“The council chamber,” John murmured in explanation. “That’s where we’re going.”
We were led into the council room, which was cramped with chairs, all arranged around a space in the centre of the floor where individuals got up to speak to the group. People packed the chamber, but everyone fell silent as we entered. On the far wall were two chairs on a small dais, where an elegant, elderly woman with sea-green eyes and braided silver hair looked on, all dressed in black. Next to her sat a middle-aged man with black hair streaked with grey, an old-fashioned leather jacket, and a scowl.
There was no doubt that this had to be Ed Jameson. His eyes locked on me and Asha immediately, and his frown deepened in disapproval, and John confirmed my suspicion in a low voice. The woman was Abby Miller, the chairwoman that he’d previously mentioned.
On the opposite side of the room were two doors with signs, one of which simply saidClinic, while the other readSchoolroom. John and Kimmy sat beside each other on the edge of the empty centre. Kimmy tapped her foot impatiently; John remained impassive.
“Welcome,” Abby said formally to me and Asha. “As we consider your status in the Valley, we’ve determined that you both may be present for arguments.”
Jameson stared at us with open dislike. “Neither of you will speak unless spoken to. You aren’t members of this community. Understood?”
I gulped. “I understand.”
Asha gave a curt nod, her gaze laser-focused on him. We were escorted towards a small table and chairs that two men pulled into the centre of the room, then told to sit. Dozens of eyes followed our every move, some with expressions of open contempt or guardedness, others with unabashed curiosity. They thought us strange—I could feel it. I tried to keep my expression neutral.
Abby called the meeting to order, and then it was John and Kimmy’s turn to speak on our behalf. They walked to the centre of the room, in front of the table Asha and I were seated at. Kimmy shot me and Asha a sympathetic look, but John didn’t even glance in our direction. From his side profile, he looked intent and focused, the way he always did when he had a job to do. I wished I knew what was happening inside his head.
“Bringing outsiders into the Valley directly breaks our most important law,” Jameson said, his voice cold as ice. “Explain yourselves.”
My hackles immediately rose; he spoke to the two of them as though they were misbehaving children. John’s jaw tightened, and I knew he didn’t take kindly to the insult. Kimmy was less subtle about her feelings; she folded her arms and glared at him.
John spoke first, giving a brief overview of how he’d met me and how our relationship had blossomed. He spoke passionately about how he couldn’t leave me behind, and about how he’d proposed to me on our trip here. He told them about how I’d grown from a scared,ill-equipped compound dweller into a strong, resilient woman he was proud of, and a lump rose in my throat.
“I’ve shown my loyalty to this community a hundred times over,” John said. “Kimmy and I have risked our lives for two years on the hunt, and we brought back the thing that’s going to save our way of life here. Is that not enough for you to show some leniency?”
There was a collective murmur at this, but he continued.
“Without Claire, Kimmy and I couldn’t have delivered the PNCs we needed. She shared information that only she knew and led me directly to them. For that, we all owe her our thanks—and a place in our community.”
More murmuring, and I was heartened to see several people in the crowd nodding in understanding.
“I’ll marry her as soon as I can,” John said, and for the first time, there was a sliver of emotion in his voice. “She’s already my wife in everything but name.”
A hard lump rose in my throat at his words. Seeing him defend me was an affirmation of all the reasons I loved him. He was strong, determined, and unflinchingly loyal. His natural charisma made it hard not to listen to him, and I could only hope that the people of this community felt the same way.
Kimmy spoke next, giving me a glowing character reference and talking about the necessity of being more open to outsiders in general.
“We all know the reality here,” she said. “If we want the Valley to thrive for future generations, we need to introduce genetic diversity, and that means opening up to outsiders. It’s inevitable. So why not now? This is a chance for us to trial letting carefully vetted outsiders into our community, with low risk.”
Judging by the reaction from the crowd, several members of the council seemed to find this point compelling, which I took as an encouraging sign. They didn’t have to accept us purely based on emotion; there was logic behind it, too.
“And what of the other woman, then?” Jameson cut in, nodding at Asha. “What value is she to us?”
Asha’s hands clenched into fists on top of the table, and I took a deep breath, willing myself to remain calm. I hoped Kimmy had a solid response. Unfortunately, she faltered for a moment, pausing briefly as she saw Asha’s curled fists, then seemed to regain her composure.
“Asha has shown herself to be capable,” Kimmy said. “She has knowledge of gang tactics to aid in defence. She’s a chemistry teacher who may be able to offer help with making medicines and other things we need. She’ll be an asset to anyone who needs her.”
Notably absent from her argument was any personal feelings for Asha, unlike John’s appeal for me. Asha was clearly affected, because she bit her lip hard, and her knuckles whitened as she dug her fingers into her palm. I feared her reaction wasn’t reflecting well on either of us; several council members eyed her cautiously.
“We will now hear arguments against,” Abby announced. “Any member is free to take the floor.”
John and Kimmy took their cue to sit, and John finally looked my way. He gave me a short nod of reassurance. Several people stood and made their way to the centre to speak, and my stomach dropped. Rationally, I hadn’t expected unanimous approval, but John and Kimmy’s impassioned pleas had given me false hope.
An elderly man spoke first, railing against the abandonment of the ‘old ways,’ that the Valley had survived this long due to its secrecy and exclusivity, and that letting in two women from a compound could only spell trouble for their little community.
“All this hullabaloo about the PNCs, and how many did they actually bring back?” he demanded, hitting the ground with a wooden cane. “Only enough to maintain vital systems. Without more, we’ll still have to survive with less. They’ve only given us a temporary stay of execution, yet they act like they’ve saved us all.”
I frowned before I remembered to force my face back into a neutral expression. I didn’t understand. John had told me that we’d found far beyond what they needed. Had he been wrong? Why hadn’t he told me?
