Chapter 24

“Seeing the land was dry, she caused the clouds to form and to send heavy raindrops to quench the thirsting soil, forming oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers.”

Origins by Grand Arboler Parley, year 1989

Comply

Kimberly heard Oliver come through the duplex’s back door.

She froze in the hallway, her hand on the front door’s metal handle, and she closed her eyes, wishing she’d left earlier. She turned around and saw him standing there, with a stunned expression. He looked down at the suitcase she pulled behind her containing all her belongings, and then he looked back up at her.

“You’re leaving.” He made it a statement, not a question.

Kimberly hesitated to answer. The way he looked in the hallway at that moment broke her heart. Water from the storm outside dripped from his black jacket onto the vinyl floor. She could sense the pain in his expression and the hurt in his eyes. And I’m causing that, she thought.

Oliver took a slow step forward. “Are you going to live with your uncle?”

Holding back tears, Kimberly said, “No, with Marissa.”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “But she’s a Secular too.” His voice was still calm.

“I know. But at least she doesn’t mock me for my beliefs.”

“I don’t mock you.”

“Oh? So, telling your friends I’m gullible and dim-witted, cursing the trees every time we drive by the Capital Grove, and arguing with my uncle about the Guardian of Magic the first time you meet him isn’t mocking me?”

Oliver spoke over her before she finished. “Your uncle and I were having a perfectly healthy debate that should help him rethink things, and I hate trees but that doesn’t mean I curse them, and I wasn’t speaking about you with my friends, I was talking about the Arbolers in general.”

“Well, guess what, Ollie? I’m an Arboler!”

“I know that.” Oliver took a deep breath and shook his head, looking flustered. “I just didn’t realize how much of an Arboler you were!”

Kimberly pushed her lips together, holding in other words she knew she’d regret saying, and opened the door to leave.

“Wait! Kim!”

She stopped and looked back at him. His tone and expression had softened.

“I may hate trees… and I may hate your religion and the Guardian of Magic… but I don’t hate you.” He paused. “I… care for you… a lot. We’re both almost done with law school and under a lot of stress. Let’s just cool down and work things out. I promise I won’t mock you again.”

Kimberly felt a warm tear trickle down her cheek. Am I doing the right thing? she thought. He really seems to want to work things out. But we’ve gone through this downward spiral so many times... She wiped her tears with the palm of her hand.

“I care for you, too,” she said. “But my religion comes first. And—”

“You love the Guardian of Magic more than me?” He asked, interrupting.

“Yes.”

He flinched at how fast her answer came.

They looked at each other for a long moment, no more words worth saying coming to their minds. “Goodbye, Ollie.” Kimberly pulled her suitcase through the door and walked out into the rain.

✽✽✽

Kimberly awoke in a hospital room, her head throbbing with pain. A dark window meant it was night out. A familiar face wearing simple eyeglasses smiled down at her.

“How do you feel?” Marissa asked.

Kimberly blinked, struggling to gather her thoughts. “Okay, I guess,” she muttered. The dream she had was taking too long to fade into the dark corners of her memory. “What happened?”

Marissa tucked her lips in her mouth. “You survived an attack on the Justice Hall. You got a few stitches above your eyebrow and a pretty nasty concussion to boot.”

“That explains the splitting headache. Did anyone else get hurt? The Justices… are they okay?”

Marissa paused, thinking about how to answer. “The Justices are okay, but Kim… the bomb killed eleven people. It was an Arboler with an explosive strapped to his chest. The guards stopped him from getting inside the Justice Hall, but he still managed to trigger the bomb.”

A flood of horrific memories surged into Kimberly’s mind, nearly sending her into a panic attack. Sensing her unease, Marissa placed a gentle hand on her arm. “I… could’ve died,” Kimberly said. “The bomb. A few feet closer and I would have.”

The door to her room opened. “Kim!” Norman said, rushing to her side. “You’re awake!”

Kimberly managed a weak smile. “Hi, Uncle Norman.”

He held her hand with both of his and beamed down at her. “Thank Life you’re okay. I was so worried.”

A knock at the metal door caught their attention.

Eland and Riker walked in. Eland sported a pinstriped business suit with polished shoes. Riker wore gold-on-white, ankle-length robes, which were customary for the leaders of the Sect of the Guardian Reborn. They both looked at Kimberly with somber expressions.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“We’re glad to see you’re safe and sound, Kim,” Eland said. “But we have some important things to talk about.” He looked at Marissa expectantly. “Alone.”

“Oh! Got it,” Marissa said, gathering her things and heading out the room. “Kim, I’ll just be out here.” After she shut the door, Eland closed the blinds.

“We need to discuss how we will respond to the attack on Capital Grove,” Riker said.

“On Capital Grove?” Kimberly asked. “Don’t you mean on the Justice Hall?”

“You haven’t told her yet?” Eland asked, a twinge of impatience in his tone.

“She just woke up, Eland,” Norman said with a grimace. “I wanted to ensure my niece was well before delivering her more unwelcome news. Can’t this wait?”

Kimberly pushed her elbows down to sit up. “What happened?”

They were silent for a moment.

“After the bomb at the Justice Hall,” Norman explained slowly as he caressed her hand, “a mob of enraged Seculars attacked the Capital Grove. They never made it inside but managed to pull down a long part of the fence. By then, the Enforcers arrived to help the guards at the Grove push the mob back. They were successful… but they fear the mob may come back again, so they’ve set up a barricade.”

Kimberly cupped a hand over her mouth, her jaw agape. They attacked the Grove?

“All this happened today, while you’ve been recovering,” her uncle said. “It’s been… a terrible day.”

He stared past her, staring deep into some of his own dark thoughts. She wondered why she hadn’t noticed the black soot on his cheek and the dust particles in his grayish white hair. He was there, she thought. When the bomb went off. He helped me get out. He saw the carnage.

“It certainly has,” Riker said in his deep voice, staring at the tiled floor. “What are we going to do?”

“What we should’ve done was make a compromise when I said so,” Eland said. “Now, we should comply with the law.”

The room fell silent.

“I thought…” Kimberly said quietly, “we agreed to defend the trees. Even if we lost the debate.”

“I never agreed to that,” Eland said, his big ears turning slightly red. “None of this would’ve happened if you had all listened to me. And fighting back with force won’t work. Look, they attacked the Capital Grove. The Grove! What if they got in and chopped down Life herself? What then? We lose.

“If we provoke the Seculars any further… the mob may not be stopped next time. That’s why any fantasy of an Arboler militia is an idiotic idea. They will cut us down along with all the trees in the Grove.”

Kimberly, Norman, and Riker stared at the floor, considering the disheartening yet realistic words of the head of the Sect of Life.

“That’s why…” Eland said, “we should let them win this battle. The law has been passed. Let’s not fight it. Let them cut some trees so that they don’t attack the Capital Grove again. And if the Arbolers will see us accept and uphold the new law, then hopefully they’ll follow our example. That should stop all the bombings and shootings.

“I move that we vote on this issue, here and now. Yes, I know Kim is injured, but the situation is dire. I can’t tolerate any of you going on to do anything that will jeopardize the safety of the Capital Grove and the Tree of Life. If you agree to comply with the new law and lay down your endangering intentions of a militia or a civil war, then say aye.”

Silence.

Kimberly looked up at Norman and Riker. Her injured eyebrow stung from the sudden movement, but she shrugged it off. The two old men continued to stare pensively at the floor.

“Aye,” Riker muttered, almost a whisper.

Norman stared at Kimberly, his eyes moist. “Aye,” he said.

Her heart dropped.

She took a deep breath, thinking hard about her own answer. “I am undecided.”

“We don’t have time for indecision, Kim,” Eland said. “People’s lives are at stake. But no matter; we already have a majority. Norman and Riker, see that you inform your sects of our willingness as Arbolers to abide by the new law. I will go and do just that now. Good evening.”

With a casual salute, he turned to walk out, then paused and leaned his head back in the room. “And Kim,” he said. “Life send that you heal quickly.” He left, closing the door behind him.

The three sat in silence as Marissa reentered the room. “Whoa,” she said. “Looks like that didn’t go so well.”

“Went about as well as it could,” Riker said. He said his goodbyes and walked out.

Norman patted Kimberly’s leg. “I’m glad you’re on the mend,” he said. “You should be able to go home by tomorrow morning.” He stood up to leave.

“Norman, do you think we’re doing the right thing?” she asked.

Her uncle paused. “Yesterday I wouldn’t have. But today… seeing you almost… and the mob at the Grove… maybe this is the best way to protect the trees and protect those dear to me. I hope you understand.”

Kimberly bit her lip and then nodded her head.

He smiled at her, but it didn’t last long. He walked out of the room.

“What happened?” Marissa asked.

Her head throbbing again, Kimberly pressed a palm into her forehead. “The Arbolers have given up.”