“How far do you think we are from the pod?” Rose asked.
“Not all that far, I think,” Murdock said, pointing in the direction he thought the pod was in. “The first problem to solve is getting to the other side of the river. Luckily, the river isn’t much over forty yards wide, and we have trees over here that are long enough. The problem is that we don’t have an axe or a saw. All we have are hatchets, and that’s going to be a lot of work to even drop one tree.”
Murdock and Rose ate dinner. Neither talked, and both were thinking of solutions. Then Murdock felt a very familiar presence. When he looked toward the river, he saw Beron on the far side of the river. As he watched, Beron levitated and floated across the river. Murdock’s mouth hung open in disbelief. Rose, too, watched in surprised silence.
“Just cross!” This thought came to Murdock’s mind. He had forgotten about the travois in the woods some days before.
“I don’t think I could,” Murdock said aloud to Beron. “I’d forgotten and haven’t practiced.”
“Then jump!” Beron flashed. Murdock fidgeted a little
“What did he mean?” Rose asked, looking at him skeptically.
“It’s something I’ve been trying to figure out,” Murdock said finally, giving in. “I think I’m not like the rest.”
“Of course you’re not,” Rose said enthusiastically. “You’re better than any man I’ve ever met!”
“That isn’t what I mean,” Murdock said.
“Then explain it to me,” she coaxed him.
“I think I’m enhanced,” Murdock said finally.
“Enhanced? Like biomechanically enhanced?”
“No, not biomechanical,” he said softly. “Genetic.”
Rose looked at Murdock, concerned. “What kind of enhancements?” she asked after a long time.
“Remember when I ran to the river?” Murdock asked. When Rose nodded, he said, “I ran several miles in minutes,”
“Is that all?” Rose said, incredulous. “One explanation is that you’re in really good shape.”
“It’s more than that,” Murdock said in a soft voice. “I have no doubt I could jump that river without getting a run at it. My hearing range is greater than most ever dreamed. I’ve a sort of night vision.” He had learned early in life that the lighter the grey, the warmer the object. He did, however, have to be careful during transitions to more light. He was blinded for a few seconds if the transition was too dramatic. “I’m also extremely fast with my hands and feet. Those are the ones I know of, at this point.”
Rose looked at her husband. He wasn’t pacing. He wasn’t even standing. He just looked at the ground in front of him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Rose asked, softly, after a little while.
“Most of those enhancements are ones I don’t think about,” Murdock explained, not looking up. “Others I’ve always kept to myself. And one I didn’t know of until recently.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Rose said. “Don’t you trust me?”
“That isn’t it at all,” Murdock said. “I’m used to dealing with things on my own. Other things I keep to myself out of habit. Add to that I may be unaware of other things.”
Rose said nothing for a long time. She placed her hand on the side of his face, caressing it gently.
“Why sad?” came to Murdock’s mind. He knew it was Beron. “Happy time,” Beron intruded again.
“What do you mean?” Murdock flashed to his big friend.
“He means that I’m pregnant,” Rose said.
“Yes! Happy time,” Beron flashed. “Two more your kind!”
Both Rose and Murdock jerked their heads toward Beron. “What? Twins?” they both flashed. Both Murdock and Rose tried frantically to picture twin babies in the same womb. They couldn’t believe that Beron could be wrong, but they were confused.
“No,” Beron flashed. “One this one, one other one.” Both Rose and Murdock received one mental image of Rose and a separate image of Mei Lee.
“Do you think Mei Lee knows?” Murdock asked Rose aloud.
“I doubt she does,” Rose said. “But I’m sure she’ll have no doubt soon enough.”
“Do we tell her?” Murdock asked.
“If we say anything, it will cause her to question us even more,” Rose said to Murdock, “and that wouldn’t be too good right now. So far, we have avoided answering most of her pointed, and uncomfortable, questions.”
Murdock took Rose’s face in his hands. “I do trust you,” he told her as sincerely as he could. “I trust you more than I’ve trusted anyone!”
Rose smiled at him. “I know. I’d like to table the discussion until some later date.”
“This you den?” Beron asked as he looked around a little.
“Yes,” Murdock flashed. “This area.”
“No cave,” Beron remarked. “We can help! Share?”
Both Murdock and Rose agreed and found a place to lie down. They both promptly entered into the sharing trance.
In the trance, Murdock and Rose saw Beron and his kind transforming this planet to suit their needs. Murdock tried to envision a log cabin. Then he changed the image to Beron working with Murdock on the logs.
“He can help with the building,” Rose said in the vision to Murdock. “He wants to help if he can and if you want his help.”
“Okay, Beron,” Murdock said in the vision. “I’d like your help.” Murdock didn’t know if Beron always understood him when he spoke in the trance, but it did help Murdock order his thoughts.
Rose tried to ask in the vision where they were in relation to the pod, but Beron summarily dismissed her. Then Murdock asked the same question, and a simple map showed where they were and where the pod was. The map lacked familiar reference points that Murdock and Rose were familiar with so it was useful only in showing a general direction. The direction was close to that which Murdock had pointed out earlier. Then the trance ended shortly after it began.
“You’re supposed to let Beron know when you need his help,” Rose said.
Murdock was a little disturbed that Rose’s question had been dismissed out of hand. “Don’t worry about it,” Rose flashed. “It’s a matter of culture.”
“Maybe we should be thankful that they accept us at all,” Rose said aloud. “It’s their culture, and we have to respect it, even if we don’t understand it.”
“I suppose,” Murdock said after thinking it all over for a moment. “You’ve done as much for them as I have. They should be more respectful!”
Rose laughed.
“Did I say something funny?” he asked, glaring a little.
Rose could tell he was miffed. “Just that you want gods to be more respectful,” she said. “I know they aren’t gods, but are we any less important, comparatively? It just struck me as a little ridiculous.”
#
On the day that Murdock and Rose left the pod area, Mei Lee oversaw the release of Whittier and Krysia from the pod.
“I will assign the two of you work for the benefit of the colony,” Mei Lee told them seriously. “You’ll be guarded at all times whenever you’re outside the pod.” Whittier looked askance at the guard closest to him. “I wouldn’t recommend,” Mei Lee continued, “that either of you try to escape. Murdock has said that should either of you escape custody, he’ll hunt you down and deal with you his way, which doesn’t sound too pleasant or healthy.”
“How long do we have to endure this miscarriage of justice?” Krysia spat with venom toward Mei Lee.
“You’re in custody,” Mei Lee answered coolly, “until such time as the rest of the colony votes to release you. Acting out won’t ingratiate you to anyone.” Mei Lee paced back and forth in front of the pair. “If you two would take some advice, do the work, and keep your noses clean.”
Mei Lee raised her head to address the guards. “Take Whittier to the digging task. Krysia will be hauling water.” She waved the guards off to their tasks and left for to her camp site.
>
Her mind drifted to Murdock and Rose in camp. She didn’t always agree with Murdock, but found she enjoyed the company of both him and Rose. She enjoyed going on the hunt, which she found to be most instructive and very exciting. And she enjoyed their conversations around the camp fire. Reflecting, she knew that some of her attraction to Murdock and Rose was due in part to her rescue. But she felt it went further than that; deeper somehow.
She hadn’t gotten very far when a man asked her for advice on enclosing the underside of the pod. She decided to go and see for herself what the issue was.
#
When Whittier and his guard arrived at the spot where he would work, the guard handed him a shovel and instructed him to dig.
“What am I digging?” Whittier asked as he hefted the shovel.
“Privies,” the guard told him with a sneer.
“You’re kidding, right?” Whittier asked in disbelief.
“What’s the matter?” the guard asked. “Are you too good to dig holes? You weren’t too good to have others do your raping and beating for you, though, were you?”
Whittier said nothing further. He turned to his task and tried to ignore the guard. As he dug, his thoughts turned to Murdock and the threat issued at his sentencing — the same threat Mei Lee issued when he was let out. I could bash in this guy’s head with the shovel, he thought, but then what? Where would I go? I wouldn’t last long in the wild by myself. Besides, I want my power back more than anything else. This is your fault, Murdock.
Whenever his thoughts turned to Murdock and Rose, Whittier noticed that he dug with renewed fervor. I must be working off my rage, he thought. As he worked, he was putting together the beginning scraps of a plan. He wanted to make Murdock and Rose pay for his loss of status. He wanted to make everyone in the pod on the day it landed pay. It didn’t matter that it was all highly unlikely from his current station, but he would wait and plan. He knew that an opportunity to advance his plan would present itself sooner or later, and he had to be ready to act when it did. For now, I’ll be a good boy and do as I’m told. He would also either have to convince Krysia that he had changed or cut her loose completely. I can’t afford to have her disrupt my plans in any way. He would do what he could, what he had to do, to convince the others that he had changed. I need to win back their trust and confidence. Then I’ll make them all pay, he thought with a grin.
#
Though he and Rose had left the pod encampment only four days before, Murdock was already back. As he entered the encampment, the first person to see him ran off, probably to inform Mei Lee. The rest greeted him with smiling faces. Everyone appeared a lot happier than when he came into camp to deal with Burns and Metzger. As he made his way to Mei Lee’s campsite, Mei Lee intercepted him. She greeted him warmly and then gave the slightest of nods and a slow blink of the eyes. He assumed the gesture was a sign of respect.
She turned to walk with Murdock, her hands clasped behind her. “I see that Rose is not with you this trip. She is well I trust?”
“She is very well,” Murdock said. “This really isn’t a social call. I came to borrow some tools, if I could.”
“Of course you can,” Mei Lee told him. “We are implementing some of your suggestions and could use some advice before you leave, if you don’t mind?” Mei Lee led him to the pod and the enclosure project.
As they entered the area under the pod, some men came up to Murdock to ask questions about several issues they had encountered. Murdock walked around and explained his suggestions to solve the issues. Mei Lee followed behind listening. She was very surprised and glad to see him, but was more than a little disappointed that Rose wasn’t with him. She really would have enjoyed a few days with the two of them. When the men were finished, Murdock turned toward her.
“What tools do you require?” Mei Lee asked with a smile. She led him toward the tool storage area.
“A shovel, an axe, the two-man saws, a small tarp, draw knife, and some wedges,” Murdock said.
“I don’t see a problem with those items,” Mei Lee said. “I don’t even know what most of them are.”
Then Murdock caught a glimpse of Whittier and froze in his tracks. Mei Lee could see the building rage on his face and slapped Murdock.
“Don’t even think about it,” Mei Lee yelled at him as he glared at her for the slap. “He’s doing what the colony needs and hasn’t given us any grief!”
“He will,” Murdock said in a low menacing tone. “And I hope someone survives so I can say I told you so!” Murdock turned away to gather the tools he needed and headed out of the encampment. Mei Lee stopped him just outside the edge of the encampment.
“You’re always welcome here, Murdock,” Mei Lee told him. “You and Rose are my friends, you know that!”
Murdock shut his eyes. “Yes, we know,” he said, his voice tinged with sadness.
“I have to protect everyone here,” Mei Lee continued, “even if that means protecting you from yourself!”
“We’re building a house,” Murdock told her, trying to change the subject. “When it’s finished, we’ll come and invite you to visit.”
“I look forward to it,” Mei Lee said warmly. Then, to Murdock’s back, she said, “In the meantime, try to control your anger. I’m not saying it isn’t justified, just try to control it.”
#
A week after his visit to the pod encampment, Murdock was not quite half-finished with the cabin. Rose helped whenever and however she could with what Murdock would allow. Beron helped getting the logs set and uprooting the trees. Murdock and Rose used the saws to cut them to length, and Murdock notched them in place. Beron, Murdock, and Rose subsisted on fish from the river, but Murdock and Rose had tired of fish.
“Do you think we could take a day or two and harvest a deer?” Rose asked Murdock with pleading eyes.
“I don’t see why we can’t,” Murdock said.
“Many?” Beron flashed to them.
“We can only eat part of one,” Murdock said to his friend. “We could use more hides, though.” Beron gave Murdock an affirmative.
Within ten minutes, two large bucks walked into their work area and dropped dead, their heads twisted sharply. Beron helped Murdock get them hung so Murdock could skin them. By the time the first one was skinned, cleaned, and quartered, four other Oomah were there and carried off the excess meat.
Since skinning and cleaning the deer had taken the better part of the day, Murdock hung the hides so he could work them over the next few days, and then went to the river to get cleaned up. Afterward, he stretched out to relax by the fire at which Rose was cooking the meat.
“That was a quick hunt,” Rose said aloud.
“That wasn’t hunting,” Murdock corrected her. “That was shopping. Beron knew we couldn’t really spare the time to hunt, so he made them present themselves somehow and dropped them.”
“Still, it is better than fish all the time,” Rose countered, “and we have two more hides.”
“True,” Murdock said. “Don’t really have the time to tan the hides, though.”
“I, for one, would like them to be blankets,” Rose said. “I’ve noticed the mornings are getting a bit nippy. Would that be easier?”
“Some, yes,” Murdock said. “Just means we leave the fur on, so that would make it a little easier.”
“Since we started the cabin,” Rose said, “I have been doing what I can, but most of the time I just stand and watch. If you show me how, I can work the hides while you and Beron do the building.”
Murdock hadn’t been letting Rose do too much of the building because of her pregnancy. But from their discussions, he knew Rose liked doing her share and feeling useful.
“Sure,” Murdock said after a while, “that would work out just fine. The building would continue, and the hides would get tanned.”
“This place is going to work out,” Rose said more to herself than to anyone. “I do miss our tub, though. I could use a hot bath.”
&n
bsp; “I know,” Murdock replied. “I miss it, too.” He had noticed that Beron was strangely silent. When he looked over, Beron was nowhere around.
“Does that mean we’re done for the day?” Rose asked.
“Maybe he is,” Murdock said, “but I’m not.” Murdock took the wedges to try to split some of the logs for a door and shutters.
He spent the rest of the day making pieces for the door, shutters, and a bed. Rose was excited about the bed. She knew the time was coming when sleeping on the cold ground wasn’t going to work well. When the two were too exhausted to continue any longer, it was almost dark. Rose cooked some more of the venison, and as they ate they walked around their new home.
“It’s starting to come together,” Murdock said as he looked over his handiwork.
“It’ll be quite cozy during the cold winter,” Rose said, smiling. “Are you going to have a fireplace and chimney?”
“Yes, we need it for the heat,” Murdock said.
“You’re making the cabin big enough,” Rose said.
“It has to be,” Murdock said. “It has to be big enough for us and lots of kids. You really can’t add on to it easily. Better to make it bigger than you need.”
As night settled in, Beron returned just as Murdock and Rose went to sleep. They had no idea that he had returned and both slept soundly from their exertions.
After another few weeks, the cabin was finished. Murdock added the hearth and chimney last, and he and Rose had been living in the cabin for a week. Murdock had made a good-sized bed for himself and Rose. He had also added a root cellar accessible from inside the cabin. The cabin itself had a large and spacious main room with a loft covering over half of the bottom floor. Outside of the cabin, Murdock had built a smoke house, but the meat hanging in it was left over from the last deer that Beron had struck down and needed to be replenished soon. With Beron’s help, Murdock had also made a simple bridge a little farther upriver where the river was well below the rocks it had cut through. And Rose turned the hides into blankets. They used one to lie on, and the other for covering themselves. Both knew they were going to need more skins for coats and boots for the winter. Luckily, they had more than fifty cord of wood for heat.
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