I followed Andie to the west corner of the house where she pulled back an animal skin, revealing the inner sanctum of her private sanctuary, a ten-by-twelve-foot space, lit by a single candle.

“Give me your clothes, I’ll wring them out and dry them by the fire.”

I obeyed, then waited inside the enclosure, away from Monique’s prying eyes.

The two corner stone walls were covered with trophies from Andria’s hunts. There was a piranhalike fish jaw and a set of clawed hooves and an assortment of sharp animal teeth hanging from vine necklaces. Most of the floor space was occupied by her bed, the mattress being a foot-high pile of animal skins, the top quilt—a bear skin, its silky soft fur thick and reddish gray, unusual coloring for a bear.

“You killed that thing?” I asked as she returned.

Andria’s eyes glistened in the candlelight as she stared hungrily at my body. “It looks more impressive than it was. Three arrows, dipped in hemlock. The poison paralyzes the central nervous system within minutes. I shot it from the roof of the farmhouse; the bastard killed two of our nicest alpaca.”

“Amazing how a grizzly could end up on this continent.”

“Oh, this creature wasn’t a bear. Believe it or not, it was rodent. When it stood on its hind legs it was easily nine feet tall. Nasty fangs, plus it had a long tail that ended in a barbed hook. I cut the disgusting thing off when I skinned it. But the fur’s nice and soft.”

She allowed the wool covering to slide away from her body, then lay down naked on the bed. “Will you make a baby with me now?”

“Andie, why do you suddenly want to be pregnant?”

“I thought it was what you wanted?”

“Yeah … back in Florida, before all this happened. You really want to raise a child here? Among giant rats and land squids?”

“We need to repopulate the planet. It’s what God wants.”

Boy, if there’s two subjects that can just ruin the moment …

“Andie, who told you God wants you to repopulate the planet?”

“Don’t be an asshole, Ike. God told us when He spared our lives. When He brought you to me. Do you really want to leave the Earth to these murderous creatures?” Sitting up, she knelt on all fours, doggy-style. “Which position is best to conceive a girl? Back or front?”

God, give me strength …

“Andie, you sound like a character straight out of a bad sci-fi movie.”

“Well, excuse me! I only asked because I thought that microchip in that micro brain of yours would know. But hey, if you don’t want me, maybe you’d prefer Lara, she obviously wants you.”

“I don’t want Lara or Dharma, or anyone else for that matter. I just want you.”

She turned to face me, her gaze harsh and penetrating. “Dharma? Why did you say Dharma?”