Page 116 of What Blooms in Barren Lands

Like an Emmental cheese with its holes, the portion of the road we were on was covered with potholes like craters, filled with rainwater from the previous day. It was impossible to gain speed driving between them, and Einar drummed his fingers impatiently on the wheel between the unceasing hollow-evading manoeuvres.

“What I meant is that right now we’re extremely useful to Santini. We’ve proven that we can efficiently defeat the swarms, which is a job I’m fairly sure there won’t be many volunteers for.He won’t want to do away with us just yet. But when he finally holds that election he mentioned, to give himself credibility, he will not want me anywhere in the vicinity. People all over the island will know me as the man who liberated the country from the infection. I’m too formidable an adversary for him to let me carry on breathing.”

“You assured him you would not run for election ...”

“That makes little difference. What matters is that people might want me to run. Might even rebel against my not being allowed to. Santini won’t have that, not when he’s so close to what is likely his lifelong aspiration. He won’t risk a civil war.”

It was getting darker outside, and the sea to our left was barely visible anymore. Einar turned on the headlights.

“If we’re lucky, he might just let us leave,” he pondered out loud, his eyes glazed as he got lost in his own thoughts. “It would only help his own image if I were to just up and abandon my people, a favour I’m more than willing to grant. Save him the trouble of having me killed inconspicuously. The last thing he needs is for me to become a martyr ...”

Then, snapping back to the present moment, Einar took his eyes off the road briefly to look at me. I shifted uncomfortably. Noting my accusing look, he tutted.

“Come on, love, would you rather have me pretend that I care? You know I don’t.” He laid his hand on top of mine to give it a light squeeze. “I wasn’t lying when I said that civil leadership didn’t appeal to me. I already got what I wanted out of all this. I was always going to step down once there were no infected left for me to play with. We can move somewhere when the time comes, have a fresh start just the two of us. Before I get on Santini’s nerves too much.”

I felt as if I had been running down the stairs and missed a step, the sensation not alleviated in the least by the eerie absence of light. The path ahead only appeared briefly in segments asour lights flooded it, and those disappeared again as soon as we passed through them.

“Where do you want to go?” I asked, my voice sounding distant and foreign to my ears.

“Iceland.”

Gasping, I turned to look at him, my mouth forming a perfect round ‘O’. The road was becoming increasingly littered with abandoned and wrecked vehicles, so he couldn’t return my gaze. But sensing my astonishment, a faint smile curved his lips.

“I am free to return from my exile now that she isn’t there anymore,” he said, voice suffused with a plethora of contradicting emotions. “We could live at my father’s old farm. It’s in a beautiful, peaceful place. What do you think?”

“Hmmmm ...” I droned out, intentionally keeping him in suspense. “Could we have a puppy or two?”

“Yes.”

“And cats?”

“As many as you’d like. And, just to save you the bother of asking, we can have any other animals in any number. Except for snakes. I draw the line there.”

“Then there’s nothing to consider,” I replied unhesitatingly. “I’ll go wherever you go, you know that.”

Groping for my hand without taking his eyes off the road, he brought it to his lips, his eyes shining with an uncharacteristic sentiment.

“Who knows, we may even have a family,” he said after a momentary silence. “I’m sure there will be orphans in need of a home.”

“You’d do that for me?” I asked in a small voice.

“I’d do it forus. The only family I ever want is the one I can have with you. However, that family looks, whether it is just the two of us, us with a dozen animals, or us with a child, ours bylove if not by blood. The only thing that matters is that it will be our family, yours and mine.”

I buried my face in my hands.

“No, Ren, please don’t cry. There’s been enough of that lately.”

His arm wrapped around my shoulders. Taking a few, shaky breaths, I tried to compose myself.

“What about the others?” I asked, changing the subject. “Dave and Monika and everyone? You may not care, but you know I do.”

“I know, don’t worry. I’ll let your friends and mine tag along if they’ll even want to. As for the rest ... well, their welfare won’t be my concern anymore, will it? Not to put too fine a point on it, they will have served their purpose by then.”

Unsurprised and not wanting to sour the atmosphere, I chose not to comment.

“Won’t you miss all this? You’ve always seemed to thrive on having this kind of power ... Are you sure you wish to give it up?”

“Heh,” he scoffed, teeth flashing whitely in a sardonic half-smile. “It’s a funny thing, how sometimes when you get something you’ve always wanted, you don’t want it anymore. I spent my whole life waiting for an opportunity like the Outbreak.” He shook his head with self-contempt, the light waves of his hair undulating with the movement. “But that’s not me anymore, Ren. You’ve changed me. I no longer care about the admiration of multitudes. Only yours. My one true equal in this world.”