“We should break all of it,” Levi says as he joins Zan and me. “And tear down the girders.”
“It no longer serves a purpose,” Zan agrees.
“Maybe it can still,” I say. “Maybe it can serve to remind us to never give up. To never stop looking for answers. To always believe in your dreams.”
Levi gives me a lopsided smile. His hands squeeze the railing, and I know he wants to touch me, but he won’t. Not now. For a brief moment I wish there were two of me. One to stay here and live the life I fought so desperately to have and another to sail the skies and explore the world with Levi.
But there is only one of me. And I chose Pace with every fiber of my being. That is one decision that I am sworn will have no regrets.
“There are people down below,” Pace says. He is on the opposite side of the deck with Lyon, so we hurry to where they stand. Lyon has a spyglass to his eye. The wind is blowing in from the east so the Quest sailed south and then north to avoid the smoke.
“They have to be from the rover camp,” he says. “It looks like they are scattering.”
“Because of the fire?” I say. I am worried about Ragnor and Janna. This looks like a lot more than merely challenging Wulf’s successor for leadership. This looks like out-and-out rebellion. But on whose part?
“More than likely.” Lyon hands the spyglass to Pace. I look down and can barely make out the movement beneath the trees. Lots of people going in different directions.
“We’re almost to their camp,” Levi says. I don’t know how he can tell. The smoke is so dense I have no clue where we are.
“Are any of them heading in our direction?” I ask.
“We’ll have to circle around to see,” Lyon says.
“I see flames,” Pace says. He still has the spyglass. “It looks like the entire village is on fire.”
We come over a rise and I can plainly see the rover camp below. The entire thing is on fire, and people run in every direction, carrying their belongings in a haphazard way and not going back for the things they drop.
“Oh those poor people,” Jane exclaims. Lyon gives her a look, and I know that the rovers will not be getting any help from the Quest.
“What if some of these people make their way to the dome or the enclave?” I ask. “There will be fighting.” I can’t imagine that there wouldn’t be, and the people in the dome are not prepared for it.
“Nobody said it was going to be easy,” Levi reminds me.
“We are going to have to make a guard schedule for the enclave,” Pace says.
“I wish we could find Ragnor.”
“If he’s alive, he’ll find you,” Pace says.
The Quest dips a little lower, and I study the ground beneath us, hoping, or maybe not hoping, to see Ragnor and Janna. “That’s Wulf’s hut,” I say. I point to a pile of smoldering ruins off from the rest, only identifiable because of the ring of stones that surrounded it.
“I would say its safe to guess he’s not in charge anymore,” Levi says.
“There’s nothing we can do here,” Lyon says. “Our time is better used making sure the enclave remains safe.” He goes to a pipe that runs down from the flight cabin in the Quest and tells Captain Manning to take us back home.
“Any sign of Ragnor?” I ask Pace as the Quest makes it turn.
“No,” he says, and hands me the spyglass. I have no need for it. I believe him.
We return to the enclave and pick up Adam before we go back to the dome for the meeting. Lyon insists on taking us in the Quest so we can get a feel for how the people are reacting to their freedom.
We see so many people just milling about outside the structure. All the livestock that were released stayed fairly close. We find them clumped together in the sweet grass that the ponies grazed on the first night after we made the climb up the cliff.
Many hands point up when the Quest flies overhead, and several follow us to where we dock on the catwalk by the sea. Their faces show their wonder at everything that surrounds them. I am pleased to see that the people gathered at the catwalk are from all the factions of the dome. Royals stand alongside workers. It is a good start for us, I believe.
“Should I come with you?” Levi asks as Adam, Pace, and I leave the Quest.
“No,” Pace says. “If we get into trouble in there, we’re going to need someone we can count on to get us out.”
Pace and Adam move onto the catwalk, but I stop to talk to Levi. “Thank you for offering,” I say. “But it’s time we started doing things on our own. We’ve got to learn how to take care of ourselves, or all this was just a waste of everyone’s time.”
“You’re right,” Levi says. “But that doesn’t make it any easier to let go.”
“Keep an eye on Jonah for me?” My cat beat on the door with his paws to be let out of the cabin.
“I will,” Levi promises. “Be careful in there.”
I turn to go.
“And, Wren.” Levi adds. “Don’t back down. Be strong and be fair.”
“I will,” I say. “I will remember everything you taught me.”
He smiles at me, and I join Adam and Pace. The crowd parts as we come off the catwalk. They look at us with the same curiosity that they study the Quest. I find it funny: before all this happened they would have looked at Adam and me with contempt because of our shiner eyes and at Pace with fear because he was a bluecoat.
We see more and more people as we walk to the dome. I realize I should have warned them about what the sun will do to their skin and their eyes. But then again, I cannot be responsible for every person inside the dome. I tried that burden on, and it was too much for me.
“They are following us,” Adam says.
“They want to know what’s going to happen to them,” Pace says.
“For the first time in their lives, it is up to them,” I reply.
We go inside. For the first time ever, I notice how drab everything is. How old and worn compared to the brightness of the colors outside. It feels as if the clean and fresh air from outside is warring with the staleness inside. It won’t last long. Soon every part of the dome will be cleansed. I cannot wait to see how everyone will react when it rains.
Children of all the factions run and shout on the promenade. Bringing down the glass also brought down the internal barriers. I am fairly certain the majority of the royals are hiding within their homes. I wonder who they will send to represent their faction, or if they think they are above needing representation.
My answer awaits us when we reach the library. A large and angry crowd stands outside and bluecoats line the steps. It doesn’t look like a good start to our parliament.
We make our way through the crowd. When they see Pace, they let us through. They must recognize him from earlier this morning. We go up the steps of the library, where a group of men and women are arguing with one of the bluecoats, who immediately salutes Pace when he sees him. That’s when I realize Pace is wearing his enforcer uniform with the captain bars. Did he do it on purpose or just because we just don’t have that many clothes to choose from?
“They won’t let us in,” one of the people on the steps says. “For the meeting.”
“Why not?” Pace asks the bluecoat.
“Because the king is inside.”
“Where is Mr. Findley?” Pace asks.
“Dealing with some problems, sir.”
“Send someone to find him,” Pace says. “We’re going inside. And let the representatives in also.”
Pace walks by the bluecoats and we follow. I am amazed by how calmly he is handling everything. He has taken complete control of the situation, and the bluecoats obey him, over what I am certain were the king’s orders. When did he become this person walking beside me?