A murmur of unease runs through the crowd. They all know how the visions come to life. The Pathfinder raises his crystal rock to receive them. The visions are playin. But the rock ain’t raised. The Pathfinder’s starin at this boy. Clutchin the rock to his chest. How is it possible? What’s goin on?
Tommo frees hisself from my grip. He takes a step towards DeMalo. Confusion an wonder war on his face.
You said you’d come back, he says. I waited fer you, Pa. I waited an waited. All these years I thought you was dead.
His words ring out among the smooth white walls. Everyone in earshot hears them. Tommo’s voice is rough an hoarse. The unmistakeable voice of a deaf boy.
It’s the Pathfinder’s son! His child! a man calls from somewhere on the hill nearby.
I nearly cry out his name. The surge of relief is so great. I stop myself jest in time. It’s Jack. He’s here. He came after all.
Word spreads. It spreads quickly. Down the hill. Through the meadow. Son? The boy’s deaf. Listen to him speak. It’s his son. The Pathfinder’s son is deaf.
A woman shouts out, The Tonton killed my sister becuz she couldn’t hear!
At the same time, there’s a risin buzz about the visions. The walls play without DeMalo. The grasslands, lush an green. The eagle. The mountains. The herds of beasts roamin the plains.
The visions are fake! It’s Wrecker tech! shouts Jack. He ain’t no Pathfinder. He’s a trickster. A liar.
Nero starts to screech. The crowd erupts to confusion an anger. Some of ’em surge towards us. The Tonton run to form a line. They push back aginst the bodies with their firesticks.
DeMalo ain’t moved. He’s frozen. Blank-faced. Clutchin his chunk of crystal rock.
Speak to me, Pa. What happened? says Tommo. Why didn’t you come back? Look fer me?
Answer yer son, I says. Answer these people. Tell us. We all wanna know.
His face changes. From nuthin to rage. In the split of a second. Wild, black rage. He drops the rock, pulls a knife an lunges at Tommo.
I dive at Tommo too. Knock him to the ground. DeMalo’s knife slashes my arm. Tommo’s back on his feet. DeMalo goes fer him agin.
I seize the crystal rock.
I raise it high.
I smash DeMalo in the head.
One heavy blow to the back of his skull. With the swing of my full weight behind it.
He goes down.
Like a stone.
He don’t move.
I’m on my knees beside him. Feelin fer life. My fingers wet with his blood. His head’s crushed. A mess of hair, blood an bone. Tommo’s with me. He helps to turn him over.
Seth, I says.
He’s dead.
Words need sayin. So I do.
After a moment, I close his eyes. An behold, this day I go the way of all the earth.
There’s silence. From the crowd. From the Tonton. The visions play on. The music plays on. Nero drifts quietly above.
I look at Tommo. I’m so sorry. I didn’t plan that, I says.
He stares down at the father who denied him. He would of killed me, he says. He was ashamed of me. That’s why he left.
I touch Tommo’s face. He had wrong ideas, I says.
Yer arm’s bleedin, he says.
Only now do I remember the knife caught me. The point ripped my sleeve. Sliced my skin, not deep. I’m fine, I says. It ain’t nuthin.
The Tonton ain’t known what to do all this time. Now a couple of ’em move towards us, their guns pointed. They falter. They stop. They turn away.
Becuz there’s somethin happenin. In the meadow below, Stewards cry out. They’re startin to run towards the ridge. Me an Tommo stand slowly. I cain’t believe my eyes.
A tide of people flow down from the ridge. Slaves in their collars. The Snake River folk who went back to the farms. I see Creed an Ash an Slim. There’s Molly an Auriel with the rest of ’em from Nass Camp. Women from the babyhouses with infants in their arms. Many others, Stewards, carry babies as well. People call out as they spot friends an family. They run. They embrace. There’s tears an laughter.
It’s what we wanted. It’s what’s right. I’m glad fer them all. I only wish I could feel it in my heart.
A Tonton grabs me. Shoves a gun in my back. Another Tonton’s grabbed Tommo.
What’s the plan? I says.
Wait fer orders, says my guard.
So we stand there, the four of us, an watch the reunions. Watch as the children from Edenhome run free, lookin fer their brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, anyone at all they know. I cain’t miss Nell’s copper hair. She’s found Webb. Him an Peg are free of their bonds. Deserted by their Tonton guards. An Tracker’s bin set free too. Peg’s got hold of him. She raises her hand when she sees me lookin their way.
When did you know? says Tommo.
I turn my head to find him lookin at me. Not till Edenhome, I says. When I seen yer bracelet. I cain’t believe I didn’t realize before. You are so like him.
If it was Seth’s child I lost, it would have bin brother or sister to Tommo. What a very strange thought that is.
His eyes shift away, then back to me. You called him Seth, he says.
Keep quiet, says my guard.
We’ll talk later, I says.
A few commanders shout orders, but the Tonton’re fallin apart. Some throw down their guns an walk away. Some find theirselfs bein disarmed by Creed an Ash, Vain Ed an other Stewards. They don’t put up no resistance.
Tommo’s guard spots a Tonton commander walkin up the hill in our direction. Sir! he shouts. Prisoners here, sir. Awaitin orders.
The Tonton commander is Jack.
As he comes towards us, he says, Release all prisoners an stand down.
Stand down, sir? says my guard.
That’s the order, he says. We’re disbanded. This is over. No more Tonton. As Jack speaks, he throws off his black cloak. Unbuckles his weapons belt. If yer amenable to society, he says, there might be a place fer you here in New Eden. There’s a man down there’ll tell you what comes next, what you hafta do. His name’s Salmo Slim. You cain’t miss him.
They hesitate, jest fer a moment. Then they’re gone without further ado.
Tommo’s already got Jack by the hand. I might of known you wouldn’t stay dead fer long, he says. Then, with a glance at the two of us, he heads down the hill.
He didn’t ask about Emmi or Lugh. He must be able to see it in me.
An we’re alone. Me an Jack. With Seth lyin a few foot away. We don’t look at him. We move outta the room an a few steps down the slope. The noise of celebration fills the mornin air. The late autumn sun shines bright. There ain’t a cloud in the blue blue sky.
We stand a little bit apart.
The day’s turned out fine after all, says Jack.
I’m sure I got you to thank fer all this, I says. I didn’t know what I was gonna do. Thank you.
You set it all goin, he says. Once it got started, it was amazin how quick it went. Like a runaway horse. I had to hold it back some. We needed the … what did you call it? The big gawdamn rumble. You gave us that, no question. Talk about wingin it, though. That was hairy, even by my standards. But you did it. I didn’t … really believe it would work. I would never of thought of it. Congratulations.
I nod at the scene below us. It’s them you need to congratulate, I says.
We’re talkin as if we’re two strangers.
He turns to look at the walls of the vision room behind us. Silent now. Jest white walls. Nuthin more.