123 The Old Man and the Fee (1/2)
They all slept like logs. Their journey and the heavy food knocked them out, and no one minded the fact that the six of them were squeezed like sardines in the narrow trailer. They had all carried all their baggage inside: it was all they had left, and they wanted to keep it close. Li Yang slept with his backpack serving as a pillow, as did Jake.
Jimmy Dow woke them all up knocking on the door just after eight. He'd come to tell Harper the big pow-wow with the Poet was scheduled for ten. He also invited all of them to breakfast: it was laid on and waiting, he said.
Li Yang and Jake left the trailer immediately, and went to the stream to freshen up. The breakfast consisted of leftovers from last night's feast, but they didn't mind. They both got busy, Li Yang gnawing on a piece of meat and Jake on a cob of corn. They were so immersed in this activity they took next to no notice of other arrivals at the breakfast table. These included Harper and Jimmy, who sat directly across them.
And so, Li Yang and Jake Donato could not help but overhear what Jimmy was saying to Harper. And Jimmy was saying:
”Listen, bro, that's simply the way we do things here. Everything's shared. We share what we have, and we share what we get. And we're gonna get a whole fucking lot of stuff, man. To begin with, we goin' to get a couple of more trailers. One of them exclusively for you guys. Then we goin' to help out with the licenses. You a little short, we take care of that. But in return, we expect you to share what you have, too. Without keeping anything back. So when we go in to talk with the Poet, keep that in mind, bro. That's just the way we do things around here.”
By that time, both Li Yang and Jake were totally tuned into what Jimmy was saying, and they got a shock when Olga inserted her head between theirs and said:
”Guys?”
”What?” Jake said, angry at having been startled.
”You want to go for a ride? I'm going to town to have a look around. It would be nice to have company. And if you don't turn out to be total assholes, I might tell you something very interesting.”
Li Yang and Jake looked at each other. Then Jake said:
”Sure. After we've finished eating, and taken a dump.”
”A dump?”
”After we've had a shit. Don't you Russians ever shit?”
”We do,” said Olga. ”We just don't talk about it all the time like you Americans do. Shit this, shit that.”
”We talk about shit all the time?”
”You do. Every second word is shit or fuck. I guess it says a lot about what you are like.”
”Nice,” said Jake. ”And you're saying you want us to come with you?”
Olga shrugged.
”Do whatever you like,” she told Jake. ”I'm leaving in a few minutes. You'll be sorry, later, if you don't come with me. It's your choice.”
They finished eating quickly, and did what they had to do in the bushes. When they returned to the camp, Olga was waiting, standing beside her bicycle and wearing her backpack.
”Are you coming with me?” she asked.
”Yes,” said Li Yang.
”Then hurry up. And better take your stuff. Just in case.”
Li Yang was tempted to ask in case of what, but Jake pulled on his sleeve and they went to get their bikes and their backpacks.
Harper came round to the trailer just as they were about ready, and asked:
”And where are you guys off to? What's happening?”
”We're going to check out the town,” Jake told him. ”We didn't see much of it yesterday. Maybe we'll come across something interesting.”
”But why are you taking your backpacks? You're coming back, right?”
”I'm not going to leave my stuff lying around,” said Li Yang, and Jake nodded in affirmation.
Harper sighed.
”I understand,” he said. ”I understand only too well. I'll see you later, then.”
They joined Olga with the intention of asking her a couple of questions, but they saw a man they'd never seen before emerge from the first trailer and stare at them in an unfriendly manner. So they all got on their bikes and quickly pedaled down the dirt track and turned towards the town when they reached the crossroads by the burned-out Paradise Villas.