“You're sick,” she said. “You're all sick,” she continued, looking mostly at Gia.
“Shut up, Teal,” I said.
“I want to go home. I'll do anything to go home,” she moaned, and hobbled along.
We did have a more elaborate breakfast, even some Danish pastries, which reinforced our theory that we were about to be observed and evaluated by some government agency. Gia ate tentatively, looking everything over twice to be sure rat poison wasn't over it or something. She made me nervous, but Robin and Teal weren't in any way intimidated. They ate as much asthey could, as did Mindy, who reminded me of a starving dog, gazing around her after almost every bite to be sure no one was nearby to take it away.
Toward the end of breakfast, M'Lady Three came into the dining room to announce the day's chores and assignments.
“Mindy and Gia are to report to the garden as usual. Teal, Robin, and Phoebe are going on an off-grounds work detail and, after they clean up in here and put everything neatly away, are to report outside to get into the van.”
“Off-grounds?” Teal asked first. “What's that?”
“That is off-grounds, an outside area. You still speak English, don't you?” M'Lady Three quipped.
Teal looked at me, but I was staring at Gia, who was staring back at me, and what I saw in her eyes, I did not like.
“Move it!” M'Lady Three ordered, and Gia and Mindy left the room quickly, neither looking back at us. “Clean up. Ten minutes to departure,” she shouted at us.
“What's this mean, working off-grounds?” Teal asked me as soon as M'Lady Three was gone.
“I don't know, but I don't like it.”
“I guess we really are like prisoners on a chain gang,” Robin said. “We're probably volunteered by Dr. Foreman to work on a road or something just like inmates.”
“How can I work on a road? I'm injured,” Teal protested.
“I'm sure they'll find something you can do,” Robin said, taking dishes off the table.
I helped her and Teal was left to clean the table off. Robin and I washed and dried the dishes and silverware, neither of us talking much at all.
“Stop looking so worried, Phoebe,” she finally toldme. “At least we're getting out of here and can see some new scenery.”
“I hope you're right,” I said without confidence.
When we were finished, we joined Teal and all walked out front to where the van was parked. M'Lady One was there with three small bags, the kind of backpacks you could wear over your shoulders.
“These are your off-grounds kits,” she explained, and opened one up to take out its contents. “First, a canteen full of cold water. Drink it sparingly. Second, bars of nutritional food. Each of you has three. A towel to wipe your ugly faces, some tampons just in case, a vial of cyanide just in case you're captured.” She laughed. "Just kidding, of course. Who would want to capture you?
“All right,” she said, opening the van doors, “get in. There's work to be done.”
“How far away are we going?” Teal asked.
“We were thinking of your sweeping streets in New York. How far are you going? Just get in and shut up.”
Robin got in first and I followed, then we helped Teal in with her crutch. M'Lady One shut the door immediately.
“This brings back fond memories,” Robin said.
“If there is even the slightest chance of getting away once we get to wherever we get,” Teal said, “I'm going for it.”
“On a crutch?” I asked.
“I said I'd crawl if I had to and I will.”
“Maybe I would, too,” Robin added.
A tiny bit of light came through the crack in the door so at least we weren't in total darkness as we had been the first time we were in this van. I sat back and tried to relax when I heard the engine start and felt us pulling away. Then I glanced to my right.
Something was there.
“What's this?” I muttered, reaching for it. It looked familiar.
I held it up.
“What is it?” Teal asked.
“Phoebe?” Robin followed.
I looked at the two of them. “It's from Natani. It's his healing bag.”
“What's that for? I mean, what does it mean that he left it in here?” Teal asked, whining.
“It means, we're in bigger trouble than we imagined. Dr. Foreman is finally punishing us.”
“I don't understand,” Teal said.
“I think I do,” Robin said.
“Well, tell me, big shot.”
“Maybe we should just wait to see,” I said. “Let's not panic until we have to panic.”
“Oh, great. And here I thought we were going on a picnic,” Teal moaned.
We were all quiet, listening to see if we could hear anything that would give us even a slight hint as to where we were going and what we would be doing. The roughness of the ride, however, began to reinforce my worries. I couldn't see Robin's face clearly, but I was sure the same was occurring to her as well.
“How far away are they taking us?” Teal cried after what was surely a good hour. “I'm so nauseous, I'm sorry I ate anything this morning.”
Finally, the van stopped. We heard a door slam and then the back doors were opened. The brightness made us all squint for a few moments.
“Ladies,” M'Lady Two said, standing there and looking in at us. She wore a wide-brimmed hat.
Robin crawled out first and I followed with Natani'smedicine bag around my shoulder. I reached back to get Teal's crutch, then Robin and I helped her down. We stood there looking around. We were, as I had feared, in the middle of the desert. The mountains, in fact, looked farther away than they did when we were at the ranch.
“Where are we?” Teal asked first.
“That's top-secret information,” M'Lady One said.
“We're going for a long walk in the desert, aren't we?” I asked. “This isn't a work detail.”
“Believe me, Phoebe girl, a walk in the desert is a work detail,” M'Lady Two replied, smiling.
“How can I walk in the desert? I can't walk back at
