Mecora strained to hear the sounds of wildlife in the forest above the hubbub of the town, and half-heartedly wished the town would just stop for a moment so she could hear. Birds, frogs, crickets... But that only lasted a second before she was enjoying the hubbub itself and contributing to it. “Isn’t it just the greatest day?”
Her best friends echoed the sentiment. “It’s days like these you think nothing could ever go wrong!” exclaimed Ueal. “Let’s go to the statue.”
“And do what?” asked Mereo. “I suppose you want to watch the men working.”
“Is there anything wrong with that?”
“No, as long as you don’t go walking in your daydreams again.”
“I don’t do that!”
Mecora laughed. “I think we oughta just go to the plaza. A lot more is going on there.”
“Like what? A bunch of people going about their shopping and selling— no muscles, no cute faces...”
“Well, I happen to like watching all kinds of people. It’s fun to wonder what the people are thinking.” Just then, the sound of hoofbeats far below on the forest floor caught their attention. All four went to the railing, in time to see the messenger call the lift. A horse up on the second level platform walked in a circle, pulling a rope that brought the lift up to the first level. Just before he darted off the lift toward the steps, they were able to see from his uniform that he came from the King himself. The King had a proclamation! A horn sounded, and all that could congregated in the plaza. Mecora and friends crowded on a bench next to the railing to see and hear.
But it was not the mysterious good news everyone expected. All light Vle? Living in a single camp?!
Mecora was so shocked she was rooted to the spot where she stood. All the light Vle...! That meant nearly half the town... half her friends....
Beside her, Mereo began to weep, as did Ueal. Mecora put her arms around both, unable to control her own weeping. She wanted to say it was okay, everything would be all right, she understood how they felt— Would they make her go, too? But she couldn’t say that. Her mom had made her promise never to tell.
Handa stood a bit apart, seemingly unsure of what to do. “Why? Why would the King do such a thing? It makes no sense.” Her voice rose to a yell. “Great Master to the Underworld, IT MAKES NO SENSE!”
Mecora thought the whole forest had heard the last epithet, but few of the townspeople still in the plaza made any note of it. After all, Handa was right; it made no sense. The realization then came that Kings didn’t have to make sense— what they said was law, and that was that. Still, the king had never before had such an effect on their lives, having always been someone they knew of and perhaps dreamed of meeting. Now, he was letting everyone know he existed in a way they’d never forget.
Some of the light Vle who had heard the proclamation could already be seen preparing for the move. A number of the shops in town were owned by those of fair complexion, and over on the far side of the plaza, a banker was nailing boards over his windows. Mecora felt like yelling to him to stop. It wasn’t real! It couldn’t be real! It was all a dream— a nightmare!
But this nightmare wasn’t going away. Mecora decided it was best for the two girls at her side to head home; their mothers were probably looking for them. It was a silent walk through a silent town to some silent houses; the chirps and twitters of wildlife seemed far too cheery. Mecora wished they’d shut up.
Neither Mecora nor her mother talked as dinner was prepared. It was as if both of them had something to say, but saying anything was an admission that it really was happening. Annoyingly, her brothers played loudly, and her mother hummed as she worked over the stove, just as she always did. It was a sad tune, Mecora noted.
Soon, dinner was on the table, and everyone sat at their places. Mecora could only sit there and stare at the dish, her favorite: Rabbit stew with junips.
“Dear, you have to eat,” Mecora’s mother said above the din of her brothers.
“I’m just not hungry, Mom.”
“I know you’re worried for your friends, but it won’t do them or you any good to not eat.”
“I’m not just worried about my friends, and you know it.” “Mecora, we’ve been over this before. Now, eat.”
“I can’t. I just can’t. It feels like my stomach’s all tied up in a knot.”
“Well, I suppose we can do with the leftovers.”
Mecora didn’t respond to that. Her brothers continued playing at the table, making the usual mess and noise, seemingly oblivious of the outside world. She couldn’t understand why her mom wouldn’t shut them up. Couldn’t they be quiet just this once? “Boys! Can’t you just be quiet?!”
That startled them. The younger one began to cry, and the older said, “No! I don’ wanna!” And he stuck his tongue out.
“Don’t stick your tongue out at me, you little—”
“Mecora! Don’t talk to your brothers that way! You’ve made Yover cry!”
“But, Mom, they were making too much noise!”
“It’s not them, it’s you, Mecora. They have no concept of what just happened today. They’ll notice soon enough.”
“I wish I could be that ignorant.”
“But you’re not, so you’ll just have to figure out how to deal with it.”
“Just figure it out?! How am I supposed to do that?! My best friends are going to go live in a camp five days’ travel from here! I’m supposed to be able to figure out how to deal with that?!”
“I know it’s tough, Mecora, but you’ll get through it—”
“Oh, easy for you to say! You don’t even have any friends who are going away!”
“You think it doesn’t hurt me too? I’m losing half my customers! Half! How are we going to make it now? Don’t just think you’re the only one hurt!”
“Well, you could at least tell me how to deal with it.”
“Mecora, if I knew, I’d tell you.”
She felt anger, then frustration, then the feeling that no one could help her or make everything all right, not even her mother. She stormed off to her room, even as she remembered it was her mom’s room, too. But for now, she could just flop on the bed and cry.
The door cracked open. “Go away!” she yelled.
The door closed again.
