Many in the crowd also punched their fists in the air. Could we pull this off? Ms. Strepp had been planning this for more than ten years. None of us, her followers, had had a choice about doing our parts in it. As Ms. Strepp continued her victory speech, I felt shocked about how completely I had followed her. We all had.
Becca and I were on the wide porch behind Ms. Strepp, with Nate and Tim and about twenty others. We watched the crowd for any sign of a weapon or threat to our leader.
Still, the show played on. It was fascinating. First there would be a fantastic masquerade ball in some city. Then it would show one of our harvest dances with straw on the floor. Watching the crowd, I saw how most of them looked shocked and confused. Could they really have not known?
I edged closer to Becca. “I can’t believe this is actually happening,” I murmured.
Becca nodded, not looking at me. “I… I think I’m done with this,” she said, watching the crowd, her gun ready.
“Me, too, sister,” I whispered back. “So what now?”
“We finish this,” Becca said. “Then we take off.”
“There has been a toxic imbalance in our country!” Ms. Strepp shouted. “And I say country, because this country is made up of ten actual cities, but thousands of cells! We will sweep this country, we will free the cellfolk—not by tearing down fences, though we will, but by educating them!”
Many of the crowd shouted in approval. I saw others look at each other in concern.
“Together we will remake this country into what it should be, what it always was—communities of people, all kinds of people!” Ms. Strepp went on. “Every kind of person living in every kind of community! No more cells! No more fences! No more predestined lives handed down by a faceless government!”
Becca let out a deep sigh and gave me a glance. “Let’s say three weeks?”
I gave the barest nod. “Three weeks. Then we make our own destinies.”
125
“IF YOU CAN’T KEEP UP, you need a different vehicle.” Becca sounded irritated, and I rolled my eyes at the walkie-talkie.
“We can keep up!” Nate said. “I’m still getting used to it! This tank has two clutches!”
I watched him as he peered through the eye slit and with difficulty switched gears. “I love our tank,” I said.
As the capital had come apart and new loyalties were established, a lot of resources became “available.” After Ms. Strepp had given us her blessing to leave, we’d had our pick of vehicles. Nate had chosen an army tank, for practicality, he said.
“We have no idea how some people will react to this revolution,” he’d said. “I want to feel safe!”
I felt safe. Totally safe. But also super-heavy and slow.
Nate ground the gears, switching his hands and feet rapidly. He nodded at the big black SUV in front of us. “When those two get surprised by, like, angry cellfolk or rabid elk, they’re going to be begging us to let them in this tank!”
I grimaced at the word “elk.” My shoulder still ached sometimes and I had a big, ugly scar. It was weird to think that I’d been with Tim then, not Nate.
“Sorry,” Nate said, remembering all the stories I’d told him. Over the last three weeks, we’d done a lot of catching up. But I’d never mentioned Tim’s kiss. And I never would.
“Well, it’s true,” I said loyally. “There could be rabid elk or something. Their SUV wouldn’t last five minutes!”
A surprisingly loud “Woo-oo-oo-oo” broke into our conversation, and I looked down at Anka.
“Even Anka agrees,” I said. Among the various provisions we’d liberated from our evil oppressors had been Anka, a ten-week-old puppy. Brown and tan, with enormous batlike ears and paws like saucers, she had captured my heart as soon as I’d laid eyes on her. If I could just get her tank-trained, she’d be perfect.
I spread an ol
d paper map out on the instrument board and hit Talk on the walkie-talkie. “Okay, so the capital was almost in the middle of the country,” I told Becca. “We probably have about a week’s journey to get to the coast.”
“Yeah,” said Becca. “Hope your ass can take those metal seats for that long.” Her voice faded as if she’d forgotten to turn off the Talk button. “Honey, could you flip my cup holder so it’ll keep my water cold? Thanks, babe.” She had not “forgotten” to turn off the Talk button.
Nate gave up on the eye slits and flipped on the front camera so he could see where the hell we were going.
“And what happens when we get to the coast?” he asked.