A lie that sustains a life is better than a truth that destroys a life.
I got that from Kjertan. Or Rayk. I see it differently. I don’t want to base my daughter’s life on a lie. My father’s lies almost broke me and I don’t want that for Ivy. Obviously, I’ll wait until she’s old enough to understand. Grandma is right. I still have a lot of time and we have other things to get through first.
For example, the trial. I’ll also be testifying in court and that part will be difficult for me. I haven’t seen my father since that day in the penthouse and I’m afraid of facing him. No one, notthe prosecutor or anyone else, knows how the jury will decide, whether my father will try to bribe them or has already done so. I’m no longer so naive as to underestimate him. He was and is a powerful man. And, unfortunately, today it’s no longer possible to prove that he murdered my mom. It’s his word against mine and my word against the report that the fire was an accident. Kitchen fires are considered the most common cause of fires on ships, so he will be able to wiggle his way out of that and I was merely a child at the time.
The prosecution will focus primarily on the fact that he pretended to be my father even though he knew the truth. Essentially, it is kidnapping, but the offense does not meet all the criteria. My lawyer believes that he will only get a suspended sentence or a fine for this offense, which is also due to the fact that he is Mr. Nicholas Hampton and he did not cause me any physical harm. In addition, Dr. Moore will testify on his behalf that separating me from my stepfather would have broken me psychologically. That was also supposedly Mr. Hampton’s reason for keeping it a secret from everyone.
I have already accepted that he will not bleed on this point. It is also much more important to me that he is charged for the environmental crimes because of the deaths he is responsible for.
Of course, Ian, Nathan, and I collected as many documents as we could that night in New York, but a large part of it was never recovered, blowing into subway tunnels, getting caught under the wheels of the hundred thousand cars, or maybe ended up in the Hudson River. The prosecution will rely on our sparse evidence since the search warrant was issued so late that Mr. Hampton was able to destroy all the evidence on his PC in peace. Although, some data was recovered.
Basically, anything can happen. Perhaps Mr. Hampton will actually be found guilty and go to prison. But, presumably, andthis is more likely, he will use his billions to buy his way out of prison with the jury, or the court will consider his crime too minor for a prison sentence despite the guilty verdict since he will bribe the judges.
I don’t know yet how I will react. But I also don’t know yet how I will react when I face him in court. Will part of me still associate him with the dad he once was to me or will he just be Mr. Hampton? What will happen when he finds out about Ivy one day? Will he try to take her for himself or leave us alone? Will I be able to protect her from him? I never want to have to lock her up and I never want to feel locked up again.
All these questions haunt me, questions that scare me.
But positive things have already happened: The Hampton Oil Company has been shut down. The press articles must have stirred up too much dust, so a group of up-and-coming environmental activists led by a certain McMillan have put massive pressure on the relevant authorities. As Isaac said, a single dedicated reporter can sometimes start everything rolling. A sheriff locked the gate with the obligatory chain five weeks ago and the toxic center has been shut down ever since.
We were also able to help the residents of Coldville. Nathan had already started doing that when I was recovering in the swamp. He sent them money for medicine and proper treatment in a hospital. He simply pawned a diamond from my ring at a pawnshop. Mr. Callahan, the horse vet, knew a jeweler who in turn knew the owner of the pawnshop in New Orleans. “I would have asked you, Will,” Nathan explained to me. “But I didn’t want to burden you with it and I know you would have been the first to say yes. Nevertheless, I will return those diamonds to you no matter how hard and long I have to work for them.” Obviously, I refused.
He had told me that day in the penthouse that the ring had already served many good purposes; at the time, I had simplythought that he had given the diamonds to Franklin, but Nathan had cash on him that day, an incredibly large sum. “Foresight,” he said and laughed, and that indeed reminded me of a pirate again. But he had also had to pawn two more stones to do so. He had also used the money to pay Mrs. Durand and Mr. Callahan for everything they had done for us.
As for the diamonds: I could get them back myself, I have enough money.
All I can say is that the driftwood heart was not the only heart I took out of the safe that evening in New York—I just hid the blue one better under my mattress with the printed copies.
I auctioned it off last month for a gigantic sum. I used part of the proceeds to buy land in British Columbia. Clean land with crystal green lakes, cobalt-blue rivers, and ebony-black firs. It is for the families of Coldville and I hope they will feel at home there someday.
Sometimes, when I lie awake in bed at night with Nathan holding my hand, sleepless, I recall his story for Sparta. Maybe one day Sparta’s granddaughter will actually be able to return to Coldville.
Maybe the rivers and lakes will recover better than a human soul.
At this point, I stop writing and put the pen down. I place the notebook neatly in my drawer next to Mom’s ring, which I will keep in there until I get married. Of course, I now understand why Mom didn’t wear it on the day she died. She certainly hadn’t worn it in the last few weeks, not even on her chain. I gently stroke the blood-red ruby. Maybe I’ll choose a completely different ring and give this one to Ivy along with this book so that she can read my story and hers for herself.
I glance at the clock. There’s still a bit of time until Dad’s plane lands in New Orleans, time that I want to spend with Nathan in the Palace of Shards. For a moment, I stare at myself in the mirror. I like myself again. My cheeks are rosy and I’ve gained a little weight, and not just because of the pregnancy. For Ivy, I force myself to eat more, especially lots of scrambled eggs and healthy nuts.
I quickly tug at my hair a bit before finally walking through the wide corridors out into the garden.
On a ladder leaning against a mighty oak tree, I spot the twin who, today, is Kjertan. He is using a chainsaw to cut a branch damaged by the storm.
I don’t hesitate for a second and walk toward him.
He immediately turns off the engine.
“Hey,” I say and smile.
“Hey, prinsessa. What up?” He looks the same as always, wearing a bandana, jeans, and a black shirt with his wild curls snaking around it.
I touch my stomach and look up at him. “I want you to be Ivy’s godfather,” I say after a brief hesitation.
For a moment, he looks at me in bewilderment, but then he starts to smile. “You want me for your baby? You not fucking serious!”
He climbs down the ladder and puts the chainsaw in the grass. “Can I touch?”
I hesitate for a moment but then nod. “There is one condition,” I say as he carefully places his giant hand on my stomach.
Ivy fidgets and his grin broadens. “She kick me. Child become strong. I teach her how to defend herself.” I nod again and he pulls his hand back. “What condition you mean?”
