James Axler – Starfall

“Know it,” Ryan said.

“Best if we parted company with him soon as we can.”

“You feel comfortable piloting Junie along this river during rainy season?”

“Nope.”

“Me, neither.”

J.B. took a sip of the coffee sub. “Going to have to keep an eye on him. Man gets that fearful of you—”

“He’ll stick a shiv in your back just to try to convince himself he’s immortal again,” Ryan finished. It was some­thing the Trader had taught them back on War Wag One. And it had proved true on a number of occasions.

SINCE THE MODEST DOC had gone into the brush in only his long underwear, he’d had to improvise on methods to carry the vegetables and fruits he’d found. Using some of the long yellow grasses that grew abundantly in patches along the broken countryside, he’d twisted them into a webbed harness with small pouches that carried wild onions, garlic, blackberries, green apples, mushrooms, strawberries and herbs he’d recognized even in the moonlight.

With Mildred’s and Dean’s help, Doc removed the tur­keys from the spits over the fire long enough to stuff them with the onions, garlic, apple slices and herbs. In moments, the aroma drifting off the cooking birds turned even more enticing.

Ryan’s stomach growled in anticipation.

While they waited, the water heated up in a big tub that had been brought over from Junie. Steam curled up from the edges, letting them know it was hot enough to cook whatever leeches clung to the clothing. Washing got under way, with each person taking care of his or her own gear. Only two sets of clothing at a time could be washed before the water was so foul with dog shit that any further washing had to be postponed until more water was heated.

There was a moment of consternation when a group of piranha pulled themselves up on shore and came at the campsite. A flurry of blows from makeshift clubs and rifle butts killed them out quick enough, and Ryan made sure all the corpses were kicked back into the water. He didn’t know if there was a way to drain the poison out of the fish, but he didn’t want Morse to have the opportunity to use it against them later.

BY THE TIME the turkeys were ready, so were most of the clothes. Ryan opted to pull his on and let them dry on him rather than hang them from the branches the way Jak and Dean did. Being dressed made him feel more ready to move.

Metal and ceramic plates from Junie’s stores handled the food. There was also silverware. They all piled their plates high.

“Alas and alack,” Doc moaned theatrically as he hunkered down with his back to a tree, “would that we might have been able to break bread with this meal.”

“You’ll be breaking wind soon enough after you stuff yourself,” Mildred stated. “Judging from past perform­ances.”

Doc drew himself up. “Madam, you are ill-mannered.”

“But truthful.” Mildred smiled as she bit into a chunk of turkey breast she held in her fingers. “Anyway, if you had bread, you’d be moaning that you didn’t have butter to go with it.”

“In part,” Doc admitted, “you are right. I should content myself on enjoying this fine repast we have managed for ourselves rather than lamenting what we do not have.”

Ryan listened to the conversation but didn’t take part. He ate with real appetite and turned his thoughts to what they were going to need to do to set things right. The meat tasted good, still managing to carry the flavor of the bird’s own juices mixed in with the herbs and vegetables Doc had found. And the fruits carried clean, sharp flavors. He ate until near bursting, Krysty sitting beside him.

But they didn’t talk. And Ryan was cognizant of the heavy silence between them even in the midst of the con­versations circulating around them.

PHLORIN SPOKE. This is only part of the heritage you carry now within you.

For a moment, Krysty thought her mind had been bring­ing up an old nightmare. The witch’s interjection, however, let her know the woman was controlling what she was see­ing. She remembered lying next to Ryan, smelling the dampness that lingered in his clothes, making the detergent in them a little stronger. And she thought she remembered when he’d gotten up to relieve J.B. on watch.