The sun found Max and Furiosa soon enough, and they were on their way.
Their self-imposed silence grew more companionable as time went on. Furiosa felt better in the car now that Max didn't look half-animal, and in turn Max did, too. Neither were tense or curled up against the door with a knife, and neither were trying to shoot something following them, so it was almost normal. Good enough for Max to pretend he was alone if he only looked forward.
Both the driving and the silence were interrupted around mid-day. Max stopped the car on top of a ridge, making sure there wasn't anyone around that could easily spot them. Hesitantly, he took the keys and left the car, removing his map from his jacket. It had been a while since Max had actually taken a look at it and figured out where they were, and now was as good a time as any. Using a small compass, he aligned the map to the northern direction and found their place. He hummed as he did it, tracing fingers along lines and lingering on black dots, and didn't pay any mind when Furiosa came to a stop beside him.
"Where are we headed?" He grumbled softly again as a non-answer, looking closer at the map. Furiosa took a peek at it, but couldn't make anything out. She was used to reading off maps that were clearly marked, copied from the Before maps but changed for Now. It appeared that Max didn't care for proper labelling, but his system was his own, having not needed to accommodate someone else. She could still make out lines of roads, arrows, and dots. Some markings were apparently made to represent landmarks or otherwise noteworthy geography of the region, but it still looked incredibly foreign.
Max could read it just fine, but what it told him didn't bode well for their travels. To the south was Bartertown, and further southeast were the Citadel and the Bullet Farm. To the east were the mountains. To the southwest, they would eventually find the Powder Lakes again. To their north and northwest was unknown territory, somewhere he wasn't sure he was ready to venture into just yet. To the far south, beyond Gas Town, there were settlements he knew of that Furiosa could join with. Are they still there? Are they safe? Max forces the questions out of his head, not wanting to think about what could have happened when he was gone.
"Max."
He looked up at Furiosa from the map. She wanted an answer. With a huff, he decided on it, but neither of them would like it. "West. Big - hm, berth around Bartertown. South through the Powder Lakes, head south below Gas Town. Some places down there. Good people." Maybe seeing some familiar faces would do some good for him – if they made it.
Furiosa's face contorted into a combination of fear and anger. Max wanted to skirt around these places like it's no big deal. Bartertown would be on the look-out. The Citadel would, too, especially since they had killed War Boys in addition to what she tried to do. War Boys already ran down lone vehicles, and they would follow them to an absolute end if they saw even a glimpse of Max's rusted black car. He even wanted to go through the Powder Lakes, flattest place in the wasteland next to the Salt, and if they lived, finally dump her off in one of the shanties he'd call a settlement.
She had to stop herself from berating the man. She was no longer the Imperator, no longer Boss, no longer in charge. This man was her saving grace and perhaps her only lifeline, having no obligations to string her along except for some hidden reason he doesn't want to discuss. She was always provided the chance to leave, always treated like a human being. He bartered for a gun for her, for two weeks rations for her, and fuck, if he isn't going to kill himself worming back down the territory of the big three to find her a home. Max probably was mad.
"They're going to be looking for me. You. The car." Furiosa didn't quite know what to say to counter the man's route, but wondered if he had anything else in mind.
"Got another plan?" he asked.
Green place, green place, green place consumed Furiosa's mind and flooded her mouth, so tempted to tell him about it and where to go so she could see her home again, see her people again. She stopped herself again, still not sure if she completely trusted the man. What would he do if he saw it? What kind of allegiances does he have, who could he reveal this place to? Is the Green Place still there? A worried thought brushed through her mind, and she did her best to dismiss it. "North?"
Max shook his head with a grunt.
"Why not?" she countered indignantly.
"Don't know anything about it. Off the map."
"Well what's so bad about not knowing? It's not like you'll fall off the face of the planet if you go off the map."
With that, he frowned. Max pocketed the map after one last look on it. "I got lost once. Lost. I can get lost if I want to. But to get lost when you really don't want to is… bad. Never found my way back. Not ready to leave yet." It wasn't lost on him at all that the center of his map were the Citadel, Bullet Farm, and Gas Town, all three incredibly bad places to be, but he knew the ins and outs of the area, and it was the closest thing to civilization he had seen (despite how uncivilized many people were). The places to the south meant something to him. There wasn't any good reason to leave yet, but at the same time he knew he'd never had one unless he went out and found it.
Furiosa understood him, as much as she'd like to avoid the three towns. Even though she never truly got lost, she was taken away from the Green Place, and she was always stopped from finding her way back. The Green Place hanged over her head now, ever present as a very possible and very real destination. For now it would elude her grasp. Heading south and south-east - towards the mountain pass – would be impossible. Skimming around the mountains would be a similarly unachievable feat. She had no doubt that the Citadel would be working with the Bullet Farm to patrol in sweeping circles around the territory, at least for now. But maybe, if they were south enough to get around Gas Town, she could sweep up into the canyon and head east.
Furiosa remembers the deal she arranged with the Rock Riders. Guzz for free passage. It was forfeit now. No guzz, no free passage. She let out a shaky sigh, shifting inside her jacket.
"I know you don't like it," he said to her. "I don't either." Max moved to the car now, grabbing a couple of meal bars and the canteen out of the car. He passed her one, waiting before beginning to eat his own.
She ate her food silently, occasionally reaching for the canteen. Furiosa knew better than to argue over anything they discussed. The world stopped being fair and making sense a long time ago. For now, she'll accompany him and go where he takes them, and hopefully they'll make it in one piece.
