“You can walk just like the rest of us. You've been using that sprain as an excuse from work long enough,” M'Lady Two said. “Ready?”
“I'm not going,” Teal declared, and folded her legs to sit on the ground.
M'Lady One looked at M'Lady Two.
“I'll meet you at the designated spot,” M'Lady One said, and got into the van. We watched her start the engine and drive away.
“This way, girls,” M'Lady Two said, and began to trek forward.
No one moved. She stopped and looked at us. Teal tried to keep her mask of defiance over her face of fear.
“I'm walking and meeting that van,” M'Lady Two said, pointing at the van, which was disappearing over a hill. “If you girls want to remain here, you can,” she said, shading her eyes to gaze up at the noonday sun burning down on us. “However, I wouldn't advise it.”
She started away. I looked at Robin.
“We've got no choice,” I said, and began to follow.
“No,” Teal moaned.
“Come on,” Robin said, helping her to her feet.
We started behind M'Lady Two, who moved at a steady, quick pace over the sand and rolling small hills. I quickly envied her wide-brimmed hat and remembered Natani's advice to always have our heads covered in the desert. He had also advised against us wearing shorts, and suddenly I realized these sneakers were not proper shoes for this as well. So Dr. Foreman's apparent gifts were not gifts after all. We would have been better off dressed in the outfits we had. She had set us up to suffer out here. M'Lady One's sarcastic reply to my question wasn't sarcastic after all. Punishment had a new meaning and certainly a capital P.
I looked back and saw how Robin and Teal were already struggling. The crutch looked to be more trouble than it was worth, especially over this kind of terrain.
“I can't walk this fast!” Teal screamed.
M'Lady Two didn't turn around. She kept her pace and kept her direction.
Robin caught up with me. “What's going on? Why are they doing this to us?”
“It's the punishment. Remember what Natani said about clothing, covering our heads, all that? She gave us all this before putting us out here, and these are exactly the wrong things to be wearing.”
“Damn her.”
“Yeah, well, it's too late for that.” I was breathing heavily already. How could M'Lady Two walk so fast and so steadily? I wondered. She was probably the best at this and that was why she had been chosen to lead us.
“I'm burning up,” Teal moaned, catching up to us and wiping her forehead.
I thought a moment, then reached into my bag and took out the towel. “Wrap it around your head. At least you'll get some protection from the sun this way.”
“I need sunglasses. My eyes ache!” Teal complained.
“Mine, too,” Robin said.
“Walk with them closed half the time,” I advised. M'Lady Two was pulling farther and farther away. “Come on, we can't lose her out here.” I quickened my steps.
Teal kept complaining and struggling. Finally, out of disgust, she threw her crutch down and hobbled. Before long, she was putting weight on the ankle and enduring the pain just so she wouldn't be left too far behind. From the way the sun moved in the sky, I was sure we had already walked a good hour.
“Can't we rest for a while?” I called to M'Lady Two. She kept walking, not even turning her head.
“Why isn't she tired, too?” Robin asked. “I was going to drink some water, but I didn't want to do it until she stopped and did it.”
'That's a good idea," I said.
“I've already drunk some of mine,” Teal admitted.
“Don't drink any more,” I warned.
“Why not? We can't be going too much longer before we reach the van, can we?”
“Look out there,” I said. “Any sign of a van for miles and miles?”
Teal paused and panned the scene before us. The cacti stood like sentinels over the sand, rocks, and bushes. There wasn't a house or a road, or any sign of civilization, for as far as we could see in any direction. Heat seemed to be steaming up from the earth. Nothing moved that we could see. It was as if the whole world had come to a complete stop.
“Where are we?” Robin asked.
“What is this? Stop!” Teal screamed, the panic settling in her throat like a lump of coal and turning her scream into more of a desperate screech, but I was sure her voice didn't even reach M'Lady Two.
“Just keep going,” I advised.
At one point M'Lady Two was so far ahead, she disappeared over the top of a knoll. We all walked faster. I even broke into a run because I saw how we had lost too much distance and how long it would otherwise take to catch up to her. When I reached the top, I stopped and the other two caught up with me.
“What is it?” Teal asked. “Why are you stopping?”
Robin and I turned our heads and put our hands on our foreheads to shade our eyes. Sweat was running down my forehead, under the towel. I had to wipe it away to keep my eyes open.
“I don't understand,” Robin said.
“What?” Teal moaned. “What is it now?”
“I don't see her,” I said angrily. “Do you?”
“Huh?” Teal shaded her eyes and looked as well. “Where could she be?”
The knoll slanted down on our left. I thought she might have gone that way and then back around to the other side to lose us and frighten us a bit, so I walked quickly and than ran to the end and went around it. Robin followed.
We both stood there looking for her.
“Do you see her?”
“No,” I said.
“Maybe the other side or maybe . . .” Robin looked ahead. “Maybe she reached that hill before you had gotten to the top.”
“That's pretty far away, but I hope so,” I said. “She'snot heading back from what I can see, although I'm not sure if that's back or
