New Birds

Epilogue Part 37

A Year Later.

1.

In the tiny backyard of James, the can collector, golden rod and dandelion grew. Around the camper van of Amy and Thomas, there now was a small field of grasses and prairie clover. Heather, the midwife, who had made room for the Marshalls in her truck that day, had in the year since helped twelve women through their pregnancies, all of whom delivered healthy children. Doubling the success rate of previous years.

Just outside the ark, where his brother was buried, where Marshall F had not only left the pinecone in Marshall E's pocket, but planted six more pinecones around his grave, seven pine saplings grew. Anson Genetics had since put a fence around them to keep them from being trampled by the growing number of visitors to the grave site. The stories of the Marshalls' gift to comfort and make seeds sprout life was now widespread. But Marshall F had yet to be found, even though a growing number of places and people claimed to have helped him and his brother either reach the ark or were now hiding him. Some of these claims came from as far north as the Yukon and as far south as Louisiana. This had sowed hundreds of false leads for the Anson Genetic company, making it far more difficult to track down the Marshalls' starting point.

As for Smoke Junction, in the previous year, a new community hall, two new houses of prayer, and a learning institution were built. Plus, another thousand heads added to the census. The market now had a display room and tasting facility for new S.A.F.E. food products. They opened the gate to The Anson's Ark from one to three every afternoon for guided tours, both for the public and for recruitment. They had torn the aviary down and had built a four-story facility in its place. They built another structure where the barn and homestead once were, while removing three acres of trees to accommodate the steady loading and unloading of heavy vehicles. Seventy-five percent of all S.A.F.E. food products was now produced on the ark. And because trucks came and went at all hours of the day, they also expanded the roadway to allow vehicles to pass. None of the storks, painted or marabou, ever returned, but both species were said to have adapted well to freedom.

2.

Tilly walked through the now waist high grass behind the Safe House towards Marshall, who stood quietly reflecting on the four grass-covered mounds. Just behind them stood a row of saplings. Four young white pines, two red spruces, and two cottonwoods. Goth and Olive rested in the grass beside each other like a dismantled yin and yang symbol. Simon and Lady Anne must have gone off with Ethan to hunt. When they first arrived here, Chancy's son had taken his time combing through the books and magazines in Carol's office, finally pointing to the word Ethan, and so Ethan he was.

Simon was flightless now but had recovered from his other injuries. While recovering, he had Marshall read him the Aquaman comics at least a dozen times each. He also became the house champion at chess for three straight months in a row, until his son, Goth, took it from him. Now Simon spent most of his time outdoors. He still had long periods where he would brood, not wanting to participate in learning, sometimes not even wanting to eat. There were times Tilly had witnessed him trying to fly. It was always disheartening to watch. It was difficult to say which he missed more flight or Heidi. Lady Anne was usually pretty good at encouraging him from these low periods, but she was not always successful.

"I thought I would find you out here. Louis and Cameron finished loading the vehicles," Tilly said. "We should get going soon. Where's Ethan?"

"Hunting," Marshall said.

"For crying out loud," she said.

Marshall smiled. Ethan always did his own thing, much to Tilly's dismay.

"I wish we didn't have to leave," Marshall said.

"We'll come back."

"Carol said that too."