Robert hugged and kissed Louis with his hand resting on her lower belly.  "Then I am thrilled beyond words.  I never quite thought I would find a woman with whom I would father and share a child."  He thought for a moment about her question as the nun walked away.  "We should check our weapons, gear and provisions as well as think a bit on our cover story if we have one.  Perhaps missionaries?"

"Do you still remember some passages from the Good Book," Louis asks with a smile. "We probably should have one with us, too."

Lunchtime comes and goes, and soon they are approaching a rustic dock built out into the canal. Their gear is packed and ready, along with the supplies to be offloaded, which is everything the boat is carrying. The nun presses a small Bible into Louis' hands. "A gift for the baby," she explains.

A mixed group of about thirty humans and Martians, all but three of then male, greets them as they arrive. The caravan's pack animals, mostly gashants and pacyosauruses, with a few mules thrown in, are soon loaded with the boat's cargo. There are no animals set up to ride, and there are also no carts or wagons in evidence.

"Apparently, we walk," Louis says sotto voce.

Robert chuckled.  "The passages I recall tend to be heavily on the duty, punishment and the wielding of the sword.  Perhaps that might work for a more martial appearing pair of missionaries."

He watched as the dock approached with interest.  "Thank you sister," he nodded as the nun provided Louis with a small gift.  "We will cherish your gift as well as your hospitality and aid."

He shrugged and laughed at Louis' comment.  "And I joined the navy to not have to march across deserts and mountains..."  Robert looked around.  "I wager we can pay someone to carry the heavier bulk of our gear on one of the animals."

Louis smiles. "Perhaps a reading of the second half of the book will help. They may be an example we can more easily follow, including the part about buying swords."

She steps off the boat onto the dock, moving with the grace of a panther. "We should keep some essentials with us, but we can load some of the food and clothing in a sack for transport."

Once everything is arranged, the caravan starts off, moving southwest between two low, windswept ridges. To avoid a steady diet of dust, Robert and Louis are placed ahead of the pack animals, behind a pair of rifle-armed Martians walking about fifty yards in front of them.

Robert chuckles.  "But even the New Testament is amenable to the Articles of War.  Romans 13 was always a favorite."  He thanks the nuns again and then helps Louis from the boat.  After making arrangements he establishes them in the caravan with his own rifle slung at the ready.  "This reminds me of our trek when we first landed on Mars."

"That would make for an interesting sermon indeed," Louis said with a laugh.

She works with Robert to ready their gear and weapons for overland travel. As they walk along, Louis points out the well worn trail. "This trail is used frequently, and it has been used recently for several caravans."

She smiles at his comment. "At least we're better equipped, and somewhat less bruised."

Robert shook his head.  "Every Sunday the Articles of War read from the quarterdeck and often the captain would speak a few words from the Bible."  He smiled.  "I'm not sure which I preferred."

He frowns as she points things out.  "It seems that the authorities will need to do something about his eventually."  Robert smiled in return.  "Much less bruised although I still think fondly of the landing..."

"You would," Louis chuckles. "Leave it to us to ride through a space vessel crash while stark naked."

The caravan proceeds along the arid Martian landscape until nightfall. The campsite comes equipped with a large watering trough ed by a mechanical pump. The handlers take one of the mules, connect it to the pump's walking wheel, and sets the animal in motion. The other animals are all unloaded and tied out so they can drink from the water trough.

There is also a quantity of animal feed stored in a small shed, and that is distributed, as well.

Robert smiled at the memory of the voyage and kissed Louis.  He remained alert as they marched often taking position on the flanks knowing how dangerous things could be in the Martian wilds.  When they settled in at night for a camp Robert pitched a small two person tent for the two of them. "This is surprisingly well organized.  I hope to learn more about what to expect as we proceed."

"It's very well organized," Louis says as she settles in next to Robert. "That indicates more than just some caravan drivers deciding to run the blockade. Someone has devoted a great deal of time and money to this venture."

Robert frowned. "There is a great deal of money to be made for sure in running any kind of blockade or prohibition.  It was much the same in trying to suppress the remnants of the slavery and drug trades in the patrols off of Africa.  Where there was money to be made the most extraordinary lengths were drawn to see to it.  At least we can help stop this bit of leakage when we return." He shook his head. "I would not doubt that our German friends are involved as well."

Louis thinks for a moment. "That would make sense. The Germans certainly have the wherewithal to countenance this operation." She looks at Robert. "What does that mean for us?"

Robert looks around at their fellows.  "It means that we need to keep a low profile around the edges of the caravan.  Hopefully none of the Germans that we might encounter would recognize us from the city.  We'll have to play our hand and the rocket carefully as we don't want to call in the ensign and his crew to a situation from which they can't fight their way back out."

"It would stand to reason that someone here could be working for them. Should one of us keep watch while the other sleeps?"

Robert shook his head. "If they intend to take or hurt us they'll come in strength."

"That's encouraging," Louis sighs. She snuggles in tighter against Robert's chest as he holds her from behind.

Robert curls himself around Louis and rumbled deep in his chest with pleasure as she snuggled back into him.  "It's all or nothing really.  I doubt if we'll have much to worry about until we get to whatever rendezvous this group is headed for.  We may get more grief for being missionaries than suspected for spies." As he speaks he nuzzles along Louis' long, elegant neck.

"I think I will carry my second pistol in my boot," Louis says. "Mm, that's nice," she purrs as Robert kisses her neck. After a few moments, though, her breathing becomes deeper and more regular, and then she begins to lightly snore.

"More weapons is best.  We'll have to be prepared for anything." He kissed her a bit more and then sighs as she falls asleep.  Louis was eating and sleeping all the rest for two now.  He sighed again and kissed her as he remained snuggled with her on the cold Martian night.  Robert sisters and brothers of course had children; the large clan was full of nieces and nephews but he'd never been too close to a woman who was with child.  It would be a brand new adventure as Louis bore their first child...

With that thought he fell asleep.

The next two days pass uneventfully. The weather is mildly warm during the day, and not too cold at night. The drovers speak among themselves, and leave Robert and Louis to their own counsel.

At late afternoon, the caravan crosses an ancient stone bridge across a dry canal. The bridge is intricately crafted, with lofty spires like steeples at each corner, and elaborate stonework in the railings. The stone road is worn smooth by feet and sand-laden wind over untold millennia.

When evening comes, the slow-moving caravan is about three miles south of the bridge, and there they stop for the night at yet another waypoint with a well and a provisions barn.

Robert consults their map when they have some privacy to check their progress.  As they bed down for the night he shakes his head.    He is massaging Louis' neck and shoulders as they shelter in their shared tent.  "This is a well organized process.  It seems that we are to be left alone however for now.  I have no desire to ask questions and stir any suspicion for the moment."

"Do you have any idea where we are?"

Robert pulls out the map on which he'd been making small markings as they traveled.  "I think we are about here," he pointed to a crossing over a smaller canal.  "You can see the symbol that must be for a bridge."

"So, we should cross the main canal," Louis points to the canal leading to Avenel, "say, in a few days?"

Robert looks at the map and nods slowly.  "If we continue on our current course, yes.  Perhaps they may turn off to a different rendezvous though."