Page 29 of The Godhead Complex
“Sorry. I just can’t. Land seems like a better option for me and I can help Isaac if any Cranks show up.” She apologized for changing her mind, but Minho didn’t understand all thesorry thisandsorry that. Orphans never apologized.
Dominic went up to Jackie and wrapped her in a hug that looked like it hurt. Miyoko squeezed Jackie’s arm. Minho didn’t understand these things ofholding onto someonewhen they wanted to be let go, and he watched in shock as Orange went over to hug Jackie, too.
He took a deep breath as Roxy followed suit.
Another goodbye would take another hour at least. He looked over at the sun’s placement in the sky and then at the ship’s deck that was now empty again.
It felt like a failure to stay another night, but in order for Minho to have a successful chance at sailing the boat, he needed all his senses, including sight. He couldn’t wait around another hour for goodbyes and needed his crew alert to help with the journey.
“What do you think, son?” Roxy shouted up at Minho from below. “One last fire here, we’ll catch some fish?”
His shoulders tensed before they relaxed. What choice did he have? “We’ll set sail at first light.” The islanders cheered as if Minho was a God that had just granted them their one wish. He never wanted to be like the Grief Bearers of the Remnant Nation who enforced rules just for pain. Rules just for rules. If he was going to join the Godhead, he needed to first understand the balance of power and people. His first lesson:People needed time.
PARTTHREE
Direct Observation
Every day I change my mind about going back and finding my friends for a proper send-off. But would one long goodbye ever be enough? Nothing ever seems like enough, does it?
So today, I’ll decide not to go back and find them. Today I’ll decide goodbyes are rubbish.
Who knows about tomorrow.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll change my mind again.
—The Book of Newt
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
Sound the Alarms
The small fishing boat puttered to a stop and Mannus slipped into the icy water and pulled it ashore to sit on top of the crunchy snow-covered bank. If he hadn’t had horns for brains Alexandra would have smacked him in the head for the rough ride. But she needed his muscles.
“Are these the people who’ll remove my horns?” Mannus asked as he pulled the boat farther onto the bank of land. Alexandra didn’t want to make any specific promises. She didn’t know what the people of the local Villa were capable of and if horn removal was a practiced skill set. The remoteness of the island led her to believe Mannus wasn’t going to get his wish. She just might have to find another way to fulfill her promise and keep him quiet about Nicholas’ murder.
“Have the Hollowings worsened since Nicholas’ death?” She stood up to climb out of the boat. Somehow, the boat was more wobbly on land than it was on the water.
“I told you, I’m not one of those crazy Pilgrims that believes in rituals and sacrifices to the Maze.” Despite the gruff tone, Mannus held out his hand to Alexandra. She thought twice before touching him but climbing out of boats wasn’t something she did every day. Both her feet hit land and she straightened out her cloak.
“Have they increased?” she asked again with patience. “You see the bodies when you walk by the entrance to the Maze, do you not? Have they spread outside of town?”
“They’re the same. Maybe a little more since your speech about the Evolution.”
More bodies Hollowed out since she had given the people hope?How could being on the precipice of the Evolution create more sacrifices among the people? And human sacrifices at that?
“More? You’re sure?” Her ears buzzed with anger. Were the people she led no more than half-Cranks? She sloshed through the snow a few yards before stopping. She had no sense of intuition when she held this much anger inside. She needed to recite the digits and clear her mind.
“The Hollowings—”
“Silence!” she snapped. She went through the digits as her feet grew numb in her boots. The island was so desolate that even the sun could barely find it. Shivering, she cleared her head and connected to the infinite knowledge of the universe. Mannus’ horns may have looked like antennas, but he received no information from the Infinite—except infinite stupidity, it seemed. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled. When she opened her eyes, she saw a path of trees ahead that stood out from the rest. There was no sign of any Villa, no signs of fresh footprints or even animal tracks, but it was the way.
She moved in that direction with a swish of her cloak and Mannus followed her lead. His loud, nasally, stinky breathing chipped away at her patience. Time passed. Trees passed. The brisk air seeped into her depths.
“Goddess?” Mannus moved in front of her and pointed ahead, where sunlight reflected off the surface of a window. She smiled before quickly controlling herself.
“Be on your best behavior and do not speak.” It might have been better to have him wait by the boat, but she didn’t yet know what help she might need carrying things back from the Villa. With any luck, she’d return to mainland Alaska with armfuls of the Cure.
Her foot stepped through something barely stronger than a spider web but too thin to see. A singleCLICKaccompanied her pause and Mannus tackled her from the side. Her mouth was suddenly full of snow, something she hadn’t done since she was a child; it tasted no better now than it did back then. She spit it out and tried to push herself to stand but Mannus’ entire weight was atop her.
