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Chapters (68)
  1. Title page
  2. Dedication
  3. Part I
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Twelve
  16. Thirteen
  17. Fourteen
  18. Fifteen
  19. Sixteen
  20. Seventeen
  21. Eighteen
  22. Nineteen
  23. Twenty
  24. Twenty-one
  25. Twenty-two
  26. Twenty-three
  27. Twenty-four
  28. Twenty-five
  29. GAIA YOUNG. SUBJECTIVE IMPRESSIONS.MISSION DAY 20. 20:25 MT.
  30. Part II
  31. Twenty-six
  32. Twenty-seven
  33. Twenty-eight
  34. Twenty-nine
  35. Thirty
  36. Thirty-one
  37. Thirty-two
  38. Thirty-three
  39. Thirty-four
  40. Thirty-five
  41. Thirty-six
  42. Thirty-seven
  43. GAIA YOUNG. SUBJECTIVE IMPRESSIONS.MISSION DAY 22. 20:05 MT.
  44. Thirty-eight
  45. Thirty-nine
  46. Forty
  47. Forty-one
  48. GAIA YOUNG. SUBJECTIVE IMPRESSIONS.MISSION DAY 25. 15:30 MT.
  49. Forty-two
  50. Forty-three
  51. Forty-four
  52. Forty-five
  53. Forty-six
  54. Forty-seven
  55. Forty-eight
  56. Forty-nine
  57. Fifty
  58. Fifty-one
  59. Fifty-two
  60. Fifty-three
  61. Fifty-four
  62. Part III
  63. Fifty-five
  64. Fifty-six
  65. Fifty-seven
  66. Fifty-eight
  67. Also by Chris Beckett
  68. Copyright page

‘I’m not Gela,’ she told them. ‘I’m not Angela. Angela is here in the Burial Ground in Circle Valley, under that huge pile of stones. My name is Gaia, and my ancestor was Angela’s sister, Candice.’

The people looked at each other. How strange and wonderful her Earth speech was. You could only make out the odd word, and yet somehow you knew you’d be able to figure it out, if only you listened long and hard enough.

‘Candice?’ crowed the old woman. ‘Did you say Candice? My name’s Candice too!’

‘Hey!’ called Deep. ‘Gaia! Marius! Come and check this out! I think we’re finally getting somewhere!’

Forty-six

I feel a bit sorry for Headmanson Luke when I think about that moment up there in the snow and the darkness. In front of him were three dead men and six angry guards. Behind were all those ringmen waiting for him to decide. He was young young – younger than me and Starlight were that first time we went to Veeklehouse – but he’d already made himself the fool of a story that all these watching men would take back to the Johnfolk and the Davidfolk both. He’d come across to Mainground to make his stern grey father proud, and bring some happiness to his mother Lucy. He’d come full of plans to help his friend Teacher Gerry bring the True Story of President to all the people of Eden. But now Teacher Gerry was dead and Luke had brought shame to his family and to all of New Earth. It would be hard for anyone to move forwards from a thing like that. But Luke was the Headmanson and he knew he must.

‘Topmen,’ he called, ‘come talk to me.’

In New Earth they have a Headman instead of a Head Guard, chiefs instead of guard leaders, and topmen are the bosses of smaller groups of ringmen under the chiefs, much like the blokes they call groupmen in the guards. There were four of them there among his ringmen. They climbed down from their bucks and walked over to him, pulling off their headwraps, which up here on the Dark they wore instead of their metal masks.

‘I’ll take ten men with me, and carry on to Circle Valley to talk with the Headman.’ Luke pointed to the oldest of the topmen. ‘You can come with me, John. Pick out nine more to bring with us. You three can take the rest of the men back to Wide Forest and—’

‘But, Father, you won’t be safe with only—!’