Sunday's Serving - Willow in the Desert

 

 

Gordon scanned the list.  Yes, she had laid everything out for him with precision.  He was still a little nervous about being in charge of the Becomings, but it seemed doable now.  “These mutations, are they thought to be stronger than us Becomings?”

“That I don’t know yet, but as I said, those who have firearms training will be armed.  And those who aren’t skilled with guns will be encouraged to learn.  It’s far better for you to kill these things from a distance than to be hurt or killed yourselves because you had to fight them hand to hand.”

Gordon lifted his eyes to look into hers.  Blue as the sky, they were very pretty, but they moved too much.  He was still stressed enough that their motion made his thoughts jumble.  He jerked his gaze back down to the list.  “You really trust me with this?  Wouldn’t a human be better?”

“Don’t be silly, Gordon.  You’re still more human than not, no matter what your appearance says.”  Carli got back to business.  “If the town is overrun, help Kearns and Pearson get as many of our people as you can to the air base.”

Gordon considered, trying to get his thoughts in order.  “Which is more important, holding the town or getting others to safety?”

Carli fell silent for a little while.  He waited, thinking how she never hurried him along when he got tongue tied.  Like Amanda, Carli was patient with his conversational shortcomings.  Though his anxiety wanted her to answer the question immediately, he held his tongue to reciprocate the kindness.

Finally she said, “One thing I like about you Gordon, is that you can consider things more rationally than most.  You don’t let your feelings get in the way of what needs to be done, no matter how unpleasant it may be.”

“Asperger’s doesn’t make me emotionless.”  So many people got that idea.

“No, but it has helped to make you levelheaded.  I admit that my emotions scream hold the town no matter what.”

“I bet Arner says the same.  You’re both warriors.”

Carli laughed. “Me, a warrior.”

Gordon tried to figure out why she found the idea funny.  It was true; she was determined to destroy the Old Ones, even at the risk of her own life.  Battling impossible odds so humans could someday rule their own world again, taking the fight to the aliens that had defeated every army on Earth.  Despite her short stature, Carli Black Elk seemed to him an avenging angel, wielding guns and explosives instead of a flaming sword. 

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