“An example?” I asked, not bothering to hide my annoyance.
Juniper smiled. “You may observe our next Council meeting if you’d like to know more, Brother Cipher. That’s where our grievances are aired and disputes settled. I assure you it is nothing too severe, not for the hoarding of goods anyway.”
Surely there were other transgressions with harsher consequences? Even in a town this small, there must be some crime that took place. Humans were humans after all.
“What about murder?” Artemis said, cutting right to the quick.
Juniper eyes widened as if the mere thought were preposterous. “If a Fellowship member were found guilty of such a thing, they would cease to be a brother or sister, and they would be exiled immediately.”
“So, thereiscrime in Promised Land,” I said, feeling weirdly victorious.
She smiled as if humoring me, but didn’t rise to the bait. “Please follow me to our next destination, the Promised Land Country Day School.”
We toured the outside of the modest-sized school, stopping by the playground for a spell to observe the children at play. Kitten curled his fingers around the chain-link fence and watched them with a wistful smile on his face.
“They look happy,” he said, tugging on my heartstrings.
“Theyarehappy,” Juniper said stoutly. “We’reallhappy. We count our blessings every day to be one of the fortunate few offered sanctuary here in Promised Land.”
I doubted that was true. No one was happyallthe time. But happiness wasn’t a requirement for me. I’d settle for safety, namely protection from Rabids and the fever.
Juniper pointed out the armory next which doubled as the police station for the non-existent crime, no doubt. It was also the headquarters for the guards who patrolled Promised Land and kept watch at the exterior gate, the ones up in the deer stands with guns. Brother Larry had referenced the armory in our initial meeting, and I was interested to know more.
“Where do you get your guns and ammo?” I asked, and as a mental followup,how would I go about getting a gun for myself?
Juniper shot me a perturbed look before reinforcing her round face with another placid smile. “The procurement of such items is the responsibility of the Health and Safety Committee, Brother Cipher.”
“Sure, but do you know?”
“I do not,” she said pertly.
“Is there a jail?” I asked, deciding on a different tack.
“There are holding cells for any Fellowship members who may be a danger to themselves or others. Occasionally a brother or sister may get into a dispute that cannot be resolved immediately, though we do encourage temperance in all things.”
“What about drunks or addicts?” I asked. Surely there were a few of them, even here in the utopia of Promised Land.
“Alcohol is not permitted inside the gates and neither are recreational drugs.”
My heart sank. Kitten’s eyes skirted toward mine, and I worried that I might be fucked in that department.
“No booze?” Macon asked woefully, as if someone had just run over his dog.
“No nonsense,” Juniper said primly, which explained the last bit of the town motto.
“What about tobacco?” I asked.
“Tobacco is allowed in moderation.” She sniffed, and with a delicate upturn of her nose, said, “Though personally, I find it offensive.”
God forbid, anyone offends Sister Juniper’s delicate sensibilities.
“And here is our fire department, complete with a working fire truck and hoses that hook up to the well. We encourage fire safety and conduct periodic inspections. Once a house is damaged by fire, it takes many valuable resources to repair it.”
“You need firefighters?” Macon asked, standing up a little straighter and highlighting his impressive physique.
“You’d have to ask the Placement Committee, Brother Macon. They have the most recent list of vacancies. You have appointments to meet with them tomorrow. And here is our hospital.” She pointed to a building that was likely meant to be a convention center. We didn’t tour the inside of it, but I did wish to become acquainted with whomever prescribed medications around here. Dr. Foley, was it? I had enough pain pills to last me a few more weeks if I rationed them, but without the ability to scavenge, I was going to need a legitimate connection. Perhaps I could blame my phantom limb pain.
Juniper then took us to the fenced-in structures where the chickens were kept, along with the pig pens and stables.
