The Sands of Borrowed Time Read Online Free Page A

quiet titter as she looked back into Carla's shaken eyes. 
    “Sounds like your dream mate is lost in the romance of life,” Carla responded, appearing weakened.
    “You know, he could be.  The new flower looks more beautiful, powerful in its presence, radiating a sense of joy.”
    Carla narrowed her eyes, “Really now, but remember some flowers are just weeds, a nuisance in the garden, to be pulled out by its roots and left to rot.”
    “Not this one, it grows every night I fall asleep, its petals unfolding, touching the smaller ones that grow in its shadow, encouraging them upwards until they bloom themselves.”
    “Remember, a garden needs shit to grow. The more shit, the better, in fact.”
    “There will be a lot of shit for sure, stamped good and hard, deep into the ground.  Good shit, bad shit, it doesn’t matter because when it hits the ground, it becomes the same.  Shit! Kyla exclaimed, her pupils dilating, “And out of the shit will grow a better garden that will feed the World into a new age.”
    “What's all this girly chat about ladies,” Cain interrupted, still looking half-asleep as he wandered over, rubbing his eyes.
    “Kyla was just giving me some gardening tips,” Carla quickly replied, reasserting her theatrical smile.
    “Oh really, Kyla,” Cain laughed, “you're not going to get a garden growing around here.”
    “We’ll see,” Kyla replied with a knowing wink as Cain looked at them both with suspicion in his pale blue eyes.
    “On a more important note, have you girls heard about this ship that has run aground up by White Sands?”
    “Ship, what ship?” Carla replied, enjoying the relief from her girly chat with Kyla.
    “Bayliss mentioned a ship, a cargo ship, full to the brim, stuck in the cove waiting to be plundered.”
    “Really, then we must go quickly.  As soon as possible in fact, otherwise, they will be queuing to get on,” Carla suggested.  “I bet bandits, and those types are already there, making it their second home, their greasy fingerprints all over the woodwork.”
    “That’s if they’ve seen it,” Bayliss said.
    “It’s not visible from the road,” Cain added while rolling a dead twig between his front teeth.
    “We should go at night,” Kyla suggested as she stood up.
    “Why, we wouldn’t be able to see fuck all,” Carla quickly objected.
    “I think they call it the cover of darkness,” Kyla interrupted as Carla narrowed her eyes. 
    “Good call, young Kyla, maybe we should go as soon as possible, like tonight, before those grease heads take what's ours,” Cain said, giving her a gentle pat on the head.  
    Kyla twirled with excitement, shuffling her feet in the sand, speaking excitedly.  “Lanterns would illuminate our way around the ship, to see what's there.  We just douse the flame if others come and let the darkness protect us.    
    “Yes, the cover of darkness would be of great help,” Cain replied.
    “What!  They'll have lanterns of their own.  Anyhow, your little white face will stick out a mile in the darkness, lanterns or not,” Carla interrupted, folding her arms as she looked at Kyla with scorn.  “Besides, why would we take you, this is a job for the boys, the grown-ups.”
    Cain laughed, “Come now girls.  This will be a team effort, for the large and small.  Let's see who has the balls to join us; male, female or otherwise.” Cain continued to cackle, enjoying his little joke as he looked at the girls, Carla's annoyed face, preferring though the enthusiasm in Kyla’s as her lips quivered with anticipation. 
    Cain caught Jeff in the corner of his eye, turning quickly to call him over, “Jeff, you got any balls?”  Jeff stopped in his tracks, looking bewildered.
    “Balls, Jeff, do you have any?” Cain continued.
    Jeff shrugged his shoulders, “I guess so.”
    “You don’t sound so sure.”  Kyla sniggered, looking at his crotch.  Jeff blushed as he walked over towards them.
    Cain smiled, “Wakey,