After their meal, they headed out again. As they walked, Rick pondered the behavior of the nightstalkers. He did not think the attack in the river was characteristic. They didn't seem evolved to hunt large prey.
Within the narrow canyon, they found both trees and shelter. The small trees formed a tangled grove of coni-fers and small hardwoods that crowded the stream and extended to the canyon walls. They all appeared dead, but they were unburnt. Rick discovered shelter farther into the canyon. It consisted of a five-foot ledge. It was halfway up the cliff wall and protected by an overhang. With some difficulty, Rick was able to scale the twelve-foot wall leading to it. Standing on the ledge, Rick sur-veyed his surroundings. Before the impact, he would have considered the canyon a dismal place. Its walls screened out much of the feeble light from the dark sky. The dank vegetation that choked its floor was as brown and lifeless as the trees. Yet compared with the burnt and barren valley, the canyon was a place of bounty. The stream that flowed through it ran clear, and there was ample wood. He called down to the others watching be-low. 'This is perfect! It's dry and protected enough for a fire.'
'A fire?' said Joe. 'How will you manage that?'
'Your guide has a trick up his sleeve.'
'The real trick,' said Joe, 'will be climbing up to that ledge in the dark.'
'We'll enlarge the holds,' said Rick. 'The limestone's pretty soft.'
'Before you do that,' said Joe, 'let's go back for that meat.'
'Yeah,' said Con. 'We'll feast tonight in our new home.' For the first time since they had abandoned the plane, they did not have to carry all their possessions. These were tossed up to Rick, who stowed them safe and dry on the ledge. Taking only the gun, they made a quick journey to the meat cache. Although they were burdened with as much meat as they could carry, they hurried back quickly. All were eager to return and set up camp.
The first order of business was to store the meat out of the reach of nightstalkers. They considered hanging it from a tree, but ended up sinking it in a deep pool in the stream and covering it with rocks. That would serve until they could construct a more convenient cache. Rick found a pointed rock and began enlarging the handholds and footholds leading to the ledge. As Rick worked at his task, Joe and Con gathered firewood. By the time it grew dark, Joe and Con were able to climb to the ledge easily. They deposited a pile of wood there and also a layer of conifer boughs to serve as bedding. A few feet from the bedding and close to the back wall of the ledge, they had placed a semicircle of stones to serve as a fire-place. The woodpile lay close by. On either side of the fireplace, piles of stones held two forked branches up-right. These were to support the cooking spit.
Joe and Con watched with expectant excitement as Rick knelt before the fireplace. He pulled out his knife, then unsnapped a pouch on its sheath. From it he re-moved a light gray, rectangular stone. 'It's an Arkansas stone,' he explained, 'for whetting the blade. But there's something else you can do with it.' Rick struck the stone sharply with the back of the blade and a spark flew. Then, he bent over the fireplace, stone and knife in hand. A small mound of nightstalker down rested against a pile of dry shavings from a tree limb. Above those were twigs, then branches. Rick repeatedly struck the stone with his knife blade until a spark flew into the down. He blew gently. The down smoked and glowed red; then, a tiny yellow flame appeared. The flame spread to the shav-ings and, from there, to the twigs and branches.
Con felt a primal joy at the sight of the flames. They seemed to promise everything good—warmth, light, safety, and food. She hugged Joe, then grabbed Rick and kissed him.
Joe grinned. 'You sure have a way with the ladies, Rick.'
Con held on to Rick's arm. 'He does. Of course, the true way to a girl's heart is through her stomach.' Joe laughed. 'Better feed her, Rick.' He handed Rick the meat spit to position over the fire. As dinner cooked, the warmth and light of the fire re-flected off the light-colored walls of the ledge and made it bright and cozy. The meat roasted slowly. Its aroma filled the air, and Con's mouth watered in anticipation. The stream water in the bottles was crystal clear. Some boiled in a pot to make meat broth. Joe leaned against the wall and gazed into the fire with a contented look. Everything about the evening filled Con with a sense of well-being. Cuddling up to Rick with a happy sigh, Con forgot the dark and wet world just a few feet away.
29
CON AWOKE SANDWICHED BETWEEN JOE AND RICK. AL-
though two blankets and a poncho covered them, a damp draft told her that it had grown colder. The blankets were thin ones, made for mild spring nights, and it was the two men who kept her warm. She doubted either Rick or Joe was as comfortable as she, despite the fact Joe had dubbed her 'Miss Central Heat.' There was some truth in the nickname, for when she was well fed, she found it easy to stay warm. Staying well fed was quite another matter. Hunger had be-come her constant companion. In the stillness broken only by the quiet sounds of rain and Rick and Joe's breathing, Con felt at peace. The terrible night in the river and the almost unbearable loneliness that fol-lowed it were behind her. She might be dirty, ragged, and homeless in a ruined world, yet, for the moment, she was content. She was alive and warm, and soon she would eat. Best of all, enveloped by Rick and Joe, she felt safe. Con did not reflect on how little it took to make her happy. In-stead, she was thankful for receiving so much. Con's thoughts turned to the leftover meat, and she began to stroke Rick's face to wake him. He made a pleasant, sleepy sound in his throat. Con's touch became more tender as she explored the contours of his face with her fingers. Rick placed his hand gently on the back of hers, then turned his head to lightly kiss her inner wrist. Con forgot her hunger as a yearning of a different sort took hold. Rick turned, and their faces were but inches apart. His fingers mirrored
