Children of a New Earth by R. J. Eliason Page B

we will do our absolute best to take care of you, see that you come to no harm. Marlin says he can fill you in on what he needs and all that.”
    Amy stared at him, fighting the anger. He never asked her, for one thing. Then he implied that she would be too scared to go, that they would have to take care of her. Finally he implied that she didn’t know what they needed, that she’d have to ask her father. Hell, she’d done most of the work on that damn list.
    Her father coughed weakly in the next room. That drained the anger from her. Her father was dying. Still, he remained faithful to his old philosophy. He did what was needed because he was the only one who could do it. Now it was Amy’s turn, for him. “I’ll be ready,” she answered.
    After Jacob left, she went into her father’s room. “I’m sorry it had to come to this,” he said as she entered.
    “I can take care of myself,” she replied, harsher than she had intended.
    “Thank you.”
    “For what?”
    “I heard you in the hall. Jacob may not have realized it, but I know how hard it is for you to help them.”
    I’m not doing it for them, I’m doing it for you, she wanted to say. “You’re welcome,” she said. Then she brightened. “Don’t worry, look what I’ve done.” She presented him an old mason jar of clear liquid.
    He sniffed it. “That’s your solution,” he joked, “taking up drinking?”
    She laughed. “Well, I figured there was almost half a year’s worth of corn thawing and rotting up in the freezer and we had that old still . . .”
    He roared with laughter, his old self for one minute as he caught on. That started another coughing fit, but he was still smiling when it was done. “And we have that old Jeep out back, just waiting for some fuel,” he finished.
    “See, we’ll be gone less than a week,” she said.
     
    “Haven’t seen you in a while,” Luke greeted Amy, a wary look in his eye.
    It might not have been apparent to anyone else, but Amy could see the hurt in his eyes. What had she done now? She shrugged. “So how’s the planning going?”
    “It’s going,” he evaded. He pulled her a little way away from the other boys, who were all waiting outside the communal hall for Jacob. “Look, I’m sorry. I don’t want to leave you alone. I don’t want to be away from you. I have to go; the ranch needs me. I am sorry there isn’t some way for us to be together this summer.”
    Is that what he is upset about? Well, then again, that should have been obvious. The last thing she had said to him was just that. She’d gotten over it, of course, but then she found out about her father and that had pushed everything else out of her mind. The mission was only two days away, and they hadn’t seen each other in all that time.
    “Oh well,” she said punching him lightly on the arm, “I guess I’ll just have to come with then.”
    He stared at her like she was nuts. He was trying to decide whether she was joking or not. In spite of everything, she laughed aloud.
    Luke’s expression changed to sheer disbelief as Jacob approached and said, “Good morning, Amy, I am glad you could make it. We will be getting started right away if that’s okay.”
    “Yes sir,” she replied with a sarcastic salute.
    “Her!?” Shawn exploded. “But she’s, she’s . . . a girl!”
    “Thanks for noticing,” Amy replied with a sneer.
    “That’s enough, soldier,” Jacob warned before Shawn could reply. Jacob was acting like a man trapped between rabid raccoons. Since last night, he had come to the conclusion that he was going to have to get along with Amy, somehow. Before the meeting and during his introduction, he had gone out of his way to treat her respectfully. Now the reaction of his men was about to undo all his work.
    “Sir, have you considered the ramifications of a girl—” Patrick spoke, calmer than Shawn, but still very hostile.
    “Yes,” Jacob cut him off. “Just as I have considered the ramifications of not