Chapter 9

Ebony looked around her. Her vision was hazy. Everything was hazy. Gradually things became more focussed. She was sitting, curled up, in the corner of the porch swing-seat at her family's old summer house. It had been her grandmother's once, before she had died and left it to her daughter, Ebony's mother. Ebony looked down at herself. She was wearing a long, white summer dress that covered her bare toes. Raising a hand to her head, she felt her hair pulled back into two French braids down either side of the back of her head. Touching her face, she could feel that her tribal makeup had disappeared.

"Confusing isn't it," said a voice.

Ebony looked up. A figure was standing nearby, leaning against the door frame of the summer house. Although he was no more than a bright blur, Ebony could tell he was male by his voice: a voice that she rather felt than heard and a voice that she was sure she knew, but couldn't recognise.

"Am I... dead?" Ebony asked, hesitantly.

"Not yet, no," the bright figure replied, "but if you don't fight, you soon will be."

"What happened? I don't remember anything."

"That's normal. Neither did I for a while, but my brother was here for me and he helped me through."

"Your brother? So are you dead?"

"Yes, I am. But you have to understand, Ebony, it was my time to go. It isn't yours. You have to fight. You have to go back and carry on living."

"Who are you? How do you know my name?"

The figure stepped a little closer. He still shone with a bright, white light, but Ebony could make out a little more of his image than before.

"I know you..." she murmured, more to herself than to him.

"Open your heart, Ebony: look with that, not your head. Things work differently here."

Ebony frowned slightly, then closed her eyes and composed herself. Concentrating, she opened her eyes. The world around here seemed a little more in focus. She looked up at the figure standing before her.

"Bray!"

Ebony's heart leapt into her mouth as she looked up at the young man she had known for so long. His tribal clothes and markings were gone; his face and hair were clean and radiated a strange light; he wore loose fitting, white garments that shone as if they were made of light itself and he looked more at peace than Ebony had ever seen anyone look. They had never found his body, only some Techno records of his demise. There were those among the Mall Rats, both Amber and herself included, who had always held out some hope that the records were wrong and somewhere, somehow, Bray was still alive. Ebony had no hope now: he was here before her, dead.

"It's alright," Bray said, gently, sensing her distress. "It's all right. Like I said: it was my time. Just like it was our parents' time and Martin's time. Nothing happens without a reason, or that is not meant to happen. Sometimes a little extra help is needed, though, to keep things on the right track."

"Y-you're really dead?"

"Yes. I am, but you are not. Do you understand me Ebony? It's not your time: you have to fight, you have to go back."

"B-but, how am I here?" Ebony stammered, getting to her feet and walking over to Bray. "What happened? Why are you here talking to me? Are my parents here? Can I see them? Is Martin here?"

"Ebony, listen to me," Bray started, taking Ebony's hands in his. "This place, this... illusion... that you see around you, you're seeing it because this is your idea of heaven. This is the place you were happiest in during your life. That doesn't mean it is heaven: it's not. It's like a holding tank, where souls who are not ready yet have the chance to readjust to being dead or, in your case, comatose. It's where you go when you are hovering between life and death. You can't see your parents, or Martin: they're not here any more, they've moved on. I'm here to send you back. Once I've done that, I'll move on too."

"Y-you have a son, you know."

"I know. And you have to tell Amber to let me go. She has Jay now. He is who she is meant to be with."

"But is she who he's meant to be with?" Ebony asked with a wry smile.

"I know you think he treated you badly, but look at it this way: if he hadn't, would you have followed Jack out of the mall? Like I said, everything happens for a reason. Sometimes stories don't seem to have happy endings, but that's just because it's not the end of the story. Remember that," Bray smiled and stepped back from Ebony. "Remember that."

Slowly, Bray's image blurred into a long oval of white light, then began to fade.

"But how do I get back?" Ebony called to the empty porch. "How do I get back?"

As if the effort of shouting had wearied her, Ebony fell back onto the chair. She was dizzy. Her head was spinning. The world around her went black.

****

"We have spoken to the prisoner at length," Alkaia told Jetta, "and he poses no threat to us. I see no reason not to allow him as far into the valley as the outer perimeter huts. As with all male guests, he may not enter the gates of our inner perimeter, but he should have all that he requires in the outer huts. You may remain there with him, if you wish. I understand that there is much you have to talk about."

"There is much, Alkaia," Jetta replied. "But there are other things I must see to first. I do not wish to see Jack immediately, but I will come to him when I am ready. I thank you for your hospitality."

"Your thanks is accepted, but it is unnecessary: it is our way, you know that, and, besides, our guest has already thanked us himself. You picked a good mate."

"I believe so. But for now, I must beg your leave to go. I must return to camp and talk with Leila."

"You are not unwell, I hope!"

"I am sure it is nothing."

"Perhaps you would not object to Hope's father taking care of his daughter, then, while you are busy? It is, after all, why he followed you all this way."

"I would not object, as long as someone stays with him. I would also like to bring Leila to see him: he has not been well and I fear the journey may have weakened him. Also, I believe you have one of his old tribe members here: a recruit named Alice?"

"We do indeed. I will fetch her and she can stay with Jack and Hope while you speak with Leila."

****

"So, a-are they okay?" Jack asked, nervously, as the two Amazon generals watched over him, silently.

A voice called through the door and the taller, dark haired general, Morgaine, turned and left to answer the summons.

"Jetta and Hope," Jack tried again. "A-are they okay?"

Stumbling slightly, he put a hand out to steady himself. The other general, Jewel, stepped forward and caught him before he fell.

"They are fine," she replied, guiding Jack to a nearby stool. "But you are not. You are weak from your journey and a night incarcerated as our prisoner. You must rest. I realise this is not the ideal place to do so, but once our leader has returned, and assuming Jetta herself agrees, we will escort you to our guest quarters. You should find them more comfortable."

Jewel frowned at the beads of sweat which had formed on Jack's brow and the difficulty with which he breathed.

"While you remain with us, I would suggest that you allow our healer, Leila, to examine you. I am not the expert that she is, but I can recognise the signs of illness well enough."

"Th-then I can stay?" Jack asked once his breathing had returned to some semblance of normality.

"That depends on Jetta. I should not have spoken to you at all; nor would I have done, but your health appeared to deteriorate as your anxiety increased. It is not my place to deliver your judgement: that is reserved for Alkaia. Please, calm yourself and let me remain in silence as we await her."

Jack nodded, understanding now the icy silence of the two generals when both were present. The Mall Rats had similar customs when dealing with unknown intruders, although perhaps less intimidating ones, he liked to think, unless of course you counted Lex.

After another five or ten minutes, the door was opened and Morgaine and Alkaia entered. Behind them, through the open door, Jack could hear the sounds of a child laughing.

"With the agreement of Jetta," Alkaia began, "it has been decided that you may stay. There are, however a few rules with which you must comply. Firstly, understand that, as Amazons, we cannot allow the intrusion of any male presence into the inner part of our camp. For this reason, our camp has two perimeters: the outer and the inner perimeter. At the outer perimeter, there are a number of huts used for housing guests. This is where you will stay during your time with us. You will be under our protection as long as you remain within the borders of our land or, should we be attacked, the fortifications of the outer perimeter. You will not pass the inner perimeter under any circumstances. Do you understand?"

Jack nodded, silently.

"I have spoken at length with Jetta," Alkaia continued, "and, although she has other business to attend to before she herself returns to speak with you, she has allowed that one of her sister Amazons may bring your daughter to you and stay with you while you await her. Your daughter and the Amazon in question await you outside this door to accompany you to the guest huts."

"Th-thank you," Jack stammered, rising, shakily, to his feet then looking up in surprise as Alkaia offered him her arm to lean on.

"Jetta told me you had been ill," the Amazon leader explained, "and I can see that her fears that your journey had weakened you were not unfounded. She will bring our healer with her when she comes to see you later."

Again, Jack nodded, accepting the offered support. As he walked forward, he saw a familiar form through the doorway. Stopping suddenly, he called out the figure's name.

"Alice!"