O’Sullivan quietly cleared his throat. “Governor Hannigan should know about this.”
“He will. All of Thaisia will know by tomorrow. That’s why you and Stavros should leave tonight.” Simon took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He’d never had to deliver a sanction of this magnitude. “The terra indigene who live in the Courtyards make decisions about the cities we watch. But we don’t make decisions about the rest of Thaisia. The earth natives who live in and guard the wild country make those decisions. Because the humans’ act of betraying their own kind has turned into a threat to us, those earth natives have declared a breach of trust.”
Burke paled but said nothing.
“This is the most serious offense humans can make against the terra indigene. Any, and every, agreement made with the humans living in Thaisia can be rescinded because of a breach of trust.”
“Mr. Wolfgard,” Montgomery began.
Simon shook his head. “It’s already done, Lieutenant. The breach of trust was declared before the news reached this far east. I am just the messenger.”
“What is going to happen now?” Burke asked.
“Human-owned ships traveling on the Great Lakes cannot carry any cargo that humans said was in short supply. The Five Sisters will retaliate against any ship that tries to defy that decree.”
“Five Sisters?”
“Superior, Tala, Honon, Etu, and Tahki.”
Burke frowned. “Those are the names of the Great Lakes.”
Simon nodded.
“Are you saying the lakes are Elementals?”
“No, but an Elemental controls each lake, and she takes its name as her own.”
“They’ll sink the ships?”
“Yes. However, ships from human settlements that belong to the terra indigene or terra indigene ships can travel on the Great Lakes and sell food to other parts of Thaisia. But no food grown in Thaisia will leave Thaisia until there is no longer a shortage.”
Burke, O’Sullivan, and Montgomery looked stunned.
“There are other human places besides Cel-Romano that buy food from Thaisia,” Burke said. “Will those agreements be honored?”
“I don’t know,” Simon replied. “It will depend on what the terra indigene say about the place. By tomorrow, all the governors will know why there was a breach of trust and the consequences of human actions. By tomorrow, the right-of-way through the wild country will be restricted, and no one who belongs to the Humans First and Last movement will be allowed to leave the land that is still leased to humans. In other words, they can continue to live in the cities where they are currently located, but they can’t leave. Not by car, train, or ship. The moment they step outside the boundaries of a city, they will be hunted down.”
Montgomery stirred. “How can they tell if a person belongs to the HFL movement? And if someone from the HFL does try to board a bus or train, how many other people might be hurt?”
“Possibly many. Possibly all. If a human is suspected of being an enemy and is outside the boundaries of a human-controlled city or town, that human will die.” Before Montgomery could protest, Simon told him the one thing that wouldn’t be told to any other humans outside of that room. “Lieutenant, the terra indigene in the wild country are very angry. You’re no longer just a troublesome species; now you’ve shown you’re a real threat to earth natives and to the world.”
“Keeping humans penned in cities isn’t the solution,” Montgomery said.
“No,” Simon snapped. “Extinction is the solution.”
Stunned silence.
He took a moment to regain control. “Do you know why those earth natives are waiting to make that decision, Lieutenant? Because we changed things. Because Officer MacDonald died trying to save a Crow. Because you have helped us. Because this Courtyard, unlike any other, has a human pack. Because Steve Ferryman and the residents of Great Island want more of a partnership with the terra indigene.” He looked at Burke. “This Courtyard. Your police officers. The humans in Ferryman’s Landing. We are all that’s preventing the extinction of humans in Thaisia. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Burke said. “I understand.”
“There has to be something the rest of us can do.” O’Sullivan’s voice shook. “Governor Hannigan is willing to work with the terra indigene to build a prosperous life for everyone.”
“I think we should create some kind of identification for humans like Agent O’Sullivan who need to travel in order to help maintain the peace,” Stavros said. “I will devise something.”
“Identification can be forged,” Vlad said.
“The ITF only has six agents at the moment,” O’Sullivan said. “If you know who we are, then you’ll know if anyone else is trying to travel using forged documents.”
“Then it can be done.”
“We have much to think about and things to discuss with our own people,” Burke said. “Unless there is something else you need to convey, I think we should leave now.” He stood but made no other move. “Thank you for your honesty.”
Simon also stood. “From now on, human survival in Thaisia is going to depend on honesty.”
Burke left the room, followed by O’Sullivan and Montgomery. Before Montgomery left the room, Stavros said, “Lieutenant? Your Lizzy will be safe now.”
Montgomery didn’t respond. Simon wasn’t sure he even heard—or understood what it meant that Stavros had said those words.
CHAPTER 56
Moonsday, Maius 28
“Sweetwater,” the girl said as soon as Jackson entered the room with her next meal.
He set the plate and the glass of milk on the desk before turning to give her his attention. “What about it?”
She could barely sit still with wanting to know, but now that he was here, did she dare ask? “You’ve seen it.”
“Yes. It’s outside.”
“I know it’s outside. Everything is outside. But you’ve seen this place. You took pictures of it.” Something about the place pulled at her, settled her, lifted her. She wanted, needed, confirmation that this wasn’t a made-up place, that the photographs weren’t some kind of trick, because she could live in that place. Truly live beyond the four walls of a room. He said she could ask for anything she wanted, but she wasn’t sure she could ask for that much.
She felt her courage wilting under his stare.
He moved until he stood by the bed and could see the photos that she’d put in order so that the land flowed properly. Then he crouched so she didn’t have to look up at him.
“Sweet blood,” he said gently. “We live in the terra indigene settlement at Sweetwater. This”—he touched one photograph, then raised his other hand and pointed at her covered window—“is outside.”
She trembled.
“Do you want to see it?” Jackson asked.
She nodded.
He stood, walked to the door, and opened it. “Come on.”
She hesitated in the bedroom doorway, then rushed to follow him, barely noticing the big room that might have been the main living area if it had had any furniture.
Another door. Sunlight beyond an open, roofed area. Porch. Steps. And then . . .
She stood in one of the photographs. Grass and trees and the mountains rising as a natural barrier. The glint of sunlight on water. She wanted to touch it all, smell it all.
“That’s far enough,” Jackson said.
She turned to look at him, feeling crushed. Then she noticed the distance between them. Not that far, not really, but he still stood on the bottom step and she didn’t remember moving away from him. “But . . .” A weak protest.