On Such A Full Sea

This chapter explains what Fan has learned about Quig, and his life before the compound. Quig had been a Charter veterinarian, attending school for many more years than a B-Mor would have. His wife, Glynnis, had trained as a veterinarian as well. After she left the practice to have their first child, Trish, Quig partnered with two other veterinarians and started a popular practice. Their business included vans that they would take around on-call. They charged high fees for onsite visits.

Charters often had quite a few pets. This was because, in part, children were more expensive and difficult to raise, especially in a society where everything was constantly judged and ranked: “There were limited opportunities for having a full-on Charter life” (134). Trish, however, was being raised to be given every opportunity to succeed. Her parents entered her in pageants, and although she was not the most fit-looking candidate, her exceptional talent at playing the viola and her knowledge of history often made up for lower scores in things like yoga and the evening-gown promenade.

The veterinary industry went out of business literally overnight, when a series of animals getting sick led to a virus that crossed the species barrier and infected humans. The humans died horrifically, with catastrophic hemorrhages, and so all pets were banned from the Charters forever. Quig and his wife took on whatever jobs they could to get by, but were soon moved into service apartments, having to had given up their condo. Quig began a laundry service. His wife, Glynnis, began to work in the women's locker room at the gym where Quig worked part time, taking care of linens, and soon discovered that her friends would buy the drugs from their former veterinary practice at significant markups. The couple began to deal drugs in this way, using the laundry delivery vehicle as a way to facilitate these deals. Quig was very upset about the idea, when he first discovered what his wife was doing, but she explained to him that her illicit deals were the only thing keeping the family in the kind of lifestyle they had been enjoying.

A young colleague who had been a former veterinary assistant, Ricky, was able to help, and soon their business was booming. However, when things were looking up, and they had travelled for a pageant that Trish had been entered in, the suite was suddenly raided by the police. Ricky had betrayed them, and thanks to his testimony, they were convicted of selling illegal substances. They were allowed to take only what would fit in their wagon, and banished from the Charter.

Fan’s knowledge of Quig’s life ends here, the previous information having been revealed to her by Penelope. Fan boldly asks Quig about his daughter, still driving. Quig gets very quiet, but seems to think it over and hesitantly replies with short answers. Yesterday was her birthday, and she would have been 25. Fan tells Quig that she understood Trish to be a girl of many talents, prompting Quig to ask whether Penelope told Fan all of this. Fan replies that yes, she did, then Quig changes the subject, asking if Fan can do anything special. Fan tells him about her ability to hold her breath for long periods of time, and Quig asks her to show him. She holds her breath for a very long time, entering her super-relaxed state, which she had discovered while working in the tanks as a diver. She holds her breath so long that it worries Quig, who asks her to stop several times before slapping her to make her stop.

Quig asks Fan if she’s okay, and she says that she is. Feeling guilty about slapping her, he offers her a chance to drive. She takes over driving, and after a bit, Quig pulls up a picture of Trish on his handscreen to show Fan. He asks her if she wants to hear the story of what happened to his family. Though unsure, Fan says yes.

Fan listens to the tale of Quig and how he lost his family. Quig’s family had heard stories of what happens to Charters that are banished, and assumed that it might be a death sentence. Glynnis was inconsolable, and Trish was strangely quiet. They had no real destination in mind because labor settlements like B-Mor were restricted, and their banishment from the Charters was system wide.

They decided to stop at a motel. They skipped the first two because they seemed dingy, grimy, and unsafe, but stopped at the third one they came across. It was a cute, colorful, friendly-looking hostel. It seemed almost too good to be true.

They enter the hostel and meet Landon, one of the two proprietors along with his partner, Dale. Landon is a young, balding black man with fastidious attention to detail. His partner, Dale, is an older white man who is shorter and a bit tubby, and who immediately dotes on Trish, offering her costume jewelry from their lost-and-found.

The family is situated in an English-hunt-country-themed suite. They meet other lodgers that evening at supper, including two couples who owned their own businesses, a salesman for a huge agri-food concern, and a family of four from Denmark. They spend the evening hearing ribald tales from these folk of the counties, while the Danish family looks on with an almost fascinated air, like they’re taking notes on these people’s customs. There is an amazing dinner, standing up against anything even from the best Charter restaurants, and the talk turns to political matters, such as the possible confederation of the counties into a more cohesive and safe unit.

Quig and Glynnis decide that the answer to what they might possibly do next in life, without their Charter citizenship, could be purchasing this hotel, which Landon and Dale had mentioned possibly wanting to sell at some point. They worry that they have no collateral and no cash with which to buy such a property, and strategize about making an offer. They speak to Dale and Landon about this the following morning, saying that they are willing to work for free and learn the hospitality industry, and mortgage the place from the pair.

At first, Dale is very annoyed at the idea, but after a discussion with Landon, they emerge from the office to tell Quig and Glynnis that they can work out a deal. Unfortunately, just then, there is a loud bang from the breakfast room. Quig and Landon go investigate, locking Dale, Glynnis, and Trish in the office behind them. Two young robbers have broken in and shot the salesman, and are now menacing the Danish family and the others. They are agitated and on drugs, and shoot the Danish woman, Ursula. The robbers pick through wallets and jewelry. Landon and Quig decide to retreat to the office before they’re seen, but Quig trips and crashes to the floor, alerting the robbers.

The robbers murder everyone in the dining room, and pistol-whip Landon and Quig badly, forcing them back to the security door of the office. The robbers demand that Dale, Glynnis and Trish open the office door, otherwise they will kill Quig and Landon. Landon shouts that they should not open the door no matter what, as they will kill them anyway. One of the robbers blows off Landon’s hand. They then bludgeon Quig with the butt of a shotgun. As Quig is blacking out, he sees Dale open the door, holding a knife, Quig’s wife and child hiding behind the man. The robbers begin shooting, and Quig is unconscious, knowing he will awaken to horror. The robbers set the hotel on fire, as they are out of ammunition, and Quig barely escapes upon waking, dragging the corpse of Landon out with him, thinking the man might still be alive.

Fan cannot bear to ask what the scene was upon Quig’s waking. She can only imagine how horrible it was, and sees the emotion in Quig’s eyes, which reveals some of the cold, endless pain. In some ways, Quig did not survive the assault. Even though he was physically left alive because the robbers ran out of bullets, he was no longer the same. He walked to his car, in the aftermath, the contents of the vehicle the only thing he had left in the world.

Fan drives for a stretch. Loreen suddenly wakes up from her nap, and seeing Fan at the wheel causes her to cry out in terror. Quig is able to grab the wheel and avoid a serious accident, but they do clip another car, which goes spinning off into the ditch. The group goes back to check on the car they hit, and finds a whole family, comprised of a middle-aged couple, an elderly man, and “an assortment of children of various heights and ages” (166). The children show a great interest in Fan, and talk with her about her life in the facilities, while the adults help get the car upright. The car does not start, so Quig and his people tow the broken down car back to the place where this mysterious family lives.

Soon, they come to a wood, and the old man moves some branches to reveal a path. There is a hidden clearing in the woods, and the family leads them through some trees to this strange space. There, they find some dogs, an outhouse, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, chicken coops and goat pens. They learn that this family, The Nickelmans, is actually a family of performers who do acrobatics, and they were on their way back from a conference when the accident occurred. The Nickelmans offer hospitality, serving drinks and a meal to Quig and his party and showing off their acrobatic skills. Fan joins the children for a few attempts and quickly takes to the routines. Everyone has dinner together down in the secret, hidden area in the woods underneath an extremely large oak tree, which the Nickelmans have turned into their main living space.

Fan has to use the outhouse, and one of the younger children, Hilton, offers to accompany her back to the clearing to find it. While Fan is waiting for the girl to use the bathroom, she notices a bone nearby. With sudden horror, she realizes there is a whole field of bones, and just then, she sees Quig and Loreen being led, in a daze, by the whole family coming up from the woods below. The older boys are carrying machetes. Hilton throws her arms around Fan, screaming “I won’t let it happen!” (177). Mr. Nickle man explains that Fan will join their troupe, but the adults must be killed. Fan asks if she can take a moment to say goodbye. When she gets close, she cuts Hilton with a sharp fence spike and takes her hostage, demanding that the family return Quig and Loreen to her care. The family cuts Quig and Loreen from the pole and walks them to the car. Fan takes Hilton in the front seat, still threatening to kill her, as they drive toward the front entrance to the clearing. As soon as the old man has moved the trees to allow them passage, Fan lets out Hilton and presses down on the pedal, driving away as fast as she can.