I awoke to find myself shivering from cold. A rag was draped over my forehead, the frigid water dripping down my hairline. My body was a knot of pain. With a sickening lurch, I remembered everything that had recently happened. I felt numb, wondering what happened to Molli. I was lying down on my side, and when I blinked open my eyes, I saw a lit oil lamp next to me. Along the walls were tidily stacked wooden barrels of beer. I immediately recognized that I was in Kalam's cellar.
“Kalam!” I croaked out. “Where are you?”
“I am here,” I heard him reply from the other side of the room. His whiskered face was soon close to mine. He stared at me with concern.
“What happened?” I asked with a whisper.
He shook his head. “I am sorry. You should not have been involved in this. Perhaps Tai should have stayed with me, but I thought it too dangerous. If he and I ever became connected, then I would have lost everything that took so many years to build. His cover as a traveler apparently did not suffice.”
Still weak, I managed to snarl, “It was that bastard Hussen who saw through that. But where is Molli? How did I get here?”
He hesitated before speaking. His eyes betrayed regret. “I'm afraid that Molli is dead.”
I felt a stab of grief that was deeper than expected. Perhaps I had loved her more than I cared to admit.
Kalam continued, “When I entered the hotel, I saw that she had been stabbed in the heart. I found you there, badly beaten. It was a miracle that you were still alive. Your hotel was set on fire and you were left inside to burn. Rasid and his men rode off, thinking you were going to die in the blaze. I managed to get in and rescue you before you succumbed to the flames.”
“My hotel is gone?” I asked, feeling sick to my stomach.
“I am sorry. I knew what it meant to you.”
It was my home, but now it was gone. A dull throb of anger, mixed with sorrow, beat slowly in my heart. “What am I to do now?” I asked out loud, not expecting any real answer. My old way of life was forever gone.
He said, “I’m afraid you cannot stay here too much longer. It is too dangerous for you to stay.”
I felt my chest tighten with anger. I asked sarcastically, "Why does your safety matter to me? You haven't lost anything like I have."
He shrugged, dismissing my accusation. "I personally do not matter, but my work does."
“Hold on,” I protested. “What is this all about? You can’t just throw me out of your house without telling me why.”
Kalam lifted a hand to quell my protest. He said, “Don't worry, I am not going to set you free to wander the countryside until you are found alive when you should be dead. First you must take a minute to rest and gain back your strength. Then you must leave and travel across the Wasteland, since it is the only place that you will be safe from the Mujadeen.”
“The Wasteland? No one goes there!”
He shook his head. “There is much that you do not know. Others have crossed the Wasteland before and will do it again. I should know since I have done it myself, thought it has been many years since I made the journey.”
I looked at him in surprise. “That’s impossible. There is nothing on the other side. The Wasteland goes on forever until it hits the sea.”
He shook his head. “In the Wasteland there is a mountain range that protects the Rebels. And there, free men continue to fight the Mujadeen. I am one of those men. I was placed here many years ago to provide assistance to those who work for the Rebellion. You must go there since you are no longer safe here. If you are seen in Ewark again, then you will surely be killed.”
These unexpected revelations made my head spin. I could not believe what I was hearing. I said accusingly, “You have been here since my father’s days. Exactly how long has this rebellion of yours been going on?”
Kalam smiled weakly. “For over a hundred years, we've been fighting the Mujadeen. We will win someday.”
I was shocked by this information, but I somehow believed it. Kalam had never lied to me before. “And you still fight on after all these years? To what end?”
“We have no choice. We shall keep fighting on until we are destroyed or the Warlord and his minions are evicted from this land. There is no other choice but to win.”
“I don’t understand,” was all that I could say.
He sighed. “There was a time before the coming of the Mujadeen. There was a time when all the men of this land were free. Back then the Ancients built a society greater than any that had ever come before. But like all things made by man, it did not survive the test of time. The men grew weak and the society crumbled like dust, faction fighting faction. When everything failed, the land was destroyed by a great war. What men were left from this disaster could not resist the hordes of the very first Warlord. The remaining free men were pushed into the Wasteland where they almost perished. There, they eventually found the safety of the mountains and learned to survive. It was a hard existence, but now we are now stronger. We will soon be ready to make our move against the Mujadeen."
This new information was coming too fast. I finally asked, “Tell me, what was Tai doing here?”
“He is a Scout. His job was to investigate a mysterious operation of the Warlord, as directed by that sub-Vizier Rasid. Some six miles from here, they are digging something up. I sent a message back to my home, requesting they send someone with more technical knowledge than I have. Tai was supposed to examine the area and make a report of his findings. He knows much about technology from the old days. It is thought that the Mujadeen have found a weapon from then.”
Reaching into my sleeve, I pulled out the note that Tai had written. I handed it over to Kalam. He looked at it, his eyes wide with astonishment.
“What does it say?” I asked.
“I do not know,” he replied with a shake of his head. “It is written in code that I do not know. It is written in the language of the Ancients, reserved for the most important of information. Only the Scouts and the Council can read it.”
“The Council?”
“Unlike here, we are not ruled by one man. We vote to place men into the Council. There they represent us and make the important decisions. It was the way of the Ancients, so it is our way too.”
“Then this information must be truly important.”
“It must be,” Kalam agreed. “Tai paid for this with his life. This message must be delivered to the Council at all costs. I leave that task to you.”
I was too shocked to immediately respond. After a deep breath, I finally said, “But why me? I do not know the way. Besides, I am no adventurer.”
“You don’t have much of choice, do you? I am far too old to travel and must stay here to continue my work as a spy. Whether you accept it or not, Mikel, you are now a Rebel like me. You may not like that fact, but there it is. While I gather some supplies, I suggest you rest. Where you are going, you will need it.”
Before he could leave, I asked, "You said the Rebels have a place in the mountains. What is it like?"
Kalam’s eyes lit with the memory. "It's a wonderful place, completely unlike this desert. Imagine towering rocks, pine trees, streams, and cool green grass. It's been a long time since I've been home, so the place is only a dream to me now. But you will certainly like it, if you get there."
Chapter 6