Apocalypsis 01 - Kahayatle

can’t kill him.   Then we’re little better than those idiots out there.”
    “But he will come after us, won’t he?” asked Bodo.   “Why giff him a chance to kill us again?”
    “He doesn’t know we’re going north to Orlando , does he?”   I gave the guys looks that said not to contradict me.   “So we’ll just knock him out again and leave.   He won’t know where to look.”   I didn’t know if the canner could hear me or not.   He hadn’t moved since Bodo had smashed him one, but I’d heard once, that people picked things up when they were unconscious and I wasn’t taking any chances.
    “Oh, dats riiiight.   He doesn’t know about our trip to Orlando.   I want to go liff in Dissney World.”
    “Alright, Peter, get these tarps put away and put the water from that bucket into our bottles, while I go see if the coast is clear.   And Bodo, you go give Smelly Pants another crack in the head for good measure so he doesn’t wake up for a while.   Unless you want me to do it.”
    “No, diss iss a chob for a man.   I will do it, it’s not a problem.”
    “Is anything ever a problem for you, Bodo?”
    “Rarely.   One time maybe I can remember I had a problem.”
    I laughed.   “Good.   I like a guy I can depend on.”  
    “Yess, und I like a girl who can kick a guy’s ass when she needs to protect her family.”
    He walked away to do the dirty work and I walked out towards the edge of the trees to see where the enemy was, my face burning with the flattery.

CHAPTER SIX

    IT WAS STILL DARK WHEN we got back on the highway, but we could see small flames here and there, coming from cars that had not completely burned out yet.
    “All they do is destroy things,” said Peter, sounding depressed.
    “Yeah.   They’re animals.   They don’t care about this world anymore.   They’ve given up,” I said.
    “How many miless do you think we should go today?” asked Bodo, pedaling away and dragging the trailer behind him.   I had the big butt seat bike again with Buster riding shotgun in the basket.
    “As many as possible.   We originally said fifty a day, but I don’t want any of those guys coming after us.   I think we should go at least until eleven today, as long as we aren’t too hot or tired.”
    “Yes, let’s not add sun stroke to our list of woes,” said Peter wryly.
    “We need hets,” said Bodo.
    “What’s a het?” I asked.
    “A het.   You know, you put it on your head.   A het.”
    “Oooh, a hat.   Yeah.   We do need hats,” I agreed.
    “Dat’s what I said.   A het.”   He looked over at Peter who I could see was smiling in the bare light of the pre-dawn.   “It’s my accent again, issn’t it?   I try so hard to sound Hamerican but I keep failing.”
    “No, you’re doing just fine,” said Peter.   “Sometimes you do better than others.   Your accent comes and goes.”
    “When I’m tired or freaking out, den I know, it is stronger.   I can’t concentrate so much in dose situations.”
    “Well, I don’t think you should lose all of it.   It’s kind of cool if you ask me,” I said.
    “Really?   Do you think so?”
    “Yeah.   Hasn’t anyone ever told you that before?”
    “I don’t think so.”
    “She’s right.   Accents are cool.”
    “You would haff an accent in Cherman, I know dat.   I hear American accents all de time.   Or I used to, when I was at home in Frankfurt.”
    “I wish I spoke another language,” said Peter wistfully.   “All I was ever able to take was Latin.   What a bunch of garbage that turned out to be for me.”
    “No one knew the world was going to end.   Latin would have been great for the S.A.T.”
    “Oh it was.   I scored a 2250.”
    “What?   That’s … amazing,” I said, seriously impressed.   I’d taken it twice and hadn’t done nearly that well.  
    “A lot of good it does me now.”
    “Hey, dis new worlt needs smart guys like you to start things up again.   We need people with good minds in math and mechanics.   I think dat is where you will find me most helpful.   I am an enchineering student.   I can build thingks.   My parents were both enchineers.”
    “That’s good to know.   You can be in charge of that,” I said, glad to be rid of a responsibility.   “You will direct the building of our shelter, wherever it happens to be.”
    “Maybe we can findt a shelter dat is already built.”
    “In the swamp?   Not likely,” I said, scoffing at the