“It only changes things in that we need to be aware that someone is behind us now,” Murdock explained. “As long as we are aware, we should be fine.”
“How far behind do you think we are?” Mei Lee asked.
“Three days, maybe a little more.” Murdock said after thinking a moment. “Either of you look for a place to levitate down from this plateau without being seen?” Both women shook their heads. Murdock picked up the cart and headed off toward the plateau edge at a sharp angle away from the river. Rose was hard-pressed to catch up to him and resume the lead. Mei Lee, as usual, assumed the drag position.
“Keep your astral eye on Thomas,” Murdock flashed to Mei Lee. “I want to know when he can no longer observe us.” Mei Lee acknowledged his request.
“What are you planning?” Rose asked telepathically from her position.
“We need to make up a lot of ground,” Murdock flashed to both women. “And there is only one way that I know of. We need to push our astral selves as far as we possibly can.”
“We’re making better time than expected,” Mei Lee flashed back.
“Not good enough. The sooner we find Whittier, the better.” Murdock flashed. “I do wish I could disappear like Beron can.”
“You know that he really doesn’t disappear?” Rose flashed.
“Yes, I know. I meant the technique for telling a particular brain that there is nothing to see.”
A few hours after leaving Thomas, they stopped for a quick break to eat and drink.
“How far are we from the next cliff?” Rose asked as they ate.
Murdock stretched his astral self downriver and on the opposite side. As that part of him reached the cliff, he spotted a body lying on the path surrounded by copious amounts of blood. He shared his astral vision with the two women.
“I’m sensing a pattern here,” Mei Lee said sadly.
“Was that person dead?” Rose asked.
“Undoubtedly,” Murdock said, “based on the amount of blood. So, do we stop and bury that person or proceed on?”
“I’d say press on and bury it on the way back,” Rose said.
“I agree,” Mei Lee chimed in.
“Let’s get going,” Murdock said. “I want to get to the edge of the cliff before dark.”
A few hours later, the group reached the edge of the next cliff, looking out over the next plateau. Murdock saw a few more plateaus from his vantage point. Then, after checking for unwanted observers, he levitated the cart as well as himself down to the next plateau. Rose and Mei Lee followed. Reaching the next plateau, Murdock stretched his astral self as far ahead as he possibly could. He saw that it would be dark soon.
“How tired are you?” Murdock asked the two women.
“I’m okay,” Rose said. “Why do you ask?”
“So am I,” Mei Lee said.
“I want to rearrange the cart some,” Murdock said. “It needs to be repacked for passengers.”
Taking their cue from Murdock, the two women took care of the babies and helped rearrange the cart. Then Murdock picked up the front of the cart, and Rose and Mei Lee climbed aboard. He started off at a slow trot. Though he went faster than anyone else could run, it wasn’t his top speed. Because he could see shades of grey, he avoided numerous boulders and anything that might upend the cart in the dark.
About an hour later, he slowed to a stop to drink some water. As he drank, he again sent out his astral self to check the trail on the opposite bank. He saw two people. One was trying to start a fire close to the next cliff.
“Just as I suspected,” Rose said after Murdock had shared his vision with her and Mei Lee.
“At least they aren’t dead,” Mei Lee said.
“How are we going to approach this?” Murdock asked.
“Well, how far away are they?” Mei Lee asked.
“If we all cross here and walk on the other side, it would take a couple of hours to get in their vicinity,” Murdock said. “If we go much farther on this side, they’ll see a fire . . .”
“. . . And be aware that someone can cross the river,” Mei Lee finished.
“Don’t want to tip them off to that bit of information,” Rose interjected, “at least, not yet.”
“Agreed,” Murdock said. “So, we cross here.”
“How are we going to cross when we can’t see?” Rose asked.
“You two levitate yourselves, just float, and hold on to the cart,” Murdock explained. “I can see, so I’ll guide you over.”
After levitating themselves over the river, they proceeded on. Then, Murdock heard the distant voice of someone ahead and stopped. There they made camp, though Rose and Mei Lee had their bows close at hand, as did Murdock. All three expected company, knowing the fire would bring the others in.
“Hello in the camp,” a female voice said in the darkness. Murdock, who had heard their approach, stood ready in case of a fight.
“Come in slowly,” Murdock ordered.
“There are two of us,” said the female. “The other one can’t walk. She’s been severely injured and is down the path a fair distance.”
“Okay, you come in slowly,” Murdock said. She approached the fire from the darkness. She was blonde, about five foot six, and looked battered and bruised. “You have any weapons?” Murdock asked roughly when her back was to him. He saw her stiffen, probably in fear.
“Please, help us,” the woman pleaded with Mei Lee. “My companion is pregnant and badly injured!”
“Who are you? And who is your companion?” Mei Lee asked with skepticism. Mei Lee recognized the other woman, or thought she did, but the person before her was emaciated and filthy, with torn and tattered clothing. Her long, blonde hair was a mass of tangles and looked as if it hadn’t been combed or brushed in years.
“Rebecca Hayes,” the woman answered. “My companion is Krysia Oblonski. Please, help her!”
“I’ll go,” Murdock said. “You two keep a close eye on this one.” he flashed to Rose and Mei Lee.
Murdock went off into the dark. He went only a hundred yards before he found an unconscious female. He picked her up carefully and carried her back into their camp. Then he laid her on one of the hides close by the fire. Mei Lee took over ministering to her while Murdock kept the water skin filled.
“So, what happened to you two,” Mei Lee asked as she tended Krysia.
“Krysia is pregnant, by Whittier,” Rebecca said. “When she told him, he started beating her. I tried to intervene and he started beating me.”
Rose sat between the new additions and the babies and listened. She kept her hand on the hilt of her twelve-inch machete, ready to defend the children with her life, if need be.
“Why are you out here with Krysia?” Rose asked with suspicion. “Why aren’t you with the rest of the cannibals?”
Rebecca looked as if someone had struck her across the face. Her mouth gaped in surprise.
“H-how did you hear about that?” she asked with her head bowed.
“We aren’t stupid, sweetie,” Rose spat back with such venom that Murdock was startled
“I-I decided to stay with Krysia and try to help her,” Rebecca said. “No one else was willing to help her. Someone had to.” Rebecca was crying quietly.
“Are you hungry?” Murdock asked, offering Rebecca a cooked piece of venison.
“I bet she prefers it raw,” Rose spat.
“That’s enough, Rose,” Murdock scolded his wife as Rebecca gingerly took the offered meat. Rose said nothing else, but sat across the fire from Rebecca glaring. “How is Krysia, Mei Lee?” Murdock went on.
“Unconscious. Also looks like a few cracked ribs, massive bruises, and contusions,” Mei Lee reported.
“Is she pregnant?” Murdock asked.
“It appears that way. I don’t know if she will be in a few days, though,” Mei Lee said in a soft voice.
Murdock got up to see for himself. He looked at Krysia and felt a pang of deja vu. “You ask, once in a while, how bad yo
u looked when I found you,” he flashed to Rose. “You looked worse, but not by a lot!” Then, to Mei Lee, he flashed, “Will she survive?”
“I don’t know for certain,” Mei Lee flashed back. “A lot depends on her.”
#
Rose didn’t want to see Krysia at any time, let alone beaten and unconscious. She didn’t want to see because she feared that the anger from all the pain she had endured so long ago would come flooding back. As she looked at Krysia she felt her teeth grind with anger. I thought it was behind me, she thought, but it wasn’t.
#
“Who beat her like this?” Murdock asked, looking at Krysia.
“Whittier,” Rebecca said in a quiet voice, but with conviction.
“Anyone else help him?” Murdock asked in anger.
“No, just him. I did try to stop it,” Rebecca pleaded, still crying.
“Go over to the river and get washed up as best you can,” Murdock told Rebecca as he sat back down close to Rose.
“I don’t like this one bit,” Rose flashed to Murdock after Rebecca left for the river. He felt her considerable anger.
“I know you don’t,” he flashed back. “I don’t like it either.”
“Nor do I,” Mei Lee flashed to them, “but would you rather we left them alone to die?” Mei Lee, who sat next to Rose, held her hand. “Would that salve your conscience?”
“Don’t ask me that right now,” Rose flashed. “Neither of you would like my answer.”
“You’ll have to be responsible for Krysia,” Murdock told Rebecca when she returned. She looked a little better, but not by much. “We have our own responsibilities, and we have neither the time nor the inclination to take care of either of you.”
“Wow. That sounded like you almost care.” Mei Lee chided him telepathically.
Murdock glanced at Mei Lee before returning his attention to Rebecca. “I’m not uncaring or mean. I’m just tired; tired of cleaning up after Whittier.”
Mei Lee gave Rebecca a couple of hides for herself and another to cover Krysia. Rebecca thanked them for doing what they could to help and made herself a place to sleep close to Krysia. Rose moved the babies away from the two newcomers and made a place for herself, Mei Lee, and Murdock. Murdock took the first watch and didn’t wake Rose until it was morning. He spent the night thinking.
What am I supposed to do with another three people? They could stay at the transport pod, he thought. That would give them immediate shelter, but how to transport them up the cliffs? I don’t want to levitate them; it would be better to keep that skill secret. I could blindfold them and do it at night, but I’m not sure it would be a good idea. He wasn’t the trusting type, and these three had done nothing to warrant his trust. I have to look after four people as it is. I’m not sure I want another three.
In the morning, as Rose and Mei Lee woke up and started their morning routine, Murdock checked on Rebecca.
“How is she?” Murdock asked, indicating the still unconscious Krysia.
“I don’t know,” Rebecca said. “She appears to be breathing a little better, and I’ve managed to get some water into her, but she hasn’t eaten anything.”
Murdock nodded. He went to the river and splashed some cold water on his face, then ate some venison. The tension was very apparent in the camp. Murdock passed on Rebecca’s assessment of Krysia to Mei Lee, who immediately went over to check for herself.
As Murdock, Rose, and Mei Lee sat eating, they debated telepathically among themselves about the new charges. To Rebecca, who watched the trio, they just looked as if they were eating quietly, not talking and lost in their thoughts.
“What do we do with them?” Mei Lee flashed to Murdock and Rose.
“The only solution I see is to return them to the transport pod,” Murdock flashed. “I’m unwilling to disclose the skills we have accumulated, but I’m at a loss as to getting them over the cliffs.”
“Why don’t we leave them here?” Rose sniped. “Let them get what they deserve!”
“What is your problem with them?” Murdock asked Rose.
“They were all present when Mei Lee was abused,” Rose started to rant. “They were all present when the attempt was made on your life. They have engaged in murder and cannibalism. Now, you expect me to trust them as if none of that has happened? I won’t do it!”
“Do you know that they were there when Mei Lei was abused?” Murdock asked. “Were they present when the attempt on my life was made? And as far as the cannibalism goes, what would you do to survive?”
“I don’t trust them any farther than you could throw them,” Rose flashed with anger. “Since they did nothing to stop any of those things then, to me, they condoned it.”
“I don’t trust them,” Murdock explained. “To me, they all have a lot of proving to do before I would trust any of them. But I also can’t leave them out here to starve or worse. I’m not asking you to trust them, just to watch them and understand a little what they’ve been through. The more important issue, right now, is getting our cart up the cliff face without being observed.”
“We could all climb the cliff, except Kevin who would go inland until he was completely out of sight,” Mei Lee offered. “Once he was up the cliff, we can converge by the river. The only issue I can think of is getting an unconscious person up the cliff.”
Murdock looked over at Krysia, who was still unconscious. “She’s still out and I don’t know how long she will be,” he said.
“We could always blindfold Rebecca of Sunny Brook Farm,” Rose offered. “Murdock could climb the cliff and blindfold Who’s-or-what’s-it, then we could levitate everyone and everything.”
Together, Murdock and Mei Lee looked at Rose, then at Rebecca, then back to Rose.
“I’ll be right back,” he said as he got to his feet and headed off. Soon he returned in a better mood. “Well, we need to make a travois for Krysia and tie it to the back of the cart. Once we do that, we can start back.”
“What about Whittier?” Rose flashed.
“He’ll have to wait,” Murdock told Rose and Mei Lee telepathically. “We need to get these three someplace safe to get them built back up again. We know he’s going the other way, so maybe Beron can help keep an eye on the cliffs — like an early warning system. I contacted him, and he’ll help us with the three who don’t need to see.”
Both Rose and Mei Lee looked perplexed as they bent to their normal tasks while Murdock made a travois.
24
After Murdock built the travois and attaching it to the cart, he secured Krysia on it. As Murdock looked at the cart and travois, he found himself wishing for a horse or a mule. With all the cart-pulling I’ve been doing of late, I’m surprised I don’t look more like a mule, he thought.
Rose and Mei Lee took their usual positions, and Rebecca’s position was beside Krysia in order to keep her on the travois and check on her from time to time. They walked for most of the day before making camp.
“Can I give you a hand with that?” Rebecca asked Rose, who had begun cooking the venison.
“Nope,” Rose said sharply without looking up. “This is for my family, and I don’t want them poisoned.” Murdock, who had just walked up behind Rose, overheard the exchange.
“She’s just trying to do what she can to help,” he said quietly as he brushed Rose’s shoulder. “She probably feels like a third wheel.”
“Then you find something for her to do,” Rose snapped back without averting her eyes from the sizzling chunks of meat.
“You can help by gathering more wood, if you’d like,” Murdock said to Rebecca in a soft voice.
Rebecca nodded slightly, respectfully, and went off to search for wood.
“I’m feeling like a mule,” Murdock said after Rebecca left the area and Mei Lee joined them.
“I’m surprised you haven’t captured a deer,” Mei Lee asked as she sat.
“What would a captured deer do for me, besides getting what little brains I do have kicked in
?” Murdock asked intrigued.
“Nordic tribes used reindeer as draft animals,” Mei Lee stated as she nibbled on a piece of meat.
“The trick would be catching them,” Murdock said. “Then you have to break them to harness and make the harnesses.”
“As far as catching them goes, I’d read somewhere that South Americans used to throw this dingus that would wrap around the legs without causing injury,” Rose offered.
“Bolas,” Mei Lee piped up. “Specifically, boleadora.” Mei Lee picked up a stick and drew in the dirt. “Three weighted balls and three pieces of rope.” She indicated the picture she had drawn. “Looks like this. You throw it at the hind legs. It wraps around and makes it difficult for the animal to run or even walk.”
Murdock looked at the picture. He had neither seen nor heard of this. “It’s worth a try,” he said finally.
“Taming a deer may be a different matter, though,” Mei Lee said.
Rebecca returned with wood as they ate. Murdock had noticed that Rose hadn’t made any venison for Rebecca, so he cut her some and cooked it. Since no one asked Rebecca to join them, she wandered around the fire looking at the ground.
“I could make you a set of those,” she said in a quiet voice.
“What do you know about it?” Rose snapped.
“Not much,” Rebecca said sheepishly. “I did spend some time in Argentina as a child. Some of the kids I used to play with made some.”
“That would be fine,” Murdock interrupted. “How’s Krysia?” he said, changing the subject.
“There’s been no change,” Rebecca said somewhat sadly.
“Where was Whittier leading you?” Murdock asked.
“He never said for certain,” Rebecca tried to explain. “During the bitter cold winter, he used to rant about the selection of the landing site. He thought it should have been farther south.”
Rose and Mei Lee laughed.
“Which way is south?” Murdock asked, laughing too. Rebecca blushed.
“Water always flows south,” Rebecca said.
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