(1) Sasha and the Collar Girl Part 1

Sasha and Kim encounter an old man pulling a girl wearing a leather collar.

Sasha and the Collar Girl

Part One

At first we thought it was an old man and his daughter, but as we drew near, we saw that the girl had a leather collar around her neck and a rope, of about twenty feet, connected to the collar.  There was a glaze in her eyes, and at first I thought she might be blind.  The old man was sharpening a knife on a stone, and when he became aware of us, alarm changed his visage.  He grabbed an old shotgun and pointed it in our direction.  I lifted my hands to my sides and showed him my open palms.  I had to take shallow breaths, because as I neared him, I smelled his foul odor.

“Who are you?”  His voice was thick with suspicion.

“Travelers, like yourself, Sir,” I answered. “Harmless.”

“What do you want?”

“We trade goods for goods?  How about you?  Will you trade?”

“What are you looking for?”

“The same things as all who survived the Fog.  Food, clothing, guns, ammunition, and transportation.”

“I got none of that, except what you see.”  He waved his shotgun.

The girl had hardly moved.  She might have given us a disinterested glance, but that might have been because she heard our voices.

“Who’s the girl?  Your daughter?”

His laugh was a cackle.  “That’s a good one.”  His grin changed to a scowl. “I ain’t no pervert.  ‘Course she’s not my daughter.  I bought her up north.  North of Tahoe.  There’s a crew up there that’s got a bunch of them for sale.  They robbed me though.”

He picked up a good sized twig and threw it at the girl, hitting the side of her face. Now that I was close, I could see that she was about sixteen. Her hair was filthy, and she stank even worse than he did.  I moved to the side away from downwind.

“They said she could cook, but she ain’t no use but for just one thing.”  He spit at her, making his anger with the girl obvious.

“One thing, huh?”  I laughed.  I gave Sasha a lascivious grin and said, “I understand that.  I could use another, girl.  Will you trade for her?”

“Hell, no, I won’t trade her.  I don’t care if she can’t cook.  She keeps me satisfied and warm at night.  That’s more than a lot of men got these days.”

“I’ve got an extra wagon and a horse.”

Surprise widened his eyes and greed kept them wide, but suspicion still control his voice.  “A wagon and a horse?  A nag I’ll bet.  I bet the thing’s half dead.  The wagon will be useless.”

“She’s a good horse.  Healthy.  I keep all my livestock healthy.  Just look at her.”  I pointed to Sasha who had sat down at my feet.

The old man’s face turned thoughtful.  “She does look healthy.  Don’t she try to run away?”

“She knows better.”

He emitted a contemptuous laugh.  “This one didn’t.  Had to beat her half to death before she learned.”  The girl’s vacant expression didn’t change.

“Our camp is about an hour away.”

I could see that he was considering the offer.  The wagon was a powerful inducement and the horse an even greater one.

“Where you from?” he asked.

“There’s group of us to the east.  About thirty men and half that number of women.  A few kids.”

His eyes narrowed.  “Maybe you’re trying to lead me into a trap.”

“We have wagons.  We have horses.  We have women and guns.  We don’t need an old man and an extra knife.”

He recognized the truth of that by my clean clothes and by Sasha.

“Where’s this wagon and horse?  Why aren’t they with you?”

“I always rest my horse, just like I rest my women.  Can’t ride ‘em forever.  I put my horse in a little gully and set the wagon sideways, so it couldn’t roam.  If you’re willing to take a walk, I show you.”

He considered that and then observed, “You’re not American, are you.”

“If you mean that I’m not Caucasian, the answer’s no.  My parents were Korean.  Does it matter?” I let my voice become belligerent.

“No, no,” he answered hastily. “Tell you what.  You walk ahead and let your girl walk by me.  I’ll feel safer.”

“Fine, but don’t touch her.  Got that?”

“Hands off.  Just show me this wagon.”

“Sasha, stay by this man,” I commanded in a stern voice.  She lowered her eyes and nodded.

I led the way, and he followed, dragging the girl behind him, holding his shotgun.  He hardly noticed Sasha falling into step next to him.  The fool did not know that his death walked at his side.