wait—that’s all I really remember. She took Melissa away with her, somewhere. And when she came back she gave them Melissa. And she’s given them another person every year since.”
Chapter 11
H e said they’ve been sending one person each year since that day on the beach. That girl, Melissa, was the first, and Keith, the man who carved all the newer units in the cave—that was his gift—was last year’s Honoree.” Pathik sounded sickened.
He and Rachel had returned to the units to tell the rest of the group what Tom had told them. Everyone was gathered around the table in the first unit.
“Tom thinks they wipe them—remove most of their memories—before they let them go, so they won’t reveal the cave’s location, or anything else the government wants to know. He said Melissa seemed different when she came back to the beach with Filina. Like she didn’t really recognize him, or Hannah. He said all of the Honorees seem that way.
“They’d already been living here in the cave, but they started hiding it after Melissa got taken. They make sure that all the entrances are concealed, that no smoke is visible from their fires. There’s a crude little village of shacks near one of the beaches—from the earliest days here and they’ve told the government people that’s where they actually live.
“When it’s time to hand over an Honoree, they have some sort of drop-point where they meet and the government takes the person away to the mainland.” Pathik scowled. “Celebration is some strange way of honoring their lives before they get sent away.”
“Who wipes them?” Malgam looked like he thought he already knew. “That Filina?”
Pathik shook his head. “Tom didn’t say, but I don’t think it’s her. I don’t know if they even actually do it—he may not know what he’s talking about.”
Rachel watched the oil lamp flicker in the center of the table. Her two orchid seedlings sat near it, tucked in their cubes, already looking paler in the dim light available to them in the cave. “They’re going to die.” She didn’t realize she’d spoken aloud until she looked up to find all of them staring at her. “The orchids, I meant. There’s no light in the cave.”
Vivian turned to her daughter, a worried expression on her face. “We’ll find them some daylight.” She looked at the others one by one, first Nandy, then Malgam, Pathik, finally, Daniel. “Should we . . . should we leave? Try to find a different place on the island where we can make our own way? Indigo said it was a big place. Surely there’s enough room—”
“We can’t just walk away now.” Daniel checked the door to the unit, ensuring it was shut tight. “We don’t have supplies to last a week, and we don’t know what these people will do if we try to leave. I don’t even have a clear idea of where the exits to the cave are, because they blindfolded us in the tunnels. Do any of you?”
“They’re just like the Roberts.” Malgam practically snarled the words. “Trading their own for . . . for what?”
“We don’t know enough to say that.” Nandy put her hand on Malgam’s. “It didn’t look to me like everyone at assembly was onboard with Filina.”
“Tom said he’d come let us know if Hannah’s parents got her back.” Pathik watched Rachel as he spoke. He’d been watching her since she said her orchids would die, a carefully neutral expression on his face. “He didn’t think they’d have much luck.”
“I guess we just wait, then?” Malgam shifted on his stool. The last thing he wanted to do was to wait.
Daniel nodded. “I don’t think we have a lot of choice, right now. We’ll see what news Tom brings. Until then, let’s stick close to each other. Nobody leave the units alone. In fact, nobody leave the area, period.”
Nandy, Malgam, and Nipper went to the second unit, Nandy making noises about Malgam needing rest, Malgam making noises about how he didn’t. Daniel and Vivian
Chapter 11
H e said they’ve been sending one person each year since that day on the beach. That girl, Melissa, was the first, and Keith, the man who carved all the newer units in the cave—that was his gift—was last year’s Honoree.” Pathik sounded sickened.
He and Rachel had returned to the units to tell the rest of the group what Tom had told them. Everyone was gathered around the table in the first unit.
“Tom thinks they wipe them—remove most of their memories—before they let them go, so they won’t reveal the cave’s location, or anything else the government wants to know. He said Melissa seemed different when she came back to the beach with Filina. Like she didn’t really recognize him, or Hannah. He said all of the Honorees seem that way.
“They’d already been living here in the cave, but they started hiding it after Melissa got taken. They make sure that all the entrances are concealed, that no smoke is visible from their fires. There’s a crude little village of shacks near one of the beaches—from the earliest days here and they’ve told the government people that’s where they actually live.
“When it’s time to hand over an Honoree, they have some sort of drop-point where they meet and the government takes the person away to the mainland.” Pathik scowled. “Celebration is some strange way of honoring their lives before they get sent away.”
“Who wipes them?” Malgam looked like he thought he already knew. “That Filina?”
Pathik shook his head. “Tom didn’t say, but I don’t think it’s her. I don’t know if they even actually do it—he may not know what he’s talking about.”
Rachel watched the oil lamp flicker in the center of the table. Her two orchid seedlings sat near it, tucked in their cubes, already looking paler in the dim light available to them in the cave. “They’re going to die.” She didn’t realize she’d spoken aloud until she looked up to find all of them staring at her. “The orchids, I meant. There’s no light in the cave.”
Vivian turned to her daughter, a worried expression on her face. “We’ll find them some daylight.” She looked at the others one by one, first Nandy, then Malgam, Pathik, finally, Daniel. “Should we . . . should we leave? Try to find a different place on the island where we can make our own way? Indigo said it was a big place. Surely there’s enough room—”
“We can’t just walk away now.” Daniel checked the door to the unit, ensuring it was shut tight. “We don’t have supplies to last a week, and we don’t know what these people will do if we try to leave. I don’t even have a clear idea of where the exits to the cave are, because they blindfolded us in the tunnels. Do any of you?”
“They’re just like the Roberts.” Malgam practically snarled the words. “Trading their own for . . . for what?”
“We don’t know enough to say that.” Nandy put her hand on Malgam’s. “It didn’t look to me like everyone at assembly was onboard with Filina.”
“Tom said he’d come let us know if Hannah’s parents got her back.” Pathik watched Rachel as he spoke. He’d been watching her since she said her orchids would die, a carefully neutral expression on his face. “He didn’t think they’d have much luck.”
“I guess we just wait, then?” Malgam shifted on his stool. The last thing he wanted to do was to wait.
Daniel nodded. “I don’t think we have a lot of choice, right now. We’ll see what news Tom brings. Until then, let’s stick close to each other. Nobody leave the units alone. In fact, nobody leave the area, period.”
Nandy, Malgam, and Nipper went to the second unit, Nandy making noises about Malgam needing rest, Malgam making noises about how he didn’t. Daniel and Vivian
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