Chapter Sixteen

Ari paced in front of the single men’s building while she waited for Felix to join her. She hadn’t seen him since he and Olga had gone to fetch Eugene almost two weeks ago. She wasn’t certain, but she guessed that Eugene had been sent off to the main Center Land with the other children since no children were kept in her village for any length of time.  Surely, Olga knew this when she left Eugene in the care of the newborn nursery?  It was just the way things were and there was nothing to be done to change it.  It certainly wasn’t her fault.  She didn’t run the village or make the rules.  She simply followed them to the best of her ability.

So, why did she have a knot in her stomach the size of her fist at the prospect of having to face first Felix and then Olga?

“After two weeks, you finally come around?” Felix barked as he bounded out of the front door and down the steps to the sidewalk.  “W