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Back Daughter of Eden
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

And straight away, four five women came forward sobbing, to kneel on the ground to say they’d heard the Secret Story too, and beg for Mary’s forgiveness.

‘Did Leader Hunter ask you to speak about the Secret Story?’ I said to Mary, when we were some miles rockway of Veeklehouse, with our two guards far enough behind us for me to be sure they couldn’t hear. It had taken me some time to pluck up the courage to speak. ‘Only you haven’t spoken about it before.’

Mary had pulled up a dead starflower as we walked and was picking at something between her teeth with its dry stem.

‘He mentioned it, yes.’ Suddenly she stopped dead, taking hold of my arm to make me stop as well, and looking straight at me. ‘But what are you trying to say, Angie?’

‘I don’t mean to criticize, Mary. Please don’t think that. But what you said before the show about helping out the high people . . . well, it kind of made me think. And I wondered if it’s possible to speak for Mother Gela and the high people both?’

Mary frowned. I thought for a moment she was going to shout at me, and I felt scared and ashamed like a naughty child. But then she laughed and gave me a hug.

‘Oh Angie! Angie dearest! Do you know why I love you so much? It’s because your heart is pure! It’s pure and clear as the light inside a whitelantern flower. I saw that from the moment I first spotted you, out on that little grounds of yours. I just knew you would help me to see clearly. I knew you’d help me stay on the path I’ve chosen, and not wander off. Because even shadowspeakers can wander, you know, and sadly there are some that have done just that, like bloody old Suzie Batting, for instance, who only pretends to hear our Mother’s voice, but really just thinks about the pile of presents she’s building up, and the fancy shelter she’s having built for her at Davidstand.’

She took my hand, leading me forwards again.

‘Listen, Angie. Of course I have to listen to the high people. The guards and guard leaders are part of Gela’s plan. Their job is to protect Family and keep it whole. And of course, if they’re worried about something that worries Gela too, then I will happily speak out about it. But I’ve never . . .’

Again she stopped and turned to face me, still holding onto my hand.

‘I would never never say anything at a show, Angie, unless I knew for certain, for certain, that it was Mother Gela I was speaking for.’

I nodded and smiled. It was my turn to hug her. ‘You are good, Mary,’ I told her. ‘You’re good good.’