Pioneers

 Preface   Chapter 1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42 

At the top of the hill, they caught a faint signal. Licia heard it first. He admired the way the wind blew in her brown hair, the way she raised her nose to the air like a young horse. She was strong, and he was growing hungry for her. But not now. "It's Tynan's," she said handing him the earphones without a flicker of changed emotion.

He listened to the faint beeping sound amid the blizzard of static. It grew stronger as he pointed the gadget. "That way."

Later, at the bottom of the hill, Paul tested the water. It was safe, and they drank deeply. "Good water is half the battle," he said.

She agreed. "SheuXe was right. It's livable." A tear formed in each of her eyes. "It's wonderful that they would have known. That they could send us here knowing that." She sobbed. "We were a pretty wonderful—."

"—Civilization," he said completing her sentence. "Not great enough." Here they had another chance. But she knew that. He did not need to say it. He'd do his own grieving. He knew it came at the oddest moments. He knew that well.