Chapter 13
Erehwhon

Jack and Stig were sitting in a bar that could best be described as a shack. The walls and roof were made from AlgRoc a speciality of Hawaii 2 – a corrugated material composed of a seaweed that grew prolifically combined with volcanic rock dust and a few other cheap ingredients under heat and pressure. AlgRock had the special property of growing stronger with age as subtle chemical changes continued to occur in the material over time. Easy to cut when fresh, AlgRoc was cheap and easy to use, you could cut holes for windows, it took paint readily and the corrugation made it strong for it’s weight.
Furniture in the bar was a motley assortment in varying stages of ageing and disrepair. The choice of drinks was limited and Stig, sitting opposite Jack, was nursing a beer and kept leaning across the table to a sickly-looking Jack who had not felt able to drink anything, suffering as he was from the effects of Clem’s pill which he had downed as they walked into town from the store.
”Jack! Buck up mate! I’ll find something to fix you up – try and stay awake…” Stig played the part of concerned friend to a tee. Jack, on the other hand, did not need to play the part of a queasy drug addict in withdrawal – Clem’s pill had done exactly what it said on the tin as he had all the symptoms, dilated pupils, pallor, nervous twitching, paranoia and a need to scratch at his arms. Apart from the paranoia though, Jack felt quite compos mentis and even found himself wondering why on Hawaii 2 Clem would have developed such a drug – maybe just a fortuitous discovery, but fortuitous of what, Jack couldn’t imagine.
Stig went over to the bar where a couple of men were sitting drinking and conversing in a desultory way. After ordering another beer, Stig turned to the two men and after a few icebreaker remarks, Stig leant in and confidentially said “My friend over there he’s really strung out and I’m looking for someone who knows their way around well -drugs. I thought Erehwon might be the  place to find them – any ideas, friends?”
“We don’t like newcomers here!” said the one nearest to Stig and turned his back to Stig but his friend leaned forward and addressed Stig in a more conciliatory tone. “Look mate, I can get you pretty much anything you want. I know selling drugs is not illegal but my friend here is right, you can’t just come in here and expect doors to open – we are all here ‘cos we like our privacy and we want it to stay that way…”
“Sorry guys” said Stig “its just I’m really worried about my friend. He’s been living in Lowtown but he’s not a happy camper and he rubs people up the wrong way. I don’t know anybody there but it seemed to me he had burned his bridges and someone suggested I brought him here.”
“Well like I said I can get you anything you want but if you need advice…” said the more helpful man. At that moment the door opened and another man walked in “Now this man might be the one you need! Here Alex! This man needs some help!”
Unseen by the men at the bar who were looking at the newcomer, Stig winked at Alex who took his cue and said “How can I help stranger?”
“It’s my friend over here er, Alex.” Stig made his way back towards Jack who was lying his head on his arms and mumbling incoherently. “Can I get you a drink Alex?” “Thanks – your name is…?” “Oh, Stig friend, and this sad bastard is my best friend Jack!”
Sure I’ll have a beer and then you can tell me about  Jack.”
After fetching another beer from the bar, Stig and Alex sat down opposite Jack backs to the wall so they could keep an eye on the rest of the clientele. Quietly Stig spieled Alex much along the lines that he had to the men at the bar. Alex  listened and eventually said “Okay Stig, well I might be able to help but I think Jack here needs to chill, have you got somewhere to crash?”
“No Alex, we just landed – can you suggest somewhere?”
“Tell you what, Stig, I’ve plenty of space at mine we could take him there and you and I can chat some more.” “Cheers mate – that’s over and above – appreciate it!”

“Okay – let’s walk him out then – it’s not too far.”

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

Sitting on the couch in Alex’s house a rambling one storey assemblage of AlgRoc rooms and with Jack, who was genuinely asleep, tucked up in bed, Stig and Alex let out a big sigh.
“Good to see you Stig – it’s been a while!”
“You’re right – I suppose that’s a good thing – it means things are reasonably settled here…”
“Reasonably I suppose – at least there’s not been anything I needed to call outside help in for.”
And you’re still happy enough with the undercover work?”
“Oh yeah, happy enough -I’ve got a girlfriend – she doesn’t know what I do for you, and, well – she’s a bit off the wall, but I like her and I’m not sure she would transplant anywhere else – in fact, I’m not sure I would now, I’ve got used to Erehwon’s ways – the libertarian sump of the most libertarian society in the galaxy!”
“Ain’t that the truth!” said Stig and they lapsed into reflective silence for a moment.
“Now how about you tell me what you’re really here for ‘cos I take it, it’s not yer man there…”
“No its not, as I said, he’s taken a special pill, courtesy of a friend of his in Lowtown – he’ll be fine when he wakes up. Come to think of it, I didn’t tell you who he is did I. He’s not just Jack – he’s The Jack of Jack and Douglas fame!”
“No! You’re kidding Stig! A ruddy celebrity in me bed!”
“He’s been the subject of unwanted attentions – probably offworlders – they kidnapped him trying to get information about his late wife’s work – best you don’t know about it. I think they’re convinced he doesn’t have what they want – which in truth he doesn’t so I’m just keeping him under my wing till I’m sure they’ve lost interest. No we’re here on another matter.” Stig explained the Gervald situation, his connection to Jack’s friend Clem and the ditched camper van. “If he is here – which seems likely – then we don’t know if he is hiding out because he also received unwanted attention or he’s just a loose cannon… Any thoughts – seen anyone fitting the description Alex?”
Alex rubbed his stubbly chin “Can’t say I have Stig. I did hear there was someone new out at the old Jones place but you know yourself, people come and go here all the time. If he was new, then I expected to see him in town sooner or later, the fact that I hadn’t made me think, in as much as I thought about it at all, that it was someone passing through – we could go and check it out I suppose.”
At that moment, a young woman came into the house, slight of figure and dressed in a faded but once vibrant coloured print skirt and tank top, bead strings fixed in her hair. “Sorry Alex I didn’t know you had visitors – I’ll come back later.” As she turned to go nervously.
“No Katie – stay! We were just going out for a bit. This is my friend Stig who drops by from time to time and the sleeping beauty over there is Jack. Keep an eye on him and look after him will you please.”
“Sure Alex.” The girl looked relieved and sat down in an armchair with a glass of water. She did not observe Alex slipping a handgun under his jacket and into the back of his belt.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

Jack awoke from a dream of Anna. She was lying behind him spooned, arms wrapped tight around him. Jack had been crying out to her “Anna, don’t leave me!” As he surfaced into consciousness and eventually managed to bliknk an eye open, he didn’t recognise where he was and he became aware that soft arms were still around him and a voice was shushing him in a soothing way. For a moment, a great hope leaped in Jacks breast that Anna was alive and that all the events of the last few weeks were some terrible dream. But something was wrong, he smelt patchouli – a perfume he had liked as a student but which Anna hated and the voice wasn’t Anna’s. Jack spun and sat up with such a suddenness that the girl who had been clinging to his back fell away from him and out of bed with a little shriek and lay looking up at him grabbing a print dress to cover her bare legs. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Please don’t hurt me!” Katie started to whimper so piteously that Jack’s own distress started to subside as concern for this strange girl grew in him.
“It’s okay, it’s okay – I’m not going to hurt you! I just woke up and I didn’t know where I was and I thought you were someone else…” Jack had an upwelling of emotion at the memory of the dream and the awakening. He began to sob quietly and now it was the girl’s turn to be concerned. She stood up and wrapped her skirt round her and fastened it then she sat on the edge of the bed and put her hand gently on Jack’s. “I’m sorry I scared you, I didn’t mean to, I got it all wrong – I’m always getting things wrong Jack. Alex told me to look after you – I thought he meant that way.”
“Alex – that’s Stig’s friend, right? Is this his place?”
“Yes Jack! They’ve gone off somewhere and Alex told me to watch you and take care of you. I’ve got it so wrong – please don’t tell him – you won’t will you?”
“No I won’t – sorry – what’s your name?” “Katie, it’s Katie!”
“Look Katie, there’s no harm done, it’s just I lost my wife recently and I thought you were her as I woke up – I didn’t mean to scare you. Tell me, is that something Alex asks you to do – to take care of men?”
“No never” said Katie, “it’s just those words…” A shiver went through Katie’s slight frame and she tensed up looking miles away.
“Is there any chance of a cup of tea Katie – I feel parched.”
“Sure! What kind of host must you think me? I guess that’s what Alex meant by looking after you – not – well you know – the other thing…” Katie hurried through to the kitchen area and Jack could hear the clink of cups and rumble of a kettle boiling. He got out of bed, discovered he was fully dressed and went over to a settee and made himself comfortable. Clem’s drug seemed to have worn off and as promised, there was no hangover. In fact, Jack felt quite refreshed by his little sleep and started to look around at his surroundings.
Katie came back with two cups of tea on a tray and some small angel cakes whose prettiness seemed out of place in this frontier shack.
“I am so embarrassed at what happened” she said “I don’t know how it happened…”
“Don’t worry about it” said Jack “though you said something about it being those particular words – ‘Take care of him’ -didn’t you?” Jack said gently.
After a long pause, Katie answered him, eyes downcast. “When I was little, I had a step-father who – well he did things to me – I think he used those words – I try to blank it out…”
“I’m so sorry Katie! I didn’t think things like that happened here. Didn’t anybody notice, didn’t you tell anybody?”
“The only time I tried to tell my mother, she slapped me so hard and called me a liar – said he was a good man and that it was him who took care of us, not the other way round…After that I never tried to tell anyone else – I mean if your own mother won’t believe you…”
“Katie, I’m so sorry, that must have been awful. And when you grew up? I mean did you tell then?”
“You are the first person I have ever told, I don’t know why. I think it’s the way you were crying about your wife. Oh my God, are you him? Are you that Jack – from the train wreck?”
“Yes – yes, I am.” Jack said quietly, his eyes tearing up again with emotion both for himself and his loss and for this waif like girl and her sad story.
“Oh Jack! Alex didn’t say. I am so sorry for your loss. Oh! Where’s Douglas?” Katie looked around as if she had somehow missed seeing the baby and with an agitated look on her face once again and Jack saw that Katie was used to feeling that she had messed up.
“Don’t worry Katie, he’s safe with my mother. Someone tried to – well – they did kidnap me to try and find out about Anna – my wife – about her work. I think I am safe now but Stig thought he should take care of me for a bit longer. Shit – those words again – I’m sorry!”
“It’s okay Jack – it’s not the same – it was Alex saying them to me – well it sort of triggered something. As soon as he had gone, I got into bed with you. I don’t know what I thought I was doing – what I was going to do. I thought I was meant to – you know – like with him but then you were dreaming, and whimpering, twitching – calling out someone’s name but I couldn’t make it out. I didn’t know what to do, so I put my arm round you and held you – stroked your back. But then you woke up – it gave me such a fright – and I fell out of bed!” Katie gave Jack a reproachful look but when Jack’s face filled with remorse, she suddenly laughed at the memory of being suddenly deposited on the floor – and then they both laughed.
“And Alex – he does treat you well, does he? Asked Jack.
“Oh! Alex is lovely – so patient with me. You see, when we first got together, we – well – you know, we did it all the time, like you do. But then something happened – in me – I didn’t understand why but I just didn’t feel like it and Alex – well I know some men would have kicked off. Well, some men I’ve known have kicked off whenever they couldn’t have their way…”
Jack reached out and gave Katie’s hand a squeeze. “That’s terrible Katie – I’m so sorry!”
“Thanks, Jack – not your fault though – I can tell you’re a nice man. I just can’t understand why my step-father did what he did and why I haven’t remembered it till now. Well not properly, I suppose it’s always been like something was at the back of my mind – but how can you not remember something like that?”
“I guess that when something I so terrible, you can just zone out and maybe – eventually, especially when it’s over, then maybe it stays zoned out – well until something cuts through…” They both fell silent for a bit. Then Jack said “You probably need to talk to somebody – get some help, but I don’t know much about that sort of thing…”
“I suppose I do – I’m sure Alex will help – he’s like that you know, he’ll do anything for good people although if somebody is behaving bad – well he knows how to deal with them too!”
“ I guess they might be back soon…” said Jack.
“Tell me about Douglas, Jack – I want to hear all about him before the boys do get back!”