Chapter 23

Jaycee and I were cuddling together in my bed when Meka brought Tutsie in to get us for his potty break. She smiled widely but didn't say anything. I got out of bed, dragged my pants up, and then helped Jaycee stand. She went to her room for clothes, leaving those I'd taken off her earlier lying where I'd dropped them. I even took time to put on my socks and boots, and by that time Jaycee was back in jeans and a work shirt.

We all grabbed our goggles and headed for the front door. I picked up the Marlin as we went outside and Meka had Tutsie down and sniffing right away.

Jahedo and some of the other braves were still up, walking around in the dark to make sure the goggles didn't stop working I guess. As he started toward us, Jaycee and I went to meet him. I didn't think there'd be any chance of a coyote eating Tutsie tonight, not with half a dozen armed Indians wandering around in the dark.

I could tell at once that Jahedo wanted to give me some information, but the patches of sign language communication we had weren't up to the job. Luckily Tutsie got done and Meka snagged him and came over too. She and Jahedo talked for a minute and then she turned to me.

"French men one day now. Coming closer," she said.

"Maybe we should head for them in the morning," I said, trying to make it sound like a question.

She spoke to Jahedo again, he spoke back to her, and then it was my turn.

"He think morning also. Leave women children here," she said.

Damnation, I wish I had that kind of power. I hopped it worked on Jaycee too. I know it was illogical of me; she was probably a much better fighter than I was and maybe as good or better than any of Jahedo's men. It's the way I felt though.

"If we're going to be left out of the fun, we should at least move everyone into the house. There's plenty of room for them to stay in the basement and they all have their own bedding," Jaycee said.

"Thank you," I told her.

Meka gave Jahedo the news and he seemed glad about it. Maybe he was afraid someone else would come snooping around while he and the men were gone. At any rate, he started shouting to some of the other men in their lingo and in minutes they were striking camp and packing to move inside.

Surprisingly it took less than an hour to get them situated. They even brought firewood and some stones and got one fire going, albeit a small one. I wondered about smoke but decided it probably wouldn't be a problem. Surely They had made provisions for ventilation.

"We'll try to teach a couple of the women to cook upstairs while you're gone, he-man," Jaycee said, gently mocking me now.

"Very good, squaw. Good thinking," I said, trying to get a little back.

Meka laughed at us both and put Tutsie down to explore. He headed straight for the gathering around the fire and Meka had a request for me.

"Daddy, I stay here you gone. Bring pillow please?" she asked.

"I probably should stay with them too," Jaycee said, "but not until my big strong brave leaves in the morning," she finished, and she and Meka both laughed.

Meka left to join Tutsie then and I considered myself dismissed to step and fetch. I didn't mind, especially since Jaycee went with me. When we got upstairs I discovered she'd come to make sure I did things right.

We returned to the party with Meka's pillow, three blankets, and her antique whistle. While Jaycee fixed her pallet, Meka began the entertainment with her whistle, and to my surprise, the rest of the Indians gathered around and listened closely.

Jaycee and I went back to my bedroom after that. I wasn't trying to be rude and I think we were both fucked out for the night, but hell, I was still old and I needed my rest.

Meka woke me in the morning, telling me that the sun was nearly up and that breakfast was ready in the basement. She also told me I needed to talk to Jahedo.

"Do you know what it's about?" I asked, trying to focus.

"Meka find knives gun room. My hand door now. Try give Jahedo new knife. He say you give," she said.

"I'll tell him they were for them all along as soon as I get my clothes on," I said.

Jaycee and I were presentable in only a few minutes and we all headed to breakfast. The main course was fresh venison, and I do mean very fresh. It was the doe we'd taken while trying out the goggles last night.

A big surprise was that Meka had found one of those enameled coffee pots for making coffee on a stove top or a fire, and she had some ready. It just proved to me again what a treasure she was. Jaycee, Meka, and I had some right away. Meka had found Jaycee a cup that matched mine, Texaco logo and all.

It was a little surprising that Meka's handprint had appeared on the armory door, but not that surprising. I would have been worried about it a few days ago, but by now I knew that she was easily responsible enough. In fact, I was glad that she'd gone poking around and found the new knives.

They looked to be made in a Buck Knife style but were larger than any Buck Knife I had ever seen, except the "Rambo Special" they'd produced after that movie came out. in fact they looked a lot like it. I was sure the knives could function as a makeshift hatchet if need be. Besides, they had their own scabbards made to fit on the web belts that Meka had doled out too.

One other thing about the knives was different from the normal Buck Knife. They were sharp to start with. Buck knives routinely came with a wonderful edge, but they weren't ready to really use when you bought them. It was up to the new owner to put on the finishing touch, via cafeful honing. They had skipped this step and these knives were already nearly razor sharp.

One thing that I really liked about Jahedo and his people was the way they didn't fuck around for hours when it was time to get moving. As it was, they had to wait on me to dress the part. I covered my laziness by telling Meka that they should all have a cup of coffee while I showered and dressed for the trip and left the explaining to her.

Jaycee came with me and washed my back. I didn't really have to have a shower but I knew it might be days before I got another chance and I wasn't passing this one up. Jaycee offered to wash my balls for me too, but I didn't want to leave with my dick any harder than it was already, and I hope she understood.

I dressed in jeans and a work shirt but put on lace up Redwing lineman's boots and even found some elastic straps so I could blouse the cuffs. I also left my regular hat here and wore a Peterbilt logo baseball cap. I had a last stop in the armory to pick up extra ammunition and one of the 270s and then we were off.

During most of my life I'd been comfortable in what I thought of as "the woods" or forest, but this one wasn't like them. As Wadsworth said in "Evangeline:"

"This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks, Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight, Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic... "

I didn't remember much poetry from my long ago high-school days, but that snippet came back to me at once. We weren't "in the twilight" now, it was daybreak, but I imagine the effect was similar, just from the opposite direction. I could have put on the goggles and seen perfectly, but it didn't seem right somehow.

By noon mystic poetic notions of the forest had degenerated into fatigue. I wasn't worn out completely, but it was beginning to tell on me. We hadn't stopped moving since we left; we hadn't even slowed. I knew that if Jahedo didn't call a trail break soon, I was going to have to ask for one. I guess it was a man thing, but I kept hanging in there.

Not twenty minutes later he did stop, and his other men spread out even farther than they had been while we were moving. He came back, to check on me I guess, but I wondered how in the hell we'd communicate.

He said something to me right away and of course I didn't understand. I gave in then and asked They if they knew what he was going on about.

"You've arrived. The party of explorers is about a half mile ahead," They told me, or one of them did.

"How can that be? His scout said they were two days away," I asked.

"He meant that they were two days away at their rate of travel, and if they'd kept at it. Jahedo and his troop move through the woods quite a bit faster than the explorers. Currently they, the explorers, are arguing about making camp for the day."

"Camp? It's just noon or a little after," I said.

"The women that are with them cause considerable delay. I might add that the women did not want to leave home in the first place."

That wasn't hard to imagine. The women probably had much better sense than the men. In fact, I was sure of it. It would suit our purposes though, and the men wouldn't be a bother much longer.

"I assume that you can understand everything Jahedo and the others say?" I asked at last, hating myself for dong it but giving in.