Eden West by Pete Hautman

Author:Pete Hautman [Hautman, Pete]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7690-2
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published: 2015-09-06T04:00:00+00:00

“We must return to the Hall of Enoch,” I tell her.

“Is that all you think about? What you must do? Don’t you ever get to do what you want?”

“You do not understand.”

“You got that right,” she says. I can tell she is frustrated.

“Do you always get to do what you want?” I ask her.

Lynna starts to answer, then hesitates. “I guess not,” she says after a moment. “I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

As we approach the hall, I hear the sound of engines. The tour is returning. One of the Jeeps, with Taylor driving, comes into view and pulls into the parking area, followed by the other vehicles. The visitors get out and mill around.

“You had best rejoin them,” I say.

“What about you?”

“I will enter through the rear. We should not speak again.”

She gives me a hurt look. “Well, it was nice seeing you.”

I watch her walk away. My ankle is hurting. I hadn’t thought about it while I was with Lynna, but now the pain has returned. I limp into the back of the hall, hoping I will not be noticed.

“Brother Jacob!” It is Sister Naomi, rather vexed. “Where did you disappear to? We had all those chairs to move!”

“I am sorry, Sister. My leg is causing me pain. I went to rest it for a few moments.” The lie rolls off my tongue easily. I wonder when it was that I learned to bear false witness with such facility.

Naomi fixes me with her penetrating glare. For a moment I am convinced that she can read my sins, but she sniffs and turns away. Exaggerating my discomfort, I hobble over to the archway. The tables have been stacked against the walls, and the chairs are arranged in small circles. Father Grace and Congressman Raney are standing at the entrance, greeting the others as they file into the hall. Among them, I see Tobias coming in with his mother. This is the part of the visit where the Worldly folk will be invited to express their concerns, and where we will have a chance to calm those fears.

The visitors are seated in small groups of three or four. Tobias sits with his mother, his sister, and the pink-faced man I presume to be his uncle. Brother Enos crosses the room to join them.

I see Lynna standing with her father. The Lamanite is nearby, talking in a friendly manner with Brother Peter.

“Brother Jacob!” It is Naomi again.

“Sister?”

“If you are well enough to gawk, you are well enough to help me pour tea.”

I join her at the serving table and set out a row of cups. Naomi pours, and I arrange the full cups on wooden trays. It takes only a few minutes. Since I am not able to carry the trays into the hall, Naomi dismisses me. I sit on a stool near the archway and stretch out my leg. My ankle is throbbing fiercely.

I try to hear what is being said out in the hall but catch only fragments, as there are too many voices.

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