Evilution

Chapter 19

They had traveled in a south-easterly direction for a quarter mile until Jonah stopped to inspect a compact plant with dark velvety leaves. Despite his thin and sinewy tattooed frame, Jonah was one of those splendidly tough and optimistic specimens of the outdoors whose combined hardihood and foraging skills led him naturally into high positions of trust when it came to organic medicines. Though his usual sensitive and polite demeanor had turned bitter since their arrival to the island, and vengeful over Ren's death, Travis believed Jonah understood their need for survival, and to some degree C.E.R.T's reputation. The plant in which Jonah had taken interest of came up with little effort from its roots and he used a rock to mash it into a sticky, milky pulp.

Travis and the rest of his team kept a vigilant eye to woods as Jonah smeared the mucilaginous remedy over the inflamed skin of his hand. When Zahra inquired about the substance Jonah replied in a gruff, contemptuous voice, "Mallow."

"Is it edible?" she asked.

It occurred to Travis that none of them had eaten since lunch providing they were fortunate enough to grab one of Fannie's sandwiches before their departure.

Jonah plucked another leaf from the stem, wet with rainwater and fresher than any produce purchased at the market, and placed it in his mouth, chewed. He plucked away several more and handed them to Zahra.

It wasn't nearly satisfying as a thick, bloody steak, or a burger smothered in jack cheese, grilled onions, and chili, but Jonah reassured them of at least a dozen health benefits of mallow consumption and that it was considered a delicacy in many fine restaurants. Travis didn't really care about any of that hoity business so long as he could eat it without becoming sick. Other than the fibrous little hairs, it had a mild and almost buttery flavor and Travis thought it would taste even better fried and salted, but what wouldn't? There wasn't much else to forage and Jonah had passed to him a few berries that were bright red in color and had a complex sweet and bitter flavor. He popped a few more in his mouth and saved the remaining few in his pocket for later.

Still hungry after the mallow was stripped and without other identifiable edibles, they continued forward with their heads tilted downward to protect their faces from the abusive weather. Travis assisted Zahra over a large White Pine that had collapsed recently over the shallow creek releasing a pleasant organic scent into the air.

When they were safely on the other side, Zahra said, "You seem very well to do in the woods. Do you camp much?"

He was in no mood to engage in small talk but obligated himself to do so to keep his mind from drifting into insanity like Santiago.

"Once or twice a year in the summer I used to go with my wife and our friends," he told her. It had been about two years since their last camping trip, back when they discovered Twizzlers tasted better after slightly toasting them over an open fire. The outside would develop a slight crunch while the inside became a warm goo. Travis didn't care for overly sweet foods and the fire, burning away the sugar, left a deliciously perfect flavor. That was back before the state turned the campground into a nature reserve and they were no longer able to camp. He didn't mind. Nature preservation was important to him, as it should be to everybody.

"That's quite a bit," Zahra said.

"Is it?"

"For me it is. I've never been camping."

"Not even in Tehran?"

"A lot of people camp in Iran, more than you might think, but I've never been. My parents were always working so I hardly ever saw them anyway. Then when my dad went to prison I was left to take care of my mom. There's not a lot of camping in New York city anyway."