*  *  *  *

Mishima seemed to be consciously trying to form impressions
of his fellow lazari.  He obviously approved of Shaka's warrior
stature and Louis' history and dedication.  He didn't seem to think
much of Benjamin or Jeanne, but watched them as he did the others.

Just before bedtime, Charles and Shaw held a whispered conversation, 
and Charles called the group together.

Charles: "We must set watches for the night. How about Shaw and Louis
	  first, then Benjamin and I, then Florence and T.R.?"

Louis acknowledged silently with a nodded of his head and the others
gave their agreement. They retired to their huts for the night, Shaw
and Louis taking up position outside the communal hut.  Josephine
flashed a smile at Benjamin's offer to share lodging, but nonetheless
settled herself in Florence's hut.

Returning to her hut, Jeanne hung the bare cross on one wall, over the
head of her 'bed' of grass spread to one side. She prayed, facing the
cross.

Jeanne: "... But God will break you down for ever; 
         he will snatch and tear you from your tent;
         He will uproot your from the land of the living...."

At the second watch, Benjamin and Charles conversed with one another
in Latin.

Benjamin: "This is truly fascinating.  In all my Travels in this
	   World, one Fact which has been always true was that all
	   People were born at the same time, no matter when they
	   died.  But mayhap that was merely the place I was.  And the
	   rest of you: how many days since you awoke to the River?
	   Have any but I died here?"

Charles: "I can not speak for all the others. I, however, awoke some 5
	  days ago, with no memory of any previous life on the
	  River. And yet, I knew immediately what the grails were, and
	  their function. I knew how to life here; but not what had
	  come before."

Benjamin: "Amazing."

The two spent the rest of their watch happily reviewing for one
another their respective times and ages.

The night seemed to proceed uneventfully.

Rising early in the morning, Jeanne prayed again before emerging from her hut.

Jeanne: "Have mercy on me, O God,
	 according to thy steadfast love;
	 according to they abundant mercy
	 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
	 and cleanse me from my sin!..."

After an hour of prayers, she emerged from her hut as the first fires
of dawn had begun to light the River. Her step sure, she bathed in the
River, and then, picking up two pieces of bamboo, she returned to the
common hut to await the others.

The group slowly filed into the common hut. Jeanne, already there, was
attaching two pieces of bamboo at right angles.

Mishima entered, his manner relaxed, almost jovial -- with neither the
quiet brooding nor the explosive anxiety he previously displayed. He
glanced at Jeanne's work.

Jeanne tilted the piece she was working on, the larger bamboo, on
which she was again attempting to paint a face. She spoke French with
a vaguely self-mocking tone.

Jeanne: "Wretched, is it not? You aren't, by chance, an artist?"

Mishima shook his head at her French, just as Shaw strode in and interceded.

Shaw: "She's asking if you were an artist."

Mishima: "Not a painter."

Louis, Benjamin, and Freud entered together, Louis talking.

Louis: "... not what I expected upon my death.  Benjamin says I am
        reborn.  So be it.  I am reborn.  I know nothing of this
        place, of that I give you my word."

Freud nodded and rubbed his bare chin with his hand. Shaw responded.

Shaw: "I have not yet had the misfortune to die yet here, but I have
       heard that one's death is not permanent, as Benjamin here
       says. I also remember waking on the shore of this river the
       same time as he does, and as far as I have been able to tell
       that is how it is elsewhere. But, the River is long and I have
       only seen a small part of it, perhaps it is different
       elsewhere. I do find it strange though that our memories of it
       differ...but then, what is life with out mystery ..very dull
       indeed wouldn't you say?"

Josephine smiled at Shaw's statement as she walked in.

Josephine: "Oh, indeed."

Benjamin grinned and bowed to Josephine, winking from his left eye.

Charles and Shaka arrived, and Shaw addressed his next statement to
them.

Shaw: "I'd planned to head upRiver for a ways after breakfast and be
       back by lunch."

Louis: "I should like to go with Shaw.  I am experienced in warfare,
        and am knowledgeable of reconnaissance."

Josephine also volunteered to travel again with Shaw, arguing
that she had experience with the boat. 

Shaw: "I'll take you both, then."

Shaw: "For those new here, you may wonder what we are doing, seemingly
       preparing for war.  Well, we are preparing for war. For that is
       what is will eventually come to, unless we leave now and not
       look back, something which, at the moment I am not planning on
       doing. You see, there is a encampment of slavers a ways
       downRiver, and they attempted to enslave a number of the group
       here. In the process of escaping they caused quite a bit of
       damage and managed to relieve their chief of that metal scythe
       that Shaka over there is holding. So you see, they are bound to
       come after us as soon as they learn we are here, unless we go
       after them first."

Mishima, Louis, and Benjamin nodded their understanding.

Shaka spoke up, and between Charles and Shaw, the others could
converse with him.

Shaka: "Must go north.  See the people there.  Must gather them too
        us.  We too small.  I lead, no fight.  Need two men.  Stuffed
        chest one and yellow one. Where is stuffed chest one?"

Seeing himself indicated, Mishima nodded to Shaka, approvingly.  They
all looked up as Hypatia walked in.  The look on her face made them
shiver. As she spoke, Shaw translated her Greek.

Hypatia: "I had a dream...There were five people. Three men, one
	  red-haired, one like Mishima but with old, old eyes, one
	  like Shaka. Two women, one with yellow hair and one with no
	  hair at all. They wore robes and necklaces with a little
	  snake biting its tail. The bald woman said, 'I fear they are
	  growing together, rather than apart. Something must be
	  done.' The Asian man said, 'Temuchin should be ready
	  tonight.' The black man replied that he did not like to rely
	  on such crude flesh, and the blonde woman said, 'If not from
	  without, from within.' They all turned to the red-haired
	  one, but he stayed silent, and I awoke in fear."

As Shaw stopped translating for the others, Charles looked around
curiously, and Shaka repeated his earlier question.

Shaka: "Where is stuffed chest one?"

Charles: "Has anyone seen Florence and T.R.?"

The group left the hut, a sinking sensation filling their hearts.
A single set of tracks led away from the communal hut toward
the western hills, but stopped 50 meters from the encampment.
Florence and T.R. had vanished without a trace.

		      *  *  *  *