The usual disclaimer. Thanks for all the reviews - glad you like my story!
Sallee awoke the next day with a sense of foreboding. She could not shake it off; she lay huddled in her blankets and tried to define her mood. Usually when this happened it was a warning, because like many of the Islanders Sallee was empathic. She ran through her mind what she would do today; teaching the children, checking on the written records to match the Stoneface History. Dek she thought, and she knew that was what was causing her unease.
What had he said in the cavern last night when she was absent? Had he attempted to inveighle himself into the family? She knew two of her aunts thought him a well favoured and well set up young man with prospects.
Reluctantly, Sallee came out of bed and went through to the main cavern to eat her meal. Her father looked up from his place, and nodded to her, gesturing to the seat by his side.
"Come sit, lovey," he said, and she slid onto the bench by his side, seeing he had letters by his plate.
"Uncle Stasic has written from Second Island," he announced. "Seems there's a newbie come there, been working his way up through the Islands since release."
"How long since he was released, pa?"
"Four or five years. Uncle Stasic is fretful over him. Thinks he's been writing things down."
Sallee read the letter he handed her as one of the cousins brought her a cup of tea and a bowl of porridge.
"He seems harmless, pa? He says he's a harper - Uncle says he can play and sing, but doesn't sing any Mainland songs."
"He writes things down, though. I want you to go and look him over."
Sallee lowered the letter and took a sip of tea.
"Me, pa? Why me?"
"Because you know your history, and can check out what he says," her father replied. "You've nothing more to do today?"
"Only the usual routine. Dek - "
"You can leave that young man to me. He was acting last night as if you'd agreed to settle with him?"
Sallee stared at him, aware of her face heating. "I know. He acts that way with me, as well."
She repeated the conversation of the day before, word perfect, and with Dek's exact intonations, and her father nodded.
"That's much what I thought. You go and sort out this harper man, lovey, and I'll deal with Dek."
"His family came here - "
"And I'm Leader of this Island," her father replied. "Go and see if anyone has any letters for Second Island before you go. And be careful through the Tunnels, Thread's scheduled for midday today."
"Yes pa."
Sallee finished her meal and then leaned over and pecked a kiss onto his cheek before hurrying off to change her shoes and throw a jacket over her dress.
Her mood had lightened considerably, but there was a still a foreboding there, and after she had gathered up the letters and parcels to go, she came out of the cavern and encountered Dek.
He scowled at her and took a pace forward.
"You ran away from me last night," he said. "I don't like that."
"I was busy on my own things. You don't own me, Dek, and never will. Even a settled couple don't own each other."
"I've made my interest clear."
"And I've made my disinterest clearer," she responded at once, her tone sharpening. She took a pace back, however, at the look on his face. "There're other girls, Dek, lots of them, who might be happy to settle with you. I'm not one of them."
He stared at her, still scowling, and Sallee saw his father coming over towards them. Dek's father was a man she could not like, he always stressed her with his argumentative voice.
"I've things to do," she said briskly. "Good day to you, Fisherman."
She turned and almost ran, seeing her father coming out of the cavern with two of his Councilmen, and beckoning Dek and his father. Sallee put on another spurt of speed and brushed through the narrow overhung leafy corridor leading to the long stretch of the northern black sand beach and the Tunnels.
She came out of the trees after casting a careful look around, habit ingrained into her.
"Why d'you always do that?" Bar asked in his deep voice and Sallee jumped and looked around, seeing him seating on a rock with his pipes in his hand.
"Do what?"
"Look before you step into the open."
"Thread's scheduled for midday."
"I know, I've been warned. Where are you off to?"
"Second Island. There's a man there - you could come too?"
"Me? Am I allowed off the Island?"
Sallee stared at him in amazement. "Of course you are! You served your time on Impounding, didn't you? You learned what we wanted of you, and you've not put a foot wrong - have you never been off Main Island?"
Bar shrugged. "It's an interesting place, there's a lot of people to get to know, and somehow you get into a routine - teaching a little here, piping a tune or two there - and you'll not deny I've done my part for the new bloodline?"
His eyes were twinkling, but Sallee saw a slight flush coming to his cheeks. The amelioration of the bloodlines was something else everyone was quite open about on the Islands, but she could see he was uncomfortable with it.
"Three children," she said now. "That's a fair share, Bar. Come with me to Second?"
He rose to his feet and picked up his woven conical hat.
"I'd be glad to m'dear. Thanks."
They walked down to the Tunnels and Saska came out of his guard room.
"Hola, Sallee. Going through? Who's this? Oh yes, the piping man Bar."
"Can he come, Saska? Nothing to stop him is there?"
"Not from my place, Sal. You should get through before Thread, but Tena will warn you if you're too close in time."
"Thanks, Saska. Anything for me to take from you?"
"No, I thank you."
They walked through the guard room and Saska opened the wooden doors at the other end. Cool moist air flowed up to them from the dark depths. Saska uncovered two glowbaskets and handed them over. Bar peered nervously into the darkness as he took one of the glows. Sallee shouldered her satchel and held out a hand.
"Take my hand, Bar, there's no shame in being uneasy about this place."
He nodded and took her hand, and they walked down the slope. The rocky floor was carefully roughened to aid walking, and Bar held the glow up to examine the ceiling.
"Fantastic," he said softly. "I've never seen the like, not in all my years on the mainland."
"You wouldn't have done," Sallee agreed. "No newbie ever has."
"Stone blocks - is this volcanic rock? Yes it must be, see it glittering. And the joints sealed by molten glass?"
"Yes. Black glass we have enough of, and to spare, with all the volcanic sand on the Islands."
"There's more tunnels, then?"
"Oh yes." Sallee moved confidently forward, liking the feel of his hand in hers.
"Amazing," Bar murmured. "This join - that goes all the way around?"
"That's the end of a section. The first section was made, and the end plugged, and it was pushed into the bay. Then they sealed the next section to it and pushed it onwards, making more until it reached the next Island. Divers made sure it was secure with rock buttresses, and those have become home to seaweeds and reef creatures, and anchored it to the seafloor."
"You could have set up a ferry? A boat?" He glanced down into her face, shook his head and answered himself. "You risk being overlooked in a boat. But your fishermen go out?"
"Fishermen are all the same throughout the world, and who looks twice at a fishing boat?"
Bar nodded, although he forebore to mention their boats were not like anything he had seen on the mainland.
They started on the upward slope and saw daylight ahead of them.
"How did they know we were coming?"
"There's a signal line running through. Saska signalled two people coming. Tena has opened the doors this end."
They emerged into a similar guard room at the other end, and Tena, an older more stooped man, peered at Bar.
"Who's this, Miss Sal?"
"He's Bar. He came a while ago, but he's not been off Main Island yet."
"Ah, the piping man! There's nice for us. The wards are up, take care now."
"We will. These are for you."
Sallee handed over some letters and a parcel of food, and Tena closed the glow baskets and began closing the tunnel doors. Sallee and Bar moved into the shelter of a glass-roofed walkway.
"More glass," Bar said.
"Yes. These panels slide closed when there's Thread - listen - there's the alarm - give me a hand here."
She unhooked the plaited closure ropes and began walking, and as she did so, slid the glass panels closed. Two men came running lightly from the other end, and they met as the sky began to darken with a silvery grey sheen. Bar stared up at it and began to shudder, and one of the men took his arm.
"There's nothing to fear," he said. "Don't look up, man, tip your hat down and look at the ground. We're right here with you."
Nonetheless all four of them quickened their steps as the hail of Thread came writhing down, striking the glass with plinking tinkling noises, and sliding down to the ground where it burrowed.
"Underneath," Bar said in a faint voice.
"Fused rock," Sallee said, trying to put assurance into her voice. "It can't get in, Bar, believe that if you believe anything."
"I believe it," he said, obviously gulping down nausea and then they had reached the main cavern of the Island and could take breath and calm themselves.