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Back The Long Sunset Save as PDF
Chapters (51)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. Prologue
  5. 1.
  6. 2.
  7. 3.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 6.
  11. 7.
  12. 8.
  13. 9.
  14. 10.
  15. 11.
  16. 12.
  17. 13.
  18. 14.
  19. 15.
  20. 16.
  21. 17.
  22. 18.
  23. 19.
  24. 20.
  25. 21.
  26. 22.
  27. 23.
  28. 24.
  29. 25.
  30. 26.
  31. 27.
  32. 28.
  33. 29.
  34. 30.
  35. 31.
  36. 32.
  37. 33.
  38. 34.
  39. 35.
  40. 36.
  41. 37.
  42. 38.
  43. 39.
  44. 40.
  45. 41.
  46. 42.
  47. 43.
  48. 44.
  49. Epilogue
  50. About the Author
  51. Copyright

Hutch was struck by the sheer beauty of the landscape, illuminated by the town behind the beach, and by the assorted cabins and cottages and post lights spread around the area. As she watched, lights also came on in one of the larger buildings. It was the one that resembled a school. And one of the other buildings lit up. Within a minute, so had the rest. The factories, and a place that looked like a city hall, everything was turning on lights. The port area also lit up. Including the ship which was still at the dock.

She caught her breath. Suddenly, the lights went out. First the ship, then the port area, and finally the town. At almost the same moment. The world remained dark for about fifteen seconds. Then it lit up again. Everywhere.

And went out again. It went back and forth, every few seconds, between utter blackout and a brilliantly illuminated town and port.

“There’s no way,” said Derek, “he could miss that.”

“Ken,” Hutch said, “they’ve been shutting off everybody’s power? I hope they haven’t told anyone it’s because of us.”

Arin apparently caught the meaning. He smiled at her but spoke to Ken, who translated. “He says they all knew it was coming. They notified as many in advance as they could. And nobody had a problem with it. If I got it right, he says they like us.”

25.

Spartans, stoics, heroes, saints, and gods use a short and positive speech.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The Superlative,” 1847

The question that remained on Hutch’s mind was the written message Arin had asked for: BK IN 3 WKS. But either he didn’t want to explain himself or he couldn’t figure out how to do it for people who had no real grasp of the language. Or maybe he just liked springing surprises. Her best guess was that it was a combination of the three.

She slept soundly the night they’d blinked the lights for Wally. At least that had assured her that he was very likely aware they were alive and well. Even had Wally not been watching, there was no way Barry could have missed the stunt. She’d gone to bed thinking of Tom Axler, a part of her life that she’d taken for granted. How nice it would be to share an evening with him again. Assuming they could get back to where they’d been before the president had gotten in the way.

And on those hopeful thoughts, the world faded out.

•  •  •

The following day, Arin returned to the cottage in the morning, wearing his rumpled equivalent of a bathing suit. He talked with Ken, and Ken explained to Hutch: “He says we have to locate the lander. He wants me to go out with him in a boat so we can mark the spot. Do we know precisely where it sank?”