Derelict

Then He Shall Return Into His Land - Part B

Chapter Twenty-Six

For the first time in his life, Wyatt walked into the shade provided by a living tree. Its foliage draped over the road and blocked the sun, intertwining with branches from other trees until he could see little more than an occasional ray peaking through. The sensation took away his breath. Everything was green and vibrant. And to think, Caddo said one day all the world could be like this paradise.

Even more surprising was the reception that awaited them. The people of the clan lined the roadway, all clapping and cheering at the return of their own, ones thought to be lost. Children had plucked flowers from the gardens and tossed them of the roadway before the procession, an act Wyatt assumed to be a sign of ultimate joy and relief. Clearly, Caddo was loved and revered by the people of the Griff clan. Young ones scampered about, laughing and chasing and reveling in the excitement. Women gazed in a coquettish and beguiling manner at the troupe as if welcoming conquering heroes. Men pounded their left fists into their chests in the Ramen salute, eager to associate with those who had defeated adversity. Even an occasional shout of "Strintouri!" resonated from the crowd.

Over the cacophony, Caddo leaned into Wyatt and shouted, "The clan loves a victor. They love when something exciting happens, like this. We were presumed dead yet have defeated the Wastelands are now returning alive." He paused before adding with a sardonic grin, "Of course, they will turn on a loser or the weak with the ferocity of a hungry dog."

Even Wyatt felt a measure of acceptance and he knew Caddo must be on to something. That the clan could cheer for him only proved people love a winner. They bore witness to the treatment he endured. He had survived the worst Rusk and Kemp could throw at him, he had survived the Wastelands, and he had survived being sacrificed to a ferocious zelinx and the clan shouted their approval, steadfastly ignoring the fact he was a Speck.

The roadway led to a large building, one of the old world's structures. It had been patched and rebuilt countless times over the centuries until it was impossible to discern where the original ended and the repairs began. Caddo drew the animals to a halt at the entrance and handed the reins to eager and willing hands. He mounted the steps leading to the large doorway and turned to face the crowd who had followed and gathered before him, their faces uplifted and expectant.

"My friends," he called out, his voice ringing across the throng. "You believed we had succumbed to the Wastelands as have so many before. You thought us consumed by the horrors of the Mandu. You thought us dead! But we have survived and bring good news. Today is the day we begin to move forward with change. Today is the day we cast aside the tired and worn ideas of the past. Today is the day we will remember as the day we banded together to start life anew. We must think of our children and future generations. We must--and we can--leave to them a world better than our own."

Wyatt listened and examined the faces of those in the crowd. He saw heads nodding in agreement and anticipation, with joy and admiration present in young and old alike. Caddo could have been instructing them to throw themselves in front of an angry zelinx and they would have willingly obeyed, so blind were they in their apparent love and devotion.

Caddo raised a fist to the sky and continued. "But a better world is not a gift, it is not a right. We must not presume we deserve it, for you only deserve what you accept and tolerate. But I do not and will not ever accept or tolerate this wreck of a world the Mandu have created. It is derelict! A shell of what it once was. A better world will not come without cost. It will come only if we want it and if we earn it. We must work together and not just the Griff clan alone. We must work with the other clans and only then can we realize our dreams. Only then can we prosper and restore the world and all of humanity to its rightful place!"