Chapter 37

The trip home was made in silence. Thick clouds slid across the sky, hiding the sun that was quickly sinking in the west, behind the Island. Samantha thought about the night she had sat at her uncle’s table. They’d dined on fine china and the food had been excellent and plentiful. It had not even registered to either of them that they were in the Outland, where life was supposed to be hard. Loren had been so rude and essentially called her and John liars. He had never really looked at either of them during the meal or the brief conversation. At least, not until she refused to be cowed by him. It was only now that she realized what that had actually meant. He had realized that he wouldn’t be able to control her thinking.

What if he had caught them in that cave today? What would he have done to them? She shuddered as she remembered the dark cavern and even darker pit. The darkness of it clung to her, even now. She felt as if tendrils had twined about her arms and legs and no matter how hard she tried to pull away, they held fast.

The beach where they had started their trip came into view and at that moment, the sun broke through a cloud and flooded them with sunlight. She breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the darkness pushed away.

“Samantha, keep this to yourself. I, mean, I know you don’t gossip but . . . for the moment, don’t trust anyone. Please?”

She studied his face and saw beneath the tan a gray pallor. John was never afraid. He was afraid, now.

“I don’t think there is anything we can do, John. They’ve been doing this for a long time, if that storeroom is any indication. Besides, even when we were children, we knew smuggling was a fact in the Outland.”

“MY family wasn’t involved. At least, I didn’t know they were.”

“John, it isn’t as if they are even family. Isabel is Dad’s sister but I can’t say there is any real family feeling there. She was able to walk away from her whole family years ago, with no apparent regret. She seems like a lovely person but we don’t have a real connection.”

“You do.”

“That is not the same thing. I don’t feel that my ability links me to her in any way. I didn’t even know she existed until the last week. I think, if we were linked in any way, I’d have known it before now.”

His response was to jump into the surf and pull the boat onto the sand. He helped her out and for a few minutes they just stood and let the warmth in the sand seep into their feet and up their legs until the last of the chill from the caves abated.

“Sam, promise you will keep this to yourself. At least, for a few days.”

She nodded. “I can do that. But realistically, we have to go to the Council at some point. What they are doing is illegal. Some of that stuff was very likely stolen. Some of it from their own people.”

“I know. It’s what I’ve been thinking about all the way back.” He turned back to the boat and leaned on the gunwale to push it off. “And it is them I am considering.”

“How so?”

He scowled over his shoulder. “Do you really think the Council cares about them, Sam? Do you think those people will ever see their merchandise again? Everyone out there is expendable to the Council. They already don’t exist.”

She’d had a similar thought but it hadn’t occurred to her in that light. Now that it did, she found herself in the same quandary that John had been struggling with on the way back. It was what had bothered her when she had listened to the villagers talk on their trip to the Outland. No one on the outside cared what went on beyond the borders . . . as long as it didn’t threaten their environment.

The sun was barely visible behind the trees when she found her mare and Sergeant ran with abandon to greet her. By the time she was headed home, it had dropped below the horizon and twilight was upon her. The mare knew the way home and Sam let her have her head.

The thought of going to the Council and telling them she was a seer terrified her. There wasn’t a single doubt at to the outcome of such an action. They would use her as long as they could benefit from her ability. Once she was of no further use she’d be tossed aside and very likely labeled a witch.

But if what she gave them was a band of smugglers, caves filled with contraband and stolen items, what then? The image of the corner of the cave that held neat stacks of boxes labeled “medical supplies” came back to her. Those items were always in demand and in some areas, in short supply. Where would they have gotten them? Medical supplies, when they came in, were immediately confiscated and turned over to the Medical Council, the agency that controlled medical facilities and licensed physicians. Of course, they were overseen by the Council of Nine but acted independently. Supplies were sent to a central warehouse and distributed to each region based on stated needs. If one region needed something the central office couldn’t supply, they were placed on waiting list. If another region had the items needed, the Medical Council would instruct officers to divide the supplies.

The sun set just as her house came into view. Sergeant ran ahead, barking and jumping as if he’d been gone for weeks. She put the mare in the barn and headed for the house. By the time she had finished, the sun had set and twilight softened the rough angles and points the world. The moon had risen just over the trees. She stood on the stoop for several minutes, looking across the fields to the woodland. Darkness had already shrouded it, shutting out prying eyes.

It didn’t take much imagination on her part to wonder if other eyes were staring back at her. The hair on her arms stood up and she quickly went inside, holding the door for Sergeant and then bolting it behind them. The lantern near the door flared up and settled down when she replaced the globe. It was always good to be home.

She yawned and Sergeant cocked his head to one side. She grinned at him. “It’s been a long day, boy. Let’s get us a light meal and go to bed. Tomorrow, we have to get back on track.”

The dog curled up under the table while Sam made a sandwich for herself and gave the dog his own evening meal. Afterward, she let him out for a final run while she cleaned up and got ready for bed. Once back inside, she put out the lights and went to bed, Sam beneath crisp sheets and Sergeant on the rug by her bed.

The moon slipped across the sky and silvered the land. In the silence animals normally wary by day, came out of the woods to graze in the pasture or drink at the nearby springs. They paid no heed to the group of horses that moved out of the trees and along the road. The creak of leather and the gentle clop of hooves were lost on the wind.