Talitha Koum

Chapter 23

TALITHA KOUM

CHAPTER 23

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“But the plan is too dangerous!” Tom’s voice was hushed.

They had been returned to their tent. The meeting with Abda would not be until the next morning.

“You could be killed,” Tom whispered at Julie. “We could all be killed.”

Julie frowned at him. “Why are you whispering?”

“Because the guards can hear us.”

“Tom! Look at us!” She gestured at herself and Mr. Fong. “Right now, we are literally the only three human beings in all of Asia Minor who speak English!”

Tom sat up in the couch where he was. He spoke up in a louder voice. “The plan is too dangerous. It…”

She waved him to silence. “We have to get the car back. We have no choice.”

Mr. Fong shook his head. “Now that, not just Dr. Tom, even I no understand. We all know car broken, but you tell lord Pang it working. When he find out…!” He wagged his finger at her.

“Okay, so I led him on a little.” She shrugged.

Mr. Fong and Tom’s eyes met.

Tom buried his face in his hands. “He’s going to kill us.”

“No, Tom. He was going to kill us. For sure. And now, for the moment, he has not. I, for one, would call that making progress. You guys should thank me.”

Mr. Fong’s eyes widened. “Thank you…?!”

Julie smiled. “You’re welcome.”

Tom’s head popped back up. “What on earth would you need the car for anyway? It’s all smashed up! It probably won’t even run anymore.”

“I don’t need it to run.”

“What?”

“Look.” She held her hands up, ready to teach the class. “It’s really very logical. Let’s just think this one through a little bit.” She regarded one and then the other man. “Throughout this whole affair, this whole crazy thing—us being here, us getting here somehow—what has been the linchpin to the entire incident? The one thing, without which, would have made this whole experience impossible?”

Mr. Fong raised his hand. “I know…”

“DaNI?” Tom asked. “It’s always going to be DaNI, isn’t it?”

Julie nodded. “If it wasn’t for Pang’s men, if they hadn’t shown up when they did and destroyed our solar panels, I am convinced that I would have gotten DaNI to figure this out already. Even now, I’m sure that I only need a few minutes with him and I’ll have a clearer plan that’ll get us back on track and back on a course that will take us home.”

Tom shook his head. “So, what does that have to do with the car?”

Julie frowned. “You do know the solar panels are broken?”

Tom nodded.

“And that DaNI needs electricity to run, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So, right now, the only thing in this time and place that can give us a reasonable, workable current of electricity, so we can boot up DaNI, is inside the hood of that car…”

Tom frowned. “The battery?”

Julie sat back, nodding.

Mr. Fong scratched his head. “But how you know battery still working?”

“How do I know if anything is still working?” Julie sighed. “We’ll figure that out when we get the car back.”

Tom scrunched his eyes together. He grimaced. “I don’t know…”

Julie turned to him and bumped him on the arm. “Do you want to go back home or not?”

“Well…”

“I happen to want to go back home. I still have a life there. A career, a good apartment.”

“But…”

“Or would you prefer staying here for the rest of your life?” She planted her hands on her hips. “What? You like the desert? Better for your skin? You were thinking of settling down? Putting a down payment on a nice…tent? Getting married? Starting a family, perhaps? With two or three little ones, running around…”

Mr. Fong spoke up. “Four, actually.” He coughed. “All sons.” He made eyes at Tom.

“What?” Julie looked to Mr. Fong.

Tom spoke up first. “Mr. Fong! Don’t you dare!”

She crossed her arms. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Nothing!” Tom moved to stand between Mr. Fong and Julie. “It’s just some…guy stuff…”

“No, but…” Mr. Fong didn’t get to finish. Tom was holding his hand up to his mouth.

Julie scowled at the other two. “Men!” She wandered over to the table and picked up a piece of fruit.

Mr. Fong’s head slithered out from behind Tom. “Oh…!” He smiled at her.

“Don’t even think about it!” She spun around and jabbed her finger at him. “My poo’s just fine!”