Leehy nodded. "Fine. I'll come."
16
YAAF
As Yaaf passed through the main gate of the enclosure, the afternoon was at the hot end of its arc, and the courtyard was emptier than usual at this hour. He assumed that most of the women were either in the dining hall or in their rooms, waiting out the worst of the heat, although he wasn't sure that staying indoors was wise given that there was no air conditioning in the dormitories.
The Brotherhood was really neglectful of its most important strategic asset.
Outfitting the buildings with climate control would have been costly, but the Brotherhood could afford it, and it would have made life much more comfortable for the women and children.
He doubted anyone had even considered that.
According to the teachings of Mortdh, women were inferior and were created for the sole purpose of serving men. No one cared about their comfort.
Once the collective had realized how untrue that assertion was, they had also realized that Mortdh was a false god because atrue god would not have taught obvious falsehoods. It had taken them some time to reach those conclusions, though, because their exposure to women had been so limited.
Mattie was the one who had solidified the realization, and her relationship with Dimitri served as a role model of how males and females should interact. Each brought different assets to the union, and even though they were not the same, they were equals. Their love was beautiful to watch because it had a solid foundation of mutual respect and kindness.
The collective struggled to comprehend how anyone could justify or glorify the domination and subjugation of those they were supposed to care for. It was a form of brain rot, fueled by the Brotherhood’s relentless propaganda. Regrettably, humans and immortals alike were weak-minded and easy to manipulate.
Well, sometimes it was useful, the collective reflected, and making it possible for Number One to pass through the enclosure unseen was just one of the many ways the Eight utilized their compulsion woven together with thralling ability.
When he reached the playground the teacher was already there, preparing for the meeting with Tomek's help. They were spreading out woven mats on the ground, the same ones the children used in their makeshift classrooms.
Number One counted eight more young children, some on the climbing equipment and some in the sandbox, and two groups of older children who were occupying opposite corners of the fence on the far side of the yard. Two mothers sat on a bench, talking in hushed voices not because they were whispering secrets to each other but because they had a lifetime of Mortdh's teachings drilled into their heads that women should not be heard.
He leaned against the wall of the bathroom building and returned his attention to the teacher and Tomek.
Sullha wanted to bring Saphira along, and he could start vetting her now, but he preferred to wait. Her reaction to what Sullha was about to reveal would be a better indicator of whether she was to be trusted than a random collection of thoughts he could skim while she was busy preparing for the meeting.
The children would no doubt suffer if she left, but that wasn't reason enough to deny her freedom.
In the background, the hive mind continued the debate of who should be saved first, but Yaaf distanced himself from the discussion and retreated into the place where his thoughts were private, or as private as they could be within the shared mind.
He'd been doing that more and more lately, and the others didn't object because they understood that it was necessary if he was ever going to make Sullha fall in love with him.
She came through the gate a few minutes before six with Burda by her side. The old woman looked tired, but there was a spark in her eyes, and Yaaf wondered if Sullha had already told her what the meeting was truly about.
Burda was on Sullha's personal list, but there was a question mark next to her name. The woman was too old to start a new life. Taking her out of the enclosure and putting her into the modern world might not be the best thing for her. Besides, the ones who needed rescuing the most were the women of breeding age who would soon have to return to work. Not that the mothers they were saving belonged to that category, but despite everything, the mothers came first.
If Burda stayed, she could be helpful for future extraction missions. The problem was communicating with her, unless…
An idea arrived in the collective mind, clear and simple. They could leave the communication device the clan had given them with Burda.
After the extraction, they would no longer need it. Besides, with the transmitter located on top of the water tower, the device would become useless once the ship left the harbor. They would need to relocate the transmitter so that Burda could use the communication device from within the enclosure walls, but that could be easily done.
She could be the bridge for future extractions,the hive mind agreed.
Then the counterarguments began.
They needed to keep the communication channel with the clan open. They could take the transmitter with them and install it on a high point in the ship that they were commandeering for their escape.
The idea didn't work as proposed, but it had merit. The collective came up with an alternative.
The clan could deliver a new device for Burda, but it would have to be done before the Eight left the island so they could show her how to use it. First, though, they had to vet her and see if she was willing to do that.
It was risky, but Number One had a feeling that Burda would be on board with it. The problem was time. He needed to communicate the idea to Sullha first, then Sullha needed to communicate it to Burda, and only after Burda agreed, the Eightneeded to contact the clan and ask them to deliver the device. Then the clan had to do that before the Eight left the island, so they could teach Burda how to use it.
