As Kibi crossed the plaza, she could still feel Ilika’s arms around her, still hear his heartbeat, and still smell his scent. She thought she had been in love once before, but being a slave made it impossible to find out if it was anything more than passing feelings.
Seeing the happiness between Miko and Neti made her smile, but she knew that Neti’s deepest dream was to have a house and children. Kibi, during the last few years, had come to realize that she wanted something different.
Although her feelings for Ilika were growing stronger every day, she did not yet know if she could love him without losing her dreams. She was willing to live her life alone if that was the price of remaining free . . . both of slavery, and of anything that felt like slavery.
The problem was . . . she couldn’t yet see clearly what she wanted. She felt certain it wasn’t here, in this kingdom, but she couldn’t name a place where it might be found, or even point in a direction she should go.
Ilika had told them nothing about his country. Kibi sensed he couldn’t tell them, that they just wouldn’t understand if he tried. But as she listened to him talk, and watched him teach his students, she became convinced that his country was a place where people could do much more important things than keep house and raise children. And the only way she knew of getting there was to earn a place on his ship.
As she crossed the nearly-empty plaza, every step she took was a step on
NEBADOR Book One: The Test 208
the path to her dreams. She vowed to learn and do everything necessary to continue that journey.
When Kibi wandered slowly behind the bakery, Mati and Sata rose from where they sat on a crate and silently followed.
As she approached the corner by the hatter’s shop, she heard Toli whispering some concern to Buna. She hadn’t realized a person could whisper and whine at the same time. He fell silent when she passed, and they followed. No longer needing to be recognized, Kibi put up her hood.
After going around three more corners, she approached the meeting place just past the sign in the shape of a tooth, now silhouetted against the evening sky. Ilika and the others were not yet there, but two men stood talking in the street. She quickly made the decision to keep walking right on past.
Not knowing the meeting place, her two pairs of followers thought nothing of it.
Suddenly Kibi realized this was an example of something Ilika had talked about. Following his directions was important, but doing that mindlessly could be just as dangerous as not doing it at all. If her dreams were going to come true, she would have to be willing to improvise when unexpected things happened. So far, like earlier that day with the guard and the piece of fruit, her instincts had served her well.
Right now she had to decide how long to lead her little troop away from the meeting place. She figured there was no hurry, now that they were far from the inn. This part of the plan would be best carried out slowly and carefully. Since she did not want the two men to see them coming back, she decided to continue on for a few more minutes.
They passed a couple of lads carrying baskets of bread and vegetables, a girl leading a sheep, and a bit later an aged peasant woman entering a doorway. Kibi decided it was time to turn around.
As soon as she reversed their direction, Toli began whispering again. Kibi hoped Buna would do something about it, and the girl seemed to be trying, but Toli wasn’t responding. Instead, he was getting louder.
Kibi remembered the firmness Ilika had used earlier to get them ready and out the door. She wondered if she could find that kind of strength inside
NEBADOR Book One: The Test 209
herself. As Toli started talking out loud, she knew she had to find it or they could be in trouble.
Kibi spun around, strode up to Toli, and looked him right in the eyes. “We are all scared,” she whispered firmly. “I have to get us to the meeting place, and I won’t let one person ruin it. If you’re coming with us, you need to do it silently.”
“Yeah!” Buna whispered.
“Yeah!” Sata and Mati agreed.
Kibi could see he was close to tears. “Buna,” she whispered, “hug this boy until he feels safe.”
Buna was quite willing to do what Kibi asked. They all stood in the middle of the dark street, and by the light that lingered in the sky, could see fear flashing in Toli’s eyes, but somehow Buna’s embrace gave him the courage to remain silent.
Several minutes passed and Buna continued to hold Toli with all her might. Kibi and the others waited, all huddled closely around the entwined couple. Only one old man came by, muttering something to himself and paying no attention to the silent group.
Finally Toli sniffled a few times and whispered his willingness to go on.
Kibi led the way. Buna held Toli’s hand tightly while Mati and Sata came behind.
When they got back to the meeting place near the dentist, the two men were gone, and Kibi recognized the five shadows waiting on the corner. She breathed a deep sigh of relief.
Ilika began to silently lead them deeper into Rumble Town. Kibi dropped back to the end of the line. Just enough light remained so she could make out the pairs — Sata and Mati by the unique motion of the crutch, Boro and Rini because of the contrast in their profiles, and Toli and Buna due to Toli’s height. The remaining pair, also holding hands, must be Neti and Miko.
Soon they could see the outer wall of the city, higher than all the rooftops.
Ilika guided them around another corner, then stopped in front of a doorway.
He knocked and waited.
The little window opened.
NEBADOR Book One: The Test 210
“We request sanctuary,” he said softly.
Deep Learning Notes
The limits of self-definition (“identity”) are always constrained by the environment. If Kibi had simply been released from slavery, she would then face choices such as to live and forage in the wilderness, work for a living, or marry a farmer, shepherd, fisherman, etc. Ilika brought many additional possibilities to her life that she had never imagined before: get an education, work on a ship, and maybe even marry a captain. Kibi had a personality that tended to look beyond the physical and social reality around her (usually called “intuitive”), so she was aware of something else she wanted to find, but had no idea how to describe it at that point in time, even to herself.
Leadership skills are hard to practice. They are like the reflexes that catch the fragile family heirloom on its one-second journey from the shelf to the floor.
It is nearly impossible to contrive situations for practice. In the author’s helicopter pilot training, he could always feel the flight instructor getting ready to “chop the throttle,” so it wasn’t quite the same as a real engine failure. Kibi’s leadership skills were tested twice in one day. How was the situation with the guard similar to the situation with Toli? How was it different?