Here came the barbecue - the main attraction.
Chrome White put his guitar aside and rushed for placing the meat and the vegetables in plates. Here rose a joyous bustle peculiar for all the picnics and barbecues in the world. The clatter of barbecue sticks mingled with the great fuss of moving, jabbing, hungry people reminding a flock of pigeons over scattered grains.
"That one little stick, the crispy one..."
"Put more tomatoes!"
"Olive, have you cut the cucumbers?"
"The forks, take the forks!"
"Who wants some more?"
"Yumm... Hot-hot"
Even though Saltikov didn't participate in the general fuss for he was cross with Olive and everybody else, he couldn't miss the barbecue. Without saying a word or looking at anyone, he took his two sticks, walked aside and began to gnaw at his meat like a resentful dog.
He frowned at Olive surrounded by the guys and a splash of hatred for her was rising up to his throat. Saltikov was comparing himself to Gladiator and that comparison was definitely not to his benefit. He felt like jumping up and knocking down all the assholes sitting now by the bonfire; he wanted to tear off the legs of that bitchy Olive who had already forgotten about her promise. Mainly he wanted to enact all his wrath on her, pull her hair, knock her lights out, scald her face with the boiling water from the kettle and mutilate that pretty young mug to the extent of sheer ugliness. But he kept sitting there, chewing the under-cooked meat and feeling the heavy lump of rage and loathing in his throat.
But Olive found everything so amazing at that moment - the barbecue, and the tea brewed in the camping kettle, and the Jubilee biscuits, so fragrant and crunchy, Even the only cup passing from hand to hand felt especially meaningful and exciting to Olive.
"Yumm!" she murmured, licking the gravy off her smudgy fingers.
Having eaten to her heart's content, Olive wanted to go for another swim.
"Cthulhu wants to go for a swim!" she cried as she rushed into the water.
The water in the lake was eminently warm. It was dark all around; just a faint glow of pale horizon on the north was dimly reflected in the dark-blue lake.
Olive reached the middle of the lake, turned back and nearly fainted. It was pitch-dark. The shore wasn't seen at all. She had no idea how to get back. And not the slightest idea where the guys were camping...
She got scared shit.
"Hey!" she cried. "Come over here! I'm scared!!!"
"Where are you?" was the answer.
"Over here! I can't see the shore! What do I do now?"
The guys on the shore were bewildered. Floodman ran for a pee into the bush all of a sudden. Saltikov defiantly pouted his lips and crept into the tent. Chrome White was running up and down the shore in panic not taking the risk of getting into the water, though. And only Gladiator, his muscles playing, was standing knee-deep in the water and scratching the back of his head.
"Come on over here!" cried Olive floundering about in the water, "Where the hell are you?"
"Chrome, let's go swimming over there" Gladiator suggested.
"Are you kidding? I can't swim!"
"Damn! There is a fishing net or something... Al!" Glad cried out, "Al, come on and go with me! I'm not going to swim alone!"
Floodman peeing in the bush stonewalled in silence. He was too afraid to go in the lake at night.
"Saltikov, hey! Saltikov!" Chrome White kept calling.
"Fuck you, you're gonna be lingering here till the cows come home!" said Gladiator angrily and got into the water.
Meanwhile Olive screamed her head off in the middle of the lake. A way was found by Chrome White: it occurred to him that he had got a flashlight. He turned it on.
"See the flashlight? Follow it!" he shouted.
"Alright... Can you see me?"
"Nope"
"And now?" Olive waved her hand.
"Is that you so far away? " Chrome said with astonishment, "I thought it was a spot or something in the distance! Why did you swim so far? Come on to the shore!"
"I'm coming".
Olive swam ashore. A couple meters from the land she came across Gladiator swimming towards her. As they reached the dry land at last, she buried her face in his chest and burst into tears like a baby.