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

“I don’t know,” said Ken. He uncapped the pen and stared at the notebook.

“I think,” said Hutch, “he wants you to write a message to be delivered to Wally. And I know that makes no sense, but—”

“Hold on.” Ken held both hands out for Arin, with his fingers spread. Then he closed them into fists and opened them again with the thumbs tucked away. And his right index finger folded down. Seventeen.

Arin broke into one of his giant grins. “Kaka!”

So, it was a message for Wally, and they’d locked down the eighteen fingers Arin had shown them yesterday. He had been referring to days. But this was minus one. “So, what’s going to happen in seventeen days?” asked Beth.

“I can only think of one thing,” said Hutch. “They’re going to recover the lander.” She looked at the pad. “Write the message.”

“Hutch, they have no way of sending it. Hell, they won’t even be able to read it.”

“What can we lose? Write it and see what happens.”

Ken let her see he considered it an exercise in futility. But he took a moment to think, and then began printing: HELLO, WALLY. DON’T GO ANYWHERE. IF ALL GOES WELL WE WILL BE WITH YOU IN 17 DAYS. MORE OR LESS. HOPE YOU’RE OKAY.

He held it where Beth and Hutch could see it and then passed it to Arin, who was already frowning and shaking his head. He bit his lower lip and pressed his palms together. Then he separated them and moved them back beyond the edges of his placemat. He looked with disapproval from one to the other. Then he brought them close together, until they were separated by about a centimeter. And he looked from Ken to Hutch.

“The message is too long,” said Beth.

“I understand that,” said Ken. “What I don’t understand is what we’re talking about.”

Hutch was watching Arin. “I don’t get it either. But let’s assume he knows what he’s doing.”

Arin returned the notebook, and Ken tried again: DON’T GO ANYWHERE. WE’LL BE WITH YOU IN 17 DAYS.

It was still too long.

Ken rewrote it: BE WITH YOU IN 17 DAYS.

Arin still wasn’t happy. “Let me try it,” said Hutch.

Ken passed the notebook to her. She wrote: BK IN 3 WKS.

Yes. Ken translated it for Arin, who raised a fist. Excellent. He finished the bun, helped himself to another one, smiled at Hutch, and left.

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