27/12/2001 Title: Suspicion Chapter: 8 Author: Squeezynz@free.net.nz Universe: Land of the Giants Rating: PG, Adventure Archive: Sure, just drop me a line as to where. Spoilers: Nothing to worry about but a few small ones. Feedback: craved and cherished Disclaimer: not mine, but having fun...thanks IA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fitzhugh was not a happy man. He had been stuck at the camp, with Barry and Chipper, chewing his nails to the quick. The fateful day, four days prior, had started out so promising. They were going to make a permanent camp, okay it would be a lot of hard work, something Fitzhugh avoided whenever possible, but even that would be overshadowed by the prospect of comfortable bed and maybe the luxury of some privacy. As much as Fitzhugh craved companionship and respect of his friends, he desired, above all else, privacy. There had been little enough of that scarce commodity for any of them over the past nearly three years. Being a secretive and conniving con-man had bred in Fitzhugh a wariness of crowds and intimate gatherings. Since crash landing on this monstrous planet he had thrown most of his usual habits out with his lust for money. Oh he had tried to hang onto his appropriated funds, but that had proved useless and downright dangerous in their current predicament. The opportunities presented during their imprisonment on the planet for advancement had proved few and far between. Even early on, when they had been given a huge diamond as a present from Marna's Giant keepers, they had been forced to give it up or become prisoners in Marna's golden cage. Then later, when Valerie and Mark had risked so much to find the stolen diamond in the waxworks, only when they had given up had it been found, and captured, by Fitzhugh himself, to be later used by Steve to distract the Giants while they made their escape. Oy, that had been so hard. The one time Fitzhugh had been able to use his considerable talents was at the racetrack, which had finally paid off, handsomely, unfortunately it had to be left behind because it was simply too unwieldy to manage Giant money in their Tiny world. It was most frustrating for such a talented and avaricious man. So now he had to content himself with the simpler pleasures in life, getting enough sleep and food being Fizhughs main and often overriding concerns. All too often these pursuits were interrupted by one or the other of the group needing help in rescuing others, a hazardous but necessary activity if they were to have any chance of getting off this mud ball. Fitzhugh did his part, in his own inimitable way, he just made sure that he came first, that his needs were met to his satisfaction. His greatest triumph in that area had been conning that daft Giant O'Reilly into believing he, Fitzhugh, was a Leprechaun. Getting him to obtain what had been, up till then, unobtainable luxuries, alcohol being top of Fitzhughs list, had been unsurpassed. Of course that had been ruined by the need to get equipment and materials for the ship, a pointless pursuit in Fitzhughs eyes, he could have been used for so much more. What a shame, but O'Reilly had given Fitzhugh some ideas about using Giants to his own nefarious ends. He had even attempted to do that, but in the end it had all come to nothing. So now, here he was, Alexander Fitzhugh, conman extraordinaire, babysitting while the others went about the Heroic business of rescuing the fair damsels. Not that Fitz really wanted to be Heroic, that had only been a recent consideration, with the introduction of Marna to their select band of castaways. She had changed how Fitz viewed his participation in group activities. With her watching Fitzhugh wanted to appear an invaluable and indispensable part of the Windsifters entourage. Of course he would have liked to have been a member of the rescue party but he was also sensible to the fact that there was every chance the rescue party would be captured, or killed in the attempt. Fitzhugh had a healthy respect for preserving his hide. He would leave the heroics to the younger men, let them endure the privations and hardships, he would be waiting here to receive the fair Marna and fuss over her when they returned. To that end, he worked diligently with Barry to carry on creating the leanto and sleeping quarters. It was a way to pass the time, he rationalised, and it stopped the boy from fretting about his friends. It was now four days since the girls were kidnapped. Barry and Fitzhugh were halfway through assembling one of the camp beds when Chipper started to bark, wagging his tail in rapturous welcome. Barry looked over and saw a bedraggled group of people enter the clearing. He shouted to Fizhugh who looked up, startled, then he too was running towards the weary travellers. " Your back, at last, we had just about given up on you....." Fitzhugh panted as he reached the dusty group. Barry ran up and hugged Betty as she swayed, dead on her feet. She hugged him back tight, tears spilling down her grimy cheeks. " Let me help you " Fitzhugh came up to Marna and offered his arm to her. She pushed her dirty blonde hair out of her eyes and gave Fitzhugh a small smile, taking his arm and leaning heavily on the older man as they walked slowly over to a stool Fitzhugh had finished only the previous day. Marna sank down gratefully, her head bowed on her long neck, her hair falling over her face again. Fitzhugh was shocked at the general air of exhaustion as he now looked at the other members of the rescue party. Steve had dropped his pack and let the rope fall off his shoulders in a heap, lowering himself gingerly to the log by the fire. Dan was cradling his hand against his chest, going with Betty when she touched his good arm to lead him into the ship for treatment. Dan's face was creased with pain, Betty looked both tired and worried. Mark and Valerie had been the last into the clearing, holding onto each other as if they were only keeping upright from sheer force of will. Valerie was limping slightly and Mark helped her to the steps leading into the Windsifter. After shucking his pack he crouched down in front of Valerie and eased off her boot, massaging her ankle that appeared swollen. Fitzhugh took all this in while making soothing noises to Marna as she gratefully drank from a water bottle handed to her by Barry. " What happened out there, you didn't give us much in the way of detail when you radioed yesterday....are we going to be safe here, or are we moving ?" Fitzhugh asked. " We're home now, that's all that really matters, as for safety ? we'll have to move as soon as possible, the immediate threat is taken care of, " Steve shot Mark a quick glance, " but there will soon be others, we need to start packing up when everyone is rested." Steve covered his face with his hands, raking down his face, then pushing his fingers through his short hair that stood up in spikes from the sweat and dirt soaking his scalp. Valerie was rubbing her sore foot, Mark slumped beside her next to the ships' steps.. " We need to get cleaned up, Steve....but I don't fancy going to the creek again, alone." Valerie frowned down at her swollen ankle. " Get together whatever you'll need for a bath, and we'll take turns posting a guard until we all get cleaned up. Call Betty and we'll start right away." Steve rose up, stretching his arms above his head. Valerie called into the ship and Betty soon appeared. " How is Dan's hand ?" Asked Mark. " Its a serious burn, he won't be able to use it for several weeks. He may need some physio on it to get back full mobility. We'll have to devise something to help him." Betty wiped a hand over her brow, smearing a streak of dirt across her fair skin. " Betty we're going to the creek to get washed up, get what you need and join Valerie and Marna, we're all gonna keep watch while you all bathe then you can do the same for us....okay ?" " Sure Steve...sounds perfect...I'll get the soap, Valerie can you lend Marna another outfit ?" Betty asked the redhead perched on the steps. " No problem....Marna, come on, you get to choose." Valerie gestured to Marna to follow her as she hopped up the steps behind Betty. Not long afterwards they all trooped down the path to the pool they had used all those days ago to do the laundry. Mark and Steve positioned themselves on either side of the creek, with their backs to the water, but keeping their ears and eye's open for any signs of danger. Sounds of splashing indicated the women were making full use of the cool water. Valerie had dived in clothes and all, figuring that her clothes needed a bath as much as she did, so why not combine the two. Marna was rinsing her long hair, changing its colour from dun brown to its usual blonde. Valerie's hair had also changed from dark brown back to auburn, much to her relief. They used the soap sparingly, keenly aware that the men needed to clean up as well. After about half an hour they quickly towelled off and changed into their clean clothes, then called to Steve and Mark , letting them know they had finished. The men accompanied them back to the camp, waiting while they hung out the wet laundry on the surrounding bushes. Then Valerie and Betty walked back with Dan, Steve and Mark to act as watchdogs as the men cleaned up. Marna stayed back at camp with Barry and Fitzhugh to get some food ready for their first hot meal in days. Steve and Mark dived into the pool, splashing water around as they revelled in the cool water, Dan sat at the edge, keeping his bandaged hand away from the wet. He edged into the pool, stopping when he got waist deep, using a wash cloth to do the rest. Once they were clean the men rinsed out their clothes, watching the huge slick of dust wash down stream and out to sea. Finally they dried off, changing into clean clothes and gathered the laundry, calling Val and Betty that they were finished. By the time they had walked back to the camp the smell of something cooking wafted across their noses. After hanging out the clothes they all gathered around the fire, sniffing appreciatively as the savoury aroma. Marna handed out bowls and bent over to stir the bubbling pot on the fire. Fitzhugh handed her a ladle and everyone took turns having their bowl filled. After everyone had eaten their fill they sat around the fire discussing what to do next. " I think we can safely assume that the flying boat we narrowing missed last week was here to supply the Giant Scientist. That means we could be overrun with Giants at any time. We need to pack up our camp and try to leave as few clues to our existence as possible." Opened Steve. Dan nodded in agreement and Mark gave a curt not as well. " Where are we going to go ? " Asked Betty. " We don't have alot of options, North is still our best bet." Said Mark. " Do we have the power to make another trip ?" Fitzhugh asked. " Oh sure, the solar batteries are fully charged, we're ready to fly anytime. We could do with clearing a bit of the runway, but otherwise we're ready when you are." Dan replied. " I think if we get a good night sleep we'll be ready to lift off early tomorrow, any objection ?" Steve looked around at the faces ringing the fire, most looked about ready to drop from tiredness, he wasn't feeling very fresh himself. " Okay, then lets hit the sack and get what rest we can. Barry you'll have to take the first watch, then Fitzhugh, then I'll take over from Fitz. " Steve stood up, signalling the end of the discussion, allowing everyone to make their way to their respective beds. It was still light but no-one objected to going to bed early that day. Betty and Marna entered the ship, followed by Dan. Betty had asked that Dan sleep inside in case he had any complications with his hand. Steve and Fitzhugh settled near the fire, rolled in their blankets, covering their heads to shut out the light. Steve quickly dropped off, Fitzhugh for once having trouble finding sleep right away, but eventually dozing fitfully. Mark and Valerie had made a bed in the shelter of the hull, a little way from the door. They had been through too much lately to consider being separated by polite convention now. Valerie cuddled up to Mark, pulling their combined blankets over them in the cool shade of the spaceship. Mark wrapped his arms around her, closed his eyes and quickly dropping off to sleep. Valerie wasn't far behind him, rubbing her cheek against Marks shirt, inhaling his warm, clean scent before finally succumbing to exhaustion. Barry kept an uneasy watch over the sleeping camp, hoping that his friends would have no interruptions to their well-deserved rest. The sun was lowering quickly, staining the sky lavender and pink, the warmth rapidly leeching from the darkening atmosphere. He pulled his blanket more tightly around his narrow shoulders, taking his responsibility for look out very seriously. The only sound was the occasional hiss and spit of the campfire or the warble of a bird settling for the night. The muted roar of the ocean, so close but so far, made Barry think of airports with jets taking off every minute or so on earth. He had loved watching the planes at his local airfield buzz around, the crop dusters swooping low and nearly brushing the ground. He had considered being a pilot one day. Now he knew that day would never come. His life was here, on this planet, with these people. Barry didn't like to think too far into the future, he preferred the here and now, his parents deaths had taught him to think that way. You just never knew when the last time, would be the last time....for anything or anyone. The fire was dying when Barry shook Mr. Fitzhughs' shoulder, the older man woke with a snort, groggily opening his eyes and peered at the boy leaning over him. " What's the matter, it can't be my turn yet...I've only just closed my eyes ." He grumbled. " Wake up Mr.Fitzhugh, the moons up and its your turn on watch." " Okay...okay I'm up.." Fitzhugh groaned as he rolled himself out of his warm blankets, getting to his feet, feeling stiff from the cold ground. Barry blinked owlishly up at him while Fitzhugh folded his blanket around the boys shoulders. " You have this Barry, get some sleep, morning isn't that far away." He patted the boy on the arm and made his way to the tree, checking that Barry was indeed settling down to sleep before he made his way up the rope and his shift. The fire glowed and hissed, throwing a handful of sparks into the velvet sky, illuminating faintly the sleeping forms around it. Fitzhugh jumped when a night bird swooped low over his tree, it's wings rustling like dry leaves as it silently hunted its prey. He looked up at the waning moon as a cloud scudded overhead, obscuring his view. The night was going to be very long indeed. Steve relieved him an hour or two before dawn, bringing Fitzhugh a hot mug of coffee to warm him up. Steve had also stoked the fire into life, the warmth most welcome as Fitz cuddled into his chilled blankets, across the fire from Barry. No-one got up early that morning, the first to stir were Mark and Valerie, answering the call of nature. But they didn't stray far and were soon back together, rolled in their blankets, in the lee of the Windsifter. Valerie looked over Marks chest at the camp, seeing Barry and Fitz by the fire and the red suit of Steve up the lookout. Mark was turning towards her, careful not to disturb the blankets too much and let out the heat. She in turn, snuggled into his shoulder, not wanting to come fully awake just yet. Despite the warmth and sun of the days, the nights still had a chill edge, maybe foretelling the Autumn to come although that season still along way off. She thought that Steve's plan to keep pushing North was in the hopes they would find somewhere warm. They had already had to survive a wet winter in the old Spindrift, more by luck than judgement. Now they were mobile it made sense to let the weather work for them, rather than try to cope with rain or snow or worse. It was just the unknown part that worried Valerie, and she suspected that it worried the man next to her as well. She got the feeling that Mark wasn't all that sure they could even find the space warp that sent them here, let alone use it to get home. What an odd thought that had become to them all now. Home. What would they find if or when they got back. Valerie wondered if they had been declared dead yet...sure would stuff up her finances if she was. Same for everyone else, of course. What she wouldn't give for the chance to find out. Valerie let go a big sigh of frustration that caused Mark to crack one eye open and regard her with concern. " Penny for your thoughts ?" He asked. Valerie tilted her head up to see his expression. " Nothing you'd want to hear " she replied. " Why not let me be the judge ?" He challenged. Never one to back down, Valerie decided to unload a little, Mark was a big boy, and boy did he have broad shoulders. "Ooops," thought Valerie, "better not go there. Our sleeping together is already stretching the bounds of our relationship, and I for one am not ready for the next step, the implications are too complicated." Instead she raised herself on her elbow and gave Mark a considering look. He was fully awake now, giving her stare for stare, daring her to tell him her thoughts. Valerie decided to speak, after dismissing various other, less modest thoughts of what she would really like to do with this man before the other's awoke. She really would have to speak to Betty about their options concerning contraceptives and birth control. Shaking her head slightly to focus her thoughts she started to speak. " I was wondering if we have been declared dead yet by the authorities on earth...and how that would affect our return home, whenever that may happen." Mark started a little at her direct approach, blinking in surprise at her pessimistic turn of thought. " I would think they would hold off for the official period of seven years before taking that drastic step. Why so morbid ?" " Not morbid, realistic...I mean what are our chances of finding the same anomaly that brought us here?...we've come so far from our original entry point...haven't we?" Valerie felt Mark take a deep breath then let it out on a sigh. " Yes we are quite some way from our original trajectory...but that doesn't mean its not still there, the Windsifter is proof of that." " So how are you planning on finding it again ?" Valerie persisted. " We know where we came in, its recorded in the Spindrifts guidance system, so we just have to plot a similar course back to reach the same point." " Okay, I understand that...are you able to do that on paper or do we have to actually fly it ?" " I can work some of it out on paper, using the flight data record, but I also need to create a star chart, to help navigate and plot the exact trajectory and distance. That's what's going to take the time." " So how long do you think it will take to reach an answer ?" Mark took another deep breath, letting it out in a huff. " That I don't know Val. We need to be settled somewhere for me to start my calculations. I need time to study the flight recorder data and compare it with the Windsifters navigation records. Either way we need a safe haven to have a reasonable chance of success." Valerie snuggled into his arms, feeling them tighten around her. Nothing would be decided now, Mark and Steve would find a new home for them, so why not enjoy what they had, before reality intruded on their warm cocoon. " I know you'll find what we need, you and Steve haven't let us down so far." Mark turned his chin into the mass of red hair tickling his chin and gave it a soft kiss. He wished he had Valerie faith in his ability to save them all. They would need every ounce of it if this expedition was to succeed.