The Rivening

It Begins

"Oh, go ahead. Speak up, Connie. I'm sure you have something you want to say."

Connie spoke haltingly, "I'm sorry. I interrupted you. You're right. That was rude." She looked around the circle, "I haven't lied to any of you here. About anything. I don't know what Arden did that was wrong. I want to do whatever I can to keep Earthside out of Dahria."

"Then give me the gun," Zatch demanded.

"I...I want to destroy it."

"Give me the gun. Misgy decides what to do with it."

Connie looked to Tori for help of what she should to do but her face remained blank. No one in the group appeared to object to Zatch taking the gun. He walked over to Connie.

"I need to disarm it. It's too dangerous to stay loaded."

"I know to be careful. I'm not an idiot. I shot a gun when I was Earthside."

Connie spoke quietly, forcing him to come near, "I know you're not an idiot. But I'm not handing this to you loaded. I don't know what you do or don't know about guns. But I'm guessing not a lot. Even if you shot one once. I'm going to show you how to handle this weapon. Watch carefully how I disarm it. Later, I'll show you how to use it safely." She ejected the magazine, ratcheted the slide to ensure the chamber was clear, and handed him the gun and magazine. "Do not put the magazine back in until I show you more."

Zatch turned and triumphantly held up the gun and magazine and walked back to the opposite side of the circle. Connie was relieved to see him place the two items in separate pockets in the loose vest he wore over his clothes.

After taking the gun, he switched to speaking dialect.

Peter whispered to Connie, "How come you know so much about guns?"

"My friend Sonya."

"Of course. The lively one from up north who came to visit with her equally lively little boy."

"Her dad, Clarence, is a bit of a gun nut. He has a bunch. But he's a gun safety nut too. He thought it was important for his kids and friends to know about handling guns. And he regularly took us hunting. I never imagined needing the know-how for something like this. I'm sure Clarence didn't either."

When Zatch finished, others took turns speaking. Lina waited until a person was finished before quietly translating a quick summary of what the person had said.

There was a lot of back and forth about whether and how to engage Gallin Council and let them handle things, or if Misgy should immediately get directly involved. Also, discussion about how much or how little they should trust Connie and Peter.

At one point, Peter leaned over to Lina, "I'm guessing you're leaving out some of the unpleasant comments people are making about us."

She merely grinned.

A new round of food came out of the house, and discussions continued in small groups. Lina took Connie and Peter back into the main house and they settled into a sitting area in the large bedroom off the round room. Aldo stayed outside with Tori. In the round room, bedrolls were stacked around the edges. Apparently, people were planning on spending the night or longer.

Connie implored, "Please Lina. Tell me about Arden. And don't smooth things over because he's my father. Yes, I liked him when I met him. But we spent hardly any time together. I don't know very much about him. Or Dahria. I want and need to know the truth."

Lina spoke in her clipped cadence. "All right. First, I'll explain. Since I was a little girl, Dahria's talked about closing the last Earthside passages. Breaking connection." She gestured a breaking apart with her hands. "We have two problems. Living Earthside now is complicated. Harder for Dahrian travelers to stay hidden. And worries about crazy Earthside technology, and new diseases. Too many close calls, as you say. Number two problem, smaller and smaller number of Norry. Signalers. No new Norry babies born in last ten years and few in the last twenty. Even with all the trackers working hard on the problem."

"How many signalers, uh Norry, are left?"

"Less than one hundred in all of Dahria. Norry my age can't make the passage well. How was Arden?"

"I'm not sure. He was weak for a few days but seemed to get better. Though then he had to go back through the passage fairly soon."

Lina shook her head. "He's a strong man. Probably okay."

"You're saying that Dahria decided it was best to deliberately seal the passages before the Norry all disappear."

"That's right. Discussions went on a long, long time. Many convenings. The conclusion was always the same. Better we control the end of passages. And now, even more reason after Arden found you, a Norry, on Earthside. Are there more?"

"I don't know. I've never met or heard of anyone else Earthside with eyes as starkly different as mine. I understand how my being a Norry complicates things. Tell me about Arden."

"After he found you. And came back to Dahria. He told Gallin Council what he did. Then the story went to everyone. It goes like this. A friend of Eneko's, on her Earthside visit, met a woman her age with Norry eyes who looked like just like Eneko." Lina pointed to Connie. "When Arden heard this. He understood who you were. But told no one. Made a plan. Eneko was going Earthside to close the passage. Arden gave his niece, Milo, a written message to give Eneko after he was Earthside. That Arden was coming to get you and Eneko needed to help him, or Arden might die in the passage."

Connie sat back. Processing Lina's words.

Peter said, "I guess that explains why Eneko wasn't all that warm and friendly toward you, Connie."

She nodded. "And why people are upset with Arden. He betrayed people's trust. But Lina, Arden's not a part of any plot to open Dahria to Earthside. He would never do that. Nor would I. Nor Peter. It's completely the opposite."

Lina nodded. "I know that. I feel that. And I know Arden. He is one that always argued that it is time to let go of Earthside. He's a good man. He only wants the best for his child." She patted Connie.

Tori came in the room bringing fresh ointment for Connie's ankle.

After she finished, she sat back and asked, "How many...noises...in gun? Boom, boom?"

"Fifteen rounds," Connie signalled with her fingers. "I shot ten. Five are left."

Tori gestured to Connie's bag. "More...rounds?"

"Yes. But, Tori, we need to get rid of them. I don't know how, but they need to be destroyed somehow or hidden away forever. They only kill or do horrible harm. Lina, make sure she's understanding what I'm saying."

Lina and Tori spoke briefly.

Tori asked again, "How many?"

Connie opened her bag wide. She didn't want to display the magazines too obviously. There were four. She flashed 'sixty' with her fingers.

Tori held out her hands. "Give."

Connie hesitated.

Tori repeated, "Give." She unhooked a pouch from her belt and opened it beside the backpack.

Connie placed the magazines in the pouch and looked to Lina to translate, "These rounds will only shoot off in the gun. They do nothing on their own. Just keep them away from fire."

Some kind of disturbance was happening in the round room. People peered out the front windows, several hurriedly ran out the front door. And then the sound of a wailing child came nearer. In a minute, Tessa walked through the door, her newborn tucked into a sling, grasping Quill's hand. He was sobbing, straining to pull away from her and run back outside.

They were soon followed by several people labouring to carry a large body on a piece of heavy cloth. Brome.