SciFi Files

Part 2 (Damsel In Distress): Water Over the Bridge

Miriam was four years younger than I, and had many mysterious rumors surrounding her. Her mother died in birthing, and the baby was raised by her grandparents. Miriam was henceforth called Daughter-Of-Isaac, although he was not actually her father.

I had never met Miriam. She went to Peace School and was nowhere near my age. From what I had heard, Miriam's life was drenched with Crime and Doubt even before she met Michael's son Gabriel. Her grandparents were privately considered unkind and cruel, although voicing such a negative opinion would be a Crime. Miriam herself was said to be weak-minded and foolish. One easily strayed from the Lord Creator's path.

Perhaps a week after Gabriel told me his delusions of mechanisms breaking the Lord's shield, Miriam became a most important figure in our lives.

I was traversing a small bridge that passed over one of the wider irrigation canals. Gabriel's voice sounded under me. Eavesdropping was a sign of Doubt and mistrust. I listened anyway.

"Why are you crying?" he said.

I peered through the wooden slats of the bridge. Miriam Daughter-of-Isaac was huddled besides the stream.

"I'ev committed a Crime," Miriam sobbed, "I'ev stole-taken-stolen this." She presented something to Michael's boy. "I jus' wanned a look at the pretty thing." She sniffled. "Mister, take me to the Village hall now. The Doubter's home will have me an' I'll die like the rest of 'em-"

Michael's boy inspected the stolen item. Then he pulled something out of his bag. "Don't cry. Lookat this." There was a clicking noise, and then he set something on the ground. It looked like an insect, rolling along in the dirt.

"Why, it not alive but it move' on its own!" Miriam's tears disappeared. "How did you do that, Mister?"

"Magic," Michael's boy replied sagely. He turned, suddenly seeming sinister in the dark shadows beneath the bridge. "I can do more, if you'd like." Miriam agreed vehemently. "Good. All you need to do," he held up her stolen item, "is bring more pretty things like this. I'll create more magic."

"Oh, thankyou, Mister, thanks ever so much. I'll bring all sortsa things." She became quiet for a second. "Tis'nt stealing,really, is it?" she asked, "Tis recycling. Tis'nt bad, is it? Not really?"

"Of course not," he smiled. "Now go find me some metal."

"Yes!"

Miriam scampered off along the edge of the canal. Oblivious to her predicament.

Gabriel's false smile widened, and he turned to look directly at me. "What are you doing up there, Leo?"