Chapter 21 : Finale

On a long companionable walk around the island, taking stock of everything as it were, we watched a fox make off with an ostrich chick, the enraged cock in hot if futile pursuit, said hello to the tortoises and kangaroos. Alfred was extraordinarily pleased with the way the island developed.

"I don't interfere at all. The foxes bred very well and take their toll of the smaller animals and their young. They in turn are food for the eagles, the smaller raptors go for squirrels and such. We did well, Bert, but whenever we come back we must do a lot of fishing in the lake and Wilbur's pond. They are overstocked."

"Alfred, I don't want to appear critical of what you guys have created here, but I have to admit that not seeing anything manmade anywhere, apart form our stuff, seeing no other people whatsoever, no ships, no planes, does give me the creeps. That's the reason why I asked Berthold to summon you all for our first feast. I do find the isolation quite oppressive. Perhaps that is the reason why our actions and reactions tend to be so extreme at times.

"I know that Berthold has been here on his own for longish stretches and I don't know how he can stand it. But perhaps this environment is conducive to deep thinking — and deep drinking," Elise added with a chuckle.

"Yeah, Elise, I share your feelings. The atmosphere of this place can be overpowering, but I have been here on my own often, sometimes for a few days too, and Alfred has done the same many a time. I do know that this isolation has helped me greatly in sorting through a multitude of issues."

"This is one other instance where men and women are on different wavelengths I believe," Alfred added to Jake's comment. "But just as strong as our need to get away from it all is the urge to go back and rejoin humanity after some length of time. Much as Jake pointed out, once the reasoning is done I experience a great calmness, a contentment which is restful beyond measure. But not long thereafter I am eager for home and Lexa and her real world."

It was sobering to realise that a lot of our problems were due to me selecting an island refuge. How we would have fared had I chosen any of the other rather more exotic options in Alfred's programme could be anybody's guess. In retrospect we all understood the complexity of our fumblings, realised that what we had done was beyond anything ever attempted by man. Alfred was the first to admit that he probably would not have attempted it, would rather have disappeared in an unmarked grave or ended up as a corpse on the slab in some anatomy class, had he perceived all those ramifications beforehand.

"In some ways," he said, "Jake's insistence on fun with science was a direct invitation to disaster. On the other hand, we would have foundered, and fatally so, in the earliest stages were it not for our ability to see the funny side of things.

"Our slanging matches, Bert, your scathing comments about me helped to reduce my arrogance, made me regard, perhaps for the first time in my life, another human being from close by. Your infuriating carelessness about your health taught me to hold my precarious existence as secondary to our common goal. You had the guts to carry on with the healing, the guts to taunt me into proceeding with it, you laughed away the fearsome odds and even after things went disastrously wrong with Elise your suggestions on how to deal with those CareWell bastards were not cold and callous but tempered by your admittedly rather peculiar sense of humour.

"That is why we were able to pull through. Jake's droll clowning when times were most serious was also essential, as was Sabreena's astonishing loyalty and Elise's and Lexa's trust and forgiveness. If I say so myself, my friends, we did bloody well, all considered."

"This will only take you so far, Alfred, good buddy, but you do overlook the material side of things, you always have. Just imagine if Bert had been a teetotaller, a wearisome proletarian to boot or, God forbid, a religious freak with only one book to throw around, if our mates had been unable to do wonders in the kitchen, had been raving intolerant feminist bitches, ugly as sin and hating the sight of each other.

"When you complained ad nauseam about Bert, I had the greatest misgivings; we discussed that often enough. However, when you guys dragged me up the hill and he poured me that first shot of his potion I was convinced that we would be fine together. The following orgies proved the point beyond doubt. You have to include all those facts in your equation as well, you know, don't just overwork that poor old humanitarian hobby horse all the time."

We enjoyed some kind of communal stunned silence as we trekked along the coast till Sabreena broke out laughing her deep belly laugh.

"You guys surely know how to talk an awful lot about the most obvious things. For crying loudly, we are six individuals who like each other — that means six friends; there are three men who all happen to love their woman — that makes us three couples, right? Now, what more could any sane person want, for chrissake, considering the fickleness of mankind?"

"I am glad that Sabreena did not call it womankind. That would have opened a whole can of worms with me, resulting violence possible," Lexa stated happily.

In the end, Elise was the one who summed it all up for us, very concisely. "You guys are mad — in a rather agreeable way. But what this makes of us, your betrothed, I shudder to think. There is our hill, race you to the top."

"Oh no, you don't. Let's have a session in the gym first to weed down the competition." Jake was first to pull back a fat branch almost to breaking point, challenging us to enter his realm. Small wonder that he was subjected to our combined onslaught and forced to beg for mercy soon. Some people need to learn the hard way.

The race to the top became a non-event. Jake was severely mangled but we refused to heal him, claiming that only real emergencies warranted the use of precious healing waters. Instead we walked with him, encouraging him with serene words and quite a hefty nudge now and then.

When we reached the top the kitchen became a hive of activity. All available edibles were being prepared in one way or other, mashed, shredded, roasted, boiled, death rayed and served together with the remnants of our liquid stores.

We took the huge meal quietly. Jake put off his healing till after lunch, stating that he always knew his priorities. Instead we all tried our best to polish the plates, bowls and glasses as if the next day would bring famine. Only the glasses emptied easily.

Jake wanted to go up to the perch or down to the waterfall for a quiet smoke. We declined, saying that it would raise resentment once more. Rather stay within sight and earshot. He then insisted that we have a glass of his very best whiskey, a parting shot so to speak since we would leave soon.

For once, nothing was spoken, the contentment tangible. Till our women rejoined us.

"Listen, everything is tidied up and packed, ready to be sent off. We have one request of you all," Lexa said haltingly. "Don't prejudge, please."

Elise took over from her. "We know that our first attempt at more harmony with you guys was wrong. This is different. We want you to use all three ponds with us, all of us together. Hush, Jake, this is not the time for jokes. The side effects we all know about and they are the very reason we want to do it. We cannot ignore but shall accept them, without anything untoward following. Please? Berthold? Jake? Alfred?"

Now Alfred did use his bio-feedback, I felt him strongly, asking for guidance. I also felt him probing for Jake.

"Alfred, Jake, we have to go along with them, right now. The slightest hesitation will be deadly. We dare not refuse."

I got up and started to shed my clothing casually. "Yes, that will be nice before we all go home."

Sabreena gave me a long level stare, nodded and started to undress as well. Within a few moments we were all gathered in the cleansing pond, a bit of a tight fit but not overmuch so.

"Sabreena, I did not know that you have a lovely little mole under your left breast."

"Dammit, Bert, it is about time you took note of the real me," she answered with a relaxed smile.

Once we had set the mood with our carefree comments, we started to relax, talking about the pleasant cleaning, what sort of soapy additions Alfred used and, of course, how my fish tasted after washing it in here.

Lexa and Elise got up together and without a further word stepped over into no. 2. We watched them and noticed that they cringed a little. Maybe we needed it too.

We guys felt quite silly, knowing that we were being watched for the appearance of side effects. Once more it was Lexa taking the lead. She reached down to Alfred and remarked that he should not have reduced the properties by so much.

Jake acted like he had been struck mute while Alfred kept shaking his head and looked at me helplessly.

"I told you, Alfred, that you should work on it. But you were rather pre-occupied all that time I gather. But isn't nice to know that the healing is here when we need it. Jake? Would you like another go in the gym just to prove it?"

"Quiet, Bert. I don't know what has come over you. You never were that licentious before."

"When you can't beat them, Jake, what is there to do but keep the flag flying?"

"It is not your flag I see flying, Berthold, but I do get your drift," Elise observed sarcastically and joined me in the third pool, hesitating ever so slightly, her nipples extended.

But we need not have worried. There were a few small shocks to be overcome, but no real pains for either of us. Grumbling Jake was next, pulling Sabreena along, all eyes on him now, poor man, while Sabreena pushed out her lovely full breasts with a wink to me.

As soon as Jake was safely ensconced under water, without much pain apparently, he started to prod Alfred and Lexa into joining us. This however was one of the occasions were coarse jokes would not work.

I got out again and went over to them extending my hands to either. "Come, Alfred, Lexa, this time it is the right thing to do, join us please."

Lexa clambered out awkwardly only to cling to me tightly. Dammit, the agonies of Tantalus by the power of ten.

"Alfred, please, I do need your help now. Who cares, for God's sake? If they have seen me, they have seen you. You have to relent now."

My talk got through to him, he stood up and even accepted my hand to help him out. Eventually we were all settled in the real pond, as I had come to name it in my mind. If you could stand the heat there, you were fine.

Eventually we started talking again, this time about the tribulations of the past, the problems and the dangers we had had to overcome.

"Alfred, never mind the funny side effects. I for one am glad that the healing included Jake's implement too. It would have been too cruel otherwise." With that she reached between Jake's legs and touched him lightly but openly.

Alfred still could neither understand nor accept what was happening. He squirmed and did not know where to look until Sabreena went to him. She took his right hand and held it to cover her breast.