Chapter 18

(Kevin is in the creek, robyn is reading "My Brilliant Career", Chris is smoking, Carrie is sitting next to robyn with her radio out. Ellie is curled up to Lee, Amy and Phil are together)

Ellie: (to Robyn) good book?

Robybn: Yeah, it's ok. We have to read it for English.

Phil: (after a while) Well. We've got to make more decisions guys. I've been looking up at the sky every five minutes, waiting for trops to drop down in their big green choppers, but there's no sign fo them yet. And carrie hasn't heard any news flashes yet, to tell us that help is on its way. So we might just have to do it on our own for a bit longer. The way I see it, these are our choices, now that we know a bit more about the deal. One, we can sit tight and do nothing. And there's nothing chicken about that. It's got a lot to recommend it. We're not trained for this stuff, and it's important for ourselves, and for our families, and for that matter even our country, that we stay alive. two, we can hve a go at getting our families and maybe other people out of the [showground.] That's a tough one, probably way beyond our reach. I mean, we've got rifles and shotguns but they'd be popguns compared to what those guys are using. Three, we can do something else to help the good guys. (he grins.) That's us, I might add, in case anyone's confused. We could involve ourselves in some way that woul dhelp us win this war and get our country back. There's other things we could do too of course, other options, like moving somewhere else, or surrendering, but they're so remote I don't think they're worth discussing, although we will if anyone wants to of course. So, that's the deal, that's for real, that's what I feel. Three choices, and ithink it's time we made one and stuck to it.

(silence.)

Robyn: I'm still not sure what's right or wrong in this whole setup, but I don't think I could sit around here for months, not doing anything. It's just an emotional thing - I couldn't do it. I agree with Homer that the showground's beyond our reach, but I feel we've got to get out and have a go at something. On the other hand I don't want us to go around killing a lot of people. I've read those Vietnam books like Fallen Angels, where the woman hid a mine in her own kid's clothes and gave it to a soldier to hold, then it blew them both up. I still have nightmares about that. I'm already having nightmares about the people we've killed. But iguess my nightmares are small suffering compared to what some peopel have had. My nightmares are just hte price Ihave to pay, I know that. Despite what these people say about a "clean" invasion, I think all wars are filthy and foul and rotten. There was nothing clean about them blowing up Carrie's house, or killing the Francis family. I know this might sound a bit different from what I said before, but I don't think it is. I can understand why these eople have invaded but I don't like what they're doing and I don't think there's anything very moral about them. This war's been forced on us, and I haven't got the guts to be a conscientious objector. Ijust hope we can avoid doing too much that's filthy and foul and rotten.

(more silence.)

Amy: (looks white and miserable.) I know logically we should do this and we should do that. Butall I know is that the thought of doinga nything makes my nose bleed. All I really want to do is to go down to the Hermit's hut and hide under his mouldy old bed thill this is over. I'm really fighting myself to stop from doing that. I suppose when the time comes I'll probably do whatever Ihae to do, but the main reason I'll do it is because I feel the pressure of keeping up with you guys. I don't want to let you down. I'd fell so ashamed if I couldn't match you in whatever it is we decide to do. I don't think there's any way we can help our families right now, so not losing face with you all has become my biggest thing. And what worries me is that I can't gurantee I won't pack up under pressure. The trouble is, I'm so full of fear now, that naything could happen. I'm scared that I might just stand there and scream.

Lee: (sympathetically, slightly sarcastically) Peer pressure.

Phil: (sarcastically) Well, of course you're the only one that feels that way, the rest of us don't know the word "fear." Kevin can't even spell it. we know no feelings. We're androids, terminators, robocops. We're on a mission from God. We're Superman, Batman, and wonder Woman. (more seriously) No, it's a big problem. None of us knows how we'll react when the fan gest hit. I know what it's been like for me so far, just doing my little things, like waiting in that car in Three PIgs Lane. My teeth were chattering os bad I had to hold my mouth shut to keep them in. I don't know how I didn't vomit. Iwas absolutely convinced I was going to die.

(hey keep talking - eventually coming to some sort of plan - we'll figure it out later.)