"The sleeping accommodation is ready, Sir. I hope it's convenient enough for you. And thanks for your assistance," Cutter annunciated with sarcasm.
James Lester peered up at him with a satisfied smile. "Thank you, Professor. I'm sure it will be sufficient for one night."
Lester stood up and limped after Nick then stared in irritation at the hollow filled with dried ferns and leaves that the man had prepared.
"Cutter, I take my words back. It will not be sufficient. That's not bigger than a plank bed. There is no way we will both fit in there and get a decent sleep."
"Don't be such a sissy. The bed is big enough if we close ranks. We'll have to keep each other warm anyway. When you sleep you cool down rather quickly, even in tropical climates and we don't have any blankets. Near a lake it can get colder than you think."
"Where did these pearls of wisdom come from so suddenly? I remember you telling me you didn't know anything about outdoor life."
"I went on several expeditions in Mexico and Costa Rica. Some things you don't ever forget. Come on, you first. I'll huddle up to you."
"You can't be serious. I won't sleep with your groin pressed against my arse."
"OK, than I'll lie down and you can spoon against me."
"In your dreams, Cutter."
"Damn it, Lester, you're a homophobe."
"I am not hompohobe, I just don't want to come in contact with male genitals nor do I want to get close to another man's buttocks with my groin."
Cutter sighed, frustrated. "All right, we could turn our backs to each other. Would that be more comfortable for your Highness?"
"Great, then my arse will be warm while my front is freezing to death."
"Don't exaggerate. It's not that cold right now," Cutter huffed.
"But you told me two minutes ago how icy it can get near a lake," Lester pointed out.
Determined to finish the debate and get some sleep, the professor ignored him and lowered himself onto the bunk.
"You can stand there all night if you want, Lester. I don't care. Just make sure you're quiet so I won't be disturbed in my sleep."
After a moment of rustling, Cutter felt the civil servant settle down behind him.
"If you're bothered about being in contact with certain body parts you can put it between your legs. I'm not particularly keen to be poked with your dick either."
Instantly, Lester got ready to stand up again and Nick groaned in annoyance. He turned around quickly and grasped the man by the arms.
"Damn it, come here!"
"Cutter, I will not cuddle you," Lester snarled.
"What's the matter? Stephen and me slept like that all the time in the tent on expeditions when it was cold outside."
"I don't want to hear what you did with Stephen Hart to amuse yourself."
"Bloody hell, not like that. You really do have a dirty mind."
Nick Cutter shifted closer to Lester and moved his arm around him.
"See, that works. So we can keep each other warm."
"Cutter, I warn you, if you get any closer with your hip you'll be sorry."
The man he was addressing just grunted and closed his eyes then after a moment he asked: "Lester, is it possible that you make things downright difficult just as a matter of principle?"
The bureaucrat next to him chuckled faintly and simply mumbled: "Good night, Cutter!"
******************************
It was strange to wake up amongst ferns and large trees without the twitter of birds.
James Lester slowly shifted his bruised leg and stretched his shoulders, anxious not to startle Cutter who still slumbered, a faint sound of p h p h ufffff escaping his slightly open lips.
Lester grinned at the noise the other man produced. At least he wasn't snoring loudly. In a strange way Lester even found it cute.
He tried to stand up but as soon as he moved away, the professor became alert. "Where are you going?" he asked drowsily.
"Just stretching my legs."
"How is your leg?"
"Fine."
"It doesn't seem fine to me. You're move too carefully to be all right. If you need a hand..."
"Cutter, damn it, I was going to take a piss. Are you still willing to give me a hand?"
Lester witnessed something he'd never expected. Nick Cutter blushed. It wasn't just a faint flush of his cheeks. His whole face went bright red and Lester could clearly see that even his ears had coloured before the professor stood up and turned away.
"I thought so," Lester said, self-satisfied, and considered the best way to get up to attend nature's call without straining his leg further.
He heard a loud snap next to him and then Cutter handed him a crude crutch made out of a broken branch.
"That should help. If you can't manage it on your own even with this then call me. I'll probably not give you a hand but a shoulder to lean on."
******************************
"There is still no sign of an Anomaly," Cutter told him surlily when Lester came back out of the woods and sat down next to him.
"Well, we can't do anything but wait. You found an Anomaly when you were lost in the Silurian, didn't you? I guess it's likely another one will open here as well. It's just a matter of time."
"That's just it. We haven't got as much time. Lester, when was the last time you ate anything?"
"I had a wonderful lunch yesterday with beef wellington, a little rice and some..."
"Damn it," Cutter interrupted him, "I didn't ask for an exact description of your last meal. I'm already hungry enough as it is."
"Then why did you ask in the first place?" Lester huffed, irritated.
"I asked for the point in time not for the content." Cutter mustered a frown for the other man. "You know, relieving ourselves here isn't a good idea either. Our bodies could contain biochemical substances which don't yet exist in this time period and our excretions could turn out to be fatal for nature here.
"I'm really glad you mentioned it just now, after I've already taken my trip to the toilet."
Cutter shrugged. "It just occurred to me. Besides it isn't something you can suppress like hunger."
Lester eyed him thoughtfully. "How hungry are you really, Cutter?"
"It's not so bad. Don't worry. I'm fine," Cutter grunted.
"As fine as my leg?" the bureaucrat asked, wryly.
"In the films they have always something in their pockets, some chocolate bar or chewing gum at least," Cutter mused. "And in the doctor's surgery they have often sweets lain around for the brave patients."
"Unfortunately we're not in a film and I don't tend to keep chocolate bars in my suit nor do I like to chew bubble gum. I don't hand out sweets to my colleagues, either. But when we get back I might considering store some lollies in my office as a treat for good behaviour. I'm just afraid you won't get any then, either."
Lester looked at Cutter with a twinkle in his eyes and suddenly they both smirked at the image of Lester giving out sweets to Connor and Abby.
******************************
"What will they be doing right now?" Cutter sighed.
"Probably just crawled out of the bed. It's still pretty early."
"Yeah. And then they'd eat a large breakfast, cornflakes or ham and eggs."
"Cutter, you seem to have a foible for masochism. Please try to keep your mind occupied with other things than food, which we don't have at the moment."
Nick looked morosely at the ground and tried to find another topic which would take his mind of the growing pain in his stomach. "What do you think of the new Captain? Becker, if I'm not wrong."
"I gave him the job. I wouldn't have done that if I hadn't been convinced of his competence."
"I think he's a arrogant boy with a stick up his arse. Probably rising in the ranks through his connections. He's rather young to be a captain, after all.
"Very accurate estimation. But he was the best I could get. Currently the ARC isn't very high on the list of favourite projects within the Home Office. I hope Becker will learn to work with the team."
"God, I miss Ryan. At last he was a decent guy you could have a sensible talk with."
"It was certainly easier with Captain Ryan around. He had you under control. With Becker I'm never sure if he is running after you or away from you."
"And I miss Stephen."
Lester grimaced. He had known sooner or later the talk would turn to Stephen Hart. Cutter hadn't talked with anyone about the incident. He'd only written his report, this time in great detail, but had ignored any colleagues who had offered to lend an ear. The professor had buried himself in his work instead. And he had done his best to push everyone away. Even Jenny had finally given up and mentioned it would be best for Cutter to see a shrink.
"Do you feel guilty over his death? Or are you regretting the way you treated him after Helen's charming announcement?"
Lester had decided he wouldn't beat about the bush. Cutter needed a straight talk and not pussyfooting around.
"Both. I know I'm not really responsible for his death. Helen led him into that trap. But if I hadn't destroyed that damned door panel when I tried to help her, Stephen would still be alive. Or if I'd talked everything out with him in the first place he wouldn't have believed Helen's lies."
"Crying over spilled milk will not change anything, Cutter. You were hurt by his betrayal, so your reaction was quite understandable. And it's not as if Stephen was a naive teenager. He was old enough to know what he did was wrong and despite knowing Helen's tricks he fell for her all over again.
But may I take the liberty of asking why you never considered your wife could have been unfaithful to you?"
Cutter snorted. "I trusted her. I trusted them both. It really was a shock to learn that my best friend had screwed my wife behind my back. When I think about it, I should have known. It was so obvious from the way they behaved in those days. How could I have been so blind?"
Nick Cutter buried his head in his hands and Lester actually felt sympathy for the man.
"And what would you have done if you had known? Or if Stephen had confessed the affair some time the last eight years?" he asked, quietly.
"I have no idea. I think I didn't want to hear the truth. I had preferred to carry on without knowing about it at all."
"What the eye does not see, the heart does not grieve over."
"Yeah, something like that. And all these years I have been faithful to her, I even tried to be after she was declared dead. You must take me for a complete moron."
Lester shook his head. "It's not unusual in my circles for one, or even both, partners to have an affair. Marriages are often arranged for mutual benefit. But I think most people prefer to be ignorant when it comes to these things. It's easier to cling to an illusion than to acknowledge the bitter truth."
Cutter raised his head and looked quizzically at Lester. "How about you? Did you ever...?"
Nick Cutter knew it was a very personal question. He was sure Lester would refuse to answer so he was surprised when Lester said: "I actually like my wife and I still respect our marriage vows. But that doesn't mean she thinks the same."
Before Nick Cutter could ask something more, Lester snatched the makeshift crutch the professor had made for him and heaved himself up. "I will take a look at the shore. Perhaps there is something we could use as container to collect water."
Nick looked after the man, who had just revealed to him in a roundabout way that he also was faithful to a cheating wife.