CHAPTER THIRTEEN

AFTER LUNCH JOHN EDWARDS excused himself, saying that he had work to do in his study. He told Lori and Carl that they should feel free to roam the grounds, to watch TV, or just to relax if they could. “I’ll be putting you to work soon enough,” he said cryptically, then disappeared into his study.

Dave and Charley went outside to see if they could help the ranch hands.

“We haven’t checked out what’s happening today,” Carl said. “Let’s see what the news reports are saying.”

“I’m not sure I want to know,” Lori said. Nevertheless, she followed Carl into the living room and sat down beside him on the sofa as he picked up the remote control and turned on the TV.

The situation was even worse than they feared: Los Angeles was gone, earthquakes were ripping California apart, and a massive tidal wave was decimating Hawaii. Massive flooding was occurring in Oregon and Washington. It was being predicted that half the populations of Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines were being wiped out. No one could be certain what would happen after that, but it was predicted that before the disaster was over, coastal areas of Europe would experience flooding and, to a lesser extent, the East Coast of the United States.

Finally, Lori could stand no more. She started to sob. “Turn if off, Carl, please,” she said, tears running down her face. “I can’t take anymore.”

Carl, who was more upset than he was willing to admit, turned off the TV and put his arms around his wife. He wanted to comfort her, to say that things would be all right. But he couldn’t. The world that he and Lori had known was gone forever.

Lori cried until she was drained. “I need a tissue,” she sniffled.

“I’ll get you some,” Carl said, getting up. “Be right back.” He returned a few moments later with a box of tissues.

“Thanks,” Lori said as he sat down beside her again. She wiped her nose, dried her eyes, then said, “I think I must have been in shock yesterday. It didn’t really hit me ’til today that we’ve lost everything, Carl.”

“Not everything,” Carl said softly. “We still have each other—and we’re alive and safe.”

Lori gave a deep sigh and rested her head on Carl’s shoulder. “You’re right,” she said. “We may have lost our home and our possessions, but we’re here, together, in this beautiful place, and with good people who care about us—”

“And studying the Bible,” Carl interrupted, grinning, “as if we didn’t have a care in the world.”