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stone structures in the park, even outbuildings that they might be able to live in.
    "There must be other people hiding out around here," said Alex.
    "Yeah."
    "We don't want to get blown away by humans who mistake us for infected stiffs. Let's be just as careful here as we would outside the park."
    "It seems as though you've planned this out," Jo said.
    "Yeah, I've thought about coming here more than once. You know how the sewer can get to you."
    The foliage was so thick now that they could hardly move. It was amazing how much nature had reclaimed in only three years. Alex stopped and removed a machete from his pack. He hated to dull the blade, but this seemed like the time to use it. He started hacking away at the branches until he and Jo could move forward a little faster.
    "You know, this just might work out," he said. "It's like the goddamn Amazon Jungle back here."
    Jo smiled, enjoying the first pleasant moment they had experienced today. The possibility of survival seemed a little more feasible now, at least. That was something.
    "You know, it's funny," she said. "I've been living down in the sewer for a long time. It never occurred to me that I might come up and live on the surface again, because there were other people underground, and there was bartering going on so you could at least get a little food and some weapons. What are we gonna live on now?"
    "There are brooks and ponds in this park. By now they should be fairly clean. After all, it's been three years since any waste has been pumped into the river. If we boil our water, it should get rid of any residue. As for food, well, as you pointed out before, there must be other people in this park. It won't be long before we'll run into some of them."
    "Let's hope they're not too territorial."
    "Yeah."
    They went a little further, until they came to a stone bridge. There was a large enough ledge underneath it for them to lie down on and get some rest, and roots and underbrush kept them pretty well hidden. Feeling that things had worked out better than they could have hoped a few hours ago, they covered themselves with torn blankets and stretched out, completely exhausted. The ground was hard, and it wasn't quite warm enough for comfort, but they were both asleep within seconds.
    Alex awakened, finding Jo's head nestled against his chest. He was touched by the innocent expression on her still dreaming face. Birdsong and the water running under the bridge were soothing, constant sounds. He could almost believe that the colloids had never existed. But this was not his wife lying with him. She was gone, and so was his son. And the entire world was as dangerous as Iraq, when he had been with a Marine infantry division in Fallujah.
    There was another sound, faintly and pleasantly audible over the rushing brook. It was something Alex hadn't heard in a very long time. Someone was playing music!
    He jostled Jo awake. "What?" she said sleepily.
    "Listen."
    A gradual awareness crept over her features, as she began to perceive what she was hearing.
    "It's a guitar," she said, smiling. "God, that's so beautiful!"
    They rose, and, without even rolling up their blankets, began to move toward the music. The simple guitar chords broke the morning stillness with a purity that instilled in them a childlike wonder. It was easy to find the music's source. They didn't speak while they stole through the weeds toward the hirsute musician, who sat on a log strumming complacently, as if the entire world were at peace.
    The guitarist didn't finish the song he was playing, but began to play another one. Hitting a note that didn't please him, he went back to the beginning of the song again. The same thing happened, and he started a third time.
    Alex decided to show himself while some of the magic still lingered. He didn't want to listen to a long rehearsal if he could help it.
    "Hello," he said, stepping out of the bushes.
    An Uzi was pointed at him so quickly that he wondered why he hadn't seen