Tye and Doc passed the bamboo cages that lined the natural shelving of rock steps, and a line of sharpened tree branches made a fence around the area. Tye picked up the feed bowl and threw dried root to the chickens. The boar and goats huddled in their houses.
“What’s on your mind, Tye? Not that I don’t appreciate your company, but…”
Tye felt like he was falling, his stomach rising to meet his throat. “I wanted to say hi. Can’t a friend say hello to another?”
Doc looked at him and said nothing.
“I guess I’m a little nervous,” Tye said.
Doc’s eyebrows rose, but he didn’t speak.
“You know, with everything I got going on,” Tye said. Was it possible Doc didn’t know he was pairing? “With the pairing ceremony and all.”
“The betrothed doesn’t have to do anything. What’re you worried about?”
Tye bit his gums and stared at his old friend, whose eyes finally widened with understanding.
“You’re nervous about pairing with Haven?” Doc said.
“Just pairing in general. Haven’s cool, it’s not her. I thought I might leave Respite one day, and she doesn’t want to leave. She loves it here,” Tye said.
“Cold feet are common. You know this. It’s perfectly normal to feel the pressure of a lifetime commitment. In the old days you could break up if things didn’t work out,” Doc said.
“I love Haven, so I’m trying to tell myself there’s no pressure,” Tye said.
“But of course there’s pressure. She’ll want a baby next and there’s no guarantee you’ll get approval, let alone have a successful birth. No, you’re right to be scared shit. All I’m saying is take solace in the fact that everyone who has paired since the beginning of time felt the way you do. As for leaving the island, I think you can table that one unless you know something I don’t?”
Something about the way Doc said that made Tye understand he was mining him for information. “Good point,” Tye said.
“Want to continue this down at Old Days?” Doc said. “There’s a new…”
A gunshot rang out in the stillness, its harsh crack foreign and unnatural.
“Sounds like it came from the beach,” Tye said.
Yelling and screaming filled the woods as Tye sprinted toward the rumble of voices. Leaves slapped at him, and the harsh breathing of Doc faded as he fell behind. Tye plunged out onto the beach, moonlight casting the scene in black and white.
Sarah stood with her back to the ocean, pointing her Glock 19 at Ben Hasten, and Milly stood by her mother, crying. Ben loomed over Peter who lay in the sand. They all turned to look at Tye.
“Are you bezoomny, Sarah? Put that gun down,” Tye said.
“Stay out of this,” Ben said. His speech slurred, and he swayed back and forth, something dangling from his left hand.
“You’ll calm down, now. What the hell is going on down here?” Tye said. Leaves rustled and tree branches snapped as Doc broke free of the foliage.
“This is what’s going on,” Ben said. He held out an animal intestine condom that looked old.
Tye almost laughed. Condoms made from animal skins or intestines were prized on Respite, and it wasn’t unheard of for these ancient birth control devices to be passed down from father to son. Respite’s unwritten rule was you could do this, but no more. This, but not that, and all of it felt like practice for when the real thing might be allowed someday in the distant future. Respite’s population rules were harsh because the island could only support so many people. Adults cheated, kids experimented, and the skin and innards of dead animals kept it all a secret and everything in balance.
Ben held the nasty thing in front of Peter’s face. “Where did you get this?”
“I stole it from you,” Peter said.
For the briefest of instants, Ben looked at Sarah. “Don’t lie,” he said, but he’d lost all his bluster.
“I’m not lying. You really want to do this now?” Peter said.
Ben lashed out and backhanded Peter across the face and a thin splatter of blood sprayed black across the sand. Peter said, “That all you got old man?”
Ben made an awkward attempt at a punch and Peter grabbed his arm, twisted it behind his back, and drove him to the ground. “You’re the lying shit. Want to get into it now?”
“Peter!” Milly yelled.
Sarah turned to her daughter and let the Glock fall to her side. “Don’t defend him. You snuck down here to meet him? Where’s Curso?” Sarah said.
Milly shrugged.
Everyone took a breath.
“So, we done here?” Tye said.
“Who asked you to be here?” Ben said. His eyes were streaked red, his old tattered shirt soaked through with sweat and berry wine drippings. Peter got off his father and Ben got to his feet.
“The only gun on the island was fired. I have a right to know why,” Tye said. “Sarah?” Sarah looked around like a cornered animal, searching for support, but found none. “Did he intimidate you? Did he threaten Milly? Why did you fire your weapon and what were you shooting at?” Tye demanded.
Sarah turned to her daughter. “You didn’t have much of a choice, did you? But did it have to be him?”
“You will not ignore me, Sarah,” Tye said.
“Rantic, why don’t you leave? You’re not even a fire guard,” Ben said.
“Shut up, you drunk fool,” said Milly.
“Sarah, why did you fire?” Doc asked.
Sarah bowed her head and stared at her feet. Everyone knew she couldn’t
