That afternoon, it began to rain, a steady, cooling old-time rain. The remaining trees broke the force of the water, and it fell on them in fat drops. Water coursed down tree trunks and into the earth, which began to release a loamy, wet smell. There was no wind. “Will we still leave at dusk?” asked Lichen, her voice trembling.

“Yes, that’s what I’d thought,” Caroni said. “Rain is a good friend to us.” She shook her head and stood. “But there’s no need to wait. We go now.”

They rose to their feet together and Rashelope led them in single file to the river. She had her machete and rusty shovel strapped to her back in the shape of an X. It was hard to see in the rain and no one spoke. Their journey would get harder as it got dark, but the ravine, now with just a small stream, offered an easy path. The river had fallen at least a metre from the last time Sorrel had seen it. They were safe when the river was a torrent, because they were hidden under the tree canopy. Now that it was drying up and the leaves were falling, they’d soon have been found. She strode past Landis and Genus, who were relative newcomers to the band. She knew little about them.

She fell in behind Rashelope and Emrallie. She was strong now but knew how quickly her fitness would ebb if they didn’t find food. Lichen walked up beside her and she touched the younger girl’s shoulder. They walked on in the rain, leaving Jiba behind.

It rained all night and through the next day. Caroni said there would be no rest and no drinking from the algaskins. “Drink from the sky,” she said.

“I don’t like this rain,” Sorrel whispered to Emrallie.

“Why not? What’s the matter with you?”

“It’s not normal.”

Emrallie laughed. “What’s normal?”

“How many times have you seen rain like this?”

“Maybe never. But so what? It’s just rain. What’s the worst that can happen – a rain bomb? A hurricane? Another earthquake? We’ll find a place to hide –” She stopped abruptly. “You’re just spooked by leaving camp.”

“Maybe. I don’t know if we’ll find a cave today. What if it stops raining soon and we’re still outside?”

“Just walk. Be glad you can walk. Be glad the going is pretty easy. Be glad we’re together. Be glad we ate something yesterday. Stop thinking.”

“That breadfruit paste was disgusting.”

“It was just fuel.”

“Yeah, but I remember the breadfruit we got on our first night in camp. Now that was food.”

“Guata, Sorrel, you’re always looking back.” Emrallie lengthened her stride and left her.