Society of the Kuvek

Chapter 9

    I sit on the couch with Zhea, making faces and trying to make her laugh. She forces a little smile, but I soon give up, sitting still so she can do what she really wants to do, which is draw; we're on our way to province eighteen.

    It's been one week since the announcement came over the radio and I can feel the anticipation of going to the SKD headquarters. After the announcement, Dujuik called a meeting and everyone agreed to wait a few days before we began to go to eighteen, to make sure it wasn't a trap. I could tell everyone still wanted to go, but we all stayed in and didn't move anywhere. It wasn't until yesterday, when Wequ mentioned at the meal that we were low on food, that Ferixc started driving to province eighteen; we ran out of food this morning and it will be a while before we reach province eighteen.

    Wequ is playing a game of cards with Dujuik and is trying to teach Xeris and Heloni how to play, to no avail. I watch as they show each other their cards and lean in their chairs to look at the cards of Wequ and Dujuik. I smile as I watch this and turn my attention back to Zhea, who is scribbling in her notebook; I watch her pen slide across the paper as the room shakes to the side. Zhea and I move with the room and fall over the side of the couch. I grab onto the couch, which happens to be bolted to the floor, and hold Zhea as the room jerks to the side again.

    The room stops moving and I wait a few minutes before letting go of Zhea; she moves away from me and I stand up. I turn toward the kitchen and rush to help Wequ as my eyes continue to process the mess; I help put the table and chairs back in order and am in the process of picking up fallen cards when Ferixc comes in from the driver's area.

    "What happened?" Wequ questions him.

    "I don't know," Ferixc responds," the truck just stopped; I've looked and I can't find anything wrong." Wequ stands up from picking up cards herself.

    "Where are we?" She asks.

    "Just in the border of nine," Ferixc answers. Wequ looks thoughtful for a moment, then walks to the sink, and opens the drawer below it; she pulls out a single silver coin and hands it to Dujuik.

    "I'm going to help Ferixc find what's wrong with the truck; I want Dujuik and Terin to buy what food they can. Zhea should stay in here with the twins," Wequ tells everyone, and because there's no better plan, there are no arguments.      Wequ walks off to the driver's area with Ferixc; Zhea puts her notebook and pen back into her pocket and Dujuik turns to me.

    "Well, I guess we had better go," he says and I follow him into the driver's area and out the door; the road is wet and muddy, I rush to the border of nine with Dujuik, and we walk across the grass and are completely silent until we reach the first housing area. It is neat, clean and empty of people, letting us know to be careful because this is where the Ferse live.

    "Is today a market day?" I ask, referring to Wequ's order to buy food; I don't hear, see, or smell the signs of market day.

    "No," Dujuik responds, "nine abolished market day about six years ago due to rebellion." We walk more and the further we go, the filthier the streets and more desolate the buildings become. I look up and notice a large, tall grey building several stories high peeking from the tops of houses and a few factories far away.

    "If there's no market day, how are we going to get food?" I ask.

    "I haven't been here for a few years but if I remember correctly, there's a spot with different shops and places where you can get supplies," Dujuik answers and is silent for a while but then adds, as if talking to himself, "Wequ used to live here." We walk a bit further, getting closer to the prison looming in the background, when Dujuik stops; I look around, the center of houses and empty buildings crowded close together with windows broken and doors smashed in.