Rene paused at the hatch momentarily uncertain what the child’s laughter portended. It certainly was a positive change but it was unexpected as a gunshot. He grinned as engagingly as he could, he trusted Solae, and anyway, what harm was there in Damaris laughing at him. Sliding across the room he took a seat next to the two women and picked up one of the boxes of food.

“Lets see?” he said, looking at the labels with an expression of exaggerated study.

“We have sweet sugar paste,” he said before setting the brightly colored down and picking up another even more garish example of what the slavers had considered food.

“And we have more sweet sugar paste,” he said sounding exasperated. Damaris giggled and Rene surreptitiously snagged her bottle and took a drink. The jolt of coffee as well as the subtle kick of liquor was bracing. Rene turned his gaze to the girl still smiling.

“What do you think Damaris? Either of them any good?” It was the most direct question he had yet leveled at the girl, but he figured he had to start building trust somewhere. The girl looked uncertainty  at Solae who nodded encouragement with a broad friendly smile.

“This one is ok,” Damaris said in a quiet barely audible voice, reaching out with a finger to indicate the first package he had discarded.

“This one is good,” the girl said. Rene nodded as though giving the matter serious consideration and then picked up the package she indicated. It was an almost offensively bright shade of green with a distinctly metallic undertone. The foil wrapper peeled back smoothly revealing a dark slightly powdery chocolate. Rene took a bite and chewed the sweet confection with a smile of approval. Truthfully the chocolate bar was stale and dry but it was no worse than anything he had eaten out of Marine Corp ration pack.

“Mmmmm,” Rene mumbled around a mouthful of food eliciting another giggle from Damaris. 

“Well if you ladies are ready,” he said after a moment, nodding towards Solae’s prepared tote.

__________

Rene hoisted the duffel bag over his shoulder as he cast a final glance over his shoulder at the Bonaventure. Even though they had left Mia in technical command it felt strange to be leaving the Bonaventure empty of living breathing humans. There was still a light drizzle falling but the clouds were parted in several places, allowing columns of pale sunlight to fall onto the upper slopes of the caldera. The wind still gusted fitfully, drawing long ripples across the surface of the water that covered the bottom of the volcanic depression. Rene had packed his duffle in the hold, careful to keep well out of sight. It was unlikely that Damaris would be comforted to see the electro-motive carbine or the Marine plasma pistol he had stowed in the bag. The various explosives and electronics were less threatening only if one didn’t know what to look for. Fortunately the tools, clothing and other odds and ends he had packed on top of his more dangerous items provided fine camouflage.  Across his other shoulder he had the yellow emergency pack that contained the Bonaventure’s emergency raft. He hope it wouldn’t actually be necessary, but then he hoped rather alot of things and he wasn’t willing to risk Solae’s life on not having the proper tools.

The trio climbed the low crumbled shoulder to the beach overlook. Damaris’ eyes fell on the sea and she instinctively gripped Solae. It must have been terrifying for the child, having barely survived being swept out to sea, to contemplate returning to it. The barge bobbed in a few feet of water, still securely tethered to the land and to the outcropping Rene had used as a sea anchor. There was a little time yet before high tide, but Rene wanted to give them a few extra minutes so they could make best advantage of the high water.