At four, an explosion burst from below, creating a large hole in the deck and sending pieces of wood everywhere. I nearly fell backward into the hold below, and saw Bartek had fallen too. One sailor had been standing very near the explosion, but he didn't look seriously hurt. Only sheer luck had saved him, though, and we all knew it.
From below, Weevil shouted up, "Sorry! I lit the fuse too early!"
Bartek looked down at him. "That's your team below? Another insane grub like you?"
"He's not insane, just terrible at counting." Then I continued from before. "Three. Two."
"I'm lighting the next fuse now!" Weevil yelled.
"All right!" Bartek said. "Abandon ship, or what's left of it now." He glared at me as his men jumped overboard. "You might think this feels like a victory, but where will you go? Dulan won't take you, and as damaged as this ship is, no other country is within reach. Keldanians are terrified of the Scourge. They'll welcome you home with pistols drawn, anything to keep from getting the same disease."
"The Scourge is not a disease," I said. "As of now, the Scourge is victory. We are the Scourge, and we're going home."
The instant the sailors of Dulan exited the ship, I ran to Weevil and told him to stop lighting cannons and to join me on the deck. And I didn't need to tell the imprisoned crew members and Colonists to come up--they were already on their way.
Jonas had run back up the beach to meet Della, who was hurrying down to him. Although he held out his arms to carry her, she shook her head and continued walking on her own. I thought she must want to reclaim her freedom on her own two feet, and I was proud of her for it.
Marjorie was one of the first to arrive on the ship, and she nearly collapsed on the deck with either gratitude or exhaustion, or both. While I helped her find a place to sit, other Colonists continued arriving.
"I didn't know how you were going to do it," Clement said to me. "But I knew you would."
By the time Jonas got Della into the ship, she looked every bit as tired as Marjorie did, but her eyes were lit with excitement. "Please tell me there's food on this ship!" she said.
"I'm sure there is," I replied. "If you and Jonas want to find some, I think everyone on board needs to eat."
They nodded and went hand in hand to make a search.
Brogg came up next. I eyed him cautiously, trying to determine whose side he was on. He only removed his warden's hat and nodded at me and said, "If all River People are like you, then from now on, I want to be one of your people."
"We're all Keldanians here," I answered. "You are one of my people. Prove you're amongst the good ones."
He nodded at me. "I swear that I will."
Weevil was half bent over the deck's railing, watching for his father. I could practically see his heart beating from where I stood and though I wanted to join him, I didn't. This was his moment.
His father was the last to climb the ladder onto the ship, and by the time he reached the top, tears were streaming down both their faces. Weevil's father had always been a strong man, proud and confident. Now he fell to his knees and reached out for Weevil, who ran into his arms. From where I stood, I only saw Weevil's back, but his shoulders were shaking and I was sure he was crying too, but only for the best of reasons.
Weevil leaned back at one point and his father put his hands on Weevil's face. They spoke a few words to each other, and then hugged again.
While watching them, I realized how much I missed my own father, and my mother too. First I had disappeared, and then my father. Did she know where he was? The River People would hide him and Sir Willoughby if they were asked to, but I doubted that my father would have dared put them at so much risk. By now, my mother probably wasn't even sure I was still alive. I couldn't imagine what she was going through.
I wanted so desperately to just go home.
Weevil must've felt me staring at him, for he finally turned away from his father and motioned for me to come over.
I brushed my sweaty palms against what remained of my skirts, walked over to them, and curtsied to his father. "You probably don't remember me, but--"
"Ani Mells. Could anyone else have done all this? You've grown into such a lovely young lady."
I brushed loose strands of hair away from my face. "I was in the storm last night. You can hardly see me through all this dirt."
"I can see you just fine," he said. "But I can never thank you enough."
"You brought me here, sir," I said. "The rebellion from three weeks ago--"
"I didn't intend to do it. I've worked here for more than a year under that threat from the governor. I hated working this ship, being a part of carrying my own people over to Dulan each week. But I would not rebel, and risk them coming after any River People. I knew the governor would probably avoid any confrontation with our people for as long as she could, so if I obeyed, you'd be fine. Then a few weeks ago, one of the Colonists smuggled a weapon on board the ship, a knife not too different from the one in your hand, Ani. She dropped it and was about to be caught. I knew what Dulan would do to her for having a weapon, so I grabbed it and said it was mine." He shrugged. "Last week, they told me they had taken two children from the river country, as punishment for what I'd done, though I had no idea it was either of you. You were to be tests for how other River People would do once they were taken."
Weevil chuckled. "I guess they got their answer!"
"They did, son."
Weevil nearly melted into his father's words, to have someone once again calling him "son."
"We need to get those chains off you," I said.
"I could pick the lock." Weevil glanced my way. "If I had unbroken needles."
"Snakes," I muttered back at him. "Big, nasty snakes."
His father nodded and got to his feet. "I know where the keys are kept. I'll help everyone out of their chains, and then we'll crew this ship to wherever you command." He tilted his head toward me. "Since you rescued us, I assume you're the one in charge."
I stepped back. "No, I only--"
"What do you want from us?" Clement asked. "We'll follow you anywhere, Ani."
Weevil was staring at me, as happy as I ever remember seeing him. So was his father, and the other crew members who had been prisoners here for at least as long. All wore smiles as wide as their whole faces. Everyone, I realized, was staring at me, ready for orders.
A small platform stood a few steps behind me. Carefully avoiding the hole Weevil had blown into the deck, I climbed up and looked over the group.
"Well?" Marjorie asked. "Are we going home?"
I took a deep breath. "Yes and no. For now, most of you will not be accepted at home. Much as your families miss you, they also believe you are victims of a disease that might spread to them. They will stand as far from you as possible, calling out their love but begging you to return to the Colony where you can die in peace. Even if you convince them you are no longer sick, a part of them will always doubt. So we are returning to Keldan, but not to go home. Before we go home, we must destroy the Scourge."
"You heard the lady," Weevil's father shouted to the other crew members. "Let's hoist sails and take this ship to Keldan. Where do we dock, Ani?"
"Near the town of Windywood," I said.
"That's close to river country," Weevil warned.
"It's also where Governor Felling intends to make a speech tonight." I smiled over at my friend. "We should be there to hear it."
The freed crew members took over the work of sailing us toward Keldan, allowing the Colonists to rest and to eat as much as we wanted from the goods Jonas and Della had found. I didn't see Weevil for most of the ride. He was spending time with his father, as he should have. Instead, I wandered amongst the Colonists, getting to know each of them a little and assuring them I had a plan that would help them go home again.
"You won't share the plan with us?" Marjorie asked.
I shook my head. "Not yet." Mostly because what I had wasn't so much a plan as it was a determination to
win--or die trying. Not the sort of thought I was ready to share with people who had spent far too long contemplating their likely deaths.
The crew suggested we dock off shore and a ways farther from the town. "Bringing a ship home with Dulan's flag will raise a lot of concern," one man said. "It's better if no one sees us."
"Then lower the flag and take us as close to shore as you can," I said. "We'll use the dinghy at the side of the ship and only bring a few people with us."
"The governor will have many wardens there to protect her as she speaks," Brogg said. "To fight them off, you'll need all of us."
"We're not fighting the wardens," I said. "There are other ways to win than fighting."
I wished Weevil could have heard me say that. He would've thought I'd matured.
The dinghy would only fit six of us. I asked Weevil to come with me, and his father. Jonas would also come, and Clement.
As I searched for the last person of our group, I noticed Brogg staring at me, clearly hoping to be chosen. "I was wrong," he said. "And you can force me to live with that for the rest of my life, or you can allow me to begin fixing it."
I folded my arms, still uncertain. "How can you fix it?"
"The wardens guarding the governor will know me. I can draw them away, letting you get close to her. Nobody else on this ship can do that. You must trust me, Ani."
He used my name. And as insignificant as that might seem, it made me think that perhaps I should give him a chance, so after a few moments of consideration, I nodded my permission at him.
"I need to come too," Della said.
I shook my head. "You're still too weak. You'll be safer here on the ship. Once everything is settled and safe, we'll send for you. The dinghy is full anyway."
"Governor Felling is from my class of people," Della said. "Unfortunately, there will be some in that crowd who will not listen to you. But they will hear me."
She made a good point. "All right," I said. So we would make room for seven of us.
With the extra weight, we rode low in the water, but those with the oars were strong and carried us swiftly to shore. From there, it was a two-mile hike into town. That would be a lot for Della, but she insisted she was strong enough for the journey. To her credit, she kept pace right along with the rest of our group.
As we walked, I explained what I wanted. Brogg would create distractions for the wardens closest to the governor. Clement, Jonas, and Weevil's father would see that the path was clear for me to get to the governor. Della and Weevil would come with me.
The town looked nearly abandoned at first, which made me nervous. "The wardens I overheard said Governor Felling would be speaking here tonight."
"That's where everyone is," Weevil said. "Maybe she's already here!"
"Then let's hurry," Della said.
We made our way toward the center of town, and while we were still a few streets away, we heard the applause of a large group. I breathed a sigh of relief. We were not too late, then. We hurried onward, and as we approached, I motioned for everyone to get to their respective places in the crowd.
As we entered the town square, Governor Felling was easily visible, with an elaborate orange dress, and her hair piled so high on her head, I wondered how she could balance beneath it all. She was on a wide wooden dais that clearly had been built just to accommodate her for this speech. Steps led up one side and also up the front, and it was draped with Keldanian flags. It infuriated me that she would offer herself as a symbol of a country she had betrayed with such cruelty.
"The Scourge is much worse than we previously thought," the governor was saying. "My dear friends, if we are to control its effects, we must be more vigilant than ever! You're afraid--I can see that in your faces--and you are right to be afraid, for I have just received information that conditions on Attic Island are worse than I had known."
"Were you on the island?" a woman shouted from the audience. "I heard your ship was seen traveling back to Keldan."
"I could not go to the island--obviously nobody can safely return from the Colony," the governor said. "But a message was returned to me from that ship. The Scourge victims weathered last night's storm as bravely as they have endured the disease itself. However, their peace and order was upset by the presence of some River People. They have nearly destroyed the entire Colony."
"My wife was in the Colony!" a man yelled. "What happened to her?"
"The wardens on the island got everyone to safety," the governor said. "But it shows the danger posed to Keldan by the River People. Therefore, I make the following proposal. First, I ask for expanded authority to test for the Scourge in your towns. It is not enough to ask people to voluntarily come in for testing or to test only those we suspect of being exposed. I wish to begin random testing so that we can weed this disease out of your town even earlier. Will you agree to this?"
"Yes!" the people shouted.
"Random testing," Della muttered beside me. "As if you were random, or me. Who in this crowd will randomly get the Scourge next?"
Still unaware of our presence, the governor continued. "Second, I am asking for any volunteers to test a new medicine for the Scourge. If you think you have been exposed, you can save the lives of your loved ones by offering up yourself as a test subject." She pointed into the audience at Thomas Cresh, the same physician who had given me the Scourge. I hadn't even realized we were standing so near each other, and I quickly edged farther away. "Doctor Cresh has led the research against the Scourge. He has just created a new medicine that may one day offer us a cure."
"It's a lie," Weevil hissed. "The medicine is only weakened spindlewill."
"I believe he did create something new," I whispered back. Not spindlewill, but a Scourge test filled with snake venom.
Hands shot into the air while Doctor Cresh beamed with pride. The Scourge is not a disease! I wanted to scream at them. But that medicine will make you think you've got it. My guess was that most families would get flasks full of harmless liquids that did nothing to protect them, but offered the family a feeling of false security. As long as they supported the governor, she would protect them. And then other families--those targeted families whom Della had mentioned--would be given flasks full of Doctor Cresh's new medicine. It would convince them they had the Scourge without the governor ever needing to administer a direct test. She was cutting out a step in her evil agreement with Dulan.
"Finally," the governor said, "we must remove those who threaten the safety of Keldan from within. We cannot fight both the Scourge and those who believe it is not real. There are two men who have been sneaking through our towns, taking shelter in your homes and barns and making wild-eyed claims about the Scourge. Perhaps you have heard them and even been convinced by them. But they were not telling you the whole truth, for both men had a personal stake in persuading you to believe their lies. Both men lost daughters to the Scourge a week ago. They hoped if you would follow them, you would join them on a quest to invade the Scourge Colony and bring their daughters home, and bring the disease back to your families in Keldan. Can we tolerate that?"
"No!" the people shouted.
I went weak in the knees. She meant my father and Sir Willoughby. Why would she have brought them into this conversation?
With a wave of her arms, two wardens came onto her platform, the first escorting my father and the other leading Della's. They were bound in chains, gagged, and showed evidence of having been beaten. I felt sick, but in an entirely different way than I did at the Colony. Still at my side, Della gasped and grabbed my arm.
Our fathers were sent to their knees, only to have their chains attached to bolts on the floor, preventing them from any escape. Normally, my father would've fought it, tearing up the floorboards if necessary to keep himself from being shackled in this way. But his head was down, as if he no longer cared about his fate. Sir Willoughby whispered something and my father looked over at him, then into the audience.
His eyes instantly locked on mine. Af
ter a moment of obvious surprise, a fire lit in his eyes again. He pulled against his chains, but they held firm. There was nothing he could do.
I started forward, but Weevil held me back. "Not yet," he said. "Not yet, Ani."
Once the wardens had left the stage, the governor continued. "These two men have betrayed our country's laws and our security. They would have endangered your lives, all for nothing. My friends, the Scourge spreads far more easily than we believed, and is far more deadly. To save you from the Scourge, do you accept my judgment upon these men, that of a sentence of death?"
"Yes!" the crowd shouted.
"Then bring forth the executioners," she said.
That was enough for me. I shook Weevil off and pushed my way through the crowd.
"This isn't the plan," he hissed.
"It is now," I said. "It is now."
I reached the stage before the executioners and even before the two nearest wardens could stop me. Weevil and Della followed in my wake and stood in front of the crowd, protecting me. "We are from the Colony!" Della shouted. "Get back, or I swear we will breathe on you!"
"I feel a sneeze coming on," Weevil warned. "A big, wet, slobbering sneeze!"
The crowd obeyed and stayed back. Brogg and the other men must've done their job well, or those wardens would've been coming toward us by now.
"Hello, Governor Felling," I said, smiling as sweetly as I could.
Her anger was so real I could feel it in the air between us. None of that was displayed on her face, though her teeth did seem too tightly clenched together. It was a wonder she could speak through them. "Ani Mells. They told me you drowned."
"River People belong to the water," I said. "We don't drown."
That wasn't exactly true, but it seemed to make the governor angrier and I liked that.
She looked around for the two wardens who had just been onstage, but they had disappeared. I wondered which of the men from the ship were responsible for that. Her eyes fell back upon me. "Maybe you don't drown, but you can be killed."
"By snakes?" I asked quietly. "By Dulanian vipers? Don't worry, Governor. I understand the Scourge now, and I'm here to help you warn these good people. For the sake of Keldan."