Nightmare
The woman retired to the other room with her daughter, bidding Jonathan good night. Before falling asleep he remembered the little boats bobbing in the harbor. He’d sometimes gone sailing as a boy and thought that if he stayed close to shore he could manage one of them and travel much quicker than by land. He was glad his plans seemed to fall into place so smoothly. He would go back with the woman and child the next day and return with Peter and Simon soon after. Then he would spend several days helping them prepare a cargo of goods to take back over the hills by wagon and instruct them on future loads, and at the same time outfit one of the boats for his own trip. In the midst of these many details he fell asleep.
The strange house and spinning events and the full meal all conspired that night to give Jonathan a long series of vivid nightmares. He saw himself and hordes of innocent people being locked into tiny, white cells, with paint being poured on top of them, filling the cells, while they clambered and screamed, struggling to raise themselves up to suck in the last few breaths of sweet air. Then he was submerged in the liquid and swam through a seaweed of dead bodies, and after much struggle came up in a white sea, all alone.
He felt buoyant in the water and looked around, seeing nothing but limitless ocean. He began swimming comfortably. Then came a sleek, white sailboat racing near him, on which he belonged. He swam furiously to catch up with the boat, but to no avail. Like the punishment of Tantalus the rudder of the craft managed to stay just out of reach of his fingers, however hard he swam. Then he perceived the outline of a boy sitting in the cockpit and looking ahead. He called out with dwindling strength for help, but the boy seemed deaf. When Jonathan thought that he was going to drown the boy did finally look back. He woke up in a sweat, realizing that the boy was himself.
The rest of the night was passed in equally fitful, tossing sleep. In the bright morning he woke up to see the woman by the cupboard and the little girl standing right next to his cot, as if waiting for him to wake up. Breakfast was on the table and their bags packed by the open door. With a quick “good morning” he brushed past them and out into the open air and splashed his face with water at a street faucet, as if it could wash away the memory of those dreams along with his perspiration. He strolled back with apologies and after a good breakfast he helped make up one more bundle of bedding and kitchenware, threw it over his shoulder and guided the woman and her child to his burro, which was loaded up with everything, including the little girl and the basket she carried containing the mischievous cat.
Along the way Jonathan was talkative, wanting to forget the night before, telling his new companions exactly they could expect to find at the sanctuary, in such rosy terms as would cheer them. He still didn’t know what manner of temper or character the woman had. She seemed to be meek and reserved, and too ready to agree with him. But considering her helpless condition, and still guilt struck over the part he’d played in her husband’s death, he assured her again and again that she would be a most welcome addition to the colony and just what was needed to help the young newlyweds with their infants. As the day wore on he gained her confidence and with this her conversation. Soon she was telling him of her own past, her hopes and how glad she was of their meeting.
Her daughter in herself was pure delight, brimming with joy at the prospect of moving in with two babies. When she grew restless Jonathan lifted her off the burro and she followed a few paces behind, skipping and talking to herself as she went. When she grew tired he placed her back. She was so slight she could curl up and lay across the two bundles on its sides and fall asleep, while Jonathan held her with one hand, walking alongside, to keep her from falling off.
They camped that night on a hilltop and Jonathan set up the tent and built a roaring fire. It had been a sunny day and now it was a bright, starry night. He lay awake through some of it, staring at the heavens near the fire, happy against a pillow of clothes. He had been thirty years without such a view of the skies and he was not yet caught up on it. It gave him a strong sense of being a boy again, out camping for the first time.
The next day they pushed hard to reach their destination by nightfall. Jonathan even carried the girl on his back quite a ways, talking to her and laughing, to break the tedium. When they arrived at nightfall everyone gathered excitedly in the longhouse for introductions and the news. The story was told, the new arrivals warmly welcomed and one end of the long cabin cleared for them to sleep. Jonathan took the boys outside and discussed the situation. He wanted Simon and Peter to be ready in the morning. When they returned from town they would have to build another cabin to house their new guests.
They set out early as planned, with the string of burros. He now explained to them that he would be going to White Perth alone by boat, again to scout out the expanding mystery. Besides all his previous arsenal he’d brought along two rifles for the boys, in case of trouble. "I'll point out all the things I’d like to have here," he told them, "and if you manage to drag back half of them over the hills, I'll be very happy. You can repeat your trips every few weeks till I get back. We don't know what's going on yet so keep your guard. Hide your tracks as best you can on each trip. If what I suspect is true, the town is abandoned forever, but I'll see what I can do."
Both Peter and Simon were worried over Jonathan. They wanted to go with him. But he told them that he was just going to scope out the situation and that scouts always worked best alone.
Late the next day they were walking through the deserted streets of the town. The two youths were wondering what cataclysm could have wrought such a change over their home, their whole world, and begged Jonathan again to take them to where their parents might be. But his plan was settled. Over the next two days they rummaged through shops and storerooms and began dismantling one of the glasshouses. They prepared two carts and all that was needed to hitch up teams of burros, and then began packing such loads as the animals could pull.
Then they all helped to provision one of the fishing boats. Jonathan spent an afternoon sailing it in and out of the harbor and decided that he could manage the craft in fair weather. The next morning there was a strong breeze. The two boys bid him the best of luck and then sadly watched from the pier as he sailed out of sight.
