"So you see, Samantha," Per was saying, " in the end, there is nothing any of you can do to alter what will happen. It is inevitable."
It was impossible for her to stay still any longer. She got to her feet and wandered out of the kitchen, down the foyer and back into the parlor. Silently, Per followed close behind. Sam stopped at a low mahogany table picking up a silver framed photograph of her parents. The picture had been taken years ago on one of their holidays to the Caribbean. They were both wearing large, ridiculous straw hats which cast half their faces in shadow. Despite that, though, the happy smiles on both of their faces couldn’t be hidden. They looked so naive.
"I’m sorry ......., " Sam stammered, "I am having a very hard time understanding all of this."
Per sighed heavily. Once again, he regretted Sam having discovered who he was.
If she hadn’t, it would have made everything much more simplistic for him.
Patiently, he tried to find the words that would help her to understand what was about to happen.
"The decision has been made to close the Zoo down," he said bluntly. "The human experiment has been determined a miserable failure. I am to witness the final Event. After it is done, I am to report back to the Assembly."
"Why?" was all that Sam could get out.
"The human race has not turned out as we had wished. It has evolved into a warrior breed who systematically tortures, kills and murders one another." Per paused than continued, "The horror has gone on for far too long, Sam. Human kind is incapable of changing. The decision has been made and there is nothing to be done that will alter that judgment."
Feeling as if she were in a daze, Sam looked down at the photo of her parents still in her hand. How pleased and contented they looked in it. Could they have possibly ever imagined such a day as this happening in the almost perfect world they had created together so filled with family love and happiness? Her parents were good people. Why is it, she thought suddenly angry, that people like my parents are to be punished?
She looked at Per and asked him that very question. "Why do the good people in the world have to suffer for what they are not responsible for? I have to believe that this planet is filled more with caring, humane people than the kind you are talking about." When Per didn’t immediately respond, she finished plaintively, "You average global citizen doesn’t climb onto his roof and snipe at the neighbors, for Christ’s sake."
"No, they don’t," Per willingly agreed. "However Samantha, what they do is just as obscene ....... perhaps even more so."
At Sam’s puzzled expression he continued speaking. "For they do nothing.
Absolutely nothing at all. You’re so called average global citizen, Samantha, stands complacently by while all of this ongoing carnage takes place ..........
and they never try to do anything about it. Throughout your centuries only a bare handful of people have tried to stand in the way of the injustices that have been consistently perpetuated onto the masses ........ by their own kind."
When Per continued speaking, his voice was uncharacteristically laced with sarcasm.
"The one you call your ‘average citizen’ rarely ever raises even so much as a voice in protest."
"What you must understand, Samantha, is that to my race, there is no difference between the perpetrator who actually commits the evil act and the person who does nothing to try to stop it. In our eyes, they are one and the same."
"But surely there must be something we can do to stop this!" cried Sam frantically. "You make it sound as if there is no hope at all."
In the stillness, their eyes locked across the expanse of the room.
"There is no hope," He replied curtly. "The end will come."
"How will it happen?" asked Sam
"It will be merciful and swift. I can promise you that," stated Per as he started to turn away from her.
"You bastard," screeched Sam, suddenly lunging forward and beating Per’s back with her fists doubled in rage. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
Slowly, Per turned back to face Sam. He stood in front of her silently, not even attempting to fend off her furious blows. His face was still as a mask as he waited calmly for her frenzy to come to an end. Finally, exhausted, Sam fell sobbing to the floor.
It was only then, after she had quieted, that Per answered her question.
"As you said, Samantha. I am one of your Zoo keepers."
Chapter 36
Happy was feeling pretty sorry for himself as he stumbled through the darkness and light rain back to Hockamock Head.
Jesus Jumping Up .... Women. Who the hell can figure them? Well, he’d done his best to rescue Sammy, at least he could say that. Funny how she didn’t want to be rescued, though. Happy sure couldn’t figure that one out. He took some satisfaction in knowing that he’d gotten that foreigner a good one. Smack dab in the back of the head. No doubt about it, those 30-30s sure packed some wallop.
By rights, Happy knew he should have been dead. Wonder why he wasn’t?
He made a quick stop to let an overjoyed Spike out of the dilapidated Fairlane and then kept right on going with the hound bounding after him. It being a Saturday night, Happy knew he would find most of the boys at Mink’s place having their weekly game of poker. Being the true loner that he was, Happy had never participated in their game, but tonight he thought he might just drop in on them.
Over on the Minturn side of the Island, at the Dodge’s house, Martha was getting her youngsters settled for the night. Kevin Jr. especially seemed to be going through a difficult time since Nana’s death. Martha sat on the edge of his bed and gently rubbed his back, trying to coax him to sleep.
"Mom," asked Kevin Jr. groggily,"where do you think Nana is right now?"
Her son’s question took her breath away. "I think she’s still with us, Kev - right here in our hearts." How could she explain to an 11 year old something that she herself did not understand?
Kevin Jr. abruptly rolled over onto his back, looking at his mother with a serious expression far beyond his young years. "Know what I think, Mom? I think Nana’s with Gluskabe." Hurriedly, he continued at the doubtful look in his mother’s eyes. "It makes me feel good for Nana to know she’s with him now. I’m glad that Gluskabe took her with him before the Great Purification begins."
"Oh, honey," Alarmed, Martha gathered her son tightly into her arms and spoke softly into his dark hair, "there isn’t going to be a Great Purification. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Nothing like that is going to happen to us, son."
Kevin Jr. pushed himself back in order to look his mother levelly in the eyes. "Isn’t it, Mom?"
When her husband came home from his weekly poker game a short time later, he found Martha wrapped in her old plaid flannel bathrobe sitting alone in the dark on the front steps.
"You’re home sooner than usual." she commented.
"Yep," Kevin heaved a sigh as he sat down beside her, "I got fleeced early tonight."
They sat quietly for a few minutes, both looking up at the stars that were slowly emerging from behind the rain clouds.
"Sure smells fresh after that shower, doesn’t it?" Commented Kevin, taking a deep breath of the sweet night air into his lungs.
Martha didn’t bother to answer. Instead, she said, "Kev, I’ve been thinking.
What if Nana really knew what she was talking about? About the Great Purification coming, I mean. What if the ancient tribal prophesies are real after all? Suppose it’s all true?"
"Christ, Martha, don’t you go getting weird on me now, too."
"I mean it, Kev. Just listen to me for a minute." Martha grabbed her husband’s arm as he started to turn away from her. " For once just shut your big mouth and listen. You’re always such a damn skeptic."