Part 9 (1/2)
”You'll have to figure that out yourself,” she said. ”Evelyn, you ready with the batter?”
Evelyn knelt beside Dixie and tilted the mixing bowl so Dixie could sc.r.a.pe the cake batter into the great iron Dutch oven.
”I'd like to flip, just to see what everyone's talking about,” Amy said.
”Ride with Abo,” said Dixie with a grunt as she hoisted the Dutch oven over the bed of coals. Evelyn offered to wash the bowl.
”Leave it for Abo,” said Dixie.
”Leave it for JT, you mean,” said Abo.
Who at that moment came over lugging a full jug of water.
”I'm taking a survey,” Peter said. ”How many times have you you flipped?” flipped?”
JT set the jug on the drink table. The corners of his eyes crinkled. ”Why're you asking?”
”I'm trying to figure out the safest boat to ride in.”
”Not mine,” said Dixie.
”Or mine,” said Abo.
”Definitely not mine,” said JT.
They were all joking, and Evelyn knew that, but joking was one thing she had never been very good at. She wished right now that she could say something that would make them all laugh, and admire her, and want to ride with her tomorrow.
”How do you tell when ravioli is done?” Abo said, poking a long spoon into the pot.
”When they float,” said Amy.
”Oh,” said Abo. ”Okay. DINNER!”
Amy sc.r.a.ped the pile of red peppers into Peter's salad. They faced one another, beaming, and high-fived.
”WASH YOUR HANDS!” Abo yelled.
Evelyn stood in line and hugged a plate to her chest.
”My oh my,” said Lloyd, peering into the pot.
”Get in line, Lloyd,” said Ruth.
”Where have you been?” Mark asked Jill, who had rejoined the group.
”Talking with Susan.”
”You look very rested,” said Mark.
”I am,” said Jill. ”Oh Evelyn, I'm sorry, were you in line?”
Evelyn didn't understand how it could appear that she might not not be in line. She told Jill to go ahead, but Jill insisted Evelyn go first, so Evelyn picked up a plate and made her way through the food line. Her shoulders ached from paddling, and as she carried her plate across the sand, she thought of Julian, who kept a set of weights in front of his television set. She should buy a set of weights. be in line. She told Jill to go ahead, but Jill insisted Evelyn go first, so Evelyn picked up a plate and made her way through the food line. Her shoulders ached from paddling, and as she carried her plate across the sand, she thought of Julian, who kept a set of weights in front of his television set. She should buy a set of weights.
Suddenly famished, she sat down in a central spot and waited for others to join her.
That evening the bats came out. One minute there was nothing; the next minute they swarmed down from the cliffs, fluttering in jerky loops. The air seemed hotter than it had during the day, a phenomenon that Mitch.e.l.l claimed made no sense but which JT knew could easily happen on a midsummer evening.
Already he could sense the water levels rising for the night; even though the surge from the dam wouldn't come until after eleven or so, the waves seemed to lap more hungrily at the sh.o.r.eline. They were camped right below Saddle Canyon, at River Mile 47, and before turning in for the night, he enlisted the help of Abo and Dixie to move the kitchen back a few feet, just to be safe.
He was tired but sensed he wouldn't sleep much tonight. He couldn't have said just why. Maybe because of the heat; maybe because of Ruth's leg, which wasn't looking any better when he rebandaged it that night. Then too there was the dog, who-despite a second tomato juice bath-still smelled like skunk. At least they had a better-fitting life jacket for him now.
Wearily he dried his feet, rubbed them with cream, and put on his socks. He stretched out on his sleeping pad and told himself to stop worrying so much. In the grand scheme of a river trip, one sc.r.a.ped s.h.i.+n and a skunked-up dog were minor things. They'd be fine. Letting his weight settle, he sighed deeply and closed his eyes, feeling his boat gently bobbing in the shallows, listening to the rea.s.suring murmur of nearby voices.
Up at Glen Canyon Dam, the engineers opened the spillways, and beneath the stars the river rose.
July 6 Day Three
This morning we stopped at this humongous cavern. People played Frisbee, which I hate, I've never been able to throw it right, it always flies slanted and then rolls away and everyone gets p.i.s.sed at me. They tried to make me play but I took out my camera and pretended I was busy and they figured it out and were probably relieved anyway.
Then we stopped at this tunnel where they were going to build a dam. This is where things get interesting. We go into the tunnel, and it gets really really dark. At some point Mitch.e.l.l decides to take a picture, and the flash spooks the dog, and the dog bolts. Sam's dad gets mad at Sam because Sam was supposed to hang on to the dog. Sam's mom yells at Sam's dad for yelling at Sam. Anyway, we head back-and THE DOG'S GOTTEN INTO A SKUNK!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't even know they had skunks in the Grand Canyon!!!!!!!! The dog totally REEKED, and JT washed him with tomato juice, but it didn't help AT ALL. So now we have a dog that smells like skunk.
I love sleeping out in the open. But Mom wants me to sleep near her. What does she think-I'm going to go have s.e.x with the guides?
Like they'd want to.
DAY FOUR.
River Miles 4760 Saddle Canyon to Sixty-Mile Rapid
18.
Day Four, Morning Miles 4753 It was still dark the next morning when a noise from the kitchen startled JT awake. He sat up. Often the ringtail cats came scrounging for food in the night, and he didn't want to face a mess this morning. Taking care not to step on the dog, who lay curled in the well of his boat, he strapped on his headlamp and hopped off his boat onto the damp sand. The wide expanse of beach was pale against the dark blur of water, rock, and thicket. JT wedged his feet into his flip-flops and headed toward the kitchen, wondering why the dog hadn't sensed anything.
But instead of a ringtail, he saw a human form bent over the kitchen supply boxes.
”Lloyd,” whispered JT. ”What do you need?”
Startled, Lloyd raised his arm, as if to strike.
”Lloyd, it's JT,” he said gently. ”What are you looking for?”