Lydia,” she said.
“Such a shame about Vidala’s allergies,” I said. “I hope she won’t suffer an asthmatic attack while sleeping. Now I must rush off, as I have a meeting. I will leave Vidala in your nurturing hands. I notice that her pillow needs rearranging.”
Two birds with one stone: if so, how satisfactory in ways both aesthetic and practical, and a diversion that will create more runway. Though not ultimately for me, as there is scant chance I myself will escape unscathed from the revelations that are sure to follow once Nicole appears on the television news in Canada and the cache of evidence she is carrying for me is displayed.
* * *
—
The clock ticks, the minutes pass. I wait. I wait.
Fly well, my messengers, my silver doves, my destroying angels. Land safely.
XXVI
LANDFALL
Transcript of Witness Testimony 369A
69
I don’t know how long we were in the inflatable. It felt like hours. I’m sorry I can’t be more precise.
There was fog. The waves were very high, and spray and water were coming in on top of us. It was cold as death. The tide was fast, and it was sweeping us out to sea. I was more than frightened: I thought we were going to die. The inflatable would be swamped, we would be thrown into the ocean, we would sink down and down. Aunt Lydia’s message would be lost, and all the sacrifices would be for nothing.
Dear God, I prayed silently. Please help us get safe to land. And, If someone else has to die, let it be only me.
We were rowing and rowing. We each had an oar. I’d never been in a boat before so I didn’t know how to do it. I felt weak and tired, and my arms were cramping with the pain.
“I can’t,” I said.
“Keep going!” Nicole shouted. “We’re okay!”
The sound of the waves hitting the shore was close, but it was so dark I couldn’t see where the shore was. Then a very big wave came right into the boat, and Nicole called, “Row! Row for your life!”
There was a crunch, which must have been gravel, and another big wave came, and the inflatable tipped sideways, and we were hurled up onto the land. I was on my knees in the water, I was knocked over by another wave, but I managed to right myself, and Nicole’s hand reached down out of the dark and pulled me up over some large boulders. Then we were standing, out of the reach of the ocean. I was shivering, my teeth were chattering together, my hands and feet were numb. Nicole threw her arms around me.
“We made it! We made it! I thought we were dead!” she shouted. “I sure as hell hope this is the right shore!” She was laughing but also gasping for air.
I said in my heart, Dear God. Thank you.
Transcript of Witness Testimony 369B
70
It was really close. We almost kicked the bucket. We could have been swept out with the tide and ended up in South America, but more likely picked up by Gilead and strung up on the Wall. I’m so proud of Agnes—after that night she was really my sister. She kept on going even though she was at the end. There was no way I could have rowed the inflatable by myself.
The rocks were treacherous. There was a lot of slippery seaweed. I couldn’t see very well because it was so dark. Agnes was beside me, which was a good thing because by that time I was delirious. My left arm felt as if it wasn’t mine—as if it was detached from me and was just held on to my body by the sleeve.
We clambered over big rocks and sloshed through pools of water, slipping and sliding. I didn’t know where we were going, but as long as we went uphill it would be away from the waves. I was almost asleep, I was so tired. I was thinking, I’ve made it this far and now I’m going to lose it and fall and brain myself. Becka said, It’s not much farther. I couldn’t remember her being in the inflatable but she was beside us on the beach, I couldn’t see her because it was too dark. Then she said, Look up there. Follow the lights.
Someone shouted from a cliff overhead. There were lights moving along the top, and a voice yelled, “There they are!” And another one called, “Over here!” I was too tired to yell back. Then it