Abject in the Dust

Chapter 5 - A New Day Dawns

"It will take us the morning to walk to where the weapons are buried." Rize said as he climbed wearily from the small craft. "Will you not reconsider being our guide?"

"You mean you still plan to go? After everything I told you, you still plan to trek halfway across the continent?" Sam asked in disbelief, her face contorted with confusion.

"Of course." Rize replied without hesitation. "You said that the Kuznetsov is still afloat, so it is likely that much of the grain is still in good order."

"I said that she hadn't completely sunk and that was only because she had been grounded in shallow waters."

"Then my point still remains valid." Rize said with a warm smile.

"I don't think you understand the scale of destruction. It isn't a ship anymore. It's just huge chunks of twisted metal."

"Nevertheless."

"And even if you got on board and found your precious grain, how are you going to get it off and transport it back to where you came from? There's only two of you now."

"We will find a way." Rize smiled. "Of course, we would welcome your help, if you are offering?"

"I wasn't much interested when there was the prospect of something at the end of it, but I know what awaits you and it certainly isn't paradise."

"Then we will make do with the map." Rize said with a satisfied nod of his head.

"Yes, about that ..."

"You gave your word!" Lykke interrupted sharply.

"Don't you ever shut up?" Sam thrust the heavy bag of weapons at Lykke – a signal for her to carry them rather than some generous offer on Sam's part to return what she had taken. A signal which Lykke ignored as she let the bag fall to the ground with a heavy thud. "What I was trying to say ..." Sam sneered at Lykke. "... is that I'm not sure about going through the marshes. I had to crawl through mud for days at a time, constantly retracing my route because the way ahead was impassable. And the flow of the waters changes constantly. You might be better taking a route through the mountains – across the Balkans and the Caucuses and then follow the Black Sea round. Less likely to be flesh eaters in the mountains; too cold and too far from their food source."

"And more likely to be other predators along a route which is twice as far." Lykke sneered.

"Fine!" Sam shrugged her shoulders. "I was just trying to help. It makes no odds to me which route you take. If you live to see another sun rise it will be a miracle."

"We have survived long enough to see plenty of sunrises without your help." Lykke practically spat the words as she spoke.

Sam shrugged her shoulders again. "Pick up the bag then." She gestured at the weapons holdall.

"Pick it up yourself."

"No, you pick it up."

"I am not your servant."

"And how am I supposed to defend you, if I have to lug that around all day?"

"That is not my problem." Lykke said as she crossed her arms. "You took them from us, so you carry them."

"No, you carry them."

"I will carry them!" Rize said in an exasperated voice as he leant down and picked up the heavy holdall with some discomfort and started his way across the rocky shoreline.

"You'd let an old man carry that heavy holdall?" Sam shook her head in dismay at Lykke. " Some friend you are." She concluded as she walked away tutting, leaving Lykke with her mouth agog.