When All Else Fails (A Push of a Button Novella)

Chapter Four

"Bring 'im back around, would ye? 'E's special." Evia eyed Seb and nodded resolutely. "'E'd be a favorite with the others."

"Only if he wants to."

Seb cleared his throat. "I would love to come back and meet the others, Evia. It's been a pleasure meeting you."

She grinned up at him. "I'll be lookin' forward to it, Mister."

Viv took his arm and tugged him away.

"Bye, Evia." Seb waved as he let her drag him off.

Together, they hurried across the pavement and ducked under the barbed wire. She stuck to the trail carefully. Birds whistled in the trees overhead, and she watched for the subtle markers that guided the believers safely through.

"So... That little girl... Doesn't anyone want to help her? Can we bring her back to my place sometime for a bath and a real meal?"

She raised a brow and continued to stare at the ground as they picked their way across the field. "I didn't expect that response."

"Why not?" Seb huffed. "She's clearly starving. Are all of them like that?"

She nodded. "Most."

He groaned. "And no one does anything? How can they?"

"The Deixebels do. But most of them are really poor too. I've been bringing food for the communal stores they give out at the end of each meeting, but I can't bring enough. I wish I could bring more."

He sighed. "I want to help. I just... How can she be so happy when she has nothing?"

Viv laughed. "You'll understand once you talk to Mr. H."

"Speaking of that... What's out here, anyway? Surely not Mr. H?"

"The entrance to the tunnel."

"Tunnels? In a minefield?"

"Sort of. It's past the minefield. No one bothers going out that far, and no one cares if some idiot blows themselves sky high out here, so the cops—or the Reds as they're called out here—usually leave people alone. They figure the slum rats are just suicidal or something." She sighed. "We have to be careful about going through in too many groups for meetings each week, but otherwise, no one cares."

"You go to meetings?" Disbelief crept into his tone.

"Since I found out the truth and managed to find Mr. H. Or, well, Mr. H found me. Said he had a dream and was compelled to come find me." She chuckled. "God has a way of working miracles."

"Apparently..." The disbelief in his voice grew. "So what can Mr. H tell me that you can't, again?"

"His story. Now, come on. We're almost there, and I need to concentrate."

He went quiet, and she led him across the last patch of field to a spot behind the rows of hedges separating the minefield from the regular field. Between the two hedges, she found the hatch into the tunnels and pulled it open. Time to meet Mr. H and pray that God would begin to open Seb's eyes just as He'd opened hers.

VIV HURRIED ALONG the street to her house. If only she could've stayed to listen to Seb and Mr. H. But the two had been talking about Seb's questions and God for at least two hours, and she'd needed to get home before they noticed she was missing. She really needed to move out. At twenty-two, it was more than time, and unlike the previous year, she wasn't close to her family. She loved them, of course, but they didn't understand her anymore, and she was forbidden to talk about anything that questioned the Supremacy.

She eased the door open with a heavy sigh. Yes, it was time to move on before she landed herself in any more trouble or made relations any more strained than they already were. She slipped inside and shut the door.