Exile: The Book of Ever

13: The Sunken City

"I overheard Elder Betenson talking about it once," Rolan explained. "My father told me he was as keen on the relics of the Old People as Elder Haglund when he was younger."

The children of Bountiful—the boys, mostly—had all grown up telling stories about the Sunken City. How it was filled with mermaids, and sea monsters, and gigantic crabs that would as soon eat you as look at you. Some were stories of adventure, but most were stories made up to help young boys frighten the wits out of each other when they were up past their bedtime.

"Only the richest of the rich lived there," said Acel. "The most powerful of the Old People, before the Fall. They built it to show how God-like they were. Look at it now."

Ever remembered the look on Acel's face when her foster father had told him to take one of the longboats across the Sound. He'd looked concerned, scared even—what was he worried about?

"Why don't we just go around, Acel?" Ever asked, but Acel shook his head reluctantly.

"Your father was right to tell us to go straight across. The Sunken City may be bad, but the ruins take up most of the center of the Sound. The alternative is to pass close by the old Jerusalem wharves, and there will likely be Marmacks nearby."

No craft significantly larger than their boat could have passed through the ruins safely. The jagged remains of the structures, steel and stone and more exotic materials, often lurked just below the surface, waiting to tear up the hull of the unwary sailor. The Blessed rarely sailed larger craft—where would they go?—and the longboats had shallow enough drafts to coast safely through most of the detritus.

Jerusalem Sound was less than two miles across at its narrowest point. They were almost halfway across now, well within the outer boundaries of the ruins. Rolan offered to take over for either Acel or Chy, but both shook their heads. Ever had to admit to a growing feeling of unease as they drew into the most concentrated part of the ruins. The platform sections, many of them jutting almost vertically out of the water, loomed over their boat as the boys guided it through. Ever didn't blame them for preferring to have something to do other than look around.

The water grew choppier as they drifted into the more crowded center of the ruins, green waves slapping hollowly against the tilted platform fragments and jostling their boat. Much longer in this kind of chop and we'll all be hanging over the sides, thought Ever. The strangeness of their surroundings did nothing to help her roiling stomach.

"Do you feel it?" Acel said suddenly. He slowed his rowing for a moment and Ever saw the back of his head move slowly from side to side. She knew at once that he wasn't talking about seasickness.

"Yes," said Ever, at the same time that Rolan and Chy did. Chy and Acel turned around, stopping the oars completely, and all four of them stared at each other in surprise.

"It's like there's something—" said Rolan.

"Wrong," finished Chy, licking his lips nervously. The boat bobbed on the water, its prow drifting slowly out of course with no oars to guide it.

"We should keep going," said Ever. Acel nodded heartily in agreement and he and Chy began rowing again with new vigor.

The feeling was subtle, like the first, nagging tingle of illness that reveals its true nature only after a high fever has blossomed in your head, and it was growing. The four companions didn't need to talk about it to know they all wanted to get out of the Sunken City as soon as they could.