Botanicaust

to give, and she likely would have rebuffed him anyway. The Blattvolk were here because of him.
    The burned out pasture near the school was now a duster pad. The Blattvolk had erected a large building nearby, out of place amidst the austere homes of the Holdout. Mirrored walls gleamed in the weak winter sunlight, and the Blattvolk could be seen parading in and out of the transparent common room half naked.
    Students were as infatuated with the mirrors as they were with the naked Blattvolk. To shield their children, the Brethren relocated classes to a home on the other side of the common, and many families didn ’ t let their youngsters go outside alone at all. Blattvolk strolled the streets and fields from sun-up to sundown. The Holdout had become as much tourist attraction as new territory.
    Levi ’ s people endured them without being overly friendly. The language barrier created a convenient wall between them. When a Blattvolk asked a question or initiated contact, the Brother or Sister would shrug and say, “ No Englisch . ” Levi was the only one with a smattering of Haldanian. He attempted to keep to himself, but as Eily ’ s guardian, it was difficult. She had become an attraction in her own right — the Blattvolk child in the Old Order dress. Tourists stood outside their home with cameras at the ready.
    In spite of Elder protests, Eily had a room on the south end of Samuel ’ s house, and the three adults endeavored to bring her to the Lord. She and Gid struck up a strange friendship of opposites; either ignoring one another, or giggling over some inconsequential bit of news one of the adults brought up at the supper table. Gid attended school, but Beth taught Eily her letters and numbers at home. To half of the Old Order, the child was still a Blattvolk. The other half tolerated, but didn ’ t welcome her.
    Scraping the last bits of porridge from the bowl, Levi had Josef lick the spoon clean, waited for a coughing spasm to ease, then wiped him clean. “ I ’ m going to Meeting now, Josef. Rest. I love you. ” Levi ’ s belly clenched in hunger. He ’ d been giving the majority of his portion to Josef.
    “ I will pray, too. I love you, Papa. ”
    He gave his son ’ s frail shoulders a final squeeze before donning his hat. Rachel wrapped her cape about her shoulders and didn ’ t object when Levi held the door for her, then walked at his side into the driving wind. They merged with another huddled group walking to Meeting. Ice particles made everyone ’ s exposed cheeks ruddy with false health. The hungry hollows below their cheekbones told the true story.
    One thing the Elders insisted upon was the privacy of Church, but that hadn ’ t stopped curious Blattvolk from hanging about, peeking in windows or photographing members coming and going. The congregation now held Meetings in the farthest houses or barns, away from easy interference. Men and women greeted each other with handshakes and kisses, but there was no joy in their exchanges. Things were dire. They ’ d held three burials this week, two children from the Ward and one elderly Sister. Several other members were on their deathbeds.
    A double handful of pies rested on the sideboard; not enough to feed the two hundred gathered, but everyone would get a taste. In the women ’ s section, Levi spotted Beth and Eily. The girl waved furiously at him until Beth patted her arm down. Raising a hand in greeting, he couldn ’ t help but notice she was the only child here plump with health. The chloroplasts . Even fully dressed she made enough calories sitting by her bedroom window. Or pacing the fence looking for Ana, as she was wont to do.
    She was lonely, of course. The other women at the Meeting gave Beth and the child an entire bench to themselves. Often he wondered if she might not have been better in the Blattvolk city. The Haldanians were prepared to accept strangers into their midst. And Tula was there …
    His mouth twitched with a grimace. His new sketchpad lacked half the pages because every time he found himself doodling Tula ’ s face, he would rip out the page and burn it. She ’ d never spoken to him since the Protectorate released the prisoners. The Brethren held weekly meetings with her and others from the city, but no messages came for him. Eily insisted she kept her distance to keep them safe, but he didn ’ t understand. Safe from what? Things could not get much worse.
    They could start killing or forcing conversions .