A Girl Called Badger (Valley of the Sleeping Birds) by Stephen Colegrove

everything. It’s what I do. Other people hunt or plant fields, and I study. Books, language, machines––you name it and I have to know something about it. How are you feeling, by the way?”
    “Still mucho dolore.” She pressed her stomach. “Please don’t talk about ...”
    “I’m sorry. Do you want a drink?”
    He went to the treatment room and poured a cup of water from the dispenser, then mixed it with powder from a paper envelope.
    Mina drank all of it quickly. Wilson watched a bead of water roll from the corner of her mouth to the neck of her collar.
    “Where are you from?”
    “From a village, illamo David. Mucho walking.”
    “How far away, do you think?”
    “We stop many times, but I think five days.”
    She turned the cup in her hands over and over.
    “I walked in forest with mother and friends. Monstroja ... kill them, take me away.”
    The silence that followed made Wilson uncomfortable. He decided they both needed some fresh air.
    “Are you hungry? Let’s get something to eat.”
    Mina slipped on a pair of sandals while Wilson grabbed an extra wool coat. He put it around her shoulders and they walked out of the rectory tunnel into a fine mist of rain. Sunlight broke through the clouds and the drops shone like falling streams of white flour. Two older women smiled and waved at Wilson. A farmer greeted him with a nod and sloshed quickly through the mud.
    Mina hopped over a puddle. “Station has mucho rain. Where are houses?”
    “We live underground.”
    “Like a melo? That’s crazy!”
    “Yes, like a badger.”
    Mina looked at his face. “What is wrong?”
    “Don’t worry, it’s nothing.”
    A pair of hunters ran past with crossbows on their backs.
    “Wilson. Why don’t you have rifles?”
    “We do have rifles, but can’t use them near the valley. The noise travels too far and we don’t like visitors.”
    He led Mina down steps to another tunnel and cracked open a heavy door to a storm of chatter and the clink of dishes. People of all ages filled the cafeteria for the midday meal. When Mina and Wilson walked inside the noise dropped off.
    Wilson raised his voice. “Excuse me, everyone! Please say hello to our new guest, Mina.”
    The villagers murmured greetings. Many came to say a few words or to give Mina a hug. Wilson’s cheeks and ears burned hot the entire time but he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. He could guess what everyone thought and talked about back at the tables with their heads together. Wilson found a tribal girl so soon! Where did she get that black eye? He’s not that kind of boy is he? She looks so pretty!
    At last Robb’s father handed them trays with meals and guided them to a table. Mina smacked her lips while eating the stew and bread.
    “Please,” said Wilson. “Like this.” He took a spoonful and chewed with his mouth closed.
    “Loco,” said Mina, but imitated Wilson. “What’s in the soup?”
    “Bear.”
    Mina’s good eye opened wide. She ate her stew quietly and stared at each villager in the room.
     
    WILSON SPENT HIS FREE time over the next few days showing her around the underground complex and coaching her speech. They wandered through the farmlands and he talked about Station, the old times, and the mountains that surrounded the valley. He didn’t mind spending time with Mina and it kept his mind off Badger and other unsolvable topics. She was a distraction, the breeze before a thunderstorm.
    But when he was alone his mind wandered out of control. Somewhere in the cold forest Badger could be bleeding from bullet fragments or a tribal axe. After the evening meal Wilson read books in the rectory’s library until his eyes glazed over. In addition to his morning exercises he began an evening workout to exhaust his body in time for sleep.
    He studied the white objects for hours but they remained inscrutable.
    On the fourth day since Badger had left he took Mina for a walk on the western slopes. They stopped to rest in the