“It is like our world is how we make it here. Without the distractions of the others. I’m glad, I really didn’t want to go live there in the main camp.” He said, relief heavy in his voice and Sarah laughed and hugged him harder.
“We’ve built our own construct; the way we see our lives and the way we do things. I also think that Leo likes being a leader and I really don’t see you being under his leadership.”
“You’re right about that, being in the navy for so many years, I understood that there was a chain of command. I wasn’t at the rock bottom, but I wasn’t at the top either. Here, you and I are at the top. We make our own rules and our own decisions. We already know what we have to do and we just do it. I like Leo a lot and I respect him, but I don’t want him to make decisions for me or that affect me.”
“That and I really like our cave, it is feeling more like a home now. It is safe and snug. Soon we’ll have throw pillows, curtains.” She giggled.
He rolled his eyes. “Silly girl. I agree, I like our home, it is humble, but it is dry, it is safe and it is private. Sometimes it feels like we’re the only people on earth. That is kind of nice. And if or when we want company, we go to them, keeping our home private and secluded.”
“You’re right and I don’t even mind the three-hour walk, it is just nice and relaxing.” She sighed and smiled.
“It’s funny, I’d never have thought a six-hour walk would be so pleasant. I don’t think I’d want to do it every day, but every few weeks, I can do that.”
¤¤
Grayson sat atop the escarpment of a massive rock edifice. The wind was wilder up here, and blew across his face, drying the tears. From this vantage, he could see the gorge, and the river and its meandering course. He saw no man-made structures, only the vast wilderness set before him. Around him were macaques, a troupe inhabited these slopes and rocky crags. They were now used to him, and dotted the ground and promontory.
His eyes weren’t on them however, they were looking westward, dreamy and sad. Up here, he could not hear Carol’s sorrowful cries, here, the wind blew them away with his tears.
He felt hands on him, small but strong. It was one of the macaques, one of the females. She was grooming him, he could feel her dexterous hands in his hair. He didn’t know why she was doing it, he didn’t know why she would dare to come near him. He could easily kill her, but he hadn’t killed Carol.
He could have killed Carol, but he didn’t kill her, did he? No, he didn’t kill her but he watched her die. Yes, and that was why Carol was crying. But here, among the macaques, he could not hear her. In another hour the sun would go down and he would descend and then the night would be filled with her weeping.
For now, he felt at peace, the tiny hands working away his own grief. He felt movement in his lap, but he didn’t look down. It was a juvenile macaque. It was trusting, he thought it was the same one that always came to visit. There were several and he never moved, he was good at being still. He could kill it easily, but he didn’t, and he didn’t kill Carol. He didn’t need the meat because there was other prey that he found easily, but he wouldn’t eat their meat, nor would he eat Carol’s.
He felt the heat of tears slide down his face, and with each tear, a little of the madness left him. He felt a tiny hand grab his finger, and felt a soft smile curve his mouth. Then another body entered his lap, there were two now. There were never any male macaques to come near, they knew he was a big predator, but the females didn’t fear him. He didn’t think Carol feared him, she didn’t fear anything anymore, but she certainly cried a lot, but here, he could not hear her weeping.
In a little while now, he knew the macaques would leave to their sleeping places and would sleep and dream macaque dreams, of eating leaves, grooming, maybe they dreamed of him. A smile once more curved his face, how nice that a macaque would dream of him. He dreamed of Carol, she never left him, except for here. Here, he felt her slip away from him, along with his madness. Another tear slid down and was dried by the wind that blew around him.
He didn’t kill Carol, though he could have, but he didn’t and he saw who did. He thought perhaps if he killed them, maybe Carol would stop weeping and she would stop visiting him in his dreams. He would still come here to sit among the macaques though. Here the wind blew away the madness, and it blew away his sorrow.
Another female approached him, he didn’t move. He never moved. The two in his lap were fighting, but it was only for play. He wondered if tonight these small macaques would dream of him. Maybe he would dream of macaques tonight instead of Carol.
CHAPTER TEN
Diana, Gabe and Sam walked through the forest. It was a cool morning and Diana noticed that the mornings were increasingly cooler. She wondered how cold it would become there, it was supposed to be a tropical place, but she knew some regions did become cold, how cold remained to be seen.
Gabe was ahead of her and Sam was behind. Gabe was getting out more and socializing
