Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Driving Lesson Chapter 3 Page 3

George started with one his own nutrition bars. As he ate, he examined his breathing mask. There was a slot for a drinking straw so he could still take a drink in hostile environment. It appeared that a lever enlarged the hole. Perhaps there were nutrition bars narrow enough to fit - the ones he had with him were too thick. But was it safe to expose food to the wasteland air?

When he had finished eating, he took a sip of the sweet drink he had brought in his canteen.

Mabel put on her headgear and left the cave.

Shortly after, Iona returned. She went straight to George. "Squirt! Let me see your hand." Without waiting for a reply, she pulled his right hand to herself. She took out a bracelet of green beads from a pouch on her belt and looped it twice around George's wrist.

George recognized the bracelet. He had worn one before. The Vixens claimed that it had some magical property that protected him from bullets. While wearing a similar bracelet, he had survived his last adventure unharmed despite the fact that his armor had been shot to pieces. Because of that experience, he had to at least consider that the magic could be real.

The bracelet that was around his wrist was double in length compared to the one he had worn previously. And it looked as girlie as ever.

Iona fastened another bracelet around Tricia's wrist. That bracelet was one of regular length.

"Hey, Squirt, want to try meat?"

George's eyes fixed on the item stuck on the stick that Iona held out to him. It appeared to be the burnt body of a small four-legged creature. Its meat looked well-roasted and there was a faint salty smell that watered his mouth.

"Don't," Tricia warned George, "You'll get indigestion if you eat that."

George's heart sank. He turned to the dark-skinned Vixen for an explanation.

"Remember how in Covenant that before eating meat you've to eat certain appetizers?" Tricia asked.

"Well..." George could not remember the last time he had eaten real meat.

"Most urbanites can't digest meat without the stuff in those appetizers."

George groaned. There went his dream of trying meat.

Iona took out a flask from a small sling bag in the corner of the cave. She went back to George. "Squirt, you should try this." She uncapped the flask.

"Will this let me eat meat?" George asked.

"No, but it's good for you," Iona insisted, "I really, really think you should try this."

"I think you should too," Tricia agreed. She turned to Iona. "It won't make him sick, will it? I need him alive and able."

Iona smiled innocently. "No, it won't."

George gingerly accepted the flask. Its contents did not smell - that was good. He took a good gulp of the drink. It was very bitter and semi-solid and it nearly made him gag. Since Iona was watching him with bright green eyes, he resisted the urge to spit the vile concoction out.

Iona took the flask from him.

George was very much relieved that he did not have to finish the contents of the flask!

"It's not that bad, right?" Tricia asked with a slight smirk.

George could only groan in reply.

Iona held the flask up to the dark-skinned Vixen. "Here, Trish, have some too!"

"What? Me too?" The smirk was gone.

Iona raised the flask closer. "It's good for you too!"

Tricia accepted the flask as reluctantly as George had and grimaced when she saw the contents. She took a good drink. She twisted her face again when she was done. Then she wiped her mouth with her palm.

Iona closed the flask and replaced it in her sling bag. "You're going to see Old Man Have Ill, right?"

"Dr Havillund?" Tricia asked, "Yeah, we've his regular package."

Iona reached into her pouch and took out a small packet. She extended it to George. "Squirt, will you give this to Old Man Have Ill? For me?"

"Um, yeah, sure." George accepted the packet and slipped it into a pocket behind his breastplate. He hoped he would deliver it to the right person. Well, Tricia would be there to introduce him to 'Old Man Have Ill'.

"I think that's enough rest," Tricia decided as she started packing.

***

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