Chapter Four

Urbicus

Susan was assailed by noise. So much noise, she almost cowered in fear, thinking she must have appeared in the middle of a battlefield. After a minute or two to compose herself, she found she was in a sprawling metropolis. But it was unlike any she had seen in London and Narnia or even New York, the busiest city she had ever been to. There were so many tall buildings with their glass windows all shining brilliantly in the late afternoon sun. There were cars—at least she thought they were cars. But these were unlike anything she had seen in her life, for they all flew about fifteen to twenty feet from ground though they still follow the road paths below. Then there was the constant traffic of people. Their endless chatter combined with the frequent honking of car horns and loud music (she figured that must be music though it sounded more like a series of rhythmic bangs without a particular melody), all gave the atmosphere that she was caught in an air raid.

She was standing by the curb of a road beneath a building so high she couldn't even count how many of its floors were. She decided to explore and joined the throng of people walking around. She noticed that their clothes were made out of some shiny material that didn't look too comfortable. All the colors were very bright: purples, neon greens and orange, hot pink, intense red, electric blue and shimmering gold and silver. They were so dazzling that it was fortunate that so many buildings had blocked the sun. Susan reckoned if sunlight had struck any of the clothes directly, the next person could be blinded with the flash. Her own clothes—a crème wool jumper and a plain black skirt appeared to be the most muted of all she had seen. People occasionally stared at her, though she was hardly noticeable if she was in the middle of a group whose clothing was too loud that it drowned her own.

She walked for what seemed like hours. It was the same every street she went—loud, big and imposing. There were restaurants, theatres, salons, offices, and shops. There were train stations too, though the trains, like the cars, flew and they flew higher than the cars.

Susan was starting to feel hungry and she stared longingly at one of the restaurants that appeared from the window, to be serving tasty-looking meals. She had a few paper bills and coins in her pocket, but she knew those wouldn't work here. Perhaps she could pawn or sell off her watch or her gold earrings.

She looked about for a pawnshop, but she couldn't find any. She saw a jewelry store and decided to take a chance there.

"And what would you like today, Miss?" the middle aged shop keeper greeted her. Susan knew he wasn't speaking in English or any Narnian language, but she could understand him perfectly.

Susan glanced around. There were gold jewels on the shelves. Maybe her earrings might have some value here. They were 24 karat and were from her grandmother. Back home they would have been worth a few hundred pounds. She didn't want to part with them as they were an heirloom, but her own survival was a priority.

She took off her earrings and held them to the shopkeeper. "I'd like to sell these please," she said uncomfortably. "Do you think they are worth anything?"

The shopkeeper gave her a puzzled look and took the earrings. "They're a beautiful pair, but I didn't quite catch what you said first."

"I'd like to sell them."

"I'm sorry, do 'what' to them?"

Susan flushed even more uncomfortably. "Sell them… I need money."

The shopkeeper shook his head. "I'm sorry my dear, I still can't understand you. "What is 'sell' and 'money'?"

"Money… you need them to pay for things. Like food or clothes or a house you can sleep in," replied Susan.

"What is this 'pay'?" continued the shopkeeper.

Susan was now equally confused. "Something you give in return for other things."

"And why would you do that?"

Susan sighed. "Well… you just do…"

"I'm sorry my dear girl, but I really don't understand you at all," he said, handling back her earrings. "But if you want anything from my shop go on and pick anything before you go."

Susan's mouth fell open. "And you don't want anything in return?" she asked.

"Why would I want anything in return? We're all citizens of Urbicus aren't we?"

"Urbicus?"

"Yes, this is Urbicus, our grand city, don't you remember?" then the shopkeeper eyed her suspiciously, and his next statement wasn't so friendly anymore. "Say, you're not one of those pesky Renegades, are you? Because I don't want any trouble, you hear? I like the way things are, so are the rest of the people here. So just take all your silly talk about 'resources' and such and be on your way."

Susan had no idea who those 'Renegades' were, but she knew it would do her good to keep on the good side of the shopkeeper.

"Well no… and yes I am a citizen of er… Urbicus. I'm just a little tired, not thinking well… and a little hungry," she admitted.

"Well then go on to any of the restaurants then," said the shopkeeper in a more kindly tone. "Try that one on the next street, it's my favorite place. Their hot stews are excellent. Oh, and while you're at it, go visit the clothing stores. The one you have on is well… it doesn't look appropriate."

Susan thanked him and quickly went out, though her mind was racing. So this world didn't use money at all. They just ask for anything they wanted whenever they needed it. But could it work for her as well? Her stomach grumbled again. There's only one way to find out.

She found the restaurant the storekeeper had pointed out to her. And sure enough she was served hot stew when she asked for it, no questions asked. She even had seconds and no bill came to her or demand for payment.

When she had finished, she decided to try some of the clothing stores just as the shopkeeper advised her. Sure enough, she came out with a brand new outfit (quite as colorful as everyone else) and a bag to fit all her former clothes, completely free of charge.

Susan walked the streets wondering how this city thrived on giving away free things to all of its citizens. Well, everyone seems to work, so I suppose that's how the goods and services get produced for everyone, she thought. But how wonderful that everyone seems so satisfied. Even Narnia wasn't like this. We had money and not everyone can have whatever one wants all the time.

Susan was fascinated by it all and wondered if this was not such a bad place to live in. She continued on her exploration by taking the train. It was a better view than on the ground and it gave her a chance to see the city in its entirety. It was truly a grand city with an endless number of buildings and streets. But surprisingly, there didn't seem to have any sign of plant life. Not a single tree was to be seen anywhere, not even a bush. There were no animals either.

A voice inside the train announced that they were nearing the end of the station at the edge of the city. Susan looked out the window and saw the last of the row of buildings. There was a vast empty plain where more construction was going on—probably of more buildings to expand the city. Further down there was some sort of mountain, but it wasn't green or brown but an ugly mass of assortment of colors.

"What's that?" she asked a man next to her as she pointed to the mound.

"Why Wasteland, of course," replied the man.

"Wasteland?"

"Place where all the garbage goes," explained the man.

And sure enough, Susan saw several flying cars below them loaded with all sorts of rubbish. They headed towards the mound and dumped their cargo there.

The train finally came to a stop and Susan got off it along with the other passengers. When she stepped out into the street, she immediately noticed a group of young people shouting.

"Damn Renegades!" the man Susan talked to earlier, huffed.

"What do they want?" Susan asked.

"Those kids just keep rattling about trying to change our lives. Can't get the hint that we like things just as they are. They want to go live primitive lives, they're welcome, but they shouldn't force other people to do that."

"Oh Sir! Sir!" came a young girl to the man. She was wearing a shirt that said: 'Save our Future!' It wasn't from the same material that she was wearing, but was of lighter material, similar to cotton. She handed him a leaflet. "Will you join our cause, Sir! Please Sir, you must understand we don't have much time left. All these will be gone in about five years, probably even less if we don't—"

"Leave me alone!" shouted the man and he went on his way.

"How about you ma'am?" the girl turned to her. "You're concerned with our future aren't you?"

"What do you mean?" Susan asked.

Before the girl could reply there was the sound of a siren. Susan was reminded of those war years when they sounded the alarm for the air raids.

Suddenly, a dozen armed men jumped in from two flying cars and began dragging away all the Renegades. Susan found her arms being tied to her back.

"You're under arrest for disturbing the peace!" her captor barked.

"I'm not one of them…" Susan began.

"You can tell that to the Minister. Now move!"

Susan reluctantly got on one of the cars with the five other arrested Renegades. But to her surprise, they didn't appear worried at all. In fact they all looked quite happy that they had just been arrested.

"What are you happy about?" Susan asked.

"Finally we are going to see the Minister," replied a boy next to her. "Maybe he'll listen and then we could make him make changes."

"What kind of changes?"

"Well you see," said the girl that tried to talk to her before. "The way we're living isn't very healthy. I know it might look perfect, living and having everything we want, but there won't be enough resources to keep it that way for long. You see that plain at the edge of the city?"

Susan nodded.

"That used to be a forest. Now it's gone. Wood is hard to come by now, it won't be long until the woodworkers will need to get a new trade. The Wasteland—it sits near the lake, the city's source of water supply. If that gets contaminated, the city will get infected with disease. You're a citizen too, would you want that?"

"Well no," said Susan.

"Will you join us then?" asked the boy hopefully.

"But who are you?" Susan asked. She thought it was prudent to know who she was talking to first before she signed up for membership.

"They call us the Renegades," said the girl. "In a way we are. We wanted to change how people think, how they do things. We want them to see that how they live will affect their lives in the future. We have set up a community twenty miles from the city where a wood still grows. We plant trees, take care of animals and make sure these can sustain us. But we need all the help we could get. We need more people to help us. I hope you could."

"I don't know," said Susan. In her heart, she knew these people were right. But she was also fearful for herself. What would happen if the Minister punished the Renegades and she was a member? And besides, she was not of this world. Why should she be concerned by what happened to these people?

The car finally stopped and they were brought to a large building. Inside was a great hall decorated with an assortment of metallic busts, ceramic trophies and several brass plates that cited awards and praises for the Minister and his predecessors. Some of the better looking ones were in glass cases. At the end of it was a pair of large doors that opened to a huge office where sat a man of importance behind an equally big desk. Susan knew immediately this was the Minister. His eyes fell on her.

"You, you're wearing regular clothes, are you part of this group?"

Self-preservation won over Susan. "N-no Sir… It was all a mistake. I was just passing by and they came to me telling me all sorts of things that I couldn't get away from them. And then the guards came and arrested me too."

The young Renegade girl gave her a hurt look. Susan felt guilty and surprised. Her expression looked so familiar. Where had she seen that before?

"Well, I'm sorry then," said the Minister kindly. "You're free to go."

Susan thanked him and walked out of the office. But she couldn't help but eye the Renegade girl and her pained expression. When she reached the empty hallway, she closed the office door though she left a crack open so she could hear what was going on inside.

"Sir, you must listen," the girl implored. "The city will die unless—"

"Silence!" the Minister barked. "Now I've been patient with you. I've tolerated your shouting in the streets but this has gone far enough. You know the rules of Urbicus. They're very simple: work on your assigned profession to serve everyone and you can live life as good as any citizen. So far what you've been doing has done nothing to help others, you even disturb the peace. You have no place in this city but in the detention building. Let's see how a year in there can convince you to tame your tongues and get back to work."

The Renegades began to plead and protest and the Minister barked again for quiet.

"As for that village you've built outside the city, you have no right to do that. The law states that all living areas should be made within the city limits only. I'm sending men to tear it down and have the loggers there to get fresh wood supply."

"No please!" begged the girl. "That's the last remaining forest. If you cut those trees down there won't be any left!"

Susan was startled when a group of men ran pass her and hurriedly entered the Minister's chamber.

"Minister, there's been an outbreak of disease in the northern district. They say the water's gone bad," cried one of the men.

"It's happening Minister!" cried the girl. "The water supply has already been poisoned by the city's waste. This is just the beginning."

"I don't have time to listen to this!" said the Minister angrily. "Take these people out of my sight and into detention, I have a lot of work to do."

Susan watched as the Renegades were brought out of the Minister's office. Her heart wrenched in guilt as she thought of the future of these people. Finally, she came to a decision: she couldn't let them just all die like this. She had to help them somehow.

There were only three guards shoving the Renegades out to the front entrance. Susan searched frantically for a distraction. She grabbed a trophy from its shelf and hurled it into one of the glass cases, smashing it into a hundred pieces.

The guards turned back to her and one of them left his prisoners to apprehend her. But Susan was ahead of him. She had a brass award plate on her hands. Edmund had taught her a deadly throwing attack using a silver plate years ago. It all came back to her now as she flung the plate into her attacker and hit him squarely in the face.

The Renegades were quick to action. The girl had quickly found a weapon for herself: a piece of broken glass that she used to point at the edge of one of the guard's neck.

"Back away," she threatened. The light in her eyes was deadly serious and the guard did as was told. The third one was already knocked unconscious by the other Renegades. But Susan was looking at the girl with a sudden realization. She knew that stance. It was how Lucy would handle a sword when she had conquered an enemy and held him at knife point.

But there was no time to talk. They all ran towards the empty flying car and were soon soaring out of the building and beyond the city limits.

"Lucy?" Susan asked the girl beside her.

She didn't look like Lucy at all, but when she smiled Susan immediately recognized it.

"Shhh… later, we'll talk when we land."

They didn't have to wait long. They finally landed in a small forest where little wooden houses were built. Several people came to greet them and Lucy, who seemed to be looked upon by the group as the leader, bid her other companions to tell the rest of the village the news from the city. She pulled Susan aside.

"Yes, it's me Susan."

"Oh Lucy, I thought I'd never see you again." She hugged her sister tightly. Lucy hugged her back.

"We've missed you Susan," she said. "I'm so happy, you've done it, your second trial!"

Susan released her and gave her a confused look. "Second trial? But I've done nothing."

"Yes, you did! You believed me! You listened to your heart and took the chance to help us escape at the risk of your own personal safety."

"But, I only thought… well, I thought it would be just horrible to let all the people here die… And losing all the trees… you know how I love those myself…"

"Exactly! You remembered, you remembered how we valued our own trees in Narnia and all that lived and grew there. And now you've earned your reward."

Lucy took something out of her pocket and produced a white handkerchief. Inside was a yellow ring.

"Won't you come with me?" asked Susan.

Lucy shook her head. "I have to stay and help these people. Aslan didn't send me here just for you. He intended to have us guide these people from other worlds. And this world will need a leader now. The city is lost, but these people in the village can live on. I'll stay to be their leader for a few years until they've managed to make their world livable for their future generations."

"But when can we meet again?"

"You will when you've finished your tasks. Don't worry, time passes differently in all the worlds, it will be as if I never aged. Now go on, put on the ring so you can come home soon."

Susan hugged and kissed her sister one last time before she touched the ring and found herself once again in the Wood Between the Worlds.