After three days of recovery, Miles Vaughn and Peter Owens could get out of bed, move around, and talk. When they learned they had been unconscious for a month and a half, both were in disbelief.
With the excavation of the cave imminent, everyone except the two children got busy. Evelyn Ford used lime to mark the positions and dimensions for carving on the cave wall, and they began working in pairs.
Evelyn Ford was modeling the design after a traditional cave dwelling, a layout that was not only safe but also relatively warm.
"What a miserable existence. My entire life has been spent either wandering or digging fields and building houses. If there’s a next life, I hope it’s an easier one."
Evelyn Ford shot Quincy a look. "Try to keep working while you’re talking. Everyone else is digging, but you take a five-minute break after every shovelful and then spend ten minutes with your hands on your hips spouting nonsense. At the end of the day, you’ve only dug a single square meter."
Quincy looked like he wanted to cry. "You’ve got it all wrong! I’ve been helping everyone haul out the dirt. Besides, I dug three square meters, not one! Don’t sell me short."
Evelyn Ford couldn’t be bothered to argue with him.
"But seriously, we’re not going to be on the run until we’re old, are we? The thought suddenly fills me with dread."
"What’s there to be afraid of? By the time you’re old, you’ll have so much experience being on the run that none of the youngsters will be able to keep up with you."
Hearing Evelyn Ford’s reassurance, Quincy suddenly thought she had a point.
"You know, you’re right. When you put it that way, I’m suddenly filled with hope for the future."
The corner of Evelyn Ford’s mouth twitched as she went to dump out the dirt she had excavated.
In the chicken coop beside the vegetable patch, Zoe was crouched down, watching the five little chicks. Wendy had just pulled up a few heads of bok choy and was getting ready to take Zoe back to cook a meal.
A bitter wind howled outside the cave, but inside it was bustling with activity. The hard work had everyone breaking a sweat.
Working up a sweat after a full day of labor actually made them feel much better. That night, back in the log cabin, Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick entered the space to continue working.
For the past two months, everyone had been living on the dried pumpkin slices and radish strips they brought from the farm. Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick rarely cooked special meals just for themselves. Ronan Kendrick had been particularly tired lately, so Evelyn made some roasted meat in the space to treat him.
"The planting in the space is finished, too. Once the new caves are carved out, do you think we should keep living in this log cabin, or move into one of them?"
Ronan Kendrick smiled at her. "We can just dismantle the heated brick bed and move the cabin inside."
Evelyn Ford nodded. "Okay. To our new home, cheers."
Even though they only had water on the table, the two of them still clinked their glasses with a sense of occasion.
"Living in a cave is actually pretty nice. Before I came to Broken Cloud Mountain, I took shelter from a torrential downpour for a few days in a small cave. But that one was too small, only about four or five square meters, not even big enough to pitch a tent. I ended up having to go into the heart of the valley to build a log cabin." Evelyn Ford’s eyes shone brightly as she recalled her time alone on Broken Cloud Mountain.
"Being alone in the mountains, I felt true freedom for the first time. Oh, right, I had Mina and Lola to keep me company. And then I met you."
As she spoke, Evelyn Ford gave him a wink. Ronan Kendrick chuckled in amusement.
"As long as I’m with you, I’m free."
Ronan Kendrick said, looking at Evelyn Ford and enunciating each word.
"My, you’re getting quite the smooth talker." Evelyn Ford reached out and tickled him under the chin twice, as if teasing a kitten.
"Ahem. All those TV shows and books I’ve been through weren’t for nothing."
They smiled at each other. This period, when they entered the space to farm after a busy day, was the only time the two of them could truly enjoy their time together without a care in the world.
"I only have one box of that special medicine left. There’s no formula on the box, and I have no idea if Quincy still remembers how to make it. Even if we get the formula, the drug won’t be easy to produce."
Evelyn Ford suddenly slapped her forehead. ’I can’t believe I forgot! I have lots of medical equipment in my space, all from those pharmaceutical companies. The gear I collected back in Westeria is even more advanced. It might be useful. I’ll ask Quincy tomorrow.’
"That medicine is incredible." It was practically an elixir capable of bringing the dead back to life.
Evelyn Ford nodded. "It really is. Quincy was the one who found it for me. I had no idea how powerful it was at the time."
’Come to think of it, Quincy is more capable than he lets on.’
Evelyn Ford couldn’t help but laugh as she remembered him claiming a few years ago that a rich older woman had taken a liking to him.
「The next day」
Evelyn Ford found Quincy and pulled him aside.
"What’s up? Why are you being so sneaky? You got something illicit to talk about?"
Evelyn Ford fought the urge to kick him. "Be serious. I want to ask you, do you remember the formula for that special medicine your pharmaceutical company developed?"
Quincy stared blankly for several seconds before reacting. "The special medicine? Why are you asking about that?"
"Just asking. Do you remember it?"
Quincy’s brow furrowed. "I’ll have to think really hard. I mean, I participated in its development, even though I was just on the testing side."
"You still have some of the special medicine? I traded mine for food a long time ago. I gave a box to my neighbor, an older lady, for ten pounds of rice. I have to say, that medicine really did save my life."
Quincy continued, rambling on. "That drug was never put into production, and it never got a production license. But the company invested billions in its development, so the results were locked up in a safe."
Evelyn Ford was surprised. "That big of an investment?"
"Pharmaceutical research burns through cash like you wouldn’t believe. Give me a few days. I need to think hard about the formula. After all these years, I honestly can’t remember it all. I just recall that the list of medicinal ingredients alone took up an entire page."
Evelyn Ford quickly did a mental inventory of the medicinal herbs in her space. There were at least several dozen kinds, including even a few stalks of fifty-year-old wild Ginseng.
"Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?"
"What else?"
Quincy sighed in disappointment. "And here I thought you were giving me an important mission. You’re interrupting my work, you know. Did we really need to be so secretive about this? Be careful you don’t make that jealous guy, Ronan Kendrick, angry."
"Don’t worry. Ronan isn’t worried about you."
Quincy scowled. "What’s that supposed to mean?"
Evelyn Ford looked him up and down. "Nothing. You’re fine. Just a bit... greasy. Oh, right, you should shave your head. Your hair’s all tangled and oily."
With that, Evelyn Ford walked away, leaving Quincy behind, fuming and stamping his feet in frustration.
Walking over to Ronan Kendrick, Evelyn Ford recounted their conversation. "Quincy doesn’t remember it very well. He thinks it’s because the formula has too many ingredients."
"That’s fine. I’ll find some time to hypnotize him. Under hypnosis, people can recall things they’ve forgotten."
Evelyn Ford was speechless. ’That’s a dirty trick.’
"Hypnosis doesn’t have any side effects, does it?"
"No. It’ll be over in a minute."
’Honestly, an ability like that is a little terrifying,’ she thought. ’It’s on par with a lie detector.’
"I have to ask Quincy for his permission first."
Ronan Kendrick nodded. "Mm, you can do that."
Evelyn Ford found Quincy again and told him about the hypnosis plan. When he looked over at Ronan Kendrick, his eyes were filled with fanatical admiration.
"Ronan Kendrick is incredible! He knows how to do that, too?"
Evelyn Ford was at a loss for words.
"So, do you agree to it?"
"You have to promise you’ll only ask about the special medicine’s formula, not about any of the embarrassing things I’ve done in the past!"
Evelyn Ford was utterly exasperated.
"I promise."
"Your promise is no good. I need Ronan Kendrick to promise."
This time, Evelyn Ford didn’t hold back and kicked him squarely.