“But, David,” said Etta, leaning forward so her head was closer to his in the front seat. Amber saw him try not to react. “The first question is”—she glanced at Amber with a secret grin—“what did you do?”
There was a pause in which none of the teens spoke. That, in itself, seemed a miracle.
“I wanted to destroy something Amber loved.”
There were shocked mutterings. Amber’s gaze remained fixed on the back of the seat in front of her as she tried not to cry.
“I reckon you two are pretty much stuffed then. You both want different things.”
“No!” said David too quickly. “No,” he repeated more softly. “It can’t be like that.”
“Why not?”
Amber waited for David’s answer with curiosity, too. But it didn’t come. His hands flexed around the steering wheel, but he didn’t speak.
“Okay, so why, David, would you want to destroy something Amber loves?” asked Etta, showing the same kind of gutsy courage she displayed on the rugby field.
It seemed David was on more comfortable ground here. “Because it’s a hazard. Because it would cost more to try to patch it up to earthquake standards than it would to build a new state-of-the-art earthquake-proof building.”
“What’s wrong with that, Aunty Amber?” asked Etta.
“Because those buildings are more than just bricks and mortars, they’re our history and have the energies of the people who lived in them before. They’re precious and should be preserved, not destroyed.”
The boy in the front seat sniggered at the word “energies”, but Amber ignored him. She was used to people not believing what she did. But, still, it didn’t mean that her beliefs, and the buildings she believed in, should be destroyed.
“Well, David,” said Etta, in the kind of ‘let’s sort this out’ voice Amber could imagine her uncle and now step-father, Zane, using. “Even if you don’t believe in the whole ‘energies’ thing, I guess itisour history.”
Amber waited for David to refute it. “Yes, you’re right. And Amber’s right. I’d arranged to meet the others there today to tell them of my new plans.” Everyone had their eyes glued to David.
“So why did you do this in the first place?”
“Because…” There was a long pause. “They’re unsafe.”
“And ‘cos you’re going to make a bomb, I bet!” said the boy.
“And because you want to keep people safe, eh, David?” prompted Etta, obviously trying to put the best spin on the situation as possible.
“Yes.”
Nobody spoke as everyone waited for something more from David, but nothing came. The silence continued as they entered Akaroa.
“Well,” said Etta, eventually. “I guess keeping people safe and making a heap of money is good. Isn’t it, Amber?”
“There are other ways of keeping people safe,” said Amber. “Ways which cost money, rather than make it.”
David’s expression was grim as he pulled up outside her cottage.
“Thanks for the ride, mate. See you later, Amber!”
“Don’t you want a lift home?” Amber shouted out in desperation.
“No. There’s a party tonight just up the road from here,” said Etta.
Amber got out of the car and, turning on the rain-slicked brick path, looked at David. He’d also got out of the car. She looked away.
“Amber, please don’t go inside without letting me speak.”
She paused, still with her back to him.
