Chapter 95 - Impending Arrivals
The land barge passed through Polonion fairly quickly and made it to Nessun Cucchiaio without any incident. Dave Minear’s interviews with the new Mullinix went particularly well and he departed the group just after the quick gathering in Nessun Cucchiaio. It was on the last leg of the trip that Medoferro started to get really nervous.
"You look like you’ve swallowed a nervous cat," Trinaferro noted, watching Medoferro pace across the deck of the land barge, "Are you that nervous about tonight?"
"Wouldn’t you be?" Medoferro asked her, "I mean so much of this rides on me now… What the hell was I thinking?"
"You were thinking," Trinaferro told him, "That’s more that most of us were managing to do."
"What if I fuck it up?" Medoferro asked her, "I mean I’m not an orator. I nearly threw up when I had to present a speech to my school, and in that case there were only a few hundred people. Now I’m going to give a speech for thousands? Who the hell am I kidding?"
"You can do it, Medo," Trinaferro said, standing up and pulling him to a stop, "It’s not like you have to create Shakespeare here or anything. Just get up there and tell the truth. You can do that."
"What if it doesn’t work?" Medo said, "I mean, if we can’t convince these people to join us then we’ll be going down there with a group of people who are our age…"
"Don’t count them out," Trina grinned, "I mean, look at us. Who would have thought that we’d be doing this. They’re just like us for the most part, eager to prove that they are indeed Mullinix."
"I just don’t know," Medo sighed, "I mean I’ll be trying to talk them into doing something that could get them killed. Who am I to do that? I could have been one of them."
"You are one of them," Trina reminded him, "You didn’t want this anymore than I did. Just think though. There are people out there, LaPorte among them, that don’t think anything about throwing people’s lives away. We’re in the right and you’re agonizing over it. I think that means you’re just the right person for it."
"Don’t say that too loudly," Medo sighed, "People might start believing it."
"Come on," Trinaferro told him, "Sit down with me. We have to be official in a couple hours. I want some time with you first."
"Ok," Medo smiled, sitting down with her and leaning against her, "Thanks."
"Don’t thank me," Trina chuckled, "The worst is yet to come. You may curse me yet for pushing you in the direction that you’re going to take."
"No worse than I will myself, I’m sure," Medoferro said, "But enough about that. Let’s relax for now."
Trina nodded and curled up with him, hoping that she had done the right thing in encouraging him.