Storm World Ch. 10

"See that gray haze, Commander?" Benjamin asked as the rest of the party caught up to him. They stood on a gentle slope among broad leaved vines up to their hips. Benjamin pointed his machete through the trees at what looked very much like steam hanging between thick trunks.

"What is it?" M`peth qHo asked, panting and drinking from her canteen. Once again she was glad she had taken off the lower half of her suit even if her fatigues were soaking wet from the underbrush. It was hot enough wearing the torso without its sleeves.

"That is the very outer edge of the marshes," he told her. "I call it the Grimpen Mire. That's a literary reference. It doesn't mean anything. Just something to help me remember locations. I used to call the cave where we live King Solomon's Mine. Made it easier to tell people where I was or where I was going to be."

"How practical of you," she said, at the moment not really caring why the Human named anything. "You say it is the very outer edge. How much farther is the marsh proper?"

"The trees thin out to low, scraggly things about half a kilometer in," Benjamin said. "We'll hit the soupy ground about a kilometer later. Ground's all mushy before then, but we'll just sink to our ankles in most of that. There are ridges of rock we can go over. That will save us time. Have to zigzag a bunch, but if we tried going straight we'd just wear ourselves out and not get as far before dark."

"And what about the soupy stuff, as you call it?" she asked, straightening and adjusting her pack straps.

"Believe it or not, the bottom is a little firmer than the muck," he said. "Lots of plants will be in our way. They break off fairly easy and we can always cut through them if it comes to that. We'll find a few islands where we can rest. There's one we should overnight on. It's big and nothing much goes up on it. Big rock thrown from the volcano is what it really is. Anyway, let's worry about it in the morning."

"There is much time before the sun will set," she protested.

"We're all dog tired, Commander," he countered. "Out here, you don't push yourself too hard unless you're running away from something. We'll need all our strength to reach the first island before noon tomorrow. And then we'll have to really leg it to get to an overnight spot."

His statement was punctuated by a long, deep, mournful bellow from some point beyond the gray haze. It was answered a beat later by another bellow from farther away. The sounds were so powerful they could be felt through the soles of the feet. The cats all looked, straining their eyes and ears for any clue as to what behemoth might have made such a call.

"Gracie and George, I think," Benjamin said with a grin. He waved his machete dismissively. "One is up on shore somewhere. Don't worry about them. They aren't interested in the likes of us. And they might be helping, too. I was sort of hoping they'd be around."

"Very well, Benjamin. We must trust your judgement," M`peth qHo said, still looking apprehensively into the mist. "Where do you propose we set up camp?"

"Over there," he said waving his machete at a point beyond a stand of trees to the north west. "The ground rises a bit. It's a good spot. Better than what we had last night. Come on. The sooner we get camp pitched, the sooner we can all rest and eat."

So the next day's troubles were set aside and Benjamin led the travel worn troupe through more jungle to the rise and an early camp.

*****

*Jiq'a – 12 Jiq' = 1.6002 Meters

*tTriel Da – 12 tTriel = 2,765.1456 Meters

*Jaq`Huilla – a small freshwater crustacean from one of the Protectorate worlds. jZav`Etch favor them for a variety of dishes and frequently pickle them in vinegar.

*jeq`istle – jZav'Etch fero-plas pistol – light, compact weapon equivalent to a .38 special.

*Chisq` Kah` – the offer of a female to have sex with a male without commitment (casual sex).

*Chaq` Ka` shisk – a proposal of marriage

*****

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