Hardin's Dilemma

By A.S. Morrison

The sequel to Hardin's War. Hardin's life has changed dramatically, and now he finally knows who is behind the killings of the Humurom hunters. As time passes in Azureland Hardin is certain that things are only getting worse in Humurom. He must decide if he wants to risk his life and the lives of others to save the stubborn Humurom's, or let them go as he enjoys his new life in a new world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.S. Morrison
• Release date: Oct 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301781287

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Hardin’s Dilemma

By A.S. Morrison

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 A.S. Morrison

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Table of Contents

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Chapter XI

Chapter XII

Chapter XIII

Chapter XIV

Chapter XV

Chapter XVI

Chapter XVII

Chapter XVIII

Chapter XIX

Chapter XX

I

The sun was bright on all the busy citizens of Wall City. The people hustled across streets and down sidewalks to get to their jobs and lives. They took little notice to all the people around them doing the same thing. On one particular street walked Nara and I, much slower than those around us.

It was our morning routine to walk around those crowded streets before she had to report to the Mayor’s office. Nara would share what news she had and I would wait patiently for the news that pertained to me going back in the wall to try and save the rest of Humurom. I didn’t want to go back in at first, but as time passed and days wore on I yearned to reenter and save the only home I knew. I couldn’t stand not being able to know what was happening inside.

Have you heard any news yet? On anything? I asked; stuffing my hands deep into my pockets as a cold wind blew by. It was early spring, but winter didn’t seem to want to give up its hold just yet.

You know I haven’t. I would have told you if I had.

I know; I just can’t stand waiting around for things to get decided. Things may be getting worse in there and I have no way of knowing.

I looked up at the giant dome that was visible from anywhere in Wall City. There were still so many mysteries about it. Why the tiny country of Dizuria wanted inside was the most striking at the moment. It had been two months since I risked six lives to get my sick mother out of the horrible conditions of a one hundred and fifty year old bomb shelter. She desperately needed medical attention. Everything turned out all right in the end on that journey, though my friend Morome was badly injured. It was around the same time that I found out that the people I had grown up knowing to fear were actually innocent. Hunters from my home of Humurom had been getting killed while looking for food. For years we blamed the only other country in the dome, Bozlin, but we discovered that it was actually Dizuria that was behind it all. Sadly in the last two months no more had been discovered.

I’m sure the president and Gilik will figure something out. Nara said.

Isn’t it strange that the president comes here so often? I asked.

Evidently he thinks this is important enough to be involved in. And didn’t you want him here?

I did, but I hate to think that this is getting so much attention by the government here. He makes everything take too long. If it was just me and Gilik then I probably would have been back in there with some troops to finish those Dizurians off.

Gilik can’t authorize sending anyone in and the president doesn’t want to.

I groaned. But now we have an enemy. We should be sending troops straight to Dizuria.

She frowned. How is your mother?

Nara wasn’t very good at changing the subject, but I let it slide. She’s doing great. The treatments are almost over and the doctors see her making a full recovery.

And Morome?

He was released from the hospital a few weeks ago. I said. I had completely forgotten to tell her when it happened.

Where are the hunters now? I haven’t seen them in a while?

Gilik sent them on a Journey Train to see the country. I think he just didn’t want us all in his face all the time.

That’s right. I remember now.

Nara and I went into a little bakery to get something for breakfast. Every morning we walked someplace new and stopped in at someplace different. It was such a big city that I wondered if we would ever explore the whole thing. We each got a little pastry and went back outside. She had to pay for everything because I didn’t have any way of making money. Since I wasn’t a citizen of Azureland I would have a hard time explaining to employers where I was from since me being from Humurom was still kept secret. Or at least it was supposed to be. Several local newspapers ran the occasional article about how I was being experimented on. Nobody seemed to know that the hunters had ever come out.

I felt bad about Nara buying everything for me, but I promised myself that if I ever managed to get a job I would pay her back.

The first thing I felt outside was another cold blast of air. I wish it would get warmer. I lamented.

It should be heading that way soon.

She didn’t seem to be bothered by the cold at all.

We turned around and started back towards the government building. I tried to think up something that I could ask her that I hadn’t yet, but nothing came to mind. So I asked her something that I had already asked her many times.

What do you know about Dizuria?

She sighed, clearly exhausted by that question. It’s supposed to be a nice country. It has several resort cities on the ocean. The government is secretive and the leader rarely leaves. She put up her hand to stop me. Except he was here just as you arrived.

This was the first I had heard of this. He was?

Yeah, I just remembered. I was supposed to get him an appointment with Gilik but he left before I could. He only stayed one night.

For the first time in two months I felt like I was getting somewhere. I must have been the reason he was here. He probably assumed I stole the bracelet.

No, he couldn’t have been. You being here wasn’t made public until the day after you arrived. He was here that same night you came out. It was probably just a scheduled trip that happened to coincide with you.

That didn’t dampen my spirits. But either way he was here. I wonder if I saw him.

Maybe, you were staying on the floor usually reserved for officials from other countries. The public does not have access to that floor so you were safe there.

So I might have seen the leader of the enemy country. That excited me for some reason. I was so close to the person causing all of the trouble and didn’t even know it, and he didn’t even know I was there.

My mind filled with all sorts of fantasies where I beat this mystery leader up and threw him down the elevator shaft. Those sure made me feel good. If only I could get a chance to do it in real life. After a while I grew tired of the fantasies and grew bored when thinking about how little there was for me to do.

I wish I had something to do. I finally said.

Gilik did suggest that you go on a Journey Ship and see the world a little. Ships leave from several countries all the time, even Dizuria.

I told him that I wasn’t going to leave while Mama was going through her treatments. And don’t you think it’s strange that he wants all of us Humurom’s gone from Wall City?

He just wants you all to be doing something and not just waiting for the president to decide on what to do.

If you say so.

We passed a stand selling newspapers and Nara grabbed one up. She paid for it, grabbed my arm, and took me out of the busy sidewalk and into an alley.

Do you see this? She flashed the newspaper in front of me but I didn’t have time to make anything out. Someone knows there are more of you here.

How did they find out?

I took the paper and looked. There was a headline that read: More among us. The picture showed a blurry image of people in front of the dome. It was a real picture. I could even see Lace kneeling over Morome and me falling to the ground.

No idea, it could have been any number of things.

I don’t get it. Who could have been waiting there to get that picture, and why only put it out now? We’ve been careful around town. No more than three of us leave at a time and if anyone asks who we are we say we are part of the janitorial staff.

I don’t know who leaked it, but I’m sure Gilik will be mad.

I hope he can find out who did it. What do you think it means for us?

She thought for a minute. "It may mean you all should leave for a while and let the rumors die down."

I’ll think it over.

We arrived at the building about twenty minutes later. Nara left me to start work and I went straight for the elevator.

II

A few minutes later I entered the apartment I was staying in. Mama and I shared it. It was on one of the top floors and was bigger than the one I stayed in before. It also smelled much better than where we lived in Humurom. There were two rooms. One had a bed and the other had a couch. I slept on the couch. It was nicer than anything I could have slept on in Humurom so I didn’t mind. The hunters were split up into two apartments on the floor below. Lace and Morome had one and Peter and Dala had the other.

I saw Mama sitting in a chair by the window looking over the city, something she did a lot. I went up to her.

How was your treatment today?

She looked around and smiled when she saw me. Oh, same as every day, but the doctor says I should be done soon.

That’s great.

It beats sitting in our Residence.

I shivered. At just the thought of the Residence I felt as though I could smell all the concoctions that were made up to try to make my mother better. Oh, yeah, do you remember that smell?

She laughed. It got pretty bad, didn’t it? And now look at us. We are here in probably the best situation we could be in.

Almost. I still feel for those in Humurom and wonder what Dizuria is going to do.

Mama nodded. Once we get everybody out we can have the Azure’s take care of it.

If the president ever makes up his mind.

It won’t be too long now. Mama said soothingly.

I believed her when she said things like that. I knew she didn’t have any more knowledge than I did, but I felt that she was right.

We both sat and watched the city below us. The little people were still bustling along as they did every day. I wondered if I would have been one of them if I had been born an Azure. I tried to imagine getting up for work, going, and then coming home to sleep and do it all again. Would I have fewer anxieties? Less to care about? I didn’t know. I figured they all had something weighing them down, but I doubted it was anything like I had to worry about.

For almost an hour I sat there with Mama looking down at everyone else. Then a knock came at the door. I answered it. It was Mr. Jess, the doorman.

Hardin, the president and the mayor would like to have a word with you.

I didn’t bother asking what it was about, he didn’t know. I said goodbye to Mama and followed him from the room. I knew my way to Gilik’s office but I was usually so lost in thought that I often found myself on the wrong side of the building having no idea where