by Robert Lyon
It looked like some kind of road kill up there but it made my mouth water, the fish were good but it wasn’t real meat. So,
I worked with Mitch making a kiln that focused on a hot pot to melt sifted sand. I only needed a shard that wouldn’t break and it could even just be volcanic glass. We hadn’t used the bellows that much and all the charcoal that had been wrapped in paper was still sitting in a pile. We had been doing these things as a part of tending the boilers as though it were just a habitual ritual.
We started with some tinder at the bottom and had a hole dug that was less than a foot deep as a fire pit. The clay bricks and extra thick bowl were still wet, but this fire would be hotter than most. On top of the tinder we piled the charcoal but saved the paper, it takes too long to make to waste it. Once we got it hot enough there was a red crack pattern visible in the bottom of the bowl, we had sifted the sand first through our island made cloth then through dungaree shirts leaving us with a white dust looking sand and occasional actual grain of sand.
From what I’d seen of glass working we should be able to get a shard like shape from laying the molten glass flat and letting it settle. The majority of the work if not all the work was keeping that firebox hot enough, smoke and steam from the wet clay sputtering, cracking, and popping…and all the while I was terrified of a sand explosion or glass splatter. We kept adding the fine white sand until eventually we had a red hot puddle. I had burnt some of the white clay usually mixed in with the red onto a slender straight stick and started working the glass, ‘thick but sharp’ is something I continued to whisper to myself.
Once we had it done it almost looked like a work of art blackened, yellowed, and even a few transparent spots. It had a short somewhat rounded handle we wrapped with twine, and we used it with a sawing motion with every expectation that it would shatter and cut up the hand of whoever was using it, so we used every precaution.
Once the skin was pulled away not one of us was anything less than an expert butcher. We tore that boar apart expertly but with a hast and cheer that made it seem to be a piñata at a birthday party. The meat was smoked and barbequed, we did manage a few sausages though we didn’t end up able to collect the blood. We didn’t save any at all but after feasting on that boar, we realized we will absolutely need to start ranching them in a chorale and we set to devise a pen system that could hold a digger like a boar. What we sent to the landings was just a charity portion but we had no idea how hungry we really were until that boar was opened. The knife we treated with reverence as though it were a holy relic, that thing shattering in our hands would cause damage we would never survive.
Artimus had been in his cage for three weeks and those like James Hudlow were left to a wandering bizarre life, those
that followed Chief Randy Brosuer were left with a military flare intact.
The natives referred to themselves as the diligent group, pointing out that there was absolutely a delirious group on the island, and leaving only one suitable descriptor for the rest…the militant group.
Artimus of course would only fit in to that militant group and would have to regain his station. As far as still holding the title of commanding officer that did not apply to the whole island by his lawyers own argument.
Deckly walked up to the knotweed cage and said to
Artimus, “Your cell time is through sir,” and with a big smile he continued, “Welcome back to the island.” Artimus replied with a hoarse voice, “Ya, thanks. I have so many plans most of them contradict each other and only one or two actually make sense.
Where are the ones that stood beside me?” Deckly responded,
“They regarded it as a procedure sir. We have several that are just delirious, we have the natives, and then we have those that stood beside you.”
We diligent watched from the mountain top the whole while. The extra fishing boat we were going to give them was waiting for his release we didn’t want to be part of an escalation leading to his execution. We had also managed to bend and refine what would be the keel of our rescue ship. We realized that without any nails we would have to derive wood sap as glue and use smoke as sealant and wooded dowels and pegs as fasteners, so we dubbed the ship the Woodenpeg.
Mike Elpers brought over some of the militant group for a work detail building the ship. They would burn a tree trunk and split it into planks using what was left of our keys. We decided to try and make some ceramic wedges that could take a
pounding, glass was not suitable and it would take more practice to make anything more from glass.
Mike had a new position amongst the militant he was seen as in charge. Artimus having been specifically relived of his station would, as an older man point out things that need to be done and would have to be seconded by someone that had not lost faith. Some of the militant didn’t mind that type of leadership since they gained all of the social credit for the tasks performed, but Artimus knew how to play those games. He primarily kept himself to the fishing they were doing with the boat we had provided them. They wouldn’t let him set to sea for fear he would somehow recapture the grandeur of being ‘The
Captain’.
Our hunt for boar continued with a definite desire to trap and ranch the boar so as not to run out of them. We found they eat the young sprouting’s of the Japanese knotweed amongst various other odd plants. We were prepared to cage them and hold them in a pin rather than in Artimus’s cage. We, the diligent, bought the cage at a price of twenty extra loaves of bread, which were about the length and width of my hand, and an inch tall. Once we captured another we would cage it and have plenty of reason to build a pen that was inescapable to a natural born digger.
I watched from the mountain top while Artimus pointed out things that needed to be done and wandering the beach, and they would just stroll away from him. He was socially shunned throughout the day but he still had his pentagon in which he found some relief with his cabin boy and the junior officers.
At a north point on the island concealed away from view was what had become an enlisted club. They would tell stories,
mock and berate each other, and when no women were present they would wrestle and fight.
As the ribs for the boat were cut Mike’s guys focused on making planks. I told him we would also need a barrel we could seal with smoke for fresh water to which he replied, “I got my own thing going on now dude.” I felt a little betrayed by that, once again it seemed it’s not about results or the objectives, but how your ego feels while it’s going on .
I spoke with Athena, Michael, Jennifer, and Michelle we were going to have to institute some system of government or they would over run us with pageantry and image and we would go back to starving to death. So, we divided the work and used a union format but shifted it over to a Roman style senate just as I suspected we would need to; like in India we had working casts.
It had been a few months on the island at this point and we held our first senatorial meeting. I was appointed governor, to manage civil law and resource development. Each Senator represented a type of work; fishing, farming, wood working, masonry, and ship building.
Michelle spoke for the wood working cast, “The wood working cast, expresses there concern for the high consumption of wood due to lack of use of the charcoal. This increases our workload needlessly and increases our need for food and water.”
I spoke as the governor, “I understand, if there are no objections the charcoal stockpile will be split for food cooking with charcoal and maintaining fuel for the boilers since I can clearly see from where I am seated it is an obscene amount of charcoal we have mustered. We need to start using it, we don’t want to have to carve giant statues of people in the hopes that any ships that pass by will realize there are people here without trees and therefore need help.”
Athena laughed and said, “I guess that’s what happened at Easter Island?” I chuckled and said with a hiss,
“Yesss.” Athena said, “The mason cast objects to the thoroughfare our livin
g quarters have become to the workers from the militant camp.”
Mike was there as a representative of the ‘military’ and yelled out, “Shut the fuck up bitch!” I quickly and sharply respond, “Don’t speak to a senator that way!” Mike flabbergasted inquired in disbelief, “That’s a senator!!!?”
Athena responded indignantly, “I represent the masons, we make the cement, we set the stone, we work the clay, and we continue development on the glass working.” Mike looked around and asked, “Don’t we all do that?” I replied, “Mike you left us and went over there, you’ve been practicing your own agenda and frankly you aren’t doing anything but being an ambassador to us over here. A lot has changed, I was the one that attempted the glass working and managed to make that shard and everything else we all did together, but it was far too much work for one person to keep track of what he should be working on at any given time.” Mike stood up in outrage and demanded to know, “What do I get!!?” Michael said, “I speak on behalf of the ship builders. Mike you have a lot of influence over there, the captain is not a captain anymore and they need what you can get them from here, but you don’t bring us anything from them and they just won’t work. They’ve had that boat for a while and they just don’t seem to fish, it’s like they only use it to taunt Artimus.”
Mike replied daunted, “Ahh…they catch a fair amount of fish, so I don’t know why you would believe that.” I as the governor interjected, “So recognized! Rations of fish to the militant camp are halted.” Mike said, “Wait! what!? you think
you don’t work for them or for me!?” Michelle shouted out,
“We absolutely don’t! You declared us natives remember?”
Mike said, “Ahh, Okay…wait. You guys are separate…that explains some of the things I’ve been hearing.
Ya, stop the fish, they’ll still need some water but I think they’re about to figure a lot of things out.” Tammy asked, “Didn’t we help them build a still?” Mike blurted out, “They broke it.”
Mike stood there frozen in a way that gave us all pause. Then he said, “Okay, I’m the ambassador from the military. You guys are separate. I need to go talk to them to figure out how they thought this was going to work…this makes no sense.” Tommi stood up and joseph sitting next to her goose necked to look up at her startled by how quickly she popped to her feet, and she said, “So recognized!!”
Mike got back to the landings and announced, “Okay guys, here’s the thing. I just got back from their ‘senate meeting’ and we have been collecting fish rations despite the fact we are now catching fish. That stops.” McCree said, “What?!! How many fish are they catching?” Mike replied, “About the same as us, they are still making the water because you guys broke your still and they going to keep doing that. No one has collected grain since the first time. They are separate.” Eric Milson retorted, “I should’ve known you would fuck it up.” Mike laughed and pointed at Eric and said, “Ya, and that’s not all. I’ve been over there with our work crew and seen you guys just hanging out in their cabana’s because our lean-to’s suck. That’s their homes you’re just wandering through. That also stops.”
Atrisia blurted out, “Or what!?” and Mike just glared at her. She repeated more respectfully, “Or what?” looking around for social support and shrugging in genuine naiveté.
Mike replied, “Look bitch, don’t take it there. We are making
planks for that boat they told us how to do that and they are bending the ribs for it, they are doing the hard part. They showed you how and helped you make a still and you broke it and just waited for them to make more.” McCree said,
“okay,okay..okay” holding out her hand signaling mike to calm down and Atrisia pulled at McCree’s arm to turn her slightly leaned into to make eye contact then peered around in the hopes everyone could see the seriousness in her eyes and she said, “Or what?” with a dismissive facial expression.
Mike was so frustrated tears came to his eyes and he cried through the statement, “Look bitch stay away from them.”
Atrisia in a hyper active fit of frustration herself demonstrating the demeanor of a kindergarten teach nodding her head with a passive aggressive smile repeated, “Okay” several times then added, “Or what?”
Artimus stepped up and said, “Or we’ll build a cage for you.” Atrisia was perplexed, the captain being stripped of his station had translated in to his being shunned which she would destroy be engaging in a conversation with him or by responding to what he had just said. She wagged her finger at him with a single flick and said, “Fuck you.” and walked off.
Artimus looked around and thought everyone appeared angry and confused so he asked mike, “What is it they want?” Mike responded, “Near as I can tell, some fairness. They shouldn’t have to feed us or provide us water. We are helping with the boat, but that’s to get out of here, we aren’t even handling our own survival.” Artimus looked around and several of the people there were shaking their hands with pursed lips indicating he wasn’t supposed to speak. Artimus asked, “Is that too much to ask? Would you expect anything different?”
Hudlow stumbled up and said with the tone of a remorseful confession, “I’m different. I have spiders, or crabs, or both.” Artimus looked at him and said, “Now that’s something we can all get behind.” and everyone stormed off.
As the sunset there was a haunting song on the breeze.
Athena had managed to make from clay an Ocarina. She played form the mountain top and it was a soothing song. The holes had been placed just ring for binaural tones that were just hypnotic.
The stars raced across the sky as puffy clouds drifted by, with a beautiful woman atop a mountain singing a lullaby.
The weather was changing toward the cold and we had only taken small scraps of hide from that boar, too small to turn into refined leather. I started working on heavier clothing the next morning. Dave Miles asked, “What’s up?” I replied, “It’s going to get colder at least at night, season is changing.” Dave said, “Alright.” I worked on that vest for the first half of the day and Michelle did the same she said we’d probably need some hats and they’d probably look like oversized socks.
Tim was looking for more boar with Tommi, Mitch was on the boilers and tammy had the mountain watch. The work detail for the planks was taking a sabbatical and Mike had sent word they had something’s to straighten out first before they had anymore going on.
Our sundial that doubled as a farmer’s almanac would have to be marked for the seasonal change and any change in the food producing plants, including what the boar ate and hopefully the sea wouldn’t be affected, but it was flying fish we were catching.
I still had a secret project in a secluded place on the island that I needed to be able to slip away to. Working on my
thicker vest and as the governor there were simple management tasks to attend to.
Our farmers were cutting away some grass for an agricultural field and for some reason the term ‘farm’ just wasn’t catching on. It was more sorghum they intended to plant since there was an outside risk that the militant group would over harvest or even slash and burn to gain leverage.
Artimus was breaking the ice and trying to end this social shunning he was being subjected to. He had found that emotional pleas were well received; he figured it solicited some kind of guilt. He had seen ship board gangs in previous duty assignments and decided that was the way he needed to go. Even in the face a federal prosecution for thing that were obviously crimes they maintained their place within their gang and stayed loyal.
The work on the boat continued it looked as though it would take about two weeks per rib and we had several planks but there thickness was really only good for decks. We natives were in a steady maintainable pace making progress and living our lives, but over at the landing site in the militant camp things were getting tougher.
Artimus was beginning to play the militants against each other and was renewing political adversaries . During the day Artimus was ou
t to be seen by the remnants of his crew and at night he was within the confines of the pentagon with the closest thing to peers he had. Midday whilst Artimus was campaigning, the junior officers were talking about the hell he was about to bring on them and their fears of a civil war with the natives.
Swishzel said, “One thing I can’t emphasize enough is that if he isn’t a captain any more than we aren’t officers at all,
not ensigns, not lieutenants, just more beach trash like what’s out there and I’m not sure we can hold our own.” Clarkson replied, “You don’t know what he is really like, admiral Dufsin made me his baby sitter and instructed me to always present in the way he had presented to the admiral…just as an obnoxious pain in the ass.” Spayner commented, “I thought that was just how you were.” Clarkson sniped, “He makes it easy for me.
He’s a two steps forward three steps back guy.” Capes interjected, “I think the phrase is ‘two steps forward one step back’ or is that what you meant.” Clarkson sighed, “That is the phrase but I did intentionally get it wrong.” Mr.Lees had been laying low sulking but was once again engaging in social activities, he seemed to break his vow of silence and said, “We don’t have a lot to stand on, I figured nothing like this would ever happen but if I lived back in the days when it could have I knew what I would do and I turned out to be dead wrong on both counts. I would normally think we just need to snap them back into order, but the captain tried that and it was a mistake. I’ve been dead quiet thinking of joining the natives but what Dave did blew that and I have the fact that the good guy I had over there came back and has been leading here. I thought that was my way in, but it turns out he burnt his bridges over there because he has an agenda too.”
Spayner said, “I don’t think we need to worry about them attacking us we don’t have anything they would want.”