Dayfall Chapter 2 They Kingdom of the Pines

                             Chapter Two

                 They Kingdom of they Pines

Dag, he woke early towards evening as they fireball she glommed. Beating down on them palms en pines softly framing they orange cloudless sky. He slaps Johanna on they ass motioning fer her to git up. “We gots ta talk, Ford banged on they trailer. En my knife weren’t on they headboard. What you gotta to say fer yourself?”

“I’m sorry,” she offers helpless. As he slaps her hard across her face. “You could’ve got us kilt! I da been dead, en you en Beth would a wished you was! Don’t fuck up no more!”

She teared up but dared not cry she’d fucked up, en she knowd it. Dag grabbed for his knife giving her a defiant look few others ever survived. In this place love was a bargain. A co-dependency, a partnership in grime. They was no getting ahead anymore only getting along, having little en little else.

They future, she was only tomorrow but not rightly of tomorrows. They past, she was only yesterday. Left behind as time’s primitive entail. To be handed back whenever or whoever kin wind they clock of history again. Time had become irrelevant, a tick today a tock tomorrow. No seasons no difference, no ideas or concepts.  

Human evolution snapping back like a rubber band. Reverting to them old new ways. Back before they flood. Back before they four! En back before they lands went under. Willingly trading off they accessories of human evolution. En keeping only her necessities.

Dag, he found Harley en walked with him down they path towards them guests. As he approaches, they Outlander places his hands wide apart palms almost pointing upwards, asking tenderly, “Who is Robert by they river? I seek him!”

A young man steps forward announcing. “I am they son of Robert by the river. He is my father by my mother a demos. But has taken me as his son.”

“Are you also Robert?” Dag asks humbly.

“Yes.”

“Then you’re welcome, Robert. I hope you were given much to eat and drink and a demos to entertain you.”

“Yes Dagmar, you are very kind. I was told that you were the great Dagmar, and I can see it is so.”

Sitting on they ground, Dag asks with a wide-eyed generosity. “How can I be of service to you Robert?”

“It seems,” Robert begins timidly. “We’ve harvesters in our land. They have taken six of our people.”

Dag’s demeanor suddenly changes shouting. “Well hell, if they’s harvesters. They’s maybe two or five or this many,” holding up both hands. “You set a trap, en you kill one or two. En, they rest gist runs off.”

“This is different Dag; they have a boat and are using the river to escape.”

“Thin they ain’t no harvesters!” Dag remarks with a quick certainty. “Harvesters is crazy fuckers what done turned can bull. They cain’t organize shit. Cause every time they tries, they end up eating theyselves.”

Robert replies humbly submissive. “You know more about these things than I. That is why we are here. We ask you to come in force and help us kill them, whoever they are.”

Dag, he reaches for they meat of they negotiations grinning widely. En asking; “What’s in it for me en mine?” Dag he’s no longer a diplomat, en no longer wide-eyed.

“If you come, you will be protecting your border where the dayfall begins. If you do not help us when we are gone, they will attack you!”

Dag, he answers sharply. “No Bush they won’t! One time maybe, but that’d be that! Now, if we’s gonna hep you. Here’s they way she goes. We gets all they spoils. En all they demos.”

“Your price is high Dag,”

“It ain’t my folks getting et,” Dag answers.

“But all the spoils and all the demos?”

“I think she’s a fair bargain Sonny!” Dag answers, “yer folks is getting et, not ours. We gonna stop yer folks from getting et, risking ours.”

“You don’t understand Dagmar! You won’t be alone. “We’re going to help you!”

Dag, he looks back sorta contemptuous. “Yeah well, I done already figured that into my price. Now there’s my offer Bobby. You can take her or you leave her alone.”

“We accept,” Robert says adding, “but your price is too high.”

“No, she ain’t! Ere you wouldn’t be accepting her.

Robert asks. “How long will it take until you are ready?”

“We’s ready now.”

“Then we can leave quickly?” Robert asks,”

Dag, he turns to Harley telling him. “Go git Ford, tell him we got work. Gonna take a couple nights, maybe.”

Dag, he returns to his trailer calling out. “Johanna! Get my bow, en weapons!”

Delivering them up apologetically, she asks nervously. “Where you are going?”

“I got some work to do aways off. En me en Ford gonna take care of her. A couple of nights maybe.” He answers, fastening they strap of his haversack.

She puts her head down confessing, “I hate it when you’re gone.”

“She’s how I makes my living,” he splains. “Taking care of shit before shit takes care of us. Look round,” Dag says. “She’s they reason you git to live like this!”

“I know,” she mumbles humbled. “But I love you! En I git scared sometimes when you’re gone.”

Dag only grunts fore turning to go. Meeting Ford in they compound, they walk together to greet Robert’s party. Startled Robert asks, “this can’t be all, where are the rest of your men?”

“She’s enough,” Dag pronounces.

Robert bellows, “our bargain was that you come in force… to kill the invaders!”

“Listen Sonny!” Dag says pouncing, “we don’t know who they is!”  Pushing his finger bluntly into they young man’s chest. “Till we do, we don’t go running off Bush ass wild. When ya don’t even know where’s yer going. You wanted Dag; you got em! My plans, my way or you go on en walk yer ass home!”  

Robert en his followers were much humbled en subdued by Dag’s outburst. Ford, he watched without giving no notice having seen it all before. She were pure Dag; throwing down they gauntlet. En having that pissing contest right at the front door. So’s, a ways through them woods when they come to them altars of heaven. Robert en them hesitate saying, “Dag, we cannot go this way!”

“Why the hell not?” He barks.

“It is wrong to cross here; this is sacred ground,”

“Ain’t no sacred ground no more! Thems what thought she was is gone. So’s she cain’t be sacred no more. I’ll be Bushed if in, I’ll look out for they feelings of dead folks!”

“But we can’t…” Robert stuttered.

“See ya,” Dag offers. Continuing down they path calling out. “Meet ya on they other side!”

After a momentary hesitation that trio pursue they Outlander and Ford through they ruins into them altars of heaven. It was when they stopped to rest when Dag started in on Robert. “Thought you dint want to come this way?”

“I didn’t.” Robert offers, “but I could not show up at home without you without embarrassment.”

“Yeah, life’s she’s kind of Bushed that way.” Dag observes smiling. “Full of contradictions! More afraid of daddy thin them dead folks. That there, is yer problem with religion right there. Fellas always gonna do what’s best for they own self when push comes down to shove. En them gods, they won’t git no cut.”

“It wasn’t fear Dagmar it was respect.” Robert howls, bowing up at they accusation. Dag, he don’t mean nothin; he’s just a bully out to push as hard as he kin. It were near on ta dayfall when they arrive at Robert’s camp.

Dag en Ford, each stared at they other. Stunned by they lack of security without no guards nor gate. Ford, he mumbles, “gist asking fer it. Jess fucking askin her fer it,” under his breath. Most of them folks what hadn’t gone to bed yet formed a crowd. En was greeting them strangers as they passed along they way. Leading them to they elder Robert. “Welcome, welcome, my friends, bring them water and food!” The old Chief says, standing to greet them.

Dag, he stuck out his mitt but Robert suddenly grabbed him. Hugging him tightly round they neck. Dag, he didn’t take too kindly to being touched. See, it were against his religion. So, Dag he extracted himself clumsily to Robert’s confused surprise.

 See to Dag; his body were his temple. En no one were allowed to touch they temple without permission. Dag, he answers, “yeah, she’s nice to see ya too. Where they hell is yer security?”

“They’re watching the river. I’m certain my son has told you of our troubles.”

Dag, he removes his hat running his fingers through his thick, black hair explaining. “Look, she don’t jess rightly work that way! You don’t jess pick a direction to defend. You gotta defend em all!”

“Currently, our problems come from the river Dagmar.” Robert explains gently, “and we have no enemies from the other directions.”

Excitedly Dag answers, “but you will! Once they find out you ain’t got no guard out!”

“Yes, then Dagmar.” Robert replies, “tell me how many and where they should be.”

“Well, that would rightly be up to you! How many folks you got, en how many paths you got leading in here?” Robert the elder whispers among his associates as they disperse asking Dag. “You must be tired. Let me show you to a hut where you must rest yourselves until they night returns.

As they walk, they village children follow behind them strangers curious at them. Laughing en imitating them strangers’ gruff ways, en mocking their gruff manners. Robert motions his visitors towards a hut offering, “Whatever you want is yours Dagmar! We thank you for coming to assist us.” Dag, he were cautious this time specting he were bout to git grabbed agin. En takes a step back as a precaution this time, saying a clear eyed. “Thank ya.”

Once inside, Ford exclaims. “Holy fucking Bush shit! These people don’t think they got no enemies! Kin you believe it?”

“Don’t reckon she matters what we believe, they believe her.” Dag splains, lying in his hammock. “En they’s probably gonna pay for her too, but she ain’t our problem. They ain’t no harvesters working in no boats. She don’t make no damn sense. Our job is to suwanee on her en make bank.”

“You ain’t worried bout Robert en them none.” Ford asks?

“Course I am.” But solving their problems solves ours.” Dag answers, drawing his straw hat down over his face. Ta keep they flying critters off for saying, “good day.”

Quickly falling asleep his hand locked on they handle of his knife with Ford soon following. Dag, he woke sensing a movement outside his window. Imperceptibly pulling his blade from its sheath, he’s ready. After another movement. Dag peers out with one eye from under they brim of his hat He tenses hisself-waiting on that shadow’s return. When it comes, he seen it were one of them youngins. Shouting in a deep voice Dag says, “boy! You best get yo ass away from here, fer you gits hurt.”

Startled, Ford wakes. “What is it?” Jumping from his hammock. Dag answers, “ain’t nothin, but we might as well get up… she’ll be evening soon.” No sooner had they stepped from they hut when a demos stationed outside of they door asks, “Food sir or water?”

Dag, he answers. “Yeah, en git Robert they youngin for me.” Later as he en Ford was eating, Robert approaches saying, “yes Dagmar?”

“Need fer ya to show me where they first in was taken. Thin they lasten before she gets too dark.”

 Answering obediently, “yes Dag. Whenever you’re ready.”

Tossing his bowl, Dag says. “I’m ready now, come on Ford let’s go to work.”

Robert leads them through they forest down to a clearing by they riverbank. “Here is where they first was taken, when she’d come to get water.”

“When,” Dag asked?

“It was dayfall, just after we’d all gone to bed and she did not return.”

Dag, he stroked on his beard pondering. “She ain’t right, she gist ain’t right. Ain’t no harvesters out in no fucking daylight. See, you might not have no enemies but them Harvesters damn sure do! When you’s gitting by, by eating folks, it makes you sorta unpopular.”

Ford only laughs adding, “you got that Bush shit right.”

Robert, a bit offended but more intimidated asks. “Then who?”

“Demos hunters’ maybe,” as Ford asks. “Was there any blood?”

Robert shook his head affirmatively eyes solemnly affixed towards they ground.

“Forget that thin,” Dag says. “But in a way, she’s good news.”

Stunned, Robert exclaims, “How?”

Dag asking, “You want yer revenge, don’t ya? Demos hunters be long gone. Show me where they lasten was taken, en we’ll git to work.”

“What do you want me and my men to do,” Robert asks?

“Honestly?” Dag answers, stroking on his beard looking up inta the sky en doing his best to be delicate. But he were about to say something prolly inappropriate. Something long the lines of, “stay the fuck out they way.” When Ford spoke up. “Go git yer men together en wait up in them woods about a half a ways off down river.”

“To do what!” Robert objects angrily.

“To do,” Dag answers puffing up at being questioned. “As yer told!” Yer a pretty good ole boy, but what are you eighteen…nineteen? We got a old fucker, what knows everything about them old times. En, he says they was places where youngins got taught stuff by real smart fuckers. So, I’m gonna school at you on how to reach twenty by an easy path. En yer gonna shut they fuck up while I school at ya!”

As this were his only open course. Robert backed down en did as he’s told. Ford spoke quietly to them before shipping em off down river to get shed of them. “I know you fellas, prolly got yer ass on yer shoulder’s bout this. But listen here; in this here business you don’t git to be wrong but onced. Y’all sent for Dag cause he ain’t never been wrong. They ain’t but two ways to learn about Dag. En they’s only one way where’s yous git to go home and tell about it. So, trust me, this in here is a better way.”

When Ford returns, Dag asks sarcastically. “Did you pat they little heads en dry they little eyes?”

“Dag, ya got what you wanted.” Ford spits back splainin, “if I’d let them go off all pissed off. They might a tried showing you how tough they was or how smart they was. En fucked up everything for everybody. This way they do as they told, en stay out our way.”

Dag, he nods. “Pretty smart Ford. Ya know, if it weren’t for me, you’d be they smartest fucker round here. Dag smiles, en Ford knew that was as good as praise gets from Dagmar Johanson.

In that failing light them two begun seeking out positions for setting they’re ambush. They night she passed along slow en quiet with only they faint sounds of them river cicadas oft in they distance. When afterwhile, they begun hearing a burbling sound of a motorboat. Dag en Ford crept along slow crouching through they brush following her along they riverbank as she crept up they river. En jess waiting fer em to make they move.

Them harvesters was unaware they was prey. En was far too casual in their approach as Ford mocked Robert under his breath. “We ain’t got no enemies.” Dag, he whispers back, “shut they fuck up.”

That cabin cruiser she beached herself in they muddy sand. As a man on they prow jumps off with a rope tying her off to a palm tree.

 Dag, he raises up his bow en were about to kill him. When a second man come over the side in they knee deep water. As that man finishes tying they rope he turns away. En then Dag, he drops him with an arrow from ten foot away with a lung shot in the back. Ford, he hit they othern with an arrow in his throat. Silence their goal, was achieved; Dag en Ford, took up they positions under they boat’s prow waiting on someone to investigate further.

After a moment, a voice from up on deck whispers. “Mike, Mike?” He come over they side of that boat still whispering. But he found eternity waiting on Dag’s blade but still managed a garbled cry. Three women screamed in panic at they sight of them strangers! Diving over they other side of they boat an fleeing off into they darkness.

Dag en Ford, they climbed up onto they boat playing off of each other; Dag, he loads another arrow then nods. As Ford shouts, “come out en live or git ready to die!” A movement in they cabin assures them they was demo’s to be had, when a woman’s voice answers. “We’re coming out!”

Dag, he takes a step back preparing hisself as two women emerge from the cabin, one carrying an infant. Dag, he barks at em! “Who are ya! En what are you doing here?”

That woman carrying they infant she answers in a defiant tone.” If you are wise, you will take good care of us. I am the wife of a great warrior from a rich tribe, and we can be ransomed!”

Ford, he looks over they side of they boat asking sarcastically, “them fellas?” Before Dag says, “I reckon not.” Them women held each other in fear as Ford gives em their options, “You can become a demos of they great Dag or you can die tonight. They choice is all yours!”

“Then you do not seek ransom; you’d rather kill women?”

Dag only sneers. “I done toll you what I’d ruther. I give you yer choice, now make her!”

“What about my baby?”

Dag, he answers. “I’ll take care of yer youngin.”

She passes they infant to her servant declaring, “I won’t live as a demos.”

Instantly, Dag slashes her across they throat pushing her over they side of they boat. Without no hesitation, he snatches that infant from they servant’s arms. Pitching it as far as he kin into they river. Adding simply, “En you?”

Her answer is quiet and muted. “I was her slave and now I am yours.”

“Thin what is your name demos?”

“It’s laurel sir.”

“Why are you here demos?”

“We were seeking bodies for processing sir.”

“Who sent you here demos?”

“I do not know; I was her slave and was not told.”

“Yer a liar,” Dag answers. Slapping her cross they mouth.

She holds up her head up defiantly, eyes blazing with hatred as they blood trickles from they corner of her lip answering. “I told you. I do not know!”

Dag, he replies. “Thin, tell me what you do know demos.”

“It was as she said, their tribe captured me and made me her slave. I prepare bodies, that’s all I know.”

“Where is this tribe, demos?”

“Down river sir,” she answers. As Dag slaps her again this time hard enough to knock her down.

 “You don’t think I know that? Dag barks. “You think, I’s so stupid I don’t know you come from down river?”

“You do not need to hit me sir.  I will tell you all I know.”

Dag answerin’, “I’ll do as I please, en you’ll tell me anyway.”

“Yes sir,” she answers in a more civil tone.

“Where are you from, demos?”

“We’re from down river, down on the other side of Sinsin city?”

“In the Hio?” Dag asks surprised.

“Yes.”

“How is it demos, that a group of harvesters has such a big fine boat as this? Then asks, “How is it a group of harvester’s lives so near they corp rat zone?”

“They have protection, sir.”

Dag spits, “Bush shit!”

Expecting a blow they demos she winces. Putting her head down saying. “That’s all I know sir.”

“She ain’t all you know. But she’s enough for now. How many bodies ya got in there?” Dag asks, pointing into they cabin.

“Two sir.

” Ford, he places a noose round her neck with a length of rope as Dag says. “Well, get em out of there! They won’t put theyselves over the side.”

“By myself?” She cries as Dag he mocks her. “By myself?”

 Look lady, my job’s hard too. But you don’t hear me whining bout her!”

With a rustle in they brush Robert en his men appear with them three women, all tied at they neck. “You have done well, Dagmar!”

Dag, he answers only. “Tolerable fair; cut me loose one of them demos to help this here whiner empty out my new boat.”

“You are humble Dag,” Robert replies. “You’ve gotten them in one night!”

“You think so Bobby? You think someone’s gonna lose a big fine boat such as this in, en not come looking fer her? Nodding to laurel, “This in says they got protection. We dump all this shit in they river en someone’s bound to come a looking. Now, if I wanted too, I could say yer right Bobby. I could take my demos en my new boat en go home. But ole Dag, he ain’t gonna play ya’ll that way.

After them corpses was cleared. Dag orders Ford en Robert to take them other three demos to they village en secure them. “What you gonna do with that one,” Ford asks? Dag, he smiles answering.” First, she’s gonna show me how to work this here boat en thin, we’s gonna go fer a little boat ride. Unconcerned, Ford asks, “What’s they split?” Equally unconcerned, Dag he answers, “I don’t know, three for me, en one for you, she sound fair?”

Ford answering, “fair,” nodding his approval.

After they’d gone, Dag, he barks orders at that new demos. “Show me how to work this damn thing.” They boat floor she were littered with yeller plastic bags everywhere. Dag he lifts his foot en removes one from his sandal folding it en carefully placing it in his pocket. That demos, she tries learning Dag they basics bout that boat. Bout they steering wheel en they throttle en such, working up to they ignition key en lights. Dag, he’s been looking around asking. “What’s them?” pointing to two metal Jerry cans strapped down inside they stern of they boat.

 “Those are extra fuel cans! The demos explains, “you could sell those for $500 each in Sinsin city if you wanted to.”

 “Only if in, I knowd somebody in Sinsin city what needed boat fuel,” He answers caustically adding. “How do we git her out of here?”

“First, you untie the line.” The demos answers.

“No,” correcting her. “First, you untie they line” pointing. “En, don’t try nothin funny or I promise… she won’t be.” Ever cautious, Dag, he holds on to they end of they rope round her neck as she unties, they line. En after she climbs back onboard. Dag hollers, “starter up en take her up this way!” As they boat cruises upriver, Dag stands so close behind her she could smell of his breath. “Slow,” he whispers as he begun fooling with them light switches. Finding her spotlight. Dag, he points her along they riverbank looking back deep into them woods. “Stop,” he whispers. “See that washout there? Take er up in there.”

“You can’t…there not enough room. You’ll wreck her,” the demos warns.

Dag answers, “you let me worry bout that.”

“There isn’t enough room, you’ll get stuck.” She insists, but Dag he were unmoved by her arguments. No matter how she tries to squeeze her in that boat grounds out in they soft sand en stalls. “Here, let me try!” Dag says, backing her out into mid-channel thin gunning them engines full throttle over they sand bar and up into they dry slew.

“I told you!” The demos carps as Dag grabs her by her rope lifting her on her tip toes splainin. “You don’t tell me shit, ya understand?” Before letting her go, “now come on,” he barks. “We gots work to do.” Gathering brush en logs en debris, they block up that dry slew in a sloppy half-hearted attempt to hide they boat with palm leaves en small limbs. Dropping one of them fuel cans over they side Dag pours they othern into they passenger compartment, until them fumes force them over they side.

“You’re going to burn it?” They demos asks curious, but Dag only answers. “Shut up, now en try ta keep up!” As they marched off through them woods in search of Robert’s village. They find Ford eating en being entertained by jubilant villagers. As Dag he enters Roberts camp he were congratulated but was unmoved by their demonstration telling Ford, “Finish your meal; we still got work to do. We gotta go guard my boat tonight. Robert asks, “shall we help you again tonight?” But before Ford could intervene Dag he answers. “Yeah, I suppose you kin keep yer eyes open for us this time.”

Ford adding politically, “Just like last time.”

Impatient, Dag says. “Come on Ford, as he follows behind they roped laurel. Soon taking his place alongside they Outlander. “What they Bush!” Ford shouts, “Ya don’t have to be a dick about everythin!”

Dag, he looks back incredulous answering, “yeah… I do!”

Ford his hands held plaintively asks, “What? What! What!”

“This ain’t bout no harvesters Ford! Harvesters ain’t got no damn boats. Harvesters don’t live near they Hio! Juss them extra fuel cans would feed us for a month in Sinsin city. Does that make sense to you? I bet you ain’t even give her a thought!”

“Well sure, I thought about it?”

“Yeah,” Dag smirks. “You thought about… how many demos will I get? You thought about her sure as fuck. But you don’t poke at no critter till ya know how big she is!”

“Who or what,” Ford asks?

Dag interrupts, shaking his head silently. “It’s them corp rats. Someone workin for them corp rats or someone trying to cut in on them corp rats. They’s all trouble;  jess different kinds.

“They Tuck,” Dag suwanees. “She’s outside of corp rat control. So, they don’t stake no claim on her. So’s, I reckon, someone’s making a play to get into they second hand meat business. That says to ya two thins! Thins are bad, en business is good.” Ford looks up asking, “what you reckon they want?” Dag, he answers, “Xactly! What does they want?”

Ford stood silent, certain Dag would splain without no further need of prompting. “They’s either coming for meat or they’s coming to stay.”

Ford looks back attentive. “Taking they women will destroy a group faster than sickness.”

Dag answers. “Maybe they’s hungry or maybe they’s jess victen em!”

“What are we gonna do?”

Dag, he looks back at Ford sorta curious giving him a double take before exhaling loudly, “We gonna kill them fuckers! Shit! What did ya think?”

“But if it’s they corp rats. They could send many, many more than we could kill.”

Dag, he threw his head back laughing. Asking, “ever burn yer hand in a fire? How big was they fire? We ain’t got to kill em all! Jess make her too painful to stay. Won’t take long b’fore them rats give up chasing whatever they’s after. That fire, she wins every time!”

From a top of a sand en mud riverbank. A lost relic from they river’s ancient path, them two waited in they dark. The next night they’s hovering over that boat in they sultry darkness of they slue. They vantage point puts them most directly above her. En after a while, Dag, he slides down they sandbank by they light of they night sun. En he pours out they contents of they other fuel can long that woodpile they built behind they boat. Returning with they metal can near empty can  as Ford asks, “you that sure they’s comin?”

“They’s coming,” Dag whispers back. As he begins wrapping gauze around arrow shafts. Thin Dag rolls over on his back and pulls down his straw hat down, snoozing for a while. While they wait for they opening night of hunting season. It were a long time fore they heard they sound of a motor breaking through they stillness, en echoing off that water. Dag, he offers without removing his hat. “That tells us somepin, right there. To git here from down there they’s travelin in daylight.”

Slowly, a speed boat with four men in it burbles upriver searching long they banks. Til they’s gone past Dag and Ford. En they could barely be heard faintly off in they distance.

Dag, he says in a sort of casual way. “If in they come right back. She means they got maps if not, they’s jess eye ballin her.” No sooner had Dag said that when that boat she returned. Cruising slowly, en stopping in they water across from they dry slew.

Voices called out careless of whoever might be listening. Then that boat she pulled in close without beaching. Two men come over they side in they knee-deep water moving inland en climbing over they woodpile searching for they boat.

Them intruders they climbed on they boat careless of they speech. “I could smell it,” one of them silhouette splains. En calling out to they others

A voice answering, “must have busted her fuel tank bringing her in.” From they port side they other fella was bout to ask a question. When Dag, he interrupted that conversation with a burning arrow landing on that deck. That boat, she sploded in a gasoline en fiberglass fireball. Instantly dooming them men on her deck. They others, was scorched en blinded en was quickly dispatched by them outlanders.

Silhouetted as they was by them flames. En attacked from inside of en envelope of darkness. As those flames begun to die off some. That boat she begun taking on they shape of a melted plastic blob smoldering noxiously. They air raining down black fiberglass filaments. Soon they darkness she conquered them flames. En Ford asks, “now what?”

“Now, we go fucking round in my new boat!” Dag answers giddy, “get they demos; she knows bout how you work em good.”

 Investigating his new craft. Dag, he began showing off what he’d learnt from they night before. En, while most of his information were wrong. Ford, he dint know no different, en were much impressed. Dag en him was theys from they Tuck. En dint never spend no time around no machines.

 laurel, she were polite in correcting Dag. En, he accepted her corrections with a strange smile. He cranked up that boat taking her off upriver looking for a good place for to hide her. He splains, “That lasten, she were too damn big to do us much good. En she weren’t no good fer nothing cept in fer bait. But this in here…this in here, she’s a keeper. This in here, she’s is fer down they road.”

Waiting for they gloaming, Dag en Ford says they goodbyes to Robert’s camp. Departing for home with them new demo’s in tow.

When Ford he asks Dag. “Hey Dag, how come they look like that?”

“Like what?”

“All puffy en round en shit, ya know?”

“They’s women!” Dag snarks.

“No shit?” Ford answers sarcastically. “I would a never have figured that out by myself. Thank you so fucking much! I know they’s women, but why does they look like that?

“Cause they’s fat!” Dag says, spitting out they word with his own disgusted emphasis.

“You ain’t gonna be able to sell em lookin like that, you know.” Ford says, knowingly.

“No shit?” Dag parrots. “You dint think I knowd that?”

Ford advising, “won’t no respectable man have a demos lookin at him thinking bout which of his parts might taste best. En tradin days is coming only a couple of moons away.”

“Don’t sweat it; Harley will work it off em.”

“Yeah,” Ford replies. “But what’s my cut?”

“I done told you. I get three en you get one. I toll ya, same as always!”

“How about I get half?”: Ford asks, “cause I did half the work.”

“Yeah Ford, but that’s jist it. Don’t ya see? You got to do half they work! Didn’t nobody else get to do half they work!”

“Yeah Dag, but you asked me to help you!’

Dag answering, “Xactly! En your welcome. Now look here! If I split every thin down they middle with ya. Prit soon you’d have as much as me. Know what would happen next? Why, I’ll tell ya. You’d get to thinking, “why does I have to share everythin with this Bush fucker here?

Thin, I couldn’t trust ya no more, en maybe you couldn’t trust me neither. Thin! You’d probly try some thin stupid en thin. I’d have to kill ya! En she’d ruin my whole night. Does you see now?”

“They’s a order of thins,” Dag answers. “I’m number one en yer number two. If in you got rid of me you might think that would make you number one, but she don’t. She’d only mean that you couldn’t be number two no more.” Dag, he smirks waiting for Ford to answer but Ford he weren’t buying in. Answerin’ only, “Bush fucker!”