Flight To Pandemonium

by Murray, Edward

  “Please do that, Tony. I’ll let you know if there’s a problem.”

  When Tony went to work he discovered another monumental asset of the lodge. Every room had one or more of what Tony thought were electric wall heaters. He assumed they would only work with the large generator running full time. When he uncovered the wall heater in the infirmary, he discovered they weren’t electric heaters at all.

  Instead, each heater was plumbed to the geothermal well. No wonder the wellhead casing was so large. Everything including the wharf was inter-connected with controls behind a panel he had overlooked in the basement. He had every one working in an hour and the geothermal radiator in the infirmary turned up high.

  Apparently the additional heat helped. But the ladies remained in the infirmary for the remainder of the day, portending trouble.

  Judy stumbled up the stairs in the middle of the night, awakened the miners and asked them to have the electricity turned on and to boil water immediately. When the power came on, the rest were awakened by the lights but could help only by carrying more hot water to the infirmary. Most dozed on the couches in the lounge after stoking up the banked fires and waited.

  Judy didn’t rejoin them until after breakfast, looking haggard and depressed. Without anyone asking, she volunteered, “He’s asleep again… but very weak from infection. We’ve done everything we know how.”

  Tony ventured, “Need more heat?”

  “No,” she answered, “The room is warm enough now. That isn’t what he needs.”

  Tony considered for a moment and asked, “You need more blood, don’t you?”

  “It’s too risky… your red blood cells haven’t been replenished yet.”

  “Hey, I’m just fine… been workin’ hard, even.”

  “Tony, if you’re willing to risk it, you must promise me to rest the entire day… no work or anything strenuous, just sit! You promise?”

  “I’ll be fine, but… okay, I promise, but I’ll go crazy just sittin’ around.”

  “No double talk allowed, dear man.”

  “I’ll do what you say, but just for one day.”

  “Okay, then… and you’re right. Ahtna desperately needs more blood!”

  “Then let’s go do it.” Mac was ashamed that he had doubted Tony’s personal commitment to Ahtna. The man’s creed had always been to do whatever was necessary for the well being of every member of their little band.

  Tony underestimated the consequences of giving another pint of blood so soon. He spent the rest of the day feeling lightheaded and dozing on the couch in front of the fire, not even looking for a diversion. He reluctantly accepted being waited upon by others concerned with his highly unusual lethargy. By morning, he seemed somewhat restored to his restless self.

  With the ladies absorbed with their patient, the Captain became sole chef. When Jack complained again about the overlooked meat in the cooler, the Captain decided it was time to test Jack’s resolve.

  Baking was the Captain’s culinary forte, and everyone enjoyed the change in the menu. His specialty was a hearty, baked breakfast pie, frequently using leftovers from previous meals but adding reconstituted eggs, raisins, cinnamon and other ingredients to freshen up the stock for the morning. His success often masked leftovers which wouldn’t have triumphed on their own.

  That morning, breakfast pie contained the glazed meat which Jack had insisted was ‘fit well enough.’ While he went easy on the others, Jack’s serving contained a healthy portion of the Captain’s southwestern chili sauce. Jack hungrily shoveled it down without batting an eye and quickly withdrew to the shop.

  The Captain turned to the others and shrugged, “Guess it did suit him fine. That man must have an iron stomach.”

  Quite soon, however, he noticed Jack returning to the kitchen seeking antacid tablets and to use the men’s room. The following morning, the Captain went for his tour de force. The Captain again served his unsavory breakfast meat pie. This time he winked at the other men as they were served.

  Jack sniffed and said, “Leftovers, huh?”

  “Not at all,” replied the Captain. “It’s fresh baked just this morning.”

  Jack, realizing he couldn’t just stare everyone down, took several bites.

  “You said I should use up all the meat before it went bad and so I did,” said the Captain.

  “Well, it ain’t fit for the dog,” he said peevishly.

  “He didn’t get any…. just you.”

  Jack looked up flashing irritation on his face, but as the gag sunk in, he smiled and said, “Hoisted with my own rope, I was.”

  Called to the infirmary, the four men lifted Ahtna for bed changing. He was awake and greeted them quietly. He looked better, color having returned to his face. His nurses, smiling broadly, graciously shooed everyone out. The grim reaper wasn’t going to claim this one just yet.

  That evening, Judy answered the unspoken question by reporting that Ahtna was responding to their care and seemed better. He was awake and quietly talking to Onita without wincing in pain. His recuperation was likely to be lengthy while they sought to mend his deep infections and exercise him to begin recovering his strength and breathing. Onita remained by his side day and night, devoted to his care.

  Jack and Tony were anxious to hurry the many outdoor tasks which remained to be completed before deep winter snow. The central stone fireplaces required an enormous amount of firewood. They had used more than a third of the hardwood stacked on the porch and hadn’t found where such wood had been gathered. The unpopular task of gleaning deadwood was next. Everyone assumed that the cold fireplace was a reminder of wood cutting duty.

  Surprised by the relative warmth of the lobby, Pappy asked,” Say Tony, how long do those heatilaters keep things warm down here?”

  “Well… feel ‘em yourself,” he replied, grinning.

  “Hey they’re stone cold; what’s the deal?”

  “Forgot to tell you; this room is heated by geothermal water. Feel the floor.”

  Pappy did so and looked up with surprise.

  “I think they heated the main lobby with pex windings under this whole floor. Everywhere else is heated by those wall radiators. Free heat! Ain’t that a bitch?”

  “Does that mean no more wood cutting?”

  “Depends on how much you like your comfort at night by firelight.”

  “Well, now that I know what the price will be… maybe not so often.”

  Cap, Pappy, and Mac volunteered to return to the cat to retrieve all the remaining canned food and everything of use. When they arrived, they found that the bears had learned to gnaw open pull top metal cans of food. How they knew food was inside was a marvel, thought Mac. This time they retrieved everything.

  Hoping for better fishing, the three men broke ice and used Abel’s gill netting technique on nearby streams. Very few fish remained in the streams, no doubt a consequence of people more desperate than they were. They met with no success around the perimeter of the lake, either. Worse, they damaged the filament nets as they hauled them over broken shore ice. Lake fishing was abandoned until the ice was thick enough to walk on the surface.

  When Tony’s wooden sleds were finished, the five men reluctantly sought firewood. With snowmobiles pulling the sleds, the men ranged from the lodge cutting every standing snag within sight of the roof deck. But the supply was not bountiful. Burning spruce deadfall did not create a cheery fire.

  Returning from a frigid hang-dog day of hauling snags, they heard Hirsh hailing them frantically from the lodge. They hustled to the lodge only to have Hirsh explain, “Crisis is over; they’re gone. Sorry…I guess I got a little excited.”

  “Who’s gone?” asked Jack.

  “The wolves,” said Hirsh.

  “Crisis? You were inside, right?” asked Jack.

/>   “I’ve never seen a live wolf…outside of a zoo…and certainly not next to me on the porch.”

  “Wolves on the porch?” asked Jack doubtfully.

  “Well… one on the porch. I went out for firewood; when I turned around, there he was. More were in the yard with big puppies. The wolf was a fright, I’ll tell you!”

  “So where was Darwin?”

  “Protecting the ladies where he always is,” replied Hirsh.

  “Told you wolves were getting bolder,” said Pappy. “You keep your gun handy?”

  “I don’t even know how to load that shotgun you gave me,” said Hirsh.

  “The gun was already loaded, Hirsh,” said Pappy.

  “Just how do you tell when it’s loaded?”

  “Ho boy! Sounds like we better give the man a few lessons,” said Tony.

  “Remember,” said Pappy. “He’s from New York… a solid blue city.”

  That evening at dinner, Judy announced that Ahtna and Onita would be reunited with them at breakfast and declared a day of thanksgiving. The season was near the traditional day anyway. Mac had lost track in his journal and wasn’t certain of the date. Hirsh offered his own calculation, but the two didn’t agree. Mac’s cell phone battery had long expired.

  The date didn’t matter, thought Judy… the season felt right, they had a fat goose for the table, and the occasion was worthy of celebration. The Captain was invited to join the ladies in preparing a formal dinner and their companions were to stay close and take the day off. However, she did pull Tony aside, whispered in his ear, and he immediately departed to be seen no more until evening.

  Following dinner, as had become their habit, Pappy and Mac returned to the stone wharf to check the floatplane while they had dock lighting. Usually, they broke accumulated ice and checked moorings, securing them for the night.

  That afternoon, a warming wind blowing from the southwest pushed modest waves diagonally onto the face of the wharf. The perimeter of lake ice pitched rhythmically, breaking apart and battering the airplane. The surface float of the plane steadily drummed the stone wall while the waterlogged float pounded on submerged rocks. Experimenting with diagonal guy-ropes only briefly arrested the pounding.

  “This baby isn’t going to suffer all winter tied up like this in the ice,” he said. “This is only a minor wind compared with what we’ll likely get. This wharf is on a lee shore. No wonder they built it with stone. We gotta find a way to get this airplane ashore.”

  “That’ll take some doing with all that ice to break up.”

  “Gotta be done… damned fine airplane and it’d be a shame to lose it. Help me beach the plane in the morning, will ya? Maybe the wind will ease off by then.”

  “Sure… but don’t we need to fix that float first?”

  “I’ll talk to Tony… he once said he could deal with it.”

  Pappy gestured toward the forest south of the lodge and whispered, “Hey Mac… there they are again in the trees!”

  Among the shadows beyond the lighted promenade, many pairs of luminous eyes peered about, blinking eerily. One by one, wolves furtively advanced and retreated, apparently more wary of the light, than the presence of the men. “Look beyond,” said Pappy, “More of ‘em!”

  “They’re pups tagging behind,” Mac said, “Three of ‘em.” The men decided to head back to the safety of the lodge, but as they did so, the wolves cautiously advanced into clear view, lead by one bold animal.

  “Mac, fire your shotgun. Those eyes are gettin’ too close for comfort.”

  Mac fired and the wolves bounded into the darkness. Hearing the blast, Jack and the Captain appeared on the porch carrying rifles but saw nothing.

  Pappy said, “Wolves. Hirsh was right… wolf pack with pups. Beggars ain’t a bit afraid of us anymore, especially at night. That bunch would be a challenge for two of us to handle if they were of a mind.”

  “Next time, pick out the boldest and shoot ‘im,” said Jack. “They need some l’arnin’ refreshment about people, especially those pups, I’m thinkin’.”

  “Tomorrow, we ought to ask Ahtna about ‘em,” Mac said. “We sighted that pack the very first day we were here.”

  Before first light, Pappy awoke Jack, Tony and Mac asking for help with the airplane. At Pappy’s request, Tony fired up the generator and turned on all the exterior lights. Outside on the veranda, the reason for Pappy’s distress was immediately apparent. The wind had increased during the night. Waves had loosened the tie ropes again, and the floatplane was violently rocking against the stone wharf.

  Pappy’s first concern was to prevent further damage to the plane’s metal floats. They attempted to rope bundles of canvas tarps to the top float, but the diagonal rocking of the airplane prevented getting a purchase on the icy metal frame. Pappy called a halt, removed his boots, and jumped into the frigid lake.

  While the others could see the sense of it, his peril was immediately apparent. The wind had broken the surface ice into boulder sized floes which violently collided with one another, the airplane float, the stone wharf, and Pappy’s struggling head. If he were to slip beneath the waves, he couldn’t be seen in the black water. He refused all attempts to pull him out of the water.

  Changing position with his back against the wharf, Pappy finally got an arm and leg looped around the gear struts and called for the bundles. Fighting ice floes, he roped and tied his knots, finally hailing the others to cinch three moorings tight to the wharf. Afterwards, he hauled himself out of the lake, bleeding from abrasions and shivering desperately. He sputtered, “That’ll have to do. Can’t feel my fingers to tie any more knots. So I’m asking for your help to haul this outta the water… just as soon as I get warm.”

  After what he had just endured to save his precious airplane, none refused.

  At breakfast, Tony presented Judy with a new pair of maple crutches. While the Captain served the morning pot of hot sugared tea, his companions began the ritual of planning for the day. Shortly, Ahtna cautiously maneuvered into the room on his new crutches with Onita hovering close behind. Everyone gave them a spontaneous welcome of cheers and applause.

  While Ahtna appeared somewhat pale, he looked alert and well enough for Tony to ask, “Well, Ahtna, how ya feelin’?”

  “Much better, thanks to Tony and Onita,” he said, giving her a hug. “They tell me I owe you my life. I won’t forget, old man. I’m in your debt and so I’m bound until then. I’m surprised that it turned out to be you. We didn’t meet well and I didn’t like you. Onita tells me you’re a kind and considerate man.”

  “Just had the right kind ‘a blood, that’s all… do it for anyone,” answered Tony.

  “I think gratitude goes the other way around, Ahtna. All of us are in your debt,” said the Captain, “This beautiful refuge is perfectly suited to protect and nurture our family. We would never have found this marvelous place without your kindness.”

  “Well, the lodge wasn’t really mine to give. The Fowlers would have wanted people to live here…and I’m very lucky to have found Onita,” he said, giving her another close hug. She smiled fondly and returned the gesture while Judy beamed.

  “So… anyone need help in the kitchen?” asked Judy.

  “No, just making the same old thing… breakfast pie,” replied the Captain. “I’m conserving for our special dinner this evening. The pantry is already getting a little bare of our favorite ingredients such as shortening for biscuits.”

  “Speaking of a bare pantry,” said Jack, “Ahtna, when you feel better, would you talk to Hirsh and Mac about fishin’ and huntin’? We haven’t been bringin’ in what we’re gonna need for the winter. So far, we haven’t done well fishing. They’re trying to get us organized for better luck. You’re a fishing guide, I understand.”

  “Sure… lot’s of good fishing where yo
u know to look and good ice fishing later… and a caribou herd winters in this valley, but they’re always pressed by the wolves and move around widely.”

  “And that’s another thing… we’ve seen lots of bold wolves around here,” said Jack. “Is that normal or are they just no longer afraid of people?”

  “Always been that way in this valley… lots of game, especially caribou calves, so the wolves run in packs all over. Some years back, there were so many that Fish and Game killed many of them from a helicopter. Wasn’t popular then and didn’t do much good. They don’t chase away when they’re hungry. More just move in to replace them.”

  “Well they’re sure not afraid of us. I think we ought to shoot a couple to teach ‘em to stay away. Pick out the leader, especially.”

  “Well that might scatter one pack for awhile, but then the other will just move in the next day. Shouldn’t waste your time.”

  “There’s more than one pack?”

  “Two for the moment… but I’ve seen drifters sniffing around. Seems this lake has always been contested territory. The boundary shifts back and forth from year to year. Remember, this lodge wasn’t begun until two years ago. My dog used to mark his own territory and keep ‘em away from our yard. We should mark our own perimeter instead shooting them.”

  “You’re kidding.” said Hirsh quietly.

  “Works unless we leave something enticing around to attract them. Otherwise they’ll pay a regular visit to check for scraps. Never gut an animal or leave trimmings or garbage near the lodge. They’ll get wind of it miles off.”

  “Aaah… so what did you do with garbage?”

  “We froze it, then hauled trash across the lake on the barge, then down to the highway for the garbage company.”

  “Barge?” asked Jack. “We’ve never seen a barge or anything else but the floatplane and canoes.”