan to visit it on our next run.”

Chispa smiled. “Abi is a fan of French food, so I found someone who could cook. You would be surprised that Peru is becoming a place of foodies. Its cuisine is getting noticed around the world.”

“Do you always eat like this?” I asked.

He smiled. “No. Tonight is a celebration of you. For the most part, we eat quite simply. A lot of rice and beans and fruits and vegetables. Our founder, Dr. Sam, insisted that we eat to live, not live to eat. He was very health conscious and raised us all that way.

“But that doesn’t mean we don’t have our vices. I have a sweet tooth that rivals the greatest addictions.” A larger smile crossed his face. “You haven’t visited our dessert table yet. We have what I call Montezuma’s ransom cupcake. It’s topped with chocolate truffle frosting and twenty-four-karat gold.”

“You put gold on a cupcake?” Taylor asked.

“Well, it wasn’t my idea. A few years ago, I had the chance to visit Dubai. There was a bakery there that boasted the most expensive cupcake on the planet. They called it the Golden Phoenix. It claims to have twenty-three karats of edible gold.

“As I showed you earlier, we have plenty of gold, so we figured out how to make our own gold leaf. I think everyone should eat something gold plated at least once in their lives, don’t you?”

“It’s not something I’ve ever considered,” I said.

“You have a very nice lifestyle here,” Taylor said. “I mean, it’s surprising, especially in a region that is known for its poverty.”

“I’m pleased that you noticed. The thing that people don’t understand is that wealth and luxury are more aptly created than pursued. Wisdom, discipline, and industry are all that’s needed to create wealth. Of course, true wealth is inner peace. Would you agree?”

“I would,” I said. I glanced over at Abi, but she showed no reaction.

“So, Michael, you’re the leader of this group. What’s next on your agenda?”

“I don’t know. I’m making this up as we go. So far things haven’t quite gone as we planned.”

“In what way?”

“To be perfectly honest, we came to find Abi and take her back with us.”

“Yes?” He turned to Abigail. “Would you like to go back with them?”

She hesitated just a moment, then shook her head. “No. I have everything I need right here.” Her words sounded mechanical, almost rehearsed.

Taylor looked at her sadly. “What about your schooling? You wanted to be a nurse anesthetist.”

“I can do that without school. I can do more good in the jungle than I could ever do back home.”

Chispa smiled and patted her hand. “I’d tell you that she has a heart of gold, but you already know that. In the short time she’s been here she’s proven herself irreplaceable.” He looked down at our plates. “We’re talking too much. This food is too exquisite to waste.”

He pushed a small black stone bowl toward us. It was filled with a pinkish saltlike substance. “You might not be used to this, but it’s a very special salt. It’s Peruvian pink Incan salt. It has a unique taste that enhances just about everything on your plate. Even your French cuisine.”

“Thank you.”

“Just use your fingers. It’s how we do it here.”

“Thank you,” I said again. I took a pinch of salt and sprinkled it onto my meat. “If it’s not too much trouble, we’d like to stay a few days before we head on back to the US.”

“You’re not just trying to buy more time to talk Abigail into coming home with you?”

“Of course we are.”

He laughed. “Please, be my guest. We’re very proud of what we’ve built. And this valley is such a beautiful place to hike or ride horses. Or just relax.

“And of course there are the hot mineral springs. Nothing’s better for the body and soul. And after all Abigail has told me you’ve been through over the last five years, I think you all deserve to just unplug for a while.”

“Thank you. You’re very kind. But we’re still worried about Jack and his friends.”

I noticed Abi flinch when I said his name. Chispa’s head spun toward her, as if waiting for her reaction. She swallowed, then said, “I heard he was missing. You need to find him.”

“We’ve contacted the Shining Path,” Chispa said. “They claim they haven’t seen him. As I said before, they could be lying, but none of our informers have seen Jack’s group either. We still haven’t made contact with the cartel. They’re a little more difficult. Of course, we can’t rule out the Peruvian government. And, if what Abigail says is accurate, you’re still on their Most-Wanted list.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know how you survive in the VRAEM surrounded by all this.”

Chispa nodded. “Yes, I know it sounds like we exist somewhere between the hammer and the anvil, but that’s where the advantage of our powers come in. As you can attest, no one can get close to our colony without us knowing it.

“And from what we hear in the villages, the people fear us to be gods or demons. That includes the guerillas. We had one brief skirmish with them. It did not go well for them. We’re peaceful, but, as our mentor taught us, peace without force soon comes to naught.

“We acted mercilessly against the Shining Path that one time, and they’ve left us alone ever since.” He looked down at our plates and shook his head. “Really, what was I saying the other day, Abigail? I talk too much. Please, go fill your plates and enjoy the rest of the evening. And, Michael, if it’s not too much trouble, before you’re ready to turn in, I’d like to have a brief word with you in private.”

“Of course,” I said.

He smiled. “Now go. Enjoy. I won’t be satisfied until you’ve consumed at least a gram of gold.”

“Thank you,” Taylor said, lifting her plate.

“Oh, please. Get a fresh plate.” He clicked his fingers, and a servant ran up to the table. “Please, take Miss Ridley’s plate and bring her another.”

“Sí, señor.”

We came back a minute later with our plates again filled with food. As we sat down, Taylor said, “Oh, you spilled the salt.” Then she smiled. “Did you make something out of it?”

Using the salt, Abigail had made what looked like a small dog with very large ears.

“That’s cute,” Taylor continued. “It looks like a wolf. No, a jackal.” She clapped. “Of course. It’s a jackal. Like Jack’s tattoo.”

I noticed Chispa’s expression turn dark. Abi looked afraid.

“I just spilled it,” she said, her voice laced with panic. “It’s like an inkblot test. People see what they want to see. I mean, we were just talking about Jack….”

“I can see that,” I said, picking up the salt. “I saw a pack of wolves.”

“But—”

I kicked Taylor’s shin, then put my hand on her leg. Stop. Now!

Taylor frowned. “I’m sorry. I just have an imagination.”

There was obvious tension.

“I want to try one of those gold-plated cupcakes,” I said.

“Please,” Chispa said. “Help yourself.”

His jaw was tight, and he was having trouble hiding his anger.

Taylor and I went over to the dessert table.

“What just happened?” she asked.

I took her hand and thought, We just got Abi in trouble. She glanced at me. I think Chispa knows where Jack is.

Taylor blurted out, “You do?”

Chispa was looking at us.

“Of course I want to try the gold cupcake,” I said loudly. “Where else are you going to find one?”

“Sorry,” Taylor mouthed.

The cupcakes were incredibly decadent-looking, with chocolate ganache coated with pure gold. They looked too pretty to eat.

On a bench at the side of the courtyard, Quentin was getting more and more intoxicated. I don’t mean by the drinks. He was leaning forward toward Epicurus as she put berries into his mouth. It was as if she had strings attached to him. I suppose she did.

“Should we do something about that?” Taylor asked.

“I think we’re too late,” I said.

“I’m going to try to reboot him.” She looked at him. Nothing happened. He just continued gazing into Epicurus’s eyes. Taylor frowned. “Nothing. Either she’s super powerful, or I’m losing mine.”

When we brought our food back to the table. Chispa and Abigail were gone. We ate, careful about everything that came from our mouths.

About twenty minutes later, Chispa emerged from the house. He walked up to us, forcing a smile. “Sorry, Abigail wasn’t feeling well and wanted to turn in. She sends her condolences and says she’ll see you at breakfast.”

“Of course,” I said.

“So, Michael, it’s late, but perhaps not too late. Could you join me for a few minutes?” He turned to Taylor and smiled. “That is, if Taylor could spare you for a bit.”

“You go on,” she said. “I’ll see you back in the room.” She leaned forward and we kissed.

“Good night,” I said. “Don’t wait up.”

“I won’t.” She held out her hand to Chispa. I noticed that he didn’t take it. In fact, he put his hands into his pockets, leaving Taylor looking awkward.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t shake hands. It’s a weird aversion I have. Good night.”

“Good night.” She walked off.

“Come with me, Michael.” We walked back into the main house, into a room he unlocked with a key. “This is my office,” he said.

He turned on the lights, and we stepped inside. The office was beautiful, most of the walls covered with mahogany bookshelves. He shut the door behind us.

“Please, sit,” he said, motioning to one of the chairs in front of a beautiful desk.

“This is really a beautiful office,” I said.

“Thank you. I inherited it from my mentor.”

“I take it that he liked books.”

“Oh, that’s like saying you like Taylor.”

“Have you read them all?”

His gaze spanned the room. Then he said, “I have. Dr. Sam insisted that we were all well-read. Especially in philosophy.”

“That’s impressive. Your desk is cool. Is that wood mahogany?”

“No, but you’ve got a good eye for value. It’s from an ipê tree, the most valuable wood in the world. It’s only found in the Amazon rain forest. I had the desk made before the tree was protected. Now the wood is illegally harvested by rogue loggers. It sells for almost three thousand dollars per cubic meter, if you can believe that.” He leaned back in his seat. “But it’s late. Enough of this small talk. I wanted to talk to you about something very serious. Then I’d like to make you a proposition.”

“A proposition?” I sat up in my seat. I was about to learn what he really wanted from us.

His eyes narrowed. “Do you believe in fate?”

I thought a moment. “I suppose that there are times when I do. The fact that Taylor and I ended up in the same high school must be fate. The odds of that are ridiculous.”

“Exactly,” he said. “That’s how I feel about Bryan and Kylee stumbling into our colony from the other side of the world.” He shook his head. “If you think about it, it’s also what brought you and me together. Fate.” He looked down for a moment, then back at me. “What do you think of our place? The colony.”

“It seems like you’ve created something special here.”

“I’d like to take credit, but I’m not the creator. I’ve followed the map that Dr. Sam and the great minds of the past have left for us. You’ve heard me mention Dr. Sam, but I should introduce him to you.”

“Introduce me? I thought he had passed.”

“I meant figuratively, of course. Dr. Sam was a successful doctor from the US city of Dayton, Ohio. Are you familiar with Dayton?”

“Somewhat. I’ve never been there. I believe it’s where the Wright brothers came from.”

“Precisely. Two brothers with a dream, who changed the world for everyone. There is not a man, woman, or child on this planet who was not affected by their dream. And that, Michael, is what brings us here. I don’t think it’s any more a coincidence that Dr. Sam found me than that you and I were brought together. Dr. Sam had a dream. A dream to make the world a better place. A beautiful place. A utopian civilization where everyone has what they need, where everyone has access to food and housing and healthcare. A place where life is spent not as the animals live, in day-to-day survival, but rather in the advancement of thought and wisdom. That is what we’ve created here. You can see what we’ve made.”

“I think it’s a beautiful sentiment,” I said.

“Sentiment. This isn’t just a sentiment. It’s a reality. You have reservations?”

“It’s just that every time someone sets out to create a utopian dream world, it turns into a dystopian nightmare.”

He nodded slowly. “Why do you think that is?”

“I think the nature of man is such.”

“You think the nature of man is evil?”

“I don’t know. But I do know that there has never, in the history of the world, been a time without war or conflict.”

“That’s true. But I believe there’s conflict not because man by nature is evil but because of conflicting ideas and ideologies. There’s not room enough in the world for more than one ideology. Until all competing ideologies are eliminated, there can be no healthy society.”

“But,” I said, “to get rid of other ideologies, you would have to destroy all thought counter to the one thought, which would mean getting rid of everyone who didn’t believe as you did.”

“That’s true. It’s intellectual Darwinism, survival of the fittest.”

“Then, at its core, your one existing thought would contain mass genocide.”

“I’m impressed, Michael. I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to keep up, but you’re doing brilliantly. And you’ve uncovered what I call the great existential irony—how can the greatest good come from the greatest evil? But the world is full of ironies. Machiavelli struggled with this notion as well, but he came up with a solution, simply that the end justifies the means.”

He was starting to scare me. “What are you proposing?”

“I’m proposing that we build an entire world based on the peaceful philosophy of Dr. Sam. But, as you pointed out, to get there would require the complete destruction of much of the previous world.”

“I doubt your Dr. Sam would have approved of your methods.”

“No, he wouldn’t. He was an ardent pacifist. But even in the good doctor’s death he showed us that his ideology had one great flaw.”

“And what’s that?”

“His belief that pacifism would result in peace.” He looked closely into my eyes, studying my reaction. “Before Dr. Sam’s death, I would have fought to defend that flawed belief. But that all changed when a group of men walked into our peaceful home and brought us violence. They killed our master. Of all the teaching moments Dr. Sam gave me, that was the most profound. That day our path was made clear to me. We were to spread Dr. Sam’s vision to the world. Not softly, as he’d tried, but with strength. Fate was guiding us the whole time.

“Why else would Dr. Sam have been brought into contact with the only other electric people in the world? Why did it become his mission to gather us, to teach and care for us?

“And now, here you and I are, drawn together by fate. It’s time that we work together, to create tabula rasa, a blank slate. Us, the sane ones. I’m the leader of the colony. You’re the leader of the Electroclan. Together we can bring about the coming of a new age. But that new age can only be built on the ashes of an old one. It’s the way of all society, all culture.”

“You really think that a few dozen of us can change the world?”

“Think? I know. Remember the words of the great cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead, ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’

“But we’re more than committed, Michael. We were born for this. You were born for this. We were endowed with great power. You brought down the growing Elgen. We live here, in the most dangerous place in the world. The entire Peruvian army has been unable to eradicate the Shining Path. The world fears and fails before the power of the cartels, and more lives are lost to them with their violence and illicit drugs than in entire wars. But here we are, feared by these groups.

“The Shining Path guerillas exist only because I chose not to annihilate them completely. The cartels bow to our demands. Such is our power. Imagine if, together, we took on the world. We could burn down the old and start anew.”

I just looked at him. “That would be chaos and anarchy.”

“Anarchy on the way to control.” He adjusted himself in his seat, grimacing slightly with pain. “Sometimes the greatest thing to happen to a forest is a fire. As the fire destroys, it releases nutrients into the soil from dead and fallen trees, which increases the soil’s productivity. The fire’s heat opens up the serotinous cones of the lodgepole pines, allowing for new trees to grow. It opens new forest canopies, which cause new plant life to flourish.

“We, Michael, are that fire. We, the two of us as one, will burn down this world, and like a phoenix, a new one will rise from the ashes. The future is in our hands. History is ours to write.”

“What gives us, or anyone, the right to decide what the world will think?”

“The same right that those who have made history have always claimed. All one needs to do is to claim it. That’s what we do, right here, right now. We start the domino effect that changes the world. No religion except us. We are the gods of this new belief. No democracy, for the obvious reason that the common man and woman will never be smart enough to create anything better than common. So, there is no government except our government based on Dr. Sam’s model. Without the participation.”

“You’re talking about totalitarianism,” I said.

“That’s a frightening word used to scare the masses. I’m talking about effective leadership. Think about it. Successful corporations don’t put things to a vote. They are run by dictators. We just call them CEOs.”

“The difference is, CEOs can be replaced by a vote of the board. Kings are replaced by bloodshed.”

He grinned lightly. “Does it matter?”

“To those dying on battlefields it matters. To mothers and fathers weeping over lost children it matters.”

“Come on, Michael,” he said, flourishing a hand. “You’re talking about the pawns. They don’t matter. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the blood of pawns that fuels revolution.”

“You speak lightly of others’ blood. And pain.”

His face turned red. “Don’t preach to me about pain. I am the king of pain. Until the last few weeks, I have suffered every minute of my entire life. I have suffered agony and loss you cannot imagine. But now I’ve risen anew. You can join us, or you can hold to the old, dying ways. It’s your choice.”

“That’s ironic.”

“How’s that?”

“You’re giving me a choice to participate in a cause to remove all choice.”

His look of anger turned to one of amusement. “Ironic but true. Like I said, the world runs on irony.” He took a deep breath. “Take the night, Michael. Think about it. I want you and your Electroclan by my side. I want your soldiers in my army. You’re battle hardened. With you, we can do this.”

“And what if I don’t agree?”

He frowned. “I hope that’s not your decision, but if so, you go home and live whatever life you’ve planned for yourself.”

“With Abigail.”

He was quiet for a moment, then said, “That’s up to her. I would never keep her against her will.”

I just looked at him. I wished Taylor were there to tell me if he was telling the truth or not. My heart and mind guessed not.

He leaned forward in the chair and stood, offering his hand. “Think about it.”

“I will.” We shook.

“All right, my friend. Sleep well. We’ll talk in the morning.”