Page 38 of The Godhead Complex
“How is it that I’m ready for a break and you two aren’t?” Jackie blew out a heavy sigh and laughed. “I’ll walk all day if it means I’m not swaying on that stupid boat, but I don’t think I’m in quite the shape as you two.”
Frypan flexed a bicep. “Back home I walked four miles every morning. Up the coast and back around.”No wonder he had so much energy.
“When we get back home, I’m doing that walk with you,” Jackie said. “Every day.”
“Me, too.” Isaac smiled thinking of home. He wasn’t sure they’d ever make it back to the island, but he was relieved to have the others. Even if something happened to Cowan, Isaac wouldn’t be alone. Jackie might not have the stomach for a boat ride, but in Isaac’s opinion, she was the strongest islander of the group, even stronger than Dominic. If they ran into Cranks again, he’d trust Jackie to kill them with her bare hands if needed.
“Whatisthat . . .” Cowan pointed to a brown lump on the dirt path up ahead. Isaac squinted at the strange blob. He walked ahead to investigate and leaned over. It was a dead bird.
“Just a sparrow.” Jackie joined him and bent over to touch the bird.
“Wait, don’t touch it,” Isaac said, “it might have a disease.”
“I’m not touching the bird, there’s a little someone I wanted to say hi to.” She motioned to the tiny, wiggly, red and orange thing crawling on the dirt behind the bird. An amphibian. Cowan had started another coughing fit and took the opportunity to stop and rest. “Hi little guy, what’s your name?”
Old Man Frypan took a look. “That there is a big ol’ Salamander.”
Cowan coughed and coughed to clear her throat. “This is silly, but maybe it’s a sign . . .”
Isaac looked down at the dead bird and then back to Cowan. He didn’t want her to think she’d soon be dead on her back, beak to the sky, too. “No. Everything will be okay.”
“Exactly. It’s agoodsign.” She managed a smile, but her forehead creased like a frown. Isaac had no idea what she was talking about. “We have these old books in congress, written accounts by the immunes, sharing their knowledge and memories. And in one of those books, someone called a Salamander a Newt. Said not to eat them.”
“I’d starve before I ate this cute thing.” Jackie pet the creature on the top of its head with the pad of her finger.
“Little Newt,” Isaac said, and it earned him an honest smile from Old Man Frypan.
“That’s a fine name for anyone,” he added.
“Hear that?” Jackie asked the tiny salamander. “You’re a newt, Little Newt.” She stood up and placed the new pet on her shoulder.
Their group had just added another member, one that made each one of them smile. Maybe the little guy even had a bit of luck in him. Isaac wasn’t superstitious, but he’d welcome any good fortune they could get, especially since the brown sparrow was the second dead bird they’d found in as many days.
Their days had found a routine, and that helped Isaac’s mind from going completely bonkers—orwonky bonkyas Trish would say if she were here. Cowan’s rash was getting wider and its red rawness peeked out from behind her scarf. Their plan was to retrace their steps to the house where Isaac and Sadina had been kidnapped, where Kletter was killed, and then to follow the streets and houses up the hillside until they saw people.
“Kletter never told anyone what the Villa looked like, did she?” Isaac asked.
“No, that woman had way too many secrets,” Jackie said bitterly.
Isaac looked over at Cowan for her answer, but as a woman with too many secrets herself, he knew she wouldn’t say anything. “Ms. Cowan?” he prompted her. “Did Kletter say anything to you about the Villa? Before we got on the ship, maybe at your meeting?”
Cowan blinked more slowly than usual, like her body and muscles were exhausting their strength to keep her legs walking. “I don’t know . . . I don’t think so.” Isaac wasn’t convinced. If Kletter had told her about needing control subjects and more people than Sadina from the island, then he was sure Kletter had revealed something else. Things that Cowan either didn’t remember or chose not to share.
Jackie picked up another wiggly insect. “I think he likes worms the best.”
Isaac watched Little Newt slurp up the even smaller creature. “He definitely is not a vegetarian.”
Jackie rubbed her mouth, “Ew, plhhhpt!”
“What happened?” He stopped as she spit something out and scraped at her tongue.
“A bug just flew right in my mouth. Gross.”
Frypan looked concerned. “Did it sting you?”
“No,” Jackie said, still scraping.
“Here.” Isaac handed over his canteen. “Wasn’t a murder hornet, was it?”
