grinned at him. “My boy, fishers aren’t just among
the Markless. This here?” He drew again on the table.
“This here is a lifesaver. Means a Marked man or woman has
opened their lives to our cause.”
“Lifesavers are crucial,” Mama said. “We couldn’t survive
without them. You see one of these in front of a store some-
where, you know you can ask for a loaf of bread, or a drink of water, or a shirt. They’ll give it to ya. You see one in front of a home, you’ll have a place to wash up, maybe a meal in exchange for a day’s labor around the house. And if you see one next to an anchor, you go right ahead and feel safe spending the night, Marked host and all.”
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“Now this,” Papa said, “looks kinda like a boat, don’t it?” He scrawled a quick half circle next to the other symbols.
“This means you’ve found yourself a captain. See one next to a school? You better believe some teacher in there knows the way. You see one on a sidewalk? You can trust there’s a shop owner offering more than goods. Find one by a house or a farm? Well,” Papa said.
“You get the idea.
“Look hard for these, though. They’re few and far between.
But folks with these symbols will do more than show you the way forward. They’ll take you there, far as they can go.”
“Who else knows the exact routes? Besides the captains?” Peck
asked.
“No one. You look for waves or you look for a boat. You go too long without seeing either . . . you’re lost.”
Peck sighed. But he nodded for Papa to continue.
“Now, it ain’t all nice out on the River,” Papa warned. “I suppose you don’t need me to tell you that, but, well . . .” He drew another picture on the table.
“Keep your eye out for this one. Hooks are danger. You might
be offered help, or you might see another symbol in the area, but don’t trust it. Because it’s only bait. And it’ll be the end of you if you don’t take care.
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“DOME hasn’t cracked our code yet and they don’t know our
routes, but DOME does know of the River. And they’ll do any-
thing to stop it.”
“So, what?” Logan asked. “In the morning we’re just supposed
to head out onto the River and hope to find some signs? Hope we don’t get caught? Hope it takes us to Beacon?”
“That’s about right,” Papa said. “Though you left out some
steps.” He laughed. “Most of them, in fact. Starting tomorrow, you kids are gonna walk, run, swim, crawl . . . this River’s full of surprises. Don’t think you’ll spend the whole time on foot. Because you won’t.”
“What does that mean?” Peck asked.
Mama shrugged. “I wish we could tell you. But we only know
our leg of the trip. Anything beyond it, we’d be guessing.”
“Wait a minute,” Logan said. “ Your leg of the trip?”
“Oh, did we forget to mention?” Papa smiled. “Mama and
I . . . we’re captains.”
“You?” Peck said.
Mama laughed. “Well, how do you think we got supplies for
the Fulmart all those years? You think everything in there was pre-Unity?”
Papa stood now. “But enough planning. Tomorrow we head
east. There’s an anchor at the southern tip of Lake Michigan, and another captain not far beyond that. I have a raft for us on the stream out in the woods. We’ll be able to take it most of the way.”
Mama smiled. “You’re in good hands, kids. This part of the
River is ours; Papa could get you there with his eyes closed.”
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When Logan and Peck left the farmhouse, Peck walked past
the trees strung up with antennae. On one of them, a boat was
carved in the side. On another, an anchor. He hadn’t noticed
them before.
Papa chuckled from the farmhouse’s doorway. “Good eye,” he
said. “Now you’re getting the hang of it.”
Peck sighed. “I’d better be. After tomorrow, these little drawings are all we
the Markless. This here?” He drew again on the table.
“This here is a lifesaver. Means a Marked man or woman has
opened their lives to our cause.”
“Lifesavers are crucial,” Mama said. “We couldn’t survive
without them. You see one of these in front of a store some-
where, you know you can ask for a loaf of bread, or a drink of water, or a shirt. They’ll give it to ya. You see one in front of a home, you’ll have a place to wash up, maybe a meal in exchange for a day’s labor around the house. And if you see one next to an anchor, you go right ahead and feel safe spending the night, Marked host and all.”
83
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6/22/12 4:09 PM
Evan Angler
“Now this,” Papa said, “looks kinda like a boat, don’t it?” He scrawled a quick half circle next to the other symbols.
“This means you’ve found yourself a captain. See one next to a school? You better believe some teacher in there knows the way. You see one on a sidewalk? You can trust there’s a shop owner offering more than goods. Find one by a house or a farm? Well,” Papa said.
“You get the idea.
“Look hard for these, though. They’re few and far between.
But folks with these symbols will do more than show you the way forward. They’ll take you there, far as they can go.”
“Who else knows the exact routes? Besides the captains?” Peck
asked.
“No one. You look for waves or you look for a boat. You go too long without seeing either . . . you’re lost.”
Peck sighed. But he nodded for Papa to continue.
“Now, it ain’t all nice out on the River,” Papa warned. “I suppose you don’t need me to tell you that, but, well . . .” He drew another picture on the table.
“Keep your eye out for this one. Hooks are danger. You might
be offered help, or you might see another symbol in the area, but don’t trust it. Because it’s only bait. And it’ll be the end of you if you don’t take care.
84
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6/22/12 4:09 PM
Sneak
“DOME hasn’t cracked our code yet and they don’t know our
routes, but DOME does know of the River. And they’ll do any-
thing to stop it.”
“So, what?” Logan asked. “In the morning we’re just supposed
to head out onto the River and hope to find some signs? Hope we don’t get caught? Hope it takes us to Beacon?”
“That’s about right,” Papa said. “Though you left out some
steps.” He laughed. “Most of them, in fact. Starting tomorrow, you kids are gonna walk, run, swim, crawl . . . this River’s full of surprises. Don’t think you’ll spend the whole time on foot. Because you won’t.”
“What does that mean?” Peck asked.
Mama shrugged. “I wish we could tell you. But we only know
our leg of the trip. Anything beyond it, we’d be guessing.”
“Wait a minute,” Logan said. “ Your leg of the trip?”
“Oh, did we forget to mention?” Papa smiled. “Mama and
I . . . we’re captains.”
“You?” Peck said.
Mama laughed. “Well, how do you think we got supplies for
the Fulmart all those years? You think everything in there was pre-Unity?”
Papa stood now. “But enough planning. Tomorrow we head
east. There’s an anchor at the southern tip of Lake Michigan, and another captain not far beyond that. I have a raft for us on the stream out in the woods. We’ll be able to take it most of the way.”
Mama smiled. “You’re in good hands, kids. This part of the
River is ours; Papa could get you there with his eyes closed.”
85
Sneak.indd 85
6/22/12 4:09 PM
Evan Angler
When Logan and Peck left the farmhouse, Peck walked past
the trees strung up with antennae. On one of them, a boat was
carved in the side. On another, an anchor. He hadn’t noticed
them before.
Papa chuckled from the farmhouse’s doorway. “Good eye,” he
said. “Now you’re getting the hang of it.”
Peck sighed. “I’d better be. After tomorrow, these little drawings are all we
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