Selena took advantage of the pause to stretch her legs and rub her tailbone. Copper found something to pee on. Grandma Billy joined the priest at the edge of the dry wash.
“We can make it,” she said. “And there hasn’t been any rain in the mountains for a week.”
Father Aguirre consulted the map on his phone, looked at the wash, and consulted his phone again. “We could go back about an hour, and try to come in from the east side.”
“Can’t imagine it’ll be any better than this.”
“This is a terrible idea,” the priest said. “If we get stuck and itdoesrain ...”
Grandma gestured at the sky, which did not have even the suspicion of a cloud. “C’mon, Padre, didn’t the Lord promise something about floods?”
“He promised not to destroy theworld. Individuals are still expected to get to high ground.”
“Then I guess we better get getting, huh?”
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner,” the priest muttered. “Never do this,” he told Selena, then got into the truck, started it, and bumped down the drop to the broad floor of the wash.
“What could happen?” asked Selena meekly, getting in.
“Flash flood,” Grandma Billy said. “It rains way over there and the rain comes down and this turns into a river, and turns the Father’s granddaddy’s truck into a pile of junk.” She grinned and slapped the dashboard. “Which means you better step on it, eh?”
Father Aguirre grunted, but pushed the gas pedal down another fraction of an inch.
Travel down the wash proceeded in fits and starts, as clear stretches gave way to clusters of boulders. Father Aguirre had stopped swearing in Spanish and begun swearing in Latin. Selena turned on the radio in hopes that it would stop Grandma Billy’s running commentary, or at least drown it out.
Raven’s soothing voice came over the airwaves, informing them that it was five o’clock and that the DJ had just eaten an edible, and that meant that it was time for some Pink Floyd.
“WishIhad an edible,” said Grandma Billy.
“I wish you had one too,” said Selena, which drew a snort of laughter from Father Aguirre and an appreciative cackle from Billy.
“You got some snark hiding in there, I knew it,” the old woman said.
A few miles and most ofDark Side of the Moonlater, Father Aguirre found a place to get the truck up the other side of the wash. “We’re going to have to stop soon,” he said. The sky was already turning orange. Selena couldn’t imagine trying to navigate the nonexistent roads at night, at least not in the car. But still—
“Isn’t Snake-Eater weaker at night?”
“Sure,” said Grandma Billy. “But I ain’t looking to fight him on an empty stomach.”
Father Aguirre found a flat spot a little farther on and was reaching to shut off the engine when Selena stretched out her hand.
“Hmm?”
“Listen.”
On the radio, DJ Raven was saying, “What’s that, caller? I’m sorry, it’s the edibles ...”
The voice of Galadriel came on air. “Isaid, that weird energy started up again, and it’s a lot worse this time. Feels like something’s going to get broken.” Selena pictured the big, practical woman and could almost hear the scowl. “Whatever’s going on northeast of town, it’s pissed off but good.”
“That sounds bad,” Raven said, after a moment of dead air.
“You bet your ass it is. If anybody listening to this is messing around northeast of Quartz Creek, either stop doing it or do it a lot harder, because it’s starting to get on my nerves.”
She hung up. “Huh,” Raven said, and a moment later, the opening strains of something called “Aura Biscuit” started up. Father Aguirre turned the key and they sat in silence in the cab of the truck for a moment, in a clearing northeast of Quartz Creek.
Ten minutes later, the smell of frying eggs and bacon filled the air, as Grandma Billy expertly wielded a fry pan over a small fire. Father Aguirre had grumbled about the fire too, and insisted on clearing away anything even remotely flammable within ten yards.
“Could build it in the truck bed if you like,” said Grandma serenely, which only evoked more irate Latin.
