“I… no… that’s not at all…. oh, no… you misunderstood me,” Dale stammered.
Was this guy for real? I smiled, trying to relax him. “Kidding, Dale. Joke.”
“Oh, good lord, okay. I thought you were serious, and I just… I just want you to know that I wasn’t suggesting sex of any kind… with you or, you know, with anyone. I’m married. I have kids, so you know that would just be….” Dale stopped talking when he saw me smiling. “You know what, just forget I said anything.”
“No,” I grinned. “I’ll meet you behind the rocks in ten minutes. Just keep your damn hands to yourself.”
Dale’s face was scrunched in confusion and worry. He was a little ball of tension. I burst into laughter and patted him on the shoulder. “Again. Joke.”
Dale forced an uncomfortable laugh before returning to the fire. I saw him give me a sidelong glance filled with uncertainty. I waved. Dale turned another shade of crimson.
Marooned Rule #2
If found, a relic known as an ‘immunity idol’ may be kept and played during an elimination ceremony. If, after all votes have been cast, a player presents the idol, the votes placed against him or her will not count. Instead, the person with the second most votes will go home.
I met Dale in his secret hiding spot. He was there waiting, darting his head around looking for spies. I felt it was a little early in the game for such antics, but what did I know? Dale seemed a hell of a lot smarter than me, and it couldn’t hurt to align myself with him, especially seeing as I didn’t really have any other options to speak of.
“So what exactly are we doing?” I asked.
“I have a plan. I need your height.”
“Don’t you think Carl is more endowed in that area?” I asked, then, knowing how my brothers would take that rather innocent comment and turn it dirty, I figured I should probably clarify my question. “And when I sayendowed, I mean height, not dick size… you know, just so we’re clear.”
“No, I… yes… I understood your reference,” Dale answered, as if my remark were totally legitimate. “Anyway to answer your question, Carl is not on our side.”
“And we’re on the same side?”
“Oh… uh… I, uh… I just assumed we were on the same side. I mean, we were squeezed onto the loser log together. Was I being presumptuous?”
“No. You’re spot on. I still can’t believe he wouldn’t let me be quarterback.”
Dale nodded, “I know. For what it’s worth, I think you would have made a fine quarterback.”
“Actually, I would have totally sucked.”
“Yeah, I know. I was just being nice.”
Was that a sense of humor I was detecting in Dale? If so, we were going to get along nicely. “So, what do you need my height for?” I asked.
“I’ve made a mental map of all the areas where I think an immunity idol might exist. Starting with this rock formation. If you look up there” – he pointed up. “See that hole in the rock?”
I nodded.
“Can you reach?”
“You think there’s an idol in there?” I asked, thoroughly impressed.
“There’s a chance. And if we find it, we might survive the first vote.”
“Why trust me?”
Dale thought about my question for a moment and then said, “Why not?”
“Can’t argue with that logic.”
I scaled the rock formation and stuck my hand into the hole.
“There’s something,” I said, as I grasped the object inside.
