BooksBarbecue
Back The Long Sunset
Chapters (51)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. Prologue
  5. 1.
  6. 2.
  7. 3.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 6.
  11. 7.
  12. 8.
  13. 9.
  14. 10.
  15. 11.
  16. 12.
  17. 13.
  18. 14.
  19. 15.
  20. 16.
  21. 17.
  22. 18.
  23. 19.
  24. 20.
  25. 21.
  26. 22.
  27. 23.
  28. 24.
  29. 25.
  30. 26.
  31. 27.
  32. 28.
  33. 29.
  34. 30.
  35. 31.
  36. 32.
  37. 33.
  38. 34.
  39. 35.
  40. 36.
  41. 37.
  42. 38.
  43. 39.
  44. 40.
  45. 41.
  46. 42.
  47. 43.
  48. 44.
  49. Epilogue
  50. About the Author
  51. Copyright

They went back outside and watched the Eiferman begin its descent toward the western horizon. Arin pointed at it and asked another question, but nobody could figure out what he wanted to know, other than maybe he was asking how long the ship would remain?

The temple door opened and Kwylla came out. She was carrying a small bag.

More food. She opened the bag as she came up onto the porch and showed them some cherry-colored nuggets. They looked good. Did anybody want one?

Everybody did. Maybe nobody wanted to take a chance of offending her. But these tasted much better than the orange-colored strips they’d offered earlier. The nuggets might also have been seafood, but Hutch couldn’t be sure. When they’d finished, Kwylla put what was left in the refrigerator and tried to ask a question. Probably was there anything else she could do for them?

“You’ve done more than we could have hoped for,” said Derek. She and Arin moved among them, clasping shoulders and forearms. Then they pointed toward the side door of the temple. They should feel free to go in if they needed anything? A few minutes later they said good-bye and returned to the temple.

Eventually, the humans retreated into the cottage and sat talking, going over the same topics. They became aware that some islanders had assembled outside. They stayed mostly at the edge of the trees, except for a few who came forward to stare through windows. Eventually, Derek went outside and waved at them, and said good-bye several times. “Bora hycut.” As far as Hutch could tell, nobody took the hint.

“Lock the door,” said Beth.

Ken tried but threw up his hands. “It doesn’t seem to have a lock.”

“That’s a good sign,” said Hutch. “Maybe these people don’t have thieves.”

They drew the curtains, and as best they could tell, the crowd eventually went away.

About an hour later, someone knocked. Ken opened the door and looked out at one of the females who’d brought over the boxes of clothes. She was carrying food this time. Ken took it from her, said thanks, and stood aside to invite her inside. But she said good-bye and withdrew.

“She’s scared of us,” said Beth.

Hutch tried the food. They were green niblets, and unlike the nuggets, they tasted flat. When she was growing up, that was always a good sign. Tasteless food was good for you. The stuff you liked was always what got you in trouble.

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