Maybe Iris had the right idea after all.
Chapter Four
“Shut up!” I try to shout, suddenly turning to Della. All that comes from my mouth, however, is a faint gasp of anger, and then a shiver passes through my chest as I remember that my sister isn’t really here.
For the past few minutes, I’ve been hearing her voice taunting me, telling me that I’m insane and that I’m just wandering through the forest while I wait to die. She reminded me of that time when I hallucinated Bran, and she hinted that I’ve never quite had my head straight since then. Somehow, while she went on and on, I managed to forget that she wasn’t real and I finally snapped.
“Yeah,” I hear her voice whispering in the back of my thoughts, “you’re not crazy at all.”
Chapter Five
By the time I get back to the main hut, I can already hear Deckard inside with the new arrivals, welcoming them to Steadfall and giving them some basic information about the little settlement we’ve got going here. I hesitate for a moment outside the door, listening in case I overhear him bad-mouthing me, but – to be fair – so far he sounds like he’s giving it to them straight. Spotting movement nearby, I turn and see a woman watching me with scorn as she washes some tunics, and finally I head inside.
“But that’s enough from me,” Deckard says to the new arrivals, as soon as he sees me. “Here’s the woman herself. Asher founded this town five years ago almost single-handedly. The rest of us came along later. Without her, Steadfall wouldn’t exist and we’d all still be living day-to-day in the wild. Trust me, not many people survive that way on the island.”
“It’s not just my work,” I say, feeling a little self-conscious as the new arrivals turn to me. It’s been a while since anyone arrived from the outside world, and I’ve kind of forgotten the little speech I used to have all worked out. To be honest, the last thing I need right now is to have more new people show up, but I have a rule of never turning anyone away unless they do something wrong. “Everyone here contributes something,” I continue. “Steadfall is a real community and we all pull together.”
Damn it, those words sounds so fake an insincere coming from my words. It’s like I’m a bad actor who can’t sell lines in a script.
“We were told there were no communities on the island,” the woman replies, with fear in her eyes. “We were told it was just wilderness. They said… I mean, before we came, they said it was just chaos here. We saw a load of film clips about it all.”
“What’s your name?” I ask.
She hesitates for a moment. “Leanne,” she admits finally.
“Welcome to Steadfall, Leanne,” I reply, forcing a smile. “You’re right, the island is supposed to be a complete wilderness, but it’s also a place with no rules or laws, so we’re all free to do whatever the hell we want. This town is a place where a group of people decided to get together and try to make something a little better. I don’t know if we’re the only town. There are rumors of others out there, but if they exist, they’re far enough away that they don’t really affect us. We keep to ourselves and get on with our lives, and that’s enough.”
“What about violence?” asks one of the men. “We were told that the island is the most violent place on Earth. We were told there’d be cannibals, murderers…”
“They’re around,” I tell him. “What’s your name?”
He seems a little suspicious of me. “Ben,” he mutters after a moment. “Then again, does it really matter? In a place like this, can’t people just make up new names and new personalities for themselves?”
“There are people on the island who’ve embraced the chance to do awful things,” I explain. “There are no laws here at all, so people are free to do what they want, when they want, and the worst of them can usually only be stopped by brute force. Here at Steadfall we have certain rules that people must observe if they want to stay, but beyond the town’s limits, anything goes. Occasionally there have been incursions by people who wanted to attack us, but they were dealt with pretty quickly. Steadfall might be the only place on the island where there’s any order at all. It’s certainly the only place I know of for sure.”
“So if we don’t choose to stay here with you,” Ben continues, “we have to… I mean, we’d have to go out there and fend for ourselves?”
“No-one’s forcing you to join us,” I tell him.
“And then, what, we’d get our bones picked clean by cannibals?” He pauses, and it’s clear that he’s filled with anger. “Great options, there.”
“You were told about the island before you came,” Deckard mutters, as if he’s not impressed by Ben’s complaints. “No-one forced you onto the helicopter, did they?”
Ben opens his mouth to reply, but at the last moment he stays quiet.
“I don’t want to go out there,” Leanne says quickly, as if the idea terrifies her. “Not if there are cannibals. I mean, I’ve never met a cannibal, and I don’t want to! I want to stay with you, if… I mean, if that’s allowed…”
“Then we’ll find something for you to do here,” I reply, before turning to Ben. “It’s not an easy life but—”
“And who put you in charge?” he asks, with a hint of defiance in his voice.
I hesitate for a moment, before glancing at Deckard and then turning back to Ben. “I set the town up,” I explain. “I’m not saying it’s right, but no-one has to stay if they don’t like it. I’ve always been very clear that I set the rules here.”
“So you’re a dictator?”
I can’t help bristling at that word. “I set the rules—”
“Then you are a dictator,” he continues. “That’s pretty much the definition, right?”
“Everyone knows the situation here,” Deckard says firmly. “No-one claims it’s perfect, but Asher has been in charge for five years now and things are going well. More or less, anyway. When problems arise, they’re usually dealt with reasonably quickly.”
I can’t help glancing at him. He’s doing a good job of making himself sound loyal, but I know that deep down he’s seething with resentment. He thinks he can do a better job of running this town, and he might be right, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to roll over and let him take control.
“I came here to get away from people who think they’re in charge,” Ben mutters, still eying me with the utmost suspicion. “Fascists, dictators, demagogues… The world is full of people who want to tell other people how to live their lives. It’s hard to believe the same crap goes on here too. I happen to believe in democracy.”
“Go start one, then,” I tell him.
“Seriously? Is that your answer?”
Deckard clears his throat. “You chose to come to the island,” he points out, turning to Ben. “You’re free to do whatever you want. No-one’s forcing you to stick around in Steadfall, so you should feel very free to leave.”
Ben opens his mouth to argue, before apparently thinking better of it. “I really don’t want to take my chances with whatever’s out there in the forest,” he admits finally, “so I guess I’ll stick around for a while and see how it goes.” He turns to me. “I’m not a fan of dictators, though. In my experience, that’s the kind of power that breeds corruption and cruelty.”
“Your opinion is duly noted,” I reply, before turning to look at the third new arrival, the intense-looking guy who hasn’t said a word yet. He’s hanging back a little, watching us all, and when our eyes meet I can’t shake the feeling that he’s not entirely impressed. He looks to be about my age, and in his eyes there’s a hint of the same world-weary exhaustion I see every time I see my own reflection. “And what’s your name?” I ask, hoping to at least get him talking.