Ghost and I approached the temple grounds. By now, folks here were paying us little mind. The acolytes nodded and smiled as they passed. I marveled at the architecture, now seeing it in a new light. I’d thought, when I first arrived, that perhaps PanTech had built it in advance. Something they’d claim was here before anyone arrived. Knowing it was built by the citizens of this zone, with all their limitations, made it almost impressive beyond words.
It was hard to believe the old drunk I’d met, barely able to move without knocking something over, had designed something so complex and intricate. Even the carvings were so meticulously planned out, carefully mapping the constellation with surprising accuracy. That part may have been planned by Lunaria. I could see why a couple like that would be so charismatic and easily draw people in. Why PanTech allowed it, on the other hand…
“Pay careful attention to everything around us, Ghost,” I said. “Look for anything that might give away PanTech tampering. Something that disrupts the pattern.”
“The only thing I see here is wasted time,” he scolded.
“Fine, take a nap, then. See if they’ll feed you crackers and treat you like a cute parrot for doing tricks. I wouldn’t want to bore you with a challenging investigation.”
He knocked me on the head with his beak.
“I can admonish you and help you at the same time. I have been watching. So far, nothing seems unusual or out of place. Nothing that would indicate a secret door or hidden devices.”
“That wouldn’t be necessary if we’re dealing with this zone’s commander, would it?”
“No, it would not.”
Seems Ghost had warmed up to the theory a bit too.
“I’ve never heard of a citizen of a zone being made a commander without ever leaving it, and then being allowed to stay there… but strange exceptions have been made for all kinds of things.”
“It would be an interesting rule to break, considering they seldom even allow Adversity Management soldiers to visit their home zones. It’s more common for them to choose to live in another, like your mother and Rolo.”
Immediately, I thought of how much I was already missing my mother again. And of course, the wound of Rolo’s passing was still a fresh one. Despite being an old man, he deserved more time and a more dignified death. Being gunned down by a psychotic sheriff unarmed is such an insulting way for a skilled gunslinger to go.
“Yeah…” was all I could manage.
“Forgive my pestering, Taylor, but have you considered where you’ll draw the line in this investigation?”
“Before dropping it and moving to the next zone, you mean?”
Ghost nodded.
“I’m going to play it by ear, but yes. I appreciate that you’re helping me stay on course, but I’d also appreciate if you backed off on this topic a bit. Have a little faith, Ghost. I’m doing my best.”
I finally spotted who I was looking for. As we approached Lunaria, Ghost became silent, still choosing to keep up the pet bird act for as long as we were here.
“Lunaria. Hello! You’re exactly the person I was looking for.”
Lunaria turned to face me, wearing a large smile. She bowed deeply, taking my hand in hers.
“Hello, Taylor. I was worried you might have moved on in your journey by now. I’m relieved to see I was mistaken. How may I help you?”
I did my best to match her smile, employing my mother’s charming techniques to the best of my ability.
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“Congratulations again on the blessing your people have received. I know it must be such a weight off your shoulders.”
“No, I was not worried. I knew that we need only trust in the stars, and what would be, would be…” She paused briefly before exhaling deeply. “That’s what I should say. What I wish I could say. However, you’re right. I was not putting my own advice into practice. Not in truth. I have been praying for this so hard for so long, and I was worried our demise was written in the stars.”
I frowned. “Your devotion clearly paid off. It’s such an inspiration to everyone here. That much is plain for even a skeptic like me to see, and even I can’t deny the results. I checked everyone and confirmed what you’d hoped for. It was no fluke. They are truly blessed.”
Her broad smile returned as she squeezed my hand even tighter.
“That is wonderful.”
“Even I find myself inspired, wanting to know more. I’m naturally curious, and this is a miracle as far as I’m concerned. Would you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
“Certainly, Taylor. Few topics are taboo here. We are a community of free thinkers, despite our beliefs in the divine.”
I nodded. “That’s reassuring. When did you begin hearing the voice?”
“I believe I first started hearing these voices as a young woman. In my early twenties, if I recall.”
That didn’t really add up. She must’ve been in her sixties now…
“When did they start becoming so… accurate?”
She paused, her smile fading slightly before she seemed to sense it and force it to return. It was subtle, but I could see the brief slip of the mask.
“It was around the time my daughter disappeared.”
“I’m so sorry… I know this must be a painful topic for you. You’re very strong to have held yourself together the way you have.”
She nodded slowly. “Thank you, but… some wounds never heal, Taylor. Strength is sometimes an illusion.”
“Have you ever tried praying to the stars, for them to reveal what happened to her?”
“Oh, many times. So many times.”
Her eyes began to well with tears. I focused on her breathing and her heartbeat, but it was hard to tell the difference between a sudden burst of sorrow or a fear of being discovered. My enhancer wouldn’t be much use to me here.
“Unlike you, Jeremy seems to be unable to move on. I visited with him on Rockport, and it’s almost impossible for me to accept that he’s the man who designed and built this temple. I can’t imagine how much he must’ve changed to become what he is now.”
“He… blames me…”
Lunaria looked away, breaking eye contact with me for the first time. There was pain on her face. An unmistakable, genuine, profound pain. But was it mourning something that had been lost, or could it have been guilt instead?
“That must be awful for you to know that. Can I ask… why does he blame you?”
“Our daughter… we were alone that night she went missing. I must’ve fallen asleep, my first vision that had been different from the others. I couldn’t wake up and… I can only assume she crawled away and was taken by one of the beasts of the island. I felt so guilty, but he believes I was responsible. He—I’m sorry, Taylor. I understand you mean well, but I’m afraid I don’t really have the heart to talk about this topic anymore. Would you mind if we talked about something else?”
I frowned, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. Of course, let’s talk about something else. Were you born here on these islands, or were you an Adversity Management visitor? I ask, because you’re such a unique person. My own mother was an Adversity Management soldier who visited my zone later in her life.”
She narrowed her eyes for a moment, as though she didn’t know until just then that soldiers were once able to do such a thing.
“Your mother? You say she was from another zone?”
“Yes, she was from a different zone. She was stationed there and ended up settling down with my father. This was before sterilization was required for Adversity Management.
She nodded, apparently fascinated. “We have no one like that here. I was born here, like everyone else I know.”
A lie? I couldn’t detect a hint of one. I should’ve been able to, in this case. I should’ve been able to feel a difference in her heart. The signs of anxiety. A liar’s trademark. I felt nothing. Sensed nothing. Was she telling the truth, or was she a master manipulator? A cult leader being a master manipulator? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time. Not in recent history, and not at any point throughout the history of humanity. Perhaps I was out of my depth here.
“I see. Thank you for being so open about everything, and I’m sorry for digging up such painful memories. More than that, I’m sorry for how I treated you when I arrived. I was wrong to have pushed you so hard to join in an attack on Adversity Management. It seems your faith in the stars was well-placed after all.”
“How kind of you. I accept your apology, Taylor. You are welcome to come back and speak to me any time you wish. And my offer for you to stay here on our island will always remain open.”
I smiled, taking a step back and bowing deeply before taking my leave.
As we stepped out of hearing distance, Ghost finally chimed in.
“Did you learn anything useful?” he asked.
“I relearned what I already knew,” I said.
“That being?”
“She still gives me the creeps. Something about the way she answered those questions didn’t feel right. It felt…”
“Rehearsed?” Ghost interjected.
“Exactly. Glad you noticed that too. We’re going to get to the bottom of it.”