Her mother rubbed the back of her neck. “Maybe you won’t run into trouble on the way to New Salem.” She didn’t sound convinced.
“Or maybe I just don’t know how to be a psychic. Can I talk to Dad before we go?”
Her mother nodded. “I’ll take you to him.”
Enzo headed toward the door. “I’ll fill up the car and see if someone has some scissors to cut Blue’s hair.”
Blue squeaked in alarm. “Cut it? She said for me to wear a hat.”
Enzo motioned for her to come with him. “It will look fine with all of the blue cut off. Short but fine.”
“Don’t you dare touch my hair,” Blue said.
He held the door open for her. “Come on, Brown.”
She glared but went with him.
Charity’s mother went out the door as well, and Charity followed, her mind abuzz. She’d known the government would be looking for them. She hadn’t considered they might have such a large reward for her. Sixty thousand credits were four year’s wages for a harvester. She hated to think how many of the people she’d worked with would turn her over for that sort of money. She could never go back.
They went to Mr. Whitney’s bedroom, a room larger than some of the bunkhouses she’d stayed in. It smelled of antiseptic, a scent that seemed out of place among the dressers, paintings, and frilly curtains.
Her father lay on the bed, eyes shut. His skin had a yellow tinge, and his hair was mussed and matted with blood. An IV bag hung from the bedpost, connected to a needle taped to the back of his hand. The doctor and all the other equipment were gone.
As Charity came in, her father opened his eyes and smiled.
She sat on the side of the bed and held his hand. He didn’t squeeze her hand, a reminder that he couldn’t feel her grip. “I’m sorry about all of this.” The words caught in her throat. “I don’t know if I did the right thing, giving you that shot. Maybe I did more damage.” Her head hung with the weight of the words.“Why didn’t you have a vision to tell me what to do? Why didn’t your visions say I should shoot Schmitt first?”
“Good questions.” His voice had a slur to it. “Most of the time we only think about what’s best for us in the short term. The visions direct things for what is better in the long term.”
“How could this be better?” Charity asked. “You’re crippled now, and you no longer have your gift.”
Even then, his eyes were kind. “I can think of reasons why this is better. The government knew I was a psychic and knew you weren’t one. They’ll concentrate their efforts on finding me. But even if they do capture me, it won’t do them any good.”
He sighed. “I can’t betray New Salem now. Perhaps the visions knew I would give the government whatever information it wanted to keep my children from being tortured. But my brother and mother live in New Salem. The visions protect them too.”
He seemed far too willing to part with his gift.
“I don’t want to be a psychic,” Charity said. “I’ll give the power back to you as soon as you're well enough. We just need to find one of those shots.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think that will work. You’ll know that you’re not really dying.”
If she’d had any tears left in her body, she might have cried at the burden of the mantle he was handing her. “Then we’ll find another way. We have to. The people of New Salem listen to you. They won’t listen to me.”
Charity turned to her mother for support. Certainly, her mother would agree that Charity wasn’t capable of that sort of job. She wasn’t a leader.
Her mother only stared back at her in solemn expectation.
“Charity,” her father said. “The family needs you to lead them now. Enzo and Blue need you to get them to safety. The people ofNew Salem need you, even if they don’t know it. You had faith in my visions before. Transfer that faith to yourself.”
“I had faith inyou,” she protested. “Your wisdom can’t be transferred.”
“Sometimes wisdom comes from making mistakes,” he said.
Well, she was about to prove that maxim wrong. “If that were true, I’d be wise already. I’ve done nothing lately except make mistakes.” As proof, and perhaps because she was a little hysterical, she added, “I let Enzo know who you were. I used my flashlight in the forest so soldiers captured us, and I gave you that shot.”
As though refuting her, he said, “Enzo is on our side now. You were able to rescue me, and you’ve preserved the power we need to lead our city. I see no mistakes there.”
How could Charity keep refusing her father? She had to at least try to be the leader he wanted. “I haven’t had any other visions. I only had the two that helped us get here.”