The Wryneck: Tales of Balia

One

SIX YEARS IN THE PAST...

Theo’s day had been long. Before dawn the news had arrived that his parents and Zoe’s had been killed in a steamboat incident the evening before. The landlady had wakened him, and she stood at his side while a young messenger boy from the steamboat company told the tale. Mrs. Oliver put a meaty hand on Theo’s shoulder, offering comfort, and he struggled not to grasp that hand like a child, not to cling to the old landlady and never let go. But he was the oldest, and he had to be strong. Some desperate part of his mind hoped this was simply a dream, a nightmare brought on by his anger at his parents for leaving their home and moving here to the city filled with smog and noise and dirt. But he knew this was real, that he stood shivering in his night clothes while everything he knew fell down around him.

The nightmare grew even darken when another group approached the door. The landlady hissed that these were the city caretakers, three women who ran local orphanages. She told him to run, and she’d slammed the door and locked it tight while he had dashed up to waken Zoe and Galen and take them away. Right now, whatever else he felt, he had to get the younger two away. Tears and fears were for later.

Up, he called. Zoe, Galen, get dressed now. We’re leaving. Right away. Come on, right now.

Likely they heard the terror in his voice, because they leaped out of bed and started to dress, not even asking him what was wrong. The sun was barely considering dawn, and there were few sounds from outside the window. He glanced toward the front door, where the trio of caretakers stood pounding, threatening to break it down if Mrs. Oliver didn’t open up.

Shoes, Galen, Theo said, sliding into his own clothes. Zoe gaped, because she was a girl, not related to Theo and Galen, and yet Theo was dressing here in front of her. Galen grinned at her blush and shucked off his own night clothes, standing tall and scrawny in his breeches and pulling on his trousers and shoes.

Theo, Zoe said in shock.

Zoe, I’ll explain, I promise, but you’ve never needed to move as fast as you need to move right now.

With a huff, the twelve year-old slid her gown beneath the covers, slid herself with it, and came out wearing the dress a moment later.

See? she said. Just as fast as you without exposing myself. Goodness, Theo, you’re like an animal sometimes.

Grab a shawl, he said to Zoe. Galen, a jacket. Do we have coins?

In Mama’s handbag, Zoe said.

Get them. Whatever money we have.

Zoe darted from the room, and Galen’s smile fell away. Theo, what’s wrong?

Wait, Theo said, and when Zoe returned, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along the back of the boarding house, down the steps, and into the street. He ran without pausing two streets farther, and he stopped in the shadows between a butcher shop and an old tavern.

Tell us, Zoe said angrily. Theo, what happened?

Theo shook his head, hating to do this. He was fourteen, but right now he wanted to be four years old and have someone else take care of them. There was a knock on the door this morning. Our parents aren’t coming back. The steamboat sank, and all were lost. But that means we’re orphans in Balivor. Foreign orphans in Balivor.

Zoe gasped and grabbed Theo’s hand, squeezing tightly.

Theo, no. What can we do?

We get out of Balivor, he said. Surely they won’t look for long. We go home and find a new life there, the lives we left.

I didn’t find many coins, Zoe said. How far can we go on it?

Theo didn’t have answers. He only knew they couldn’t end up in an orphanage in Balivor. For some reason the adults didn’t see it, but all the kids knew what happened to those in the orphanages. They worked hard at jobs nobody would work given a choice, and many of them disappeared never to be seen again. That would never happen to Zoe and Galen.

They didn’t run through the streets, for that would attract attention. Instead Theo started toward the train station, thinking they could buy tickets to the next town, where nobody was looking for them. They would then walk back around the north path to Verdure Province and find family. He thought Zoe might have a distant uncle in Verdure, and he and Galen had a couple ancient aunts. He didn’t know how to find them, but he would manage. Galen and Zoe would be safe if it was the last thing he did.

This way, he said, hearing the whistle of the trains. The steam engines were new in town, as were the factories where orphan children disappeared. Theo hated them. He was from the country where the air was clean, the sounds limited to ducks and chickens and cows. The city was loud and dirty and now had taken his parents, who’d been lured here by greed, giving up everything to find wealth in the new industries.

He took a deep breath. Anger was useless. He thought instead about TrueGod. His parents had lost sight of TrueGod once they’d arrived, but he hadn’t. And he hadn’t let Galen and Zoe lose sight, either. Although they’d had to leave everything behind at the boarding house this morning, he’d tucked a copy of Christus’ Words into his waistband, knowing it was all that mattered. He would never lose hope in TrueGod, and he would never let it happen to those he loved.

TrueGod, I don’t know what to do. Please help me get them out of here.

Stay here, Theo said when they arrived at the station, which bustled with activity. Wealthy people ordered servants to move heavy trunks to the trains. Some bought tickets. Men in bright blue suits carried bags and directed people from place to place. A few children stood with their families, but most were adults, and Theo knew he and his friends would stand out here and attract unwanted attention.

Sit here, he said, pointing to a bench just outside the station door. Zoe and Galen obeyed, looking haggard and stricken, and Theo went inside. He would stop to grieve later, stop to feel something once he’d found safety for his brother and the girl he loved.

He paused at that thought. Dramatic but true. She was young, and he was young, and they couldn’t do anything about it for a long time, but he loved her. And once she grew up a little bit, he hoped she’d feel the same.

Sir? a man behind a ticket desk said politely.

Ah, three tickets to... What’s the closest stop outside of town?

Hansburg.

Okay. Three tickets to Hansburg.

The man narrowed his eyes suspiciously, scribbling something on a parchment before him. Fifteen silver.

Theo sighed. He didn’t have that much. He could only buy two tickets.

Sorry, sir, but I guess I don’t have enough coins. Thank you.

He turned to go, wondering how he expected to escape a city with so few coins. But he had to do it. He couldn’t let anyone hurt Galen and Zoe. He imagined Galen in the spinning house, changing the spools and losing fingers in the process, or Zoe carrying wood through the dark, hot metal mills. The thoughts made him sick to his stomach. Why did the adults let it happen? They were so enamored with the changes the machines made and the wealth they produced that they closed their eyes to horrible things that happened in the name of that wealth.

Well? Galen asked when he returned. His younger brother’s eyes were red, and tears tracked through the smog on his face. Everything in town turned black, and Theo hated the city with a hatred so strong it scared him. TrueGod didn’t like such deep, dark hatred.

Not enough coins, he said. He smiled, thinking smiling was the most ridiculous, false thing he could do, but he had to assure them things would be okay. Zoe ran her hand over her face, smearing her own tears, and she smiled falsely back at him. But we’ll be okay. They won’t look for us. We’ll just walk out of town. We’re strong, right? We grew up in the country, working the farms. We can just start walking until we’re safe.

Definitely, Galen said, scrubbing his eyes dry and standing. Come on, Zoe. We’re stronger than all these city dwellers.

She nodded and stood, smoothing out her simple dress. Many in town wore fancy dresses with lace and bustles, but Zoe outshone them all in her simple dresses, her hair golden and curling around her face as it fell down her back. Her eyes were dark blue and always smiling in mischief. Theo’s mom had often commented on the tendencies of her boys to tease and pull pranks, but Zoe made them look like amateurs. The girl feared nothing, willing to do whatever she deemed would bring her entertainment at the moment.

Right now she looked tired and scared and broken, and he barely recognized her.

Gently Theo reached for her hand, and she allowed it. He walked toward the edge of town, and she and Galen followed in silence. He only hoped they could find safety before they ran out of silver.

They walked as the sun rose overhead, dimmed by the thick smoke that filled the air, and he looked behind him at the smokestacks from the huge factories along the main road of Balivor. It had once been a beautiful port town, he’d been told, but he couldn’t see that. Right now he knew he could see beauty in very little. But once they returned to the country, surely all would be well. He hadn’t been lying about their strength, and he was sure he, Galen, and Zoe could survive if they could just escape the city.

Theo, Galen said once the sun was up and the streets filled with people. I don’t want to complain, but I’m hungry.

Me, too, Zoe said. But I don’t want to complain, either.

Theo had to smile at them, trying to be so brave. Both still sniffled with sadness, and Theo wondered why he wasn’t doing the same. Was it just anger at his parents? He didn’t want to be angry. They were good parents. They’d taught their children of TrueGod. They’d showered their children with love and care and compassion. Yes, in the past three months they’d done things that Theo found careless, but three months after fourteen years of love barely mattered.

So why hadn’t he cried yet? Was it just the need to find safety first? He hoped after they were safe he would shed tears and feel something other than panic and anger.

I’ll find us something, he said, looking around. They were still new in town, so he wasn’t sure where they were, but food vendors were common all over Balivor, and it didn’t take long to find a man selling fruit tarts. He’d rather have found one selling meat pies, but in Balivor many began their days with lighter foods, so likely he’d not be able to find a meat vendor until later in the day, by which time he hoped to be far from town. The tarts took few coins, and the trio ate while they walked.

This is good, Zoe said, tilting her head to keep from spilling the warm cherfruit filling when she took a bite. I will miss little from the city, but warm tarts are something I’ll miss.

Mama made good tarts, Galen said. It’s not like they’re only available in town.

Your mama made good everything, Zoe said. But even so, here you can buy warm tarts all day. I like that.

Wait, didn’t your mama bake tarts? Galen asked. Theo looked at him, thinking he looked like Mama. And Theo knew he himself looked like Papa. There was some comfort knowing something of their parents would live on with them.

Not well, Zoe said. But she always hummed in the kitchen. She made good soups, but she never baked that well, not like your mama. Of course, here in Balivor they didn’t bake at all. Mrs. Oliver made lovely food. I wonder if she’ll figure out what happened to all of us after we ran out on her this morning.

Zoe said it and then sniffled again, running her hand under her nose and across her eyes. Although beautiful, Zoe wasn’t a city girl with city manners. She’d always been a tomboy, ever since Theo and Galen had met her. She spoke of the mistress of the boarding house, and Theo agreed the woman was a wonderful cook. She was a delightful lady in many respects. While their parents had spent most of their time away, looking for ways to grow wealth here in the city, Mrs. Oliver had allowed Theo, Galen, and Zoe to sit in the kitchen helping her cook while they all talked of country and city life. She’d also taken time to sit in the parlor late in the afternoon with the children while she mended clothing she took in, something else she did for money beyond house and feed boarders. Mrs. Oliver had loved Zoe’s wildness, while her own mama had constantly tried to make her dignified for the city.

I’ll miss her, Galen said. She might miss us, too. I know she’ll miss our rent. She needed us.

Theo smiled at his younger brother, who always thought about others. Theo was too much his dad’s son, a protector who sometimes lost track of the feelings of others in his quest to keep the world around him safe, to control people in order to protect them. Galen, though, protected by both Papa and Theo, simply cared about them, seeing the world through tender eyes. Papa always said Galen needed to toughen up a little bit if he expected to stay safe in the world, but Theo envied him his compassion. TrueGod demanded his people be compassionate, and that came easy for Galen. Right now, though, his compassion meant he was especially broken and sad about losing Mama and Papa.

I wonder how long it will take us to find a safe place, Zoe said. Being a girl and an only child, she was independent and hard to predict. She’d spent the morning in tears, but she was also able to look at their situation logically. She understood that their situation was urgent, and they had to find a place of safety sooner rather than later. Theo, we’ve heard rumors of runaways taking the trains, sneaking onto the cargo cars. Could we not try such a thing? Have we really anything to lose?

In some of those stories, the runaways are killed by trains in the yards.

Well, we’ll be careful. Usually those are the younger children. If nothing else, we can find the yard and follow the tracks. Trains go from big cities to smaller towns that produce supplies. We can walk along the tracks and find a small town that might have a place for us. Then we won’t be in the city where someone might think we’re orphans and drag us to the orphanages.

Theo nodded. She was younger than him, but she usually had good ideas. It was another reason he loved her. Not only was she very pretty, but she was smart.

The train yard wasn’t hard to find, and they walked toward it, finishing their tarts and falling into a sad silence as they moved. Galen yawned, and Zoe sniffled a few more times, and Theo wondered if he should try to comfort them. Maybe it was enough just to find them a safe place.

At the edge of the yard they stopped and looked around. Many tracks met here, and many cars were being loaded and unloaded by strong-looking boys and men. They might be able to find cars going their direction, but he wasn’t sure it would be easy to do so without getting caught.

Look, Galen said, pointing. Three other young people were in the yard, dressed in heavy clothes like they lived on the streets. They didn’t try to hide at all, simply nodding at the cargo workers and climbing into a car like they belonged.

Maybe the men who work here don’t care about stowaways, Zoe said. Those cars are all pointing northwest, so maybe they’re going the way we want to go.

Theo looked around, thinking he wanted to be sure about this before dragging them all into danger. The trio across the yard seemed to have entered a car without trouble, but perhaps they were already known to the workers. Perhaps they were there for some other reason, and if Theo led Zoe and Galen into the open, they would be caught and sent to an orphanage.

That car, he finally said, pointing to one near the edge of the yard. It looks like it will go north. The men just filled it, so they’re not paying attention to it. We’ll go around and sneak up from the back.

Galen and Zoe nodded and easily followed Theo’s lead, walking over three sets of tracks to the distant car. He stopped often, looking around to make sure they weren’t being watched or followed. Finally he got to the car, which was closed, and he realized he’d made a mistake.

How do we get in? Galen asked. Theo shook his head, realizing he should have thought about this earlier.

Here, Zoe said. She was walking around the car, and she stopped in front of a small door near the front. It was closed and locked, but she grabbed a stone from the ground and smacked the latch a few times. Theo looked around, hoping her noise didn’t travel, but nobody seemed to hear them. She pried the small door open, and they all crawled inside, sharing the huge space with many wooden crates. Theo climbed in last and pulled the door closed behind him.

Here, Zoe said from ahead in the darkness. I found a good spot. We can hide here until the train stops.

But where do we end up? Galen asked.

Does it matter? Zoe asked. I’ve never heard of a city where children disappear like they do here, so anyplace else will be safer.

Maybe all cities are the same, Galen said in his irritating and logical way. We don’t know anything about cities. They all have new factories, so maybe all of them have orphans working in them.

Well, it’s not right, Zoe said. I know if people understood, it would stop. I can’t imagine every city is as horrible as Balivor. It’s a port city, and they’re known for being evil.

Theo had to grin into the darkness at Zoe’s tone. She knew as little about the world as he and Galen did, but she always acted like she had great worldly wisdom and experience.

They all sat side by side against a large crate, Theo in between Zoe and Galen. The car was stuffy and hot and dark, but even so, he felt himself relax, and then he finally felt tears across his cheeks, and that made him feel better. Tears were good and cleansing. Even Christus had cried in the book of TrueGod.

Eventually the car began to move, and Zoe’s hand snaked across Theo’s lap and grasped his. He entwined his fingers in hers, squeezing. She leaned on his shoulder, and again he thought about how he loved her. He wasn’t sure it could really be love, since they were so young, but whatever he felt, it was good, and it made his heart beat faster for her to relax here with him.

For a short time the train moved, the metal wheels loud on the tracks below, the motion jarring and uncomfortable. Slivers of light came through the wood slats of the car, and as the car moved the slivers shifted and made him feel sick.

Then the car slowed, and finally it stopped, and they heard the sounds of men outside. Likely they were in another yard, and someone would come to empty this car.

Come on, he said, pushing to his feet and making his way to the door.

Do you think we’re far enough? Zoe asked.

I don’t know, but if they come to empty this car, we’ll be caught.

He went to the door and pushed on it, but it was stuck. He kicked it, and while the kick jarred his leg and hip, the door itself didn’t move. He wondered if someone had locked it again from the outside after they’d entered, although he hadn’t heard that happen.

Now what? Galen asked, his voice young and fearful.

I’m not sure, Theo said. Just then they heard men get closer, and the large back door of the car opened. They were still behind enough boxes not to be seen, but once the men entered, they would be caught.

I’ll distract them, Theo said, not sure where the words came from. He looked at Zoe and simply knew she was going to survive this without ending up in an orphanage. I’ll run out and have them chase me, and you go the other way.

No, Zoe said. Absolutely not. What do we do after that?

Theo thought about that. TrueGod, Zoe. Always TrueGod. Find a sect building and seek asylum. They’ll help you there.

Then why didn’t we do that in Balivor? Galen asked.

Because I didn’t think of it until now, Theo said. I’m sorry. I’m not good at this. I’ve never had to do this before.

It’s okay, Zoe said. I don’t want us to split up, Theo. It’s not a good idea.

I’ll get away from them, he said. We’ll meet up again. I run faster than you do, especially with you in that dress.

He’s right, Galen said. And I’m not fast even in trousers.

No, Zoe said, and the sound of men entered the car. They didn’t have much time.

Theo pulled Zoe close. Go, Zoe. Take care of Galen. And know I love you.

The words stunned her into stillness, as they were meant to do, and Theo used the opportunity to push past them and race toward the men and out of the car. The men seemed startled, and they followed him. As he ran, he decided to duck under a nearby car, and then he could go around and catch up with the other two before they even left the yard.

He glanced behind him, seeing one young man closing on him.

Get him, another man called. Get a few coins for that one. He’s nice and big.

Theo wasn’t sure what that meant, but it compelled him to speed up. But he wasn’t used to running through train yards, and he hit his foot on a track and lurched forward. He fell onto the tracks, which cut into his arms and the side of his head, and he didn’t move, panting, pain radiating through his body.

Got him, the man behind him called, hurling himself through the air to land on Theo, although at this point Theo wasn’t fighting, wasn’t doing anything. He’d hit his head, and things were going dark.

Let me see, another voice said. Looks like you did him in. You were supposed to catch him, not break him.

And that was the last thing he heard.

Two

PRESENT TIME...

As they stepped out of the carriage and stood before the train station, Galen turned to Zoe one last time, raising his eyebrows in a silent question.

Really, she said. You know the answer. I think we should do this. Stop trying to give me opportunities to duck out of our plan.

Nodding, he took a deep breath and one single step toward the station, where they would buy tickets for a trip back to Balivor and away from the convent orphanage where they’d spent the past six years. Zoe looked lovely in her simple green dress, her golden hair spilling down her back. Galen smoothed his own white shirt, brown vest, and black trousers, knowing he blended into the crowd as well as Zoe did. Nobody would ever suspect their pasts or their plans for the future.

He stepped up to the ticket line, Zoe beside him with her petite hand on his arm, and he turned to her, thinking this was his last chance to say this.

Zoe, you know he won’t be here.

She nodded. I know, Galen. My head knows he’s been dead a very long time. My heart, though, doesn’t seem to listen to my head on the matter. Anyway, this isn’t about that, and you know that. The children in Balivor are still in danger, and nobody seems to care. TrueGod showered us with blessings, and now we use those to rescue the children. She took a deep breath. The way Theo rescued us.

He lost his life rescuing us. You realize what this could cost us. He wanted us safe, Zoe. Everything he did was for our safety, and now we walk into danger.

He said the last quietly, and she shuddered as his breath fell onto her ear.

Theo now knows the life of Everworld, Zoe said. He knows safety is nothing in this world, but loving people is everything. And the way he loved us, we now love others. TrueGod approves of this, and so would Theo.

Galen said nothing, because he agreed. He just wanted to give Zoe one more chance to change her mind, because being in danger himself was nothing like seeing her in danger. And he truly wanted her to believe Theo was gone.

Zoe, you still pray for Theo, every single day. I know you do. And yet you tell me you believe he’s dead?

We saw it, she said. I know we saw it, but I wanted to think he was still alive. We had to leave the train yard quickly and never got to be sure. Perhaps he lived and they took him back and sold him to an orphanage. But two years ago, he would have turned eighteen, and he would have been released from an orphanage. If he’d still been alive, he’d have come for us. He would have found a way.

And yet you call to TrueGod on his behalf every night.

She shrugged. Yes. And I don’t know why. I just can’t stop, Galen. To stop is to pretend he never was. And that makes no sense, and I know it makes no sense, but that’s the truth of it.

Zoe had turned eighteen two months ago, but the bishops at the convent orphanage had let her stay until Galen had turned eighteen, just this week, so they could enter the world together. They each had one outfit, which they wore now, a blanket, a few personal items, and enough coins to last them a few days past a train ride. It wasn’t much, but they didn’t mind that. The bishops and sisters at the convent had treated them well, showered them with love and spoken of TrueGod every single day, and they did their best to help their wards enter the world. Galen was thankful for everything they’d done for him.

Thinking about this, he bought the tickets, and they walked to the platform and waited, each carrying a simple leather bag on his or her shoulder, each deep in thought.

I’ll miss this, Zoe said. Remember the smog in Balivor? I dread that part the most, losing the fresh air. I was meant to live in fresh air.

I think everyone was meant to live in fresh air, Galen said. You have your papers?

She laughed, her face sparkling. Of course I do. Galen, you mustn’t worry so much. We’ll be fine.

I guess so, at least until we start to cause trouble. Of course, you’ve loved causing trouble as long as I can remember.

And you like to keep out of trouble, she said. Ah, Galen, what a pair we make. You will keep me alive, and I will keep you working for TrueGod. We will survive or perish together.

I hope it’s survive, he said, smiling at her. We can rescue the children, and then we can each find a mate and live a long life with many babies. I can be a dentist. You can teach or sew or simply care for your husband and children. It’s not such a bad dream, is it?

Her smile fell away. It sounds so easy, doesn’t it? But we’ve never seen it easy. We head back to the city where we lost our parents, Galen. We never talk about that part. We lost our parents, and yet losing Theo and trying not to end up in Balivor’s factories took all our time, all our emotions. Are we terrible children to have given so little time to the loss of our parents?

You cried, he said. Don’t you remember? We cried for weeks, Zoe. We’re not terrible.

I cried more for Theo, she admitted. But yes, I did cry for them. For me. For you. For those first weeks, I cried for everything, though. If I cut a seam crooked or stubbed my toe, I cried like life itself was ending. I’m surprised anyone still spoke to me after those weeks.

Galen smiled, remembering. I was nearly as bad. But as a boy, I waited until I was in bed, hiding under my sheets, to cry. I didn’t sleep for a month, saving all my tears for the darkness.

Do you feel that way now? That a man has to keep his emotions beneath his sheets?

He raised his eyebrow at the question, wondering what had prompted it. No. I also feel I live in another place now. Emotions don’t do to me now what they did to me then.

Sometimes I think I’m worse, Zoe admitted. Men seem to grow calmer with age, where we sometimes get more emotional.

I think that’s how TrueGod planned it, Galen said. You keep us from growing cold when we turn to strategy and stop listening to our hearts. We help you not get swept away with your sensitivity and caring. It’s as it should be.

Sometimes I miss the little girl who wasn’t sensitive. I could knock you and Theo down and make you cry and not feel a thing about it.

She grinned, her eyes sparkling mischievously, and he grinned back at her.

"Well, I for one am glad you outgrew that particular stage.

The platform filled with people, and the train finally pulled into the station, spitting dark, bitter smoke. A tall man wearing a blue uniform stood in the door of the front car and announced the destination, and Zoe and Galen pushed forward with the crowd to enter the train. Galen led them through two cars, finally settling them near the center of the third passenger car, where he pushed his bag and Zoe’s into a box at the back of the car and then sat beside her. She looked out the window and then around the car.

Our second train ride, she said. Then she frowned. No, our third. Have you ever thought...?

Thought what? he asked.

That night, I grabbed Papa’s bag from his drawer and took all his coins. But Mama had a small bag, too. What if I’d taken an extra moment to grab her bag? We’ve have had enough for tickets to Hansburg. Never would we have been on that train. Theo would be here. All because I didn’t grab that bag.

Galen sighed. Zoe, you’ve run through every conceivable scenario through the years. We didn’t make mistakes. We aren’t to blame. Theo is in Everworld not blaming us, so it’s time we stop blaming ourselves.

If I’m ever in a similar situation, I’ll take every coin I can, she said firmly.

Okay, then, he said. I’m glad you’ve settled that in your head.

For most of the short ride they didn’t talk. Zoe stared out the window, and Galen looked around the car. Some people here were dressed like them, young professionals. Then some were laborers in rougher clothes. Some had children, but most rode alone or with a