“I heard that cavemen from other tribes have set up a camp outside the walls,” Morgan says. “They’re willing to risk being killed for being on Borok turf just for a chance to abduct one of us.”
“There’s a lot of them, too,” Theodora says. “More arrive each day. From tribes far away.”
“Something’s going to happen,” I agree with a shudder. “The tribe seems really tense.”
“Our position isn’t strong,” Theodora agrees. “Only Korr’ax and the other married men are keeping the Borok men from passing us around like bongs at a frat party. They are plainly the strongest members of the tribe, but the tribe does consist of hundreds of men. If they decide that they’re done looking without being allowed to get close to us, that could be the end.”
“I hope that never happens,” Cora says. “But if it does, at least we have a lifeboat.” She nods towards the saucer.
“Do we?” I ask. “Dex uses it all day long. If we suddenly need it, we better hope it’s at night.”
“And that the creepy little Plood inside doesn’t suddenly come alive.”
“Nah, that doesn’t worry me,” Morgan says. “Those Plood are a servant species. Don’t you think they’ll do what you tell them? As long as they don’t have a master from before? They may actually… sorry, I keep debating myself.”
“Maybe,” I say slowly. “Unless they’re hard-wired to obey dragons only.”
The penthouse goes quiet as we all think about the dragons that the Plood served before, and likely still serve.
Chief Korr’ax and his wife, Bryar, are on a trip to the Tretter tribe, where Korr’ax is also the chief. We can see their campfire from up here, a small pinprick of yellow light in the distance. We all know that if the regular, wife-less members of the Borok tribe were to attack, it will happen when Korr’ax is either not here or if they murder him first.
“This is all very gloomy talk,” I state. “I’m still astonished how we’ve changed our lives from living in that saucer on the beachand barely daring to look outside to living in a tribe with all kinds of clothing, and food, and luxuries. There’s even a view!”
“It’s incredible,” Morgan agrees. “I can’t remember the last time I could actually eat until I was full. It’s a real luxury. I can stand one or two cavemen suddenly touching me if that’s the price for not starving.”
I put my hand lightly on Morgan’s arm. “That was an unpleasant moment. You handled it really well, though.”
“Me? I didn’t do anything. It was that big guard, the one with the blue stripes and the hard eyes. I think he came from a different tribe some time ago, and he was so impressive that Korr’ax let him join this one.”
“Oh, the one who looks like that Russian boxer inRocky IV?” Cora asks. “You don’t know who I mean? Nobody watches the classics anymore. It’s a shame. Swedish actor. Big, and blond. Looks like he’s always busy planning your demise.”
I glance toward the stairs that wind down the Red Mountain. Even from up here, I can see him in my mind: the tall guard stepping in like a wall when that young caveman got too close, the calm way he grabbed the guy’s wrist like it was nothing.
Hard eyes, Morgan called them. They didn’t look hard to me—just watchful, like he was measuring everything around him and deciding how dangerous it was.
For a moment, I wonder what it would be like to have someone like that on your side all the time.
- - -
It must be well after midnight. There’s no flickering light from the common campfire down on ground level, and I haven’t heard anyone talk for a while.
I tiptoe out of the cave I’ve been given, right by the carved stone steps that lead up to the penthouse or down to the ground level.
The only thing I can hear is the jungle, a constant, low-level roar always in the background. But that doesn’t concern me now.
I know there are guards at the ground level, and sometimes they walk up the stairs to check that everything is calm. If I run into one, I’ll just pretend that I’m lost.
The carved steps are taller than comfortable for Earth girls, but the cavemen have placed wooden boxes that make each step just half as tall. I can’t use those now, because I know they creak. So I take my time and make my way up, one tall step at a time, without getting too winded.
At the top, I stop and listen. The Chief’s cave is dark and quiet, which doesn’t mean much—even if Korr’ax and Bryar aren’t there, many of the Earth girls like sleeping there if their husbands are away on a hunt or some other mission.
But I’m not too concerned about Earth girls. They would understand what I’m doing. It’s Dex the drone I don’t want to meet.
The saucer is where he landed it, eerie blue and faintly humming. The hatch is open, and if Dex is inside, I guess I’ll just have to explain to him what I’m doing and why.
I quickly walk up to the saucer and step up onto the floor. It’s a strange feeling—this saucer was my home for years when it wascrashed and not working on the beach. And back then, the floor wasn’t straight and level like it is now.
The blue light doesn’t give me a homely feeling—I never liked it. Some old furs and leather sheets and such are bunched together along one wall, unused and unneeded.
