Elevation 2: The Rising Tide. Helen Brain

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СКАЧАТЬ that he is the boss now. I’m sure of it. He won’t kill these innocent children.

      “General!” I cry. “Please. You can’t go through with this.”

      He stiffens. Then he turns to glare at me. “This is how we treat traitors,” he snaps.

      The door into the courtyard has opened again, and Hal limps out, one shoulder twisted. His eyes lock onto the general.

      “De Groot!” he yells, his voice reverberating off the marble walls. “I’ll work with you –”

      The guard hits him with the butt of his rifle, and Hal staggers, winded.

      Then out comes Lucas, staring at the ground, his thin shoulders hunched like one of the herons at the farm dam. He looks broken and my heart twists.

      My arm strains in the sling, my feet move and before I realise it, I’m taking a step towards him, but Mr Frye flings out a hand to stop me.

      The soldiers are lining the family up against the far wall. Another line of soldiers stands facing them across the courtyard, rifles ready.

      “General!” I want to grab his sleeve, but he looks at me with his icy eyes and his whole being radiates “keep away”. The words spill out of me, my voice rising. “General, you can’t kill a whole family because of their father. Send them away rather – send them to the mainland. You can’t kill that tiny baby!”

      A half smile flickers across his face as he catches Major Zungu’s eye. They think I’m hysterical . . .

      “Calm down, Miss den Eeden,” he says coldly. “This is in the interests of national security. You don’t want one of his family rising up to assume the role of High Priest, do you? Or to take revenge on you for killing their father? As far as I recall, Haldus was publicly shamed when you refused to marry him.” He gestures towards Hal, who is facing the wall while a guard ties a blindfold around his eyes. “I doubt very much whether he’s the sort of man who would forgive a slight like that.”

      Lucas stands slightly apart from the rest of the family. He’s staring out at the sea with longing on his face.

      “What about Lucas?” I beg, close to tears. “He’s totally harmless. He can come to Greenhaven and take Victor’s place.”

      Major Zungu sniggers. “Lucas Poladion. Not only harmless, but useless too.”

      Mr Frye smiles at me. “Ebba has such a soft heart. Always taking in waifs and strays. Grant her this request, General.”

      The general ignores us. Mr Frye gives me a quick glance, and I feel his fingers squeeze mine, so tightly that it hurts.

      The family are lined up, all blindfolded now. The baby’s thin wail drifts across the yard. I bite my knuckle so hard I draw blood.

      He’s really going to do it. He’s going to kill them. Anger surges through me like a flood, rising higher and higher. I can hardly breathe.

      “Ready …” Major Zungu yells, and the soldiers lift their rifles.

      “Aim …”

      My rage overflows. “Stop! If you don’t let them free, the deal is off! I’m not growing any more food for you!” My words echo across the colonnade, which has suddenly fallen silent as a graveyard.

      He holds up his hand, and Major Zungu pauses. The soldiers look up, fingers poised on the triggers while General de Groot’s eyes cut through me like blades.

      “I’ll remember this.” His voice is rough. “You can choose one.”

      One.

      I can save just one person. Who do I choose? Cassie, who was my friend? Hal, who I fell in love with? The baby? I must take the baby – her mother is facing the army just like my mother did. If the baby dies, I’ll never forgive myself.

      And then I see Lucas. Poor, broken Lucas, who risked everything to save me.

      “Lucas.” The name chokes in my throat. “I pick Lucas.”

      I’m relieved the others are blindfolded so I don’t have to see the hatred and despair in their eyes. What have I done? It’s my fault they’re all going to die. If I hadn’t killed the High Priest, if I’d just married Hal …

      Major Zungu shouts an order. A soldier pulls Lucas away from the wall and rips off his blindfold. He stands alone on one side, facing his family: Twenty-two of them, backs to the wall.

      “Ready … aim … FIRE!” yells Major Zungu.

      I jerk away as shots ring out. A child screams.

      Then there’s silence.

      When I open my eyes the bodies of the Poladion family lie crumpled on the ground. A spray of blood stains the white wall.

      I lean over and vomit, spewing out the horror of the pure evil that stands next to me, stiff-jawed and impervious.

      When I am able to stand, Mr Frye pulls me close to him. I feel myself shake against his chest.

      “General, I think I should take Miss den Eeden home. We’ll take Lucas Poladion too, if that’s not an inconvenience,” he says softly.

      The general shrugs. “As you wish, Frye. As you wish.” He turns on his heel and leaves.

      “This way, Ebba.” Mr Frye leads me down the stairs flanked by the stone lions. I avert my eyes, away from the bodies. When I see Cassie’s feet in her gold sandals out of the corner of my eye, I vomit again.

      Lucas is still standing alone to the side. Mr Frye puts his arm around his shoulder. “Come along, Lucas. We’re taking you to Greenhaven.”

      He looks at us unseeing, his blue eyes huge in his face. Huge, and completely empty.

      *

      WHEN THE COACHMAN drops us back home, Aunty Figgy goes straight to Lucas. She takes him by the shoulders and examines him. “Lucas, what have they done to you?” She brushes his hair off his face, but he doesn’t react.

      Then Isi runs to him, places her front paws on his chest and whines. He strokes her head, and it’s the first sign of life I’ve seen from him.

      “Come inside,” Aunty Figgy says putting an arm around his waist. “I’ll make you some tea.”

      When Lucas has gone inside, Isi comes to me and pushes her nose into my hand. She follows me into the house, staying close to my heels.

      Aunty Figgy is clucking around Lucas, putting him into the chair nearest the fire, chopping fresh herbs to make him a soothing tea. While the tea is brewing, she looks for sheets and pillowcases in the linen cupboard.

      “Ebba, go and make up the bed for Lucas in the yellow bedroom,” she calls to me.

      I need to tell her about the execution, about the tiny baby, about the dead family, but I can’t. Not in front of him. So I do what I’m told. Isi pads СКАЧАТЬ