“Sure, not a problem,” Keith responded quickly. “I’ll keep the men away while you bathe.”
“You don’t understand,” Emily said quietly. “I mean all of them, females, too.”
“But why?” Keith asked innocently.
“To be honest, the others make me . . . self-conscious,” Emily said adamantly and quietly.
“Okay, Emily,” Keith said, embarrassed, “anything you need. It isn’t a problem.”
Emily had gotten up and was walking to a little pool she had spotted the day before. It was a place in the river where the water flowed back into itself and wasn’t fast moving. As she walked, Keith followed while eating his breakfast. Once Emily had finished hers, she started to take down her hair. She ran her fingers through it to straighten it out as much as possible. Keith could see that it was long, flowing, and a rich chestnut color. When they had arrived at the spot, Keith noticed that the bank was two feet higher than the little bit of sand and rock that formed a very small beach.
“Don’t look.” Emily said as she started down the bank.
“I’ll stay up here and keep the others away,” Keith reassured her, his back to her.
“Damn!” he heard her say shortly after going down the bank.
“What’s wrong?” he asked without turning around, panicked.
“Nothing, the water is damned cold, though,” she said from the water.
As he heard some splashing sounds, he saw one of the scouts coming toward him. “Scout coming, I’ll get rid of him,” Keith said over his shoulder and he walked toward the scout. The scout tried to give him a report, but Keith sent him back and told him to give the report in a couple of hours. The scout shrugged and returned to the camp. As he was returning to the bank, he saw Emily climbing up, dressed and trying to comb out her hair with her fingers.
“You should consider leaving your hair down,” Keith said walking over to her. “Just pull it back into a gather at your neck.”
“I’ll think about it,” she said with a smile. “It’s your turn!”
“What?” he said in shock. He hadn’t planned on bathing.
“Get your skinny ass into the water,” she said slowly and emphatically. “You’ll find it invigorating!”
“I really wasn’t planning—,” he protested.
“Please, take a bath,” Emily asked quietly. “I know it will make you feel better.”
Keith hadn’t intended on bathing, but the way she asked and the way she pleaded with her eyes, he found himself complying before he knew it. This is crazy, he thought as he got undressed and stepped quickly into the water. “Damn!” he shouted without thinking about it. It was then that he heard Emily chuckling up on the bank.
#
By midday and in spite of massive amounts of complaints, Murdock, Declan, and Annie had arrived at Reyes’ camp. This time, the person who stopped them, showed them right to the cave where Doctor Harris was located. Annie didn’t wait. She immediately entered the cave and, after shooing the others out, found Doctor Harris.
“Murdock,” Liz Reyes greeted. She had exited the cave right after Annie had entered. “And who is this?” she asked indicating Declan.
“This is Declan,” Murdock said. “Declan, this is Elizabeth Reyes.”
“Liz, please,” Reyes said sticking her hand out with a broad smile.
“Declan Griffen,” Declan said gruffly as he took her hand and shook it “How is Doctor Harris?” he asked.
“She’s fine,” Reyes said to both men. “She’s had a hard time of it, but she should pull through.”
“Good,” Murdock said. “How are things progressing?”
“Fine, we’re making a start of a long process,” Reyes explained cheerfully. “If you have time, our woodworker would like to talk to you about your spear and bow.”
“Lead on,” Murdock said with a smile.
Declan was hanging back, unsure if he should stay or go with Murdock. While he was looking toward the cave, he felt someone grab him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him a few steps. “Pay attention,” Murdock sternly whispered.
“Hey,” Declan protested. Then he saw it was Murdock dragging him and figured his protests would accomplish nothing. He resigned himself to following Murdock and quietly observing the others in the camp and Murdock.
Declan was bored listening to Murdock and the woodworker discuss the finer points of knapping spear heads and arrow heads. He was looking around at a flurry of activity. Not far away, he could see a large group of men building something that looked like a cabin close to the opening of the canyon. As he continued to watch, part of his mind was listening to Murdock and the woodworker. They were now discussing arrow lengths and draw lengths. It was then that he noticed that there were a couple of men on several ropes that went around the logs. They were pulling the logs up a few diagonally placed smaller logs that acted as a ramp, to get them placed. As he watched, he could relate. He was feeling like a beast of burden after having to pull the cart from Murdock’s cabin.
After a couple of hours, Murdock and the woodworker were going out into the trees to look for suitable materials for bows. As the woodworker was getting ready to go, Murdock took Declan off to the side.
“You should be paying attention,” Murdock chastised.
“I have no interest in anything you’re discussing,” Declan said with disdain. “To me, it’s just so much gibberish.”
“Where the hell do you think you are?” Murdock asked angrily. “This is the frontier. There are millions of things that you need to learn. I don’t expect you to learn them overnight, but I do expect you to learn something.”
Declan was looking around while Murdock was talking. He wanted to give the impression that he had no interest in what was being said, and he succeeded.
“Is there anything going on here that interests you?” Murdock finally asked in frustration.
“Not particularly,” Declan answered in an off-hand manner.
“Does eating interest you?” Murdock asked finally.
“I suppose it does,” Declan answered with a yawn. “When can I see Doctor Harris?”
Murdock exhaled loudly, in his frustration. “Go to the cave, but Annie has the say-so if you’ll be allowed to see her.” The woodworker was ready and Murdock turned to leave without Declan.
This pleased Declan, having gotten his way again. He wandered around the camp watching all the comings and goings. Eventually, he arrived at the cave and was stopped by a largish man with a staff. Declan recognized him as one of the guards from the transport pod.
“What do you want here?” the man asked gruffly.
“Murdock said I could see Doctor Harris,” Declan said. He saw the man turn toward the entrance and talk to another guard inside the cave and then he turned back to face Declan. Declan tried to step past the guard and was barred.
“You have to wait,” the guard stated roughly.
“Do you know who I am?” Declan asked, indignant at being stopped.
“Yes, I know who you are,” the guard answered with a contemptuous tone.
“Then I demand to see Doctor Harris,” Declan yelled as he tried again to push past the guard. The guard pushed Declan backward, roughly. Declan tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground. “I protest this maltreatment,” Declan raged.
“What’s the problem here,” Elizabeth Reyes demanded as she exited the cave.
“Your guards are being abusive,” Declan said getting to his feet and trying to dust himself off.
Declan saw the guard whisper to Reyes and Reyes nodding.
“First of all,” Reyes started after the guard finished, “everyone here knows who you are, but, because of Murdock, we are, um . . . restraining ourselves. If you wouldn’t have been with Murdock, you wouldn’t have been allowed this far into the camp.”
“Now you just—,” Declan started yelling, but Reyes held up her hand in a stopping motion.
“Secondly, Doctor Harris is a patient of Annie Coop
er’s and, as such, Annie Cooper has the final say as to visitors. Anyone wishing to see Doctor Harris, while she is here, must wait to be admitted. Forcing the issue could lead to being denied admittance . . . permanently.”
“I know Annie Cooper, probably better than you do,” Declan raged. “You tell her I’m here!”
“Ms. Cooper has been informed that you’re here to see Doctor Harris,” Reyes responded, trying to be patient with Declan, but quickly losing her restraint. “You must wait until Ms. Cooper grants you admittance!”
“This is outrageous,” Declan yelled. “Annie! Annie! They won’t let me in,” he yelled, hopefully loud enough for Annie to hear.
“If you don’t quiet down,” Reyes said loud enough to be heard over Declan’s yelling, “you will be removed from the area!”
“What’s going on here?” Annie asked impatiently as she came from the cave entrance and walked up to Declan. The question was being directed at Declan.
“They won’t let me in,” Declan whined.
“I know,” Annie said impatiently. “I’m the one that refused you admittance!”
“What?” Declan asked sheepishly.
“Doctor Harris is not able to see male visitors at this time,” Annie said to Declan sternly. “You pitching your little fit isn’t helping my patient. You are, therefore, banned until such time as you prove to me that you can behave yourself.” Annie turned suddenly and went back into the cave.
Declan was dumbfounded. He stood there, his mouth agape, looking at the guard and at Reyes, who were smiling. He didn’t hear them say so, but he knew it was an ‘I told you so’.
“Mister Parker,” Reyes started, “Would you escort Declan outside the canyon? And inform the guard there that he is not to be admitted into the canyon until I countermand the order.”
“With pleasure, Ma’am,” the guard said with a grin.
Parker grabbed Declan by the back of his shirt and lifted. Declan’s shirt was almost pulled above his head as he was unceremoniously shoved toward the entrance of the canyon. At the entrance, Declan was shoved and he fell into the dirt. He rolled over to see Parker talking to another man, obviously a guard for he carried the same type of staff. The other guard was nodding that he understood his instructions.
Declan had decided not to push his luck any further. You just wait until Murdock gets here, he thought. You’re all going to be sorry.
Murdock had just finished helping the woodworker gather materials for making bows and had deposited his load of wood and flint where he had found the woodworker. After bidding farewell to the woodworker, he went looking for Declan. He didn’t have to look far. He found him sitting just outside the canyon entrance.
“Did you get to see Doctor Harris?” Murdock asked as he walked up to Declan.
“No,” Declan said with a pouting tone.
“Why not?” Murdock asked, suspecting the answer.
“Because they banned me,” Declan complained.
“Really?” Murdock asked, incredulous. “And why were you banned?”
“Because they stopped me at the cave and wouldn’t let me see her,” Declan complained loudly.
“Are you going to tell me what happened or do I go ask Reyes?” Murdock asked. He was getting tired of Declan only giving an account in a way that portrayed him in the light of innocence. Declan said nothing more, but had decided to sit and pout. Murdock proceeded to the cave entrance and was stopped by the guard. He made a request to see Reyes and was admitted to the cave to see her. He listened intently while Reyes filled him in on the reasons for banning Declan from the canyon and why he was not granted admittance to see Doctor Harris.
When Reyes was finished, Murdock expressed his apologies for subjecting them to Declan and requested to see Annie.
“How is she?” Murdock asked when Annie appeared.
“She’s fragile, emotionally,” Annie answered. “Physically, she is less fragile but it was very traumatic. She may recover, physically, in a fortnight, but emotionally,” Annie shook her head, “who knows!”
“Can I see her?” he asked.
“No, you can’t,” Annie said. “She is too sensitive to a male’s presence and I don’t want her subjected to more traumas.”
With that, Murdock thanked Annie for her time and informed her that he would be leaving soon, for home. He thanked Reyes for her patience and her restraint and apologized again for inflicting them with Declan. He quickly walked out of the canyon. He collected his cart and Declan and they left the camp with Murdock pulling the cart.
“We’re just going to leave then?” Declan complained. “I didn’t get to see Doctor Harris!”
Murdock stopped suddenly. “Yes, we’re leaving,” Murdock explained trying to keep his temper. “You have worn out our welcome. Pitching a fit, like a spoiled child, damaged your cause. I asked to see Doctor Harris and was denied. I was denied by Annie, just like you were. You were brought with the hope that you would take an interest in making yourself useful, but that has gone by the wayside.” Declan tried to interrupt, but Murdock refused to let him. “This is a hard place. You either are just as hard or you’re dead. You don’t like anything, so maybe it is better that you go off on your own!”
“But I don’t know how to survive!” Declan pleaded.
“You don’t know because you think you’re owed an existence. I have given you plenty of opportunity to try to learn something, anything. But you refuse to learn anything, so I’m at a point that I’m not going to try. From this point on, you want to know something, prove to me you want it!”
“I don’t need you,” Declan fired back after a few seconds of silence. “No one can stop me from seeing Doctor Harris. No one can stop me from going where I will and doing what I want.” Declan sat on a downed limb and crossed his arms angrily, his back to Murdock.
Murdock looked at him for a second. “Good luck with that!” he said as he continued on toward home. Declan was too busy pouting to see that he was alone.
14
Murdock had stopped, once he reached the top of the ridge, and made camp. He did so to calm himself before going home and to try to reconcile his actions with what he knew Rose would have wanted. After getting a fire started, he started some venison cooking. As he tended the meat, he communicated, telepathically, to Mei Lee, the developments concerning Declan, Annie, and Doctor Harris.
“What are you going to do about Declan?” Mei Lee flashed.
“I’m not sure there is anything that can be done,” Murdock responded. “He has some strange ideas about his personal conduct and how he interrelates with others. He doesn’t want to learn to do anything and complains when asked to help out.”
“Turning him out to fend for himself may not be the correct course, though,” Mei Lee responded. “He probably won’t last long on his own.”
“Is it up to me to watch over everyone?” Murdock asked rhetorically. “I have been giving advice to whomever wants it, but I have not told anyone what to do. Is there some reason I should give Declan special consideration? He hasn’t shown us any consideration!”
“The only reason I can think of is, how are you going to feel if something bad happens?” Mei Lee asked poignantly. “Can you live with that?”
Murdock broke communication with his wife after exchanging the normal household pleasantries and started to eat. While he ate, his mind was going over all the issues with Declan and his responses to him. He had come to the conclusion that Declan knew how to push him and did so just to show he could. He theorized that Declan was doing everything he could to push people away, as if he felt he was unworthy to be liked. Add to that, he had some definite issues concerning Rose.
As he was finishing his meal, Murdock saw Beron and Bridget walking toward him and it immediately lightened his mood. Both Oomah levitated a fish from the river and started eating a short distance from Murdock’s fire. Murdock didn’t question his friends until after they had finished eating. To him, it would have been rude to do so. Once t
hey were finished, Beron and Murdock entered the sharing state with Bridget standing guard.
Once in the sharing state, Murdock was shown, via mental pictures, glimpses into what was happening with the rest of the newcomers. He saw the direction and heard some of what their plans were. The scene changed focus to Declan, who was wandering around and, in Murdock’s opinion, feeling sorry for himself. Again the focus changed to the transport pod. He clearly saw and heard the conversation between Palmer and Osterlund and each one’s part in the rape and assault of Doctor Harris along with their future plans for those at the transport pod. Finally, the focus changed again to a small group of men heading downriver. Murdock got the impression that they were quite some distance away.
“Is it possible to prevent Declan from falling to wolves?” Murdock asked his friend. It put his mind at ease when he received an affirmative answer.
#
After the scouts had returned and a favorable report given, Emily Brooks passed the word to prepare for the move. There was some resistance to moving across the river by a third of the people present. Emily, not wanting to force anyone into anything, asked that those with specialized skills be willing to teach others those skills. Once agreements were finalized, they divided into a group of fifty that insisted on proceeding further downriver, with the remaining one hundred crossing the river.
Fording the river was accomplished without incident and Emily experienced some sadness at seeing the group split. It wasn’t something she wanted. She was thankful, however, that Roy White, the only medical person in the group that left the transport pod, had elected to stay with the majority.
“It’ll be okay,” Keith Rogers told Emily as they both watched the small group proceed downriver. “As it turns out, we’re doing pretty well, as far as keeping skilled people,” he said trying to cheer her up. It had taken a lot of convincing to keep Emily from taking the split as a statement against her personally.
“I know,” Emily said quietly as a tear started to fall. “I was beginning to think of everyone as family, and now it has split up.”
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