Page 19

Amelia sat curled up in the corner of the sofa, knees tucked to her chest, staring into space. Geraldine’s words echoed in her mind like a drumbeat, each repetition heavier than the last. ‘I need value.’

Amelia had no idea what that meant. She’d never felt smaller in all her life, which was a wonder. But this wasn’t just about her. It was about Solhaven—her family, her friends, her whole world.

And she didn’t have the faintest clue what to do next.

Tara sat across the room, perched on the edge of an armchair with one leg crossed over the other. She had her phone in one hand, looking at it idly. But Amelia could feel her eyes flicking up every so often, checking on her like she might do something crazy. Amelia wished she had a bit of crazy in her right now because, as it was, she was so horribly stuck in reality.

‘You can’t sit there forever,’ Tara said finally, her tone light.

‘I’m well aware of that,’ Amelia muttered.

Tara sighed, standing and crossing the room in a few strides. She picked up something from the table and flopped down beside Amelia on the sofa. Without a word, she pointed something at a large black box in the corner, and the screen burst to life with bright colours and loud music.

Amelia jumped, her eyes widening at the sudden noise and movement. ‘What is that?’

Tara smiled. ‘I know you must have heard of television.’

Amelia nodded her head slowly, her gaze fixed on the screen as though it might bite her. ‘Yes. But I didn’t expect this. It’s so loud and bright. And why is everyone talking so fast?’

Tara’s eyebrows shot up. ‘What do you do for entertainment on Solhaven?’

‘We talk. Read. Sing. Work,’ Amelia said, aware she was a little defensive.

Tara pointed at the television again with her little item, but the images flashed too quickly for Amelia to process. A man shouting about something called ‘Climate change.’ A woman in a sparkly dress, singing. A man pointing at a plate of food and calling it, ‘Pedestrian.’

‘It’s... too much,’ Amelia said.

Tara nodded. ‘Gimme a second. I’m looking for something.’ The picture changed to an image of red sand.

‘Here we go,’ Tara said, tossing the clicky thing onto the coffee table. ‘Meerkats.’ A few funny-looking little creatures started running around on the screen.

Amelia stared at them, unsure whether to laugh or cry. ‘They’re so cute.’

Tara nodded. ‘They are that.’

For a moment, Amelia considered telling Tara that she didn’t have time for distractions. That every second spent watching these meerkats was a second wasted when Solhaven’s future hung in the balance. But she was tired. Bone-deep, soul-crushingly tired. And the meerkats were lovely.

She let out a reluctant sigh and settled back against the sofa cushions.

‘Now you’re getting the mainlander experience,’ Tara said with a warm smile.

They sat in silence for a while, watching as the meerkats darted in and out of their little holes in the dirt, standing on their hind legs to keep watch for predators. The narrator droned on about their resilience and ability to thrive in harsh conditions through cooperation and ingenuity.

‘They’re kind of like us,’ Amelia said softly.

Tara glanced at her. ‘What do you mean?’

‘The meerkats,’ Amelia said, gesturing toward the screen. ‘They survive by working together. By looking out for each other.’ She hesitated, her throat tightening. ‘That’s what we do on Solhaven. That’s what makes it home. How does that have value to Geraldine?’

Tara didn’t respond right away. ‘Sounds like a good place,’ Tara said finally, her voice quieter than usual.

‘It is,’ Amelia said, her heart aching with homesickness.

Tara leaned back, her gaze shifting to the screen. ‘Then we’ll figure out how to convince Geraldine it’s worth saving.’

Amelia blinked at her, surprised. ‘We?’

Tara hesitated, her hand brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. It was an oddly nervous action. ‘I never told you what I did for a living, did I?’

Amelia looked at her. ‘No, you didn’t.’

‘I’m a journalist,’ she said.

‘What’s that again?’ Amelia had to ask.

‘We write news. Fact. We report on what goes on.’

Amelia looked at her. ‘Yes, we have something similar.’

Tar’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Oh?’

‘Once a month, Esther writes a newsletter and puts it up on the board at the hall.’

Tara nodded with a dry smile. ‘Yes, that sounds… in the ballpark of what I do.’

Amelia was starting to be able to tell when Tara was trying not to say something. ‘OK, yes, I know. We’re yokels.’

‘I didn’t say that,’ Tara said quickly.

‘You didn’t have to.’

Tara raised her hands quickly. ‘I’m sorry. I’m sure Esther’s newsletter is a thrilling read.’

‘It is, actually. She once wrote about the great goat escape of ‘09. Riveting stuff. There was a map, a timeline, and a very strong case against Berty’s complicity in opening the gate.’

Tara blinked. ‘Berty...?’

‘One of the goats,’ Amelia said. She was trying to make Tara laugh, and it worked.

‘A goat conspiracy?’ Tara said through her chuckles.

‘The evidence was... damning,’ Amelia said, laughing herself now.

‘Well,’ Tara said, ‘if mainland journalism ever gets too cutthroat for me, I’ll know where to go.’

Amelia nodded. ‘Esther’s always looking for contributors. You could write an exposé on The Elders’ questionable jam-judging practices at last year’s harvest festival.’

Tara grinned, leaning back on the sofa. ‘I think I’d fit right in.’

‘You do have the arms of a decent butter churner,’ Amelia told her.

Tara laughed again. ‘I’ve had worse compliments. Anyway, my point is, as a journalist, I could help.’

Amelia frowned, her thoughts racing. ‘You could?’

‘I can help you write that application, no sweat,’ she said with a shrug. ‘My whole job is to convince people that I know what I’m talking about. I think you could use that.’

Amelia smiled. ‘You would do that?’

‘If you’d like.’

‘It feels like a lot to ask,’ Amelia admitted.

Tara licked her lips and looked away. ‘It’s fine. I might have to ask a lot of questions about how Solhaven works, but…’

Amelia stared at her, and an idea sparked, tentative and fragile but impossible to ignore.

‘What?’ Tara asked, seeing the funny look on Amelia’s face.

‘Tara…’ Amelia began, wondering if what she was about to say was even possible. ‘What if you came to Solhaven?’ she said slowly.