above us in space. We put them there. We had the means to do so. Once. With rockets. Do you know rockets?”
He didn’t, not really, but he understood what she meant.
“With the satellites, you could talk to anyone in the world in seconds. You could find anything in the world in seconds. We were all connected.” She sounded wistful. “All of us.”
The idea was so beyond Cavalo that he couldn’t process it. It was a magnitude he didn’t understand. “Why would you want to?”
She laughed. “Right. Of course. I forgot for a moment who I was talking to. Maybe it’d be easier for you to understand that these satellites could fire lasers. Light that was like bullets. And bombs. You know bombs. Everyone knows bombs.”
“From Before.”
“Yes. But now, these things, these satellites, are useless. They float above us, circling Earth. Maybe they still work. Maybe they don’t. It doesn’t matter. They’re out of our reach.”
He understood. “For now.”
She nodded. “Yes. For now. So, for now, Wilkinson cannot call his people, this new government, on his fancy radio. The signal isn’t powerful enough. He must send a messenger with a letter.”
“To where?”
“East. Maybe Grangeville. Maybe farther. I think farther.”
“How do you know all this?”
“I’m building their office. I hear things. And besides, I’m just a woman. What could I know about the minds of men?”
Cavalo frowned. “Why would you think that?” It was unlike her. If anything, she was smarter than most people he knew.
She laughed again, and it sounded like the first real laugh since he’d arrived that morning. “Oh, that’s not what I believe. Just what was implied. Wilkinson doesn’t think much of women, though he’s made it known he wouldn’t mind sticking it in me.”
“I’m sure that went over well.”
“Let’s just say that I’m lucky I wasn’t arrested. How was I to know his wrist could be so easily sprained?” She stroked Bad Dog’s ears one last time before she pushed him away gently and rose to her feet. It was almost full-on dark. “Now,” she said as she began to unbutton her work shirt. Her skin was luminous in the dark. “I need to be held.”
Her shirt dropped to the porch, and he stepped forward, taking her in his arms.
AFTER, THEY lay side by side in her bed.
“You could come with me,” he said.
“To the prison?”
“Yes.”
She snorted. “That’s appealing.”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds. You can come.”
“You don’t mean that.”
He didn’t know if he did, so he said nothing.
“Or,” she said. “You could stay.”
“You know I can’t.”
“I do?”
“Yes.”
“The world needs people like you, Cavalo.”
Pretty words , the bees said. You are nothing but a murderer.
“The world needs to be scared of people like me,” he said.
“People listen to you.”
“Because they’re scared.”
“You’re a natural leader.”
“Lie.”
“Cottonwood will need someone. Soon, I think.”
“Hank is already here.”
She shook her head. He felt her hair on his bare shoulder.
“Hank wasn’t made to lead.”
“He’s done well so far.”
“He’s scared, Cavalo. Like the rest of us. Things are about to change. It’s already started.”
“I can’t be who you want me to be.” He meant it. About so many things.
“No,” she said sadly. “No, you can’t. I’ll go with you to the prison if you tell me one thing.”
“What?”
“Your name.”
“Cavalo.” He knew what she meant, but he pretended she didn’t.
“Your full name.”
“Alma….” It was buried, behind the bees. She knew this. It was gone.
“I know. One day. When you tell someone your real name, that’s when you’ll know you’re ready.”
“For what?”
She loomed over him and began to move her hips. “To rise,” she said. “One day, you will rise.”
He didn’t know what she spoke of. But even in her words, the song over her voice, he couldn’t help
He didn’t, not really, but he understood what she meant.
“With the satellites, you could talk to anyone in the world in seconds. You could find anything in the world in seconds. We were all connected.” She sounded wistful. “All of us.”
The idea was so beyond Cavalo that he couldn’t process it. It was a magnitude he didn’t understand. “Why would you want to?”
She laughed. “Right. Of course. I forgot for a moment who I was talking to. Maybe it’d be easier for you to understand that these satellites could fire lasers. Light that was like bullets. And bombs. You know bombs. Everyone knows bombs.”
“From Before.”
“Yes. But now, these things, these satellites, are useless. They float above us, circling Earth. Maybe they still work. Maybe they don’t. It doesn’t matter. They’re out of our reach.”
He understood. “For now.”
She nodded. “Yes. For now. So, for now, Wilkinson cannot call his people, this new government, on his fancy radio. The signal isn’t powerful enough. He must send a messenger with a letter.”
“To where?”
“East. Maybe Grangeville. Maybe farther. I think farther.”
“How do you know all this?”
“I’m building their office. I hear things. And besides, I’m just a woman. What could I know about the minds of men?”
Cavalo frowned. “Why would you think that?” It was unlike her. If anything, she was smarter than most people he knew.
She laughed again, and it sounded like the first real laugh since he’d arrived that morning. “Oh, that’s not what I believe. Just what was implied. Wilkinson doesn’t think much of women, though he’s made it known he wouldn’t mind sticking it in me.”
“I’m sure that went over well.”
“Let’s just say that I’m lucky I wasn’t arrested. How was I to know his wrist could be so easily sprained?” She stroked Bad Dog’s ears one last time before she pushed him away gently and rose to her feet. It was almost full-on dark. “Now,” she said as she began to unbutton her work shirt. Her skin was luminous in the dark. “I need to be held.”
Her shirt dropped to the porch, and he stepped forward, taking her in his arms.
AFTER, THEY lay side by side in her bed.
“You could come with me,” he said.
“To the prison?”
“Yes.”
She snorted. “That’s appealing.”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds. You can come.”
“You don’t mean that.”
He didn’t know if he did, so he said nothing.
“Or,” she said. “You could stay.”
“You know I can’t.”
“I do?”
“Yes.”
“The world needs people like you, Cavalo.”
Pretty words , the bees said. You are nothing but a murderer.
“The world needs to be scared of people like me,” he said.
“People listen to you.”
“Because they’re scared.”
“You’re a natural leader.”
“Lie.”
“Cottonwood will need someone. Soon, I think.”
“Hank is already here.”
She shook her head. He felt her hair on his bare shoulder.
“Hank wasn’t made to lead.”
“He’s done well so far.”
“He’s scared, Cavalo. Like the rest of us. Things are about to change. It’s already started.”
“I can’t be who you want me to be.” He meant it. About so many things.
“No,” she said sadly. “No, you can’t. I’ll go with you to the prison if you tell me one thing.”
“What?”
“Your name.”
“Cavalo.” He knew what she meant, but he pretended she didn’t.
“Your full name.”
“Alma….” It was buried, behind the bees. She knew this. It was gone.
“I know. One day. When you tell someone your real name, that’s when you’ll know you’re ready.”
“For what?”
She loomed over him and began to move her hips. “To rise,” she said. “One day, you will rise.”
He didn’t know what she spoke of. But even in her words, the song over her voice, he couldn’t help
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