When James turned the illuminator on low, he stood beside the cot for a moment, watching the steady rise and fall of Paul's chest. He watched the large artery in his neck as its steady rhythm kept time with the beat of his heart.
James 7
Quietly he changed into a pair of dark brown pants and a lighter brown tunic. He put the soiled clothing in the dispose-a-bag, then went upstairs.
Everything looked peaceful enough as he stood by the glassless window, looking and listening. From his former window he could see the street and the estate beyond it and could hear the steady, low hum of the climare control. Whereas, from this window, he could see the stream flowing down the mountainside into the valley below. He could see more mountains rising in the distance beyond the valley. He could hear birds chirping and the babbling of the water as it rippled over rocks on its way to whatever awaits it. He could hear the soft rustle of leaves as the breeze tickled at their edges.
Before going to the stream to wash, he circled the cabin carefully checking for any sign of human intruders.
It was a beautiful autumn morning and its freshness made him feel so alive. The air was crisp and cool and the sky was a grayish-blue, hinting that winter would soon follow. The ground was moist from a recent rain and emblazoned with leaves of green, gold and scarlet.
He paused briefly to watch a raccoon feasting on insects found in a fallen log. It was unusual for him to see many animals even though he often trekked through the countryside in his quest for government offenders.
He had always considered himself lucky to have such a job. He had plenty of fresh air and sunshine, exercise and wide open spaces. The credit bounties he received were larger even though they didn't come as frequently as when he worked in the city.
In the sky directly above him, a hawk screamed suddenly. James looked up in time to see the magnificent bird before it disappeared over the tree tops. He noticed its graceful contour and the elegant curve of its up-swept wing tips.
The mountain seemed to be a living symphony and he was careful not to disturb it. Soon, all would be white with the renewing sleep of winter.
James stopped abruptly. On the far side of the stream he saw a small gray fox foraging for food. The fox must have sensed his presence and looked up. Suddenly it turned and bolted into the underbrush.
James knelt on a large, flat rock and dipped his hand into the clear, cold water. He took a sip of water from his hand and found it tasted slightly bitter. Quickly he removed his tunic and washed. As he was putting his tunic back on, he noticed a small brown spider constructing a web. He moved close enough to watch as it carefully made its rounds, each round taking it closer to its destination. When the web was completed, the spider spread itself in the center of the fragile construction with a leg on each of the anchoring threads. It was facinating to watch such a small insect construct such a complicated, but magnificently beautiful work of art.
It was time to start back to the cabin. The fresh air, cold water and brisk walk made him aware that he was hungry. While he walked, he thought of the cold tray that he almost ate yesterday. No, it wasn't yesterday, it was the day before yesterday. No wonder he was hungry! So much had happened he had lost all track of time. He quickened his pace as he thought of the food waiting in the cellar.
Once inside the cabin, he knocked twice to let Paul know it was a friend who was going to open the trap door.
"Paul," he whispered loudly. "It's me, James."
"Come on down, I'm awake."
James climbed down the ladder, closed the trap door and turned up the illuminator.
"When I come back in, I'll always knock twice to let you know it's me. If I don't knock, you'll know there's trouble and for pete's sake, don't come out. Not until you're sure it's safe. If you were to get caught I would regret having brought you here."
"Maybe I could help. Or didn't you think of that?"
"I thought about it and it's a rotten idea. You stay put, do you understand?"
"All right, I will. But the same goes for you."
"Do I have your word on it?"
"I give you my word."
"Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, I guess I am. Are you trying to change the subject?"
"There's nothing more to say."
"Well, then I have something to say. I feel it is destined that I be here. Should anything happen to me, that too, will be destiny, so you won't have any reason to regret anything concerning me."
James turned away from the two glasses of water he was pouring, to face Paul.
"Destiny is death and I would just as soon not discuss the subject before breakfast."
Paul remained silent as James mixed powder into the water, took out an omni-wafer and offered them to him.
"What's that?"
"This is a breakfast you can eat while laying down."
Paul didn't accept the food but struggled to sit up.
"You shouldn't be up yet, it's too soon."
It took Paul a while to convince his aching body to comply with his wishes, but he was determined to sit up. Even though James protested, he kept trying until he finally succeeded.
"If you start bleeding again, I might not be able to stop it and you could bleed to death."
"I'll be all right, don't worry. I have to get my strength back."
Paul was in plenty of pain but his determination made it bearable. James handed him his breakfast, then took his own and sat down in the chair beside the cot.
Paul said a silent prayer then took a swallow of the liquid.
"What's in this stuff anyway?"
"A whole days supply of vitamins and minerals and very little flavor. Now finish your breakfast so I can change your bandages."
Paul ate slowly while considered the strange mood James was in. There were so many possible reasons for his mood that Paul couldn't come to a definate conclusion.
Suddenly, a sharp pain tore through his chest making him gasp for breath. He paled considerably and it was evident he was in a great deal of pain.
Quickly James took the almost empty glass and the last bite of omni-wafer and helped him lay down. He took the medical kit from the shelf and gave Paul more medication. The pain had been lessened by the change in position, but the medication would prevent him from trying to get up again for several hours. As he changed the bandages, he noticed the wounds were already begining to heal. This time he put extra compresses on the wound and pulled the bandage much tighter. There hadn't been any fresh bleeding but if Paul insisted on getting out of bed, he would need the pressure of the extra compresses to prevent bleeding and hold the ribs in place until they were sufficiently healed.
"There is something I think I should tell you."
"What?"
"I don't quite know how to say it."
"There is only one way to say something and that's to say it straight out."
"I was hoping to find an easy way, a gentle way to put it."
"There is no easy way. Just say it."
James taped off the bandage and covered Paul with the blanket. As he looked into Paul's eyes he noticed they seemed to be a deeper, darker shade of green. When he finally spoke, he watched for a sign of the reaction he would get.
"You have the letter 'C' carved in your chest."
Paul thought for a moment then smiled a sort of half smile.
"Is that what's been bothering you? A 'C' carved in my chest?"
"I didn't want you to be upset and I couldn't think of a way to tell you so you wouldn't be. I know how you feel about wearing someone else's mark."
"What is a letter carved in my chest compared to what they intended to do to me?"
"Your reaction to the clothing labels was so strong, I expected an even stronger reaction to a letter carved in your chest that you can't remove."
"I'm here and I'm alive. What more could a man ask for? As for my reaction to the labels, I truely apologize. I didn't choose to wear this letter. Charmers did this to me without asking my permission. The difference is in the choosing."
James felt relieved although he didn't really understand the difference. He put the medical kit away and sat back down in the chair beside the cot. "Oh yes, I hid the cruiser in a cave. It's just past the gorge on this side of the stream. I think you can find it easily enough. I left the keys inside and the I.D. key is in the briefcase. If you drive it, be sure you don't get stopped."
"I don't think I'll be going anywhere for a day or two."
"How do you feel?"
"I'm tired and it hurts quite a bit, but it sure felt good to be up."
"You really should take it easy for a while. You've been through a lot and your body needs time to heal. You've got a broken rib and a few cracked ones."
"I know you're concerned about me, but I've got to get my strength back. There are some things I have to do and I can't get anything done laying here on this bed."
"I don't have any idea what could be more important than you to recover properly. Then you can do whatever it is you feel is so important."
"You're right, of course. But I can't keep from thinking about the others. Those who won't be as fortunate as I was. I really need to be out there to help them."
"Why don't you try to get some sleep now and we'll see how you feel when you wake up."
"I think that's a good idea. I'm really tired."
"Good. We can talk some more after you wake up."
James turned the illuminator down low and recorded for several hours. He knew Paul needed to sleep as much as possible to give his body a chance to heal properly. There is a healing process during sleep that can't be achieved with medication alone.
James 8