Face to Face, Part 13
by Linda
"Thanks for coming with me, Julia."
The doctor almost slipped and fell down the rocky mountainside from the shock of hearing Devon speak. Since they had set out early that morning to visit Cynthia Adair's mountainside abode, Devon had spoken nary a word, lost in her own thoughts. And Julia hadn't wanted to pry. Of course, she had thoughts of her own to keep her mind occupied. Cynthia Adair clearly had some kind of past relationship with her own mother, and Julia was both eager and frightened to hear of that. It might shed some light on her own past history, yet perhaps that was a light better left dimmed. Both John and Alonzo had objected to their making the trip together, but Devon merely set her shoulders, hugged her son and led the way out of camp. Julia resolutely followed her, with one last glance back at Alonzo. "You're welcome," Julia finally said, pausing as her mind returned to the present. "Look, I know you have a lot on your mind but if you want to talk, I'm here."
"Thanks." Devon gave Julia a smile as both woman pulled themselves onto the flat mesa above. But she didn't take the doctor up on her offer. As they moved forward, Devon quickly spotted her mother's home. As the women entered the cabin, they discovered no one at home. "I guess we wait," Devon said, beginning to look around. The place was as unlike her home back on the stations as night was from day. Here there was no evidence of money, of influence, of power. Everything was simple, hand-made, unlike her childhood memories of her glamorous mother -- a wealthy member of station royalty. As Devon lost herself in thought and memory, Julia was the first to turn and see Cynthia Adair standing in the doorway.
"I guess we're basically the last people you expected to see."
"You could say that." Cynthia Adair's eyes drank in the unexpected vision of her daughter as she leaned against the doorjamb to steady herself. "What are you doing here?"
Devon slowly shook her head back and forth, her eyes never leaving her mother's face. "You didn't really think I'd leave before talking to you, did you?"
"Hey True-girl. We've gotta talk."
The youngster squealed as her dad sneaked up behind her and lifted her up into the air as he spoke. He twirled her around as he carried her over to the Transrover, where they both found perches among the packed supplies. The caravan had started moving that morning, despite Julia's and Devon's trip up the mountain. The women had promised to meet up with them at their next camp, taking the battered Dunerail to allow them to move faster and their gear to keep in touch. But now, John Danziger's attention was on his little girl, who snuggled between the rolled up tents to make herself comfortable as the much-repaired Transrover slowly inched its way across the rough terrain, lurching through ditches and crushing the branches in its path.
"Why'd you run away, True?" Danziger's smile disappeared as he remembered the terror of the previous days.
True suddenly became very interested in the tent roll beside her, averting her head to avoid her father's gaze. "Devon said she was going to tell you."
"She did. But I want to hear it from you."
"I was scared." The words came out so quietly that John Danziger could not make them out as they wafted into the softness of the tent True had buried her face in.
"True?"
The call of her name was soft but insistent and True raised her head and admitted in a slightly louder tone, "I was scared."
"That you were going to lose me?" Danziger reached out and stroked his daughter's head with his large hand. He felt like grabbing her to him and never letting go, but his better judgment told him that was the wrong choice. And he let his judgment overrule his feelings. True merely nodded and John forced himself to continue. "That is never going to happen."
"But you wanted Devon." Even though True had talked through this with Devon, her fears came back now that she was actually facing her father. What if he really didn't want her? She knew now the thought was silly, but she couldn't seem to keep from worrying and her doubt showed up in her expressive young face.
John felt his stomach lurch, but tried to keep his expression calm, exuding confidence and self-assurance intended to assuage his daughter's doubts. "Whatever happens, True-girl, I love you. And that is never, ever going to change. Not even if I learn to love someone else. Heck, not even if I learned to love a Grendler."
"Dad, that's gross!" True wrinkled her face in disgust even as she let out the breath she had been tensely holding. She paused and grinned. "Are you saying Devon's like a Grendler?"
In response, Danziger jumped off the Transrover and pulled True into his arms where he began to very deliberately and very precisely tickle her until she begged for mercy. "Uncle. Uncle." The girl screamed, with tears rolling down her face from laughing too hard.
The girl's laughter carried through the wind, bringing smiles to the faces of those who had helped search for her for so many hours. Walking several feet behind the Transrover, Magus fell into step with Baines, her legs having to work a wee bit harder to keep up with the taller man's lanky stride. But she smiled, feeling the effort was worthwhile, when he took hold of her hand. Together they walked, enjoying the relatively stress-free day and each other's company, confident in the belief that they had begun a new journey together while still more than a little uncertain of their destination.
"I guess I want answers, Mother. That's why I'm here."
"It would have been better if you hadn't come." Cynthia shook her own head, nervously ran her fingers through her hair and then sat down, hoping the stable ground would help to ground her own nerves. "Devon, haven't you learned yet that there are no easy answers?"
"Then let's start with the questions. How did you get here? And why?" Devon voiced the most basic of her questions as she and Julia both sat down on the edge of the bed, each wondering where in their pasts Cynthia's story might carry them.
"And how do you know my mother? And so much about the Council?" Julia added to the list of queries.
"You guys certainly don't throw softballs." Cynthia leaned her head against the wall as she began to recount tales of her own past. "If you're wealthy enough, you know about the Council. You know they exist, that they have a lot of power -- most of it behind the scenes, that the appearance of reality is often merely something contrived by the Council to control the stations and the lives and thoughts of every person on them. To most people, the Council is a little-heard of government organization that has no real purpose. In reality, it controls almost everything. That's not something you learn instantaneously. The Council is like a web. It grows around you, until it encircles and traps you, depriving you of your freedom. You deny the reality of it until something happens to make the realization hit you like an old-fashioned sledgehammer. You might say, Julia, that your mother was my sledgehammer."
"That's certainly one way to describe her." Julia recalled the toughness her mother had always exuded and her devotion to the Council. "So how did she awaken you to the wonders of the Council?"
"She threatened to kill Devon if I didn't go to work helping the Council weave their control over the stations. It wasn't very subtle, but it was effective -- at least for a while. I knew she could do it, or at least make sure it was done. I'm not going to go into the stuff she had me do. It's too painful to remember. But I have a stubborn streak and from the first time Katharine tried to use me, I used her back."
"How?" Julia was skeptical, and as she glanced at Devon she saw that her silent friend was trying to deal with the shock of her mother's story.
"There were anti-Council underground groups on the stations. I'm not sure if you were aware of that but I was, and from time to time I had donated money or supplies surreptitiously to them. When Katharine approached me, I approached them." Cynthia looked at Devon. "Your dad was so angry with me. He was worried I was going to get myself or all of us killed, but I couldn't help myself. I believed in what I was doing, and I was naive enough and secure enough from my cushioned wealthy life to feel that I was immune to danger. But then one day, I had a meeting with Katharine in which she informed me that she knew all along what I was up to. She had my friends in the resistance arrested and killed. But for me, she said she wanted a more fitting punishment. So she stuck me on a ship of Council prisoners and we were all dumped here. I think Katharine saw this planet as the closest thing to hell she could think of. I know you were told I died in an explosion."
"Two questions." Devon kept her voice flat and calm, afraid if she began to let her emotions out she would be unable to turn them off. "Why did Julia's mother choose you? And how did you survive here? There were some pretty nasty prisoners dropped here who wouldn't hesitate to rape or kill you. Oh and one more, why don't you have the tattoo that most of the penal convicts have?"
"It wasn't easy. There were a few other political prisoners, one of whom I happened to know. We all banded together in the hope that we could survive. Unfortunately, they are all dead now. One was killed by a Grendler; two died of starvation. Life on this planet has never been easy and I have learned to do things I never even contemplated on the stations." She gestured around her. "Like building this cabin or making my own clothes. I guess I survived through a combination of dumb luck and rapidly acquired skills. As for why Katharine chose me, I guess she would be the best person to ask that question. But if I had to wager a guess, I would say that I had some connections and skills she thought would be useful and that Katharine always loved doing anything that would take the upper class down a notch in her estimation. In my opinion, she was a very jealous, power-hungry woman. As for the tattoo, I don't know. I often wondered about that myself."
Devon shot Julia a sympathetic glance, but the young doctor was lost in her own thoughts about the Council and her mother. An uncomfortable silence reigned the room for a few moments while each woman tried to come to grips with the haunts of the past, until finally it was Devon who reached a decision and broke through the heavy atmosphere. "Mother, I would like you to come with us to New Pacifica."
Julia looked up and nodded her agreement with her friend's request.
"I don't know." The woman shook her head. "I left your group so you could all go on with your futures, not be mired in the past."
"What about you?" Julia asked. "Don't you want a future?"
"Of course I do. But I lived alone up here for so many years." Cynthia shook her head, "I don't know if I could handle being part of a group. You guys seem to have become a family, while I've become a loner."
Devon smiled at her rational. "But you are family. And we've already lost so many years. You have a grandson who you haven't spent any time with." She got up and walked to her mother, reaching out a hand. "We'll help you pack. It's time for a new beginning for our family. I won't promise it'll be easy. but we can make it happen."
***
Voice of Ulysses Adair:
"Yale says there's always room for one more in a family. And we just got one more because Mom called in to say that she and Julia are bringing Cynthia back with them. I know I probably should call her Grandma, but I don't really know her. I think it's weird to have a grandmother you never met. But then I guess it's not weirder than not having a father at all, like me, or not having a mother, like True. And I once heard Julia say she hated her mother. Alonzo said he didn't have parents. None of us have families like the Swiss Family Robinson that Yale was making us read about.
Yale says Eden Advance is a family, and that we proved it by taking care of each other while Mom and True were missing. I don't know. I guess that means Cynthia's part of us 'cause she helped look for True. But I don't love her. Not like I love Mom or Yale or even Alonzo. So I guess I just don't understand. Mom says family is who you care about and want to care for, the people you know you can count on when things are difficult. But then mom never counted on anyone but herself, and sometimes Yale. Now she occasionally uses Mr. Danziger. I guess her family's not very big then. Maybe True said it best when I talked to her a little while ago about our history lesson about ancient Europe. She said, 'Isn't this confusing?' I guess that applies to my whole life."
-The End-
Author's Chapter Notes:
Breathe a sigh of relief for this is the last segment. For those going to the Con, have fun. Comments, compliments or complaints to Linda.
Chapter End Notes:
As promised....all feedback to Linda. Enjoy.
Linda
Linda