Sineta nodded. “It must be difficult, with the boy’s mother appearing as if from nowhere. But we will miss you—all of you,” she added pointedly, looking at Mildred.
“You mean you will be going with them?” Markos asked Mildred. When Mildred nodded, he said, “I wish you would reconsider…all of you.” With which he stood and walked away from them.
“I didn’t figure we were that important,” a mystified Ryan said, half joking.
“I think it may be more than that,” Sineta replied perceptively, indicating that Mildred should go after him.
Mildred got to her feet and walked after the sec boss, who stood on the verge of the camp, looking out into the night. He turned as he saw her approach.
“I don’t think there is anything more that can be said really, is there?” he asked.
“Maybe.” Mildred shrugged. “But maybe you should know that this is the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. And if you had the slightest idea of how weird and strange my life has been next to yours, you’d know how deep that cuts.”
“Then why are you going?”
“Because I have to. I know we both pulled back from each other, but maybe something could have happened if I stayed.”
“So why don’t you?” There was pain and anger mixed in his tone.
“Because I have other loyalties that cut me deeper still. Not just to J.B., but to all of them. We’ve got bonds and ties that were forged in fire, and you can’t walk away from those.”
“And, in truth, I would not expect you to,” he said softly before walking away from her.
WHEN THE MORNING CAME, the companions prepared to leave and the entire tribe rose to wish them well. As they made to leave, Sineta approached them.
“Words are so easy and seem so pointless at a time like this,” she began, “but nonetheless, I feel it is important that I say this. Without you, we would still have had to leave Pilatu and begin again, but it would have been a harder, more costly experience. We owe you much, and we will never forget you.” The baron embraced Mildred, her eyes filled with tears of regret. The companions parted company with Pilatu. In the end, it was as simple as walking in a different direction to the caravan, which began to move off and down into the valley, searching for a spot to begin building.
Markos didn’t watch the companions leave and Mildred didn’t look for him.
After they had walked some distance, they stopped to rest. The redoubt could still be reached before nightfall. Mildred turned to look back to see the Pilatan caravan stretching out across the valley floor. J.B. came up to her, standing behind and resting his hands lightly on her shoulders.
“They’ll be fine. Good people with good leaders,” he said at length. When Mildred didn’t reply, he said after a pause, “Millie, tell me honestly, did you really want to go with them? I mean, are you with us because of the past and not the future? I mean—”
She turned and silenced him by putting her fingers to his lips.
“John,” she said softly, “when have you ever known me to do anything that I didn’t feel was the right thing? The right thing for me, and for those who I want around me,” she added, stressing the last half of the sentence.
The Armorer started to answer, but before he could speak she shook her head.
“Never,” she whispered. “And that still stands.”
THEY MADE THE REDOUBT by nightfall. The recessed entrance was shut tight. Without an exterior trigger it was a problem as to how they would gain entry. But not a problem that hadn’t been considered.
“Jak, you remember we’ve been to redoubts that had vents for their air conditioning and cleaning systems?” Ryan asked. When the albino youth nodded, the one-eyed man continued, “Do you reckon these vents would have maintenance and service hatches?”
“Remember climbing down one,” Jak replied. “Just need find it.”
Without another word, Ryan followed Jak as the albino scaled the shallow wall of rock around the recessed entrance. The two men scoured the top of the small plateau formed in the side of the valley by the redoubt entrance, moving out of sight of the rest of the companions.