Eric--Part Fifteen

Splog # 75

Fifteen

   Eric looked at Nol, wondering if he should take him up on his offer. The moon had started slowly sinking and, when it left the sky, he expected that the countryside would be quite dark. He couldn't do anything or go anywhere by himself out here without light to guide him. And anyway, what would he do or where would he go, even in the daylight? He looked from Nol to Bev and was surprised to see that she had another rabbit in her arms. Or maybe it was the same rabbit. What difference did it make?

   He opened his mouth to acquiesce to Nol's suggestion, and froze as he heard the sound of a whistle piercing the night. A train whistle - and underneath it he heard the sound of a locomotive coming down the tracks he had crossed earlier.

   Nol grabbed his arm and said, "We better get out of here."

   The urgency in his voice pulled Eric along with him for a few steps, but then Eric tugged himself from Nol's grasp and turned back to where the sounds of the train were coming from.

   "Cor, what are you doing? They could be here any minute. We can't be found here when they arrive."

   Nol was standing a few steps down the path that led to the left. He seemed torn between his need to get away and his desire to bring Eric with him. Bev was further down the path, almost out of sight in the shadows.

   "Who's coming and what are they going to do? And why are you so afraid of them?"

   Nol looked at Eric with an expression of utter disbelief.

   "What are you talking about? You know the answers to those questions better than I do. How can you stand there and ask idiotic questions when any minute we'll be taken and any hope we've had of bringing the faces back and destroying the hun-fire will be gone forever?"

   Nol had been talking very quickly and his voice had gotten louder and louder to compensate for the sound of the approaching train, which now sounded very close indeed.

   As he shouted the last words, Bev ran back to Eric. As she passed Nol, she said, close to his face,

   "Didn't you hear him say he's not Cor?"

   When she reached Eric, she put the rabbit down and took him by the hand. Then she started talking and, as she talked, she slowly led him towards the path that led to the left, away from the clearing where the building had once stood, now occupied only by a free-standing door.

   "Eric, I understand that you're confused about everything that's been happening and you have to pardon Nol. Sometimes when a lot of things happen at once he loses his flexibility and starts acting like he knows what's best for everyone to do." She gave Nol a stern look. They had reached the path which she slowly led Eric along, followed by Nol and the rabbit. "We'll tell you everything you want to know and let you make your own decisions about whatever you want to do. But right now it would be best if we got as far away as possible from the people who are going to be getting off that train to examine the result of the hun-fire that happened back there. If they find us nearby, they might think that we were responsible and we can't really prove that we weren't and that could lead to extreme unpleasantness. So you see why we should get away as quickly as possible?"

   Eric just nodded his head. Bev smiled and resumed her persuasive reasoning.

   "We can't really run because it's too dark and you don't know the trail that well and, besides, we'd probably make too much noise. We'll walk as quickly as possible, single file. Stay as close behind me as you can. Nol, give me your belt. Nol will stay behind you, Eric. Try to keep moving or he may give you a prod if he thinks we're getting too slow. Here, wrap this end of his belt around your hand. I'll hold the buckle and that way I won't get ahead of you. Is all of that ok with you, Eric?"

   "If it's as important as you say, then I guess it's ok with me."

   Bev let go Eric's hand after a brief squeeze and the three of them hurried along the trail.