Daylight Come by Diana McCaulay
Author:Diana McCaulay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Peepal Tree Press
CHAPTER 21 â AMERIKANS ARE COMING
The Zorah called a band meeting that night. There was little food. Rashelope had found a cache of alganola in an abandoned cabin lower down the mountain and they ate some of it. The breadfruits were stored in one of the empty huts, wrapped in leaves, to give them the best chance of ripening. Sorrel looked around. Everyone was too thin. Most sat alone, their eyes lowered. Only Rashelope still bled every month. At least all the algaskins were full. Sorrel grimaced at the thought of sucking the underside of rocks, of the gelatinous texture of the inner flesh of agave.
Rashelope always spoke first at band meetings â she was their eyes and ears. No one except Caroni knew her story. She was almost 183 centimetres tall and her shoulders were square and strong. She moved through the bush as if on wings. She knew every old road and faint trail to every destroyed town in this part of the island, all the way back to Bana. She navigated the streets of the dying capital city like a wraith. She led a small band of the youngest girls who did whatever she asked. She was the one who brought new members to the band, but there had not been anyone new in months.
âThe market is bone dry,â she said. âNobody has anything to trade or sell. The dump at Oconuco is cleaned out. And the drones are back; dozens of them. The roads are full of Squaddies â I donât know where theyâre finding fuel for their ATVs. We couldnât get anywhere near Bana this trip â nobodyâs coming out either. Weâll starve if we stay here.â She knelt, looking worried. Before, Sorrel had never seen Rashelope look anything but fierce.
Lichen stumbled to her feet. She was one of Rashelopeâs roving band; not strong, but small and nimble with a talent for hiding. She hardly ever spoke at band meetings. âTh-thereâs talk,â she stammered.
âWhat kind of talk?â Caroni said. âSpeak up, Lichen.â
âT-talk of an invasion from outside. P-people coming here. Northerners.â
âPeople from off the island? Why, though? Thereâs no food here and the sea is rising.â
âWe still have m-mountains. T-trees in a few places. Water underground.â She pointed to what was all around them. âNo w-winter. The big countries â theyâre b-burning all the time, even in cold places. Better air here, when thereâs no d-dust.â
âRashelope? Did you hear this too?â
âNo. But I trust Lichen. She listens.â
âWhere did you hear this, Lichen?â
âAt the O-Oconuco dump. We were just leaving when I heard voices, so I hid. Some tech p-people came, looking for spare p-parts. They had an argument â some of them wanted to tell the tech b-bosses that they had seen this invasion on a server, but the others said it would only get them into t-trouble because that server was off limits. Thatâs all. They didnât d-dig very hard and then they wandered off.â
Sorrel thought of boats full of people landing on the coast and chasing Bajacunis to the hills.
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