CHAPTER 4
The shifts that followed settled into a steady routine of awakening siren, pre-shift meal, digging and panning at the beach, end-shift siren, post-shift meal, evening get together, and bed. Joshua allowed another seven shifts to elapse before separating the pairs working together. Monty retained the same digging, and Ernie was posted next to him. The two continued to lift together the sluice boxes out of the water. Joshua, at first, wanted to stop their working together, but, since their gold recovery remained impressively high, he allowed the practice. In fact, he introduced the idea along the beach where there were older or weaker slaves at adjacent diggings, and allowed them to work the sluice boxes together. To his considerable satisfaction, gold production increased.
Alicia noted Monty’s lessening of attention to her, and, at first, was miffed and even offended. She confided in Thelma. “I already liked him on Earth. On this planet and in this circumstance, I thought romance with him might make my life bearable, at least something to look forward to. Now, he seems to be backing away.”
“Don’t worry,” Thelma reassured her. “I see him looking at you at times and I can pretty well guess what’s on his mind. Maybe he doesn’t want to get too close so quickly. Just let things play out for awhile.”
Joshua’s daughter, Rebecca, often stopped to talk to the group congregating on the hillock as she made her way home. Monty surmised that life for her was probably dull, and that she lacked any society other than her family and the creatures that escorted her. Monty’s group offered, at least, some diversion.
Syd attempted to put the advice he had been given into practice. He did not always station himself near the path, and would satisfy himself with waving to Rebecca as she passed. Even when she stopped to talk to the group, he tried to stay in the background. However, it was clear that Rebecca was seeking him out. Occasionally, the two would end up in earnest conversation, quite oblivious of the group around them. When this happened, the door to the house would open, and Emily would call Rebecca in.
The first time this happened, Syd became grim and sullen. Monty took him aside.
“Look, Syd, try to understand Joshua and Emily. They’re not from twenty-first century Toronto where you go to bed on the first date. These are people snatched from the eighteenth-century. As black slaves, they’d have had eighteenth-century Christianity and morality taught to them, and they’d also have been taught African rituals of selection and mating. When you and Rebecca are talking alone, they see you as a suitor. You may not even be an acceptable suitor, although I’ve no idea how they’d go about selecting a mate for Rebecca. Just make sure you’re part of a group talking to her, and you can enjoy her presence for a longer time. Remember, you can’t run off with her, and you don’t want Joshua to feel threatened by you. Let’s find out, if we can, what his plans for Rebecca are.”
“Yeah, I know,” Syd said. “I understand all that. I know this is not your usual boy meets girl situation. But when she’s standing in front of me, I stop thinking. All I want is to touch her, and I can’t even do that. She’s the coolest babe I’ve met where I feel I could make a lifelong commitment. She likes me too. I can tell.”
Monty nodded, sympathetically. He remembered his own emotion when he was Syd’s age and had met Vivian. It was love at first sight for both of them — passionate, all engrossing, scintillating — and nothing to prevent them jumping into bed.
Once again, Syd tried dutifully to follow Monty’s advice. He was sure Rebecca was getting similar advice from Joshua and Emily, because for the next few encounters, she chatted only with the group. Every now and then, the temptation for both was too great, and they would end up talking quietly to each other.
Syd related the conversations to the group. They talked about each other. Syd told her of his life on Earth, which, she noted, differed remarkably from life on Earth as described by her father. Rebecca had been born on the strange planet. Her first memories were of a cave. Later on, they moved into their house when her father became a supervisor of the slaves in this camp. There were other camps, but she had not seen them.
When she got older, the Doctor insisted he could turn her into a nurse. She was very grateful to the Doctor. She found nursing very interesting work and was constantly learning new things.
On one occasion, Joshua went off to supervise the next shift, and she joined them after the post-shift meal. She sat down near Monty. Some of the group had gone to bed. The rest were sitting or lying on the hillock enjoying the cool air and watching the moon fade as the dawn light intensified.
“What sort of medical work does the clinic handle?” Monty asked.
“We treat broken bones, colds and fevers, bird bites, burns, and many other ailments.”
“What are bird bites?” Syd asked, eager to keep her talking, but also curious. There was a notable lack of birds in the area.
“Oh, these are pesky and dangerous creatures. They are very small but come in huge flocks and may attack the workers. The Doctor says it is because we are taking their breeding grounds along the river.”
“You seem to get along well with our captors. How have you managed that?” Thelma asked.
“I get along well with the Warriors. The Guardians keep to themselves.”
Noticing the look of puzzlement on their faces, she explained: “The Warriors are the dark-coloured creatures with the big heads. The Guardians are the yellow. I have helped some of the Warriors with their scrapes and cuts, and they are thankful.”
“Surely, for your work, you must need medical supplies,” wondered Alicia.
“The Guardians are very good. Whatever the Doctor asks for, they supply, provided they can make it. The Doctor says his real need is his medical books which are far away on Earth.”
“Well, then,” asked Monty, “how did he teach you nursing?”
“He first taught me reading and writing. Then, as he explained things, he would write them down, and I could read them if I forgot. Can you read and write like the Doctor?”
They all nodded, surprised by the question.
“My father and mother cannot read or write. My father says it is not useful for him. But Noah is interested, and I am teaching him.”
Monty glanced at Syd and smiled inwardly. Syd was watching Rebecca with spellbound adoration. Indeed, it was easy to like her. In addition to her beauty, she exuded charm with her southern lilt, her straightforward answers to their questions, and a hint of innocence and naiveté.
Ernie jumped in at this point: “The Guardians. The Warriors. Why are they called that?”
“That you had best ask the Doctor. He often talks with the head Guardian, and understands more about them than any of us. He tells me they are a remarkable race, well ahead of humans on Earth. I admit I do not understand what the Doctor calls their tech…” She stumbled over the word, and Syd supplied it: “technology.” “That’s it,” she said, smiling gratefully at him, “technology. I do not understand their technology, how they fly from planet to planet, and how they fly around this planet; how they make things, and how they talk to each other. But the Doctor says that in time, I will know as much as he knows, and he will teach me.”
With that, she bade them good evening, walked quickly to her home where the door had just opened, signalling the end of the conversation.
They woke up one morning to the sound of pelting rain. They were drenched just running to the latrines. The food cart arrived, embellished with an overhead awning that provided some cover while they got their food. They ate in the caves.
The rain made the digging even more back breaking. Sloshing around in the excavation, carrying the waterlogged concentrate to the sluice box, working the sluice box, the diggers tired often and had to rest. Joshua spurred them on, but was uncharacteristically gentle in his approach. Even the dark coloured creatures — the Warriors — walking up and down the beach, seemed to understand there was no point in pushing them harder.
After a few hours, some of the excavations began to fill with water. The diggers used their buckets to drain the hole. In the deeper excavations, where the digger needed a ladder to get down to the bottom, it was impossible to drain fast enough. Joshua ordered these slaves to leave the digging and to pan in the river.
Monty could barely make out Alicia, panning further up the beach, obscured by sheets of rain. Thelma, one station further, was just a fuzzy blur.
Emily still appeared with the drinking water and joked that perhaps they had enough water.
“Is this the rainy season?” Monty asked.
“No, there’s no season. It don’t rain often,” she said, “but when it does, there’s lots of it.”
“Can we not put up awnings?” Ernie suggested. “It would help us recover more gold.”
“Joshua says the Warriors won’t allow it. They could not see if you be working,” Emily responded.
Monty decided that she was a pleasant woman, not given to her husband’s rages, still attractive, with a matronly figure. He could see the genes that gave rise to Rebecca’s beauty.
When the shift ended, the rain had eased to a steady downpour. The slaves went quickly to the latrines and the caves, but Monty didn’t hurry. He couldn’t get any wetter and the warm air made the rain quite tolerable.
Alicia came out of the women’s cave and ran to the latrine. She had changed into her office blouse and grey skirt. He waited for her.
“I’m in my office clothing so my other pair of overalls will stay dry until tomorrow,” she explained.
They stood in the rain waiting for the food wagon. Her blouse was soon wet through and clung to her breasts. His resolve to treat her with reserve evaporated and he put an arm around her.
“How are you feeling in all this wet?” he asked.
“Wet — that’s how I’m feeling. And your wet arm isn’t helping,” she chided him, but kept her tone light. She wanted him to know that she wasn’t happy with his drop in attention to her, but she didn’t want to drive him off.
“Sorry,” he said, and removed his arm.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” she accused him. “Have I done something wrong?”
“Yes, you have. You’ve done something terribly wrong.”
She looked at him in surprise. He was very serious. “What have I done?”
“You’ve grown up to be a highly desirable woman. That’s what you’ve done wrong.”
“Well,” she responded, smiling happily at him, “you’ve committed the same wrong. You’ve grown up to be a highly desirable man.”
Monty remained serious and troubled. Alicia did not grasp what was disturbing him. She was flushed with elation; he was saddened, depressed.
She felt a sudden glimmer of understanding. “Is it your family?”
He nodded.
Inwardly, she cursed herself for being foolish and thoughtless. She was single and could not imagine what would stop two people from expressing their feelings for each other in this horrible situation. But he was a married man. From what she had learned about him in her few weeks of employment at PDG, he was devoted to his family, and had a strong sense of integrity and loyalty. There was no question he liked her, but just could not leap into a new relationship.
“Monty,” she said, pressing his arm, “you take all the time you need. I will not push you. Well, maybe I will”— and they both smiled — “if you take too long. However long you take, don’t ignore me. I can’t bear it.”
A surprise awaited them at the caves. Each slave was given an extra pair of grey overalls, which meant dry clothing to change into, as well as for the next shift. Along with the overalls came a transparent plastic hooded cape.
“This cape is not cotton,” explained Joshua. “It is something the Doctor asked for and the Guardians made. It took them a long while. It doesn’t get wet on the inside.”
The dry clothing and rain capes improved their spirits and made the inclement weather a little less daunting. The rain continued to fall, heavy, at times, torrential. The capes kept them reasonably comfortable as they worked the diggings and the panning.
By the third day of constant rainfall, all the diggings were flooded, and the diggers were assigned to panning. The river, normally fast flowing but not dangerous, was now a raging torrent. Great care had to be taken not to lose one’s footing.
Over the uproar from the rain and the river, Monty heard Alicia shriek his name. He looked up the beach and saw her pointing out into the river. At the same time the siren went. Someone was being swept along, splashing desperately, obviously in trouble. He tossed the pan aside, threw off his boots, flung himself into the river, and swam to intercept the flailing person. He managed to grab a handful of hair, and with strong strokes pulled towards the beach, landing a fair distance down. As he dragged the person out of the water, he saw it was a woman. She was coughing, sputtering out river water, and crying as he set her gently down on the sand. The Warriors were all around them, but were not interfering, nor making threatening gestures. Joshua came running up.
“Is she gonna make it?” he asked worriedly. Monty was surprised by his concern, surprised that he and the woman were not accused of trying to escape. The Warriors seemed to understand that drowning and rescue were not menacing events.
“She’s swallowed a lot of water,” Monty replied.
“We’ll get her to the Doctor,” said Joshua, as he bent, scooped up the woman, and raced off, followed by two of the Warriors. Monty turned to head back to his post. The other Warriors had returned to their barrack, except for one which blocked Monty’s path. To his great surprise, the Warrior tilted its head forward in an unmistakeable bow. Monty immediately responded, and when he looked up, the Warrior was holding up an arm, which Monty grasped, and he was escorted back to his post. They bowed to each other and the Warrior left.
Monty had lost his rain cape during the rescue, he was soaking wet, and the rain continued to fall, but he felt a strong sense of satisfaction.
Ernie had also tried to rescue the woman, but was a much weaker swimmer, and after nearly floundering, had made it back to shore. Back at his station, he watched in amazement as Monty was escorted by the Warrior.
.“You seem to have gotten the VIP treatment,” Ernie said. “What prompted that?”
“That was a woman I pulled out of the river. They seem to be happy that she survived.”
Alicia had watched in terror as Monty and the drowning woman disappeared into the water and the mists. She was relieved when she saw him. When the shift ended, she threw her arms around him. “I thought you weren’t going to push me,” he protested, jokingly, prolonging the contact.
The rain stopped during their rest period, and by the time the siren woke them, the sky was clear and the area dry. The first order of work was to drain all the excavations and to continue digging. The river was still dangerous, and the panners took extra care.
At the post-shift meal, the group gathered once again on the hillock below Joshua’s house. Monty told the story of the drowning woman and his rescue, and the surprising treatment he had received from the Warriors.
“Clearly,” he commented, “they want to keep us alive. The fact that there’s a clinic, and that we’re given dry clothing, is further evidence that they’re concerned about our well-being. As long as we don’t challenge their authority or do things they don’t understand, we’re safe from physical harm. I suppose this is some kind of consolation,” he added.
Rebecca appeared, escorted by a Warrior, preceded by a tall woman. Both women turned and bowed, and the group rose and bowed. The Warrior tilted its head and left them. Rebecca turned to the group. “This is Sylvie,” she said, introducing the woman. “Sylvie would like to know who rescued her. Did anyone see the rescue?”
They all looked at Monty. “I rescued her,” said Monty. “At least, I managed to get her to the beach. Your father took her to the clinic. It’s good to see she’s OK.”
Sylvie was almost as tall as Monty, with an attractive but tired-looking lined face, dishevelled brown hair, and a curvaceous body that even the grey overalls could not mask. Her face was particularly striking with its large grey eyes, prominent cheekbones and nose, and strong mouth and jaw. Monty had noticed her before, because in looks and stature she vaguely reminded him of Vivian. He guessed she was middle-aged, but it was difficult to tell.
He extended his right hand to greet her, and she grasped it with both her hands, and leaning towards him, kissed him on both cheeks. She then sank to the ground sobbing. Thelma, Alicia and Rebecca tried to comfort her. The men stood around awkwardly. Monty bent down and said reassuringly, “It’s all over. You survived, that’s what’s important.”
She looked up at him, pleading: “I need to talk to you alone.”
The other women looked at each other in surprise, and backed away. Monty led Sylvie a little way from the group, but in full view of it.
“What is it?” he asked gently.
“You risked your life to save me. You should not have done that.”
“Why would I not want to save you?” he asked. “It’s a normal reaction when you see somebody in trouble. I’m a good swimmer. Accidents happen.”
She looked at him with tears in her eyes. “I feel awful because you might have died,” she replied, her voice choked with sobs.
“OK,” he assured her, “I might have drowned. But so what? I didn’t, and we’re both here to talk about it. You’re probably still traumatized by your close call. Why don’t you relax and forget about it. Come talk with our group. We always cheer each other up.”
In a whisper he could barely hear, she gasped out: “It was not an accident.”
“What?”
“I wanted to die. I could no longer live this life. I’ve been feeling very low for a long time. The rain made things worse. I didn’t fall into the river — I threw myself in, hoping I would drown. I almost killed you as well.”
There was a long silence, as he digested her confession. “Are you sorry I rescued you?”.
“I don’t know anymore. I feel terribly guilty that I nearly killed you.”
“Have you mentioned your suicide attempt to anyone else?”
She shook her head.
“Then don’t tell anyone else,” he cautioned her. “I don’t know how our captors would react if they knew it wasn’t an accident. They might make life even more difficult. Look, Sylvie, I know this life can be very depressing, and I’m guessing you’ve been here a lot longer than we have.”
She nodded and held up five fingers: “Five years.”
“Well,” he continued, “I don’t know how I’ll feel in five years, but I do believe we can’t give in. I noticed you always grab your food and disappear into the cave, and I presume you eat alone.” — She nodded. — “Why don’t you join our group? We take our meals together on the hill below Joshua’s house. It will help you avoid depressing thoughts if you socialize. And since you’ve been here longer, you can help us better understand what we’re up against.”
“Maybe I will,” she said, doubtfully.
“No ‘maybes’” he insisted. “That will be the price you pay for nearly killing me, and not only me. My friend, Ernie, at the next digging, also went in after you, but he’s not a strong swimmer and had to return to the beach. So you owe us something, and having your evenings taken up with chatter cannot be too bad. If you really want to kill yourself, no one can stop you. But life is too precious, even this life that we now lead.”
He took her by the arm and led her back to the group. “I’ve just persuaded Sylvie to join the PDG Corporation. Because of her many more years here and her greater knowledge of our working conditions, she will head up our Employee Assistance Program. I’ve misplaced her resume, so perhaps she can tell us a bit about herself.”
There were cheers and calls of “welcome” from the group. For the first time, Sylvie smiled. “I’ve been here five years and I’m not used to making speeches,” she began, somewhat shyly.
“You don’t have to make a speech,” Syd encouraged her. “All we need to know is whether your background and experience qualifies you for the job. Monty makes lots of hiring mistakes. After all, he hired most of us.”
Amidst the laughter, there were shouts of “Speak for yourself!” Thelma pointed a finger at Syd, and joked, “As far as I know, Monty has made only one mistake.”
Sylvie continued: “My name is Sylvie Gagnon. I am from Montreal, where I owned a shop selling toiletries, soaps, perfumes and other nice things. The shop was quite successful. Are there any sales people here?” — Syd raised his hand — “We must compare notes. If I say so myself, I was rather good at selling and at finding products that people wanted to buy. My customers enjoyed the little bit of luxury that my products added to their daily lives.” For a moment, her voice quavered and the tears came to her eyes, as she contrasted her previous with her present situation.
“How were you captured? Did they come right into your store?” Ernie asked.
“No, I was at a little cottage that I owned in the Laurentians north of Montreal. The cottage is fairly isolated. I remember hearing a roar like a jet engine, and then Joshua appeared and grabbed me. I must have fainted. The next thing I knew, I was in their space ship.”
“How have they treated you?” Monty asked, solicitously.
“Much the same as they are treating you. Don’t expect any favours. I’ve had several different jobs. I worked in the kitchen for a while, preparing and serving the meals. That’s where I met you” — pointing to Jeff Leibovitz, who nodded — “I’ve worked in the fields, helping with the ploughing and harvesting, and I’ve also worked making the grey overalls that we all wear.”
She went on to explain that the grains that made up their daily rations were grown in large fields as well as a kind of flax that was spun and woven into cloth .
“I didn’t mind panning until it rained. The rain made me very depressed. It always lasts at least a few days and sometimes a week or two.”
“Have you used the clinic before?” Alicia asked.
“Oh, yes. If you have to go to the clinic, don’t worry. The Doctor is very good, and Rebecca is a first-class nurse.”
Rebecca beamed, relieved that Sylvie had not dwelled on the role played by her father. She often heard bitter references to him by the slaves. She understood he had a difficult job and needed to satisfy the Guardians and the Warriors that he was doing it well. She knew he was tough with the workers, and rough with some of them. But to his family, he was a gentle and loving man, always concerned about his children, and attentive to her mother, although he could become stern and angry. He was proud of Rebecca when she began nursing, and admired her ability to develop friendships with the Warriors.
There was one issue where she and her father disagreed: her inclination to talk to the thin, young man in the group that regularly congregated on the hillock. The Doctor had expressed an interest in coupling with her when Joshua felt she had reached an appropriate age.
“As your father,” Joshua told her, “I believe the Doctor would make a better mate. He would keep you as his nurse and he’s in good standing with our masters.”
She liked and respected the Doctor, and they had an excellent working relationship, but she could not control her growing affection for the man the others referred to as Syd.
The group had begun to thin out, and Rebecca was soon alone with Syd. “They call you Syd,” Rebecca said shyly. “May I call you Syd?”
He bowed deeply: “Syd Clark at your service!”
She laughed, delighted by his posturing. The house door opened, and Emily appeared.
“Have a good sleep, Syd,” Rebecca said.
“Have a good sleep, Rebecca,” he answered, and watched her skip quickly up the path and enter the house. He turned slowly and walked down the incline to the cave.
Alicia sympathetically put an arm around his waist, and walked with him. “Don’t worry. She really likes you.”
“My problem is,” he said, “where do I go from here? I can’t ask her out on a date. There’s no where to be alone. Monty keeps telling me to be prudent. All I can do is worship from a distance, and hope something will happen. That’s not the role I’m used to, neither as a person nor as a salesman.” He slouched off to the cave, idly kicking pebbles in the gravelly terrain.
While she felt sorry for him, she had her own romance issues to contend with. Until this evening, she had been quite confident that the love between her and Monty had taken root and would soon blossom. It was this anticipation that kept her spirits high. But now, she saw Sylvie Gagnon as a potential rival. She was very attractive, particularly when she smiled and chatted.
Moreover, Alicia had detected a sudden interest on the part of Monty, when Sylvie had first appeared that evening. She had often seen this sign in men. It was usually very subtle: a narrowing of the eyes, or raising of the eyebrows, or a furtive licking of the lips. She called it the ‘male sexual flicker’ and had first become aware of it in relation to herself. It was something she noticed in men as she came into a room, or passed them on the street. While she was flattered by this male response to her, she had never taken it seriously and had considered it a momentary spike in the male lust graph.
She wasn’t surprised or disappointed that Monty would show a momentary interest in an attractive woman. However, in addition, the two had withdrawn and had engaged in what appeared to be an intimate and emotional discussion. Monty had added Sylvie to their group and had paid special attention to her. Had he known her before? Had something occurred during the rescue? There was something they were keeping to themselves — of that, Alicia was certain.
Alicia admitted she was jealous, but she had every reason to be. Monty was not just a love target for her — as important as that was. He was the only light in a long, dark tunnel. Without him, life would become truly unbearable. In such a case, would she even want to go on living? No, she might as well throw herself into the river — and in a flash, she knew what Monty and Sylvie had talked about. It was absolutely clear. That’s why Monty had paid such close attention to Sylvie and had insisted she participate in the group.
This insight did not assuage Alicia’s fears. Monty was a caring, sympathetic man. If a beautiful but distressed Sylvie continued to arouse his protective instincts, then his concern for Sylvie might develop into something more. Alicia found herself in a quandary. She fully agreed that Sylvie had to feel part of the group and draw comfort from that. On the other hand, Alicia wanted Monty and needed him badly, and she should fight for him.
A hand tugged her hair and a voice said, “You’re very deep in thought. There’s even a frown on that pretty face.”
A smiling Monty ran his fingers through her hair. If she had had any doubts about his affection for her, his look dispelled them. She was reminded of the words Dianna Krall sings, ‘the look of love is in your eyes.’ Comforted, she would remain vigilant nevertheless and push him a little harder.
“A woman’s thoughts are her last bastion of self-defence,” she replied somewhat tartly. “ They are not to be revealed, not even to the man who may become important to her.”
From the tone of her reply, he knew something was bothering her but decided not to pursue it. He put an arm around her as they walked towards the cave. He felt her body soften and yield to the hug. He kissed her goodnight, and they went to their respective quarters.