The Sooner

Jak has tried quite hard to return the tent to its compartment. He started out in quite a positive frame of mind, however the reams of fabric seem to have extended somehow and no matter how neatly he tries to fold it it still ends up an untidy great bundle. Now as they head towards the waterhole it is stacked up behind the rear seat and tied down with bits of bungy rope.  It is dark before they reach the waterhole they are chilled from travelling in damp clothes. The tent doesn’t work anymore and they have to spend an infuriating hour trying to prop it up with sticks and rope.

“Let’s light a fire.” Says Jak, “That’ll cheer us up.”

“Is it safe do you think?” Asks Zerrin worriedly.

“Well we’ll light it in amongst these rocks so it can’t be seen and the smoke will be dissipated through the leaves of that gnarled old tree. I reckon we’ll be alright.”

“OK you’re the boss I’ll see if I can rustle up some grub.” She disappears into the darkness.

“Be careful.” He calls after her. “See if you can collect up some wood young man.” He addresses Pal who dashes off with alacrity. Jak draws together some dry seedpods from under the tree and with some gentle blowing and careful arrangement of twigs he soon has a little blaze going. He then helps Pal and they soon have a nice pile of wood to last them.

“How are you feeling now?” he asks the little boy. He had been taking one of Jak’s precious tablets daily for the past four days. There were only two left.

“Mmm pretty good.” Pal squats down and stretches his fingers out to the warm flames.

“What do you reckon she’ll rustle up?” Asks Jak, aware of hunger pains for the first time.

Pal shrugs “Who knows, we ate rat once.” 

“Mmm sounds tasty.” Jokes Jak but then he wonders if it is true and they were reduced to eating that unhealthy rodent.

“Did you really eat rat?” He asks after a while.

“Yes.” Answers Pal nonchalantly.

“What did it taste like?

“It was kinda tough but it tasted OK.”

Just then Zerrin emerges from the darkness into the little pool of light cast by the fire. In her hand she carries a long heavy kimmick lizard, its green and gold scales gleaming in the flames. She lays this on a rock and Jak notices she is carrying something else carefully in the folds of her skirt.

“Hey good news.” She announces, “ I’ve found a looly hog.”

Jak glances at Pal to see how he receives this information. He looks pleased but then he had eaten rat and pronounced it fair. He turns his eyes back to Zerrin in time to see her toss the contents of her skirt onto the rock, take another smaller stone in her hand and deal the prickly creature a blow to its head. She then takes a knife from the rucksack, quickly severs that member and then holds the hog by its diminutive tale to let the blood run away into the sand. It seems amazing to Jak that a young and pretty girl should be indulging in such activities. He watches, fascinated as she then takes the knife to the already departed lizard.

“Er would you like me to….” He feels compelled to ask but as she looks up and he meets her scornful eyes his words run out.

“Have you ever done it before?”

“No.”

“Well then don’t be so stupid.”

“She likes doing it,” chimes in Pal helpfully.

 Zerrin throws him an annoyed look then addresses Jak.

“I’m sorry if it offends you. I’d have done it out in the dark if I’d known it was going to turn your precious stomach.”

Jak shoots a look of appeal across to Pal who shrugs eloquently then watches her mutilate the lizard with angry strokes. She brings it to the fire after washing it with water from the pool.

“I think Jak could have done a better job of it than that.” says Pal eyeing the hacked flesh with disfavour.

Jak doesn’t say anything. He notices that her lashes are wet.

Formats

Softcover

£15.49

Softcover

£15.49