Apocalypsis 03 - Exodus

happen tomorrow.
    “Did you talk to Trip today?” I asked.
    “No. He avoided me, jerk that he is.”
    “Asshole,” I said, being supportive. But I also meant it. Trip was an asshole most of the time.
    “He’s not really that bad. He’s just under a lot of pressure.”
    “He needs to have sex with someone, stat ,” I said, giggling.
    “Stop,” said Peter, shoving me over. “Don’t be rude.”
    “I’m not being rude. I’m just saying … he’s uptight. He needs to let out some of that stress.”
    Before Peter could protest again, Winky came by to fix my leg for me. Twenty painful minutes later, I was gratefully re-bandaged and back to gossiping with Peter.
    “So do you think they’re going to let them stay?”
    “Trip will say no, I know that. But hopefully Kowi will say yes, and then I can do the tie-breaker vote and it’ll be done.”
    “You know if you do the tie-breaker against Trip he’ll hate you forever.”
    “Forever? Really?”
    “Well, maybe not forever. But for a long time.”
    “I don’t care. I have to do what’s right … right? I mean, do you agree with this?”
    “Of course I do. Don’t be ridiculous. We came here just a little while ago and they let us stay. And I think we’ve integrated just fine.”
    “And you’d integrate even more if Trip would let you,” I said suggestively, wiggling my eyebrows. I wasn’t sure if Peter could see them in the dark, but he got my meaning.
    “Would you please shut up about that, already? Geez, I never should have told you.”
    “Yeah, right. Like you could deny me.”
    “Whatever. The point is -we’re getting back to the point now-that yes, I agree with you. But you have to face the fact that Kowi could very well say no.”
    “Do you really think he would?”
    “Maybe. To keep the peace here, yes. To make sure his people don’t starve by letting new people in. Yes.”
    “But they have all kinds of food here! That’s ridiculous!”
    “Shhh! Stop being so loud. They’re going to hear you.” Peter continued in a lower tone. “I know they have plenty of food - for a couple hundred people. But for more than that, I don’t know. Eventually the demand will outstrip supply.”
    I frowned at Peter. “Sometimes you sound like a textbook when you talk.”
    “Yeah, well I read it somewhere. Supply and demand. Look it up. They could run out of food.”
    “Not with two new guys or even a hundred new guys. Did you know they have cattle? And horses and stuff? All they have to do is breed them and make more. It’s a never ending food supply! Not to mention all the gators and deer and turkeys and whatever else is running or slithering around in here.”
    “I know, I know. But they’re afraid, and you can’t blame them. They have that ancient history of being welcoming to people outside their tribe, and look where it got them a couple hundred years ago. Trip’s all obsessed about not repeating mistakes of the past.”
    “Yeah, well, then he’d better remember what happens when people with bigger numbers come in and want stuff. If it’s not given, they take it - and either kill people off or run them out. This world isn’t going to be that different from the last. We’re all still human after all.”
    “Which means we act like animals sometimes.”
    “Exactly. Couldn’t have said it better myself,” I said, smiling.
    “I know. That’s why I said it,” said Peter smugly.
    I slapped him lightly on the cheek. “Go to sleep. Your mighty brain is making me tired.”
    “It does that sometimes.”
    “And bored.”
    “That too. Especially with the more simple-minded folk.”
    I reached over and kissed him hard on the mouth. “G’night, sweet prince. I’ll smell you tomorrow.” I closed my eyes, but not before seeing him wipe my kiss off.
    “God, where’s Buster when you need him?” asked Peter absently.
    I didn’t even open my eyes. “If you’re suggesting that you need that fish-breath dog to lick my nasty kisses off your lips, I’m gonna give you a nut crusher like you’ve never seen before.”
    “Who me? I would never …” he giggled and rolled over.
    I sighed, but soon fell asleep, for once my dreams not haunted by snakes, canners, or Bodo’s beautiful face.
    ***
    We spent the day hanging out in our hut, making up games using sticks and leaves. Ronald and Jamal had come up with a pretty ingenious one using marked sticks, based loosely on dominoes. Peter soon became the reigning champion, making us all