‘You know, your eyes are the colour of leaves,’ he said softly. ‘And your hair is the colour of deer. You look like a scruffy forest fairy.’
‘Is that a compliment?’ Audrey asked, looking down at her muddy, ripped clothes.
‘Yeah,’ Mika replied, with the trace of a smile. ‘So . . . we’re going to stop a war.’
‘Yes,’ she said firmly. ‘But first, we’re going to find your sister.’
52
YOU HAVE TO BREAK A FEW EGGS
Mika stood in the doorway of Mal Gorman’s office, stinking of wood smoke, with mud on his sneakers, feeling surprised by what he saw, which was remarkable considering what else he had seen during the past twenty-four hours. Gorman was sitting behind his desk in a hospital hover chair, which had this strange frame thing around it, attached to him by tubes and wires that punctured the papery skin on his arms and chest. Machines beeped quietly and his heart rate limped across a small screen that he turned to glance at now and then for reassurance that he was still alive. There was an echo of fear in his eyes that made Mika wonder what had happened to him since they last met. It was as if the old man had encountered a monster more frightening than himself, though Mika couldn’t imagine one.
Gorman’s office was within his private apartment, and it was decorated in the same antique style, with wood panelling and old landscape paintings and a large mahogany desk. Behind him, the sea heaved up the black cliffs of Cape Wrath as if it was trying to grab the old man through the window and it seemed a fitting backdrop for the monster who’d stolen Mika’s sister and told him she was dead; the person who’d tricked thousands of poor children into believing they were playing a game.
‘You came back,’ Gorman said quietly.
‘Yes,’ Mika replied. ‘I promised I would.’
‘I’m sorry I tried to kill you,’ Gorman continued, as if he was talking about something completely ordinary like forgetting to put sugar sub in Mika’s tea. ‘I thought you’d run away.’
‘I know,’ Mika replied, steadily. ‘But that doesn’t matter now. I’m back, like I promised.’
‘Yes,’ Gorman remarked. ‘And that is quite astonishing.’
Gorman looked at the boy in the doorway and marvelled. This twelve-year-old mutant from a refugee town had survived a riot, been chased by squadrons of Pod Fighters, outwitted the Ghengis Borgs guarding The Wall, then been shot down over a forest that must have looked as alien to him as the planet Mars. Then, he’d survived the wolf borgs, who’d ripped Mal Gorman’s men to pieces, and returned to Cape Wrath before eleven o’clock the next morning, looking calmer and more sensible than ever. Mika Smith was more than astonishing, and by returning from the other side of The Wall, he had proved his trustworthiness beyond any doubt.
Gorman looked at Mika and felt proud that he had found such a child. Despite the fact he’d cut himself to ribbons, only the night before, he felt nicely in control again, and that horrible feeling he’d had, that he was mixed up in something strange with this boy and his sister, was gratefully buried in the darkest corner of his mind. Mika had come back and everything was as it should be.
‘Who are the people living in those mansions?’ Mika asked.
‘Come in and sit down,’ Gorman said, waving him towards the chair in front of his desk. ‘We have a lot to talk about. Do you want anything? Would you like a drink, or some breakfast?’
‘No, thank you,’ Mika replied. It wasn’t food he hungered for at that moment, it was Ellie. The hook dragging him towards her now felt as if it was ripping his heart, and he was fighting to keep the pain of it from showing on his face. Ralph appeared with a small dish of Everlife pills on a tray. Mika sat down in front of Gorman’s desk and waited for him to begin.
‘The people living in those mansions,’ Gorman said, ‘were the richest and most powerful people in the world before the plague. They owned the business corporations, and their businesses created all the things we needed for survival, like medicines and food, technology and power. And now of course they’re even richer and more powerful, because they own the best part of the world. It’s all like that, Mika, from France to Argentina: trees, animals, rivers, lakes, as pretty as an old-fashioned picture postcard.’
‘What about the towns and cities?’ Mika asked.
‘All gone,’ Gorman replied. ‘All tidied up and cleared away. The southern hemisphere now looks like it did three thousand years ago. Difficult to imagine, isn’t it?’
‘Yes,’ Mika replied.
Gorman took an Everlife pill from the dish and Mika watched him eat it, feeling hopeful. The old man seemed happy, despite the weird frame thing around him, and Ellie felt within his grasp again.
‘They started planning the plague fifty years ago,’ Gorman continued. ‘But I didn’t know then, of course. I’d just bought a log cabin in Canada. What a waste of money that turned out to be. The business corporation leaders formed a secret society called the World Conservation Club and their mission was to save the planet. Because at the time, if we weren’t chopping up nature and burning it or eating it, we were covering it in concrete or blowing it up with bombs. Every month, more forests disappeared and more species of animals became extinct. Every year, we used up more things and the wars got worse and so did the floods caused by global warming. Everyone complained, but they didn’t do enough to make a difference. A few people started riding bicycles and others reused their plastic bags and meanwhile Earth was gasping its last, desperate breath.
‘So of course it was a good idea to stop people destroying the planet, but unfortunately, the World Conservation Club didn’t want to save it for everyone, they just wanted to save it for themselves. When something you take for granted is nearly gone, Mika, it becomes precious. Do you understand? Animals and trees became the new diamonds and pearls. Suddenly the rich didn’t want designer shoes and handbags any more, they wanted birds and trees and forests for their gardens. But unfortunately, the poor people who’d made them rich and powerful were in the way. We were living on the land they wanted. So they decided to get rid of us. And the best way of doing that was to make us scared of the thing they wanted; so they made us scared of nature.
When people saw the Animal Plague on television, they were petrified. Within a year, the whole population of Earth had moved to live behind The Wall, whilst on the other side, the rich were cleaning up and building their new mansions.’
‘Why didn’t you join the World Conservation Club?’ Mika asked, thinking Mal Gorman was an ideal candidate for such treachery.
‘I tried,’ Gorman said bitterly. ‘So did lots of people when they heard about it. It was a difficult secret to keep. But you could only join if you were invited, and to be invited you had to be famous, rich, beautiful or useful and I was none of these things. However, if you found out about the club, but they didn’t want you, they offered you a good job on the horrible side of The Wall so you’d keep your mouth shut.’
‘So you got your job in the Northern Government because you found out?’
‘Yes.’
‘Does that mean lots of people on this side of The Wall know the plague didn’t happen?’
‘Quite a few,’ Gorman replied. ‘All members of the government know. The Minister for Defence used to be a hairdresser; he was cutting a famous actress’s hair when he found out. Unfortunately he messed it up, so they didn’t let him join. The Chief of Military Intelligence was a pool cleaner and overheard a couple of politicians talking. It wasn’t so bad to begin with, living behind The Wall, but now it’s getting impossible; there are too many people and not enough space. We can’t live like this any more, Mika. The World Conservation Club stole two-thirds of the planet from us and now we want it back.’
A nurse came in to check all the tubes and wires going in and out of Gorman, and Mika, sensing this was a private moment, stood up and walked to the window to look at the sea. He felt confused. His mind was now filled with opposing ideas and feelings, and the decision he and Audrey had ma
de while they were in the forest, to stop the war, now felt naïve and hasty. It was all so complicated; a part of him was glad the World Conservation Club had tricked everyone to save the trees and animals, because people weren’t looking after them and they nearly became extinct. But at the same time the Club had caused desperate suffering for billions of people; for forty-three years they had lived on food made of mould and died in The Shadows because there wasn’t enough space for them, while these rich people had been living in mansions surrounded by forest. It seemed as if people and nature weren’t able to live together and that a choice had to made between one or the other. But even more confusing were his feelings about Mal Gorman. Now the old man had explained everything so reasonably, he didn’t seem such a monster after all, he seemed like a man trying to make a better world for everyone, humans and nature alike. Perhaps they didn’t have to make a choice. Having lived behind The Wall for so long, maybe people would be sorry that they had abused the natural world, and if the government won the war, they could all have a second chance to live together; humans and nature in harmony.
Although Mika’s heart and all his instincts screamed against it, he began to wonder if the war might indeed be necessary. But not for long.
The nurse left and Gorman asked for another blanket, which Ralph tucked carefully over his knees. Gorman dismissed him with a flick of his fingers and fixed Mika with a soulless smile, then he began to paint his vision of the war and its outcome.
‘The enemy’s technology is much more advanced than ours,’ Gorman told him, ‘because they kept all the best scientists and engineers. They have a brutal army of animal borgs. You’ve seen the hawks and the wolves, but they’ve got lots of others: even sharks guarding the seas. But we have our army of children and new bombs,’ he said proudly. ‘Bombs powerful enough to blow the borgs apart and leave a crater the size of a football pitch. We’re going to obliterate every single one of them and win this war within a few months.’
Bombs, Mika thought, that make craters the size of a football pitch.
He tried to calculate how many giant borgs they would have to destroy, and all of a sudden, he saw forests burning and animals lying dead, everywhere.
‘And after we win the war,’ Gorman continued, with a greedy glint in his eyes, ‘we will be the ones living in mansions. Your family will be one of the lucky few to come with us to live on the other side of The Wall.’
‘What about everyone else?’ Mika asked, before he could stop himself. ‘What about the people in The Shadows?’
‘You don’t think everyone will be able to go back?’ Gorman scoffed, with a cruel smile. ‘Do you?’
Mika flinched as he realised the Northern Government wasn’t trying to win back the world for the people who were suffering, they just wanted it for themselves! It was even worse than he and Audrey had thought! The forests would burn and children and animals would die so a handful of greedy politicians could move from the Golden Turrets into mansions! What about everyone in The Shadows? What about the parents of the children who would die? What about the trees and the animals?
Mika felt a torrent of anger well up inside him and he dropped his eyes so Gorman wouldn’t see it. But it was too late, Gorman had noticed him flinch and knew exactly what he was thinking. The beeping of his heart speeded up and an amber light appeared on the screen and there was a horrible moment during which Mika felt Ellie slipping away again.
‘You promised me you’d come back and do whatever I wanted,’ Gorman snarled, with his eyes protruding from their bony sockets. ‘Have you changed your mind?’
‘No,’ Mika lied, quickly. ‘I’ll do whatever you want!’
‘Are you sure?’ Gorman snarled. ‘You’re not going to get all sentimental about a few poor people, trees and animals, are you?’
‘No!’ Mika insisted. ‘I promised to help you!’
‘Good,’ Gorman replied, relaxing a little. He took a deep breath and the amber light on the screen disappeared. ‘You’ll understand when you get older. War is a messy business, but you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette. If we let everyone move to the other side of The Wall after we won, it would be a horrible mess again; it wouldn’t be worth the effort. They don’t deserve it, Mika. They had their chance and they blew it.’
Mika’s heart filled with darkness. He could see the bird’s egg lying amongst the leaves, hear the roar of the people from The Shadows, and sensed the Telly Heads standing around him, licking their wrinkly lips. He felt desperate; he wanted the nightmare to stop.
He looked at Mal Gorman and considered killing him. Kill the monster who’d stolen his sister! Make him feel the pain of the people in The Shadows! Make this monster suffer the way the animals would when the bombs fell on their homes! The roar grew in his mind until it was pushing behind his eyes like a horned demon, wanting to cause Gorman pain, wanting to kill him . . . But suddenly Mika felt Awen leaning against his legs, and this time he had brought reinforcements; Mika sensed he was surrounded by thousands of invisible friends.
Anger destroys, something whispered, anger makes sadness. Find Ellie. Deal with the nightmare together. All of us. Together.
‘Do you want to know why I chose you?’ Gorman asked, unaware how close he had come to death.
‘Yes,’ Mika replied.
‘The giant borgs think you’re animals,’ Gorman explained. ‘You and the other mutant children are the only ones who can cross The Wall and survive.’
‘Animals?’ Mika repeated incredulously.
‘Yes,’ Gorman said. ‘We used to believe your mutations were caused by pollution and that you were simply humans gone wrong, but now we suspect you are a new type of human, a hybrid. But we don’t know everything yet, we’re still doing tests.’
Mika said nothing, shocked by this information. But when the shock faded, he felt pleased that he was a different type of human to this awful man.
‘Because the animal borgs won’t kill you, you’ll be an ideal spy during the war,’ Gorman continued. ‘Your task will be to go over The Wall and bring back information. Will you do that for me?’
‘Yes,’ Mika lied, feeling the warmth of his invisible friends pressing against his body.
‘Good,’ Gorman said.
‘When are you going to tell everyone The Secret?’ Mika asked. ‘Our parents want to know who we’re fighting.’
‘We can’t tell them yet,’ Gorman said. ‘Imagine what would happen if everyone found out tomorrow what’s on the other side of The Wall.’
Mika imagined it and reluctantly agreed: if The Secret got out now, the consequences were too horrible to imagine. When everyone realized how beautiful it was on the other side of The Wall, they’d want to go back to homes that no longer existed. They’d try to climb over The Wall, and if they were lucky enough to get past the Ghengis Borgs, which was doubtful, Mika dreaded to think what would happen when the animal borgs found them. He remembered the bloodied fangs of the giant wolves and shuddered. They’d be ripped to pieces. It was better they didn’t know.
‘So what are you going to tell them?’ Mika asked. ‘They want to know who the enemy is.’
‘We’re going to tell them we’re being invaded by aliens,’ Gorman said.
‘Aliens?’ Mika repeated. ‘They’ll never believe that!’
‘You want to bet?’ Gorman replied, raising his eyebrows. ‘They’ll see it on television . . .’
‘Will they?’ Mika said, with a resigned sigh. ‘Of course. They’ll believe anything they see on television.’
More lies, he thought disdainfully. All they do is lie and destroy.
He got up from the chair and gazed through the window at the sea.
Gorman watched him contentedly, thinking how perfect he was, and something made of forest air and silence filled the room. He had no idea Mika had just played him at his own game.
‘Can I see Ellie?’ Mika asked, quietly.
‘Yes, you can,’ Gorman replied. ‘In fact, I’m so very pleased
with you, I’ve decided you can take her home to see your parents. Just for one night.’
‘Thank you,’ Mika said, with tears pressing in his eyes.
53
A GHOST COME BACK TO LIFE
Mika waited for Ellie in the room at the top of the fortress, where he and the other finalists had watched the aurora borealis. It was only days before that he’d stood in that space with the silks wafting in the sky over the North Sea but it felt like a lifetime, even another lifetime. Everything had changed: the world he lived in, his future, but most of all him. He had touched earth, he had breathed forest air, he had discovered he was part of a beautiful world he’d thought was gone for ever, and he’d found Ellie. He paced and watched the sea and for a while he felt like a firework with its fuse lit, a bit dangerous – as if when she walked through the door he would erupt and fly around the room breaking the lights, setting fire to things and taking lumps out of the ceiling. Then he felt all soft and gooey, as if when she walked in he would melt and she would find nothing more than a puddle of love in the middle of the floor. Then he felt both of these things, that he was a firework about to explode, but instead of sparks, he was full of love and it was all going to be a bit messy.
Awen appeared and stood by the door with his nose sniffing the gap. Suddenly his muscles tensed and the end of his tail began to flick.
‘Is she coming?’ Mika asked, and Awen looked over his shoulder with his mouth wide as if he was smiling. Then Mika heard her: she was running towards him. A man’s voice shouted, ‘Ellie! I said WALK!’ Mika’s heart began to bounce like a rubber ball. Awen took a step back and Ellie exploded through the door like a gust of golden wind with her black eyes burning and her hair and her clothes blown around in her storm. Then her light surged forward, reaching out for him.
Touching her felt like a deep sigh. As if at that moment of contact, the hook was removed from his heart, so that ache inside him, that throbbing wound that had brought tears to his eyes every time he thought of her, began to heal.