Things get rather grim from here on out; there is a war going on in the background, after all. And I hope some of you get the joke about the llama’s name.

Doe tries to help, but is not military-trained.

At some point in the dark, Aleja heard Doe get up and go out.  When she tried to look at her watch for the time, it was dead.  Forgot to put it on the charger.  Door opened and closed again, she heard water being poured into Paethos’ bowl.  There was a faint blue shimmer from her furled wings.

“They’re very sharp and could cut you, so I keep them down as best I can,” Doe volunteered.  “Not hard, really.  Now the halo?  Hiding that gives me a headache.”

“You can see in the dark, too?” the sole human whispered.

“Yes.  Sort of funny, given how my eyes look, right?” Doe chuckled softly.  “It’s about an hour to sunup; didn’t want your relatives to see me and ask questions, so I did my business over by the tree line and got more water for everyone, too.”

“Thank you,” Aleja replied.  “When I can see, I’ll get some food and water for Salvy, too.”

“Who?”

“Salvador.  He’s my little pet llama for the summer.  I talked Uncle into letting me take care of him while I’m here.”

She couldn’t see it, but she could hear Doe striving to stifle her laughter.  “You named a llama ‘Salvador’?  Really?  That’s one heck of a sense of humor there, Miss Alejandra!”

“You’re the first person to get it,” she mumbled, but happy someone finally did.

“Go back to sleep for a few hours,” the Fusion ordered.  “After that, like you planned, tell them you don’t feel well.  But get food for you and Pae; fruit for him, I guess.  I think there’s a bit from last night in the bucket outside.  I’ve work to do to get us out of here.”

She stared out the window at the black. 

“I’d rather wait until tomorrow night, as no one would see what I’m up to, but I think I’ll get you two out of here at this afternoon’s siesta.  We’ll lay low for a bit, after.”

”Why?  Why not just stay here…?”

“Recall what I first said:  I saw the crash and you?”  Aleja nodded.  “Besides patrols such as yours, there are still enough cameras functioning around here.  In fact, that one mounted on the pole by the deserted museum you passed by?  That is one still working.”

She heard the other move next to her bed and squat down.

“If I can see things like that, so can anyone else.  You don’t know this, but after that plane’s fly-by, there were two more.  And then a bunch of army-type trucks showed up,” Doe carefully explained.  “If someone has looked at the recorded footage, and I’m sure they have by now, then who is this girl with a llama on a four-wheeler?  And, much more to the point, what is she doing with the huge blue-black lizard?

“The moment they have an answer to that, they will come for both of you.”

Tears of fear welled up in the human’s eyes.  “Then…then shouldn’t we flee now?”

She felt Doe sit on the edge of her cot.  “I confess I’m torn, Aleja.  Five hundred meters south, to the trees around the creek?  One of my ideas.  But if another plane, or even foot soldiers, has IR equipment, you’d be spotted.  So, make sure you move your little vehicle where it cannot be seen from the air or dirt road, stay indoors except for breakfast, and wait for me in the early afternoon.”

She stood.

“Try talking more with your new friend.  Use those magic marbles of his.  He’s very interesting.  Wonder what he and his family were fighting about?” Her fingers gently touched Aleja’s cheek.  “I’ll be back soon.”  And was gone.

I was concerned and a little confused.  Now I’m scared.  Should I call Father?  He’s a Deputy Minister, after all.  No, I think Doe is right:  for now, the fewer people who know about this, the better.  She heard Paethos stirring and looked up to the bare twilight.  I’d best get that food now, then just wait.

With breakfast over for both of them, this time, the alien passed her a green crystal.  I wonder if the colors and shapes matter?  In her mouth, she did learn a few things.  “You need more water?  But I thought lizards…?  Oh, that’s right, your planet is tropical, not desert.  I’ll get some now…”

She heard her uncle and his teen son loading farming tools into the donkey-drawn cart.  So, she waited.  When she could no longer hear them, she walked quickly to the stables.  Fodder and water for Salvy, then a bucket, not a pitcher, for Paethos.  Making sure her aunt was not hanging sheets or otherwise in the backyard, she went back to her little building.  Pouring the water, he gently touched her hand with his claw.

“Sorry, friend, I can’t do the magic telepathy like Doe does.  We’ll have to stick with each other’s spit.” She paused to laugh.  “Someday, that will sound gross in a report.”

Looking around, Alejandra wondered what to do for the next six or more hours.  “I guess I could look up… no.  If what Doe said is right, they’re looking for me, and me logging on to anything would certainly raise flags.  So, I’ll re-read one of the books I brought with me.  That’s right!  That weird gal said Paethos might be related to that lost civilization found on Mars; I do have that introductory book of some of what had been found, so…”

She looked at her friend, who stared back.  She pointed at her mouth, and he started to rummage.  “I’d better tell you what’s going on.  Or, at least what I think is going on.”  That done, Aleja dug out her tattered paperback of Mars.  It would be so neat to visit someday.  After all, I’m Earth’s leading expert on aliens!