Chapter forty-two

Patrick 






"We have lost two of our original members. They are: Scientist Mike Steinson and Professor Janet Rivera.

It was not by violence or fatal accidents; it was through a conscious choice to divorce their fate from ours. Specifically, we lost them to the power of love. They will be sorely missed and we all wish them well.

We split up with the Soldiers we had been traveling with the past year, three days ago. But four Soldiers chose to stay with us. They are:

Bruce Akimoto
Patrick Henry
Chako Morningsky
Michelle Johnson

There are now eleven of us.

We are 4 months from the New York Harbor.

Today is the sixteen day of March 2012 A.D.



"Thank you, Fei."

"For what? You know how much I treasure and look forward to these times alone with you."

" Thank you for staying with me--with us. I know you didn't want to sail."

"I don't want to die either. I trust you Damian...with everything."

Damian stood in silence. He knew what she meant because he felt the same way about her. There was no desire, hunger or pleasure-seeking in what he felt for Feifong. There was just something that getting to really know her had put under his skin--inside his bones. And it was something that could not be adequately explained by words. All he wanted for her was her happiness and he didn't care how or where she got it. He loved her like he loved Chandie, but with Chandie, he wanted all her happiness to come from him, alone.

"How are things going with Bruce?"

She shrugged. "He hates you."

"What?"

"Not really, but he hates the time I spend scribing for you and the way I talk about you."

"Fei, what are you doing talking about me to Bruce? That's like me talking about you to Chandie, which I don't do because I know that the only way I will be able to speak of you, is in terms that she will never understand. Tell me you don't talk like that to Bruce about me."

She hunched her little narrow shoulders again. "When he asks, I tell him. I can't help it if he doesn't understand the way things are between us. I'll never apologize for it."

"Do you love him?"

"Yes." And Damian knew it was true in Fei's version of romantic love which was probably a lot different from Bruce's,--if no less real and committed.

"Then I'm warning you, Fei. You saw what happened to Steve. Don't take love for granted. Don't mess up your happiness."

She stared at him for a long moment "That's why I love you so much."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"We're finished, Fei."

"I know that." The famous neck roll never ceased to endear her more to him.

"Then carry your little Vietnamese butt over to your paramour."

She laughed.

"Damian...?"

"You still here?"

"I am happy."

He smiled at her tenderly.

"That's all I want."

"I know." She turned and left.


**********************

Chandra, Jane and Michelle, were out together looking for edibles and other useful plants.

"Can you really read each other thoughts?" Michelle asked Jane.

"Yes...when the emotions are strong, and there are not a lot of distractions around... you couldn't do that when you were with your unit?"

Michelle shook her head. "No."

"Chandie, why do you think that is?" Jane asked.

" I dunno. I'll ask Damian, weh we get back."

"Can I ask you both something?"

Both Chandra and Jane nodded.

"What does Steve think about me?"

Chandra laughed. " The last ting I heard him sey in his mind 'bout yuh was, ummm dat girl sure cyan cook."

Michelle and Jane laughed. Jane said:

"One day I'm saw him watching you--while trying to pretend that he wasn't-- and he was thinking about how pretty you are."

"Really?" Michelle asked breathlessly.

"He likes yuh gal, but I dun tink him gwan to mek di first move. Him heart is still on the mend."

"If I make the first move, what do you think I should say to him."

" Wat else, gal? Yuh cook him sumting and invite him ti eat with yuh. Dat haf he panting weh for yuh soon enuff."

All the women laughed.


*************


"Do you really think we are going to die at sea?" Ada sat on the ground with her head on Chako's shoulder.

"Yes."

"Do you know what that says?"

"Yes."

"Any regrets, yet?"

"None that has to do with my decision to go with you." He combed her hair with his fingers.

"What are your regrets?"

" It's more worries than regrets. I just wish Lee had killed Antonio, John, and Rick--at least. I'm afraid--" He paused. " It was their choice."

" I want to be honest with you Chako, and the truth is I could have never done what you did."

" Doesn't matter."

"But you gave up everything for me. Your unit, your peace of mind and even your life since you think you are going to die at sea. I don't know what to think or how to feel. I feel so selfish, so...undeserving."

" I'd rather live five minutes with you than a lifetime without you."

" There's so much imbalance between us. And I don't know what to do to make it more equal.

" Just love me back, Ada. That's all. Don't complicate this, please."

" I can't help it."

"Okay, let me ask you this...do you really believe that Lee and the others are going to die from the breach in five of six years?"

" I'm sure of it."

"Then you're saving my life because if it weren't for you, I would never have left my unit. Not if god himself was aiming at us with nukes in both hands. I think that equalizes things between us more than enough."

She studied him, eyes fixated on the way his chin rose when he said he would have never left them.

"You miss them?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "very much."

"Then you do have regrets."

"No, Ada. No real man would chose something else--no matter what it is-- over the woman he loves. I'll never regret choosing you, it's just that I've lived so long expecting, and willing to die with, and for those guys, sometimes I feel like I've been separated from a part of my flesh. But you've filled in that missing part, and when we have kids..."He grinned at her. "You are going to bear kids aren't you?"

"Not if you die at sea," she said in a tone that carried no lightness.

"I love you, Ada."

"I adore you." She turned up her head and he kissed her.




*********************


"Why did Lee change his mind and let the Iowees come with us?"

"Because they wanted to." Patrick sat on the ground beside Jane. It was late in the evening and the group was stopped for the night. They were back to sleeping outdoors, a fire in the middle of their camp was already roaring.

"But they seemed so much happier with Lee and the others than they were with us and Antonio."

"I know it's easy to miss it, Janie, but the Iowees have minds of their own. It may not seem like it because they are so quick to go along with whatever is presented to them, but they have their own wants and desires and they are a lot smarter and observant than you might think. They wanted to go with Damian, because they heard the talk, and they wanted to live. Besides that, they were always most attached to Chako and Bruce."

"They are so lovable. I'm glad they are with us."

"So am I, but the guys back there--I don't know how Lee got them to hold still--they are really hurting right now."

"Will you resent me one day?

"For what?"

"Causing you to separate from your unit. I know how painful that is."

No...no...Janie. He caressed her face. " I'll never blame you for that. The choice was mine. I don't regret it. I love you."

"You're hurt."

" I'll get over it."

" I'm so afraid that one day you're going to wake up and I won't be enough to help you live with the decision."

" I would have died in a second for any of those guys, but believe me Janie--no matter what happens between us in the future, I would have made the same choice a thousand times without hesitation. You've given me more joy than I've ever had in my life, and every minute with you makes it all worth it."

Tears brimmed in her eyes.

"Hold me."

Patrick took her in his arms and quietly sat with her.

Damian heard her scream in his mind though he never heard her voice.

He ran through the camp in a panic. "Steve, Chandie's in trouble!" He kept running.

The big man, who was sitting with Michelle, scrambled to his feet and took off after Damian. Michelle struggled to keep up with his long strides.

"What's going on?" Sheree cried in a shrill voice.

"Come on!" Jane yelled behind her as she ran. "Chandra's in danger!" Patrick ran with them.

Feifong looked at Bruce, who along with Chako was looking around wildly--both still yet unable to read the frantic emissions to know what was happening without being told. " It's Chandra!" Fiefong said. "She's being attacked!"

Bruce grabbed her arm. "Stay here."

" Let me, go!" She snatched her arm loose and took off running after the others. Bruce and Chako followed.


****************

Damian had seen her run before and he knew how fast Chandie could sprint--like Flo Jo, of Olympics fame. He was grateful for it because right on her heels were a pack of about 12 barking, growling dogs. The two closest to her were Dobermen. They both were on the thin side and mangy looking but they were still fast enough to gain on Chandie, and it was clear they were single-mindedly intent on easing their hunger on her flesh.

The two lead dogs were just a leap from her now and Damian was more than twenty yards away. The hungry dogs were going to reach her first. "Drop Chandie! He yelled both mentally and with his lungs. She instantly obeyed and the two Doberman Pinschers jumped. They soared past her and Damian ran by them to stand with Chandra.

The other 10 dogs caught up at that moment. Damian put Chandie behind him and kicked the first dog that reached them full in the face. All the others were ready to rush them--one of them--some kind of Rottweiler mix-breed, crouched, showing all it's healthy white teeth and Damian knew he and Chandra was in deep trouble--trouble that for them, was going to end up very bloody.

Then Steve showed up, running straight into the midst of the pack of dogs kicking and yelling at the top of his lungs. The dogs scrambled, even the big muscle bound mix-breed scurried back a few yards to access what new thing he was up against. Seconds later, the pack regrouped, encircling Damian, Steve and Chandra, moving forward again. The first to rush in was the biggest Doberman, but close behind him were all the others.

Steve grabbed the snarling mass of teeth and slobber by the head and twisted. Damian leaped up and kicked the one that leaped at him, and in the same motion turned in the air and punched the first dog that jumped at Chandie. One of the dogs grabbed Steve by his left leg and held on. Then another--a healthy pit bull-- clamped down on his left arm. Damian punched the terrier on Steve's arm in the face again and again but the dog wouldn't let go. His jaws had locked and his teeth was churning. Suddenly the huge mix breed leapt on Damian's back knocking him to the ground.

"Damian!" Chandra dove on the Rottweiler and grabbed him by the neck. The big dog easily twisted his head loose and lunged at Chandra. Damian rolled on his back and grabbed the big dog's hind legs just as his teeth snapped. The dog yelped and yanked its legs from Damian's grasp. He lunged at Chandra again. Bruce Akimota entered the struggle feet first. With the velocity of a guided missile, the Asian Soldier kicked the big dog in the head. Chandra could feel the heat from the dog's breath just before it's head violently whipped away from her. The big dog rolled twice on the ground and was still.

Damian was back on his feet, pulling at Chandra, when Patrick and Chako showed up. The smallest dogs Fled. Bruce karate chopped the dog that held Steve's arm in the joint where its neck connected to its spine. The dog flopped. Chako broke the back of the dog that had Steve's leg and the remaining dogs ran yelping into the distance.

All the men had outran the women and as the ladies came huffing up, Damian couldn't help laughing to himself and thinking, even at that tense moment, that Bruce, maybe--but none of the other men would have outran Chandie.

The first of the women to reach the scene was Michelle. The last was Sheree. Michelle, who was one of Antonio's Medics, looked at Steve's bloodied arm and tore off the scarf she wore around her head. She calmly approached Steve and began to administer to his wounds. Chandra walked over to them. " Let's get he back ti di camp. I mek sumting for dis."

"Can you walk, Steve?" Damian put his shoulder under Steve's left arm. He had called on Steve during his moment of panic like it was second nature--as if it was Steve's job to drop everything and be there when he needed him. And as always, the big man had answered his call like it was his job, risking his life without a moment's hesitation.

At this point, Damian knew he would do the same thing for Steve, but he also knew it wasn't always that way with him. He never understood why, but Steve had treated him like a close brother from the moment they met. It took him a long time to completely trust the situation because that kind of thing just don't happen between people--not in his world, or any world. But the friendship was real. The loyalty is real. And it was more than just in the mind and heart, it was in the blood.

"Yeah," Steve answered Damian's question. "the leg's not as bad as the arm. I know a Pit had my arm but what was that mutt on my leg--teeth wasn't long enough to bust a grape but it was holding on like crazy glue. Pit-bull wannabe... "

Damian sensed a skit coming on, and he couldn't have looked more forward to it if it was the opening to a Michael Jackson concert.

Chapter forty-three

she's a big cat
big cat walking
big cat
big cat talking like that
cuz she knows she'll get her way
" Big Cat" from the New Genesis CD by akamardukson

For the first time, they started to make weapons.

After the dogs, they had an encounter with a Tiger, a bear, and more dogs. Even a house cat attacked one time, leaping out at Jane and scratching her face. Patrick killed it. Jane stayed mad at him for 3 days.

The animals were everywhere. Damian figured they had all migrated here and came up against the waters, and couldn't go any farther.

Damian and the others had reached the harbor. As expected, there were plenty of abandoned sailing vessels. The plan was to spend six months here honing their sailing skills before they attempted to cross the ocean. They took a boat out everyday.

They started making and carrying spears and knives after the tiger attack--if it really could or should be called that. The big cat looked half starved even with the great concentration of prey around. When she stalked towards the Iowees, the cat didn't seem to know how to attack. Damian could tell by the cautious way she moved forward that if not for starvation, she wouldn't have approached any of them at all. The Iowees were screeching like sirens and the cat kept looking behind to ensure her path to escape was unencumbered. Damian watched calmly from his hut as Chako, and Michelle approached the animal. He saw the tall woman calming Chako down, and everyone else was relaxed by watching her demeanor.

The big cat started backing up, but was still unwilling to run yet. Michelle was cooing to the tiger while Chako stayed beside her. Steve stood back and watched, but he was alert, as was Bruce and Patrick. Finally Michelle took one step too close and the big cat turned and fled.

Wasn't exactly Cudjoe was it?" Steve said.

"It was tame." Michelle answered.

"Think it'll be back?" Chako asked. He was soothing the Iowees.

"Probably."

"Then why didn't you let us kill it? If it hurts Firsthe and Firstshe--"

" It was just hungry."

"They are all just hungry."

"No, I mean... it's tame. If we feed it, we probably can keep it around like a pet. It won't hurt anything."

"Now why would we want to do that?" Patrick walked up with Feifong and Bruce.

"Because why kill a beautiful animal like that if you don't have to?" Feifong asked.

"Because it was going to eat Firsthe and Firstshe." Bruce answered his woman.

" And what about Chandra and Jane?" Patrick asked. "You want them out there walking in the woods with that thing lurking around?"

"I don't want them out there at all, right now. Too many wild animals around." Damian said. "At least not without some kind of protection," he added quickly, sensing Chandra's ire.

"By gide, then thit settles it." Steve said, sounding like a mush mouth Englishman. "Wee feed the cot, and wee make wippons to keel all the bod enemas. Ah wee ah-greed theen?"

The grouped laughed. Michelle looked up at him with her eyes beaming adoration.

"Alright, we feed the cat." Chako shook his head, still chuckling and put an arm around Ada.


**************

They named the cat, which was female, Sheba. She was obviously once someone's beloved pet, not only that, but spoiled almost beyond toleration...and deeply in love with people.

It was now unclear if, even despite her obvious hunger, she wanted to eat the Iowees or play with them--like she does now. From sunrise to sunset she shadows the Iowees and Damian figured it might be because she once belonged to people with small children.

The cat took swiftly to Chandra too. The only time she would leave the Iowees, was to follow Chandra when she went on her forays to find useful vegetation.

Both Chandra and Jane carried spears  but Damian had a lot more peace of mind knowing Sheba was with Chandra than the spears. Chandra had long ago discouraged him of the idea that he or some other man should shadow her when she went out. She never minded company but she didn't want a keeper.

Most of the animals avoided them if they could. The biggest danger was the hungry dogs who ran in packs but even they weren't much of a threat now that they all were carrying spears. When one them was in trouble with the dogs, it only took minutes before they had help. The women could hold  the dogs off with the spears as well as the men.

Damian felt they were now ready to pit their maritime skills against the ocean. The vessel they chose to sail in was a mid-size schooner with three collapsible masts. They had practiced a lot in the ship and it was sturdy and easy to maneuver. In this part of the world the waters and winds were always calm, so they knew their success handling the boat was not a true marker of their abilities . They had no real idea what kind of conditions they will encounter the farther they got from the coast.

As was their habit before they went to their separate spots for sleep, the group sat in discussion. There was a lot more verbal communication because the soldiers still hadn't developed the ability to read thoughts. Damian was at loss as to why. Not even Steve had anything to put forward to explain it.

Chako had taken to sailing, like a fish to water. He was good at it and like anything you are good at, he loved it.

" I think we just might make it across that ocean, after all." He said wistfully, wishing now that he had done more to assuage Alonzo and Tiararay's fears rather than encourage them.

"Well, it's not going to be as easy as just sailing up and down, close to the shore, but we are prepared. It's been done routinely before. I see no reason why we can't do it, and if conditions are as calm all over world as they are here, all we'll really need is stamina and a sense of direction. We should be fine, but the first rule of any endeavor is to not be too overconfident."

"Overconfidence is not a problem with me, Damian." Bruce said. "I have to tell you, I'm nervous as hell about this." Feifong squeezed her lover's hand.

The big cat sat between Chandra and the Iowees like she was people too.

"What about her?" Steve asked. Aren't cats supposed to hate water?"

"That's not cat." Feifong said. "That's people."

The Iowees laughed with delight.

"You haven't seen her on the boat yet, Steve?" Damian laughed.

"Yeah, but I thought the cat was Chako because it looked from here like she was steering."

Chako threw a playful air punch in Steve's direction.

"What about supplies? The greens don't keep too long and we have a lot of water to cross."

Steve answered Patrick. "We have a map, listing every Island and land mass between here and the South Atlantic. We should be fine on that score."

"You think we'll ever start eating meat again?" Bruce asked.

"You ate meat?" Steve said, then adding, "Only if you change your name to Abel and start speaking in tongues."

"And who are you supposed to be, Steve?" Bruce retorted--"Cain?"

"He was a vegetarian, wasn't he? Right now, we're all Cain. Let's just try not to start speaking in tongues, alright? So we don't start gutting big cats, small sheep and each other."

Sheba yawned widely.

"What's Sheba going to eat?" Firstshe piped in her tiny little voice, surprising everyone so much that they openly stared at her. She visibly shrunk within herself.

Everybody started babbling at once to answer her. The gist of it was that they will pack some meat in one of the steel containers on board and drag it along in the water behind the boat.

" Wonder if god will get too mad if we turn the cat into a vegetarian." Steve said.

" She can't live on veggies. " Firsthe giggled, seemingly emboldened to speak by his companion's bold leap into the waters.

" Why not?" Unlike the others, Steve talked to the little Beings in the same tone he used normally. "If Elephants, Giraffes and Gorillas can be vegetarians, why can't other large animals."

"It's something we can try later." Damian said thoughtfully. "But we'll feed her what's she's used to until we're settled in Africa."



" You don't believe in god do you Steve?" Jane asked bluntly. He and Jane didn't talk much to each other since the night they made love, but they had developed a good relationship that didn't require conversation, courtesy or even acknowledgment of each other.

"I'm a Scientist."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Yes I did. What about you, do you believe in god?"

"Of course."

"Then explain something to me Janie, because all my life I've been puzzled by this. Your people are first generation, white South Africans, right? I want to know how people can believe so much in a god who is supposed to be good, just, and vengeful-- and at the same time commit so much evil. Do you believe in the hell thing or not?"

She didn't answer. Damian and Ada, both knew Steve. Has known him for a long time. Damian smiled tightly, knowing a diatribe was brewing. Ada leaned forward. Steve launched:

"You remember how miserable it was outside during the heat waves before the big breach? Can you image living inside of a real fire forever and being unable to die? Your people claim to believe in eternal damnation, yet you have lived like gods for two centuries among people you have robbed, slaughtered and tortured by the millions.

I don't care whether your Ancestors considered them "real people" or not, they were still living, thinking Beings--just like the Iowees, yet every sin, inside and outside the book, was committed against them without respite for three hundred years.  And you want to come off on some superior tip to me about believing in god? No, I don't believe in god because god is what incurious people like you believe in. I believe in whatever created all the beauty and goodness in the world, and whatever that is, cant be this thing that people have been calling god while murdering, enslaving and stealing.

And that's because, I have never in my life treated anybody with one ounce less consideration than I would have wanted for myself and my love ones, despite what anybody or anything says. I come from a line of mostly dirt poor people, who keeps themselves separate from the world... people who had always lived like they thought they were being watched and judged--not in pretensions and their bellies. Seems to me, I'm not the one who doesn't believe in god."

"You're not being fair, Steve." Tears were in her voice and eyes.

" Am I being truthful?"
.
"I've never hurt anyone and neither have my parents."

"Did you or your parents ever atone;apologized for what your grandparents did? It's not like it wasn't documented, or was ancient history.
I'm a Scientist Janie, and I know what the Aids epidemic in the Southern part of Africa was. It was a vengeful act of biological sabotage against entire groups of people. Or do you think it was a coincidence that Southern Africa was the stronghold of Western domination of Africa? A stronghold that was steadily being dismantled by liberation wars.

Thousands of white Missionaries and so called world health organization workers knew the time frame of the start of the Aids epidemic. They may have been unknowingly used, but they had brains, and they had to have at least asked themselves questions. But did you ever hear of any of them atoning in public by simply raising the question? Any white, South African?

Can people, who do, benefit from, or remain silent of such atrocities, really believe in hell, Janie...or God?

Steve stood up. "I'm going to bed." He turned and left the gathering. Michelle stood up and followed him.

A heavy silence fell over the group before Damian said to the sobbing, Jane:

"He wasn't really directing that at you, personally. I've known Steve for a long time and I've heard that rant a few times.

"He had no grounds to talk to her like that." Patrick said bitterly. "She was raised in Massachusetts."

"Maybe he should have talked to you like that instead." Chako said. "You never took in a word he said did you? All you could be; feel...after all that passion and truth from the man, was insulted over the way he spoke to your woman." Chako stood up. He looked at Jane. "Like Damian said, that wasn't meant just for you." He turned and left. Ada looked at Jane sympathetically and followed Chako.

Jane was muttering I'm sorry, to no one in particular.

"Go to bed." Chandra said to her. She looked at Patrick. "Tek she home."

Janet, Bruce, Feifong, Chandra, Damian, all stood up.

"Be ready everybody," Damian said loudly, "we're setting sail tomorrow."

Chapter forty-four

Damian&Chandra

say you wanna have my baby
say you wanna give the world
lots and lots of boys like me
and i wanna give it girls
like you baby
" Like you, baby"from the New Genesis CD by akamardukson

They were three days out from the Northern coast of what used to be the United States, and so far it had been nothing but smooth sailing. When Damian stood at the bow and stared ahead--something he loved to do--the big cat was always right beside him. She seemed to love staring across the water as much as he did. Ever now and then she would nuzzle him with her head, ears quivering to be scratched. Damian would happily oblige. He had grown to love that cat.

They rowed the boat in one hour shifts, three shifts, four people each shift, except when it was Damian's turn to row. He, Steve and Bruce, rowed without a fourth pair of hands.

The ship was designed to cut through the water like a knife through butter and on the calm waters it didn't take much strain to keep it pointed where they wanted it to go. They have yet to even hoist the sails but they still had a contingency plan in case they ran into rough waters.

" It's so beautiful...God's green earth." Chandra had joined him. The big cat's head swung over. Chandra scratched behind her ears.

"That, it is." Damian nodded. "Almost as beautiful as you."

" Is it fair, bwoy?"

"Is what fair, baby?"

"For me ti be so happy...so much in love...with a kingman who loves mi back?"

" Why wouldn't it be? You deserve everything that's good."

"I don't know." She held her head to one side and stared him in the eyes.

" Do yuh eva tink about yuh, Maddah?"

"Not too much anymore."

She sighed. " I wish mi Maddah could be here. Ti know yuh. She would be so happy for me. And mi Faddah too, in he own way, though yuh'd never know it by listening to him."

" I wish ma could know you. She never had any one close to her but me and Sheree. She never saw Sheree much. You would have made ma so happy. She would have adored you Chandie."

"Really." She looked at him with disbelieving eyes. Damian knew what she was thinking.

"Yes, really. Ma was deeply Christian, in the way it was taught to her. Yes, she thought that anything healing that didn't have the u.s.d.a., stamp of approval on it, was voodoo, but no one can spend five minutes with you Chandie, and not see you. She would have focused on you and forgot about everything else."

"Dat meks me happy ti tink about." She didn't mention that she had helped his mother die. Sheree had called her brother because Damian's mother had no insurance, and was not being treated seriously by the hospitals. Her brother did what he could, and had sent her to help the woman pass easily.

"It's true."

"Sumtimes, weh I let mi mind go like yuh do, staring across dat watta, I feel like I'm awake, dreaming. Ev'ryting dat's happening seems so fantastic, so unreal."

" I know what you mean."

"Do yuh tink we cyan haf trildren, bwoy?"

" One day, if you want."

" I want to gi' di world more Damians." She laughed. " Lot's of Damians."

" What about Chandras. There can't be Damians without Chandras."

She twirled and let her hand run lightly across his face.

"But di Chandras cyan nuh com' out of mi belly bwoy. Maybe di Chandras com' outta Ada, Fei, or Janie."

Damian laughed at her silliness. "Maybe. You really don't want any girls?"

"Mi nuh wan' ti birth any Chandras for mi Damians."

" I'm serious, Chandie."

"Do yuh wan' girl chile?"

" It don't matter to me."

" Me neither." She giggled.

"Come here, you little--." Damian laughed and grabbed her by the waist. He picked her up and carried her toward one of the cabins below deck.

The big cat padded off to find someone else to scratch behind her ears.

 

Chapter forty-five

"This sea air is spoiling our food supply two times faster than we factored."

Damian listened till Jane finished speaking. He turned to Steve.

"How far away is the next Island?"

"At our current pace, we should reach the West Indies in about six days."

"Jane, how long can we stretch what we have?"

"Three...four more days, if we ration."

The big Cat was sitting up on her haunches, between Chandra and the Iowees, head up, like she was the chairman of the board or some equally important thing.
Steve looked over at her. A devilish gleam suddenly leaped into his pupils.

"If push comes the shove, we can always barbecue. I've heard that tiger meat tastes just like chicken."

Sheree, who was sitting to the left of Steve, exploded with laughter. She punched his arm.

"Stop it."

The big cat blinked and yawned. The Iowees were cooing and rubbing her coat.

Damian cursed. "That's at least three days with no food. I thought we calc'ed for the sea mist's possible effect on our food supply." He gave Steve a look.

"We did." Steve shrugged, his tone clearly saying lighten up. "But we don't know this new world we're in yet Boss. Everything we've ever known about our environment before the breach gets tossed out the window."

"What's the big deal? Three days without a meal isn't going to kill anyone." Bruce said.

Steve puffed out his left cheek like Marlon Brando, in the classic movie, " The Godfather." "How can I 'splain this to youse Bruce. It's a Scientist thing. Youse see, we Scientists don' likea suprises. Yew unnastand what I'ma saying to youse, Brucie?"

Damian felt he was being mocked, even though he knew Steve was just being Steve.

" I like the barbecue idea myself." Patrick laughed. " We've been eating so many leaves, I'm starting to shit green."

" It's not leaves." Jane said sharply. " And don't curse in council."

"Yes Mommy."

"You're asking for it."

Chako snickered. "I think you better stop digging, Midnite, while your ears are still above ground."

"Yuh tink inyone is still alive dere?" Chandra asked Damian.

Damian heard strain in her voice and the only reason for it that he could think of, was that her Father's relatives had lived on one of the West Indie Islands.

" No, baby." He sent her waves of compassion with his silent emissions to her. "I don't think so." He turned from her finally,  and addressed the entire group:

" I'm sorry about the food situation."

" Why is that your fault, boss? You have nothing to apologize for."

" I guess you're right, Steve. It's not my fault. It's yours and my fault. It's our job to handle the logistics of surviving. We just can't afford to make these kinds of simple mistakes. What if we were in a stretch where the nearest land mass was weeks, or months away?"

Steve thought for a moment. " I don't know...go fishing, maybe? I get your point, but I still say we had no way of knowing that the sea mist would spoil the food supply so fast."

"Could we had done a sample test before we left, or not, Steve? We made a potentially, grave mistake. And it was one that could have been easily avoided. I'm not saying that it's possible to think of everything, but we can at least own up to our mistakes without qualifications. That's the only way we'll keep on our toes."

Steve stood up.

" Oh, now you're going to walk off in a huff as usual."

" No, I'm going to walk off in my skin. I can't argue with you, Damian."

"Admit that you're wrong, Steve." Damian felt like something was tearing away from his insides. He couldn't let Steve walk away from him angry, but he couldn't bring himself to give an inch either.

" I would if I was." Steve seemed reluctant to walk away too. But he was as stubborn as Damian. Both wanted desperately, to patch things up. They had never argued before. But neither knew how.

"You're both right. And you're both wrong." Sheree said. "Steve...sit."

The big man looked at her, one brow raised.

"Sit." Sheree patted the spot beside her.

He obeyed, but mainly because he wanted to anyway. He sat there with his arms folded.

"Damian, look at Steve." Sheree was the Elder in their group, and more and more she was conducting herself like someone who will one day have that exalted position which was once so cherished by Aboriginal peoples.

"What do you see?"

" I see a big assed, long haired man with his arms folded."

" That's right, you see a man. A man that has proven his friendship, and  love for you, and for all of us, over and over again. So why would you chastise him like he was a child in front of everyone?"

" Maybe for the same reason he felt he could talk to Janie like he did." Patrick groused.

Jane's face instantly turned beet red.

"Look Patrick, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't keep using me to moan over your injured manhood. He was talking to me and we're not sewn together. I'm okay with what Steve said, alright?"

" You're right." Damian stood up. " I don't know what the hell got into me." He walked past Sheree, over to face Steve. He looked directly into the big man's eyes. "A man save your life one time, and he earns enough respect to last an eternity. When he does it over and over again, at the risk of his own, you never get so high and mighty--even in your mind-- that you talk down to him. I'm sorry Steve."

The big man lurched to his feet. Damian hugged him and Steve hugged Damian back. The two men separated.

"I was wrong, Boss."

"Let's not go through that again." Sheree said hastily.

"Janie."

Jane looked up at Steve.

" I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you."

The love she  had for him was suddenly shining in her eyes.

" I understand what you were feeling Steve. I didn't cry because of the way you spoke to me. I cried because I heard what you said."

The big cat walked over and wedged herself in between Damian and Steve. And as all eyes were suddenly trained on her, she yawned.