“You ask how we are going to survive.” Sirwin was talking about the Sandhurst group. “We're doing alright at the moment. There are about two hundred of us here in what was a supermarket, mostly children and a few young adults.”
“We are organised into care families each having about two adults and many children with a heavy emphasis on education. And the all-adult work crews that do all the work. There is an elected committee and chief.”
“We have fought off several attacks from the alkies and the greenies. We use guns against human enemies. We use steel and concrete against the greenies; and now we have another weapon, that is the power. It's a great pity that Tescos never sold barium pellets.”
“We've got food and supplies from the supermarket for about three years, maybe longer, we raid other nearby supermarkets.”
“But you are right, some day we'll have to grow crops or keep animals to stay alive, that or leave the island. A big decision...”
I broke in “What's that? Those long pink things drifting across the sky, what are they?”
Sirwin laughed “It's going to rain.”
“The wind is coming from the south-west, there are greenie-reds in Farnham, at Hartley Wintney too. They are real dangerous, don't go near them. But people do, they look so pretty. The greenie-reds fire pink blobs at anybody who comes close. The blobs are very sticky and much lighter than air. The people just float away and die of hunger.”
“Everybody carries a box cutter knife and there is a trained lassoer in every family and crew. As you see, we are very organised – everybody has a job to do, even the children. But we are very tolerant, just do your job and enjoy what you can. Alcohol and drugs are OK, just don't overdo it. Oh, and don't get ill or pregnant.”
“And what happens if you don't do your job and you do overdo it? And what about Lena? She's heavily pregnant?” I asked.
“Lena?” said Sirwin. “It gets worse, she's my girlfriend. We don't know what to do. The baby's due next month and we don't have any medical help. Lena was caught by the alkies and raped...”
“So that's why you don't have a good word for the alkies...”
“And what happens if you don't do your job and you do overdo it? I'll tell you.”