The Mountain Cage (43 page)

“Sure,” he whispered back.

She pressed her chest against his spine, draping an arm over him. Her body shook slightly and she sniffed. He heard her swallow.

“Thérèse. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re crying.”

“No, I’m not.” Her body was still. He turned over on his back, raising his knees, careful not to touch her with his hands, and settled his head against the knapsack. He was growing hard; he covered his groin with one hand, confused, afraid she would notice.

“Listen,” he said softly, “maybe you should go home.” Her hand clutched his abdomen absent-mindedly; he froze and went limp. “You could stay at my house first, if you want, or with Silas. They wouldn’t mind.”

“I can’t go home.” He felt her breath on his ear. “Do you understand? Not ever. This isn’t some adventure for me. I’ll always have to hide.”

“But you can’t stay out here.”

“I can. It’s better than what I had. They’ll stop looking when I’m—”

Andrew waited for her to finish. He heard her sigh. She removed her arm. “I won’t give you away,” he whispered. “I promise.”

She was silent. The rain was not as heavy now; the stream of water rushing down from the outcropping had become a trickle. I’m your friend, Thérèse. He mouthed the words silently in the dark.

They stood at the top of a hill, facing north. The pine trees were thick around them; Andrew could catch only glimpses of the rolling land below.

Thérèse said, “Give me a boost.” Silas cupped his hands; she raised a foot, and he boosted her to a tree limb. She scrambled up and gazed out at the landscape. Andrew watched her, afraid she might fall, and wondering if he should get out of the way. She crouched, hung by the limb with her hands, and dropped to the ground.

“There’s a house down there,” she said. “We can stop there, or go around it.” She bowed her head.

“What do you want to do?” Andrew asked.

“I’m asking you.” She did not look at him. “I’m going to have to move on sooner or later by myself, you know that. I don’t want to get too attached to you.”

Silas looked at Andrew. Andrew did not reply. The girl turned and started down the hill, motioning for them to follow. Andrew thought about Thérèse continuing on her lonely journey. She had traveled alone before meeting them. She could handle herself, but the idea still bothered him.

Why did she have to hide, living on the edge of the world? Maybe she hadn’t lied about being part of an experiment. Once Dao had told him that some people were afraid of the biologists because they were dependent, all of them, on the scientists’ skill. They were kept immortal by them; they were afraid to have the few children they did without the biologists’ help. The dependency engendered fear. Thérèse must have made up the story after all.

There were, however, the kobolds and the trolls. He had never thought much about them. He recalled the way Thérèse had looked at Josepha’s kobold, as if she were speaking to a person rather than to a being of limited intelligence. Were the androids aware of what had been done to them? Did dim notions cross their minds before being drowned out by their cybernetic links or the commands of their masters?

Andrew went down the hillside cautiously, avoiding the uneven ground and loose stones. He could now see the house. It was a two-story wooden structure, painted white; it stood a few meters from a dirt road overgrown with weeds and wildflowers. The land immediately around the house was dusty and barren, as if plants refused to take root there. A smaller building, with peeling paint, stood in back of the house.

They came to the bottom of the hill and walked up the road. “I don’t think there’s anyone there,” Andrew said.

The girl glanced at him. “Do you think you could find your way home?” she asked.

“I guess we could. We could always go back to Josepha’s house.”

“You’d have to tell her we lied. It doesn’t matter. I’d have a head start.” They walked over the dusty ground toward the house. The lifelessness of the land around the structure was disturbing. Andrew suddenly wanted to flee.

The front door opened. Something fluttered in the darkness beyond the outer screen door. Andrew moved behind Thérèse. The screen door swung open and a kobold emerged, followed by a woman. She wore a long white dress with a high collar; she crossed the porch and stood on the top step, watching them.

Thérèse held her arms out; the boys did the same. “Hello,” the girl called out.

“Why, hello.” The woman waved. “Come on up here, let me take a look at you.”

Thérèse hesitated. She balanced on the balls of her feet, as if ready to run. She moved a little closer to the steps. “Come on up,” the woman said again. “Sit here, on the porch. I haven’t had visitors in quite a while.”

They went up the steps and seated themselves on the wicker chairs. The woman rested against the railing in front of them. The kobold stood near her protectively; it carried a silver wand. Andrew frowned; he noticed that Thérèse had also seen the weapon. The android’s blue shirt and pants were wrinkled; its face was marred by a large nose and wide mouth. The woman beamed, unafraid.

“You poor things,” the woman said. “You look as though you’ve had quite a trip.”

“We have,” Thérèse said. Now that Andrew was closer to the woman, he could see her face. There was something wrong with it; deep lines were etched around her mouth and eyes, and her jowls shook slightly as she spoke. Her skin was rough and yellowish. Even her hair was strange. She had pulled it back from her face, showing the grey streaks around her forehead and ears.

“Your face,” Andrew blurted out before he could stop himself.

The woman glared at him for a moment, then smiled again. “You think it’s ugly,” she said slowly. “You think it’s odd. Not all of us want to look twentyish. I like to look my age.” She chuckled, as if she had made a joke. “What are all of you doing way out here?”

Thérèse licked her lips. “We’re running away.”

“Running away. How sad. I suppose you must have a reason.” She held up her hand. “You needn’t tell me what it is. People are so thoughtless. I wouldn’t let any children of mine run away. You look as though you could use a good meal. Come on inside.”

She led them into the house. The front room was small, but clean. Lace doilies covered the arms of the worn blue sofa and chairs; two heavy brass lamps stood on end tables. The desk computer and holo screen were against the wall.

“You just sit down and take it easy. My name’s Emily. I’ll go get you something from the kitchen.” She squinted. “You’re not wearing your Bonds.”

“Of course not,” Thérèse said. “We’re running away.”

“I’ll be right back.”

“We’ll come with you.” They followed the woman to the kitchen and sat at the small wooden table while Emily punched buttons on her console.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Emily said, turning to face them while the food was materializing. “You thought I might have a communicator here. You thought I’d send for someone. Well, I won’t. I didn’t move out here so that I could have people dropping in all the time. I don’t like people.” She grinned. “I like children, though. If you want to go running around the countryside, that’s fine with me, but you can stay here as long as you like.”

She removed the food, took out bowls, and spooned vegetable soup into them, putting them on the table with glasses of milk and a small loaf of bread. She sat down and watched them as they ate. Andrew forgot his worries, eating the soup rapidly, slurping as he ate.

Emily nodded at them approvingly when they were done. Something in the gesture reminded him of Joan. He tried not to think of his return home. He would get through it somehow, and then it would be over. For now, he was safe.

They slept in the front room. Thérèse had claimed the sofa; Emily had provided two cots.

The girl was awake early. She bumped against Andrew’s cot as she rose; he opened his eyes and sat up. He watched as she took food and water from one knapsack and put it in the other.

He said, “You’re leaving.”

“I left you some stuff in the other sack, enough to get you by.”

“You’re leaving.”

“You knew I was going to sooner or later.”

Silas was still sleeping, arm over his eyes. “Listen to me, Andrew,” she went on quiedy. “I think you should wake him up and get going yourselves.”

“Emily’ll help us.”

“There’s something funny about her. I don’t think you should stay here. I have to go.” She moved toward the door, then looked back at him. “Andrew, if anybody tells you anything about me someday, just remember that it isn’t how it seems. I mean, I wouldn’t have hurt you two, I really wouldn’t have.”

“I know that.”

“Good-bye. Say good-bye to Silas for me, will you? And get out of here yourselves.” She opened the screen door and went out.

He got out of bed and followed. The kobold was outside the door. It let Thérèse pass, trailing her to the steps. A troll sat in front of the house, its long arms folded on the ground. Thérèse bounded down the steps and walked toward the road.

The troll rose and moved rapidly, scampering in front of the girl. She hopped to one side; it blocked her. She stood still for a few seconds, swaying, then hurried to her left. The troll ran, blocking her again.

“Let me pass,” he heard her say to the creature. She stepped forward, and it hit her. She backed toward the porch.

Andrew watched, confused and apprehensive. Thérèse turned and faced him. Her chest rose and fell; her pink cheeks were becoming rosier. She squinted and shook her head. She spun around suddenly and danced to her right. The troll blocked her again; it was too fast for her.

Her hand fluttered at her waist. She removed her wand, pointing it at her antagonist. Andrew saw a flash of light; Thérèse cried out. For a moment, he did not know what had happened. The girl swayed helplessly, holding her right arm. The kobold darted past her and swept up the rod on the ground.

Andrew hurried back to Silas and shook him awake. The other boy moaned.

“Silas. Get up.”

“What?” He shook his head and stared blankly at Andrew.

“Thérèse. The kobold shot at her.”

Silas was awake. He jumped from the cot, following Andrew to the door. Thérèse had retreated to the porch, still holding her hand.

“Are you hurt?” Andrew asked as he opened the door.

“No. Just my fingers. I’m all right.”

“Listen, there’s three of us. If we can distract the androids, maybe you can get away.”

She shook her head. “I can’t do that. I don’t have my weapon now. This is my fault, I got careless. We should have left as soon as I saw she wasn’t afraid.”

“We’ll be all right,” Andrew said. “She probably just told them to guard us. As soon as she wakes up—”

“How do you know that?” Thérèse interrupted. “How do you know she isn’t trying to keep us here?”

He didn’t know. He went back inside and crossed the room to the console. He pressed a button.

“Code, please,” the computer responded.

The machine was locked. Andrew shivered, backing away. Thérèse and Silas had come back inside.

“It won’t work,” he muttered. Thérèse was staring past him.

“How are my young visitors this morning?”

Andrew turned. Emily stood at the entrance to the room. She wore a gingham gown; her greying hair was loose around her shoulders. Another small kobold stood at her side; it too was armed.

Thérèse drew herself up, eying the woman belligerently. “We appreciate your hospitality,” she said slowly. “We’d like to be on our way.”

“Not so soon. I haven’t had visitors in ever so long. Do take off that knapsack, and I’ll get breakfast ready.”

“We’d like to leave now,” Thérèse said.

“But you can’t.”

“Why not?” Silas said loudly. His voice was high, breaking on the second word.

“Because I’m not ready to let you go.” Emily smiled as she spoke. “Now sit down. What would you like? Let’s have pancakes. That would be tasty, now wouldn’t it?”

Thérèse moved toward the woman, stopping when the kobold extended an arm, pointing at her with its weapon. Its black eyes narrowed. “You’d better be careful,” Emily went on. “They’re very protective of me, and I wouldn’t want you hurt because of a silly mistake. Now sit down and stop being naughty. I’ll get breakfast.”

They spent the day in the living room, guarded by the kobolds. Andrew had been unable to eat breakfast or lunch; Silas had lapsed into a sullen silence. Thérèse kept wandering over to the window, as if searching for a way to escape. Occasionally Emily would come to the door, smiling in at them solicitously. In the afternoon, she brought them a Chain of Life puzzle. Silas applied himself to it, assembling the pieces until he had part of the helix put together, then abandoned the puzzle to Andrew.

Andrew worked silently, trying to lose himself in concentration. The kobolds, standing nearby, watched without speaking. Once in a while, he looked up. The black-eyed android held its weapon with one hand while stroking its dark beard with the other. The blond one near the screen door was still. They were both ugly, the ugliest kobolds he had ever seen; it was as if Emily, with her own lack of beauty, wanted nothing beautiful around her. He wondered if she had made the creatures mute as well.