Chapter 27

[Janice writes]

We would spend the night and the people there were looking forward to Andy's return for a visit. We were met by a big group who put us in the same motel for the night. Most of the population still lived in Mexico even though it was safe to the north. That area was gradually filling in. Supper was a joyous event with many people telling Andy how much she looks like her mother. She proudly showed pictures of Jacob, her new brother. Charlie came in for his own group of teens who were interested in him. Both impressed the teens and adults alike with the fact that they were piloting one of our planes. SJ made that information public.

Everyone had a grand time and we went to our beds happy and tired. Flying all day is tiring. In the morning, we had a good breakfast and left for Phoenix and the Valley people.

We arrived for an early lunch. Many of the members greeted us. Tim came over with a hug for me. He said that he is very happy as a Valley guy. He was impressed with Andy and Charlie as pilots and at the healing they had both undergone from the dog bites. The dog population hadn't recovered from the "hunting season." Doctors George and Anne never found another instance of the strange infection that so affected Andy.

After lunch, we boarded our planes for the final leg in our opening trip to San Diego. Two hours later, we landed in the early afternoon. It was quiet and no one had been to the airport since we had left it. We were better prepared for the water situation because we now expected it.

We were also prepared for an afternoon at the beach. It took very little effort to get the same bus running again. We enjoyed frolicking in the water and returned to the general aviation terminal tired but happy. We ate, called in after erecting an antenna, and went to our beds.

Andy and Charlie were allowed to sleep next to each other but in separate sleeping bags. SJ agreed to be their official chaperone at night. She took her duty seriously but cared for both teens with a true understanding of their situation. I let her see what I had written and she laughed. "Mom, that makes me sound old! I'm just trying to help them abide by the rules and stay out of trouble."

I grinned. SJ looked thoughtful. "Mom, what would happen if they did jump the gun?"

I said, "I'm not sure. Technically, it would be rape and that's a death penalty offense. Until a female reaches the age of consent, any sexual intercourse is a rape. I'm not sure what would happen but it wouldn't be good. There is a reason for the age and I know that your grandpop feels that the age is still too low. He likes what he hears from Lavaca about marriage, too. They require the couple be self-supporting before a marriage is allowed. He was concerned about your Uncle Mike and is even more concerned about Andy and Charlie.

"It's your job to see that we don't have to find out about them jumping the gun, at least, at night." I had heard a gasp behind me and turned as I spoke to see a very pale-faced Andy.

She looked at me and said, "Momma Jan, it's really serious isn't it?"

"Yes, Andy, it is. I don't know what would happen but it would be tragic at best. We kid some but there is an undertone of true seriousness about this. I would particularly be heartbroken to know that my son was involved in breaking that rule since I was a victim when I was your age and a little older. My experience helped Preservation become the place that it is now. Your grandfather's uncle and first cousin were executed for what they had done to me."

"I didn't know that, Mom. My first dad died saving my mother and me from a similar fate." She looked me in the eye. "We will wait. Charlie will be fine. I've been pushing more than he. I will talk to him. I understand more now." She gave me a hug, which I returned. She left for Charlie.

SJ smiled. "That should help matters."

"We'll see. I've been somewhat worried. It would hurt your grandpop and me if they did do something early. I don't think they had thought about the effect of that particular action on others."

I finished my writing and joined the others.

Charlie said, "I have an idea about Arnold and the end of his manuscript. It says he met people in Tijuana. I know that's not far but what if he met them a little bit more to the south? The distances aren't far but if that part of my guess is right and, if they went a little southeast rather than east, all that could affect where to look. If they are trying to be a little hidden, it's even more difficult."

That set off a flurry of discussion until Bennie said loudly, "Quiet!" Everyone looked a bit embarrassed. Bennie said, "Charlie has a point. One thing that I read into Arnold's writing is that he worries about bad people. He might give a slight bit of misdirection to throw people off. They weren't a big group anyway.

"Let's get the maps out and determine some possible places for them to have gone. One thing we have learned about this part of the world is that water is important. We know where they aren't. Let's see if we can think through where they might be before we go blindly looking for them."

That's what we did. We split into smaller groups to talk quietly.

Bennie and I sat with SJ, Andy, and Charlie. Bennie said, "Charlie, you said something about south. What about north?"

"Dad, it's the water thing to me. Also, I think that Arnold will think hidden. Hard to get to works also. Really, the first good water is the Colorado to the east." He had a map that he had printed before we left.

I said, "How long have you been thinking about this?"

Andy said, " He has been driving me crazy for a while. Look on the map. He has your air route grayed out along with the route from Phoenix to L.A. He keeps saying that it has to be obvious but not too obvious. His thinking is that Arnold would want to be in an area that won't attract company but allow them to live."