Part 32 (2/2)

David smiled. ”We get this stuff all settled, I'll take you two to some really amazing vistas around here. You won't believe your eyes.”

Annja smiled. ”Sounds great.”

”It's a date,” Jenny said, squeezing David's arm.

”Let's keep going. We shouldn't be much more than ten minutes away from town,” he said.

The footpath widened and Annja walked next to Jenny behind David. Jenny smiled at her. ”It is nice here, isn't it?”

”Definitely.”

”Makes all the rest of the world seem, I don't know, somehow unimportant, doesn't it?”

Annja knew what she was getting at. The thought of leaving the stress behind and just hiding out in a place like this that seemed immune from all the chaos of the modern world was very appealing. The problem was, could Annja ever do that? Could she ever escape?

With my luck, she thought, I'd move out to someplace like this, only to have the chaos follow me.

”Maybe someday,” Annja said.

”Someday what?”

”Maybe someday a place like this will be possible. But for now, I don't belong here. I've got other things to do first.”

Jenny frowned. ”Is that you talking or the sword?”

”Both,” Annja said. ”I don't think I can separate myself from it if I tried.”

Jenny shook her head. ”I don't envy you.”

David stopped. ”What's this about a sword?”

Jenny glanced quickly at Annja. ”Nothing. Just two history fanatics talking about our past digs.”

”That archaeology stuff?”

”Yeah.”

David nodded. ”We're almost there.”

Annja looked up ahead and could see small breaks in the trees. The footpath itself seemed a lot more worn, as well. There was evidence of more human traffic than animal. But the stream kept bubbling along next to them.

Jenny pointed. ”Look at the bridge.”

David nodded. ”We had it built. It's not much, but a few of us got together and put it up, figuring it would make for a nice place to walk with that special someone.” He smiled. ”You like it?”

”Definitely,” she said.

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