Beowulf's Children

Chapter 19

VICTORY

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

The whole colony was assembled in the meeting hall. In a few places entire families, First and Second, sat at one table, but most of the Second sat together and away from the First. By accident or design they had chosen tables on the highest tiers on the speaker's left.

There was no entertainment tonight. The circles of conversation went abruptly quiet when Zack Moskowitz came in from the adjacent council room. He was followed by six others: five of the First and Katya Martinez. Zack went to the podium. Katya came down from the stage, looked up at the other members of the Second, and went to sit at the table with Cadma

Justin barely saw her. Carlos smiled at her, then looked up at the Second. "Montagnards," he said.

Sylvia looked the question at him.

"From the French Revolution," Carlos said. "The Jacobins sat in the highest seats in the meeting hall. They called that the ‘Mountain.' Katya, are your friends contemplating bloody rebellion? Guillotine the ancient regime?"

"Not that they told me," Katya sat between Carlos and Justin, across from Cadma

Cadzie blue, they were calling that color. The blanket was an exact copy of the one wrapped around Cadzie at Deadwood Pass. There were hundreds already, and more being claimed as fast as they could be manufactured. Mary A

Invisible death had stripped every living thing at the minehead, Avalon crawling and flying crabs, Avalon Joeys, the scrubby bushes, Earthly mammals, Linda's straw hat, leather belts and cotton cloth; everything but one baby. Was it the blanket? The color, the scent, the texture, the inorganic origin? The cocoon geometry of a blanket encircling a baby?

Dark blue flashed here and there in the meeting hall. Nearly every nursing mother had an Orion blanket in Cadzie blue.

Katya took Justin's hand for a moment, and looked up toward Jessica. Jessica conspicuously was not with her family, but with the Second, at Aaron's table on the Mountain. It was a large table, with room for Edgar, Trish, and Chaka, and, surprisingly, Ruth Moskowitz. Katya thought it over. She could ask Justin later.

"What did you decide?" her father asked her.

Katya shook her head. "Zack wants to make the a

Zack Moskowitz was at the podium. "This is an official meeting of the members of the Avalon Colony to hear the decision of the special commission investigating the death of Toshiro Tanaka, a member of this colony," he said. "I call this meeting to order."

There was a hushed and expectant silence.

"The commission has unanimously reached the verdict of death by misadventure," Zack said. "For those without a legal background, this means that it was an accident. A majority of the commission has also determined that no further action is required, and the case is therefore closed."

There was another moment of silence. Then Carolyn McAndrews stood up "Missster Chairman! This wasn't a misadventure! The boy was killed as a consequence of his own criminal actions! He had accomplices. They should be punished! All of them!"

There were a few scattered murmurs of approval, and a couple of shouts of "Sit down, Carolyn!" One of the Second said, loudly enough to be heard all over the room, "Ice on her mind."

"The commission considered that, Carolyn," Zack said evenly. "The suggestion was rejected."

She looked around for support and found none. Her children were looking at her strangely. Sharon McAndrews had been at a second-tier table with other Grendel Scouts. Now she came down to Carolyn's table and put her arm around her mother.

"You'll be sorry," Carolyn a

There was a stirring at the tables of the Second. Trish was standing.

Posing, Katya thought. "There should be a trial, all right," she shouted. "But not of us! Mr. Chairman, I charge Cadma

"You're out of order," Zack said.

"Is she?" Carey Lou Davidson demanded. The others at his table, all recently graduated Grendel Scouts, applauded. "I know we won't win a vote, but we would if there was any justice!"

Trish had been sitting next to Jessica. Jessica Weyland's head was bent, face half-hidden. Trying to make herself invisible, Katya thought. What kind of grief was that girl buying? Justin looked as embarrassed as Jessica did. Katya massaged his neck one-handed, but he didn't look up.

Twice now, Jessica had entered her father's home to commit sabotage or theft. Now she sat with her father's accusers. She hadn't yet alienated all of her family, Katya thought, but she seemed to be working on it—

Katya saw Aaron reach around Jessica to take Trish Chance by the wrist. He whispered in her ear. Trish nodded and settled back in her chair.

"Vote!" Carey Lou shouted.

Aaron Tragon stood. "Mr. Chairman, may I be recognized?"

Zack hesitated, then nodded. "The chair recognizes Aaron Tragon."

"Mr. Chairman, with your permission—" He turned to Carey Lou. "Sit down, please."

"I still say—"

"No, you don't say," Aaron said. "Sit." There was ice in his voice.

Carey Lou sat.

"Thank you. Mr. Chairman—Uncle Zack—everyone here regrets what happened, and it is utterly pointless to portion out blame. Yes, we tried to mount an expedition to the mainland. We made a lot of mistakes, but we didn't kill anyone—"

"You just shut up!" Mary A

Cadma

"But—"

Cadma

"We didn't kill anyone, but Toshiro wouldn't have died if we hadn't acted as we did," Aaron was saying. "I think the commission has acted very wisely. ‘Death by misadventure,' they said, and death by misadventure it was. The important thing is there shouldn't be any more misadventures!

"We still have to go back to the mainland. It's more important than ever," Aaron said. "You all know that Tau Ceti's flaring up. Another Avalon Surprise, and already we've seen changes. Eels. Weather. Edgar says there'll be more—" He glanced down the table, waited for Edgar's nod. "You've got more on that, Edgar? Good."

"Mr. Chairman," Julia Hortha said.

"Please," Aaron said. "I'd like to finish."

"You have the floor," Zack said.

"It's doubly important to understand what happened to Joe and Linda now," Aaron said. "We need the supplies from the mines, and it will take years to find and develop new mine sites as good as the ones we had." He had been speaking directly to Zack, but now he turned to include everyone in the room. "We're all concerned because there aren't enough raw materials. If we don't get a new supply we'll be making hard choices soon enough! And in case anyone doesn't know, there are no suitable mine sites on Camelot Island, and the only mainland sites anywhere near as good as Deadwood Pass are far in the interior or down at levels where grendels live. Deadwood has both organics and metals. It will take years to bring a new site up to the production we had from Deadwood Pass."