The Devil to PayPart 21Tino was watching Viggo and Orli make their last minute arrangements before leaving. Viggo was stuffing a small pebble into his pocket. "Why are you taking that with you?" Tino looked mystified. Viggo shrugged. "I always take a small stone home from any place I visit", he said, looking at Tino with a smile. "To remind me of...". He fell silent, took a deep breath, and continued..."I guess, this time, to remind me that I have so much - money, freedom, things like that. We'll be sure and send the old people some money as soon as we can, Tino. And you and Andy, of course, care of the farmhouse, if you give me the right address." Tino hunched his shoulders, and put his hands in his pockets. "There is nothing here to spend money on. The old people live too far from the village to find money of any use to them, and there is nothing to be bought there that I would want." He sat on the ground at my feet, and fiddled with the bag containing food and water for three for a couple of days. It was only twenty or so miles to the village, Tino had said, but they didn't know how long they would have to wait for help to arrive. And they had no money to buy food. Or anything they could sell to raise cash. Orli came to give me a hug. I was feeling like shit, weak and shivering, so I couldn't get up to see them off. He squeezed me, hard. "Not long, now, man. Be good", he said, as he stood up to leave. I smiled back at him. No, not long, now, please God. Viggo kissed me, then they all hugged Andy and Billy and last, but not least, Lighe, and set out into the sun. It was a nice morning. The sun shone, but Lighe shivered as he put another log on the fire. Andy went out to get water, and Lighe, fiddling with the burning wood - looking into the rising flames... "Sblom... Tino and young Andy? What do you...?" I grinned. "I love 'em both to bits, Lighe! Look what they've done for us...given up for us. They're bloody marvellous!" Lighe started to say something, then he stopped and grinned at me and said "Yeah!" instead. "Yeah! Bloody marvellous!" Andy came back with the water, and Lighe made me a mug of real tea to celebrate our imminent freedom. God, I hoped it wouldn't be long. Billy went out to forage and look at the traps. He didn't need to if help was coming. Viggo the hunter/gatherer had stored shedloads of stuff in the back cave. I felt he just wanted some time alone...I know we did. Not to make love, or anything - fuck, I wasn't up to that - just to be by ourselves. Just to...oh, hell, if you've been in love, you'll know what I mean. Andy didn't look well. Lighe noticed before I did. Fuck! I was so weak I hardly remembered my own name. In answer to Lighe's concerned questions, Andy said he had a bad headache. Couldn't argue with that - so did I. Lighe told the boy to go and rest in Viggo's place beside the fire for a bit. Andy flashed him a weary smile from underneath heavy lidded eyes, and did just that. Lighe came to sit by me. He looked - didn't say anything - just looked. "My Sblom!" he said, eventually, touching my face. Now that there was no-one to see us - Andy had his back turned to us - he lay down beside me, and held me close. God, it was heaven. Yeah, okay, sounds wussy, but it was. He whispered into my ear all the good things that we were going to do once help found us, and I was well. Things like walking on beaches, climbing mountains, sitting by lakes munching on roast chicken legs. Things like making love under the stars, and swimming naked in the sea. Making dinner for each other, listening to music, stuff like that. I realised that all these things would be magic, because he'd be there, beside me. God in heaven, let them find us before... I kissed him softly. "I love you", I said, quietly. "Have I told you that, lately?" He kissed me back. "Not for a few minutes, no", he smiled. "Well, I do." I said into his neck, breathing in the scent of him. He ran his hand through my hair. "I love it when you wrinkle your nose up, dude!" he laughed, raising his head, and disentangling himself from my arms. "Look, Sblom. I must wash. I stink like a dog!" Did he? Not to me. Still, I wouldn't stop him if he wanted to be fresh for our rescuers. "D'you �" he began. I shook my head. Didn't have the strength, truth be told, but I wasn't telling him that. "Later, Lighe. Think I'll have a snooze, first. You go and jump in the cold water, then come back and cuddle up for a bit." "Sounds neat!" He vanished through the back of the cave with a small piece of toweling, and the hard fragment of yellow soap gleaned from the old woman's precious store. I thought about shower gel, and shaving cream, natural sponges and soft toilet paper. All luxuries, here. Unobtainable luxuries. I stared at Andy's hunched back, as he slept by the fire. Poor little bugger! What was there here for the likes of him? What could he and Tino look forward to except poverty and dreariness? No dream was ever going to come true out here, in this deprivation...in this...this insufferable nothingness of spirit. I reached my hand out for my mug of tea, now cold, but still bloody nectar. There it was, balanced neatly on the rock Lighe had found to act as a bedside table for me, after I'd spilt hot tea over myself trying to balance the bloody thing on the sanded floor. I smiled, remembering him directing Viggo and Orli, the designated furniture removers, in the exact placement of this rock. And their moans and protestations...it was heavy...and Lighe's brow furrowed in concentration, as they moved it into the exact spot he wanted. Love is a funny thing. I treasured that rock, because it came to me with love. I was lying in a half dream, thinking of sitting next to Lighe at a concert, or surfing on our favourite beach, when I heard scuffling outside the cave. Billy with more rabbits, I thought. My mouth fell open. It was Tino, and he looked angry. What the fuck? "Tino, is everything ok, man?" I managed. He ignored me, and shouted at Andy in his own language. The only word I understood was "Andrea!" Andy replied in English. "I was keeping my eye on them, Tino. Elijah is bathing, and Dom is lying down resting, as usual." Andy didn't look at me at all, but kept his eyes on the floor. "Tino, what..." "Be quiet!", he said urgently, taking a serviceable looking pistol out of his jacket pocket, and flicking the safety off. I could hear voices coming from the back of the cave. Suddenly, Elijah appeared in the opening, naked and wet, with his jeans in his hands - and behind him stood a figure who froze my fucking blood to ice. JesusGodAlmighty. Smiley. And he was smiling. "Tino!" I yelled. "Shoot the fucker, now!" Tino raised his gun. Lighe just stared at him in horror, for the gun Tino was holding was not pointed at Smiley, but at him. Tino smiled, too - but not at us. "Hello, uncle", he said. |