The Twelve Read online

  The Twelve is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2012 by Justin Cronin

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

  BALLANTINE and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

  Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission to reprint previously published material:

  Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.:

  “In the Afterlife” from Almost Invisible by Mark Strand, copyright © 2012 by Mark Strand. Reprinted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Cronin, Justin.

  The twelve : a novel / Justin Cronin.

  p. cm.—(Passage trilogy 2)

  eISBN: 978-0-345-53489-7

  1. Virus diseases—Fiction. 2. Survival—Fiction.

  3. End of the world—Fiction. 4. Human experimentation

  in medicine—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3553.R542T94 2012

  813’.54—dc23 2012028427

  www.ballantinebooks.com

  Jacket design: Belina Huey

  Jacket illustration: Tom Hallman

  v3.1_r1

  She stood beside me for years, or was it a moment? I cannot remember. Maybe I loved her, maybe I didn’t. There was a house, and then no house. There were trees, but none remain. When no one remembers, what is there? You, whose moments are gone, who drift like smoke in the afterlife, tell me something, tell me anything.

  —MARK STRAND, “IN THE AFTERLIFE”

  CONTENTS

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Epigraph

  PROLOGUE

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  I THE GHOST

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  II THE FAMILIAR

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  III THE FIELD

  Chapter 23

  IV THE CAVE

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  V THE OIL ROAD

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  VI THE INSURGENT

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  VII THE OUTLAW

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  VIII THE CHANGELING

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  IX THE ARRIVAL

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  X THE ASSASSIN

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  XI THE DARKEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  XII THE KISS

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  EPILOGUE THE GOLDEN HOUR

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  DRAMATIS PERSONAE

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Other Books by This Author

  About the Author

  PROLOGUE

  From the Writings of the First Recorder (“The Book of Twelves”)

  Presented at the Third Global Conference on the

  North American Quarantine Period

  Center for the Study of Human Cultures and Conflicts

  University of New South Wales, Indo-Australian Republic

  April 16–21, 1003 A.V.

  [Excerpt begins.]

  CHAPTER ONE

  1. For it came to pass that the world had grown wicked, and men had taken war into their hearts, and committed great defilements upon every living thing, so that the world was as a dream of death;

  2. And God looked upon his creation with a great sadness, for his spirit no longer abided with mankind.

  3. And the LORD said: As in the days of Noah, a great deluge shall sweep over the earth; and this shall be a deluge of blood. The monsters of men’s hearts shall be made flesh, devouring all in their path. And they shall be called Virals.

  4. The first shall walk among you disguised as a virtuous man, concealing the evil within him; and it shall come to pass that a sickness will befall him, such that he is made into the likeness of a demon, terrible to gaze upon. And he shall be the father of destruction, called the Zero.

  5. And men shall say: Would not such a being make the mightiest of soldiers? Would not the armies of our enemies lay down their weapons to cover their eyes at the very sight of him?

  6. And a decree shall go forth from the highest offices that twelve criminals shall be chosen to share of the Zero’s blood, becoming demons also; and their names shall be as one name, Babcock-Morrison-Chávez-Baffes-Turrell-Winston-Sosa-Echols-Lambright-Martínez-Reinhardt-Carter, called the Twelve.

  7. But also I will choose one among you who is pure of heart and mind, a child to stand against them; and I will send a sign so that all may know, and this sign shall be a great commotion of animals.

  8. And this was Amy, whose name is Love: Amy of Souls, the Girl from Nowhere.

  9. And the sign went forth in the place of Memphis, the beasts howling and screeching and trumpeting; and one who saw was Lacey, a sister in the eyes of God. And the LORD said to Lacey:

  10. You too are chosen, to be as a helpmate to Amy, to show her the way. Wither she goes you shall go also; and your journey shall be a hardship, lasting many generations.

  11. You shall be as a mother to the child, whom I have brought forth to heal the broken world; for within her I shall build an ark to carry the spirits of the righteous.

  12. And thus did Lacey according to all that God commanded her, so did she.

  CHAPTER TWO

  1. And it came to pass that Amy was taken to the place of Colorado to be the captive of evil men; for in that place the Zero and the Twelve abided in chains, and Amy’s captors intended that she should become one of them, joining to them in mind.

  2. And there she was given the blood of the Zero, and fell into a swoon as unto death; but neither did she die, nor acquire monstrous form. For it was not the design of God that such a thing should come to pass.

  3. And in this state Amy lingered through a period of days, until a great calamity occurred, such that there should be a Time B
efore and a Time After; for the Twelve escaped and the Zero also, unleashing death upon the earth.

  4. But one man befriended Amy, and took pity upon her, and stole her away from that place. And this was Wolgast, a man righteous in his generation, beloved of God.

  5. And together Amy and Wolgast made their way to the place of Oregon, deep in the mountains; and there they abided in the time known as the Year of Zero.

  6. For in that time the Twelve beset the face of the world with their great hunger, killing every kind; and those they did not feed upon were taken up, joining to them in mind. And in this manner the Twelve were multiplied one million–fold to form the Twelve Viral Tribes, each with his Many, who roamed the earth without name or memory, laying waste to every living thing.

  7. Thus did the seasons pass; and Wolgast became as a father to Amy, who had none, nor he a child of his own; and likewise did he love her, and she him.

  8. And also did he see that Amy was not as he was, nor like any living person upon the earth; for neither did she age, nor suffer pain, nor seek nourishment or rest. And he feared what would become of her, when he himself was gone.

  9. And it came to pass that a man came to them from the place of Seattle; and Wolgast did slay him, lest the man should become a demon in their midst. For the world had become a place of monsters, none living but they.

  10. And in this manner they remained as father and daughter, each attending to the other, until a night when a blinding light filled the sky, too bright to gaze upon; and in the morning the air was foul with a rank odor, and ashes descended upon every surface.

  11. For the light was the light of death, causing Wolgast to fall ill with a lethal sickness. And Amy was left to wander the ravaged earth alone, with none but the Virals for company.

  12. And in this manner time passed, four score and twelve years in sum.

  CHAPTER THREE

  1. So it was that in the ninety-eighth year of her life in the place of California Amy came upon a city; and this was The First Colony, four score and ten souls abiding within its walls, the descendants of children who had made their way from the place of Philadelphia in the Time Before.

  2. But at the sight of Amy the people became frightened, for they knew nothing of the world, and many words were spoken against her, and she was imprisoned; and much confusion occurred, such that she was forced to flee in the company of others.

  3. And these were Peter, Alicia, Sara, Michael, Hollis, Theo, Mausami, and Hightop, eight in sum; and each had a cause of righteousness in his heart, and desired that they should see the world outside the city where they dwelled.

  4. And among them Peter was first in name, and Alicia second, and Sara third, and Michael fourth; and likewise were the others blessed in the eyes of God.

  5. And together they left that place under cover of dark to find the secret of the world’s undoing, in the place of Colorado, a journey of one-half year in the wilderness, enduring many tribulations; and the greatest of these was The Haven.

  6. For in the place of Las Vegas they were taken as captives to stand before Babcock, First of Twelve; for the dwellers of that city were as slaves to Babcock and his Many, and would sacrifice two of their number for each new moon, so that they might live.

  7. And Amy and the others were cast into the place of sacrifice, and did battle with Babcock, who was terrible to behold; and many lives were lost. And together they fled from that place, lest they too should die.

  8. And one among them fell, who was the boy, Hightop; and Amy and her fellows buried him, marking it as a place of remembrance.

  9. And a great grief was upon them, for Hightop was the most beloved of their number; but tarry could they not, for Babcock and his Many did pursue them.

  10. And after more time had passed Amy and her fellows came upon a house, untouched by time; for God had blessed it, making it hallowed ground. And this was known as the Farmstead. And there they rested in safety, seven days in sum.

  11. But two among them chose to stay in that place, for the woman was with child. And that child was to be born Caleb, who was beloved of God.

  12. Thus the others continued while two remained behind.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  1. And it came to pass that Amy and her fellows made their way through the days and nights to the place of Colorado, where they came into the company of soldiers, five score in sum. And these were known as the Expeditionary, from the place of Texas.

  2. For Texas was in that time a place of refuge upon the earth; and the soldiers had traveled abroad to fight the Virals, each taking a pledge to die for his fellows.

  3. And one among them chose to join their ranks, becoming a soldier of the Expeditionary; and this was Alicia, who was to be called Alicia of Blades. And one of the soldiers elected to join with them in turn; and this was Lucius the Faithful.

  4. And there they would have tarried, but winter was upon them; and though four of their number desired to travel with the soldiers to the place of Texas, Amy and Peter chose to press on alone.

  5. And it came to pass that the pair arrived at the place of Amy’s making, and there atop the highest peak they beheld an angel of the LORD. And the angel said to Amy:

  6. Fear not, for I am the same Lacey whom you remember. Here have I waited through the generations to show you the way, and to show Peter also; for he is the Man of Days, chosen to stand with you.

  7. For as in the time of Noah, God in his design has provided a great ship to cross the waters of destruction; and Amy is that ship. And Peter shall be the one to lead his fellows to a place of dry land.

  8. Therefore will the LORD make whole what is broken, and bring comfort to the spirits of the righteous. And this shall be known as The Passage.

  9. And the angel Lacey summoned Babcock, First of Twelve, from out of the darkness; and a great battle was joined. And with a burst of light did Lacey slay him, casting her spirit to the LORD.

  10. And thus were Babcock’s Many set free of him; and likewise did they remember the people they had been in the Time Before: man and woman, husband and wife, parent and child.

  11. And Amy moved among them, blessing each in turn; for it was the design of God that she should be the vessel to carry their souls through the long night of their forgetting. And thereupon their spirits departed the earth, and they died.

  12. And in this manner, Amy and her fellows learned what lay before them; though the way of their journey was steep, and only just beginning.

  1

  ORPHANAGE OF THE ORDER OF THE SISTERS, KERRVILLE, TEXAS

  Later, after supper and evening prayer, and bath if it was bath night, and then the final negotiations to conclude the day (Please, Sister, can’t we stay up a little longer? Please, one more story?), when the children had fallen asleep at last and everything was very still, Amy watched them. There was no rule against this; the sisters had all grown accustomed to her nighttime wanderings. Like an apparition she moved from quiet room to quiet room, sidling up and down the rows of beds where the children lay, their sleeping faces and bodies in trusting repose. The oldest were thirteen, poised at the edge of adulthood, the youngest just babies. Each came with a story, always sad. Many were thirdlings left at the orphanage by parents unable to pay the tax, others the victim of even crueler circumstances: mothers dead in childbirth, or else unwed and unable to bear the shame; fathers disappeared into the dark undercurrents of the city or taken outside the wall. The children’s origins varied, yet their fates would be the same. The girls would enter the Order, giving their days to prayer and contemplation and caring for the children they themselves had been, while the boys would become soldiers, members of the Expeditionary, taking an oath of a different but no less binding nature.

  Yet in their dreams they were children—still children, Amy thought. Her own childhood was the most distant of memories, an abstraction of history, and yet as she watched the sleeping children, dreams playfully flicking across their slumbering eyes, she felt closer to it—a time when s
he herself was just a small being in the world, innocent of what lay ahead, the too-long journey of her life. Time was a vastness inside her, too many years to know one from the other. So perhaps that was why she wandered among them: she did it to remember.

  It was Caleb whose bed she saved for last, because he would be waiting for her. Baby Caleb, though he was not a baby anymore but a boy of five, taut and energetic as all children were, full of surprise and humor and startling truth. From his mother he had taken the high, sculpted cheekbones and olive-hued complexion of her clan; from his father the unyielding gaze and dark wonderings and coarse black cap, shorn close, that in the familial parlance of the Colony had been known as “Jaxon hair.” A physical amalgamation, like a puzzle assembled from the pieces of his tribe. In his eyes Amy saw them. He was Mausami; he was Theo; he was only himself.

  “Tell me about them.”

  Always, each night, the same ritual. It was as if the boy could not sleep without revisiting a past he had no memory of. Amy took her customary position on the edge of his cot. Beneath the blankets the shape of his lean, little-boy’s body was barely a presence; around them, twenty sleeping children, a chorus of silence.

  “Well,” she began. “Let’s see. Your mother was very beautiful.”

  “A warrior.”

  “Yes,” Amy replied with a smile, “a beautiful warrior. With long black hair worn in a warrior’s braid.”

  “So she could use her bow.”

  “Correct. But most of all she was headstrong. Do you know what that means, to be headstrong? I’ve told you before.”

  “Stubborn?”

  “Yes. But in a good way. If I tell you to wash your hands before dinner, and you refuse to do it, that is not so good. That is the wrong kind of stubborn. What I’m saying is that your mother always did what she believed was right.”

  “Which is why she had me.” He focused on the words. “Because it was … the right thing to bring a light into the world.”

  “Good. You remember. Always remember you are a bright light, Caleb.”

  A warm happiness had come into the boy’s face. “Tell me about Theo now. My father.”