by Benson, Tom
Sandy paused at the corner of two fields and blended in with the nearby undergrowth. He motioned his companion forward and then pointed at the ground and made a circular motion with one hand. When Imogen nodded her understanding, Sandy pointed to his eyes with two fingers and indicated a circle again, but at head height. Again, Imogen nodded. Sandy held up three fingers and then formed a circle using the middle finger and thumb. When Imogen nodded, Sandy gave a thumbs-up sign and moved forward silently, disappearing amongst the foliage.
Imogen moved from a squat to steadying herself on one knee. This was to be her observation position. She had to remain alert and be ready to give a warning signal by firing ahead into the upper branches of a tree in the direction Sandy had gone. If Sandy called for her to go, or he wasn’t back in thirty minutes Imogen was to leave, get back to the kayak and return to Aviemore.
She’d agreed and acknowledged, but Imogen had certain traits in common with her friend, Amber. Come hell or high water, Imogen would not leave her teammate behind, even if he shouted for her to go. Having survived in the way they had, all the young adults of Eagle’s Nest Farm had developed a deep sense of loyalty and camaraderie.
Sandy arrived near the old house among the trees, but he didn’t get too close straight away. He located a frame-and-prong style booby-trap and marvelled at this strange woman continuing to protect herself and her daughter with such deadly devices. Just as Flint had explained, Sandy moved left and warily tested areas of undergrowth until he found a place which had fresh footprints in an unusual position. He pulled at a bush and found that it was acting as a concealed gateway.
Five minutes later, Sandy arrived on a narrow trail, which led to a wide stream. He saw the young girl sitting on a large boulder, studying the water. She had a spear stuck into the ground beside her, and she uncoiled a line to which she attached something and then cast it out into the water. Satisfied that she had only recently arrived, Sandy returned via the same route until he reached the house. He peered through a window to see Patsy Mayne, as large as life, standing beside a table butchering a carcass. She was wearing a waistcoat made from animal hide. On her legs, the material of her trousers was tattered but resembled a military camouflage style.
When Sandy got back to Imogen, he gave her a thumbs-up, and she nodded. They set off together, and Sandy retraced his steps. Fifty metres from the girl at the stream, Sandy pressed a finger to his lips and pointed ahead. Sitting still with her back to them, and her long hair draped down her back, nobody could have guessed at the size or age of the person fishing.
Imogen nodded and a few seconds later was following Sandy with the utmost stealth. She waited while he crept up to a window and peered in. When Sandy nodded, Imogen moved up slowly to look inside the building. A few seconds was sufficient, and she squatted down, ready to leave.
The visitors left as quietly and carefully as they’d arrived. Sandy paused at the bush used as a disguised gateway, he brushed the place with a branch and then followed his companion out of the immediate area.
They were in the kayak and heading home before Imogen spoke. “I have to tell you, Sandy, that was damn creepy, and I don’t mean stealthy.”
“You did well, Imogen, and you demonstrated that the training has been worthwhile.”
“When you’ve been taking us out to learn about tracking, camouflage, movement and things, it felt exciting. Being allowed to do it for real … it’s beyond incredible.”
“If it helps to keep things in context, those two people would be as content to slice up a human being as they would a wild animal.” He paused to let that sink in. “If ever the day comes when you have to face one of them—if it’s in conflict, you shoot first.”
“But—”
“Unless the meeting is friendly ... no questions—understood?”
“You mean actually—”
“Do you love Gary and Kelly?”
“Of course I do, they’re my ….” She nodded. “If it’s in conflict—shoot first.” She paddled in silence a few times and glanced back. “I’ll remember, Sandy.”
He reached forward and briefly placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m not coming over here regularly for the benefit of those who live here, I’m doing it to reassure myself that they’re not prepared for visiting us at the farm or in Aviemore.”
“The woman in the house looked like she couldn’t use one of her hands, and she had one foot raised a little—as if it couldn’t bear weight.”
“Those are the two main things I wanted to observe—and the rest doesn’t matter.”
They paddled on in silence.
.
Monday 10th October
Shortly after breakfast, Helen sailed downriver with Glen and Quincy, carrying two ropes and a winch in a semi-rigid inflatable rowboat. It didn’t take much effort from the two strong young men to reach the area nicknamed ‘Green Bend’. All three people were in suitable attire for getting very wet because they would be spending more than half of their time in the water.
They approached the area where the boats had to stop and disgorge passengers before tackling the rocks and white water. The craft was tethered to a tree, and then the hard work began.
As a teenager, on several occasions on her father’s farm, Helen had assisted when unusual tasks were being completed. She learned the technique for uprooting a tree stump or removing a massive boulder. Now, many years later, she was about to put her knowledge of such skill into practice. She laid out the rope and tackle before selecting strong trees to use as anchorage points.
When all was ready, Quincy and Glen took the leather harness into the water. They carefully secured it around a single large rock. The two men stood behind the obstruction and wedged long stout poles underneath ready to assist as Helen wound the winch, activating the rope and pulley.
The first boulder was not the largest but was important because it provided a suitable rehearsal for the guys with the harness and poles. Rather than try to remove the rocks entirely from the area, the team worked together to move them closer towards one bank or the other. They moved steadily down the river for a distance of fifty metres performing the same routine until a broad and much safer channel was created at the corner.
“Great job, guys,” Helen said. “I think we’ll take a longer break now while I judge anchorage points on the other two banks.”
After eating and resting a while, the three friends were ready to deal with the second phase of their operation. Helen had explained it briefly with sketches back at the farmhouse, but it made much more sense when standing on one of the three banks at the river junction.
The journey downstream from Aviemore had up to this point always involved one person braving the chilled waters to ‘escort’ whichever craft through the bend. At the same time, the other passengers walked up around the embankment. The return journey was more hazardous due to the currents and negotiating the rocks. It was a similar sequence to travelling downriver, except that it was easier to use a rope and pull the craft up and around the bend in stages. When travelling upstream again, it merely required strength to row for the initial stretch towards Aviemore.
Helen’s first idea would certainly make it easy for any of their boats to go downstream, but returning would still be hard-going. She didn’t have the most significant individual brute strength within her small team, but she was the most capable swimmer. Helen walked back upstream, carrying the second rope. She waded out and swam away from the turn towards the right-hand bank. It took some effort to evade the pull of the currents.
Helen tied the end of the rope to a stout tree and then got back into the water, allowing herself to be swept downstream into the bend and beyond while holding the end of the rope. After fifty metres she climbed out and tied the rope to a tree which sat on an outcrop. When satisfied, Helen walked upstream through the water and tied a bright green strip of material five metres from the end of the rope. She swam across the river and joined the men.
“A job well done,
as you would say,” Quincy quipped as he helped Helen ashore. “I must admit, I’m a bit puzzled by the bright ribbon.”
“I could tell you, but it’s better that you learn.” Helen grinned as she looked at her handiwork and then at her team. “What do you think we should do next?”
Glen said, “If Sandy or Flint were here they’d be saying ‘rehearsals’.”
“Go on then, and I’ll watch.” Helen grabbed her towel and dried herself as the two men went off to fetch the inflatable.
A few minutes later, the craft came around the corner. Both men were on board and working hard with their paddles as they negotiated the bend. After one hundred metres, they turned the boat and started back toward the bend—the new rope stretched like a handrail, close to the bank on their left side. They arrived at the rope, stopped paddling and reached out, both narrowly missing a hold. The boat floated downstream. They paddled rapidly and tried again with the same result.
Helen’s laughter was enough to tell them they were doing something wrong. When they approached the third time, they paddled past the end of the rope where it was anchored—working hard until they were abreast of the unexplained bright green ribbon.
Both Quincy and Glen reached out. Neither made contact with the rope until they’d almost passed the end once again. The position and reason for the green ribbon now made sense. As the guys worked hand over hand to pull themselves easily up and around the bend, they heard applause from the other bank. They turned to see a smiling Helen nodding her approval.
Helen said, “Now, we know it will be both safer and easier for any craft. They’ll be able to go in either direction without having to disgorge passengers for the bend.”
Helen worked alongside Tina to give every animal and bird on the farm a health check. A few hens were to be crated for shipping off to Dalwhinnie, which was an example of how the three sister communities endeavoured to support each other.
Tina said, “I might go down to Dalwhinnie when we send the birds down there.”
“Oh, right, to try and work out that thing you heard about, regarding the pigs?”
“Yes, I told Bill on the radio yesterday that I’d be keen to have a look at the animals. I’ve been to countries where the wildlife had a dramatic effect on the flora of a region. Pigs in various forms have been around for a long time. Any animal which has survived to have so many sub-species or varieties is one of nature’s success stories.”
“There is the other aspect,” Helen said. “You’ll be putting people’s minds at rest regarding their own health.”
“I’m sure anything that was in the vegetation there or anywhere near has been flushed through by nature. We saw it on the mountainside at Auchcarn when rabbits and foxes started appearing after a couple of years. Birds and animals have an instinct for survival which is why so many of them are still around.”
“I meant to tell you,” Helen said, “Ramona has promised us a beehive. It might be an idea to ask Jean to look out a couple of books to aid the children and us to understand beekeeping duties.”
.
Tuesday 11th October
Emma and Quincy set off with the small trailer. They’d promised to escort Jean for a trip into Aviemore to raid the library and bookshop again. One of the rooms in Jean’s cottage had been completely emptied and redecorated by Emma and Glen so that it could be fitted with suitable shelving as a mini-library.
Jean also chose selections of educational and reference books for sending to Auchcarn, Dalwhinnie, and, of course, the local farm. She was overjoyed to be invited to teach the children at the farm, and there were open invitations for her at the other two locations. On Jean’s latest shopping list she’d been asked to make a note of literature on beekeeping. When the children were told that a hive was being sent from Auchcarn to the farmhouse, they were eager to become involved. Sandy’s son, Peter, told the others about gathering honey and how he was able to help. Any fear the other children might have had was gone and replaced with excitement.
Glen, Emma, Quincy and Imogen set off on an overnight mission to locate, dismantle and return with the third relay and associated equipment. Under Sandy’s direction, they worked out the easiest rather than the most direct route, which was why it would be a two-day jaunt. He pointed out that apart from the distances involved, the contour lines on the map indicated that the hill on which the equipment had been erected was extremely steep.
All four young people were eager to show that they were capable. Sandy had taught all of them about tackling rough terrain, and Imogen had already proven how much she’d learned about stealth and rapid movement through woodland.
Sandy had said, “The ability to move quickly or quietly for you guys is not because you are facing a hostile enemy. You now live in an environment where we know there are predators. They will move with stealth so it would be far healthier if you could avoid a confrontation.”
Within two weeks of Sandy arriving at Eagle’s Nest Farm, the four young friends who were still living there were eager to learn as much as possible. They’d seen Sandy fade among the foliage in a matter of seconds, and he moved with the grace of an animal. Shooting practice was enjoyed by all. He also taught them tracking skills.
In return, Imogen was delighted to give Sandy sailing lessons in a dinghy, and Helen enjoyed teaching her soldier about crop rotation, harvesting and the disciplines related to livestock. Back at Auchcarn, the community had been pleased to share their vast and varied knowledge, and now, once again, a similar strategy was playing out, albeit with less pressure.
.
Wednesday 12th October
The four-person team returned from their successful mission and unloaded the relay equipment into the big barn. It would be ferried to Auchcarn where Harry and Josh had already found an ideal site for an outdoor antenna—the metal rungs above the glass balcony.
Helen said, “When you were out with the children, we had a brief visit from Tina, and she’d like to be on the next boat going downriver.”
“What’s she doing?” Sandy said.
“Apparently, she’s going to Dalwhinnie to collect some samples of a variety of items and then she’ll be going on to Auchcarn to work closely with Harry and Victoria.”
“Oh, the biological warfare agent theory?”
“Yes, and it means that your crazy idea might not be so crazy after all.”
“About different agents affecting each other—I doubt if I’ve got that right. It was something we used to laugh about in our military training to keep our spirits up. It was a standing joke that if two or more nations fired chemical weapons that one might negate the other, but it was squaddie humour, nothing scientific.”
“Well, no matter what you say, I want to believe you are right.”
“I know I was right about one thing—coming here to be with you.”
They embraced and stood silently for a few minutes, both enjoying the sensation of being a part of something bigger than themselves. Helen had found a man she could believe in and with whom she could bear children. Despite the odds, Sandy had found a woman to take the place of Chloe. Helen would be his partner and a mother for Peter and future siblings.
Eagle’s Nest Farm was home to three loving couples and their children. It was already agreed by the three communities in the Highlands that they would pay frequent visits to each other.
The children in all three places would be taught reading, writing, and arithmetic. History, geography and other subjects would be supplemented with outward bound training, cross-country navigation and survival skills which would equip them for the future. For them, life was to be so much different to how it might have been in the world their parents left behind.
Husbandry of foodstuffs, recognition of flora, fauna and natural remedies would all become second nature. Skills like climbing, sailing, fishing and archery would all fit into their curriculum. So too would first aid, which was always stressed might be required in a wide variety of scenarios. They would grow up ac
cepting that their society was all-inclusive and no man or woman was better than another. It would be acknowledged that the natural world was the source of life, so at every opportunity must be nurtured and allowed to blossom. They would learn that the reason people existed was to be caretakers for the planet on which they lived.
If mankind could learn that he ought to be symbiotic and not parasitic, the human race would have a revival—a second chance.
Mother Nature would dissolve the remaining darkness and grant Light at The End.
***The End***
Epilogue
1st January 3000 AD
As the planet was gently coaxed back to health by powers beyond humankind, there was a lot of recovery to be completed in the massive devastated regions of the world. It was a task which had been performed before, and like previously, it would take Mother Nature a long time. There had been no outside influence on this occasion—the near-total destruction had been inflicted by an ungrateful, uncaring species.
Those countries which had believed that it was good to have a nuclear ‘deterrent’ had all disappeared. For the first time in over two millennia, there was a level of peace and harmony, which would depend on lessons having been learned.
Four places on Earth were inhabited, and they would all evolve as new nations at their own pace, and in their own way. They would, however, do so with specific common aims. Energy would be harnessed using power from the wind, water and as the dirty sky cleared, the resurrecting heat and light from the sun. Fish, fruit, nuts, cereals and vegetables were the new staple diet. If an animal was killed, it was by necessity, and every part of it was put to use.
