The next morning, just past sunrise, the town members flowed in from all the streets that led to the shores. There was a long rope along the beach right near the water, and it ran parallel to the shore. It was long enough to cover the distance of maybe fifty people standing shoulder to shoulder.
The competitors would stand side by side behind the rope and wait for the sound of a mighty bronze bell to toll once.
This would be the starting signal. The Half Moon was a swim of over eight miles, and the best times were in the three- to threeand-a-half-hour range, depending on conditions.
Edenites had no precise time-keeping methods, but they knew the elevation of the sun at the start and finish, and the first swimmers typically exited the water when the sun was at its apex. After a brief period of refueling and getting warm, the athletes would take off on a run of forty miles.
The best running times were four and a half to five hours. There were water stops along the way at intervals of five to eight miles, depending on the heat on the particular day. This day had calm water with a very light breeze out of the west. It was expected to be rather warm by the time they were afoot, so water stations had been added. Some of the spectators had taken barges across the lake early in the morning. They intended to watch the transition and then run all the way back to Eden behind the runners.
The men went first so that they were not passing the women during the race, and the women were sent off shortly thereafter. The starting point was near the center of the town, and the Chair could see the start of the races from his large balcony overlooking the lake. It was a luxury that he had decided to enjoy that morning, as his joints were aching more than ever.
Christopher looked at the crowd of people moving in waves and redistributing themselves to get into the best positions. He could see the men, who were all lined up along the beach, tensed forward, and ready to spring into action.
Suddenly, the ambient crowd noise softened; it was the final count down. Then, Christopher saw the men shoot out perceptibly earlier than he heard the bell toll; this was due to something related to the speed of sound, according to Moey.
Whatever. C’mon, boys! Bring Grandad back a clear win. The wild splashing of their entry into the water had died down, and they were already into their long strokes, setting a pace that they would try to maintain for hours to come. The leaders were already stretching ahead—one in particular. Ajay. Those bloody brown Aduans. Swimmers if anything. He’s a good boy. Christopher continued his vigil, knowing that it was just minutes until the women were off, at which point he would retire to his quarters for a bath, a massage, and perhaps more. How lazy I’ve become. But shouldn’t I enjoy myself? After a life of leading my people! Why do they dislike me so? Well, who gives a shit? Not me. After a while, the bell tolled again, and Christopher dragged himself off the terrace and into his chambers.
Ajay could see that he was alone, and he felt good—not as fatigued or winded as was sometimes the case. No one could explain it. It was just something that was different day to day, and one hoped to be lucky on race day. Today, Ajay was lucky, and it thrilled him. He smiled as he plied the water, extending his lead over Jojo and a few other boys from Eden. Buddy was just beyond the heels of the lead group, and then there was a gap. Quite some distance behind, Zach and Davan fought to catch their breath in the cold water, but they maintained solid positions in the top third of the group.
Besides these two Victorians, the others were in the bottom third and struggling. They were simply not prepared, and unlike Zach and Davan, they could not overcome their lack of distance training in the water by sheer force of will and brute strength. The mold was forming, creating the shape of how things would end, which had already been determined in the relatively early stages of the event. Beyond a certain point, no amount of running could make up for the large deficits.
Unlike the men’s race, there was a different dynamic developing among the women. Elona was keeping pace with several of Eden’s lead swimmers. Her teammate was also doing well, sitting among the top third and maintaining her position.
Elona knew that she had to be dominant on the swim, as she was not as fast afoot as her teammate. She settled into the long swim, thinking about Ajay and wondering how he was doing.
Thinking about him inspired her, and she wanted to impress him.
This was suddenly her calling and was far above the need to beat her teammate. Ajay’s lead continued to open as he proceeded all alone and way out ahead. He decided to throttle back, thinking about what lay ahead. But this didn’t change the fact that he continued to build his lead as everyone else started to think about conservation as well. Only thirty minutes into it, most of them were already feeling hungry, their bodies adjusting to consume energy by whatever means it could be obtained.
Several barges were positioned along the way to facilitate sight and in case of emergency. Swimmers could also eat there if they simply were out of energy, which always happened to some of the marginal swimmers. But the top swimmers never stopped and would not stop to eat until they left the water, and this was still hours away. An hour later, Ajay passed the barge that was situated at the halfway point. He felt tired but very stable and consistent.
Part of Ajay’s capability was his efficiency in the water, and the rest of it was his use of his legs to generate power without draining his energy. Jojo was now in fourth place and was focused on conserving energy. Given the swimmers’ current positions, Jojo knew that he could catch up and pass anyone in his path, including Ajay. But he didn’t realize just how good of a day Ajay was having and how far ahead he was.
At this point, Buddy was right behind Jojo and had actually moved up a little. He was a tireless competitor, limited only by his lack of physical maturity. He was daydreaming about Della as he plied along, passing the halfway point. Davan pulled ahead of Zak, but the two of them were still sitting in positions twelve and thirteen among the forty competitors. Their positions had not deteriorated, and if anything, they had maintained their distance from those who were just ahead. The gap was not widening. Passing the halfway point, the Victorian lead athletes mentally acknowledged the challenge ahead and set their minds to purpose.
Elona and two other Edenite girls were now tied for the lead. They used each other for pacing. If she can do it, I can do it, Elona kept telling herself. I’m coming for you, Ajay. Here I come. The lead girls were now starting to pass the trailing men and this gave them a boost of adrenaline and warmed their bodies.
Ajay could hear people yelling. At first, he thought that maybe he was hearing things. But then, he realized that it was the spectators urging him on and that he was nearing the end.
This brought him out of a hypothermic, hypoglycemic trance and filled him with adrenaline. He felt himself digging deeper and going for a sprint to the finish. Maybe it’s not a good idea. I should just cruise in. Wait! This is my only chance to have a real shot. I need to do it. Now! He poured himself into it, getting warm and feeling exhilarated.
The cheers were very loud now, but Ajay felt dazed and detached as if they were cheering for someone else. When he felt the sandy bottom beneath him, he dragged himself to his feet. He was chilled to the bone, but the heat of the sun helped.
He ran straight for the bucket of cut-up boiled potatoes, grabbed two handfuls, dipped them in the bucket of salt, and started pushing them into his mouth. Next, he grabbed a handful of dried figs and raisins. Someone then handed him a jar of hot sweetened corn soup, which he drank quickly.
The important thing was to not sit or let his system wind down. Someone cloaked him with a wool blanket as he walked over to get his sandals while still stuffing his face. With his sandals was a small pack with bread, seeds, and raisins, which he would start to munch on while he ran. There was also a bag of water. The important thing was to just start running.
Jojo was coming soon. But before he could make landfall, Ajay was long gone, starting slow as he warmed up and readjusted to an entirely new set of requirements. A full ten minutes after Ajay had arrived, Jojo waded and then highstepped into the checkpoint, full of determination. Like Ajay, he knew exactly what he needed and went straight for it, trying to fill a huge energy hole in the best way possible without wasting time. Within three minutes, Jojo was steaming out of the checkpoint in hot pursuit.
Buddy was right behind, alongside several swimmers who had all paced each other. He was the first among them to hit the trail. Several minutes later, the next group of several swimmers exited the water, and just behind them was Davan and then Zak. They were both wondering how they were going to make it; only their refusal to allow the swimmers ahead of them to leave them behind kept them pushing every stroke of the way. It was the hardest thing that they had ever endured, but they were Victorians, and all they wanted was to get back on their feet, where they could show the Edenites what running looked like.
Davan and Zak were now in their new high-tech sandals with the enclosed tops, which had already been nicely broken in from their training runs. They loved the new sandals—or “shoes,” as Moey had called them. Unlike the Edenites, Davan and Zak did not eat at the checkpoint. They had all of their own provisions in their small waist packs, and wrapped in a small cloth on top of their packs was the sweet bread that they had brought all the way from Victory. It was the first thing they ate as they started to trot out onto the trail.
This strategy put them immediately ahead of the group that had come in just ahead of them. That group would never see them again, as Zak and Davan now picked up speed and started to hoot and yell as their bodies warmed and they felt the new calories coursing through their system. From this point onward, barring some breakdown of any lead competitors, the outcome was predetermined. Speeds and distances were now locking in each runner’s arrival time. But although the outcome was predetermined, none of the runners knew what it would be.
Had they known, they might have made slight adjustments, which would have improved their results over the course of forty miles. But for the most part, each of them was completely alone, guessing what was ahead and what was behind. Only Davan and Zak operated as a unit, as they always did. They had at least some information. They had just passed five people at the checkpoint. But they were not sure how many lay ahead of them. They were determined to find out as they closed the significant gap that had existed between themselves and four other runners who were trailing just behind Buddy.
One of them had broken away from the other three and was closing in on Buddy slowly but surely. A mile later, Buddy could sense the runner’s approach from behind him, and it startled him into accelerating his pace. The trailing runner tried to respond but decided to shadow Buddy for a while and gather strength before trying to move ahead.
Buddy reached into his pack and started to graze, preparing himself for the remainder of the run. The air and the ground were heating up rapidly under the cloudless summer sky. Just as Davan and Zak were focused on running down those ahead of them, Jojo was similarly inclined and was trying to catch Ajay. It wasn’t anywhere in his experience or consideration that he might face challenges coming from behind. But the Victorians were in fact gaining on Jojo and everyone else.
It was just a matter of time and whether there was enough time for the Victorians to apply their dominance. It seemed doubtful, but with thirty miles to go, anything was possible.
The heat continued to build, and water was becoming a factor. All the competitors tried to drink deeply at the aid stations, and they walked briskly while the helpers passed them small jars of water in succession until each runner raised a palm to signify “enough” and started up again at a full running pace.
The lead women, including Elona, were now exiting the water. This situation put Elona in a strong position, because while she was concerned about her teammate running her down, she was less concerned about the Edenite runners. Her confidence, it turns out, was not well founded, because the two Edenite girls were excellent runners. As they started out on the trails, the Edenite girls, who were running together, pulled away from Elona. This worried her, but it also steeled her resolve, and she endeavored to hold onto the lead pair no matter what.
As the lead men came into the last ten-mile stretch, the heat was bearing down on them all, and the dynamics of speed and distance started to result in the inevitable convergences.
Buddy had managed to hold off the runner who had been stalking him for the past twenty miles. In fact, he had opened up quite a distance, and the trailing man had faded, affected by heat and poor calorie management.
Adding to his frustration, the man trailing Buddy was then passed by two runners. Be passed so suddenly shocked him back into clear consciousness. But this hurt more than helped, as it amplified all that was wrong—the heat, the pain, the hunger, and the dizziness. No. Ignorant bliss was preferable, and he settled back into it as his image of the two runners faded as they turned the corner in front of him.
It didn’t occur to him that they were Victorian runners.
Not much occurred to him at this point. He was in the frame of mind of any normal person at this stage of such a physically grueling ordeal. But he was dealing with a handful of people who were far from normal. Two of them were Victory’s best, and three of them were brothers.
Zak started to feel that he could tolerate a slightly faster pace. He and Davan were well matched, but everyone knew that in reality, Zak was slightly faster over distance. It had always been true, and that day was no exception. He pulled ahead, and Davan responded for a while but found his limitation and could take it no further.
Zak then took it up another notch and started to open the gap. Soon, he could see Buddy ahead of him. Buddy was as yet unaware of this and felt safe for the moment, having buried his challenger miles ago. But before he could sense anyone else’s presence, he heard the soft, deliberate footsteps. He was taken in by the softness, which translated into efficiency and speed.
Hearing his own feet pounding, he immediately cleaned up his form and relied on his lanky, seventeen-year-old frame, which was tireless and youthful but not yet at its full potential.
When he was done pushing his body, he turned inward to find another source. He knew who was knocking on his door. It was a Victorian and maybe only the first of many who were soon to stream by him like a parade, laughing and dancing on their way to victory. Yes … victory. No! No!
Buddy was unflappable in every way, but his youth always kept him one step behind the big boys. He felt that his whole life had been that way. Suddenly, he felt anger. When am I finally going to be the big boy who no one can beat? He felt himself becoming teary, and he began feeling sorry for himself.
No! No! Buddy decided to refuse to give in. He would not step aside, nor would be accept that it was not yet his time. He would not lose to Victorians. Never!
Buddy fell in right with Zak and mimicked his form, which was perfect. It was more or less the form that Buddy had, but now he was trying to perfect it by following the world’s best. This was his chance to combine his grit with a template of perfection—rapid cadence, body steady and upright, and arms light and held high. Buddy fell into the same rhythm becoming the other and never letting go. He no longer had to think about anything, except his attachment to his leader, the Victorian god.
They were tethered, and there could be no separation.
Buddy closely shadowed Zak for miles. At this pace, Buddy was operating way over his head, but he didn’t care. He was in a zone—a zone beyond pain and anxiety.
Four miles from the finish, there was water. The lead runners were all fairly close together at this point, although Ajay and Jojo were still not aware of this. As each runner passed the water station, he hardly broke stride, yet each still managed to pull water from several jars before resuming and mentally preparing for the final leg.
Jojo was concerned that he was running out of distance and had still not seen Ajay. Ajay was a fine runner, but Jojo was certainly faster, and he had pushed himself greatly to close the gap. But Ajay was running the race of his life. Like Buddy, Ajay was in a zone that differed from any he had ever experienced.
Starting with his realization that it was his day to swim, the positive feeling had carried on into the run. He felt good. He’d gotten sufficient calories and water, and his head was clear. He was waiting for Jojo to overtake him, but he pushed himself to delay the inevitable.
Meanwhile, Jojo was starting to wonder if it was, in fact, inevitable. But a mile after he exited the last aid station, he saw that it was inevitable. Suddenly, the order of things returned, and everything made sense again. Seeing Ajay energized Jojo like nothing had before, and he sprinted, trying to get the job done quickly so that he could settle into a comfortable lead. It was unusual. Most runners would try to reel in someone slowly and methodically, using minimal excess energy. But Jojo was different. He ran on emotion, not logic. And he had the luxury of power and stamina to pull it off.
He ran down Ajay, and as he passed him, the two of them howled in celebration. It was almost over. And they were brothers. Ajay had known that it would happen. He was just surprised that it had taken so long. And now he was second and thought to himself that he would finish second. But then, he thought, Uh-oh! Maybe more are coming. His fears grew with every step, and he started looking back occasionally. Then, on a long open stretch with about a mile to go, he glanced over his shoulder and saw them. Two runners were bearing down on him. No! Ajay decided to stop looking back, and he focused on running as fast as he could. Shit! I must be almost there. Where is the bloody finish?!
He couldn’t help himself. He glanced back. They were closer, but there was still room. If only the finish line would appear. Please! And then he thought, Forget it! He started to pick up his pace for a final sprint. He rounded a corner, and there it was. He could see the buildings. He was already on the outskirts. He knew that it was less than half a mile now. He could see Jojo up ahead. Jojo was far ahead now.
Farther ahead of me than they are behind. Oh fuck! Ajay kept his sprint going, but he was simply running out of energy. He felt heavy. His arms and legs ached. He could tell. There was no feeling. He felt as if he was merely stumbling from point to point, barely able to control each step. But he was maintaining a full sprint, despite it all.
Zak saw a chance. He now broke away from Buddy, who had still managed to hang on somehow. This time, Buddy could not respond. He looked back and saw another runner not far behind him. He tried to hold onto Zak. But it wasn’t happening this time.
Zak was in a new zone now. One that no other competitor in the field could match. But he was still about fifty yards behind Ajay. He could see the gap closing, and the faster he ran, the closer he got to the finish line. But he determined that unless Ajay fell down or had some other mishap, he didn’t have enough distance to close the gap.
Shit! he thought. I have failed. The crowd was going wild. Zak could see Jojo far in the distance, crossing the finish.
He pushed himself with everything he had. He was only ten yards behind when Buddy finished. Shortly after Zak, Buddy crossed with Davan right on his heels. It was a complete crowd pleaser, made even more pleasing by the fact that the top two finishers were Edenites.
Ajay and Buddy both collapsed in dramatic fashion, unencumbered by appearances. Jojo was being hugged, kissed, and dragged to the lake for a traditional cooling-off. The other leaders got up and also headed down to plunge into the water.
When Buddy walked toward the water, Della ran up to him and hugged him. She then grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the water. Always the clown, he fell in face-first, acting as if he had passed out. Then, he suddenly jumped up.
“Ajay! Where is Elona?!”
Ajay’s eyes went wide as if he also wanted to know the same thing. “Didn’t she pass you?” he taunted.
“What?” answered Buddy, embarrassed in front of Della. Buddy grabbed Ajay’s arm and pulled him in for a hug.
“You asshole! I tried to catch you, but who can catch a fish that doesn’t want to be caught?” Buddy and Ajay looked at each other, smiling. “I can’t believe you came in second. That’s so good.”
Ajay didn’t respond. He just shrugged. As he saw more people crossing the finish line, he pointed. “I want to see when she comes in. How long do you think?”
For the next half an hour or more, they all waited and cheered on the other runners in the men’s group. Then, they heard someone shout, “Here come the first women!” Everyone looked down range and could see a woman approaching. It was Claire, the best of the Edenite women. The crowd went wild.
Then, there was another woman not far behind. Everyone cheered her on. As she got a little closer, it was clear that it was Elona.
“Ajay! She came in second! Just like you! It’s meant to be! Ha ha ha!” erupted Buddy.
“She is second. Wow. That is so crazy. Both of us the same.” Ajay ran closer to the finish line so he could greet her.
She looked up and saw him from about thirty yards away.
“Ajay!” He could hear her calling, and he was thrilled.
She seemed to speed up, and instead of crossing the line in the middle, she ran to the side and barreled into Ajay. Her father, Philip, was right there, and thinking that she had somehow stumbled, he tried to help her up. She was winded and gasping for air as she limped away with her father, headed down toward the lake. Ajay, Buddy, and Della followed.
Christopher had made his way down to the finish area earlier, in anticipation. There was a special tent with security guards and a buffet. Vlad had been in there, along with Philip, Moey, and others. But when they heard the crowd starting to roar, all three ran out to see the finishers firsthand, leaving Christopher abandoned. Nevertheless, he was pleased that at least his athletes won the top spots.
Later, in discussions at the awards party, Gabon pointed out that Zak and Davan had been the thirteenth and fourteenth out of the water, yet they had finished third and fifth. The conclusion was that they had run significantly faster than even Jojo, and next year, if they trained more for the swim, they could do better. Christopher was in high spirits, already plied with red wine.
“We welcome the challenge, Coach. It’s wonderful to see the athletes so well matched. I should like to propose that we do this again next year. In fact, I have an idea. Why wait until next year? Let’s have those two boys of yours stay back for the Mountain Run.”
Moey glanced at Vlad in a barely perceptible negative gesture. “That’s very kind of you. Forgive me. I need to consider it further. We have our own festival approaching. Our people are arriving as we speak. Those boys have their followers back home. But it is an interesting offer. Thank you. I will let you know by tomorrow.” Moey was also mystified as to the Chair’s motives, assuming they extended beyond inebriated delusions.
Why would Eden want to see their best runners slaughtered during their most prized contest? Let’s save you the embarrassment, old man, thought Moey.
Christopher was showing uncharacteristic stamina that night as the party raged into the late-night hours. He was holding court, spewing to any gathered around him, and thinking himself charming and witty, while to any honest observer, he was no more than merely a drunk asshole. But it gave a Moey and Vlad a chance to catch up on private matters.
“When?”
“Five days after the Mountain Run. That’s fifteen days from now. It’s enough for a full recovery. They will be in condition and at a level that no soldiers can match.”
“Take me through the route,” Vlad instructed, all business.
“They will swim at night across the lake and hike into an area that I know to be hardly patrolled. Then, they will round the lake but in a wide arc out in the savanna for two days. Then, they will circle back toward the lake and head up into the hills above the river. Once they hit this high ground, it’s unlikely that they will encounter any trouble.” Moey knew more, but he could never share it. There would be no surprises.
“What if they are seen?”
“If they are spotted at any time, no couriers can get word to any other soldiers to outflank them. Their only option is to run them down. But the boys will steer clear of any checkpoint areas, so there won’t be any fresh legs. It will be man against man. I don’t think our soldiers will measure up.”
“Mine would,” interjected Vlad.
“I don’t doubt that.”
“Okay. Then what?”
“I need the boys to recover at your place. Three to five days. Then, they will need to head east on a long journey.”
“I will send an escort. There are dangers.”
“I appreciate that, but I would rather not. It’s a sensitive matter.”
“Come on, Moey. No games. We must be open.”
“Okay, send support. Thank you. I will tell you…”
“Moey! Moey! In the name of Saul, what are you doing hiding here in the dark like a couple of fags? I need to talk to you now.” Christopher’s words were slurred. Vlad smiled but immediately slipped away, caring to engage with the Chair as little as possible. “Listen. I don’t trust them, not a bit. You think this Utah just came after me after all these years? He was put up to it, I can assure you.”
“By Vlad, you think?”
“Absolutely.”
“And what would Vlad know of a man like Perry? Why would Utah risk such a thing if his mission was to take you down?” The reasoning went by Christopher before the words had even registered.
“What are you talking about?”
“Never mind. So, what would you have me do? Shall we take Vlad now? Put him on the barge and send him to Saul?
How about tonight?”
“Now, you listen to me, you ungrateful shit. I’m having a hard time trusting you as well. If it weren’t for Marina …” Christopher snarled. “I’m inducting Jojo tomorrow. He will finish his training for the races under my army coaches.”
“What? You wait a minute.”
“Watch yourself! Bobby?!” Christopher called out, and Bobby trotted over with two guards. “I was just telling Moey that Jojo is joining the army, starting tomorrow. Arrange for his basic training to begin after the festival, but starting tomorrow, he is assigned to you, and he will continue training for the festival games under the army’s supervision. Find him suitable quarters. He is effectively starting duty now.”
“Yes, Leader.” Bobby looked at Moey with a serious but regretful look.
“Thanks, Dad. I will leave it to you to explain to your daughter and grandson.” Moey walked away, seething. His plan had been ruined. He found Vlad and simply told him that things had changed—the plan was off for now. Moey also apologized for the confusion.
“Happy Festival to you, Vlad. We did a great thing here.
I will do my best to not let him spoil it.” The men shook hands, and that was the last they saw of one another for nearly a year.
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