At that moment, thousands of miles away, Gavin had yet to imagine that his camp would soon see a wave of baby-making enthusiasm, all because someone had set an example by having a child.
After all, though Gavin was good at thinking things through, not everyone could fight zombies and ponder the future while their child was being born.
And so time slipped slowly by, until moonlight drew near and the sun gradually disappeared.
Only then did Gavin lead the forces of both the New York Council and the Alliance back to the Smoky Mountains Station in a grand procession.
The Council men were deeply interested in how their people had felt working under Gavin.
They had been waiting at the entrance to the Smoky Mountains Station for some time. The moment their comrades returned, they hurried over, eager to see how their people were doing.
After a quick look, the Council men felt considerably better.
Their formation still looked reasonably orderly, with no signs of casualties. Nor had the men returned looking miserable; instead, they seemed delighted to be back at camp.
Aside from their clothes being considerably dirtier, especially their sleeves, there was nothing wrong with their people. Their spirits looked excellent, too.
But simply looking was nowhere near enough. Once the Council men joined the crowd, they inevitably learned that the party would continue that evening and began asking their comrades about the afternoon's work.
Soon, quite a few whispered conversations like the following could be heard around the Smoky Mountains.
"Hey."
As he spoke, one man glanced around. Only after making sure they were nowhere near the chairman did he continue in a low voice.
"How was it, buddy? I mean, working under that cowboy-was it any different from working under our own leaders?"
"Of course