Page 94 of What Blooms in Barren Lands

“Even in death, he doesn’t abandon his post. I can respect that,” Dave remarked upon observing him.

Russ and I snickered appreciatively, and the air around us seemed to unclench a bit, but for no more than a few seconds.

“How many times do I have to tell you to keep it quiet?!” Einar’s stern voice cut off the lingering laughter, its proprietor tense and unsmiling. “Any volunteers for the first guard shift?”

“Yeah, I’ll gladly join yon, Mr Boner,” Dave offered and went to take his post, but no one laughed at his quip this time.

After everyone had settled, Einar instructed Mickey and Cyril, two of our younger recruits, to drive away to gather canteen-sized pans of seawater for boiling and sterilisation, warning them to stay out of the sight of the fortress.

“Just this once, don’t worry about wasting petrol. And park somewhere away from here when you come back,” he shouted after them as they sauntered off, letting their displeasure be known from their postures and muttering, if not from directly confronting their uncharacteristically restless leader.

“The rest of you, make bloody certain not to be seen from the road, no matter what you do! We’re truly in enemy territory here, don’t you underestimate that or we may all be dead!”

Einar strode between the tents with hands behind his back like a general, his energy that of a cornered Dobermann. Withinfifteen minutes of arriving, he had already threatened three people with flogging, and they were no empty threats either.

“Uhm, love ...” I crossed his path, and the look in his eyes sharpened with anger. “Is Bastien still in the car boot? I’m only asking because it’s been hours, and it is quite hot ...”

“Oh, bollocks!” Einar rushed past me and out on the road where he wrenched the silver Mazda’s boot open, dragging the little body out.

Bastien was alive but nearly unconscious. He was red in the face and struggling to keep his eyes open. Einar carried him inside the restaurant with its cool, chessboard-like chequered tiles. A small circle of onlookers gathered around, and he laid the child down.

“Take the gag out of his mouth, pal.”

“I’d rather not. I don’t want him to make too much noise.”

“He ain’t making noise anytime soon,” Josh pointed out dryly. “Do it or he may actually croak.”

“A bit prematurely at that,” Einar grumbled, but did as instructed and then splashed some water on the boy’s face. “Show’s over,” he addressed the rest of us irritably. “I don’t need any of you, except Josh. Go already, there’s plenty to do!”

The small crowd dispersed as quickly as it had formed.

“You too, princess,” Einar snapped when I remained motionless by his side, glaring up at me as he knelt by the cannibal. “I said, anyone but Josh, didn’t I?”

I turned to go, ears burning, and my fists clenched.

“Did you not hear me the first time or what? Or do you think the normal rules don’t apply to you and you can just ignore what I say?”

Whipping around, I discovered that Einar had pursued me on my way out, pink in the face and a vein throbbing in his temple.

“I’m going now, alright? Leave me alone. Oww!” I cried complainingly as he grabbed my arm, though his grip wasn’t firm enough to be truly painful.

I saw Josh cast a disapproving look in the direction of Einar’s back.

“I’m asking you something and you’ll answer me before going anywhere!”

“My answer is that I thought I might help, an honest and well-meaning mistake, you ... bloody ... boorish ... brute!”

With a jerk, I escaped his grasp and finally stormed outside.

About an hour later, the sun was low and orange above the horizon. I was returning to the camp from a secluded spot where I had tended to my more private needs when Einar appeared seemingly out of nowhere and crashed into me, embracing me forcefully without slowing his step. His hands found their way underneath my top and ran up and down my bare back before one of them buried itself in my pants, its fingers seeking me with the ferocity of an invasion. His breath was ragged in my ear.

“No, stop! I’m mad at you!”

Trying to push him away was like trying to push an automobile up a steep hill.

“Einar, no! What are you doing? No!”

He tore into my hair as he undid my plait, and my breath seized. He tugged the bow and quiver off my back. Then he threw me over his shoulder and carried me further away to a nearby tree alcove.