"Oops, erm, sorry about that. What did you stop for?"
"Haven't you noticed? It's dark. Look up at the sky."
He looked up and the stars were out against a black sky.
"So it is," he said, "but I can see just fine."
The penny dropped, "How come I can see so well in the dark, and what time is it?"
"It's after midnight," she answered, "and we've been travelling for eight hours."
"EIGHT HOURS!" he yelled, "It only seems like five minutes."
Martha thought for a moment and said, "I guess the berries have changed our bodies in some way-"
"More like they've fine-tuned us," he cut in, "or perhaps they've returned us to our original specifications. Maybe this is how the human race was meant to be."
"Wow," she said, "this is too wonderful for words."
Jake took his backpack off.
"What are you doing?" she asked. He didn't reply but leapt into the air. He jumped up to the lowest branch just above them, at least twice his own height. Martha did the same, but she didn't bother to take her pack off.
"Wee..." She said, as she came down. "This is fun, I wonder why we didn't notice this before?"
Jake answered, "Maybe this has only just developed, or maybe we just didn't need to, so we didn't try."
"Makes sense," she replied, "if it hadn't been for that snow storm, we wouldn't have known."
"Let's camp here then, as we've stopped anyway."
"All right," she said, "I could do with something to eat.
❧
"Are you all right Zeek? Speak to me."
Zeek awoke to see Betty's face looking down at him. She had tears in her eyes as she patted the back of his hand.
"What hit me?" he said groggily.
"They did!" she said, pointing through the doorway to some very dirty looking people outside.
Betty and Zeek were in a makeshift hut with no door in the frame. Outside there were forty or so people sitting around a fire talking among them-selves. There were two guards at the door armed with clubs, and the smell was foul.
"Smells like death!" he said, trying to sit up. His backpack was in the corner and Betty had already retrieved some berries from it just in case.
"Here," she said, "eat these." She gave him a handful of fruit, which he ate.
"Boy that was good," he said when they'd gone down, "they're so refreshing."
"Shut up!" one of the guards shouted in a gruff voice. He was a big guy, dressed in filthy jeans and a torn leather jacket. The other guard didn't move.
"I think he's on something," she whispered, pointing to the stationary second guard at the door.
"I told you to shut up," the guard screamed aiming his club at her head.
Zeek moved like a cat and caught the club in mid air, stopping it dead in its tracks. The guard was stunned by Zeek's strength and pulled frantically to get his club back. Zeek let go, and the guard fell over from the force he was exerting.
"What just happened?"
"I don't know, but you just saved my life."
The floored guard got to his feet and called to the others around the fire. A big guy got to his feet and swaggered over to the hut. He grabbed the guard by the throat and almost lifted him off the ground.
"What's up with you?" he demanded. "Can't you even watch a woman and an unconscious man without falling over?"
"But Beast," the guard protested, "he's awake and he's as strong as an Ox."
"Was that Beast I heard?" Zeek asked.
"That's what it sounded like to me," Betty replied.
Beast threw the guard aside and entered the hut, "So, you're awake are you," he scowled at Zeek, his breath was rancid. Zeek just looked at him and stared him down. "Bah!" Beast said as he left.
"Did you see his forehead?" Betty asked, when he had gone.
"Not especially," Zeek answered, "why?"
"There was a mark on it, some intertwined lines. It looked like three sixes."
"Three sixes," Zeek said, looking puzzled, "isn't that in the Bible?"
"Exactly," she said, "The Bible speaks of a Beast with a mark, and he's not one of the good guys!"
Zeek turned to her saying, "I don't think it would be a good idea for them to get their hands on the berries."
"Me neither," she said, already reaching into the backpack for the rest of them. Between them, they ate the rest of the berries and felt much better for it.
"Look," he said to her, "its late, why don't you get some sleep. I'll keep watch."
"OK," she replied, with a softness in her voice he hadn't heard before. She snuggled into his chest and was sleeping in no time. Zeek kept watch.
It was mid morning when Jake and Martha arrived back at the cabins. The Thomas family were busy packing up their belongings ready for the forthcoming trip.
"Hey, back already?" Dave shouted, on seeing them.
"There was nothing but snow out there." Jake called back. "Any sign of the others yet?"
"No, not a word, but it's only been two days."
"That coffee smells good," Martha hinted, sitting down by Danny.
"OK, I can take a hint," he said, getting up to pour her some. Danny liked Martha and had done since she had arrived. Somehow, she reminded him of someone he once knew, but couldn't quite remember.
"Thanks," she said cheerily, as he passed her the cup.
"You're welcome," he smiled.
Dave and Jake headed for the shed where the radio set was.
"I've discovered something remarkable Dave," he said on the way, "I want you to hear this.
"Southgate calling Eden, over."
There was the usual pause.
"Hi Jake, how did the trip go?"
Jake was pleased to hear Bill's voice again.
"It was short Bill, we just ran into a snow storm, remember them?"
"Not if I can help it," came the reply.
"I've got some more news for you guys, are you ready for this?"
"Ha, sure, I'm sitting down, fire away Jake."
"The berries do more than heal, they regenerate every part of us."
"How do you mean Jake?"
"Well, we can see in the dark for one thing, and run miles without getting tired, Oh, and we can jump very high too. Both Martha and I did all these whilst out trekking. We only found out we could do this stuff when we had to run for our lives to get out of a blizzard."
"Boy, that's fascinating Jake, I'll tell Steve when I see him. Any news from the other guys yet?"
"No not yet, and for some reason, I feel a little uneasy about it. Any news from your end for us?"
"Yes, things are really moving here, we're building a modified glider, it should be ready in a week or so. I'll keep you posted."
"Thanks Bill, over and out."
Jake and Dave left the shed, and Dave tried a jump to see what would happen. He reached about one and a half times his own height. "The berries haven't had as long to work on you," Jake reassured him, "give it time."
On reaching the others by the fire, Jake looked at Martha, who stopped him before he could speak.
"I know," she said, "you're worried about Zeek and Betty, I am too." She stood up, "I think we should go and look for them."
There was urgency in her voice that worried him.
"Here," he said, reaching into his back pack, "share these out between you."
He gave Dave a handful of berries. Martha did the same, but kept some for her and Jake. They all ate.
"We're going after them, you can come if you like."
"We'll come with you," Dave replied, and all the other Thomases followed. They didn't bother to take anything with them; they just set off South at a terrific pace.
❧
A few hours had passed, and Betty woke up with a start. "It's all right Betts, I'm here." She just reached up and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"Thanks," she said.
"For what?"
"Just being here," she answered.
The crowd around the fire was getting ugly. Curses were being hurled at Betty and Zeek. Evermore foul in both language and content.
"These guys are sick," Betty said, in an over-loud voice. Zeek just smiled, he too was feeling more than a little fed up with this whole escapade.
"Shut up vermin," the guard hissed through the doorway.
"Make me, foul breath," Zeek hissed back.
The guard thought better of it and stayed outside, but Zeek was fired up now and didn't want to let it lie there. He was up in a flash and had the guard by the throat. He physically lifted him off the floor with one hand and would have choked him but for the commotion outside. Instead, he threw him back out of the hut across the dirt in front of it, and stepped outside and yelled,
"HEY, Beastie boy, we're leaving."
He grabbed Betty's arm and pulled her outside. Beast rose up and screamed like something demented. He ran at Zeek like a mad man, but Zeek smashed him in the jaw with a right hook that sent him flying backwards. He landed just about where he had started from and lay on the ground without moving. Another two of them rushed at Betty who deftly side stepped and tripped both of them as they went past. They fell into Zeek, who caught both of them and banged their heads together with a sickening crunch.
"WE'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!" Betty screamed in defiance. The hatred rose in the rest of the Beast's followers and they all ran at Betty, screaming and hissing murderous threats at the two holy ones in their midst.
As they came towards her, Thomases came flying out of the trees from all directions, closely followed by Jake and Martha. Betty and Zeek leapt into the fray landing right in the middle of it. Filthy ones were flying right and left. Jake was picking them up two at time and throwing them against the trees. They weren't getting up again. Martha and Mary formed a triangle with Betty and floored any who came within reach. Dave was running around the outer edge picking off all who tried to escape. Danny pushed a giant of a man backwards with one hand. He fell over Sarah who had crouched down behind him, and young Paul finished him with a blow to the chin as he went down. The three kids rubbed their hands together and set off after another victim.
The sound of hatred slowly diminished as good defeated evil. The battle lasted only a few minutes until all the scum were silent. One or two moaned in pain, but none of them were moving. The realisation of what had just happened began to dawn on the victors, and anger gave way to laughter. They all shook the dust of the Beast and his followers off their shoes as they left the camp, heading back towards the cabins.
Zeek caught up with Betty to hear her silently saying, "Thank You Lord."
He waited till she had finished and put his arm around her.
"Amen," he said, giving her a squeeze. "I meant what I said the other day Betts, I do believe, He's my God too now."
She hugged him tightly and said, "What am I to do with you now young Zeek?"
"Marry me," he replied, so loud that everyone else could hear.
She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at him.
"That I will," she responded, and kissed him.
Young Sarah stood watching, "How romantic," she sighed.
But the mood was somewhat broken by young Paul saying,
"Yyyyuuuuuukkkkkk."
Chapter Twenty