Robinson Crusoe 2245: (Book 2) by E.J. Robinson Read Free Book Online Page A

and humility, and with the absolute confidence of one who knows he speaks the truth.
    He reminded Robinson of his father.
    As the discussions continued, Robinson watched as the fire lessened and was stoked back to life. All at once, his eyes got heavy. Some time later, a gentle hand shook him. It was the female farmer. She told him a bed had been arranged at one of the vacant houses. The others bid him good evening, but he was too tired to respond.
    Entering the house felt like a violation, but Robinson was thankful for a warm bed. He’d been shown into a child’s room before his host departed.
    Simple toys carved from wood littered the floor. Blocks with letters on them. A spinning top. He even saw a silver airplane that he was sure had been left over from before the Great Rendering. He picked it up and spun the propeller, thinking how much Tannis would have liked it. For the first time in a long time, he wondered what they were doing back home. Was Father still running the Crown? Were his changes in policy moving forward or meeting with resistance? Did the children feel alone now that Robinson and Vareen were gone? Tannis had Slink, but Tallis had no one.
    Robinson was lying down in bed when he heard the sound of the front door opening. His fingers wrapped around his axe, but the soft pad of feet stayed his hand.
    When the girl appeared, she held a candle, and its halo of light made her look luminous. She wore a dark smock and had her hair pulled back, revealing the taut skin of her neck. Robinson felt something stir inside him and was flooded with guilt because of it.
    “My father asked that I see to your bandages once more,” the girl said. Her voice was soft, but there was an undercurrent of boldness there.
    “Okay,” Robinson said.
    He peeled off his shirt so the girl could remove the cloth at his neck. A wave of goosebumps danced over his flesh at her touch. He thought of Friday.
    “No sign of infection,” she said. “That is good.”
    Robinson said nothing, so the girl took a rag and cleaned his wound again. Then she dipped her finger into a salve and worked it around the wound. Her touch was overpowering. Robinson fought the thoughts invading his mind.
    “That man—your friend—” she began.
    “Pastor.”
    “He says you seek a lost loved one. A girl.”
    “Woman would be more accurate.”
    “Was she taken in a raid like the one we suffered today?”
    “Something close to it.”
    “My father says the savages do not keep their prisoners long. And the girls they take … he says their time is not pleasant. How long ago was your woman taken?”
    He knew where her questions were leading, but didn’t stop her from asking them.
    “Five months. Maybe more.”
    “And you believe she is alive?”
    “Yes,” he answered.
    “Why?”
    “Because it’s the only option I can live with. The only option that lets me keep hope. And I know if the situation was reversed, I wouldn’t want her to give up on me.”
    “You love her then?”
    “Very much.”
    In that moment, Robinson felt an immense sadness. He had grown a lot since he fled the Isle a year and a half before. His father had said he had become a man, and yet, whenever he thought of himself as one, his mind went back to that day when Vardan Saah activated the FENIX and how surprised he was when the missiles exploded and spilled spores into the sky instead of death. It was his mother who had saved humanity, not him. He had sacrificed all for the girl he loved, but it had cost him something inside. He had sworn if the same situation ever repeated itself, he would make the right decision the next time. But deep in his heart, he wasn’t sure.
    “Winter nears,” the girl continued. “And a heavy snowfall is expected this season. We have homes here, like this one. A strong man could have one if he was willing to join us. He could have other things too …”
    She put her hand on his shoulder. Her touch felt like velvet. The smell of flowers in her hair