Even though this is Justin’s dream, Amahle is the only dreamer here, and she controls the dream.
The dream changes an hour later. The Zulu village of Amahle’s mother in the middle of the desert changes to a bustling city street. I have never been, but I assume it is Johannesburg, the city Amahle grew up in.
From being inside a hut, surrounded by darkness, Amahle and Joy are in a small apartment building, surrounded by the same cloud of darkness. Bonny’s Revenge, with Suzy and me in it, hovers a few meters above the street, with buildings to every side.
Master Mind stands watch outside the building. He listens, and so far nothing happens inside the darkness that prompts him to leap into it and save Joy. We are letting Amahle deal with her mother’s death, with Joy at her side, inside complete darkness.
Justin appears a few hours in. Suzy explains the situation to him. He nods and sits on the plank, waiting for something to change.
Eventually, the city disappears and now the cloud of darkness and Master Mind are standing in the park in Johannesburg that Amahle returns to every few months. Justin stands up. A rocket launcher emerges from inside Master Mind’s arm exoskeleton.
Suddenly, the darkness shrinks and shrinks, until we can see that Joy is hugging Amahle, and Elvis, Amahle’s walking eye dog, standing at her side. As Joy hugs her, the darkness vanishes completely.
Justin brings down the ship and extends the ramp.
Amahle and Joy board the ship, Master Mind behind them.
“Amahle,” Suzy says. “I’m so sorry for your loss! You must be devastated!”
“Thank you, Suzanne,” Amahle says. Suzy approaches her and touches her shoulder. The two fall into a hug.
Justin, meanwhile, goes up to Joy and extends an open palm. Joy takes a step back.
“How did it happen?” Suzy says.
Justin points to his open palm silently. Joy shakes her head.
“It was cancer,” Amahle says.
Justin points to Joy, then to his open palm.
“She had felt pain in her abdomen for a few weeks, but she didn’t tell anyone. She went to the hospital only three days ago, and it was too late. It was a very aggressive cancer, and it was already… too late.”
Joy reaches into her pocket and pulls out a necklace. It takes me a second to register it. It is a necklace with… sharp lion teeth, I believe. I have heard of those.
“That is so horrible!” Suzy says. “Do you have any brothers and sisters? Does she have brothers and sisters?”
Justin points to Amahle. Joy shakes her head.
“I am an only child,” Amahle says. “She has two brothers and a sister. We were all there at the end.”
Suzy hugs Amahle again. Justin nods to Joy. Joy shakes her head.
“Amahle,” Justin says aloud. “I’m really sorry that happened. Is there anything we can do?”
Amahle sighs. “I think I want to be alone. Perhaps I shall return to my dream and be alone there.”
Justin nods. “Okay. Master Mind, can you take her?”
“Of course, Pirate.”
Master Mind goes to the wheel and takes Bonny’s Revenge to the edge of the tunnel. During all this time, Justin points from Joy to Amahle while Joy ignores him.
Master Mind docks the ship. “Come with me, Sunless One.”
“Before you go,” Justin says. “Joy has something she wants to say.”
Joy looks at her father as if she wants to kill him.
“Come on, Joy,” he tells her calmly. “Tell her.”
(To be continued…)
—Told by Grampa Walt