Chapter 24 (part 1)
Abel groaned like he was sorry he had brought it up then asked, "Then what were you thinking?"
"Just that you can't be a tyrant if you don't have anyone to push around."
Relieved that I wasn't talking about blowing something up or any other kind of mischief Abel thought about that for a moment and then said, "Ah … I understand now. Yes, that is why Hakim is angry, that people are leaving … escaping him. He would rather they starve where they are, fear him, and be subject to his rages than leave so that there would be fewer people to feed and therefore less reason for him to rage."
I was confused though so I asked, "But why do it like this? I mean, if people run from him they'll say how big and bad he is and his reputation will get bigger. Right? Isn't that what he wants? To be all big and bad and have everyone know it?"
Abel shook his head, "No Day-cee. Just because I say that Hakim is not as strong a leader as he thinks he is does not mean he is stupid. He must have some idea of his … his …limitaciones … how far he can stretch his resources. He only has so many men under his command … the original Peacekeepers … and he probably wonders of their loyalty. Of that number he probably only trusts a few, maybe none. I took many of them away from him, some have probably run away, and others have been killed by fighting like we have seen up on the mountain. He probably dreams nightly of being assassinated as he did to Sevmire."
He wasn't bragging about the men he'd killed, just stating a fact. I'm glad that he didn't gloat because I still felt bad about the different men that I'd killed over the months. Even if it was a them-or-me situation I didn't like to think about it too much.
Abel stopped on the path and faced me. "Day-cee, I do not wish to do mischief to Hakim's men."
Rolling my eyes and smiling to try and tease him out of his worry I said, "I didn't say anything. Did I? I don't know why you would even think that."
I got a small smile. "I don't know, you have certainly given me no reason to think such things." A little more seriously he said, "Querida I would not blame you if you did want to do such things. It is not that I do not want to do such as well but it is that it is not a good idea to do it in this area. If Hakim feels threatened he will take greater interest and that we do not need. I do not wish a siege to be laid against us confining us in the cave. It is too dangerous. We have a great many things thanks to your padre but to be trapped … it is a bad thing to have happen."
Not liking that scenario at all I said, "No, we definitely don't want someone to start snooping around here. But we do need to know if Hakim has patrols in this area."
The next week and a half we tried to return to our normal schedule. I was relieved when Daniel was able to settle down a lot; he really doesn't do well when things are all at sixes and sevens. I was able to get caught up on chores like laundry and making over and repairing our clothes. Abel went scouting every day to see whether we had company in the area or not.
He saw people four days running – regular folks and Blue Hats and then things seemed to just dry up. There were no scavenging groups, no single travelers, and none of Hakim's people. We were relieved but it was a mystery too. Some mysteries I could do without as I had enough to figure out on my plate already.
When Abel was away from the cave I would work on a pair of leather knee boots for him. The leather was some buckskin that he had tanned and stretched, but it was from a buck that I had gotten with my bow. His grandfather and uncles had taught him how to do process the leather so that it could be sold at auction to vendors from the city. I knew how to stretch hides with the hair on; Abel could take the hair off without nicking it all to pieces like I did. I decided to make the boots special by dying them forest camouflage using shoe polish that had been thinned with alcohol and they came out pretty well. I planned to surprise him with them when I was completely finished.
One day Abel came home early and caught me at it. They dye smell was strong so I was doing it outside the cave where the breeze could carry most of it away. Abel came down the steps to find me working on the ledge. Being playful he teased, "Querida, tell me that is not dinner."
"Ha … ha … very funny. I wasn't the one that smoked up the living quarters trying to reheat some biscuits."
He had the grace to blush and say, "You know I meant no harm. You are not going to make me cook again?"
I had to laugh at the puppy dog face he made. "No … but only because I'm hungry and don't feel like eating ashes for dinner."
We both laughed and I noticed he was in a good mood for some reason but before I could ask he asked me, "What is that you are doing?"
I shrugged. "You might as well see since you need to try them on tonight before I cut laces for them. Here, sit down and try that other one on; this one is still wet."
Instead of sitting down he just stood there holding the boot. Trying to not let my hurt feelings show I shrugged and said casually, "You know, you don't have to wear them. I just thought that you could use another pair. The boots you came in are falling apart and the ones you took from the Blue Hat aren't much better and …"
He bent down and took my hands. "You made these? For me?"
Caught off guard I stuttered, "Uh … yeah. That's what I said. Your toes are starting to show through and … I don't know … I mean I plan on waterproofing these … but you don't have to wear them if …"
He kissed my hands and I giggled because it tickled where he was growing a mustache. "Abel, don't do that … my hands are dirty."
He was very much in my space when he said, "I wish to do more that than but I will behave with honor." He quickly sat down and soon enough we saw that using his old boots to measure from had been a good idea. There was plenty of room to tuck his pants leg in as well.
"I have never seen boots done like this," he said looking them all over.
"Promise you won't laugh?"
Still smiling he said, "I will not laugh Querida. I know the work of good boots. My grandfather's brother was a Zapatero … one who makes and repairs shoes."
"A cobbler right? That's cool. My mother wasn't a cobbler but she did make a lot of costumes and when I was little the community theater group put on the play 'Robin Hood.' Do you know who I mean?" When he nodded I said, "As you've seen my mother never got rid of anything, especially not if it had to do with sewing. I used a pattern for Locksley Boots but I had to make some adjustments. The boots she made from this pattern were just for show and didn't have very good soles on them. For yours I used some of the heavy leather Dad made belts from and cut it to fit for a sturdier sole."
He was turning the boots this way and that and said, "I am very proud to have these. I am very more proud for you to make them for me. I am thinking they will be very good.
Glad that I was wrong and that he did like them I asked, "You look in a good mood. Did you find some forage?"
He shook his head. "It is still as you say 'picked over' in this area but perhaps there will be time for things to grow back now."
Even after trying to figure out what he was saying in Spanish it made no sense. "Uh, if it is so picked over how will it grow back if there are people all over?"
"That is why I smile. Hakim, whether he knows it or not, has given us a large favor." I let him explain because I still didn't have a clue what he meant. "I have been pensando … thinking. First there are people and patrols and then there were no people and patrols. It must be for reason. I followed the path that most seemed to travel and what did I see?"
"Little Mill Bridge probably. It connects the roads out here to the highway that winds into town."
He smiled, "Ah, and so I should have seen this Little Mill Bridge but I did not. There is just air."
I choked out, "You didn't see … wait … the … the bridge is … is gone?"
"Si Querida. Or should I say not gone just … broken. It ha caido abajo. It is all down."
Not believing what I'd heard and trying to picture it I asked him to confirm it. "The bridge fell down? It just fell?"
"No … not just fell down. It was helped down on one end and then twisted free on the other."
I was shocked. For as long as I could remember that short, metal bridge had served as our one access to town. Every other road out this way simply wandered around in circles between farms and up into the higher elevations where there were hunting cabins and some forestry stations. There was an old wagon road through a mountain pass on the far side of the BLM land but Dad had said it was washed out in places and little more than a goat track. Without that bridge getting to town was going to be a lot more difficult.
Then I realized I had no desire to go to town. And now the town couldn't come to us either. I jumped up and threw my arms around Abel's neck. "They'll leave us alone now. They'll have to."
He smiled broadly. "They will leave us alone for a time yes. We still need to have care. Hungry people will not let a small thing like a broken bridge stop them if they think there is food here."
"Spoil sport." When he didn't understand me I had to explain while I put away my boot project and called Daniel and Dog in.
"Let them play; I will watch them. And I have a treat for you too. He pulled two zipper bags out and there were four cleaned catfish in them."
My mouth was watering big time. I hadn't had catfish in forever, since Dad and I went fishing … before. There aren't any catfish in the higher elevation lakes where Daniel and I would fish every once in a while. "I hope they haven't been out too long. Where did you get them from?"
"A pond. I thought it was a rana or tortuga but it was this fishes."
Smiling I said, "Give them here and I'll take them in and …"
"No," he said. "The Old Woman, she taught me a way to smoke fish. I will do it here since there are no people." Then he pulled the puppy dogs eyes again and asked, "If I smoke these fish will you please make the baked mushrooms and the small roasted potatoes?"
I told him, "You're silly. Just don't burn the fish. I'm starving."
"Ah … maravilloso. I had knowing that if I looked I would find something to tempt your hunger."
I laughed. When Abel got excited and didn't stop to think his grammar was horrible. "The way I feel right now, even if you had brought back frogs or turtles I would have still figured out how to cook them. Frog legs are actually good and turtle isn't bad … better than starving. Which reminds me … if there are fish and frogs and turtles and the other stuff we've been surviving on why are there so many hungry people?"
As he helped me to put the shoe materials back into the basket I was carrying them in Abel said, "I do not know Querida. The only thing I can think on is that people did not want to change what they ate … or … or perhaps it is they forgot how to … to eat different things. The words will not come into my head right now. But now that the town she is picked over completely and Hakim … ah … I am not sure."
Thinking about it I said, "No, I think you're right. Say people ate what they were used to and then ate what the Blue Hats gave them. Maybe they did eat what they could find in town … maybe even dogs and cats by now if the radio is telling the truth. But most people waited too long to leave the cities, or whatever. But it sure must be slim pickings now. That's probably why people were escaping into the countryside again. I wonder what happens now that Hakim has them blocked in … at least on this side."
Some of Abel's good mood evaporated. "In the big cities they burned. Riots and crimes were too great to count. I think it is only going to be in places like this … cut off from most people getting to them … that the wild things still grow, wild animals will still live. We must be very careful not to take too many. You have seen the hunting is not as good as it once was. It must be worse other places. The winter was hard on the big game and will be worse this coming cold season. People will push animals into the high places, they will over graze the land, they will starve just like the people starve."
"At least the animals that have a very narrow diet will. Some, like the bear, may be OK if they can find enough to get fat on before they hibernate. Do you think the deer look scrawnier than last season?"
"Si … and there are signs that the deer are eating things they only eat when they are hungry, like the bark of trees."
I shook my head, "Deer with eat saplings and the tops out of pine trees all the time. It drove Dad crazy when he was trying to thicken the tree line. They'll eat dogwood trees too."
"Si, but those are small trees. I speak of the big trees. I saw one today standing on his hind legs peeling the bark away and stripping the leaves out of the highest branches it could reach. This was in an area that was much trampled and fouled by the ones coming from the town."
Abel groaned like he was sorry he had brought it up then asked, "Then what were you thinking?"
"Just that you can't be a tyrant if you don't have anyone to push around."
Relieved that I wasn't talking about blowing something up or any other kind of mischief Abel thought about that for a moment and then said, "Ah … I understand now. Yes, that is why Hakim is angry, that people are leaving … escaping him. He would rather they starve where they are, fear him, and be subject to his rages than leave so that there would be fewer people to feed and therefore less reason for him to rage."
I was confused though so I asked, "But why do it like this? I mean, if people run from him they'll say how big and bad he is and his reputation will get bigger. Right? Isn't that what he wants? To be all big and bad and have everyone know it?"
Abel shook his head, "No Day-cee. Just because I say that Hakim is not as strong a leader as he thinks he is does not mean he is stupid. He must have some idea of his … his …limitaciones … how far he can stretch his resources. He only has so many men under his command … the original Peacekeepers … and he probably wonders of their loyalty. Of that number he probably only trusts a few, maybe none. I took many of them away from him, some have probably run away, and others have been killed by fighting like we have seen up on the mountain. He probably dreams nightly of being assassinated as he did to Sevmire."
He wasn't bragging about the men he'd killed, just stating a fact. I'm glad that he didn't gloat because I still felt bad about the different men that I'd killed over the months. Even if it was a them-or-me situation I didn't like to think about it too much.
Abel stopped on the path and faced me. "Day-cee, I do not wish to do mischief to Hakim's men."
Rolling my eyes and smiling to try and tease him out of his worry I said, "I didn't say anything. Did I? I don't know why you would even think that."
I got a small smile. "I don't know, you have certainly given me no reason to think such things." A little more seriously he said, "Querida I would not blame you if you did want to do such things. It is not that I do not want to do such as well but it is that it is not a good idea to do it in this area. If Hakim feels threatened he will take greater interest and that we do not need. I do not wish a siege to be laid against us confining us in the cave. It is too dangerous. We have a great many things thanks to your padre but to be trapped … it is a bad thing to have happen."
Not liking that scenario at all I said, "No, we definitely don't want someone to start snooping around here. But we do need to know if Hakim has patrols in this area."
The next week and a half we tried to return to our normal schedule. I was relieved when Daniel was able to settle down a lot; he really doesn't do well when things are all at sixes and sevens. I was able to get caught up on chores like laundry and making over and repairing our clothes. Abel went scouting every day to see whether we had company in the area or not.
He saw people four days running – regular folks and Blue Hats and then things seemed to just dry up. There were no scavenging groups, no single travelers, and none of Hakim's people. We were relieved but it was a mystery too. Some mysteries I could do without as I had enough to figure out on my plate already.
When Abel was away from the cave I would work on a pair of leather knee boots for him. The leather was some buckskin that he had tanned and stretched, but it was from a buck that I had gotten with my bow. His grandfather and uncles had taught him how to do process the leather so that it could be sold at auction to vendors from the city. I knew how to stretch hides with the hair on; Abel could take the hair off without nicking it all to pieces like I did. I decided to make the boots special by dying them forest camouflage using shoe polish that had been thinned with alcohol and they came out pretty well. I planned to surprise him with them when I was completely finished.
One day Abel came home early and caught me at it. They dye smell was strong so I was doing it outside the cave where the breeze could carry most of it away. Abel came down the steps to find me working on the ledge. Being playful he teased, "Querida, tell me that is not dinner."
"Ha … ha … very funny. I wasn't the one that smoked up the living quarters trying to reheat some biscuits."
He had the grace to blush and say, "You know I meant no harm. You are not going to make me cook again?"
I had to laugh at the puppy dog face he made. "No … but only because I'm hungry and don't feel like eating ashes for dinner."
We both laughed and I noticed he was in a good mood for some reason but before I could ask he asked me, "What is that you are doing?"
I shrugged. "You might as well see since you need to try them on tonight before I cut laces for them. Here, sit down and try that other one on; this one is still wet."
Instead of sitting down he just stood there holding the boot. Trying to not let my hurt feelings show I shrugged and said casually, "You know, you don't have to wear them. I just thought that you could use another pair. The boots you came in are falling apart and the ones you took from the Blue Hat aren't much better and …"
He bent down and took my hands. "You made these? For me?"
Caught off guard I stuttered, "Uh … yeah. That's what I said. Your toes are starting to show through and … I don't know … I mean I plan on waterproofing these … but you don't have to wear them if …"
He kissed my hands and I giggled because it tickled where he was growing a mustache. "Abel, don't do that … my hands are dirty."
He was very much in my space when he said, "I wish to do more that than but I will behave with honor." He quickly sat down and soon enough we saw that using his old boots to measure from had been a good idea. There was plenty of room to tuck his pants leg in as well.
"I have never seen boots done like this," he said looking them all over.
"Promise you won't laugh?"
Still smiling he said, "I will not laugh Querida. I know the work of good boots. My grandfather's brother was a Zapatero … one who makes and repairs shoes."
"A cobbler right? That's cool. My mother wasn't a cobbler but she did make a lot of costumes and when I was little the community theater group put on the play 'Robin Hood.' Do you know who I mean?" When he nodded I said, "As you've seen my mother never got rid of anything, especially not if it had to do with sewing. I used a pattern for Locksley Boots but I had to make some adjustments. The boots she made from this pattern were just for show and didn't have very good soles on them. For yours I used some of the heavy leather Dad made belts from and cut it to fit for a sturdier sole."
He was turning the boots this way and that and said, "I am very proud to have these. I am very more proud for you to make them for me. I am thinking they will be very good.
Glad that I was wrong and that he did like them I asked, "You look in a good mood. Did you find some forage?"
He shook his head. "It is still as you say 'picked over' in this area but perhaps there will be time for things to grow back now."
Even after trying to figure out what he was saying in Spanish it made no sense. "Uh, if it is so picked over how will it grow back if there are people all over?"
"That is why I smile. Hakim, whether he knows it or not, has given us a large favor." I let him explain because I still didn't have a clue what he meant. "I have been pensando … thinking. First there are people and patrols and then there were no people and patrols. It must be for reason. I followed the path that most seemed to travel and what did I see?"
"Little Mill Bridge probably. It connects the roads out here to the highway that winds into town."
He smiled, "Ah, and so I should have seen this Little Mill Bridge but I did not. There is just air."
I choked out, "You didn't see … wait … the … the bridge is … is gone?"
"Si Querida. Or should I say not gone just … broken. It ha caido abajo. It is all down."
Not believing what I'd heard and trying to picture it I asked him to confirm it. "The bridge fell down? It just fell?"
"No … not just fell down. It was helped down on one end and then twisted free on the other."
I was shocked. For as long as I could remember that short, metal bridge had served as our one access to town. Every other road out this way simply wandered around in circles between farms and up into the higher elevations where there were hunting cabins and some forestry stations. There was an old wagon road through a mountain pass on the far side of the BLM land but Dad had said it was washed out in places and little more than a goat track. Without that bridge getting to town was going to be a lot more difficult.
Then I realized I had no desire to go to town. And now the town couldn't come to us either. I jumped up and threw my arms around Abel's neck. "They'll leave us alone now. They'll have to."
He smiled broadly. "They will leave us alone for a time yes. We still need to have care. Hungry people will not let a small thing like a broken bridge stop them if they think there is food here."
"Spoil sport." When he didn't understand me I had to explain while I put away my boot project and called Daniel and Dog in.
"Let them play; I will watch them. And I have a treat for you too. He pulled two zipper bags out and there were four cleaned catfish in them."
My mouth was watering big time. I hadn't had catfish in forever, since Dad and I went fishing … before. There aren't any catfish in the higher elevation lakes where Daniel and I would fish every once in a while. "I hope they haven't been out too long. Where did you get them from?"
"A pond. I thought it was a rana or tortuga but it was this fishes."
Smiling I said, "Give them here and I'll take them in and …"
"No," he said. "The Old Woman, she taught me a way to smoke fish. I will do it here since there are no people." Then he pulled the puppy dogs eyes again and asked, "If I smoke these fish will you please make the baked mushrooms and the small roasted potatoes?"
I told him, "You're silly. Just don't burn the fish. I'm starving."
"Ah … maravilloso. I had knowing that if I looked I would find something to tempt your hunger."
I laughed. When Abel got excited and didn't stop to think his grammar was horrible. "The way I feel right now, even if you had brought back frogs or turtles I would have still figured out how to cook them. Frog legs are actually good and turtle isn't bad … better than starving. Which reminds me … if there are fish and frogs and turtles and the other stuff we've been surviving on why are there so many hungry people?"
As he helped me to put the shoe materials back into the basket I was carrying them in Abel said, "I do not know Querida. The only thing I can think on is that people did not want to change what they ate … or … or perhaps it is they forgot how to … to eat different things. The words will not come into my head right now. But now that the town she is picked over completely and Hakim … ah … I am not sure."
Thinking about it I said, "No, I think you're right. Say people ate what they were used to and then ate what the Blue Hats gave them. Maybe they did eat what they could find in town … maybe even dogs and cats by now if the radio is telling the truth. But most people waited too long to leave the cities, or whatever. But it sure must be slim pickings now. That's probably why people were escaping into the countryside again. I wonder what happens now that Hakim has them blocked in … at least on this side."
Some of Abel's good mood evaporated. "In the big cities they burned. Riots and crimes were too great to count. I think it is only going to be in places like this … cut off from most people getting to them … that the wild things still grow, wild animals will still live. We must be very careful not to take too many. You have seen the hunting is not as good as it once was. It must be worse other places. The winter was hard on the big game and will be worse this coming cold season. People will push animals into the high places, they will over graze the land, they will starve just like the people starve."
"At least the animals that have a very narrow diet will. Some, like the bear, may be OK if they can find enough to get fat on before they hibernate. Do you think the deer look scrawnier than last season?"
"Si … and there are signs that the deer are eating things they only eat when they are hungry, like the bark of trees."
I shook my head, "Deer with eat saplings and the tops out of pine trees all the time. It drove Dad crazy when he was trying to thicken the tree line. They'll eat dogwood trees too."
"Si, but those are small trees. I speak of the big trees. I saw one today standing on his hind legs peeling the bark away and stripping the leaves out of the highest branches it could reach. This was in an area that was much trampled and fouled by the ones coming from the town."