Chapter Two
The Kingdom of the Pines
Dag, he woke early towards the evening as they fireball glommed above beating and igniting the atmosphere behind the palms and pines. And softly framing the orange, cloudless sky. Dag, he slaps Johanna on her ass motioning for her to get up. “We’s gots ta talk some. Ford banged on they trailer in they middle of they day. En my knife weren’t on they headboard. What you gotta to say fer yourself?”
“I’m sorry,” Johanna offers helpless as Dag slaps her hard across her face. “You could’ve got us kilt! I would a been dead, en you en Beth would a wished you was! Don’t fuck up, no more!” Johnna teared up but she dared not cry because she’d fucked up and she knew it. Dag, he grabbed his knife giving her a defiant look, few others ever survived. In this place, loves was a bargain and a co-dependency. A life partnership in grime. There was no getting ahead, only getting along. You have little and will have little, and little else.
The future was only tomorrow but not of tomorrows. The past was only yesterday, it was time’s primitive entail. To be handed back to whoever or whenever they could rewind the clock of human history again. Time has become irrelevant, a tick today and or a tock tomorrow. No seasons, no ideas or concepts. Human evolution, like a rubber band snapping back. And reverting to the old, new ways before the flood before they four and before the lands went under. Willingly trading off the niceties of human evolution and keeping only her necessities.
Dag, he found Harley and walked with him down the path towards the guest hut. As Dag approaches the Outlander places his hands wide apart. His palms almost pointing upwards asking tenderly. “Who of among you is Robert by they river? I seek to meet with him.”
A young man steps forward, announcing. “I am the son of Robert by the river. He is my father, and my mother is a demos, but he has taken me and acknowledges me as his son.”
“Are you also Robert?” Dag asks humbly?
“Yes.”
“Then you’re welcome here Robert. I hope you were given much to eat en drink en a demos provided to entertain you.”
“Yes Dagmar, you are very kind. I was told, you were the great Dagmar, and I can see, it is so.”
Sitting on the floor, Dag asks with a wide-eyed generosity. “How can I be of service to you?”
“It seems,” Robert begins timidly. “We’ve harvesters in our land. They have taken six of our people.”
Dag’s demeanor suddenly changes, shouting. “Hell! They’s just Harvesters! They’s maybe two or five or this many,” holding up both hands. “You set a trap for em. En, you kill one or two, en they rest of em gist runs off!”
“This is different Dag; they have a boat and are using the river.”
“Thin they ain’t no Harvesters!” He remarks, with a quick certainty. “Harvesters is crazy fuckers what done turned can bull. They cain’t organize shit! Every time they tries, they end up eating they selves.”
Robert replies, humbly submissive. “You know more about these things than I. That is why I am here. We ask, that you come in force and help us kill them, whoever they are.”
Dag, he reaches for the meat of them negotiations, grinning widely. Asking; “What’s in it for me en mine?” Dag is no longer a diplomat, and no longer wide-eyed or humbly submissive.
“If you will come, you will be protecting your own border, where the night ends. If you do not help us. When we are gone, they will attack you!”
Dag, he answers back sharply. “No Bush, they won’t! One time maybe, but that’d be it! Now, if we’s gonna hep you here’s they way she’s gonna go. We get all they spoils, en all they demos.”
“Your price is high Dag.”
“Seems fair to me! Ain’t my folks getting ate.” He answers.
“But all the spoils and all the demos?”
“I think she’s a fair bargain,” Dag answers. “Yer folks getting ate, not ours. We’s gonna stop yer folks from getting ate, risking ours.”
“You don’t understand Dagmar. You won’t be alone; we’re going to help you!”
Dag looks back sort of contemptuous. “Yeah well, I have done already figured that into my price. Now that there’s my offer! you kin take her, or you kin leave her alone.”
“We accept,” Robert says. “But your price is too high.”
“No, it ain’t!” Dag snarks, “er you wouldn’t be agreeing to it.
Robert asks, “how long will it take until you are ready?”
“We’s ready now,”
“Then we can leave right away?” Robert asks.
Dag, he turns to Harley saying. “Git Ford. Tell him we got work to do. En she’s gonna take a couple nights maybe.”
Dag, he returns to the trailer calling out. “Johanna! Get my bow, en weapons, en shit!”
Delivering them up apologetically, Johanna asks nervously. “Where are you going?”
“We got us some work to do aways off. En, me en Ford gonna take care of it. A couple of nights, I reckon maybe.” Dag answers as he fastens the strap of his haversack.
Johanna, she puts her head down confessing. “I hate it when you’re gone.”
“Johanna it’s how I makes a living,” Dag explains. “Taken care of shit, before shit takes care of us. Look round,” He says. “It’s they reason you kin live like this!”
“I know.” She mumbles softly, “but I love you!”
Dag he only grunts before turning to go. Meeting Ford in the 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 declares.
Robert bellows, “our bargain was 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 the young man’s chest. “En 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 kin go on en walk yer ass home!”
Robert, en his followers were much humbled and subdued by Dag’s outburst. Ford, he watched it all unconcerned without giving any notice having seen it all before. It was pure Dag; throwing down the gauntlet and having that pissing contest right off. So, a ways through them woods when they come to the altars of heaven. Robert and his boys hesitated, telling Dag. “We cannot go this way!”
“Why the hell not?” Dag barks back.
“It is wrong to cross here this is sacred ground,”
“She ain’t no sacred ground no more!” Dag argues, “them folks what thought it 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 remarks with a wave continuing down the path. Calling out over his shoulder. “See ya there!”
After a momentary hesitation, Robert and his trio pursue the Outlander down the path through the ruins into the altars of heaven. It was when they stopped to rest, when Dag started in on Robert again. “Thought you dint want to come this way?”
“I didn’t,” Robert complains. “But I could not show up at home without you, without much shame and embarrassment.”
“Yeah, life’s kind of Bushed that way,” Dag observes. “Full of contradictions! You’s more afraid of yer daddy thin of them dead folks. That there is yer problem with religion, right there. Fellas always gonna do what’s best for they self when push comes to shove. En them gods, they won’t git no cut of it.”
“It wasn’t fear Dagmar. It was out of respect.” Robert exclaims, bowing up at Dag’s accusation. Dag, he didn’t mean nothin. He was just a bully. Out to push as hard as he could on a younger weaker man. It was near on to dayfall when they arrived at Robert’s camp. Dag and Ford, each stared at the other in disbelief. Stunned silent by the lack of security without any guards or any gate. Ford, he mumbles under his breath. “They’s gist asking for it.” Most of the folks who hadn’t gone to bed yet. They formed a crowd around them greeting the strangers as they passed along through their camp. Eventually leading them to the 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 Dag tightly. Dag, he didn’t take too kindly to being touched. See, it was against his religion. So, Dag he clumsily extracted himself much to Robert’s confused surprise. See, to Dag, his body were his temple. And no one was allowed to touch the temple without permission. Dag, he answers gruffly, “Yeah, it’s nice to see ya too! Where they hell is yer security?”
“They’re watching down by the river. I’m certain my son has explained to you of our troubles.”
Dag, he removed his hat. Running his fingers through his thick, black hair explaining. “Look, she don’t work that way! You don’t juss pick out 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 put up!”
“Yes then, Dagmar,” Robert replies. “Tell me how many and where they should be.”
“Well, that would rightly be up to you!” Dag cries, “how many men you got, en how many paths you got leading in here?” Robert the elder whispers among his associates as they disperse. Offering, “you must be tired. Let me show you to a hut where you can rest yourselves until the night comes. As they walk, the village children follow behind them curious. Laughing and imitating the strangers mocking their gruff manners. Robert motions them towards a hut offering. “Whatever you need Dagmar is yours. We thank you for coming.” Dag, he was cautious this time, suspecting he was about to be grabbed again. He takes a judicious step back. Offer a clear eyed, “Thank ya.”
Once inside the hut, Ford exclaims. “Holy fucking Bush shit! These fuckers don’t think they have no enemies, kin you believe it?”
“Don’t matter what we believe Ford, they believe it.” Dag says casual, lying in a hammock. “En, I reckon for long they’s probably gonna pay for it, but that ain’t our problem. They ain’t no Harvesters working in no groups! It don’t make no fucking sense. Our job is juss to suwanee her out, en make bank out of it.”
“Then you ain’t worried about Robert, en them?” Ford asks curious.
“Course, I am but solving his problems solves ours.” Dag answers, drawing his straw hat down over his face ta keep the flying critters off. Before saying, “good day.” Quickly, falling asleep Dag has his hand locked on the handle of his knife. Ford soon follows Dag in sleep. Dag, he woke near the gloaming sensing a movement outside of his window. Imperceptibly, he removes his blade from its sheath, and he readies himself. After another moment and another movement. Dag with one eye peers out from under the brim of his hat. He tenses himself waiting on the shadow’s return. When it does, Dag sees it was a curious youngin. Dag, he shouts in a deep voice. “Boy! You best get yer ass away from here, for yous git hurt.”
Startled, Ford also wakes. “What is it?” he says as he jumps from his hammock. Dag explains, “it ain’t nothin, but we might as well get up… be gloaming soon enough.” No sooner had they stepped from the hut when a women stationed outside the door asks, “Food sir or water?”
Dag, he answers. “Yeah, en git Robert they youngin for me.” A while later as he and Ford were eating when Robert approaches. “Yes Dag?”
“I need fer you to show me where they first in was taken. And thin where they lasten, before she gets too dark.”
Robert answers obediently. “Yes Dag, whenever you’re ready.”
Tossing down his bowl, Dag answers. “I’m ready now, come on Ford. Let’s go to work.”
Robert leads them through the forest and down to a clearing by the river bank. “Here is where they first woman was taken. She’d come to fetch water.”
“When,” Dag asked?
“It was in the daylight, just after we’d all gone to bed, and she did not return.”
Dag, he stroked on his beard pondering. “It ain’t right, she just ain’t right! Ain’t no Harvesters out in the fucking daylight. See, you might not have no enemies. But them Harvesters they damn sure do! When you’s eating folks to juss git by, 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 pinned solemnly to the ground.
“Forget that thin.” Dag says, “but in a way it’s good news.”
Stunned, Robert exclaims, “How?”
Dag asks, “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. And doing his best to be delicate. Because he was about to say something inappropriate. Something along the lines of “Stay the fuck out they way!” When Ford, he spoke up. “Go git yer men and wait in the woods down yonder 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 us an 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 teach you how to reach twenty by an easy path. En yer gonna shut they fuck up, while I school at ya!”
As this were the only open course Robert backed down and did as he was told. Ford spoke with them quietly, before shipping them off down river to get shed of them. “I spect you fellas probly got your ass on your shoulders right now. But listen here. In this 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. And they’s only one way where’s you get to see tomorrow. So ya’ll trust me, this in, is a better way.”
When Ford returns, Dag asks sarcastically. “Did you pat they heads, en dry they little eyes?”
“Dag, ya got what you wanted,” Ford spits back explaining. “If they’d have gone away, all pissed off. They might have tried showing you how tough they was or how smart they was. And then they would have fucked up everything for everybody. This way, theys doing as they told en staying out of our way.”
Dag, he nodded and agreed. “Pretty smart Ford. Ya know, if it weren’t for me, you’d probably be they smartest fucker round here.” Dag smiles, en Ford knew that was as good as it gets from Dagmar Johansson. In the failing light, the two begun of them seeking out positions for an ambush. The night passed along slow and quiet. With only they faint sounds of river cicadas. When off in the distance they begun to hear the low burbling sound of a motor boat. The pair watched it moved along, crouched behind the brush. They followed the boat along they bank waiting for them to make their move.
The Harvesters were unaware they were prey. And were way too casual in their approach. Ford mocked Robert, under his breath. “We ain’t got no enemies.” As Dag, whispers back, “Shut they fuck up!” A cabin cruiser, beaches itself in the muddy sand as a man on the prow jumps off with a rope and tying it off to a palm tree. Dag, he raises up his bow and was about to kill him. When a second man comes over the side knee deep in the water. As he finishes tying, the rope. He turns away and Dag drops him from ten foot away with a shot in the lung. Ford, he hit the other man with an arrow in the throat. Silence, their goal, was quickly achieved. Dag and Ford took up positions under the boat’s prow. Waiting on the Harvestors to further investigate.
After a moment later, a voice from up on deck whispers. “Mike, Mike?” He came over the side, still whispering. But he found Dag’s blade and eternity waiting. But he manages to let out a garbled death cry. Three women scream in panic at the sight of the two strangers. Diving over the side of the boat and fleeing into the darkness. Dag and Ford, they climbed on the boat watching close and playing off of each other. Dag, he loads another arrow before nodding. Then Ford shouts, “Come out en live or get ready to die!” The sound of movement inside the cabin, assures them they were demo’s to be had. When a female voice answers. “We’re coming out!”
Dag, he takes a step back preparing his self as two women emerge from the cabin, one carrying an infant. Dag, he barks at them. “Who are ya! En what are you doing here?”
The women carrying the infant she answers in a defiant tone. “If you are wise, you will release us immediately. I am the wife of a great warrior from a rich tribe, and we can be ransomed!”
Ford, he looks back over the side, asking sarcastically. “Them fellas?” As Dag says, “I reckon not.” The women held each other in fear as Ford gives them their options, “You can become a demos of the great Dag or you can die. The choice is your ladies!”
“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 a choice woman, now you make it!”
“What about my baby?”
Dag, he answers “I’ll take care of yer youngin.”
She passes the infant to her servant declaring. “I won’t live as a demos.”
Instantly, Dag slashes her across they throat and pushing her over the side of the boat. Without hesitation, Dag he snatches the infant from the servant’s arms. Pitching it as far as he can into the river, adding simply, “En you?”
Her answer is quietly 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 demos?”
“I do not know; I was her slave and was not told.”
“Yer a liar!” Dag answers slapping her cross the mouth.
She holds up her head defiantly eyes blazing with hatred as the blood trickles from the corner of her lip answering. “I told you! I do not know.”
Dag, he replies growling. “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 he slaps her again. This time hard enough to knock her down.
“You don’t think I know that? he barks. “You think I’m so stupid, I don’t know you come from down river?”
“You do not need to hit me sir. I will willingly tell you all I know.”
Dag answers, “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 Sin City?”
“In the Hio?” Dag asks suddenly surprised.
“Yes!”
“How is it demos. A group of Harvesters has such a big fine boat as this? Then asks, “How is it a group of harvester’s lives near they corp rat zone?”
“They have protection, sir.”
Dag barks back, “Bush shit!”
Expecting a blow, the demos she winces putting her head down saying, “That’s all I know sir.”
“It ain’t all you know! Dag answers, but it’s enough for now. How many bodies ya got in there.” He asks, pointing to the cabin.
“Two sir.” Ford, he places a noose round her neck with a length of rope as Dag says to her. “Well, get em out! They won’t put they selves over the side.”
“By myself?” She cries. As Dag mocks her, “By myself?” Look lady, my job’s hard too! But you don’t hear me whining bout it!”
With a rustle of the brush, Robert and his men appear with the three women, all tied at the neck. “You have done well, Dagmar!”
Dag, he answers them, “Tolerable fair. Cut me loose one of them demos to help this here whiner empty out my boat.”
“You are humble Dag.” Robert replies, “you’ve gotten them all in one night!”
“You think so Bobby? You think, someone’s gonna lose a big fine boat such as this, en not come looking fer it? Nodding to laurel, “This in says, they got protection! Once we dump all this shit in the river. Someone’s bound to come a looking.”
After the corpses were cleared from the boat. Dag orders Ford and Robert, to take the other three demos to the village and secure them. “What are 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 going fer a little boat ride. Unconcerned, Ford asks. “What’s the split?” Equally unconcerned Dag, he answers. “I don’t know. three for me en one for you, sound fair?”
Ford answering, “Fair,” nodding his approval.
After they’d left, Dag, he gives orders to his new demos. “Show me how to work this damn thin.” The floor of the boat was littered with yellow plastic bags with red printing on them. Dag lifts his foot removing a bag stuck to his sandal. Folding it up carefully and placing it in his bag. The demos, she tries teaching Dag about the boat’s basics. About the steering wheel and the throttle. Working up to the ignition key and the lights. Dag, he’s been looking around asking, “What’s them?” Pointing to two green metal Jerry cans which were strapped down inside the stern of the boat.
“Those are extra fuel cans sir, laurel explains. “You could sell those for $500 each in Sin City, if you wanted to.”
“Only, if in I knew somebody in Sin City, what lookin fer boat fuel,” He answers caustically. Before adding, “How do we git it out of here?”
“First, you untie the line,” the demos answers.
“No!” Dag, he says correcting her. “First, you untie they line.” And pointing at her. “Don’t try nothin funny or a promise… it won’t be.” Ever cautious Dag, he holds the end of the rope around her neck as she unties the line and climbs back onboard. Then Dag hollers out. “Starter up, en take her up this way!” As the boat cruises up the river Dag, he stands close behind her. So close, she could smell of Dag’s breath. “Slow,” he whispers. As he began fooling around with the light switches. Finding the spotlight. Dag, he points the light along the bank looking back deep into the woods. “Stop,” he whispers. “See that washout? Take er up in there.”
“You can’t…you’ll wreck her,” laurel warns.
“You let me worry bout that,” Dag answers.
“There isn’t enough room, you’ll get stuck sir.” She insists but Dag, he was unmoved by her arguments. No matter how laurel tried to squeeze the boat in. The boat kept grounded itself in the soft sand. “Here, let me give her a try,” Dag says, backing her way out into mid-channel. Before gunning the engines, full throttle. Taking the boat over the sand bar and running her into the dry slew.
“I told you!” laurel carped as Dag grabs her by her rope. Lifting her on her tip toes explaining. “You don’t tell me shit, ya understand?” Before he lets her go. “Now come on,” he barks. “We got work to do.” The two, gather brush and logs and debris to block the boat into the slew. In a sloppy, half-hearted attempt to barricade and hide the boat with logs and small limbs. Dropping one of the fuel cans over the side of the boat. Then Dag pours the other can into the passenger compartment of the boat. Until the fumes force them over the side.
“You’re going to burn it?” laurel asks curious, but Dag he answers with. “Shut up! Now try and keep up.” Dag answers, as they march off through the woods in search of Robert’s village. They find Ford eating and being entertained by the jubilant villagers. As Dag, enters they camp he was being congratulated, but was unmoved by the displays of affection. Telling Ford, “Finish your meal; we still got work to do. We gots to guard my boat until tonight. Robert asks, “shall we help you again tonight?” But before Ford could intervene, Dag he answers. “Yeah, you kin keep yer fuckin eyes open, from now on.”
Ford adding politically, “Just like last time.”
The following night Dag says, “Come on.” Ford, he follows behind the roped laurel soon taking his place alongside the outlander. “What the Bush!” Ford shouts, “Ya don’t have to be a dick about everythin!”
Dag, he looks back incredulous answering. “Yeah Ford… I do!”
Ford, his hands held plaintively asking. “What? What! What!”
“This ain’t bout no Harvesters Ford. Harvesters ain’t got no damn big boats! Harvesters don’t live in they Hio! Juss they extra fuel cans would feed us for a month in Sin City. Does that make any sense to you? I bet you ain’t even give it a thought!”
“Well sure, I thought about it?”
“Yeah,” Dag smirks. “You thought about… how many demos will I get? You thought about it but sure as fuck. You don’t poke at no critter till ya know how big it is.”
“Who or what,” Ford asks?
Dag interrupts shaking his head silently. “It’s they dam corp rats! Someone workin for they corporation or someone cutting in on they corp rats. They’s all trouble, they’s juss different kinds.
“They Tuck,” Dag suwanee’s. “She’s outside of corp rat control. Them corp rats don’t stake no claim on her. So’s, I reckon someone’s making a play to get into they meat business. That tells you two thins. Thins are bad, en business is good.” Ford looks up asking, “What you reckon they want?” Dag, he answers firm, “Xactly Ford. What do they want?”
Ford stood silent certain Dag would explain without any further need of prompting. Dag mutters, “they’s either coming for meat or they’s coming to stay.”
Ford looks back attentively suwaneeing. “Taking the women will destroy a group faster than sickness will.
Dag answers, “Maybes they’s hungry or maybe they’s victen em!”
“What are we gonna do?”
Dag, he looks back at Ford sort of curious giving him a double take, before exhaling loudly, “We gonna kill them fuckers! Shit! What did ya think Ford?”
“But if it’s the corporation, they could send many, many more than we could kill.”
Dag, he threw his head back laughing. Asking, “You ever burn yer hand in a fire? We ain’t got to kill em all just make it painful for em. Won’t take long, b’fore they give up chasing whatever they’s after. Fire she wins every time!”
From a top of the sand en mud bank. A forgotten a relic from the river’s ancient past. The two watched and waited hovering over the boat in the simmering darkness. Their vantage point puts them almost directly above her. And after a while, Dag, he slides down the sandbank by the light of the night sun. Then he pours out the contents of the other fuel can along the woodpile barricade behind the boat. Returning with the metal can now near empty. Ford asks, “are you that sure, they’s comin?”
“They’s comin,” Dag whispers as he began wrapping gauze around his arrow shafts. Then, he rolls over on his back and pulls down his straw hat. To snooze, while he waits for the opening night of hunting season.
It was a long time before they heard they sound of a motor, reverberating off they water. Breaking through the indigo stillness. Dag, he offers up without removing his hat, “That, tells us somepin right there Ford. To git here from down there. They must be travelin in they daylight.”
Slowly, a speed boat with four men in it, burbles up river. They’re searching for something along the river bank. Until they’d gone a ways past them and could barely be heard faintly off in the distance. Dag, he says, in a sort of casual way, “If in they come right back, they got maps. If not, they’s juss eye ballin her.” No sooner, had he said it when the boat returned. Cruising up slowly, stopping in the water opposite of the dry slew. Voices called out, careless of whoever might be listening. Then the boat she pulled in close without beaching. Two men come over the side in the knee-deep water moving inland, climbing over they woodpile, investigating the boat.
The intruders climbed up on the deck, careless of their speech. “I could smell it,” One silhouette explains to the other.
A voice answers, “Stupid fucking outlanders must have ruptured the fuel tank, bringing her in.” From the portside the other fella was about to ask a question. When Dag, he interrupted their conversation with a burning arrow hitting the deck. The boat exploded in a gasoline and fiberglass fireball. Instantly dooming the men on her deck. The others were scorched and blinded by the explosion and fireball. And were quickly dispatched by Dag and Ford. The victims silhouetted as they were by the flames. Attacked from the outside by an envelope of darkness. As the flames begun to die down some, the boat began taking on the shape of a melted plastic blob. Smoldering noxiously as the air rained down black, fiberglass filaments. Soon the darkness had conquered the flames when Ford asks, “Now what?”
“Now, we go fucking round in my new boat!” Dag answers almost giddy. “Get the demos, she knows how ta work em.”
Investigating the craft Dag, he begins showing off what he’d learnt the night before. And while most of what he was saying was wrong. Ford, he didn’t know any different and was much impressed. Dag and him they were from the Tuck. And they didn’t ever spend any time around machines much. laurel, she was polite in correcting Dag. And he accepted her corrections with a strange smile. Dag, he cranked up that boat taking her up river as fast as she could go. Before looking for a good hiding place to keep it safe. As Dag explained, “That lasten, she were no damn good. She were too damn big. En weren’t no good for nothing, cept as bait. But this in here…this in. She’s a keeper! This in, she’s fer down the road.”
Waiting for they gloaming, Dag en Ford, says their good byes to Robert’s camp and depart for home with their new demo’s. When Ford he asks, “Hey Dag, how come they look like that?”
“Like what?”
“All puffy en round, ya know?”
“They’s women!” Dag snarks.
“No shit?” Ford answering sarcastically. “I never would a 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 spitting out the word with his own disgusted emphasis.
“You know, we ain’t gonna be able to sell em, lookin like that!” Ford says knowingly.
“No shit?” Dag parrots, you dint think, I knowd that?”
“Won’t no respectable man have a demos lookin at him. Thinking about which of his parts might taste good. And the tradin days is coming only a couple of moons away.”
“Don’t sweat it. Harley will work the fat off em.”
“Yeah,” Ford replies, “but what’s my cut?”
“I done told you. I get three and you get one, 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 do I have to share every thin with this Bush fucker? Thin, I couldn’t trust ya no more en you couldn’t trust me. Thin! You’d probly try some thin stupid. En thin, I’d have to kill ya! En that’d ruin my whole night. Don’t you see now Ford? They’s a order of thins. I’m number one en yer number two! If you git rid of me, you might think that would make you number one. But it wouldn’t. It would 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 answering only, “Bush fucker!”
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This Carbon Based Life 
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