The stars are high and twinkling in the sky as Jacob and Esau watch Richard toil in the jungle. The Spaniard chops wood and lashes boards together, making shelter. The newcomers mill about or make their own dwellings. They all look frightened in their strange, new surroundings and look to Richard for guidance. They don't question his orders.
"Think any of them are the next you?" Esau asks haughtily.
Jacob doesn't dignify the barb with a response. Instead he lets his hands sift through the sand, rough and cool after a hot day on the beach. The two men go unnoticed, as usual, by the others. Most humans refuse to acknowledge what is right in front of their faces.
Esau gets annoyed when Jacob doesn't respond. And he is not as good as the other man is at hiding his emotions.
"You could at least pretend you're listening," he mutters.
"I am listening," Jacob says, watching one of the women wrap her baby in a piece of cloth.
She is pretty and very young. Her long brown hair, barely hidden by her cap, flows over her shoulder, and the baby laughs. Jacob smiles slightly when he sees the baby grab at the tendrils that tickle its nose. He feels sadness at knowing that she will never grow old. Not even as old as her mother is now. He hopes mother and child enjoy their time together while they can.
"Fancy yourself a mate?" prods Esau.
He truly is relentless tonight.
"She is married," Jacob deflects.
Her husband comes up behind her and kisses her cheek. He gives a grim smile, whispers something in her ear, and picks up his daughter. And though she is very pretty, Jacob would never commit an adulterous act. He leaves that up to Esau. Not that Jacob is celibate.
"What about that one then?"
Esau points to a sweet young thing. Her once-navy dress has faded from the salt water and rain. She picks up her voluminous skirts to dabble her toes in the water. Like the young mother, her hair is loose, and she has not even bothered with her cap. She can't be more than seventeen. Jacob would never admit it, but the way the fire reflects on the water and her dress is nearly breathtaking. He aches as he remembers just how long it has been since he had been with someone intimately.
"Go to her," Esau whispers, his smirk hidden by the dark.
And for a second Jacob hesitates. Makes a move as if he is going to stand up, take the woman by surprise, and ravish her, and Esau thinks he won. Thinks he finally got Jacob to do something immoral, dirty-bad-wrong. But Jacob only turns his head to face his companion. Jacob looks into the other man's eyes and sees the night reflected in them. They find themselves drawn to each other, regardless of their battles of wit. They are suddenly a foot closer together.
"Peace," says Jacob, resting a hand on Esau's shoulder.
The man in black looks to his right. In all the centuries he has known Jacob, this is the first time he can remember ever being touched by him. Instead of answering, he stands and walks to the water's edge near the girl who has gone a bit farther into the surf. She startles as he rests his chin over her shoulder and places his hands on her waist. She tries to scream for help, but Esau clamps a firm hand over her mouth and drags her backwards into the jungle. Before the trees completely hide the couple, the two men make eye contact, but Jacob breaks it as he looks instead at the girl. She is flailing her arms and legs to get away, tears streaming over her plump cheeks. He wishes he could stop it.