"I suppose all we can do is stay with the caravan until we reach a rendezvous."

Robert nodded slowly.  "We can ask around discreetly but until we see more there is no reason to bring in the Ensign and his craft."

"I know," Louis says with a sigh.

The couple prepare and eat their meal, and then bed down for the night. The following morning, they have breakfast, and then they are back on the trail.

Robert remains wary and keeps his chart carefully concealed from their traveling companions to avoid suspicions.  The next morning he heads back along their path.

Sunday, June 16th, 1889

The caravan, which has been marching southwest, turns southeastward at mid-afternoon as the trail turns to pass around a series of jagged ridges. Robert calculates that they are roughly paralleling the canal they crossed, and it lies about fifteen miles northeast of them.

"I'm glad you know how to navigate," Louis says as they settle down for supper.

Robert sets up the tent gets things organized in their camp as the day ended.  He points out where he thinks they might be.  "It certainly helps if we need to retrace our steps or call in aid."

"Once we cross the Avenel Canal," Louis points to the map, "won't we be in rebel-held territory?"

Robert traces the canal on the map. "Yes, we'll be in quite a bit of danger but they won't be looking for a couple when they are looking for spies."

"I will join you in that hope," Louis says. "I believe we can find our way to safety if needs be."

Wednesday, June 19th, 1889

OOG: Please fill in anything Robert wants to accomplish over the next 2 1/2 days.

It takes the caravan another two and a half days to reach the Avenel Canal.The trail led southeastward for another fifteen miles, and then it curled westward around the base of the hills.

The land here is broken, with canyons and mesas to the east, and jagged ridges and hills to the west. Louis points out several places where great jumbles of rock are congregated along the trail, and she suggests that the trail follows an ancient waterway.

They finally arrive at the canal's north bank at around noon. There is a bridge here, as ornate as the last one they crossed, but this one is easily three times as long, and half again as tall. As the couple watches, a pair of canal boats pass each other under the bridge, one eastbound to Syrtis Major, and the other headed west to Avenel.

Robert spends the time slowly getting to know some of their fellow travelers.  He speaks of the Bible from a rather harsh standpoint that fits his demeanor and experience but doesn't press anyone.  His discussions are a cover for their supposed occupation as missionaries.  He exhibits a great deal of curiosity about their surroundings and looks with interest at the boats on the canal.

"The desert is beautiful and awe inspiring but I'm glad to be back to the water."

"Do we stay with the caravan?" Louis asks as she stands at the bridge rail, looking out over the water.

Robert looked away with reluctance from the water and took her hand.  "I say we do.  We need to find the rendezvous point."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:38, Thu 11 Apr 2019.

Louis sighs. "There is no way for us to make any definite plans, and that's not something I like. I do agree that we need to see this through."

Robert kissed her. "I'm not happy with the situation either as we are at great risk.  We'll see things through then."  He smiled.  "How are you feeling as the pregnancy unfolds?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:27, Sun 15 Mar 2020.

She pats his arm. "I am doing better than I'd expect, actually. My mother spoke of being quite ill early in her pregnancy. She said that the symptoms would reappear at times during my childhood. I really didn't understand that part." Louis smiles innocently.

Robert smiled at Louis.  His sisters and sister in law had of course been pregnant but Robert himself had been at sea during all of that and thus had little knowledge of the female experience save what he'd heard from married men aboard the ship.  "I've heard of morning sickness but never thought much of it until it was my wife who was expecting." He looked at her as she deadpanned a comment about her mother's reactions.  "Well, as headstrong as you must have been I can see why your mother might have experienced recurring bouts."  His tone was teasing and pleasant as he bantered with his wife.

Louis laughs softly. "I prefer to think of myself as determined. Far be it from me to argue the point with my husband, though." She nudges him gently with her hip as they walk along.

The rest of the day passes without incident. Robert is able to quietly take sightings to determine where they are. The trail leads south by southwest now, as the land is more open south of the Avenel canal. There are few real hills, but the landscape is a series of dusty, rolling plains cut by ancient streambeds that once led to the canals. These streambeds ranged from two feet deep to nearly twenty feet in places, with commensurate changes in width.

The caravan makes camp again, and everyone sits down to eat in their usual groups. As they are having coffee, Louis leans close to Robert.

"They seem happier today than during the prior nights."

Robert laughs happily as he and Louis banter and joke.  "Well, as long as you know your place then we should be good," he is serious for a moment and then chuckles.  "Determined... I like that."

He is coming to enjoy the effort of navigating across the deserts of Mars.  They are traveling with the caravan so there is little real need to know exactly where they are at but Robert has a certain amount of professional pride that drives him to continue to plot their positions.  Also there might be some benefit to knowing their locations should there be a later need to track the movements of caravans.

Robert sets up their tent and gets the fire going as Louis tends to the bedding and food.  He sips the coffee and grimaces.  "I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to coffee instead of tea but it does grow on you."  He doesn't glance about but does nod.  "Happier... we should be on alert.  This might mean they are nearing the rendezvous."

Louis nods. "In the morning, I'd guess. What do we do?"

Robert considered things.  "Let's take a stroll through the camp and see what we can pick up without being too obvious.  We'll have to play the morning by ear."

As they walk along, Robert notices that some of the drovers are looking at them with more interest than usual for them. One pair, a Martian and a human, lean their heads together and speak in a low voice as Louis passes them.

When they reach the edge of the encampment, Louis steps close to Robert. "Something is different, but I don't know what it is."

Robert feels the difference in the air as well. "I don't know if it is that they specifically suspect something or as we near our destination that we can expect violence."  He considers their options.  "We may want to strike out on our own in the night.  I don't want to be captured by surprise."

They walk around the campsite, giving Robert a chance to survey the surrounding terrain.

OOG: Think of the landscape in the New Mexico game...

The land is a series of low, eroded hills and shallow dry gullies covered in widely scattered clumps of grass and bushes. There are no trees here, as the land is too arid to support them.

"I will make sure our canteens are full," Louis observes with a grim smile.

Robert nodded equally grimly. "I'll bring along the rocket as well.  I fear we may need to call for immediate help.  We don't dare use it until we are sure."

Louis nods. "It will broadcast our location to one and all, to be sure. Shall we return to our camp?"