SEVEN

When they got back to the farm, Susan walked the field. Rut in the earth by runt in the earth she quietly stepped along, sweating in the afternoon sun, a bottle of water in her hand.

"This is the best lead we've gotten," Judy said, handing Owen the printout. Then she went back to what she had written in her spiral notebook.

Susan had gotten to the end of another row and was turning back. A scowl of concentration wrinkled her brow.

Owen read the words in yellow first and then went back to the beginning and read all ten pages.

If it was hot outside it was sweltering in the tent, Owen was worried about the computers. Don had gone back into town to get an air conditioner. Where he got his money was unclear but there seemed to be enough of it to get the job done and that satisfied Owen.

Karl had the video camera pointed at Susan as she made her meticulous way through every inch of the field.

Jack was listening to the recordings from the night before through a pair of earphones.

Everyone was separated by their own actions. The rift between them deepened and stretched leaving them isolated inside personal shells. There was a deep buzz in the air that was serving as a hypnotic.

These shells might have hardened and thickened fully if Ethan had not whistled and caused a chain reaction. It made Susan jump and spin around which made Karl twitch and pull the camera off balance, he had to jerk his arm out to catch it. This sudden movement was caught out of the corner of his eye by Jack, who at the time was leaning over the recorder, he straightened with a snap. Judy saw him and it startled her enough that she grabbed Owen's arm. The buzzing stopped, too. They looked at one another.

This same thing had happened on a smaller scale in the Maryland Graveyard; the spirits tried encompass each of them and get them alone so that they might be easier to over power. Susan had noticed it almost immediately that time, this time it had taken Ethan to bring it to her attention.

"I'm not getting anything," she called to Karl. "It feels as if the entire area is sealed."

Behind Karl, Owen stepped out into the sun as if he had just woken. "I think conversation might be a good idea," he said shaking out his dreads.

* * *

When Don came to the crest of the hill he could hear voices. As he walked down to the tent and came around the open flap he listened to the conversation.

"And I'm saying that there isn't much that could have happened even if Ethan hadn't been here."

"Ethan says, 'you're welcome.'"

"No offence, Ethan."

Don stepped in and everyone turned to him. "The AC is here, but I need help carrying it down."

By the time they carried the unit down and hooked it up the sun was going down. Again, they tried to make contact without results. This time even the audio was free of voices.

Susan sat at the picnic table leaning her chin on her hand, she could not figure out why this was so hard. There were spirits here, they had heard them on the recording, but they refused to come out for her. The whole area now had a feeling that it was sealed.

Owen was working on the computer with Judy at his side, they were having a hushed conversation about trees and growth rates and how long the gully had gone untouched. Jack and Karl were discussing the mics position and how outdoor contact was always difficult.

The portable CD player was emitting a quiet stream of notes. The volume was so low that it was unclear as to what the music was that was playing. Don had his finger through the hole of a CD and brushed the edge with his opposite hand, it turned gently. He was a great believer in good music played loudly. Putting his disk in the machine he glanced back and smiled.

Don turned the music up.

"Add it to the list," the singer requested, "of square jawed decisions I refuse to make." Owen smiled and started to dance by himself in front of the computer. Don danced too as he moved away from the CD player.

"For the same reason San Franciscans don't leave on account of the earthquake."

Susan watched from the picnic table as the men moved to the music.

"There are text book moves and trails to braze -- no shortage of advice -- so I blindly stay put -- like a deer caught in the headlights."

After a few unsure moments, Susan stood up on the picnic table seat and go-go danced. Owen and Don hooted and cheered, Jack and Karl looked up at her, then they all laughed. It was such a wonderful release after a hard day. Soon everyone had joined in -- loud laughter and music dissipated in the warm night air.

"After all those songs -- I'm Satisfied. I could be horribly wrong -- I'm Satisfied. 'Til disaster comes along -- I'm Satisfied."

Don spun Judy into Jack's arms and grabbed Susan, who had stepped down and had been dancing by herself, in a tango stance.

"Taken in the back to get my ear chewing, better that than learn. They'll be wiping simple smiles off my face until it's someone else's turn. I like the smell and endure the taste of everything that's cheaper. And when he asks me 'Did you have a good time?' I'll say, 'Get the lights Mr. Grim Reaper.'"

He attempted to dance across the tent only to have her collapse against him, helpless with laughter. They were laughing so hard that it made them stumble.

"After all those songs -- I'm Satisfied. I could be horribly wrong -- I'm Satisfied. 'Til disaster comes along -- I'm Satisfied."

Susan broke the grip they had on one another and staggered, gasping to the tent flap and out into the night.

"Turn on the reading light as the room brings in the night. Completely wasted time is the time I like."

She continued to giggle and pant for a few minutes -- she would start to calm herself only to have the laugher well up again. It was a great to feel only happiness and joy from other people. And from herself too. It was a rare moment when she did not have some outside source that tried to worm its way into her and provoke her emotions.

"After all those songs -- I'm Satisfied. I could be horribly wrong -- I'm Satisfied. 'Til disaster comes along -- I'm Satisfied."

It was a bright night, not quite a full moon, but close to it. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked up at the stars. They were bright and shining -- perhaps they were feeling happy, too.

* * *

Don watched her go and considered going after her that could be what she wanted. But then Judy was throwing her arms around his neck and wanting him to dance with her. So they danced, but all the while Don was thinking about Susan and the way her braid spun out behind her and how she smelled. What an amazing moment that was when they were holding each other up, breathless with laughter. He wished that he had kissed her, he wanted to feel her laughter against his lips.

* * *

There was something in the dark that took offence to the force of the up beat music and laughter. It regarded it as an attack. As it waited under its shield, it bubbled with anger. It was about to push back with equal strength.

* * *

Don did not get another chance to talk to Susan until late that night, after the heat of the day and the exhaustion that followed laughter had caught up with them and everyone had gone to bed.

There was movement in the tent, Don who had not yet fallen asleep, felt the person come up beside him.

Susan crouched next to his bunk and whispered his name. He opened his eyes and turned to her.

"I wanted to thank you for tonight," she whispered.

"It was fun," he whispered back.

"I think it did all of us some good." She listened for the sound of sleep around them. It was clear that they were the only ones awake.

Don watched her fiddle with her braid. He wanted to touch her, but it did not seem right. He wished that she would climb into his bed and lay her head on his shoulder, he would love to hold her. But she did not want that -- she had made herself clear on that subject.

"I hope it will happen again," she whispered. " But it hardly seems likely -- inspired moments are hard to duplicate."

"Maybe it'll be something else with the same outcome," he offered, quietly.

She smiled at the thought. "I hope so."

"There's nothing like a good laugh."

"So I just learned."

A bunk away Judy mumbled something in her sleep and rolled over.

Susan glanced back then lowered her voice further.

"I should go to bed, busy day tomorrow."

"Most of them are."

"Goodnight, Don."

"Night, Susan."

She moved quietly back, he could hear the creak of the bunk as she got into bed, and the rustle of the sheet as she settled in. Then the sound of night returned, the chirp of crickets, and the deep breaths of the bunk mates.

It felt childish, but Don was thrilled that he and Susan had connected -- finally they had a moment. Damn it, next time he would kiss her. The amount of time he was spending thinking about this was insane. Thinking about missed opportunities and inappropriate focus, Don fell asleep.