by Louise Wise
“You were gone a long time in the buggy with Matt,” he said. “Did the small repartee between them mean he was told to talk you against me?”
“I thought you had missed that!” She looped her arm through his, and then said on a sigh, “The reason we were gone for so long was that we had a blazing row. I got out and left him in the buggy. “ She smiled in memory. “I think he was worried that I’d leave him there. If it weren’t for a couple of natives, I would have. I think they had a good cooling effect on his temper, too. He was very subdued on the way back. “
She rested her head against his shoulder, and added, “No matter what he or Bodie say they’d never turn me against you.”
Fly said nothing.
“How’d the hunt go?” she said, trying to keep their conversation light. It was hard to gage Fly’s mood, but she sensed all was not well with him.
Since Bodie and Matt’s arrival she had been forced to realize that their relationship was still as fragile and as breakable as ever. “Did you manage to catch any more of the woolly herd?”
“Two.”
She chuckled.
“They run very fast,” he defended himself, and she could feel his body relaxing.
Soon, they reached their destination and Jenny moved around the house as if for the first time and marveled, yet again, how one man without the aid of modern appliances could build such a structure.
Checking on the secured animals was little more than an excuse to revisit their home, and it only took a few minutes to see that all was well.
They all had plenty of water and grazing land. Jenny tended to her crops; none had sprouted, although weeds had already made their appearance.
“Nothing changes,” she muttered as she pulled these out.
She caught Fly watching, lolling casually against a tall tree.
Smiling seductively, she crossed towards him. Standing on tiptoe she wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her body against him. Slowly they slipped down to lie in the golden flowers, and the only witness to their tender lovemaking was a lone bird that flew overhead.
“Where the hell have you been? You’ve been gone all morning.”
It was a few days later, and Jenny had just left Fly at their house. Relations still hadn’t improved between the three men, in fact, they’d got worse.
Matt was recovering quickly, but Bodie still needed around the clock care. He found himself a burden, and was frustrated at his body’s lack of strength.
“Missed me, Matt?” she asked.
He scowled, then did a double take of her. “You’re covered with yellow dust.”
Jenny giggled, saw his expression, and hastily turned it into a cough.
“We were worried about you, love,” Bodie said.
Jenny sighed - love. He was in his “Uncle Jim” mode. She almost preferred Matt’s foul mouth. But looking into Bodie’s exhausted eyes made her feel guilty for leaving him for so long. But it was so nice to get away from their moaning about Fly.
“Where’s the alien?” Bodie asked.
“Cleaning and gutting the hunt from this morning.”
“It’s time we had some organization,” he said, trying to sit up in the chair. He winced as his body protested at his shifting.
“You OK?” asked Jenny.
“Yes, love. It’s obvious we’re going to be here for a long time, so we should discuss shelter and the means and ways of feeding ourselves.”
“Fly has said you can stay here.”
“I know, darling, but the spaceship’s falling apart at the seams.”
She wished he’d stop speaking to her with endearments. Matt’s face was becoming more and more hostile with every word. It was clear he was jealous of their family bond, probably even more so now they were in this predicament.
It was common knowledge that Matt had idolized her father, Zack. He’d once told her that he’d read every book Zack had written, and of how his dream had come true when he become an astronaut himself.
He’d been a good friend back then. It’d been as if he knew how difficult it was for a woman to penetrate the male dominated space-age era, and he’d helped her smash through the glass ceiling. Eventually their friendship developed into something more - well, at the time that’s what she had thought, Jenny mused sadly. She’d thought she had loved him. But he became cold and distant overnight.
She may have been foolish in keeping her famous surname a secret, but she’d so badly wanted to make it on her own, without any support from her father’s name.
And then, when she revealed her true identity, Matt turned against her.
“We only need a bad storm and the ship will cave,” Bodie was saying.
“When the time comes for you to leave,” Jenny said. “Fly and me will help you find another shelter. “
“Where’s your shelter?”
“The other side of the river. Once the bridge is up, I’ll take you over. “
“Won’t you need permission from Fly,” Matt said, in a silly, sarcastic voice.
They both ignored him and Matt turned away, cursing under his breath.
“You’ll be pleasantly surprise when you see the house,” she said, smiling and nodding at the same time. “I mean it, pleasantly surprised.”
Bodie smiled back, although she sensed it was forced.
“We’ll see, sweetheart, we’ll see.”
He was humoring her! Bloody, stupid man! She knuckled her eyes, and groaned to herself. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She decided to laugh.
“What’s funny?” asked Bodie.
“You are.” She looked up. “I know what you’re doing, honey. And it’s not working. You’re going to have to accept Fly, Bo. He’s here to stay, like it or lump it.”
“We’ll never accept him. Can’t you see that? What’s wrong with you, Jenny! Why aren’t you listening to us? Are you afraid we’ll make you see sense?”
Jenny tightened her lips against his outburst. Obviously, they’d had another of their lengthy discussions while she was away, and it had been totally opposed to Fly as usual.
“I’m not deserting Fly just because you’re here,” she said calmly. “You’ll just have to accept him.”
“He doesn’t accept us!” Matt broke in angrily. “The alien is resentful of our arrival. He’s jealous that we share a past with you! “
“Matt, shut up,” Bodie said.
“Why is it you can tell her the truth, but I can’t?” Matt demanded.
Bodie flapped him away. Matt stood up and walked a couple of spaces. He faced the spaceship, where he smacked it several times in frustration with the flat of his hand.
Jenny ignored him, and turned back to Bodie. He was rubbing his temples. And when he spoke again his voice was full of pacification,
“Jen, sweetheart, see reason. When you move out of the spaceship you’ll be living with - well, he isn’t even a man, he’s an it. You’ll be living with an alien; a creature.”
Jenny mentally counted to ten. “The creature is still a man - a man with a name.” She looked from Matt to Bodie, and back to Matt again. She held out her hand. “I’ll have the gun back now, please.”
Matt turned from the spaceship, where he had been resting his forehead against the cool exterior. He raised his eyes skywards. “Oh, puleese! The silly cow thinks we’re strong enough to blow the alien away, already.”
“You know the rules. You two are not allowed the gun in Fly’s presence. You’ve only yourselves to blame,” she said. “Can’t expect much else, can I?”
“Well, I expect that you’d trust us over an alien, at least!” Matt said, incredulous. But he flung the gun across to her, which she caught.
His hurt expression mellowed her.
“I know you’re afraid, I’ve been there too, remember?” She turned to Bodie. “Fly’s OK, you know. Giving you the spaceship has proved that, and he’ll supply your food until Matt is well.”
Matt cocked an eyebrow. “Is that where you
’ve been? Paying him?”
Jenny’s head reared up like a startled filly. Anger burned her face. She rushed forward with the grace of a ballet dancer and slapped him hard across the face with the back of her hand.
The force of her blow made her stumble and Matt’s head was jerked back against the wall of the spaceship with a bang. He checked his face for blood, then squared up to her cussing angrily.
Jenny straightened, planting her feet wide, her arms akimbo. “That’s enough!” Bodie shouted, veins standing out on his forehead.
Matt and Jenny glared at each other before reluctantly unlocking eye contact.
“We’re in deep shit, and fighting is both childish and dangerous - and I’ve had enough! Since we left earth I’ve had snide comments from each of you to the other -” Bodie groaned sharply and clutched his chest.
“What’s the matter?” Jenny said, rushing towards him.
“My ribs,” he said, exhaling audibly. He grabbed Jenny’s hand. “Matt didn’t mean what he said. We’re grateful to Fly, really we are.” He smiled at her. “Just be patient with us, eh? We’re finding this difficult.”
Jenny softened immediately to his woeful expression and knelt down by his chair. “I know it’s difficult,” she said. “And I will be patient.”
As soon as she disappeared over the top of the hill, Matt began to clap his hands slowly. “Well done, Bodie, you could’ve won an Oscar for that performance.”
Bodie’s face was tight with hidden rage, and he swung on
Matt.
“You stupid…” he snarled. “What the hell did you have to say that for!”
But Matt was equally angry; more than angry, he was burning with fury.
Resentment had festered for a two years since he had seen the evidence of Bodie’s preference of Jenny over him. It shouldn’t have surprised him, but it had. And it hurt!
“Because it’s not the first time she’s slept around for favors.”
Bodie frowned, his face a clear mixture of scorn and confusion. “What, on earth, are you talking about?”
“Don’t even try to deny it; I saw the papers of our appraisals. Your appraisal,” he continued with a sneer, “that said I wasn’t ready for this mission. Luckily she wasn’t sleeping with Lichman; else I would’ve been left sweeping floors!”
The full incriminations colored Bodie’s face. “She’s my niece!”
“So what?”
“It all makes sense now.” Then he rolled back his lip and turned away before Bodie could defend himself.
“Green, get the hell back here!”
“Lick my arse,” was Matt’s parting shot before ducking into the spaceship. He stood in the foyer, trying hard to stabilize his breathing.
His intense hatred of Jenny all boiled down to one thing - her betrayal.
When she had sheepishly told him that she was the late Zack Bodie’s daughter, but preferred to use her mother’s maiden name, a heavy bitterness swept away any love and respect he had held for her. He felt he had been made a fool of - helping Jenny Bodie - Ha! What a joke.
“And the joke had been on you, pal,” he muttered.
He walked forward fingering the neck of the spacesuit. The warmth wasn’t appreciated.
He shook his head at his own foolishness. He thought he had jumped the divide that separated the hurt and injustices in his life, and moved on. He thought he had forgiven Jenny.
He’d even thought he had a friend in Jim Bodie, another member of her family, whilst he slogged his guts out at the plant before listening to his advice and taking the position nobody wanted on the lunar space station.
Oh, yes he had believed he had moved on. But then, when he returned back to the plant, he’d found she’d taken over his old assignment - a position he’d spent years climbing the career ladder to get and had been advised to chuck away for the lunar post.
Within months she’d come from being a student to sodding moon-walking! And now it looked as if they were destined to spend more time together than he thought he could possibly endure.
She applied, with many others, for the mission: Exploration of Planet Eden. He applied too, and was recommended by his controller, Lichman and mentor Bodie - or so he thought until he saw his failed appraisal with Bodie’s signature.
If he hadn’t have appealed, Bodie and Jenny would have probably have gone ahead on this mission with another MS. And so all the old hurt, once under control, had returned. And now it was in danger of spiraling, and he knew he had to get a grip.
He limped into their main living quarters, relying on the stick for balance.
Jenny had used her wonderful body to further her career; hadn’t she used it on him? He’d helped her achieve so much until she let slip her real identity. Her other victims were Lichman and Bodie. Both men were besotted with her.
And now she was using her body again, but this time to
guarantee her high position with the alien. It made Matt sick.
TWENTY-ONE
The rest of the day passed uncomfortably, Fly being the only person not bothered by the lack of communication. The following day wasn’t much better, and neither was the next. And soon the weeks had turned into a month; a month of angry talk, and angry silences.
Jenny grew weary of Bodie continually trying to turn her against Fly, and of Matt’s cheap jokes at her expense. She began to spend less time at the spaceship, and more at her home with Fly, going back only to sleep and eat.
Despite all the arguments, Matt was healing well. His injured knee and other wounds were not a problem to his young, healthy body. And as soon as his splint was off he was disappearing on lengthy explorations, and coming back with colorful tales to tell the bored, and frustrated, Bodie.
Bodie’s upper body had healed, and small tufts of greying hair began to appear, between the scars, on his head. But his legs, swollen and aching, kept him in pain and miserable.
Jenny stoked the barbecue, and sat back down, staring into the flames. Bodie sat in his chair, massaging his thighs gingerly, whilst staring at her rigid back made from an angry silence born out of a huge row.
He was clinging to Jenny like a mould, constantly worrying that soon she would feel forced to choose between them and Fly, and the thought of losing her terrified him.
“I do like Fly, Jenny, I’m not taking sides - there aren’t any sides.”
“Then why are you so quick to assume that I’m sleeping with him, merely to safeguard my position here?”
“Are you sleeping with him?”
Jenny looked over her shoulder with such loathing it made Bodie’s heart feel as if it would shrivel and die. “Yes,” she said.
He looked away. “I see.”
She rose and stood looking down at him. “No, I don’t think you do see.” She smiled, but there was no kindness in it. “I love him.”
“If you say so, love.”
She turned on him so swiftly he jumped. “Look, as far as I’m concerned you left me stranded, and I made the best of a bad situation. But I’m glad it happened. I’m so bloody glad that I don’t have to put up with people’s snobbery and class attitudes anymore! Suffice to say I’m not staying around to listen to yours!”
She began to leave, her cheeks blazing, but Bodie lurched forward in his chair and captured her swinging arm.
She swung round, ready to launch into another attack, but stopped as her eyes fell on his crippled legs. Bodie recognized the pity in her expression, and shifted uncomfortably as her eyes took in his useless limbs. He knew that she had been made immediately ashamed of their row.
She crouched down by his chair and took his hand in hers. “I can’t stand us fighting. I so want you to like Fly. “
“I do.”
“Don’t patronize me, please.”
“Sorry.” He dropped his head, hating himself, knowing he would again play on his injuries to keep her by his side. “He threatens us. Sometimes, I fear for our safety.”
“He wouldn’t threaten you! �
�
“He’s good to you, and I’m grateful. But he’s determined to hang on to you, and he’s terribly jealous of our relationship.”
She frowned, clearly distressed. “I know he’s jealous… Look, I’ll talk to him. Sometimes his correct meaning doesn’t always come across. He isn’t a tyrant, Bodie, he’s very gentle and caring.”
A dark shadow fell over them, breaking their conversation. Bodie scowled, wondering whether Fly’s interruption had been premeditated.
Fly’s hands, clothes, and even his face were smeared with animal’s blood. It suited him, thought Bodie sourly. “I see the hunt was a success,” he said with forced brightness towards the man who threatened his well-being; he even managed a smile.
“We have enough food to last us a few days,” Fly replied, but his eyes were for Jenny alone like he couldn’t even be bothered to look Bodie’s way.
Jenny went towards him, smiling broadly, Bodie noticed resentfully. “Anything I can do?”
Fly smiled easily back at her. “Much,” he said, and turned to stride up the hill. From the back of the buggy, he took an armful of twine. Coming back down he dropped it at Bodie’s chair.
“Much work needs to be done,” Fly said. “That needs to be made into rope. “
“He’s making a bridge,” Jenny added proudly.
Bodie forced an interested expression to his face when in reality he wanted to tell Fly to go and hang himself with his rope!
Fly was pointing to the half-made boat. “That needs to be finished. Where is Matt?”
Bodie eyed the craft dubiously, correctly thinking that Fly was conveying his opinion that Matt should complete the work, while he worked at plaiting the twine into rope.
“I’m not sure,” Bodie answered.
“The boat will be beneficial to all of us,” said Jenny, clearly reading the look of displeasure on Bodie’s face. “Matt’s off on one of his jaunts somewhere,” she added to Fly.
Bodie had also wondered where Matt had gone. He’d been missing for several hours, although he’d gone for longer before, Bodie was worried. The younger man was becoming more and more desperate to get rid of Fly.
He wasn’t content to wait until Bodie was well. And his impatience, Bodie knew, would be their downfall.
