It was difficult to suppress the feeling of dissatisfaction as Thomas went through his new morning routine. The whole purpose of coming back to Haven was based on the fantasy that he would want for nothing here, but the sad truth remained that the bunker was a treasure trove of rare goods. Tom climbed out of an itchy bug-ridden bed, ran a petty stream of dirty water from the kitchen sink, heated with an electric stove that he technically wasn’t allowed to use, so that he could make a coffee to compliment his meagre breakfast. One rarity Haven didn’t lack was milk, and although sour, the taste of milk in his coffee helped Tom to excuse all misgivings.
He found July sitting under a tree on the bank of the river, at a spot where they used to play as kids. It was hard to imagine there was anything wrong with the world under the shade of a tree, with your feet in the cool clear water, listening to the serenade of birds and the swaying of the branches above, or the trickle of the river. There was no war here, no hunger or suffering, the only troubles were the ones you brought with you.
“Still working on your manifesto?” said Tom, leaning over July.
July didn’t look up from his notebook. “I am writing a list of decrees to put forth to the council this evening.” He tapped his pencil on the page. “We’ll need some way to publish this once it’s all finished – another matter to discuss tonight.”
“It’s going to be a long chat.”
Tom sat beside July, who handed him the draft to read.
“What idiot put Leonard in charge after Alister left?” said July, throwing a stone into the river. “Haven has been stagnant ever since. If it weren’t for Granny he would have turned us over to the Royalists already – he practically did.”
“Are you going to tell the council your actual plan this time?” Tom smiled when he read a note on the page saying ‘Peace. Bread. Land.’ “This sounds familiar.”
July took the notebook back. “That’s because you’ve read it before in a history book.”
“And is this what we’re working on?”
“It’s…” July considered it for a moment. “It’s what we want them to think we’re working on. A promise like that is too good to pass up. Land we can get them. Bread… we can probably manage. But peace is a long way off. Leonard is probably right, the best thing for the people is to run to the Royalists – we already know that their conscripted military service is a lie written up by probably the Nazis – but…”
“But?”
“When I started writing this manifesto I imagined, hypothetically, that we would someday own The Valley, but now we can actually do it. We can tear down the Royalists. Sanctum will be our home and we will want for nothing.”
“We?”
“You’re not just my friend anymore, Thomas Harper, you’re my right hand. I need you, more than anyone else.”
Tom stood up, then helped July. “Look at you being all serious. Well, we better get started. We’ll take on the world, one decree at a time.”
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