Page 93 of Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt
I purchased it for you, grandson of mine. I have chosen its location carefully. You will note that it is accessible by water only and hidden away from the prying eyes of others.
I sensed that you may need your own corner of theworld, Atlas – a place of peace and safety. I hope this land can provide that for you, and might act as a home for future generations of Tanits to live in.
Perhaps I am wrong, though, and you do not require such a gift. Therefore, should you wish to sell the land, you may do so with my full blessing.
I am growing tired now, so regrettably cannot write for much longer. Spend your inheritance wisely, but remember that life is supremely short. It is my sincere wish that you use the money to enhance the lives of my great-grandchildren, and the future generations which they will produce.
I look forward to one day meeting you in the next life. Until then, should you wish to find me, Atlas, look to the stars.
With love,
Your grandmother, Agatha
The letter was powerful, and my eyes were stinging once again. I looked up at the sky.
‘Thank you,’ I whispered.
For one mad moment, it seemed that the universe was replying to me directly, as I heard the snap of a twig behind my back. I wheeled round, but was greeted by the bare peninsula. ‘Hello?’ I called. Wondering if it was perhaps an animal, I made my way over to the trees. As I approached, I heard the sound of hurried footsteps. ‘I say again, hello!’
Entering the woodland, I stumbled across some tarpaulin and the remnants of a fire, which had been quickly extinguished by a bucket of water that lay nearby.
The footsteps rushed off into the undergrowth, and I began to chase after the sound. ‘Please, stop. I’m the owner of this land. I mean no harm!’ After a short jog, I paused to listenfor the footsteps once more. Hearing only birdsong, I put my hands on my hips and looked around the untamed land.
Suddenly, a sharp, searing pain shot through the back of my left leg, which buckled. ‘Argh!’ I cried, and fell to the floor. I looked up to see a young boy wielding a large wooden stick. He raised it above his head again, this time to deliver a blow to my face, and I put an arm out to shield myself.
‘Stop it!’ came a voice from the trees behind me. A little girl emerged. She was younger than the boy. ‘Don’t do it, please.’
‘What do you want?!’ the boy shouted at me, the stick still raised above his head.
I noticed the pair were speaking German, and I replied in kind. ‘This is my land. Well, it will be soon. But please, I don’t mean you any harm. I didn’t know you were here.’
The boy shot a look to the girl before turning back to me. ‘Are you German?’ he asked. ‘You were speaking French before.’
‘It is because I am Swiss,’ I replied, for simplicity.
‘Why can you speak German?’ the boy asked.
‘I used to live there. In Leipzig, before the war.’
‘Claudia, come here.’ The little girl made her way over to the boy and stood behind him. He lowered his stick. ‘I’m sorry that we are on your land. We will pack our belongings and leave.’
‘I don’t understand. Why did you hit me?’ I asked, slowly getting to my feet. ‘You’re very welcome to camp here. But you mustn’t do harm to strangers!’
‘See, I told you!’ the girl hissed at the boy. ‘I am sorry about my brother. I told him that you weren’t going to hurt us.’
‘I apologise,’ said the boy. ‘We’ll be going now.’
For the first time, I noticed that the clothes the children were wearing were ripped and incredibly dirty. They were also monstrously oversized – a combination of the fact thatthey were made for adults, and that the children themselves were uncomfortably skinny. ‘As I said, you’re more than welcome to camp here. Is that what you’re doing? Camping?’ I asked.
‘Yes, just camping,’ replied the boy.
‘It looks like you’ve been here a very long time,’ I said.
‘We have been. But we will move now.’
‘Into the mountains? I didn’t see a boat. Is it safe for you to try to climb? It looks very difficult.’
‘We will manage,’ the boy replied.
