Book 2 - Page 42 (1/2)

“Sir?” I prompted.

“First, I must tell you that Karl thought highly of you.”

That was Longshot’s given name, as I recalled.

“He did?” Such news was a balm to my sore spirit. Longshot had made it clear before he died, but it felt even better, hearing it. That meant Longshot had spoken well of me to someone else.

Bigwater nodded. “He wrote to me before the battle, apprising me of our circ.u.mstances. He said you had proven invaluable in the field, primarily as a scout. That you could move in and out of the enemy lines like n.o.body he’d ever seen.”

“Stalker and Fade can too.”

The elder smiled, and the look sat ill on his cadaverous, austere features. “He mentioned them as well. Don’t fret, your friends won’t be shorted any credit.”

“I’m glad he was pleased with my work.” There was so much more I wanted to say about Longshot, but not to Elder Bigwater.

“Yes, that’s why I asked to see you.”

Finally, I thought.

He went on, “You may not be aware, but Karl left you his worldly goods. If you have no further questions, I’ll have Zachariah show you to the house, and you can decide what you want to do with it.”

No questions? I had a hundred.

“I don’t understand.”

His look remained patient. “His home and the contents therein now belong to you, Deuce. It’s not a large place since he was a widower with no mind to remarry after his wife died. They never had children. But it’s all yours, now.”

That couldn’t be right. “Doesn’t he have family?”

“Not anymore. The fever took many of us, fifteen years back. I nearly lost Zachariah.”

“This doesn’t make sense. Surely—”

“I understand your shock,” he cut in. “But Karl made his wishes clear.”

For the first time, he revealed his impatience by shuffling some papers on his desk. I took the hint. He had more important things to do than argue with me. The horde prowled outside the walls, and he had to rea.s.sure people that he could figure out how to save them. I didn’t envy him that task.

“Can you answer one question for me?”

By his expression, he thought it was related to Longshot. “Of course.”

“How bad is it out there, really?”

His amiable aspect slipped, revealing a man on the bitter edge of exhaustion. He pinched his fingers over the bridge of his nose as if smoothing away the ache. I’d misjudged him the day of the meeting; he wasn’t a leader who used other people’s ideas and did no real work of his own. His face was fair worn ragged from trying to figure out how to break the Freak siege.

“We’re holding them at bay for now, but anytime they press, the guards run through the ammo faster than Smith can make it. That young friend of yours is helping, but we can’t last forever.” Ah. That explained why Stalker hadn’t been to visit me. The band around my chest loosened a little. “Unless something changes, we’ll run out of bullets sooner or later, and they’ll charge the walls. Once that happens, I figure two days, before breach.”

Unrelentingly grim this news, but it was about what I expected. I nodded. “Thanks for your honesty.”

He continued, “You’re not to share this information, but Karl gave me to understand you can keep a secret.”

“I can. Let me know if there’s anything I can do, if you want me on the walls. I’m not as good a shot as some, particularly during the day, but at night, I can hit a Freak at a hundred paces.” I rose then and offered my hand again.

He shook it and then called for his son. “Zach!”

Who appeared with such speed that I suspected he had been waiting nearby. The doors were thick enough that I didn’t imagine he’d heard much, if he had been attempting to listen.

“Show Deuce to Karl’s place, please.” Elder Bigwater smiled at me. “Your place, now, I suppose.”

“Ready?” Zach asked.

Nodding, I stepped into the hall with him, only to find a woman lying in wait. She had the air of an angry Huntress, her mouth tight, and her arms folded as if to keep her from striking me. I drew back instinctively and Zach set his hand in the small of my back. Normally I’d snap at him for that, but danger hung heavy in the air.

“What’s she doing here?” the woman demanded.

Zach stepped between us. “We’re leaving, Mother.”

So this was Mrs. Bigwater. She drew away from me and stalked into her husband’s office. Her voice carried. “I can’t believe you had her in the house, knowing how I feel. She’s the reason we’re suffering like this. The pride plagues will be next. You need to do something, but you refuse to listen to me. And to make matters worse, you permit her to a.s.sociate with our children? I won’t—”