فصل 46

Chapter 46: Saying Good-bye

I woke to the bleating of an alarm. I jumped out of bed, my heart pounding fiercely, before realizing that it was just the alarm clock that Ben had set.

“Sorry,” Ben said as he shut it off.

“Is it time?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“I’ll go with you,” I said.

“No, I must go alone.”

“I just meant to get her.”

He slightly bowed. “Dwei buchi. Sorry.” I followed him over to the women’s quarters. We quietly opened the door, letting a sliver of light into the darkened room. Everyone was asleep except for Jade Dragon, who was sitting facing the door, her legs hanging over the bed, not touching the floor. She looked as if she was expecting us.

Ben mouthed something to her in Chinese. She nodded, glanced at me, then reached over and touched Taylor. Taylor rolled over but didn’t wake.

I sat down on the side of Taylor’s cot and gently shook her. She woke from a dead sleep. “What?” “It’s me,” I said.

She looked at me through half-closed eyes. “Michael . . .” “It’s time for Jade Dragon to leave,” I said.

It took only a few seconds for my words to sink in. “Oh,” she said, sitting up. She looked over at Jade Dragon as tears welled up in her eyes. Jade Dragon took her hand. Without explanation, Taylor suddenly closed her eyes as if in a trance.

After a minute I said, “Taylor . . .”

“Shhh,” she said.

For several minutes the two of them sat perfectly still. Then Taylor’s eyes opened. “She understands. She knows she’s going away without her parents.” She looked at me. “She can go now.” Taylor held Jade Dragon’s hand as the four of us walked downstairs to the van. Ben unbolted the garage door while I opened the van door and Taylor seat-belted Jade Dragon in behind the driver’s seat.

“Keep her safe,” Taylor said to Ben.

“I will,” Ben said.

“When will you be back?” I asked.

“Maybe tonight. After she is gone I will talk to the voice. If I am too late I will stay in Taitung with friends and come back early tomorrow.” “When will we fly back?”

“I will ask the voice. It will take a few days for the plane to return. Maybe in three days. Until then no one must go out.” He looked at me uneasily and I sensed that he was still shell-shocked from our last careless venture out. “It is very, very dangerous. Fei chang, fei chang dangerous. No one can go out for any reason.” “I promise,” I said. “No one will leave the building.” He turned the ignition and the van started. “I will be back soon.” Taylor leaned forward and kissed Jade Dragon on the cheek. “Dzai jyan,” she said.

A tear fell down Jade Dragon’s cheek. Taylor wiped her own eyes, then shut the van door as the garage door opened. I gave Ben a half wave, then he looked over his shoulder and backed the van out of the garage. The door shut behind him.

“I wish we were going with them,” Taylor said.

“I know, but Ben’s right. It’s safer for him to go alone.” I took Taylor’s hand. “Are you still tired?” “Yes. But I don’t want to go back to bed or I won’t sleep tonight.” “Want to go up to the roof?”

She smiled. “Sure.”

I took her hand and we climbed the stairway three stories to the top of the warehouse. The stairwell’s last door let out onto a flat tar-and-gravel roof with occasional vents that rose like tin mushrooms. Near the western edge of the roof, facing the harbor, was a telescope, several plastic chairs, and some faded, green-and-white-striped vinyl cushions from an outdoor sofa. It was a beautiful, clear day with only a few cotton-puff clouds, and we could see the sun’s glimmering light on a sea stretching out past the Earth’s gradual curve. After we settled down on the cushions Taylor said, “So now what?” “Back to the ranch,” I said.

“And after that?”

I looked up to the blue sky, then said, “We retire.” I could feel Taylor’s eyes on me. “Are you serious?” “I’ve been thinking a lot lately. We’ve shut down the academy and two power plants, and sank the Ampere. We rescued Jade Dragon. I think we’ve done our share.” When she didn’t say anything I looked over at her. She looked stunned.

“You want to disband the Electroclan?” she said.

“Break up the team? No. Just retire our jerseys.” Taylor smiled. “Did you really just use a sports metaphor?” “I’m full of surprises.”

“Especially this one,” she said. “Retiring the Electroclan.” “I’m not saying good-bye to everyone. I just think it’s time we got on with our lives.” “You know we can’t go back to Idaho. The Elgen will just hunt us down.” “I know. It will have to be one of those witness protection things.” “You mean where they change our identities and move us to a different city?” “Exactly.”

“What would we do?”

“Finish school. Go to college. Be normal and boring.” Taylor sighed. “Boring sounds nice. You know, I’d like to live on a ranch. Someplace rustic. Maybe even without electricity.” “No electricity,” I said. “That counts me out.” She smiled. “You’re the one exception.” She looked out over the horizon, her gaze following a squadron of pelicans. “I’ve always wondered what I would do for a living.” “Think about it,” I said. “With your powers, you could be the greatest negotiator the world has ever known. You could be, like, Secretary of State.” “Not to mention the greatest mother,” she said. “My kids would never lie to me.” “I’m sure they’d still try,” I said. “They just wouldn’t get away with it.” I breathed deeply. “I’m ready for our future.” For a moment Taylor looked content; then her smile fell. “What about the Elgen?” “It’s going to be a long war,” I said. “Maybe someday we’ll return to it.” She looked at me quietly, then said, “Michael, why do you really want to retire?” I didn’t answer for a moment, then said, “How do you read my thoughts without even touching me?” “That’s just being a girl.”

I looked down for a moment. “This morning when I left you on that boat I didn’t think I would see you again.” My eyes welled up. “I can’t go through that again.” She took my hand. “You would leave the cause for me?” I looked at her, then said, “You are my cause.”