Lee put two columns on her pad, one with the header, "Things to request." and the other, "Things to offer." She sat looking at them awhile totally blocked. She couldn't think of anything which Red Tree or she could offer Central that they needed. A mutual defense treaty seemed silly, because Central could defend themselves far better than Red Tree could defend themselves. If called upon to render aid the help could only go one way. There was no equality there.
Their claims along a line to the Badger civilization were vast, by Earth standards, but Central had faster ships that could range further. It was hard to believe they hadn't found their own sources of metals. They might even have found the same sort of brown dwarf systems that proved so rich for The Little Fleet. The Fleet found just a limited arch of such systems. If their people had a correct understanding of how they formed, there might be a huge sphere dotted with such treasure troves. Indeed they had evidence Central had abandoned at least one rich mining site for copper. That suggested they had better or more convenient. Nothing was suggesting itself, and she needed somebody to talk to about it, better than the wall. Somebody who would at least look interested, and nod once in awhile, to encourage her to keep going.
Gordon was assigned a task of his own. Lee didn't want to interrupt him to use him as a sounding pad for her own burden. It wasn't fair and it looked bad. She wanted to succeed at this without needing her hand held all the way through. Thor likewise was busy with an assignment, and Lee didn't want to give him something new to hold over her head. Thor might be loyal, but he was still constantly contrarian and critical. He might mean well by it, but it bothered her. Also she felt he'd feel free to discuss her shortcomings with Gordon. It seemed to Lee she was a project for constant improvement in his eyes.
It occurred to her to confide in the Third Mother. She had been along with them on the voyage of The Little Fleet. She worked well with aliens and would know the spacer perspective from which Lee spoke. But she was the lesser member and might feel the need to ask the other Mothers before she spoke freely. They'd already made clear what they wanted. Seeking more detailed instructions could easily look desperate and incompetent. It might even undermine their confidence in sending her if she appeared to be struggling with what to do.
The only other person available of whom Lee could think, who she trusted deeply, who had the sort of calm manner and thinking ability to banter back and forth with her until she worked through to a solution was Talker. He wouldn't get upset if she threw out something silly just thinking out loud. He had a sense of humor, better than a lot of Humans she knew. He would recognize that a "What if?" was just that, and not a final decision to strike terror in his heart, until it was looked at from every angle and accepted or rejected.
Lee punched in his com code and tried to look serene. It wasn't natural.
Talker answered with a mug in his hand. He loved coffee, and Lee immediately wondered if he was trying some of the Derfhome grown brew, so she asked him.
"Indeed, it is local stuff," Talker agreed. "I find it a little less wonderful than Gordon's private stock. I still remember how good that was. It didn't even need sweetened. But I'm a poor judge. I have yet to find any bad coffee. I hope by the time I go back to Far Away they are cultivating coffee there. Otherwise my habit will be ruinous to support if it must be star goods.
"However, I doubt you called to discuss my caffeine addiction. You are trying to look calm, but your face is a lie. I can see something is stressing you. Is it anything with which I can be of help, Friend?"
That reminder of their relationship he tacked on was just what Lee needed to convince her she'd called the right person. But she wasn't ready to pour forth the whole thing just yet.
"Tell me what you are doing, and what's happening there." Lee asked. "Do you have any time to sit and talk to me?"
"I'd make time to talk to you, but I'm not sure I have the depth to advise you on matters as serious as your expression indicates this is," Talker worried.
"Even if you just sit and listen it might help me," Lee said. "When you have to express yourself to others it aids organizing your thoughts greatly."
"I know exactly the phenomena of which you speak," Talker said, smiling. "I recently saw a phrase in English and had to research it. Apparently the mind operates differently speaking to another person, and there are limits to how much we can fool ourselves trying to explain something to the sky or a blank wall. The expression was in regard to computer programming. A person was advised to 'rubber duck' a problem. It turns out that means explaining it to a child's bath toy. Apparently that is sufficient to trigger the change in thinking.
"The truth is I contracted with locals to build a small compound for our consulate. I have private quarters for both myself and Singer at opposite ends, and a pleasant central courtyard in between. So here I sit, listening to hammering and power tools, watching them turn that courtyard into a lovely garden, sipping coffee and taking my ease. I'm not really doing anything of importance, so I am free to be your rubber duck though I'll try to be more useful.
"I am informed it is not really an embassy until I am acknowledged by local powers and can present my documents of authority. It surprised me that it will be finished to my custom specifications in just a few weeks. We still take much longer to build something this substantial on Far Away. I am enjoying spending Timilo's money, well, his department's money, the same thing to me. We will have an official party to dedicate the facility in a week or so, and I'll feed all our delegation and make nice - nice as you taught me. Perhaps it will make them realize things are under control and they can go home. I have not performed an official act yet to earn my pay, but I stand ready.
"Should I find somebody to suggest they head back home?" Lee asked.
"No, no . . . these sort of people, it would only make them resist the idea to suggest it. Better we just ignore them until it becomes obvious even to the dullest of them that they are superfluous now."
"The Mothers seem unaccountably fond of you." Lee made a little face to tell him not to think too much of himself. It didn't work, he positively beamed. "They mentioned your visit and seemed surprised you didn't come back with Gordon and me. If you want to visit, you can gauge if the time is right for presenting your credentials to Red Tree, or if you should wait until the horde is on the way back home. That seems appropriate to me. In any case you can report you are making some headway with your mission. While you are here we can visit face to face, and you can allow me to bounce some ideas off you about my own mission back to Earth soon."
"You're going back so soon? Yes, that sounds like it should be an interesting story. Do you have privacy to discuss such things with me?" Talker wondered, eyes flicking to check the link status. "I know the link is secure, but are you in a secure room talking to me?"
"You don't understand the Mothers yet," Lee said. "They wouldn't understand the need to be sneaky and spy on me. They'd just call me to stand before them and explain anything they wondered and never think I'd dare mislead them. This mission to Earth is at their command. I was simply told I was called to service to the clan and there was no question I'd do it."
Talker blinked hard, a natural expression of wonder Badgers shared, not something learned from Humans.
"Perhaps they were so pleasant with me I failed to understand how autocratic they can be."
"You were a guest, I'm a clan member and just barely above being a child who must stay silent unless told to speak. Things like the financial support Gordon and I supply are simply expected, and if we thought we could politic that into undue influence they'd correct it in a heartbeat and be offended we thought it."
"I must admit, Badger society resembles Human society more closely that way," Talker said, "with unspoken privilege and favors. I have to correct my thinking. We are much more alike than what you are telling me about Derf society."
"They've had thousands of years of holding everything tight under their thumbs," Lee said. "It's a wonder they're easing up,
just a little, to seek better relations with the trade towns. It's one thing for them to allow it, but they'd never accept it from without. It would be civil war.
"But you do give me an idea. If you can visit, I'll take you for a walk in the woods. I can show you some sites and teach you a little local history. We won't have to worry who is listening and besides, it's pleasant. I'll be cooped up soon enough on the Moon and one last chance to enjoy a planet and being outdoors will refresh me for awhile. Can you come?"
"It would be my pleasure," Talker agreed. "I will get away from the delegation and make excuses to leave my com when we go off to these woods. I'm too accessible here, and they pester me with questions about things that are not my concern, trivia such as all the possible uses of a word. Worse, they ask, and when I tell them they want to argue about it!"
Lee started giggling. "I'm sorry. I'm sure it's not funny to you, but it's just so typical. I can see the same happening with Humans. You're right, we're so similar it's scary, even when we're being unreasonable."
"It's too late to come today," Talker said. "I'd come in late and cause a disturbance and disrupt things."
"Come tomorrow. No rush about it. The walk I have in mind I've done with Gordon before. It takes three full days if you don't want to push it, and I doubt you are in shape for a forced march. So we can go first thing, the day after tomorrow."
"Oh! It's an overnight, in the woods? I've never had occasion to do that," Talker admitted. He sounded much less enthused.
"Two nights," Lee corrected. "There's a shelter and we double back and use it both nights. It's not terribly difficult. I did it with Gordon almost two years ago. Let me check something," she said and split her pad screen. "We might get some rain the last day coming back, but nothing wearing a light slicker wouldn't fix."
"Will we take provisions?" Talker worried.
"It's just a little hike, not an expedition," Lee said. "Gordon carried everything before, but I can carry a pack for just three days. Some oatmeal and a few freeze dried meals, some frozen steaks or whatever you like in a thermal wrap. I'll bring some for you. Some clean socks and underwear for me. I'll have a small canteen, but there's water out there. You just need to run it through a filter bag."
"Is there bedding at the shelter?" Talker worried.
"I'll carry a self inflating sleeping mat. I could cut boughs from the trees to sleep on, but I'm lazy. It's quite warm still at night. I'm not even bringing a light sleeping bag. Just go to a sporting goods store and tell them you want a self inflating mattress, and a pack of sani-wipes, and a rain slicker. Most of the time we'll be walking under a dense forest canopy, but if Badgers wear hats or sunglasses bring them along."
"Very well," Talker said, but he looked distressed, "until tomorrow."
Lee disconnected, amazed. She never had Talker pegged for a city boy, a real dude. After all, on Far Away he'd lived on an estate that was basically a big farm. She'd bet if she'd asked his field foreman Amiable to take off into the woods with her he'd be good to go, and wouldn't even need to change his boots. She'd expect him to already have at least a knife and a handkerchief in his pockets.
* * *
The sales lady tried very hard to convince Talker he needed the six Human or two Derf all season tent with the heating and cooling module, large airbed and entertainment console. A wilderness auto-chef preloaded with gourmet meals, and a heated camp shower. Talker was politely listening, but already balking at the pitch. When she explained it all could be effortlessly carried along on an auto-following robotic camp mule with a three hundred kilogram load capacity and a two hundred kilometer range he flat out said, "No." The machine was expensive, Lee would laugh at it. It also really creeped him out when the sales lady said, "Come here Rover!" and it trotted up to her, its little feet clicking on the floor.
She couldn't sell him the explorer pants. The fit was way beyond just rolling the cuffs up, Badgers didn't have a real waist, but the sales lady thought she saw Talker start to break down and consider the Advanced Mountain Vest. It had eighteen pockets, pre-filled with navigation and emergency beacon, fire starting kit with picture instructions on building the traditional camp fire, first aid and personal hygiene collection, and other necessary items each in their own special pocket. Then Talker pictured the look Lee would be struggling to keep off her face if he turned up wearing it. Lee was already starting to display a preview of that look when she had disconnected their last call. So it was a no again to the sales lady.
Talker left carrying his sleeping roll, a dispenser of sani-wipes that cost four times what the same pack cost from a grocery or household store, but in a camo plastic sleeve to make it easier to lose in the woods, and a thin plastic rain slicker with hood, which self-stuffed into a pocket smaller than his fist. The sales lady was disappointed. Even with an alien whose face she couldn't read, she could tell when a customer didn't react at all to big prices, and had money to spend. She was sure she'd let a big sale slip through her fingers.
* * *
Quite late in the day Gordon reported his progress with the bank, and said he'd be going to Fargone later tomorrow, leaving the Keep in the morning. Lee thanked him and explained Talker was coming tomorrow, and she intended to retrace her previous visit to the landing site memorial she'd visited with Gordon on her first visit to Red Tree.
Gordon was uncomfortable with that. The deep Derfhome woods could be dangerous. He thought about suggesting she take a Derf as a porter to lug her stuff as he'd done for her before. But first, it wouldn't work because it would be transparent to her. Also if she asked for somebody to just carry things the Mothers would send the sort of worker easiest to spare, some teenage gardener or line cook who might not even know the woods as well as Lee, not some skilled woodsman from the fall hunt who could be a thinly veiled bodyguard.
Having Talker along fulfilled having an adult present, Gordon decided. The Badger was smart and had a few more years than Lee. He wasn't sure of Talker's exact age, but he had a nine year old daughter, ten by now maybe. He should be old enough to have good sense. He dismissed it from mind and started planning what he'd say to Hawking.
* * *
Backpacks didn't suit the Badger anatomy, so Talker put his things in a cloth bag with long handles that he could sling from the opposite shoulder and carry under his arm. Lee gave him some of the lighter food to carry, and the kitchen kindly offered them box lunches like a lot of the workers took to distant jobs. They simply put the things in their bags, Lee taking two, and passed on the awkward box, as they weren't disposable.
Lee had a satellite navigation utility on her pad, but she wanted to do the entire walk without it if she was able. It seemed clear in her memory, but if she got turned around and lost the device was there for a backup. She also brought a better camera than the one in her pad, an extravagance of weight, but she might not visit the memorial again for a long time, and she wanted better pix.
Talker had on footgear, something she's never seen on him. Not the high molded boots she'd seen his father's field foreman, Amiable, but more like ankle boots with a toggle closure. It seemed like a good idea. Instead of sunglasses he wore spex, which could be tinted as you wish and serve the same function. Talker was an early adopter of Human tech, and the frames had to be custom printed to fit his face. Lee wandered if he had navigation loaded in those, because he seldom seemed to carry a pad or phone. He might not care to be at her mercy to find his way home. That wouldn't bother her, it was just smart.
Lee found herself relating everything she could remember of Derfhome biology, and how the Derf had removed all significant competition, other large predators, before Humans arrived. Once she pointed it out, Talker became aware there were creatures in the tree tops making noise, and rarely causing a twig or seed pod to come tumbling down.
The trail was an obvious tunnel in the trees, the turn off toward the river not nearly as obvious. When Lee was with Gordon before, he’d surprised her by suddenly turning aside. She’d marked it
as important to remember, just because it wasn’t marked with any sign or even a blaze or splash of paint on a tree. It was a visible trail if you looked off at where it went, but watching the trail by your feet to avoid tripping, it would be easy to walk right past it.
Lee had a rough idea where it was by time, and she remembered it was after a slight down slope that crossed a seasonal streambed, and then the trail started back up again. Whenever that combination occurred she started looking to her left, but twice the virgin woods were a solid wall. On the third glance the trail was obvious, the forest floor free of fallen branches and loose seed pods. The lower branches were trimmed where they reached too close to the path. It wasn’t as obvious a tunnel in the trees as the main trail. There was certainly no path beaten down in a visible dip, but Lee turned on it confidently. It followed the dip of the seasonal streambed she realized now. That hadn’t been obvious to her before. It made sense since it led down to a bigger stream that flowed all year.
Talker took about three steps along the main trail before he turned and followed her. Lee smiled to herself remembering she’d done the exact same thing. Gordon apparently found it as amusing as she did to see how long it would take her companion to react. They walked along a few minutes in silence and Talker had a question again.
“I have to . . . I believe the polite English expression is ease nature. Is there eventually a place along the trail with facilities?” he asked.
Lee managed not to laugh. “That’s why I had you buy sani-wipes. It would be a kindness, and is customary, to dig a hole and cover over your waste. Don’t try to dig all the way down to actual soil. The dead leaves and debris can be a meter deep. I have a little garden trowel for that purpose. Do you need to borrow it?”
Talker looked distressed, but after a brief reflection answered. “No, Badgers are great diggers. I’ll slip a shoe off and scoop a hole with my foot.” He looked like he wanted to ask more, but decided against it, and turned to the woods and walked away. Lee kept walking, although quite slowly to give him a little privacy since he looked so uncomfortable. He wasn’t that long before he caught up and seemed much happier.
A Hop, Skip and a Jump (Family Law Book 4) Page 16