Chapter Ten

The irrigation system that supplied the beach settlement with fresh water had experienced a minor cave in, and Sawyer and Sayid were now repairing the problem. Hurley joined them, even though he rarely assisted with these types of tasks, explaining that the labor would be good for his figure.

Sawyer flipped his unkempt bangs from his eyes to peer at the young man. "Who you need to get in shape for, Hurley Burley? All the pretty ladies are taken."

Hurley's large shoulders rose and fell in a casual shrug. "Well…not all of them."

Sayid and Sawyer both glanced at one another questioningly and then looked back at Hurley.

"Do tell," said the southerner suggestively. "I hope you ain't angling for Mohammed's girlfriend. Although… "--he drew out the word – "you might have a chance, 'cause I don't think he's quite managed to seal the deal. At least, I ain't noticed no overnight guests coming out of her hut in the morning."

Instead of reacting the way he wished too, Sayid plunged his shovel viciously into the irrigation ditch and lifted a clod of earth onto the bank.

"Nah. I used to be sweet on Claire," Hurley admitted, and Sayid glanced up at him briefly. "For like a couple of weeks," he assured the Iraqi. "Like three months ago."

"So," demanded Sawyer, "who's the unlucky lady then? Better not be that widow woman Angela, because she's twice your age, and I think Locke's got his eye on her."

Sayid appeared to be concentrating on his digging, but he was not ignoring the conversation. He could not help but be curious about the object of Hurley's admiration.

When Hurley still did not muster an answer, Sawyer continued, "And if you say Kate, this shovel's digging your grave."

"Rebekah."

"That jailbate?" Sawyer asked.

"She turned eighteen last month," Hurley insisted defensively. "And she's very mature."

Sawyer grinned wickedly. "Barely legal." He laughed. "Or maybe not. Now that's something the council has yet to rule on. No age of consent laws here on the island. If I was on the council, I'd put in a good word for you, Big Lover, but as you know, no one wanted to vote for me." He turned to Sayid. "So you'll have to petition Ali Baba here, or maybe my girl Kate."

"I'm on the council, too," Hurley reminded him.

"What do you say?" Sawyer asked Sayid. "What was the age of consent in Iraq?"

Sayid stopped digging. "It was twenty-one," he replied with a stern, serious face, looking directly at Hurley. "I think that would be the reasonable age I would support."

Hurley looked suddenly concerned, but then his round cheeks gave way to a great smile when Sayid broke into a low chuckle. "Sawyer's rubbing off on you way too much, dude. You used to be much nicer to me." Now Hurley was laughing and shaking his finger at the Iraqi. "Hey, but if you had been serious, I would have pointed out that Shannon was only about twenty. And you're, like, waaay older than me."

Sayid climbed out of the ditch and took a seat on the edge. "Indeed. I am positively ancient. I had better rest now lest I throw out my back."

"Oh, yeah," howled Sawyer in vocal delight, "I forgot how much Ishmael likes to pluck the fruit when it's just ripe. Claire's a young one too." His dimples were making their deepest impression now as he turned to Sayid. "Ain't that right, old man?"

Sayid cleared his throat. He could manage to find Sawyer amusing in small doses, but there was always a point at which the southerner began to press against his limit. Fortunately, Sawyer shifted his target. "So, my corpulent Casanova, do you have a plan to seduce this girl?"

Hurley, who had himself returned to digging, paused for a moment and rested against his shovel. He looked serious. "Do you think you can only have one true love in your life?" he asked.

Sawyer let out a loud snorting sound. "What, are we in the girls' locker room here?"

"No, seriously," Hurley said. "'Cause, like, before she died, I really thought Libby was going to be the one, you know?"

Sawyer just laughed and went back to digging.

"What do you think, Sayid?" Hurley asked. "I mean, sure, I know I could love again, but could I ever have another true love do you think?"

"I do not understand your question. How can you have a love that is not true? Then it is not love."

"Dude, I mean, do you think I could ever love Rebekah as much as I loved Libby?"

Sawyer looked at the two conversing men, rolled his eyes, and shook his head.

"Hurley, I would not concern yourself with these thoughts. If you like the young lady, ask her to take a walk with you. If she appears to likes you, take her on a picnic. Become acquainted. Eventually, perhaps, you will find that the question is irrelevant." Sayid slid back into the ditch.

"So, dude, are you in love with Claire?"

Sayid reclaimed his shovel. He turned up one palm and gestured across the width of the irrigation ditch. "You may see that Sawyer is at least correct in this: we are not, in fact, standing in a girls' locker room."

Hurley took the hint and resumed digging.