harder.”
“So, what do we do if people start asking questions?”
“We just gotta hope Mr. Jacobs wakes up before then.” Devon shook his head, a worried
expression on his face.
Devon’s moment of reflection was disturbed by someone’s approach.
“What did you find, Devon?”
Devon smiled in relief when he saw that it was Deke who was speaking. The man
swayed a bit unsteadily, but seemed otherwise okay.
“The emergency exit I checked out looked fine; no blockage. I also found the cargo
compartment. Some of the luggage has broken loose and there is a big gash in the side of the
compartment, but that looks like about it.”
“Good, good.” Deke nodded his head vigorously and then had to catch himself on the
nearest seat. His eyes spun, as if he were dizzy. “I guess I am not as well as I thought.”
Jacinda came up behind Deke and took his hand. “You had better sit down, Mr. Jacobs.
We’ll take you up to our seats.” She pulled on Deke’s hand, leading him up the aisle like a
protective mother hen. As they passed, children asked Deke if everything would be alright. He
reassured them with a slow nod and a confident smile.
Devon sealed the hatch in the floor and followed the others a moment later.
It only took a few moments for them to reach the front row, but Deke looked very much
worse for wear. Sweat had broken out on Deke’s forehead and he was breathing heavily.
Jacinda and Merrell helped him sit down carefully, but he still winced.
“Easy, kids, I’m a bit fragile at the moment.” He managed a weak smile, but even that
soon faded.
Terry looked over from across the aisle, a sneer on his face. “I thought this guy was
supposed to be tough. He doesn’t seem it to me.” He sniffed, grinning.
Jacinda turned on him and snapped, “Okay, Terry, how about I smack you in the head
and see how tough you are.”
“Yeah, right,” he said with a laugh.
Jacinda drew in a deep breath, ready to give Terry a fierce tongue-lashing. Fortunately
for Terry, Merrell stepped between the two. He loomed over Terry, a burly giant in the cramped
aisle. “How about I smack you in the head, Terry?”
Terry’s face turned pale. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“I’ve wanted to do it for four years, ever since I met you. Want to test me?”
Terry’s face fell, filled with fear. After a moment the fear disappeared, replaced with a
look of Bravado. “Okay, I have been friends with you and your brothers for a long time, so I’ll
let this go this time. But just this time.”
Terry slipped past Merrell and rushed down the aisle toward his old seat.
Merrell watched Terry hurry away and smiled. “Thanks for understanding, Terry.” He
turned to the others, a huge grin on his face. “Wow, did that feel good.”
The others smiled back. Flim slapped him on the back. “Well, I guess you aren’t the
slack-jawed buffoon I thought you were. Good show.”
Jacinda glared at Flim, but the alien boy just grinned. She just did not understand boys.
She did not realize that any sign of weakness was simply an opportunity to tease your friend
about it.
“Thanks Pal.” Merrell returned Flim’s slap on the back, perhaps a little hard, as Flim
nearly fell over but they exchanged friendly grins and then turned back to Deke.
Their guide was barely conscious. He seemed to be drifting in and out; barely able to
function when he came out of his fog. His eyes fluttered open for a moment and he looked at
Devon and his friends.
“Pretty soon the others will realize how long it has been since they ate or drank anything.
I need you people to see if you can gather all of the food and drinks up here so we can hand them
out a little at a time. I’m not sure how long we will be down here, but I wouldn’t be good if we
went through our supplies too quickly.”
“So, what do we do if people start asking questions?”
“We just gotta hope Mr. Jacobs wakes up before then.” Devon shook his head, a worried
expression on his face.
Devon’s moment of reflection was disturbed by someone’s approach.
“What did you find, Devon?”
Devon smiled in relief when he saw that it was Deke who was speaking. The man
swayed a bit unsteadily, but seemed otherwise okay.
“The emergency exit I checked out looked fine; no blockage. I also found the cargo
compartment. Some of the luggage has broken loose and there is a big gash in the side of the
compartment, but that looks like about it.”
“Good, good.” Deke nodded his head vigorously and then had to catch himself on the
nearest seat. His eyes spun, as if he were dizzy. “I guess I am not as well as I thought.”
Jacinda came up behind Deke and took his hand. “You had better sit down, Mr. Jacobs.
We’ll take you up to our seats.” She pulled on Deke’s hand, leading him up the aisle like a
protective mother hen. As they passed, children asked Deke if everything would be alright. He
reassured them with a slow nod and a confident smile.
Devon sealed the hatch in the floor and followed the others a moment later.
It only took a few moments for them to reach the front row, but Deke looked very much
worse for wear. Sweat had broken out on Deke’s forehead and he was breathing heavily.
Jacinda and Merrell helped him sit down carefully, but he still winced.
“Easy, kids, I’m a bit fragile at the moment.” He managed a weak smile, but even that
soon faded.
Terry looked over from across the aisle, a sneer on his face. “I thought this guy was
supposed to be tough. He doesn’t seem it to me.” He sniffed, grinning.
Jacinda turned on him and snapped, “Okay, Terry, how about I smack you in the head
and see how tough you are.”
“Yeah, right,” he said with a laugh.
Jacinda drew in a deep breath, ready to give Terry a fierce tongue-lashing. Fortunately
for Terry, Merrell stepped between the two. He loomed over Terry, a burly giant in the cramped
aisle. “How about I smack you in the head, Terry?”
Terry’s face turned pale. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“I’ve wanted to do it for four years, ever since I met you. Want to test me?”
Terry’s face fell, filled with fear. After a moment the fear disappeared, replaced with a
look of Bravado. “Okay, I have been friends with you and your brothers for a long time, so I’ll
let this go this time. But just this time.”
Terry slipped past Merrell and rushed down the aisle toward his old seat.
Merrell watched Terry hurry away and smiled. “Thanks for understanding, Terry.” He
turned to the others, a huge grin on his face. “Wow, did that feel good.”
The others smiled back. Flim slapped him on the back. “Well, I guess you aren’t the
slack-jawed buffoon I thought you were. Good show.”
Jacinda glared at Flim, but the alien boy just grinned. She just did not understand boys.
She did not realize that any sign of weakness was simply an opportunity to tease your friend
about it.
“Thanks Pal.” Merrell returned Flim’s slap on the back, perhaps a little hard, as Flim
nearly fell over but they exchanged friendly grins and then turned back to Deke.
Their guide was barely conscious. He seemed to be drifting in and out; barely able to
function when he came out of his fog. His eyes fluttered open for a moment and he looked at
Devon and his friends.
“Pretty soon the others will realize how long it has been since they ate or drank anything.
I need you people to see if you can gather all of the food and drinks up here so we can hand them
out a little at a time. I’m not sure how long we will be down here, but I wouldn’t be good if we
went through our supplies too quickly.”
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