Wild Child, Book 3: The Patriarch

By Mike Wells

Kyle and Briana find themselves ensnared in the bizarre Evergreen Colony, hopelessly addicted to the magical green water. At first glance, Evergreen appears to be a utopia. Each of the nearly five hundred members enjoys extraordinary physical and mental abilities, perfect health, and nearly eternal life. But there's a catch: once you drink the water, you can never leave. Kyle soon discovers that one man may have secretly developed an antidote--the former Evergreen Patriarch. Can Kyle track him down without being killed, or will they be trapped in the colony forever?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mike Wells
• Release date: Apr 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311691101

Mike Wells

Mike Wells is an author of both walking and cycling guides. He has been walking long-distance footpaths for 25 years, after a holiday in New Zealand gave him the long-distance walking bug. Within a few years, he had walked the major British trails, enjoying their range of terrain from straightforward downland tracks through to upland paths and challenging mountain routes. He then ventured into France, walking sections of the Grande Randonnee network (including the GR5 through the Alps from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean), and Italy to explore the Dolomites Alta Via routes. Further afield, he has walked in Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Norway and Patagonia. Mike has also been a keen cyclist for over 20 years. After completing various UK Sustrans routes, such as Lon Las Cymru in Wales and the C2C route across northern England, he then moved on to cycling long-distance routes in continental Europe and beyond. These include cycling both the Camino and Ruta de la Plata to Santiago de la Compostela, a traverse of Cuba from end to end, a circumnavigation of Iceland and a trip across Lapland to the North Cape. He has written a series of cycling guides for Cicerone following the great rivers of Europe.

Book preview

Chapter 3.1

You’re just in time for Renewal, Rita said, with a welcoming smile. Kyle now understood that the woman’s name was actually Lilith.

Kyle followed the group of robed people down the sloping hill of the Evergreen Colony. He felt strange, like he was in a dream.

Others joined the procession until there were dozens of people, well over a hundred. All were barefoot and dressed in white robes, solemnly moving towards the structure that emanated the eerie green light. Now Kyle could hear a church bell steadily ringing.

Though circular in design and made entirely of unpainted wood, there was something cathedral-like about the structure, which had a huge, Gothic-looking arch over the entrance. From this distance Kyle could see that the gigantic doors were open wide, like a huge mouth, with heavy chains hanging to the left and right, secured to something on the ground. As they moved closer, Kyle could make out that the interior was illuminated by a faint green light, some of the light escaping through holes in the ornately carved upper parts of the building.

Now the ground had leveled off, and the group approached the two open doors, with even more robed people falling in step behind them. The bell stopped ringing.

Kyle and Briana followed Lilith towards the open doors, with Rooster and the rest of the mass behind them. Lilith was clearly the leader.

Just as they stepped inside the entrance, a girl of no more than sixteen approached Lilith with a green garment in her hand.

Matriarch, the girl said, bowing her head reverently, and handing it to Lilith.

It was a robe, made of silk or some other very thin material, green but white, red, and yellow symbols scattered over it. The signs of the zodiac, apparently—Kyle recognized the symbol for Aquarius, his star sign.

Someone from behind handed Kyle a white robe.

You can put that on in the changing rooms, Briana whispered, pointing to a row of doors.

Kyle hesitated. His eyes were drawn to the faint green light that filtered into the entryway. He could feel its pull, now, the irresistible pull of the green water.

I’m not drinking any more of it, he told himself, but he found himself walking over to the door Briana had indicated. He glanced back at the group. They were all just standing there, watching and waiting, some looking anxious. There were men, women, children, and elderly people, people of all ages, different races.

Kyle went inside the small room and mechanically stripped naked and donned the robe. He folded up his slacks, boots, shirt, and motorcycle jacket into one of the wooden cubbyholes that seemed to be for this purpose.

I’m not touching that water, he told himself once more, but somehow the words sounded weak in his mind. He came back out of the changing room, barefoot, the wooden floor cool against the soles of his feet.

Pull up your hood, Briana whispered as Kyle got back in line. He noticed that Lilith had done the same with her green robe and so had everyone else as they entered the building.

As they passed through a second set of doors, Kyle was surprised to see that there was no floor in this church-like structure, but a gaping, circular hole that led down to what appeared to be a cave. The cavity itself must have been one hundred feet in diameter. High above, the roof was a white dome that shimmered a pale green with the reflection of the water from somewhere below.

This must be the main source of the water, Kyle thought.

With Lilith leading the way, the group proceeded single-file down a narrow, gently sloped circular ramp that spiraled into the earth, like a corkscrew built into the walls. The ramp was made of wood and creaked as they moved along, the surface polished to a soft-feeling sheen apparently from thousands of bare feet traversing it over the years. As they descended, strange and soothing harp music echoed through the large space

After perhaps a dozen revolutions, the group finally reached the bottom. Now they were definitely entering a cave. Kyle followed Lilith across a series of wide, flat rocks...and then they emerged into a huge cavern.

Kyle’s mouth hung partially open as he looked around, taking it all in. The space was enormous, the pool of green water five or ten times as large as the one in the other cave. It looked more like a small lake. Majestic stalactites and stalagmites grew from ceiling and floor, some of them connecting in the middle.

There was what looked like benches, made from cut stones that ran in semicircles around the pool. The benches faced a wide, raised platform, also made of larger rocks and boulders, on the other side. Except for the pool in the middle, the whole affair reminded Kyle of one of the ancient Greek and Roman amphitheaters he had seen in pictures, only built underground.

Everyone began seating themselves on the stone benches. Kyle sensed a steadily growing tension in the air. Some of the people were visibly sweating, staring ahead at the pool of water with an unmistakable look of longing.

Let’s sit up here, Briana said, pulling on Kyle’s arm. She led him ahead and they seated themselves on the very front row, closest to the platform. Kyle glanced over his shoulder and noticed that Rooster sat down almost directly behind them, on the next row back, his muscles bulging under his robe.

Lilith was already ascending the steps that led up to the platform, looking poised and regal. She held a white book of some kind to her chest, like a Bible or Tora, as if it was sacred. When she reached the top of the platform, a teenage girl handed her a headset with a microphone attached. Lilith adjusted it, pushing a lock of her red hair out of the way, while the girl held the book.

Lilith walked to the center of the platform, smiling, her eyes scanning the crowd. Everyone was seated now. Kyle glanced over his shoulder—there were hundreds of people here now.

Lilith waited a moment while the eerie harp music faded and everyone became quiet. Now the only sound was breathing and the trickle of water.

Lilith’s blue eyes looked kindly down at Kyle.

Ladies and gentlemen, she said, her strong voice echoing on the cave walls, we have a new addition to the Evergreen Colony, the four hundred and eighty-ninth member... She motioned for Kyle to stand, and he did so, feeling strange. Let us all welcome Kyle!

There were applause and cheers and catcalls. Simultaneously, colored lights flashed on the ceiling, moving back and forth and illuminating the rock formations, along with a thunder of inspiring-sounding electronic music. Three large video displays above the stage suddenly came to life, with the words NEW MEMBER! and WELCOME! zooming in and out, twirling, scrolling.

When the noise abated, Lilith looked back at Kyle and said, We hope you will be very happy here. She nodded in a way that told him to sit back down. He wanted to say that he had no intention of staying here but Briana pulled him onto the rock bench before he could open his mouth.

Suddenly it became so quiet that there was again no sound in the cavern, but the trickle of the water flowing into the pool. Now the tension ratcheted up another notch—Kyle glanced around and noticed that some of the people sitting on the front row were leaning forward a little, like sprinters on the starting line of a race, staring at the shimmering water in the distance, the muscles in their necks standing out.

Lilith opened the white book and began to read, but her eyes were closed.

"In this sacred cave,

the green water flows.

Deep within the Earth,

the green water knows.

Love, kindness and compassion,

are what makes us whole,

Please let us merge with you,

in Mind, Body, and Soul."

"...in Mind, Body, and Soul," the group echoed, in a Monk-like chant.

In a slow, magnanimous gesture, Lilith raised both hands towards the rocky ceiling, her palms open.

Renewal! she cried.

What followed could only be described as a feeding frenzy. Kyle sat, opened mouth, as people leapt over the stone benches and darted down the isles between them, stripping out of their robes and tossing them carelessly aside. They dove into the water headfirst, thrashing around, splashing it everywhere. The music and lights had started up again and the ruckus was almost deafening.

Briana was among the first to hit the pool, with Rooster on her heels. He leapt right over Kyle’s left shoulder, like a monkey, and hit the pool in a cannonball. Men, women, children, and elderly all writhed around in the water together, seemingly oblivious to each other and their nakedness, most cupping their hands together and greedily drinking down mouthful after mouthful of the glowing green liquid. There were moans of staved-off pleasure, guttural grunts of ecstasy, enraptured cries sounding almost sexual. One elderly woman was weeping, splashing her face over and over again, muttering to herself. They behaved with the abandon of a group of people who had been lost in the scorching desert for days, near death, and had just come upon a palm-tree filled oasis.

Amidst this free-for-all, Lilith slowly began to descend a wide set of stone steps that descended from the platform down into the water. She was accompanied by two robed teenage girls on either side of her, lightly holding her hand, the smile still affixed to her face. When the Matriarch reached the bottom of the steps and her legs were ankle-deep in the water, she unabashedly stripped off her double set of robes, handing one to each girl. She was beautiful, her middle-aged body in perfect shape, her stomach perfectly flat, her breasts firm. She gracefully descended into the water and began to swim a breaststroke—the pool was apparently quite deep at that end. She ducked her head underwater, her red hair splaying out, and then rose again, her slender throat pulsating as she swallowed several gulps.

Kyle stood there unmoving, watching all this with awe, the lingering effects of his own consumption stirring again. Some part of him wanted to join in, to jump into the water and wallow in it and gulp it down...but some other part was utterly disgusted by what he was witnessing.

* * *

After a few minutes, the unbounded, insatiable behavior started to wane. Everyone’s eyes glowed bright green now, and they no longer looked desperate. People were swimming around in the water more leisurely, laughing and talking to each other. Many were standing or sitting still in the pool, splashing water on specific parts of their bodies—arms, legs, shoulders, torsos—presumably where they’d once had some injury or other physical problem.

Kyle noticed Briana standing to one side of the pool, raising her leg and looking over her shoulder at the back of her calf, where the boat propeller had sliced it open, and then she rubbed some of the water into it. Rooster was standing beside her, massaging water into his bald scalp, but leering at her naked body. He said something to her and then poured some of the water onto her shoulder and rubbed it in.

Kyle felt a twinge of jealousy, but then he noticed Lilith wading towards him. Just before she reached the edge of the pool, one of the teenage girls waded up to her and she donned both of the robes again. She walked up to Kyle. Her eyes seemed to be glowing even greener than everyone else’s, like two shimmering emeralds.

Smiling, she said, You aren’t going to join us, Kyle?

Just as he was about to open his mouth to answer, another man who had just come out of the pool and donned his robe walked up to them. He studied Kyle’s face, then moved closer and peered into Kyle’s eyes.

How long has it been since you ingested? he said. Three, four hours?

About.

He looked at Lilith. Not a problem, Matriarch, he can sync up with us on Sunday.

Very well, Lilith said. As the man stepped away, Lilith smiled again and said, Kyle, living at Evergreen can be quite an adjustment for some. But I’m sure you’ll find your place and be a great asset to our community.

Before he could respond and tell her that he had no intention of staying here, one of the teenage girls handed Lilith the headset again. She donned it, circling around the pool and climbing back up the steps to the platform.

Now the music and shifting lights gradually faded.

It’s time for Confrontation! Lilith said excitedly, her voice echoing through the cavern.

Confrontation? Kyle thought.

* * *

Everyone started coming back out of the water, some reluctantly, donning their robes, mothers helping their children dry off. Kyle noticed that all the children were starting to be gathered together and ushered out of the cavern and up the ramp.

Briana stepped out of the pool, picked up her robe from the bench, and put it on. Rooster passed by, donning a robe, too, and gave Kyle what he thought was a condescending look.

Now, the video monitors above had the words CONFRONTATION scrolling across them, then spinning off in different directions.

What’s Confrontation? Kyle said a little uneasily as Brie sat down next to him.

You’ll see, she said, excitedly. Her eyes were glowing bright green. She took his hand and squeezed it.

Kyle glanced over his shoulder—all he saw were rows and rows of hooded figures, shadowy faces with green eyes peering up at the stage.

Lilith came out and stood in the center, the white book in her hand. Two teenage boys in robes stood behind her, their hands at their sides.

Lilith said to the audience, This evening we have seven Confrontations. She paused, reading out of the book. First: Andromeda, Yellow, confronts, Hawk, Yellow.

Two people got up from the benches somewhere behind Kyle and Briana, a woman and a man, and both began walking towards the stage.

What does Yellow mean? Kyle asked Briana.

Those are the levels on the Evergreen ladder, she whispered back. Every level has a different color. You’ll find out tomorrow.

The robed couple climbed the stone steps and joined Lilith. The woman was Asian, and absolutely tiny, with a figure like a child. The man was a big black man with his hair done in tight cornrows.

They stood there in their robes, their eyes glowing bright green, glaring at each other.

With the pleasant smile still on her face, Lilith said, Andromeda, you requested this Confrontation. State your issue with Hawk, please.

One of the teenage boys thrust a wireless microphone under her mouth.

He stole my yogurt yesterday morning, Andromeda said.

I did not, Hawk responded.

Yes you did! she cried.

You’re a damn liar!

I clearly marked off my side of the refrigerator and you ignored it! This is the third time.

Jesus, Kyle frowned, glancing at Briana.

Shhh, she said, not taking her eyes off the stage.

Choice of weapons? Lilith said.

Scythe, the girl said, not taking her eyes off Hawk.

Morningstar flail, he replied, not taking his eyes off Andromeda.

The two teenage boys darted down some steps behind the stage. Seconds later they returned carrying the requested items, which were handed to them. The scythe had a polished wooden handle about five or six feet long, its silver, curved blade glinting in the stage lights. The Morningstar flail consisted of a heavy iron ball with spikes all over it, attached to a long chain, which was itself attached to a polished wooden handle.

Lilith stood back and warned, No blows to the head, neck or heart.

Hey, Kyle muttered, starting to get to his feet, but Briana pulled him down to the bench.

Hawk secured the wooden handle to his wrist with a heavy leather strap, then began swinging the spiked ball around and around his head. Andromeda had to step back to avoid the first revolution of the nasty weapon. Her small hands held the scythe up and out to one side, similar to the way a baseball player holds a bat.

They’re not really going to— Kyle began.

Briana grabbed his hand and silenced him again.

Kyle watched in horror as the big black man slowly began to circle the stage, swinging the spiked ball round and round, while the young Asian woman stood in the middle, holding the scythe, slowly turning to keep facing him. Above, the large screens showed views of them from several angles.

The audience was aroused.

Get him! somebody called.

Teach her a lesson, somebody else called out.

Phase it! it sounded like somebody else said.

Kyle didn’t understand the latter, but his thought was: that tiny girl doesn’t stand a chance! The chain on Hawk’s flail was much longer than the handle of her scythe—she couldn’t get near him. With one low swing of the morning star, he could—

At that instant Hawk lowered his arm. The spiked ball changed course and headed straight for the girl’s knees. She sprang forward and up into the air, her torso spinning in a complete circle, the blade of the scythe cutting through the air, coming around towards the man’s back. He ducked with lightning speed, whirling around and sending the spiked ball on a new course, high up in the air and then back down towards Andromeda again. She landed on the stage floor on her side. She rolled over and sprang up again with lightning speed, the morning star barely missing her left shoulder, and again swung the scythe through the air. This time the blade caught Hawk in the side.

He bellowed in pain, staggering sideways. The girl viciously yanked the weapon back towards herself, ripping the left side of his torso open, blood splattering everywhere.

The crowd cheered.

Kyle was on his feet, unable to remain seated, but Briana held onto him with a fistful of his robe.

The morning star completed another revolution and hit the floor with a thud, a couple of the spikes snapping off.

Hawk managed to scramble back to his feet. He swung the weapon around and around his head again, this time even faster, blood pouring from the gaping wound in his side. Now, there was a sneer on the girl’s face as she circled lightly on her feet, first in one direction, then the other...she was so graceful she might have been floating. The spiked ball swung continually around Hawk’s head but he was not guiding it as accurately as before.

Once again he moved his arm suddenly, this time upwards on a reverse circle of the weapon. The ball whirled almost straight up and then came hurtling down as if to come down right on top of the girl’s tiny-looking head. She leapt forward, but a bit late, and when it came down, it cleared her torso but ripped into the side of her calf and ankle, and slammed into the stage again, sending out a vibration through the rock that Kyle could feel through the soles of his feet.

Andromeda shrieked, but the injury only seemed to make her angrier.

The crowed cheered again.

Before Hawk could drag the morning star towards him and start swinging it again, the girl did an amazing flip into the air, her body spinning in a circle, and the scythe blade came down again, piercing the man’s side a little lower than before. She deftly yanked it back in her direction, tearing a hole in his abdomen. White-looking intestines spilled out, but this didn’t faze her in the least. As he collapsed to the floor she spun around again, swinging the scythe with the blade turned the other way around, and smashed the blunt side down onto his thighs over and over as he rolled over to protect himself.

You...don’t...steal...my...yogurt! she grunted, saying one word with each blow. As she gave the final blow, he raised his right leg. While the weapon was in motion, she flipped it around, blade-first. The razor-sharp steel sliced cleanly through Hawk’s ankle. His severed foot flew through the air, end over end, and it landed with a splash in the deep end of the pool.

A horn blasted, reverberating off the rock walls. The words RESOLVED! appeared on all the video screens, the crowd roaring their approval.

Lilith turned towards the audience, smiling indulgently and clapping. The two teenaged boys rushed across the stage, grabbed hold of Hawk’s mutilated body, and threw him, and themselves, into the water. Others had already jumped in and retrieved the severed foot, including the man who had spoken to Kyle earlier, whom Kyle sensed was a doctor. As they quickly cut away the remains of Hawk’s robe, blood spanned out through the water, tinting that portion of the pool a hazy red. The group floated Hawk on his back, joined his severed foot to his ankle, holding it in place while others carefully pushed his intestines back inside him, held his sliced skin together in the places where it been hacked open, and swirled the green water all around him.

Lilith stepped out to center stage, opened her white books, and called the next Confrontation.

Chapter 3.2

Kyle woke up the next morning in a daze.

He had been assigned to a room in one of the Red buildings, the color level designation of all new colony members.

The space was small and austere, with only a bed, dresser, table, and two chairs, all made of unfinished wood. The walls were unfinished as well, giving it all the rustic feel of a mountain cabin.

Kyle climbed out of bed, surprised that he felt fairly normal now. He padded into the small bathroom and peered at his face in the mirror, paying particular attention to his eyes. He looked normal, he thought. But when he shut the door and turned off the light, his irises glowed a faint green in the mirror, two small disks floating in the darkness, peering back at him. The effects were still lingering.

He had not seen Briana since last night—when the Confrontations had finally ended, there had been something called Afterparty, the goings on of which Kyle could only imagine, an event he had declined to attend, claiming he was exhausted. The doctor, whose name was Octavius, had escorted him here and told him that at nine the next morning a person by the name of Cubic would meet him for breakfast to give him orientation.

Kyle padded over to the window and looked outside. It was a sunny, perfectly still day, the faint sound of birds chirping in the distance. The disturbing events he had witnessed the previous night seemed unreal to him now, like a bad dream. There had been six more Confrontations, just as bloody as the first one, if not more so. And unlike Humpty Dumpty, all of the combatants that had been chopped up had been put together again.

Kyle could see other large wooden buildings in the distance, a few more painted red, along with some yellow ones, behind which were a scattering of trees and open countryside. The window was partially open and he could smell hickory smoke in the air.

He turned around and looked at the dresser. On it was a basket overflowing with apples, bananas, and oranges. Placed neatly beside the basket was a card with the words Welcome to Evergreen! printed on the front.

There was also a thicker softbound book entitled The Evergreen Colony Handbook. A note at the bottom said that it was prepared by the HR Department.

What kind of crazy place was this? For the past few days, he’d had an inkling that Briana might have found other people who had drunk the green water, but he had been completely unprepared for anything like this. A colony of almost five hundred people? Evergreen was like a small town! Who had started this colony—Lilith? And how long had it been here?

A thousand questions were swirling in Kyle’s head, and he didn’t think he’d find the answers in that stupid little booklet.

He glanced at the clock on the dresser, which was the only item in the room besides the simple furniture. It was 8:50.

He started getting dressed.

* * *

Lilith showed up at nine o’clock sharp with a man Kyle hadn’t noticed last night. He looked about forty-five or fifty, with wind-blown, partially gray hair. There was a pin on his collar, like a tie pin, made of gold, in the shape of a triangle, a violet-colored stone in the middle. Kyle noticed that Lilith was wearing a similar pin on her collar, too, but her triangle was green.

Kyle, this is Cubic, Lilith said, a manager at the Evergreen Technology Complex.

The man shook Kyle’s hand excitedly and started chattering. They call me cubic because I’ve got three Ph.D.’s.—one in microbiology, one in quantum physics and another in genetics— He gave a goofy-sounding laugh. It’s so awesome to meet you! He was still pumping Kyle’s hand. We don’t have too many scientifically-minded people around here—I understand you’re a mechanical engineer?

Just a student, Kyle said, and only a freshman—

Doesn’t matter, he said, overflowing with energy. It’s the mindset that counts. Come on, let me give you a quick tour of the place and then we’ll chow down.

* * *

It turned out that the Evergreen Colony covered almost six thousand acres of land, and had been around for more than one hundred years. Cubic gave Kyle the tour in a golf cart, which apparently were scattered around everywhere, and free for anyone in the colony to use. They passed a number of different dormitory-like structures, painted different colors.

We are truly a self-contained, sustainable community. We grow most of our own food. We currently generate sixty percent of our own energy with our solar and wind farms.

They passed a Tesla electric car moving in the other direction. We also burn no fossil fuels—all our transportation and machinery is electrically operated. Cubic paused, and they passed a large concrete building with a lot of windows. That’s our main pubic library. We have our own school, library, cinema, playhouse, fire station, security force... We also have our own cellphone network—see the tower there, over the treetops?

Impressive, Kyle said, not knowing what else to say.

Also, I’m happy to inform you that your money is literally no good here, Cubic went on, pointing out the cinema and some of the other buildings, which were all scattered along the main, paved road. Everything is free for everyone in the colony. We have a huge department store and supermarket—you just walk in and take whatever you want, there are no cash registers. There is actually no personal property here at Evergreen—everything belongs to the colony at large.

I see. Odd, Kyle thought—if that was true, then why were those two people fighting about the yogurt last night?

Because of that, Cubic said, we have no crime, no unemployment, no poverty—no guns, no police, no jail. At home, we don’t even lock our doors.

Amazing.

Cubic chuckled, looking pleased by Kyle’s reaction. The nudist camp front we have is the perfect cover, too. Do you know that we have the same IRS tax status as the Catholic Church, all kinds of First Amendment protection? Cubic nodded, glancing at Kyle. Some nosy government inspector wants to come and check something, no problem...as long as they come in and do it in the nude. He grinned. "Those are the rules. That stops ninety-nine percent of them. And nobody from the outside is allowed in the Cathedral, ever, it’s completely off limits."

They passed the department store on the left. Kyle noticed that its name was simply Abundance.

We have our own laundry and hair salon. For entertainment, we have three restaurants, two cafes, and a bar, the Horn of Plenty, which is a popular hangout. They passed by one of the cafes and there were half a dozen people at outside tables, enjoying the morning sun. Cubic waved and a few waved back.

But you know what we don’t have? Cubic said, glancing at Kyle.

No, what?

A hospital. The man grinned again. The green heals everything. Nobody here has so much as a cold or flu, no allergies, headaches, or stomachaches, not even a skin rash. He pointed at his eyes. Before I came here, my vision used to be pitiful, had to wear lenses as thick as Coke bottles. Now it’s twenty-twenty. Everyone here is in absolutely perfect health. He shrugged. This place is truly Utopia.

Kyle got the impression that everyone here simply referred to the green water as the green. They passed several more large buildings, some of them with skylights in the roofs. Those are the arts and crafts studios. Everyone here engages in some sort of creative expression—sculpture, painting, music, dancing, writing, drama, poetry, and crafts like pottery, glass-blowing, jewelry, doll-making... The green brings that out in you over time, connects you with your ‘muse.’ The colony generates a lot of its income from arts and crafts. We also generate a lot of revenue from technical inventions we’ve developed and patented, mostly improved solar panels.

They passed a huge indoor-outdoor gymnasium. Outside there were a few people climbing a simulated rock wall, more lifting weights, a couple of older guys playing basketball, and a few people wearing masks and vests, fencing. Beyond it were tennis courts and playing fields.

Of course, everyone here also engages in some kind of sports or exercise. They rounded a corner and Kyle saw a couple of women sparring with medieval weapons, like the ones that had been used last night. Only the blades and other business ends were made of what looked like hard rubber.

Now they came to an almost suburban looking area, with cottages and log cabins spaced out along gravel roads and green landscapes. Beyond it were fields covered with solar panels. There were a few high-tech looking windmills with long blades, slowly turning.

"This is where the Blues live, in these cottages, and also some Violets and Yellows. If you’re married, you