Page 40 of The End of the World As We Know It
“Nebraska.”
“Whatever. I had a dream, too.”
“What about?”
“I was in school getting ready to take an exam, but I’d never gone to class. Not once.”
Dottie said nothing.
“It was just a silly stress dream. But let’s suppose yours isn’t, for the sake of argument. Suppose it’s some kind of message, although I’m not saying it is.”
“Okay,” Dottie said. She recognized Nancy’s tone. She had to be on the lookout for land mines.
“Suppose the old woman is real and suppose you’re immune like she says, and everyone who’s immune is supposed to head for Kansas. No, excuse me, Nebraska.”
Dottie waited.
“You’re here. As long as you stay here, you’re as good as immune. We all are. Doesn’t matter one way or the other.”
“Yes, but—”
“What I’m saying is… what I’masking: Why go? Why take the risk? What does the old lady have that we don’t have here on the island?”
Dottie took a deep breath, then remembered her cigarette and took a puff. “I think she’s the voice of God.”
“God?” Nancy said, taking another step back. “You don’t believe in God.”
“I didn’t,” Dottie said. “But I think God believes in me. I think she’s calling me.”
“I don’t fucking believe this.” Nancy swiveled and headed toward the community hall, but changed her mind and kept going all the way to the pier.
Wally Martin was on duty, but he was reading a magazine in the shed instead of watching for approaching boats. Nancy might have been sixty-two, but there was nothing wrong with her eyesight. There was something in the water maybe half a mile from the wharf, and it appeared to be coming this way.
She poked Wally in the shoulder, startling him, then reached past him to get the binoculars.
“What?” Wally asked.
“Someone’s coming,” Nancy said. It took her a few seconds to home in on the shape she’d seen, and a few more to twiddle the dial to bring the object into focus. Definitely a boat.
She handed the binoculars to Wally. As he scanned the rough water, Nancy asked, “Do you think it’s them? The newlyweds coming back? Or someone else?”
“Whoever it is, they’re rowing,” Wally said.
“What should we do?”
Wally picked up the rifle and checked to make sure there was a round in the chamber. “Whatever we have to do to keep them away. Like we agreed.”
Nancy stared at him for a long moment. “I’m going to get the others.”
“Good idea. Might need the help.”
She found Dick and Bob having breakfast in the hall. Bob went to fetch Charles and Harry, while Dick followed Nancy back to the jetty.
The boat was a little closer than when she’d first spotted it, but it was still too far away for their shouts to be heard. They waited anxiously as the craft drew nearer. By the time it was close enough that they could see the lone figure without binoculars, the island’s entire population was gathered at the end of the wharf. Wally, Dick, Bob,and Harry all had rifles. There were enough pistols to arm everyone else.
“That’smyboat,” Bob said.
“Too bad we don’t have no megaphone,” Harry said.
