Chapter 12: Two Weeks Of Rain Two Weeks Of Light

Russell hadn't seen much of the beach in the light of the moonlamp, and in any case any location hadn't mattered to him when he had been with Belle, but now he saw it... Lester was right. The beach was rusting away. It was a windy day today, and the wind pounded against the rough, scabbed metal like a gigantic fist, like it was knocking for someone on the other side of the world and it was tearing the door down. Its fingers clawed up the ragged shoreline and raked across the rivets and lines between slabs of iron. It sunk and rose, and dripped, broken, into drains scattered across the beach. Russell looked into one as they passed. It sloshed at him, near full to the brim with salt-water. Lester saw it too and muttered about how it needed emptying. Scattered across the beaches were massive constructions – the one they passed looked like the top half of an oil rig, all boiler and steaming vent on rusting vicious legs. In the distance Russell saw a crane gripped into the rusted beaches by massive lengths of wire, like they were binding it to the ground. As the wires twitched the crane slowly moved, occasionally raking itself across the beach like a windmill. It moved jerkily but organically, like it was having a bad dream.

“This is it.” Lester stood by Russells side. “These are the beaches. We travel along these to get to Oceanside, where your daughter is.” Russell smiled. He was looking forward to seeing that kid again.

His kid. He needed to remember that, jesus. He was her father. What the hell were they doing here if not saving her? He stopped a moment to think. If he really didn't care about her then he should tell them.

“We're one step closer to saving your daughter. Its not far from here.” Sebastien patted Russells shoulder affectionately then brought it down, bringing Russells ear to his face. “Well?” “Well what?” Russell asked defensively, though he thought he knew what was coming. “Well I told you!” Russell smiled at him, and brought his voice to a whisper. “I know, and I took heed of your warning! But I thought to myself, if thats the kind of girl she is, then she'll be using protection, won't she? She'll be on the pill, won't she?”
Sebastien looked at him quizzically. “Sorry?”
Russell rolled his eyes. “She'll be using contraception, so I'm cool, its all cool, isn't it? I don't have to worry about it.”
“Contra-what?” Sebastien asked.
“Contraception!” Russell answered, warily. “You know! To stop more kids!”
“What would be the point?” Sebastien asked. “Why would she want to stop having a baby? Is that what you do where you come from?”


why would she want to stop having a baby?

“What do you mean, 'why would she want to stop having a baby'? I'm a stranger, pretty much!” He answered, a little desperately, now actually looking at Sebastien. “Of course she wants to stay safe.”
Sebastien laughed. “Russell, every man on this island is sterile! Theres no point in... protecting yourself. Hell, I think the main reason she fucked you was because she knew you could give her a child.” he patted Russell on the back. “But the look on your face says that it was a good lay, right? Thats whats important, right?” There was a knife edge of sarcasm dripping through his sinewy tones. Russell had never heard Sebastien unpleasant before and he didn't like it.

He was left squatting alone on the hard cold beach he had poured his soul into the night before.

She knew you could give her a child

Had what just happened really happened?

Had he been played? Had he just been screwed over by Belle? Or by Sebastien, for telling him. He was happier not knowing and he was pretty sure Belle wouldn't have done...
He felt a hot surge run through him. He couldn't believe it. Everything had disappeared around him. What he had thought was getting over Juliet was running back into her again. A beach. A pregnancy. Another betrayal.

Women.

Lester called for him and he looked up, and made to follow. His feet trod cold along the metal pathways. His breath cut through him in ragged scratches, climbing through his throat with pickaxes. He hated himself for failing again. Ahead he heard a noise, and he jogged to catch up to find Lester, Belle, Sebastien and Dresden searching along the ground again. They searched through thin reeds of waving wires hanging from the ceiling and the ground until Lester called “Don't worry, I got one!” He came out carrying a plastic headset, scratched and rusted from growing in the ground. Russell smiled a moment – he thought that he wouldn't be surprised by anything he found in this world any more. Lester grabbed the end of the headset, and plugged it into a squawking pillar. He rammed the other half onto his head and spat into the mike “Sorry for the delay. Whats the message?”
“Lester?”

Sebastien could have sworn he had heard that voice before. With a jolt he remembered the last time they had gotten a call through this system. Last time it had been good news, but the mans voice was not so jovial this time. His voice cracked like he had been punched in the throat. “Lester, I'm so glad I have you finally! I take it you've heard the news by now?”
“What news?” said Lester.
There was a long pause.
“You haven't heard?”
“Haven't heard what? Tell me!”
“Lester... the village... Oceanside... its a ruin!”
The air went still.
“Its that girl, Lester! Ever since she got here! There was nothing... nothing I could do!”
“Whats happened, goddamnit?” Lester spat into the microphone.
“They... they took her. The villagers. They're going to sacrifice her to the sphere.”
“Bastard!” Lester shouted and he cracked his knuckles against the metal pillar. “Why the hell didn't you stop them?”
“Because, Lester! Because she's evil!”
Sebastiens eyes widened. He looked at Russell, who looked like he had been hit by a train. His eyes would have ran blood if they could.
“Evil...” Russell murmured.
“She attracts those goddamned ironbeaks!” The speaker crackled.
“Thats impossible, Lance, and you know it.”
“Its not, I swear!” the speaker groaned and seemed to carry on speaking only with an immense effort of will. “Wherever she goes, the ironbeaks follow!”
Lester turned to those assembled before him. Russell looked confused.
“Russell, the sphere is where the masses assemble. Its... it powers a bunch of stuff around the island. All wires lead to the Sphere.”

He looked at Sebastien, who licked his lips slowly and then spoke.
“I don't think we should go.”
Everyone stared. Russell punched him in the mouth. Sebastien staggered back, blood dribbling down his chin. “How dare you!” Russell shouted. “My daughter is in there!”
Sebastien wiped his chin with his sleeve, and raised his fists. “We all know that you don't give a shit about your daughter.”
how did he know?
“Thats not true!” Russell exclaimed.
“Sebastien-” Lester cried, and Belle drew in her breath. Dresden moved to stop him, but Sebastien batted him away.
“Why the hell would you care for your daughter when you don't care what happens to her family?! How the hell can you claim to love her when you're tearing your family apart?”
Russell stepped forward “What are you trying to say?” Dresden put a comforting hand on Sebastiens shoulder and squeezed to comfort him. “Don't, Seb-”
“Fucking around behind your wifes back!” Sebastien screamed, his face beet red. “Sticking your dick wherever you want! Just because shes not here right now you think you can do what the fuck you like? The hell kind of way is that to raise a child? You're supposed to be sick with worry and you're doing things like that?” He spat on the hard ground and it ran into the ocean and left a trail of cancerous rust. “You don't care what happens to that girl.”
Russells fists were clenched and his nails bit into his palm like he was biting himself. “My wife has been dead for half a year-”
“The hell does that matter?!” Sebastien bawled. He wasn't even looking at Russell. Tears were streaming down his face and he was staring through a haze of hatred so thick all he could see was a prick.
Russell took a deep breath and started “I care very deeply for my daughter-”
“Then go and get her if you care that much! But I won't be party to you ruining your daughters life! I won't see it happen again!”
“Again?” Lester asked.
Sebastien turned to Lester and his eyes were filled with tears. “Lester...” He tried to speak but nothing came out of his throat but garbled chokes. He screwed his eyes tight shut, screamed “I'm so sorry!” and picked up and ran, his shoes pounding on the bronzed earth, ran and ran so it echoed around him. Lester looked behind him in consternation, then turned to the other assembled, their eyes wide.

“Russell. Belle. Dresden. You go ahead to the sphere. I'm sure theres nothing wrong with that kid that a couple of soft words won't fix. We'll be along as soon as we can, but someone needs to get to the sphere new. We'll split up.” He drew a deep breath. “I'll be along with Seb as soon as we're able. I'll knock some sense into him.”
He looked at Russell and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You'll get your daughter back, I swear. I swear to God. I'm gonna save your daughter, and I'm gonna save this island with her, and everything will be alright.” He swallowed. “Everything will be alright again. I'm gonna save everything.” Then he picked up and ran after Sebastien.