Beneath the Darkening Sky Read Online Free PDF Page B

and hits the goats, all that she can reach.
    ‘What are you doing?’
    ‘I’ll give them all the goats,’ Pina says. ‘And then they’ll go away forever.’
    ‘No!’ I’m trying to push the goats back towards the pen. ‘You need the goats. So does your mama.’
    Pina’s stick hangs down and she stomps her feet, crying. I push the goats back towards the pen. ‘Here, give them two just okay ones. All right?’
    She doesn’t say anything, but she doesn’t stomp. She just looks at me.
    ‘I don’t think they know anything about animals anyway.’ I smile because it’s the only thing I can think to do right now. ‘Come on, find the best ones and hide
them.’
    Pina stands there, but she’s looking at the goats now. I grab her stick and gently pull it from her. She lets go. With the stick I prod the goats back into the pen. Pina watches, like
she’s forgotten how to move. Her lip trembles a little.
    ‘Pina, which are the best goats?’ I have to get my face really close to hers because she’s acting like she can’t hear or see. ‘Which are the best?’
    Pina sticks out a limp hand and taps one goat. It’s fat and tall. Then she looks around and rubs another one’s head. ‘This one too.’ She likes that goat, I remember, but
she changes its name every week.
    I take the first goat and push it to the back of the pen and then I grab another that’s pretty fat and push it forward. Pina grabs that goat and leads it into the yard. I look around and
there’s another okay one near the front, so I pull that one out. It’s hard because this one has its rear to the gate, but it walks backwards okay. We get them both into the yard and I
close the gate again.
    Past the pen, I can see open land. Thick bushes all around and a stream. Lots of tall trees. Pina was right. I could run and they wouldn’t find me. The soldier said you can’t outrun
bullets, but no one would shoot at me if they couldn’t see me. They won’t see me run. I would disappear out there and wait until they had gone.
    I know the light-brown sand. I know which bushes are good to eat. I know how to sleep in the trees so you don’t fall out at night. I could run and never be found. And Pina would bring me
food. They would go and I could return to Mama. And Akot could say he hated me and then they wouldn’t hurt him. They’d never find me.
    ‘Where are those goats?’ a rebel calls out.
    They don’t want me. They just want someone to hurt. If I leave, they’ll just hurt someone else. Maybe Pina. But I won’t let them hurt Pina.
    ‘Coming!’ I yell. I lift the stick and whack the goats so they trot out into the street. ‘I wanted to pick good and tasty ones,’ I say as I come out. Pina stands behind
me. The rebels like the goats and they lick their lips like hungry lions. They laugh at me.
    The soldiers take the goats and they get their ropes out again. Everyone in the truck has to get out so that they can tie the goats up inside. Pina pulls on my elbow. Her mama is getting up on
her hands and knees. The soldiers are still standing over her, so she goes slowly, like she’s asking permission for each movement. They smile at her the whole time.
    ‘I hate the rebels,’ Pina whispers. She is quiet for a minute. ‘But you do have to go with them.’
    ‘I know. It’s okay.’ Then I lean in and whisper, ‘They’re all my goats.’ I smile.
    Pina looks at me very seriously. ‘Don’t die,’ she says and I almost laugh.
    I really think everything is going to be okay.
    ‘Let’s go, lovebird!’ the soldiers yell.
    ‘Look, I’ve got some replacements,’ shouts another rebel. A couple of soldiers are bringing five more boys towards the truck, pushing them forward with their guns. The Captain
smiles. I hadn’t noticed the crying and shouting in the background.
    Soldiers shout at the boys to stop. The Captain walks slowly around them, looking them up and down as if he is in the market.
    ‘They were hiding under beds like