Chapter 208: Robo Powered Bicycle and the Campfire

It was obvious that Lucy had no reaction to being touched. Not only that there really wasn't anything to touch. Well that was fine with me, I had no interest in her that way.

I slept with Lucy pressed against me all night. She was different, but not that much different. I drifted off to sleep reasonably early. I got a good night's sleep for a change and I really did feel rested the next morning.

"So you want to go back to the flea market this morning?" I asked.

"We have seen everything here, I would really like to move to a different town," Lucy said. That was still farther out of character for her. Before the last visit by Priest and the Geeks, she had no opinions at all, suddenly she was filled with them. If it kept up I would have to start treating her as an equal. That thought bothered me.

"In that case it's the flea market for back packs. We are going to take the tandem and head out today." I said it because I didn't really want to stay in one place either.

"Where will we go?' she asked.

"I figure we can do up to 30 kilometers, easily so pick a town about that far from here. When we get back from the flea market, we will head out." I said it smiling at her.

At the flea market we purchased two medium sized black canvas backpacks, and of course breakfast for me. It was 10AM when we returned to the hotel. Packing our clothes took fifteen minutes tops. We were on the road by noon. When we were standing on the sidewalk, I asked, "So where are we headed."

"We take the Western highway out of town, then 28 Kilometers down the road we will come to Saint Louise," she said.

"Is that really the name of the town?" I asked.

"No, but it's how you will bastardize it, so I just beat you to it," she admitted.

"Fair enough, then it's Saint Louise before dark," I said. During the cycle trip, I pedaled when we were on a hill, but downhill and on the flats I let Lucy carry the load alone. The 28 Kilometers took us four hours. It was good to know what the road speed was going to be for our little robo propelled vehicle.

One little thing Lucy forgot was to check for hotels. I had Lucy ask a local cop about hotels or hostels or even families willing to take us in for a night or two. Lucy turned to me and said, "There is nothing at all." she informed me.

"Then surely there is somewhere we can eat," I demanded. Lucy turned back to the cop and asked more questions.

"There are only two restaurants in town," she said.

"Then pick one and lets head out," I suggested.

Ten minutes later found us sitting down in a restaurant so small that there were only five table in the place. I ordered a thick soup and wine to drink. The soup was hot, and as thick as some stews I have eaten. The bread served with the soup was excellent. I am no connoisseur of wines, but I enjoyed the red wine I received with my meal.

The main reason for the stop was so that Lucy could ask the waitress, and later also the owner of the restaurant, where one might find a place to sleep.

"There is a park about a mile outside of town. It is where young tourists gather in the summer. We can stay there, he said." Lucy informed me. "If not that there is a hotel in the town ten kilometers west of here. It is the closest one." Lucy informed me of our choices, then looked away. She seemed sad to think that she had upset me. Not like the old Lucy at all.

"Then, we need to find a tarp," I told Lucy with a smile. "It won't be the first time I slept with the snakes," I said.

Lucy gladly asked the waitress where we might purchase a tarp. Form the restaurant we rode about five hundred yards deeper into to town to a small general store kind of place. Once we were in the door Lucy moved toward the man on duty. I stopped her. "Let's just look around there may be other things we need as well.

We purchased a tarp that was approximately 8' by 10' and camouflage printed. The size was in metric measurements but I knew it would do. We also bought a lightweight blanket, which was no more than a piece of cotton flannel, and a fire starter kit. The kit contained matches and a box of cardboard wrapped Sterno tabs. On the way to the check out I picked up a folding, disposable utility knife. Lucy and I divided the load, then off we went into the countryside again.

Twenty minutes later we cycled into the public park that allowed tourists to sleep there. The big attraction was some kind of open air concerts every weekend. It wasn't the weekend for a couple of days, but there were already a dozen or so young people in the park. They were occupying a kind of tent city. Of course the tents were mostly tarps tossed over anything that would make a shelter. More or less what I had planned to do.

The kids there greeted we two old ladies with what sounded like kind words. Even I could tell from the tone that there was absolutely no warmth at all in them. It suited me just fine. All I wanted to do was to get off that damned bike. Lucy informed me that there was no chance of rain, so I made a quick lean too using the bike against a tree for the high end and the packs to hold it down. We picked a grassy spot, so there wasn't going to be a lot of comfort, but maybe not too many rocks sticking us in the back either.