The Wilderness by C.J. Harper

Author:C.J. Harper [Harper, C. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780857077011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

At breakfast the following day I notice that Ven has got all his captains gathered around him. He’s clearly having a meeting. I know we’re not part of the management here, but I can’t help wanting to know what’s going on. I sidle up to the table in the pretence that I need a knife from the nearby cutlery tray. Of course, Ven spots me straight away.

‘Thank you, Blake,’ he says. ‘I’ll have a cup of tea. Anyone else?’

I let that remark go. ‘Everything okay?’ I ask. ‘Anything important happening today?’

‘It’s no concern of yours.’

‘I just want to help.’

‘Persistent, aren’t you?’ He shakes his head. ‘Like a tapeworm.’

‘Some people are going out to the Wilderness today,’ Tanisha says.

I smile at her. It’s nice that someone knows how to communicate politely. ‘And why’s that?’ I ask her.

‘Recruiting.’

I blink. ‘Really? The Wilderness people we saw didn’t look like they’d take orders.’

‘Reminds me of someone,’ Ven mutters.

‘It’s only some of the Wilderness people who are violent and crazy,’ Paulo breaks in. ‘Some of them are perfectly reasonable.’

‘We’re Wilderness people,’ Tanisha says to him. ‘I don’t know why you’re always talking about them like they’re aliens. We’re all from the Wilderness too.’

‘Don’t say that!’ Nard says. ‘I’m Resistance. We’re a different gene pool. I am not Wilderness. I’m not some filthy nutter digging around in the dirt.’

‘That’s enough, Nard,’ Ven says, without looking at him. ‘Well, Blake, it seems that once again you’ve been attempting to apply your limited life experience to a broader situation. I’m sending a team to try to recruit some of our very pleasant Wilderness neighbours to the uprising. So if you could just give us your approval then we could get on with it . . . Oh, no, wait – I don’t actually require your approval for anything. Ever.’

I ignore his childish insults. ‘Sounds interesting,’ I say.

‘You can’t go. You’ve got work to do here.’ He pushes back his chair and turns back to the rest of the group. ‘I’ll see you all at the meeting this evening.’ He picks up an apple and leaves.

I didn’t even say that I wanted to go. Ven is so controlling. What if I did want to go? Why shouldn’t I?

‘When is this recruiting happening?’ I ask.

‘I don’t think that you—’ Paulo begins, but Tanisha cuts him off.

‘Ten o’clock. Main exit.’ She winks at me.

We’ll see who makes the decisions about where I go.

Just before ten, I tell Jarrit that Tanisha needs me for something and run down to the main exit, where Tanisha is organising about a dozen Defence team members. Kay is one of them.

‘Does Ven know you’re here?’ Kay asks. She can tell by my face that he doesn’t. ‘I don’t think you should go with us,’ she says.

‘Why not? Tanisha doesn’t have a problem with me.’

‘Isn’t there a thing that you have to do with Jarit?’

‘Since when have you become such a stickler for the rules?’

‘I’m not a rule sticker. Isn’t your computer things for the Big Day more important than going to the Wilderness?’

‘A few hours won’t hurt.

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