Chapter 6

“You shall not use wood to make goods, such as paper.”

The words of the Guardian, penned by Polan the scribe, year 3000

Disappearance

Near the Capital Grove’s entrance, a sleek Violex was parked in a no parking zone. Terick Oakley quickly paced the sidewalk next to it, speaking furiously into his drone. Standing at the Grove’s gate, Kimberly watched him with folded arms and narrowed eyes.

What to do?

A blare of sirens echoed off the skyscrapers, growing louder. Here we go, Kimberly thought, dreading this moment.

Traffic pulled to the sides of the road as a dozen black Enforcer cars and trucks drove through the streets, flashing their lights and sounding their alarms. They parked near the Grove’s gate, next to Oliver’s car, filling the entire corner, and most of the intersection, with vehicles.

The first person out of her vehicle was a tall, blonde-haired woman in a black uniform and cap. Kimberly recognized her immediately; Chief Enforcer Hiltch, a stern woman who probably didn’t even smile at her firstborn’s birth. The last thing Kimberly wanted was to get on her bad side.

She strode toward Kimberly, giving her a hard look. Terick intercepted. “Glad you finally made it,” he said. “Can you believe this?” He gestured toward the Grove. “Apparently Oliver’s been missing for two hours and they haven’t even bothered to call the Enforcers. I had to do it for them.”

“There’s no need for the Enforcers,” Kimberly said, repeating what she’d told Terick several times. “We have our own trained security who are working to get the job done. We will find him, I assure you.”

“That’s what you said half an hour ago.” Terick still had his drone next to his ear, as if he were talking to Kimberly and the person on the other line at the same time.

“Miss Groves,” Hiltch said in a serious tone. “We’re going to need to search the premises.”

“No,” Kimberly snapped, raising a palm to stop her. “The Capital Grove is a sanctuary. A place of peace. We never have and cannot allow Enforcers to enter.”

The chief didn’t even blink. “This isn’t a simple scene of shoplifting or mugging, Miss Groves. A man is missing; and not just any man, a Branch leader—the Secular Branch Leader. The Branch with which your particular Branch has a grievance, which makes you an automatic suspect.”

“Yes, I understand, but even though—”

“Miss Groves,” Hiltch cut her off. “The mayor has given me the authorization to take over operations here at the Capital Grove to find a missing person of interest. I am not requesting your permission to enter. I am asking you to step aside.”

Hiltch gave a cold glare that made Kimberly squirm. Terick grinned, still pressing his drone to his ear. Unable to find a decent argument, Kimberly relented. “Fine,” she said. “But if I see a single one of your Enforcers lay a finger on a tree…”

“None of the trees will be harmed,” Hiltch stated flatly. She motioned for her Enforcers to move up to the gate. “What information can you give me?”

“We last saw Oliver at the Tree of Life in the center of the Grove. He was alone for no more than a few minutes, and then completely disappeared. The Grove has been on complete lockdown for two hours. We have guards at every gate and none of them have spotted Oliver or any suspicious characters.”

The chief nodded and then approached the two guards at the gate. “Move aside. We will take it from here.”

The guards looked at Kimberly. She reluctantly gave them the cue to let her pass. Kimberly frowned as she watched the team of twenty or so Enforcers stream into the Grove with Chief Hiltch last to enter. It felt wrong. Dirty. Like letting a sounder of swine into an art museum.

Kimberly noticed Terick was standing next to her, watching the Enforcers enter, his drone now in his pocket. “They’d better find Oliver,” he said.

He glanced over his shoulder.

She turned, following his gaze. Across the street was a growing number of onlookers, curious to see the commotion at the Capital Grove. Multiple news vans, drones, and reporters were lined along the western fence, rushing in a frenzy to discover why the Enforcers had arrived.

“If they don’t,” Terick said, “then you can kiss your precious trees goodbye.”

✽✽✽

Later that night, Kimberly sat alone in the cathedral, staring up at a statue of the Guardian of Magic with a mural of Tree of Life behind him. She’d been there for half an hour without seeing a single soul. That is until she heard her uncle’s footsteps from behind.

“Thought I’d find you here,” he said in a scratchy baritone.

She turned to look at him. Uncle Norman peered down at her with a warm smile. The wrinkles around his eyelids did nothing to hide the vibrancy in his eyes, the youth in him that never aged. She lowered her gaze, using a tissue to wipe away the wet spots beneath her eyes. “How’d you know I was here?”

Norman stared at the statue of the Guardian as he spoke. “Whenever you’re distraught, you always go straight to Life. I can always find you there, treespeaking with Her during challenging times.” He looked down at her. “But seeing as how the Capital Grove is currently inaccessible, I figured the next best place you would go for solace… would be here.”

“First the shooting…” she said, “and now this?” New, warm tears pushed their way through her eyelids. “It’s the first time… the Grove has been closed… in over one thousand years,” she said in between sobs. “And it’s all because of me.” She drooped her head into her hands, unable to stifle her crying.

Norman muttered a few unintelligible words, and then slid into the pew beside her, placing a gentle hand around her shoulders. Grateful for the compassion, Kimberly turned and pressed her face into his shoulder, soaking his wool coat with salty tears.

They held each other like that for a long moment.

He eventually cleared his throat. “Last time I held you like this, you’d lost your doll while playing in a meadow in the Capital Grove. At first, you were so hopeful we’d find her. We’d searched and searched for hours, combing the long grass in the meadow with no luck. You were so sad. So worried for your little doll.”

Kimberly sniffed, all out of tears.

“But then,” Norman continued, “on our way home, we found her on the other side of the creek. Right where you’d left her.”

“No…” Kimberly said, raising her head and wiping away a stray tear. “It was Lina who found it. A dog had run off with it and she chased it down. I remember because she cleaned it all up before giving it back to me. It still had bite marks on it, but I didn’t find that out until later.”

Norman smiled. “Yes, perhaps you’re right. That does sound like something Lina would do.” He stared off into the distance, which was customary for him whenever his late wife was brought up in conversation.

Kimberly took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. “Unfortunately, this is much worse than losing a doll. And I am responsible to fix it.”

He blinked, coming out of his memories. “What? Oh, yes. Fortunately, I believe Captain Hiltch said the Grove will be open sometime tomorrow.”

“Yes, but that’s not the only problem.” She paused. “They still haven’t found Oliver.”

“Ah, yes. The Secular Branch Leader is still missing.”

They grew quiet.

The severity of the situation rekindled in Kimberly’s mind. After hearing of Oliver’s disappearance, the Seculars were irate. They obviously assumed the Arbolers kidnapped or killed him in order to stop him from winning the debate. The news was going crazy about it. Protesters marched around the Grove, holding up signs, and demanding that their Branch Leader be returned. The Enforcers had to deal with guarding the Grove to keep the angry protesters from entering, and they had to continue their search for Oliver.

“You and he dated for a while, didn’t you?” Norman asked.

Kimberly came out of her thoughts. “Hm? Oliver? Yes, three years ago.”

“That’s right. Well, I hope they find him.”

“Me too.”

She frowned. Do I hope they find him because it would make the political situation easier? she thought. Or because I still care for him? Her feelings seemed so jumbled at the moment it was hard to tell.

“But I don’t know…” she said. “Oliver was there one minute and then he was gone. I don’t understand how we could have missed a kidnapping. All the gates were heavily guarded. Bodyguards filled the entire Grove.”

“Do you think it was one of your bodyguards?”

“No, I trust all of them. I’d wager they’re probably still being questioned by the Enforcers right now.”

“What do you think will happen with the debate, now that Oliver is gone?”

“The Seculars will likely find someone to take his place.”

Norman nodded. “Yes, they’re anxious to win. No recess. No delays. This isn’t about wood, you know. For them, it’s about breaking the final straw to removing any hint of religion from the law.”

Kimberly sighed, feeling overwhelmed again.

“Tomorrow morning, we will have a meeting with Eland and Riker,” Norman said. “That’s another reason I came to find you. Wanted to let you know. They might help give you the advice to win the debate.”

“Honestly… I don’t see any way we can win,” she said softly. “Especially after today.”

He looked at her for a while.

“You may be right,” he said.

“Really?”

“Maybe we can’t win. Perhaps it is our destiny to lose this fight.”

Kimberly furrowed her eyebrows. Her uncle was anything but a pessimist. “What are you saying?”

He raised his eyes, looking up at the front of the cathedral. “I’m saying… we may need to be saved.”

She followed his gaze. He was looking at the statue of the Guardian. “You think he’ll Appear?”

He nodded. “I believe it is almost time. We just have to hold strong, be patient, and keep the faith. He will come.”

A pinch of wonder filled her soul. She suddenly remembered she was speaking not only with her uncle but with the Grand Arboler, the head of the Sect of the Ascended Guardian. Many believed he could foretell the future through his many years of consistent treespeech.

A part of her believed him.

Another part doubted.