California(115)

“Like you wouldn’t believe. He came back demanding to know why he’d been kept in the dark. He was in the morning meetings, after all, and Micah had always claimed to be totally transparent with him. He and Micah spoke privately, I don’t know what was said. But it apparently hadn’t totally appeased Peter because he came to me.”

“In private?” Frida asked.

“He wanted to talk about the Millers coming back to the Land, with the two kids. It was absurd. Seeing Garrett must have flipped a switch in him—made him think about Ogden.”

“What then?” Frida asked.

“Peter left the Land again, not long after we’d spoken.”

August was now looking beyond them, as if waiting for someone to stop his story.

“He returned the next day. He wouldn’t talk about it with me. He flung himself into things after that. Into morning meetings, governmental concerns. Even Micah’s ideas.”

“The plan,” Cal said.

“What plan?” Frida asked.

“Nothing,” August said.

“What is it?” Frida asked. She was looking at Cal.

“Just, you know,” Cal said, his heart clanking in his chest. He couldn’t tell her, she’d freak out. “Micah wants to build more Forms.” It was a feeble lie, but it was all he had.

“Yeah,” August said. He was talking to Frida, but his eyes were on Cal. “Peter got really into security issues.”

Frida said nothing.

“Micah was angry when Peter returned the second time,” August said. “They were in the tree house for over an hour, easy. Whatever happened on Peter’s visit had Micah worked up. The next thing I knew, I was saddling up Sue, and Micah and I were going to Sandy and Bo’s.”

“Anika said my brother never went to see them,” Frida said.

“She’s right. He rarely spoke of them. He acted as though they were like any other settlers in the area. But when Peter came back from that second visit—”

“What changed?” Frida asked.

“Bo had seen something,” August said. “He told Peter he didn’t want him coming around anymore, that he was confusing Jane and Garrett. I guess it was Sandy who finally interrupted Bo and called Peter a traitor.”

“For what?” Cal asked. “What had Bo seen?”

“He’d taken to exploring by himself, way beyond the familiar territories,” August said. “He’d seen a Pirate.”

Frida shook her head. “But I thought the Pirates were gone, that you guys fixed that problem?”

“I wish it had been that easy,” August said. “They still roam the wilder areas. They don’t come anywhere near the Land or the settlers I’m in contact with, and they definitely stay away from Pines.” He gripped the seatback that faced Cal and Frida. “They hold no real threat to us anymore, and there’s a reason for that.”

“So if they aren’t a threat, why does it matter that Bo saw one?” Frida said.

“It matters because the Pirate wasn’t alone,” August said. “He was with your brother. Doing a trade, I’m guessing. Bo said they were smiling like old friends, though I’m sure that’s Bo embellishing. Micah views his relationship with the Pirates as purely business—believe me, there isn’t a kinship there. They’re afraid of him, and they also depend on him, for supplies. A year or two ago, Micah killed one of their men. The kid was talking back, swaggering. Micah did it just to make sure they knew who was boss.”

Cal waited for Frida to say something, but she was silent, staring at the mottled whirl of the seat upholstery in front of them.

“Let me guess,” Cal said, “none of the original settlers on the Land know about this business relationship.”

“Only Peter.”

“Why does my brother trade with them?” Frida asked. “If he’s not afraid to kill one, why not just get rid of them all and get rid of the problem?”

“The Pirates have their uses,” August said. “They keep new settlers from coming in, for one, and they see stuff well beyond the territory I travel. Plus, if Micah were to totally eradicate them, he might be out of a job.”

Cal didn’t say anything. He remembered what Micah had said about the Pirates attacking Pines someday.

“So Bo found out about my brother’s relationship with the Pirates,” Frida said.

August nodded. “The Millers told Peter they were thinking of coming back to the Land to tell everyone. They thought people deserved to know. That had freaked Peter out. He’d be in trouble, too, seeing as he’d been aware of Micah’s dealings all along. He told Bo and Sandy they better stay put, that Micah was working with the Pirates for everyone’s benefit. The Millers were having none of it. After all the horror the Pirates had inflicted on the Land, what Micah was doing was unforgivable.”

“And then Peter ran home and told my brother all this,” Frida said.

“You have to understand,” August said. “When we went to see the Millers, Micah’s main goal was to make sure they never came to the Land. If they did, they’d topple everything we’d worked for. He wanted them out of their house and out of our territory. He didn’t see the benefit of protecting them anymore, and I didn’t either. I’m not denying that. They were too much of a threat.”