She Saw Everything

Chapter 4: Lead the Way

Anger is a lousy teacher, but she's here in my mind.

I've tried for an hour to leave this room. The whole time a panel of judges watch from the wall, excluding my mother. This room has no extra doors and no clock. It is long past sunset and long into the dancing hour. My only dance partners are a set of twelve chairs, one table, and a rug.

I've no options now, when I have opinions.

The door opens.

Zeva and Moises enter, alone. Zeva pulls out a chair and Moises remains standing. I sit. She hands me an unmarked folder and Moises looks annoyed when I stare at the cover. So, I stare longer. My face as blank as possible enjoying his discomfort because it forestalls my own.

Where did I find it in me to dare defy Moises?

More paper and pen are scribbled on. His hand thrusts it forward and still he hasn't sat. I hold the folder at my chest and pull his missive forward.

'You have the power to choose either option, open the folder and read the agreement. Or,' he smirks tapping his receiver. Oh. Option two is traditional punishment.

The folder has a picture of a large island labeled Hoys Cay. It is lush and green. A thin strip of land curving into the ocean. The other side of the island has underwater sand dunes as if the island itself is traveling through the blue water. At the middle is a large rectangular roof with a winding path, the only sign of habitation.

"Exile?" I ask Zeva. I find it hard to believe they will send me to a tropical paradise.

Zeva looks at Moises and frowns as if she's out of options then pens me a note in neat script. It's a small set of sentences in the corner.

'Hoys Cay houses the Prime Depository, a library of recorded sounds. Moises is offering traditional punishment or redemption by retrieving the sounds.'

'How?' I ask, I'd rather search for a book in a library not a library in the wilderness.

The folder has a set of pages outlying the plan. I'm to flee the city distraught by my mother's death. Moises will send a group to find and help me. The group is to 'find me' with a mysteriously already broken receiver, but by then we will have 'discovered' the Prime Depository and I will make the valiant decision to continue on while journaling my deafness. All of this is to be done for my mother's memory, under Moises' encouragement and wisdom.

Actually we are to leave unannounced travel there and retrieve the recordings. There are notes of acceptable behavior.

'I stress you imply how dependent you are on your team once you reveal your deafness.' Moises adds. I would not want to meet him in the sound chamber. He has the face of a task master.

There are no indications who my 'team' will be, yet. But my journals will be submitted to a superior who will then relay them to Moises. Upon my glorious return I'm to receive either a hero's welcome or a traitor's reward. I compare my options, either way I'm under Moises thumb. My team will be my jailers. Still mobile jail is better than stationary jail, but I'm to become a pathological liar.

I have no illusion how he wants my journal to appear, repentant with marks thrown in for his benefit. Moises is not a popular elder. I can understand how this has to work for his advantage. It's possible he doesn't mean for me to return, what better way than to immortalize me as he sees fit.

I look to Zeva careful not to shake my head either way. She has a journal in front of her. I recognize the soft moleskin cover of a school essay journal only this one is much thicker. So it's an epic journey to fill those pages full of lies.