Fractured: Tales of the Canadian Post-Apocalypse(17)
Now it was a puzzle to join they family. Bring me a duck, I said, and prove you know this place and its secrets. Back in They Day, they ducks was everywhere, bobbing in they water tanks for they peoples to win for a handful of coins, floating all night unmolested because people wanted they, but wouldn’t steal they. Bring me a duck, I said, and here were three and something more.
From they curl of they sweater closest to Beth’s waist was a bundle of three things more. These were long cylinders with fuses on they ends. He lift these and give they to me, while keeping they ducks. Dynamite was a thing almost more precious than ducks. Surely could help bring that wall down and get us inside to they fresh water.
Didn’t nobody make such offers without wanting something of they own. I knew this, a lesson learned as sure as they difference between people they sign chose and people who found they ducks. I handed they dynamite to Robert and reached for they ducks. Beth placed them into my palms.
“We possess an understanding now,” I said. “You come into my house offering rare ducky tributes and they get you food and shelter. But these weapons, you know what we mean do.”
Beth nodded he head. Him face was dark with filth and more than a little unshaved, but he eyes were truthful. “Maj, you mean to blow that wall and take their water and I want you to take it.”
“Is that right?” I drew they ducks against my bosom.
“’S been so long,” Beth said, and he voice went thick with want. “Ain’t done a thing in forever. Finding those ducks was like finding something. Hunting, finding, bringing. Didn’t matter what they were, when I heard, I had to do it. Got myself out and did a thing. And now… here. Want to do more.”
Oldest story. People needing something to do with they hands. Didn’t matter that they world lay in rubble and had changed beyond all we had been born into.
Left Beth where he crouched and left they station, too, moving under they metal scaffold of they coaster, into they centre where we had built a city all our own. They centremost part of they tracks, where they did loop together and make it seem like they cars could jump from one to another, had been all boarded up, into a vast container where I added they three newest ducks. They fell amid their brethren, they painted eyes looking at me with expectation. Maybe they too needed something done with they time.
Our plan was not complicated, even if they water complicated what we could do; could not lay they fuses we wanted to, being on account of they harbour blown all inward and slantways. They space where they carnival had once spread was under a good 30 metres of water in most places; some places, they rides still poked up: a tented roof, a flagpole, but even they great whirly ride which flung they peoples in chairs had been swallowed by they harbour waters. Only Jen had ever dared swim in they deep-deep, looking for what could be found. Her found a duck down there, her did. Said they was cartons of them, but I never could go, not with Momma lurking.
We loaded they coaster with care. They cars had been lightened, they lapbars and wheels removed, doors soldered shut to make each car float more than it rightly should. We lined each car with plastic tarps and packed they with explosives. Beth’s dynamite was wrapped up tight and wedged into they front car. Over all this plastic-wrapped death, we layered in ducks. They painted-on eyes regarded me with eagerness. They was ready to fly, these ducks! Everything needed a purpose, hadn’t Momma always said? Her had not, but it seemed sound.
I had never been out across they deep-deep, but made to go now because my people needed a leader. Needed to see I could do more than stand atop they coaster and holler threats toward Na’Talie and her lake people. One time, they made they home within they coaster’s skeleton same as we; but one time, they also leave they metal bones for something better. Didn’t get too far, not when they ground collapsed and sucked they down – when they harbour waters flooded in and ate they up. Oh, Momma, why did you leave your own living girls?
They swan boats took us into they deep-deep. Once they had only gone in circles, but now they was as free as they ducks about to be. We paddled with lengths of broken coaster track, they swans pulling they coaster cars across they dark waters. They whole of Na’Talie’s lake was circled by that patched pavement wall, they deep-deep licking up against it in they night.
All around us was they deep-deep. They metal in they waters rose like shark fins and in they waning moonlight seemed to move ever so slight. First time I saw it, I pulled back from they boat edge and leaned into Robert, Robert who grinned he grin and curled me closer. Elbow to they ribs sent him sliding back to he side of they swan, my face hovering in he lenses.
From they waters, I thought I heard a sound like they coaster cars had come loose, but they had not. All around us, a long lapping sound, like they deep-deep had a tongue and was tasting our full length. We rowed on, pulling our barge of death and ducks and was breathing hard when we reached they wall. They lanterns ringing they top of they wall were not lit and this should have been a clue to me, but I could smell they fresh water beyond they wall, and it smelled like they home I had before they coaster took me in and made me her own.
Jen and Beth headed east and my boat headed north, we each taking half they coaster cars with us; we would ring they wall with our explosives and rig them to blow when we was home. But things never go they way one thinks. For a heartbeat, I thought it was just my dreadlocks bouncing in Robert’s lenses with him taking a longer look at me than him should. But him was seeing something beyond me, over they curve of my shoulder. They curve turned into a tusk they longer I looked at it in they lens, they tusk of Na’Talie’s damned elephant. My eyes went wide then and Robert, him shove me down into they boat, lifting up he oar as a weapon.