“Yeah …,” Benny said diffidently. He’d heard that talk. “So … it’s not true?”
“You ate those pears without a thought. ”
“You handed them to me. ”
Tom smiled. “Oh, so you trust me now?”
“You’re a dork, but I don’t think you want to turn me into a zom. ”
“Wouldn’t have to get on you about cleaning your room, so let’s not rule it out. ”
“You’re so funny, I almost peed my pants,” Benny said without expression, then said, “Wait, I don’t get it. Traders bring in food all the time, and all the cows and chickens and stuff. … They were brought to town by travelers and hunters and people like that, right? So …”
“So, why do people think it’s safe to eat that stuff and not the food growing wild out here?”
“Yeah. ”
“Good question. ”
“Well, what’s the answer?”
“The people in town trust what’s inside the fence. Currently inside the fence. If it came from outside, they remark on it. Like, on the second Wednesday of every month, folks will say, ‘’Bout time for the wagons, ain’t it?,’ but they don’t really acknowledge where the wagons come from or why the wagons are covered in sheet metal and the horses wrapped in carpet and chain mail. They know, but they don’t know. Or don’t want to know. ”
“That doesn’t make any sense. ”
Tom walked a bit before he said, “There’s town and then there’s the Rot and Ruin. Most of the time they aren’t in the same world, you know?”
Benny nodded. “I guess I do. ”
He stopped and stared ahead with narrowed eyes. Benny couldn’t see anything, but then Tom grabbed his arm and pulled him quickly off the road and led him in a wide circle through the groves of trees. Benny peered between the hundreds of tree trunks and finally caught a glimpse of three zoms, shuffling slowly along the road. One was whole; the other two had ragged flesh where other zoms had feasted on them while they were still alive.
Benny opened his mouth and almost asked Tom how he knew they were there, but Tom made a shushing gesture and continued on, moving soundlessly through the soft summer grass.
When they were well clear, Tom took them back up to the road.
“I didn’t even see them!” Benny gasped, turning to look back.
“Neither did I. ”
“Then how … ?”
“You get a feel for this sort of thing. ”
Benny held his ground, still looking back. “I don’t get it. There were only three of them. Couldn’t you have … you know …”
“What?”
“Killed them,” said Benny flatly. “Charlie Matthias said he’ll go out of his way to chop a zom or two. He doesn’t run from anything. ”
“Is that what he says?” Tom murmured, then continued down the road.
Benny shrugged, then followed.
7
TWICE MORE TOM PULLED BENNY OFF THE ROAD SO THEY COULD CIRCLE around wandering zombies. After the second time, once they were clear of the creatures’ olfactory range, Benny grabbed Tom’s arm and demanded, “Whyn’t you just pop a cap in them?”
Tom gently pulled his arm free. He shook his head and didn’t answer.