Anna threw a pillow at him. He laughed again. He tucked the pillow back under her head. “Roll onto your stomach love. I will give you a very nice backrub.” She rolled over. His hands were a wonder. Anna’s muscles loosened, and then relaxed even more. She sank into a deep, unmoving sleep.
Anna woke up with Desvren stretched out beside her, with his arm curled over her back. She slipped out from under him. He was still sleepy. His mind said not tired, sleepy. She let him sleep in. She had another one of those addictive salads. She was beginning to crave them.
Anna ran to Northwest 7 and met her watchers. She got up the rest of the barricades, and cut off all of the intersecting limbs. She ordered the rope tie boards, and they helped her glue them up. They began measuring and putting up the ropes. They got them all up. They netted the landing pillows and the scaffold materials, onto a couple of carts and pushed them up to second level. They assembled the scaffold and placed it first. Last of all, they hung up the landing pillows. They finished hanging them at nine ninety-eight.
“Close enough guys. We can call it a day. The next level we work on will be East 2. Mapao, Kesti, did you guys finish Northwest 3 yesterday?”
“We have only a little more to go, mostly korftu. Kesti and I will harvest there for the rest of the night to finish it up.” Mapao said.
“Good, tomorrow night, we can all harvest here.” Anna smiled. “We finished just in time. I’m headed home, see you tomorrow. May your blood stay strong.”
Des was putting supper on the table. Sato and Fienu arrived just after Anna. “I never thought I would say it. But those four rolling wheels are even better than you as a pack-runner, Phwolfe. Those modifications are wonderful. I can’t wait to go over the rail tomorrow.” Sato beamed.
“You only go over, if the terms are agreed to.” Fienu said and glared at Sato.
“What terms are those?” Des asked.
“The healers have agreed to let Sato go back to work every other day, till he builds his strength back up. He is to share Chief responsibilities with Phwolfe, until he is fully recovered. He can only go over the rail, if he figures out how to take the eight most unruly patients off the healers’ hands.” Fienu sighed.
Anna laughed. “Do you mean to tell me, the healers have resorted to blackmail to get rid of these patients?”
“Yes!” Fienu exclaimed. “We have allowed them each three half-hour shifts a day harvesting. They are still impossible. If they last a week at full shifts without relapsing, they will be taken off the invalid list.”
Anna turned to Sato. “You want to harvest over the rail?”
Sato nodded. “I would like to team up with you. It would be easier to get the tienara with two people.”
“Yes, it would be. But my carters, my un-snapper Tamsi, and my processors are already going as fast as they can.”
“I have talked with Creana. Most of the processors want more work. He has agreed to allow them to work hour long shifts. This means you and I would have eight process teams. The eight most difficult patients would become two carter crews and two un-snapper’s. You would still use your nets. I would use marked bags. The tienara would go in unmarked bags and be split between us. My carters would haul my marked bags, your carters would haul your nets, and they both would haul the tienara.”
“That could work. But with eight processing teams, the carters would have too far to go. The other teams added in makes twelve. That means they’d be spread out over four garden rooms, using all three processing rooms for each garden room. That’s too far, Sato.”
“We would have to split the crew. We would work one garden, the others another. I talked to Jatlo and he agrees. We would work East 6. The rest of the crew works Northwest 7. Jatlo says the winch system, will take five days to be installed. It will be ready to go on the sixth day.”
“That’s excellent news about the winch system. We will have to plan a hunt. Splitting the crew would work. I don’t like it. But with all the invalids, swelling the ranks we sort of have to.”
“Once the invalids are back to full duty, we will have to do a lot of adjusting. Some are agri-farmers and will stay with us. Some are mechanics, spacemanship, or technicians. There are even a couple of healers mixed in.” Sato sighed. “As for planning the hunt, we pretty much already have. We call in takosund with blood. You use your crossbow. I use my knives. We take the braincase and top node first, so the takosund can’t get away. We finish it off, as we get open shots. We lower the noose around its head and winch it in. How are your shots with the crossbow?”
“I’m improving. I will have to haul some mattresses into supply tomorrow, and start working from the heights.”
Fienu shook his head. “Sato, Desvren, and I will drag in the mattresses after you go to sleep. Let’s work on the quilts now.”
They all picked up needles and dug in. The guys had finished the front of the orange one, the other night. The big quilting frame held the yellow and orange quilts. Sato and Fienu worked at outlining the wolf puppies, stitching through the filler, and the colored back cloth. Des and Anna finished the front of the red one. They put it together with the filler and the red back cloth. They placed it on the small quilting frame. By the time they finished outlining the wolf pups, Anna had started yawning. The guys were pinning on the outside piping when she went to bed.
Anna woke up early the next morning. Des’s mind touch was a little tired, not a lot. She got dressed and ate a salad. She ran down to Midsoutheast 1 and logged onto the trade site. Wow! The mechanics only had two processing rooms left. She didn’t really have time to run any more rail shelves today. Oh well, just list the odd one out, and then throw on a couple of sections. She listed Northwest 5, Midnorthwest 1 through 8, Midsoutheast 4 through 8, and Midsouthwest 1 through 8. That should keep them busy for a couple of days.
Anna went to work on the central stations. She strained syrups, glues, dyes, and leka. She roasted korftu nuts and savti, dried tienara and gesar flour, and packaged the finished products. Finally, she headed home to practice with the crossbow.
The guys had set Anna up real nice. They had dragged in and spread out about twenty mattresses. Since the mattresses were huge, it covered a pretty good-sized area. She ordered up the mockups, glued them together, and weaved them under and around the posts and beams.
Anna put a hook on her belt, to hang the crossbow. She practiced shooting the braincase and top node with the crossbow, hooking it on, then knives for the other three nodes. She practiced firing, hang the bow, pull the knives. She practiced it, until the motions felt smooth. Practice time flew by. The beams width equaled about a quarter of the size of the tree limbs. If she got used to keeping her balance on them while firing and throwing, the tree limbs would be easy. Finally, Des came in. “Hey, you are late. I am going to feed you unripe greal.”
“I’m sorry to have to break it to you, hon, but that threat no longer works. Those salads are too good.”
“Who said it would be a salad?” Des cracked an evil grin.
“All right, I’m coming down.” Anna climbed down and started pulling the bolts and knives from the targets.
“These bolts go right through the target. They are sticking out the back.” Des sounded amazed.
“It’s a powerful weapon. Be careful, those arrowheads are really sharp. I’m thinking of making sheaths, to slide them in my thigh pockets. The plastic pocket liner would keep them from getting damaged.”
“I am more concerned about it keeping you from being damaged.”
“It will. So, do you have any of the salad made up?” She teased as they walked into their home quarters. Des did indeed have some of the salad made up. They made a good meal and ate slowly.
“The healers are very happy about their deal with Sato. They all fervently hope those invalids make a speedy recovery. Jatlo’s Toruska is the worst of the lot. He is not a cheerful patient at all.”
“Well, maybe he will be better once he knows he’s going to get off the list. I bet h
e’ll last that week somehow.”
“Oh, I hope so. It is hard to be his friend, when he is so impatient, unruly, and irritating.”
“That sounds almost as bad as telling the same stick story for thirty annuals.”
“Hey!” Des yelped. “I wasn’t that bad. Well not really, I mean… I wasn’t …” Anna just stared at Des. “Oh, all right, I was that bad.” Des sighed.
“It’s all right, love. Everybody got over it. I’m sure everyone will get over the invalids being irritating too.”
“Yes, we will. It is actually good that they feel strong enough to be irritating. But don’t let them know that I said that.”
“Your secret is safe with me, love. I look forward to working with these incorrigibles tonight. They will certainly spice things up.”
“They will be so happy to be busy, that they will behave perfectly. All the invalids really like Wolfe, especially after the way you got them all to volunteer. The medics let it be known that you requested easy jobs for them so they could go to the feast.”
“I really liked the feast and the day off. We will do it again soon, I hope.”
“You think this plan you and Sato came up with for the takosund hunt, will work?” Des asked as they walked over to the bed.
Anna nodded. “I’m just concerned with one fact. What will we do if too many takosund come in at once?”
“Well, they don’t like noise. Do everything by silent sign. If too many show up, yell, scream, and holler. Maybe, you will startle them into leaving.”
“Good idea!” Anna snuggled up to Des.
“Sleep well.” Des whispered and held her close to his side.
Anna woke up at the alarm. Des had already left. She hurried up and got dressed. She ran to Midsoutheast 3. She packaged the roasted tienara nuts and flour. She strained the gesar syrup and put it on to re-boil.
Anna wanted to make some more greal dye. She decided to try to fill the big press with overripe greal. She ran to East 6 and filled her packs with overripe greal. She grabbed a cluster in each hand and ran back to Midsoutheast 3. It took three trips.
Anna gathered all the nets and unmarked bags from Midsoutheast 1 through 8. She went back to East 6. She doubted if they would be able to keep eight processing crews busy. But if she got a start built up for them, they might.
Anna jumped rail and sent over nets of korftu. When the ropes got too backed up, she unsnapped it and ran it to the processors. She managed to get four nets full to every processing station before Sato arrived. “Jatlo sends a message. The stocks of unripe greal are finally gone. He said to offer the crews ten percent to weigh and package the unripe greal. A couple of the processors from each room could work solely on that. He said that he will be over at eleven with people to witness the trades.”
“Good, that will keep them all busy. I wasn’t sure if we’d keep up with eight crews.”
“Well, I see you already got a start on them. We have got twenty more minutes. Let’s go back up the ropes with korftu.” Sato said.
Anna nodded. They backed up all nine ropes, and ran back in to talk with the crews. “Hey everybody, Sato’s back!” She announced. Everyone clapped and cheered. “Go ahead chief, fill them in.” Anna nodded at Sato.
“All right, I will be using marked bags. My carters have East 6 processing rooms 1, 2, 3, and East 5 processing room 3. Phwolfe’s carters have East 5 processing rooms 1, 2, and East 7 processing rooms 1, and 2. Phwolfe will be using nets. Any plain unmarked bags you get will be tienara and will get split fifty-fifty between me and Phwolfe.” Sato nodded at Anna. “Your turn.”
“Wolfe offers ten percent of the finished product to anyone who weighs and packages unripe greal. If a couple of you in every processing room work on that, we should get what we need. Work it out between yourselves, however you want. Trade chief Jatlo will be here at eleven with witnesses to finalize the trades.”
“Everyone, sign in.” Sato yelled.
They hit the greal hard first, to get the crews busy. Next, Anna started swinging tienara onto the platform and Sato bagged it. They kept the carters hopping. The shift flew by. When they finished for the night, both Sato and Anna were surprised that the processing crews were swamped. Sending the tienara down that fast, had buried them. Jatlo came by with the witnesses and did the trades. He stacked the packaged unripe greal at the center stations of East 6 processing rooms 1, 2, and 3. It filled all three of the center stations.
Most of the processors stayed to twelve. Anna stayed and packaged unripe greal. While she worked on it, she came up with another idea for the takosund hunt. She had no clue if it would work, but it would be fun to try.
Des was already sleeping, when Anna got home. She snuck around silently, got something to eat, and climbed into bed. She woke before the alarm and Des was once again already gone. She went and set out the mewu traps at East 1. She strained and put the glue on for its last re-boil at Midsoutheast 3, and then she headed out to harvest a maleka hive.
Anna was really tired of doing leka. When she came down with the first run, she went and got all the leka bags out of storage. She did the last hive and ran down one load. She flew down to East 1, dipped and processed one hundred and eight mewu, and ran home.
She was fifty-one minutes late getting home. Thank God, Des wasn’t there. She ate as fast as she could and dived into bed. She started laughing. She was acting like a kid, afraid to be caught staying up late. When the alarm woke her, Des was sleeping curled up beside her. His mind said he was tired. When do you have to get up? She asked.
Nine. His mind groaned.
Sleep, Anna said. She set the alarm for Des, before she crawled out of bed.
Anna’s watchers were waiting at East 2. They found good look out spots, and then she jumped rail. Only twelve trees here needed barricades. She finished eight of them before Doru called the time. She thanked the guys and trotted home.
Sato and Fienu were already there, so they sat down and ate. When they went to work on the quilts, Anna saw they had started a couple more. “Where did you guys get the cloth strips?” They had a quilt with brown, one with rust, one with tan, and one with gray. The brown and rust ones were on the quilting frame.
“My honor dyes.” Sato smiled widely. “We wanted more colors and there were enough panels to do these. We filled the dye wells on that supply processor.” Sato pointed to the one beside their kitchen.
“These are great Sato, thank you. We can do sheets and blankets so the colors coordinate with each quilt.” Anna smiled.
“Yes, you use two blankets. The children will need two also.” Fienu said. “Plus, the children will need clothes.”
“Do you guys have measurements of Golsidan children as they age? We could use the measurements to design clothes that would fit most children.” Anna asked.
“Yes, there are records for the making of Isadi suits. Golsidan children usually go through five growth spurts, to reach full-size adults. We could make clothes that would fit, after each growth spurt.” Des said.
“We have a plan. We have the means. We will make clothes.” Sato declared.
Anna laughed. “Have any of you made clothes before?” They shook their heads. “Neither have I. I think we should ask Tanake. He mentioned that he makes clothes as a hobby.”
Des nodded. “We could invite him over on our next night. I think he would enjoy seeing the quilts.”
“They do look very nice.” Anna said. She picked up the needle and started outlining. Des joined her. Sato and Fienu worked on pinning the tan one together. She didn’t last long, before she started yawning. Des set down his needle, led her to bed, and tucked her in.
“I know you didn’t get to sleep on time today. What made you late?”
Anna sighed. “The maleka hives. I harvested two today, I wanted to get it done. I just have to pack it down and strain it now.”
Des nodded. “Tomorrow when you get up, you eat an extra salad. It will make you feel better.”
Anna str
etched up and kissed Des, “Twenty-one more days.” She muttered.
Des gave her a hug. “It will be worth it, love.” He went back to making the quilts.
Des was already awake, when Anna woke up. He waited on the side of the bed with three salads and some flatbread. Anna rubbed her eyes and stretched. “Good morning, hon.” She reached over and kissed Des’s cheek.
“Eat up, love.” Des passed her a salad and some flatbread. Anna was hungry, so he didn’t have to tell her twice. When she finished, Des passed her another salad. He had that I am medic/healer look on. Anna sighed and ate it. When she finished the second salad, Des smiled, leaned over and gave her a kiss. “Now, I am going to work. You get home on time today or else two more salads.”
Anna groaned. Now he planned on overfeeding her to keep her in line. What would he come up with next? She got up and got dressed. She ran to Midsoutheast 3 and bottled the last of the glue. She weighed up the greal pressings and put them in pots to boil. She discovered why no one used the big press to do the greal for dye. She filled eighty-nine pots. That was a lot of dye.
Anna started running down leka. She put it on to strain at Heroes’ Hall. When the straining was done, she packaged it. She ran down some more. At three eighty-seven, she made her last run, set it to strain, and allowed herself the childish glee of doing a victory dance. Smiling to herself, she went back over to Midsoutheast 3. She strained and set the greal dye to re-boil. Finally, she trotted home to practice.
Fire two bolts, hang the bow, throw the knives, again and again and again. Anna ran the beams. She jumped from beam to beam. She learned how to fire the bow in mid-jump, keeping her balance to land wasn’t easy. Des yelled for her. “Honey, we have got company. Come on out.”
“Okay.” Anna climbed down, pulled her bolts and knives. She trotted out into their quarters to find them very crowded. Jatlo, Shalo, Cima, Pealo, Tawai, the Phsatorae, and the Elders were sitting, leaning and standing on the chairs and counters. “What’s up?” She asked no one in particular.
Jatlo answered. “There has been an error in the calculation of the percentages.”
Phwolfe Song (Golsidan Revival Series Book 1) Page 30