“Focus, okay?” she snapped. So much for friendly. “Arm all the way back, see? You have to gauge your throw to the distance. Practice is what you need. Unfortunately, you won’t get much time to do that. When the stick begins to curve back, the small engines kick in, bringing it back to you as fast as it left.”
“And then you have to catch it?”
“Watch.”
She tossed the wingstick straight toward an open space behind the weapons shop. The stick spun around like an axle flying through the air, creating a shrill whistling noise.
“We could have cut the sound, but hey-let it shriek. Scares the hell out of the muties.”
The spinning stick started to curve around, and then Raine saw that its small engine kicked in and the stick got a burst of speed right at the bottom of its trajectory.
“Okay. Here she comes.”
The stick came flying back to Loosum, looking as if it might slice off her head.
“Will be just about… gliding… when it reaches me.”
The stick came back precisely to the point where she threw it, her right hand-gloved-open, ready to pluck it.
“Got to catch it. That’s the fun part.”
“Fun? Looks damn-”
She had reached up and closed on the center of the axle, and the stick stopped.
“There. Got it. And it’s ready to go again.”
“My turn?”
“No. Not yet. A few more throws by me. Just try to see how to gauge distance, strength of the throw. First… over that barrel there.”
Like a sports star, she made the stick swing perfectly around the barrel.
“Now a bit farther. Right up to the door to that supply shed… Hope no one comes out.”
A stronger throw, Loosum’s eyes locked on the target.
And again the stick started to loop around just as it reached the wooden porch. The stick came within inches of nicking the door, but safely curved around.
Another perfect catch.
“Okay, now your turn, Ark man. Start by aiming at something close.”
Raine took the stick, a bit unsure. It’s not as if he had ever thrown a boomerang. He imagined that the Aborigines would take months learning how to throw. He had just these minutes.
He tried to model what Loosum showed him.
“No.” She grabbed his arm, lowering it. Then took his hand and gave it a small twist. “There. Nice and level. One smooth… move. But flat, like the horizon. Keep your arm nice and flat.”
“Got it.”
Raine tossed it. The stick immediately moved out of its nice and level spin. It wobbled upward, then began curving around, and then started to race back, not to Raine, but to the ground.
Loosum ran ahead and caught the stick before it would have hit.
When she turned she was laughing.
“Takes some time.”
“I can see that. Don’t think I have much time.”
“C’mon, a few more. Show me how smart they were. Way back when.”
Raine started throwing.
And each throw got better and better.
It wasn’t long before he was sending the stick around the barrel, looking almost as smooth as Loosum’s throws.
“Okay.” She took the stick from him. “Here’s the killer secret of the stick. You throw this switch… right here. Now it’s set to send a targeted explosion shooting from each of its three arms. Like…”
“A pinwheel?”
She shook her head, confused.
Pinwheel. Fireworks, carnivals. Kids’ toys.
All gone. Might as well be talking about dinosaurs.
“Can’t do an explosion here. But when you use this… out there. You turn on the wing. And then send it flying around whatever you want-”
“To explode.” Raine laughed.
“Right. See. Dad told you you’d love it. Now, we can-”
Dan’s voice rang out from behind them.
“Raine. You’re all set. Got to get going, friend. Enforcers could be here anytime.”
And Raine gave Loosum a look, a smile. He almost said: Hope to see you again…
But somehow-in this world-such a thought seemed crazy.
Raine sat in the buggy, now riding a few inches higher.
“We put extra ply on the tires,” Dan said. “We do it ourselves. Kind of our secret process. Got some food back here. The ammo. And I see my daughter has taught you the ways of the stick.”
He caught Dan looking over at him, maybe gauging if he had any interest in Loosum. As beautiful as she was, no doubt she was also a handful.
And probably damn good in a fight.
But that’s all he had time for at the moment.
“Nice little weapon.”
“Yeah. Might just save your life.”
Dan looked at the open gate, his people standing by to let him out.
“Look, there’s a note to Clayton… in the-what did you call it?”
Raine laughed. “Glove compartment.”
“Right. You can read it. It’s the best we can do. Map, too. Once there, it will be up to you. It’s not the Wasteland.”
“You make it sound worse.”
“Worse, better? Hard to say. I like it here. Wish you could stay.”
“Thanks. And Dan…” he looked at Loosum at her father’s side, “Loosum-thanks for everything. I think I’d be dead now without you.”
“You may still be. But somehow, I don’t think you go down that easy.”
Raine stuck out his hand, the habit still ingrained in him.
Dan looked at the hand, grinned, and took it.
A firm shake, then a release. A custom from the past, reborn. Raine did the same to Loosum, who looked perplexed with the gesture.
But when she took his hand it was no girl’s hand, but strong.
Not surprising.
“Okay, Raine, time to get moving.”
Dan nodded to the guards, and they rolled away the metal gate.
“Travel safely. Or as safe as you can.”
Raine nodded.
Time to go indeed.
The unknown ahead.
He began pulling out of the settlement, and he didn’t look back until it was the merest outline on the horizon.
TWO
TWENTY-ONE
The rocky hills and jagged cliffs of the Wastelands changed into a flat plain of rubble and sun, with nothing on the horizon.
A few times Raine checked the map and tapped his globe compass-a far cry from GPS-to make sure he was heading in the right direction to the city of Wellspring.
And it seemed to be, though he would be reassured by seeing someone else heading this way-or anything at all on the horizon.
But the map showed that he still had a lot of ground to cover, especially if he was to reach the city by nightfall.
He imagined that you didn’t want to be out here when the sun went down.
It didn’t feel any too safe being out here now.
He was well beyond the radio range of Dan’s settlement. It’s not that he had anything to say, but another human voice would be comforting.
So thinking it might help, being out here all alone, he started talking to himself.
An hour later he stopped to pour more gas into the tank.
Dan had given him four large containers, nearly fifty gallons. Enough-he said-to get him to Wellspring.
He looked up, the brilliant sun overhead.
Raine had wrapped a cloth around his exposed neck and lower face, even though that made him sweat. The material was sodden where it touched him, but he guessed it was a good idea to keep the sun off his skin.
Did it feel different? Was the sun here, now… any different?
Clouds seemed scarce. Was there ever a rainy season?
Then he said it aloud. “Ever rain here?”
He laughed. “Rain, Raine.”
Again, aloud. “Got some Raine now.” He got back in the buggy and started once again toward Wellspring.
It didn’t take him long before he resumed his conversation with himself.