Original: Finding Silence

Finding Silence

The boat moved smoothly through the swirling water. It was windy outside, Drewitt could see the crests of waves dissolving into spray, but inside it was warm and still. 

He rolled away from the window towards Ilene. She was awake and looking back at him, head pillowed on a pale arm and her tarnished pendant catching the light.

“Hey there Snow White,” she said.

“Snow… How long were you watching me?”

“Not long,” she sat up. “There’s nothing else to do.”

“You could have gotten up.” Drewitt sat up as well.

“That would wake you up, and then you'd complain.” She combed back dark hair with one hand, pendant waving towards the window. “Besides, I would have missed the sunrise.”

He looked out again. The sun was well above the horizon, though obscured behind the squalling clouds.

—

Breakfast was crisp dough and fruit that smelled of crushed vines, with a coat of powdered oats. Kaila was there before them, and she told Ilene there had been chocolate earlier. That made Drewitt curious, chocolate had not been on this coast for decades. Ilene pointed that out, Kaila said it wasn't literal chocolate, and Misha arrived before it turned into an argument. Drewitt watched the spray spin and crash outside while he sipped an overfilled glass of coffee-pop.

“When do we get to the island?” Said Kaila, who was talking more since she'd finished eating.

“Patchwork island,” said Ilene in an undertone.

“Nine more hours,” Drewitt answered. He'd studied the map before they set off, noting the time between each landmark, not that there were many landmarks at sea. “We’ll arrive just past midnight.”

Kaila beamed at him, eyebrows disappearing behind her blond fringe. “This is going to be a crazy week”. She took another slice of salad.

“Why?” Said Ilene. “Because we’ll spend a week surrounded by vapid nobodies?”

“We don't know that,” Misha frowned languidly at Ilene. “We've never been there before.”

“They’re tribits,” said Ilene. “They’re all stitched together by Oceanids.”

“All tribies are fun,” Kaila grinned.

—

Drewitt and Misha were resting on the viewing deck, him leaning against a warm fabric chair and her against the window, legs tangled between them. She was silhouetted by moonlight from outside, with stars peeking through her curly hair. They had both been drifting off in the dappled quiet and the still, scentless air.

“Why do they have this place?” Misha said, unfocused.

“It's for looking at the sea,” Drewitt motioned at the curved window, which covered the wall.

Misha turned to look out. “Why would you need a whole room for that?”

“Ilene said the sunrise was beautiful,” said Drewitt. “So I thought the sunset would be.”

“Was it?” Said Misha. “Beautiful I mean, the sunset? I wasn’t looking.”

“It was.”

They sat together for some time. The clouds had been clearing when they clambered up here, burning away in the afternoon sun, and from here they could see the rippled sea stretching out forever. At sunset the sky had turned deep purple, just before the sun vanished over the horizon, then faded to dim blue and black. They’d watched as star after star appeared overhead, some still and others moving in groups across the sky, all glittering like Ilene’s pendant in the sun.

“What is it like?” Said Misha. “The resort. What did you read about it?”

Drewitt looked at her, gratified that she had asked. “It's a sandy island, about four square leagues. The pictures were of palm trees and little cabins. The guests are mostly tribits, plus a few Ethosians and one or two Lost Ones.”

“Like you and Ilene?” Said Misha, looking out at the sea and stars.

“We're not Lost Ones,” Drewitt was frustrated. “Your house adopted us. We're Ethosians same as you.”

She quickly turned to him, eyes wide. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean… I didn't think before I said that.”

“It's fine,” Drewitt turned away, remembering the other times they'd had this conversation. He knew Misha meant well, she never needled them like Kaila, but she only bothered to remember after someone was upset.

“I'm sorry,” said Misha again.

“I'm going to get changed,” he stood up, feeling decisive. “You should too, we'll be arriving soon.”

—

The dock was empty when they arrived. The ship slid in beside a smooth pier, and the four of them hopped down and landed with a clatter on the wood. Drewitt led the way to the shore, looking around in the late morning light.

The island was like something from an old photo card. White sand, a forest of palm trees, neat paths spiderwebbing from the pier towards wooden cottages. It smelled like something he could not place, like sand and nuts and maybe sweet cream.

“Where should we go?” Ilene said, stopping beside Drewitt.

“We follow the path,” said Kaila, waving inland.

“But which way?” said Misha.

“There's a sign,” said Ilene, pointing to one at the far end of the pier. Misha jogged out to read it, then back to the others. 

“That one!” She said, pointing to the path directly away from the pier. Kaila rolled her eyes and started down the path, Drewitt and Ilene following while Misha caught up, the noise of crunching sand dampened by the trees.

The path led through the palm forest to a small clearing, where the sand was compacted just enough to not stick on their shoes, and one of the small wooden cabins stood in the middle. Their names were branded on the door: Misha Leear Ethosian, Ilene Leear* Ethosian, Kaila Leear Ethosian, Drewitt Leear* Ethosian. Kaila pushed open the door and the others followed her inside. The room had four beds spaced out between the walls and a separate bathroom, and was somehow unnaturally clean and tidy. Misha dumped her bag on the closest bed, while Ilene turned around to study a notice near the door.

Drewitt placed his bag on a bed, then blinked at a bright light in the corner of his eye. It was from Ilene's pendant, where a ray of sunlight had caught it on her wrist. She saw him looking and smiled back.

“Lunch is at midday” Ilene said to the room at large. “We're too late for breakfast. Meals are at the dining hall in the middle of the island.”

“Well that sucks,” said Kaila. “If we go there now, maybe we can get some food before everyone else shows up.”

“Tribét meals don’t work like that,” said Ilene.

“I am tired,” Misha interrupted. “Why don't we rest for now?”

“That sounds good,” said Drewitt, who was also oddly tired.

“You can sleep,” said Kaila, glaring at her sister. “I'm going to explore this place. Maybe I'll find some tribies to mess with.”

“Good luck,” said Ilene, as Kaila stalked out.

—

Drewitt, Ilene, and Misha met up with Kaila at the dining hall. She marched in through a door at the far side of the room, just as Drewitt and the others arrived, with a guy following close behind her. 

“This is Alexis from the Alar Tribét,” she announced when they were close enough to talk. “We're friends now. Introduce yourselves.”

“Misha Leear Ethosian,” said Misha, slowly stepping forward and shaking Alexis’s hand. “And this is Ilene and Drewitt.”

“Nice to meet you,” said Alexis to each of them in turn, Ilene blinked when he said it. “Do you have a place to sit?”

The dining hall was arranged in circles. Food was stacked on a bench in the center, the smell wafting through the space, and spaced rings of tables spiraled out across the clean wooden floor. 

For the first time since arriving, Drewitt had an opportunity to see and hear the other guests. Most of the tables were occupied by chatting tribits, sitting in small groups that he guessed were the separate tribéts. Couples and small groups were entering and exiting through doors along the walls. A few Lost Ones sat alone or in family groups, talking quietly while others gave them a wide berth. Ethosians were sitting haughty with their house-mates, looking suspiciously at the other houses or watching tribits with mingled disdain and envy.

Misha and Kaila led them to a table next to Alexis’s. Once the rest of them had sat down, Kaila placed herself between Misha and Ilene, then turned her chair towards Alexis, chatting with him and his triblings.

“There are so many of them,” said Misha, in an undertone to Drewitt. “The tribies, I mean.”

“It's a tribit resort,” Drewitt explained. “They are most of the people here.”

“But even back home,” said Misha “they’re most of the people everywhere. There are only six Leears in the entire world.”

“You can't compare one house with all the tribits,” said Drewitt. “Most Ethosians are from their house’s gene pool. All tribits are from the Ocean, and that’s a million times bigger,” he nodded towards Alexis’s table. “Alar Tribét is only seven people. There are plenty of Ethosian houses with more than seven.”

“But not us,” said Misha, slowly. “There are only six Leears. We would only be four if we'd used the gene pool, and me and Kaila are…” She trailed off. “If we hadn't adopted you and Ilene-”

“Don’t go there,” Drewitt interrupted, annoyed that she would bring this up again. “I'm going to get food. Do you want anything?”

“What do they have?”

“I don't know,” said Drewitt, glancing between Misha and the bench to see if he could tell her. “There wasn’t a menu in the books.”

“Oh,” said Misha, blushing slightly. “Just, whatever looks good.”

He walked over to the bench, dodging around other guests and tables. He blinked at an unexpected beam of light, before looking back and realising it was Ilene’s pendant, sparkling even here in the midday light. Misha was talking with Kaila and Alexis, while Ilene watched them with an odd half-frown.

—

Drewitt was floating on his back, enjoying the afternoon sun, when he heard Kaila splashing towards him before her shadow blocked the light.

At lunch she had pulled Ilene into the conversation with Misha and Alexis. After some early hesitations, Misha had been asking an endless stream of questions. The tribits couldn't resist sharing everything with people they'd just met, so the conversation soon became a mix of questions and answers garnished by Ilene’s interjections. Kaila had quietened when the conversation turned to the differences between their cabins, and then demanded Drewitt take her to the beach.

“What's up?” He said carefully, opening his eyes while being careful to not unbalance himself.

“I'm, kind of bored now,” said Kaila.

Drewitt looked up at Kaila. She was tall from this angle, silhouetted by the red sun and hair plastered on her shoulders.

“Am I boring?” Said Drewitt.

“You read all the books about this place,” said Kaila. “You must know something to do.”

“Why don't you find Alexis? Or talk to some Ethosians?”

“I'm not risking that,” she said, frowning. “And I was with Alexis, but now he’s with Ilene and Misha.”

“I'm relaxing here,” said Drewitt. “There's a whole island of things you can do.”

“Then I'll relax with you.”

Drewitt closed his eyes wearily, while Kaila splashed around beside him and eventually managed to float quietly on her back. She reached out carefully, and Drewitt took her hand so she wouldn't drift away.

It was nice floating in the sun. The sea was smooth and quiet, and the tang of salt was stronger than back at their house’s coast.

“What do you think of Alexis?”

“He seems fine,” Drewitt answered. To be honest he hadn't talked much with the tribits, although he figured they were harmless. It was unusual to see Ilene talking with them, and Drewitt trusted her judgement.

“What do you think they're doing?” Asked Kaila, and Drewitt imagined her smirk.

“Exploring, l guess,” said Drewitt placidly. “There are lots of things to do here. Does it really matter?”

“I guess not,” said Kaila. “Maybe I should have stuck with them?”

“It’s nice to relax with you.”

“That's true,” said Kaila, and lightly pulled Drewitt's hand to bump her shoulder against his. “It is nice to relax with me.”

—

“It's gone.” Ilene was crying, her face flushed and puffy.

“It can't be gone,” said Kaila, her voice trembling. “You wear it all the time.”

“Not then,” said Misha. “A few hours ago, I mean. She took it off.”

Ilene shot her a furious look, and Misha fell silent.

“Were you in the cabin?” Drewitt said.

“Yes,” said Ilene. 

“Me and her and Alexis,” added Misha

“He couldn't have taken it?” Said Drewitt. It would be completely out of character for a tribie, although he barely knew Alexis.

“No,” said Kaila. “But I'll find him. If he was here then he might have seen it.” She strode out of the cabin.

Drewitt looked helplessly at Ilene. She looked back. Her arm seemed almost naked without the pendant, her whole form like a shadow without its sparkle. Her devastation was physically painful, like broken glass. The pendant had been part of her for longer than any of them had known.

“We'll find it,” Drewitt said, looking into Ilene's eyes. “I promise. We'll check every part of this cabin. If it's not here, then we'll do the same for the whole resort.”

“We will,” echoed Misha. “We will find it.”

—

“I'm so sorry this happened,” if Alexis had been Ethosian, Drewitt would have sworn he was overacting. He looked nearly as devastated as Ilene, and couldn't seem to focus long enough to come up with a plan. “We'll help you find it. Just tell me where to look, and we will find it.”

“We've searched everywhere in here,” said Misha.

“Are you sure?” Said Kaila.

“Yes,” said Drewitt. “We checked all the window sills, all the beds, under the sheets and mattresses, behind the doors, in the corners, on the stairs. We've checked everywhere in here.”

“Then it must be somewhere else,” said Kaila. “We’ll retrace your steps. Alexis?”

“Yes?” He looked up.

“Where did you go after you left here? Ilene had the pendant on the way in, right? And she and Misha haven’t gone out?”

“Right,” Ilene agreed, sounding fragile.

“So if it isn't here, then maybe it's between here and wherever you,” Kaila nodded at Alexis. “Wherever you went afterwards.”

“That makes sense,” said Alexis. “I went from here to my cabin. I'll show you the route.”

“Should we ask the staff?” Said Misha.

The group was silent for a moment.

“Are there staff?” Said Alexis.

“There must be,” said Drewitt. “Someone has to clean the rooms, drive the boat, keep the paths maintained.”

“And they would have access to the rooms?” Said Misha.

“They would have to,” said Drewitt.

“I've never seen them,” said Kaila.

“Neither have we,” said Alexis. “The Alar Tribét has been here three times, and we never saw any staff.”

Drewitt waited for Alexis to continue

“They must be in the dining hall,” said Alexis, finally. “That is the only building that’s not a cabin, and all the cabins are for guests.”

“Ok,” Kaila spoke up, and the rest of them turned to her. “So, Alexis, me, and Misha will check everything between here and the Alar cabin. Ilene and Drewitt will go to the dining hall, find the staff, and tell them the pendant is missing.”

“What if they stole it?” Said Misha, slowly. “Are they tribits? What if they’re Ethosians or Lost Ones?”

“Whoever they are,” said Kaila. “If you say something then they'll know we're onto them. They’ll know it's not worth getting into a dispute with Leears.”

“If they’re tribits then they wouldn’t steal anything,” said Alexis. “They would definitely help us.”

“Alright,” Ilene spoke up, louder this time. “Then let's go.”

—

Drewitt and Ilene made it to the dining hall before she broke down again. They ducked into a side room through one of the oversized doors, and held each other while she cried.

“We'll find it,” Drewitt said, again and again while Ilene sobbed.

“We won't though,” she said. “I never left the cabin. I took it off, Alexis left and you and Kaila came back. It can't have been taken by the staff. We would have seen them. And we've searched the whole cabin.”

“Maybe Alexis-?”

“No. He wouldn't. Tribits don't steal. They’re designed not to.”

“Maybe by accident?”

“Maybe…” Ilene trailed off. “That was my grandma's pendant. From her Tribét.”

Drewitt did not respond. Ilene never talked like this. He knew more about her than Kaila or Misha, they had been friends as Lost Ones for years before the Leears. But he had never thought about her family, for a Lost One it was usually bad to ask.

“The tribies passed it down,” Ilene muttered. “The Oceanids design each Tribét. Every tribit is stitched together with genetics from the Ocean. They’re supposed to be separate, the Tribét is the only thing that's like a family, and it's only ever one generation. But the pendant was passed down, right under their fucking eyes. Something outside of their panopticon.”

“I didn't know,” said Drewitt.

“Of course you didn't know,” she said sharply. “I never told you.”

“What happened?”

“It was passed down to my grandma. The Oceanids messed up. It showed her something that could last beyond a generation of vapid patchworks. She met my grandpa and they wanted a real family, not one stitched together by Oceanids. So they were exiled, the Oceanids wanted to take the pendant, but grandma took that too.”

Drewitt started at Ilene. She was talking in a soft monotone, eyes glazed and her face eerily still. She wasn't crying, but it was like she had blanked out her emotions.

“And now I've gone and lost it,” she said more loudly. “On a fucking tribie island with a tribie in my cabin. I should never have got this close to them!”

Drewitt hugged her, completely lost for words.

“Drewitt,” she said, looking at him, her eyes sparking. “We have to get it back.”

—

It was nearly dark before Ilene and Drewitt found something in the dining hall. Half the oversized doors led outside, and the other half led to small rooms built into the walls. But one door, indistinguishable from the others, led to a long, cold hallway that smelled of old water. The two of them hovered around the entrance, looking for any sign of lights or side rooms, but nothing was visible, and soon Misha, Kaila, and Alexis joined them at the yawning entrance.

“Where does it go?” Said Misha, peering into the darkness.

“How would we know?” Said Kaila. “Let's go in.”

“I've never seen this,” said Alexis running his hand around the doorframe. “None of the tribits have. We thought all the doors went outside or to S-rooms.”

“What's an S-room?” Misha said.

“It doesn't matter,” said Ilene, before Alexis could answer. “We checked those rooms. If there are staff, they're not in any of those.”

“So they’re down here?” Said Drewitt.

They all looked silently down the hallway.

“Excuse me,” said a loud whisper behind them, and Drewitt spun to see a man watching them. 

“Who are you?” Drewitt asked. There was something off about the man, like he was older in a way Drewitt couldn’t understand.

“I'm Nathan, spelled with an N,” said the man. “I run this resort. I need the door closed before dinner time.”

“We're looking for the staff,” said Misha. “Ilene lost her pendant.”

Ilene made a noise.

“There are no staff,” said Nathan, smiling thinly. “Please close the door.”

“But how does any of this work?” Said Alexis, stepping forwards. “How is everything so clean? Who makes the food? Who brands the names on the cabin doors?”

“Not me,” said Nathan. “It is magic.”

Drewitt hesitated. 

“Bullshit,” said Kaila. 

“There's no such thing as magic,” said Ilene.

Nathan laughed like dust. His skin was grey and seemed to blend into the walls around them, and inside his mouth was almost transparent. 

Nathan looked at them. “You arrived late this morning, but what time was it before then? Did the ship ever rock? Did you ever see a captain or any crew or other passengers?” He smiled slyly. “No magic? Tell that to Catherine, spelled with a C.”

“Who is Catherine?” Asked Ilene.

“I can show you,” he shrugged. “We will need to go through the door,” he waved at the dark opening. “And then I will close the door before dinner.”

“Will this get my pendant back?”

“It might,” said Nathan looking at Ilene. “Whether you take it is your choice.”

“Of course I'll take it,” said Ilene, though she sounded hesitant.

“Then follow me.” He stepped through them into the darkness.

—

There were five ancient headstones: Samuel, Catherine, Clair, Henry, Samantha.

“Two and a half are empty,” said Nathan, very distant. “Samuel survived Prague, but he was crushed when the blast front blew apart the compound.”

Drewitt looked at the stone wall behind the headstones, where he thought he glimpsed a rushing wall of dust throwing squares of concrete like tumbleweed.

“I met Catherine at New Years Eve, just before it started,” Nathan was continuing.

Now the wall showed a harbour full of boats, coloured lights flashing around a grey arch, two people watching from a bench in a grass clearing.

“We tried to get from the compound to the coast, then she walked into a swamp and drowned.”

The wall showed five people in an ancient car, one of them glancing out at an endless wetland, then rising water and something incomprehensible.

“Clair died in the cathedral. I carried her back here.”

There was a huge old church overlooking the harbour, and this time there were no boats. It was raining constantly. Nathan was crouched, helpless in the aisle, cradling someone with a festering wounded leg.

“Henry knew they were screwed after Claire died.”

Across the harbour a tiny figure climbed to the centre of the arch, looked out at them framed by lightning, then floated down like a leaf and shattered on the water.

“Samantha died on this island,” finished Nathan.

For a minute no one spoke.

“But what does this have to do with my pendant?” Said Ilene.

“I made a mistake,” said Nathan, peering at her in the halflight. “I abandoned them. A thousand years ago, when the world broke.”

“But, a thousand years ago,” said Misha. “What does that mean for the pendant?”

“It didn't matter if I was alive or dead,” said Nathan, now looking at Misha. “I wandered through the city and it was empty. No one knew or cared if I existed. And the magic made that real. My body rotted into dust and I was still wandering.”

“So you made the resort to fix that? So other people would connect with each other?” Said Alexis.

“Yes,” said Nathan, and Drewitt noticed that he didn’t blink. “To bring people together, so they won't end up like me.”

“But what about the pendant?” Said Kaila.

“Magic has a price,” said Nathan, turning to fixate on her. “My life was expanded, and my body was the price. This island is an expanded part of Earth, and the price is the minerals taken out before it broke.”

“The pendant is glass,” said Ilene. “It’s not dug up. It’s manufactured.”

“Not glass,” said Nathan. “Diamond.”

“Diamond?”

“If you want it back then take it. But that will end this place.”

—

The sea was a deep blue stretching out beyond horizons. The swell was huge, slow waves twice as high as the boat that slid smoothly through them. Ilene and Drewitt were resting together in the viewing deck, watching as the sun moved across the sky. The air was cool and scentless, and it has been two weeks since they met Nathan.

Misha had woken them that morning, asking if they wanted anything from the ship’s buffet that was somehow always full. She brought in Alexis and Ilene joined their quiet conversation, before Kaila and the other Alars joined them. Drewitt had joined their conversation, but soon he was longing for the quiet of the viewing deck.

Ilene shifted against Drewitt’s shoulder, and he looked down at her. She looked back at him, only half asleep; they had all been weirdly tired since leaving the island that morning. She seemed happier now, lighter, like she had let go of something that had dragged her down for generations. Her eyes sparkled with something Drewitt couldn’t name, and her arm still looked strange without the pendant.