Avalon: Beyond the Retreat (The Avalon Series Book 2)

by L. Michael Rusin

  Caroline slipped up next to Mike. “You know, Michael, we’ll soon be parents. This is a new beginning, a good period in our lives. I hope things continue to improve. God knows we’ve had our fair share of grief.” A tear ran down her cheek.

  “Don’t cry, Caroline.” He reached over and wiped the tears away from her face.

  “I’m crying because I’m so happy, Michael. This is a joyous day. These people are hungry for this. We have given them what they want most, peace of mind and hope.”

  Mike reached for her chin and guided her lips to his own. They kissed, oblivious to everyone around them.

  It was going to be a busy time for him in the coming days, and he would be away from home and Avalon a lot as he tried to hammer out a militia police force. There was so much to do. The logistics of it all was almost overwhelming, but he would get it done. He had to. He sure wished he had Dan and Sam by his side to help.

  Beth came over smiling and patted Mike on the back. “It looks like we were a hit, Mike. Thanks for including me in the speeches.”

  Mike was surprised at her words. “Beth, you’re one of the most valuable assets we have. When people heard about you bringing all of those children to us, they were really impressed at your strength and courage. Heck, you’re one of the highest ranking law enforcement officials in the state!” He smiled with a twinkling in his eye, “And let us not forget that you made Avalon very rich with your acquisition of all that gold.”

  “Thanks Mike. I appreciate your words.”

  She reached over and kissed him on the cheek and then turned and walked away.

  Caroline punched him.

  “Whaaat!”

  “You know what, Michael.”

  He laughed, but Caroline was frowning as she watched Beth walk away into the crowd.

  Chapter 25

  Barter System

  WHEN THE MEETING concluded, the key players walked back to the town hall. Mike sat down beside Bob Waters. “Governor, until we have a minting operation for formal currency, I think it’s imperative that we come up with a set of standards for a barter system.”

  The Governor leaned toward Mike. “What kind of a standard are you talking about, Mike?”

  Mike shifted in his chair and scooted it closer to the table. He put a hand to each side of his temples, rubbing them methodically as he searched for the right way to present his thoughts.

  Choosing his words carefully, “Nothing will get people angrier than getting short-changed on a business transaction. I’ve seen it happen countless times. Regardless of how sincere the deal is initially, if there’s the slightest inclination that one side has been cheated, it will cause trouble and resentment.”

  “The nice thing about money is that it simplifies things. If someone wants five dollars for something, the other guy might be able to haggle a bit and get it down to four dollars, but the person selling the item knows how far they can lower the price and still walk away from the deal with a small profit. You’re always going to have someone who is a bit shrewder than the next guy and who will come out ahead on a deal. But we can’t legislate fairness and we can’t dictate how people will barter when it comes to trading goods and services. We can only help simplify it with money for clarity’s sake.”

  “Okay, Mike, I understand that. What do you propose?”

  “I think we should come up with a ‘standard of value’ for most things such as the worth of a chicken or a cow. Once everyone accepts and adopts a definitive standard, it will level the playing field. I’m not saying it will be easy, but we should have key things defined in terms of their worth because we want to keep peace among the people.”

  “Like how?”

  “Well, we can set a standard as to what a man or woman’s hourly wage should be. Not a minimum wage, mind you, but if it takes a blacksmith three hours to forge a tool, then he should be compensated fairly for his expenditure of time. Since the dollar is no longer being circulated in our society and most people are resorting to barter, we need to define how much certain things are worth.”

  “Okay Mike, I see where you’re going with this. But how will you narrow it down? Not everyone has silver or gold. Most people have a chicken or a pig or a cow. They might only have a bag full of potatoes to trade with. How do we define what things are worth?”

  Mike thought about it for a moment.

  “We understand a system of weights and measures. We’ve used that system for eons. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel in that regard. We can place a value on everything and call it whatever we want to call it. Things like potatoes can be sold by the pound.”

  The Governor rolled his eyes and exhaled his breath in a long sigh. “That’s a tall order, my friend. That’ll take a while to get done. There could be thousands of items to write down and who has the time or the imagination to do all that?”

  Mike adjusted his sitting position and crossed one leg over the other. The chair made a metallic noise as it echoed off the walls. The Governor waited patiently for Mike’s answer.

  “I think we can start with a small list that defines the basics. For instance, let’s itemize the things we’re accustomed to such as a single chicken, a solitary cow, a calf, a horse and so forth. We can place a price on each itemized unit and say, for instance, that everything will be a minimum of a single dollar. There will be no need for smaller increments such as thirty-five cents. That will eliminate the need for change.”

  “I like it, Mike. Keep going.”

  “Just because we set a price for a solitary item or unit such as an animal or an hourly wage doesn’t mean that will be the final price of that item. It simply means it will be a minimum price and it can go up from there.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Let’s say we set the price of a horse at one hundred dollars. But that man over here doesn’t have just a horse, he has a thoroughbred horse. The value of that animal is more than the value placed on a plow horse. So he’s going to ask more for that horse and rightfully so. We have to take into consideration how long it took to raise and train that horse from birth to maturity. All of that time is worth something. A thoroughbred horse would warrant more money.”

  The Governor was impressed but slightly confused. “Mike, I understand what you’re doing, but what will we use for money?”

  “Governor, money is nothing. It can be represented by beads, shells, coins, precious metal bars, paper with nice printing on it and many other things that we can designate as money. Money only means the instrument you’re holding such as a coin or paper bill is backed by something more tangible and valuable such as gold or silver.”

  “When a society or a country accepts this standard, commerce revolves around it. Money is simply a medium of exchange that is accepted by a society. Money will allow us to trade for goods or services on an equal basis.”

  “Before money was introduced into certain societies, bartering was the only means of conducting business. You shoe my horse and I’ll help you till and harvest your garden. It worked well and some people became adept at what they traded for. ‘Horse Trader’ was a term that signified someone who was adept at trading one thing for another.”

  Penny Rolls, who was taking notes for the Avalon newspaper, interjected. “It’s my understanding that coins were introduced by people who were tired of trading with sharp objects such as arrow heads. Round coins became acceptable because they could be separated into smaller pieces such as the ‘Pieces of Eight’ commonly used by the Spaniards. Other people used solid gold belts that could be broken down into links that became accepted at a predetermined value.”

  “I think what Mike is suggesting,” she continued, “is a good idea and we should develop this into a workable solution. Right now, we have no money or system of fair exchange for anything. But more and more people are just now coming out of hiding and they will be in need of many things. Items we aren’t even aware of right now will be needed sooner or later. Sewing needles and thread, for instance, and
combs and brushes for our hair. Things like toothbrushes and toothpaste will have to be made by hand and later traded for something else, but how do they compare to, say, a pig or a chicken or a cow? I’d like to be involved with bringing this to fruition.”

  “That was a nice, informative story, Penny. Welcome to the committee.” the Governor said with a soft chuckle.

  The Governor was pleased that Penny wanted to be part of such a huge undertaking. Beth had walked in to the meeting and had her own thoughts. “It’s interesting what you’re contemplating here. I think bartering will be a good way to keep the people trading. If we decide later that we need to print or come up with something that will act as our money, Avalon can be the treasury because it has a great deal of gold on hand right now. And there’s a lot more where that came from. In fact, I’m thinking about making a trip to retrieve the rest of it soon.” She laughed and so did everyone else.

  The Governor was delighted. “Wow! California may soon have its own money and treasury. I like that. Who would be the State Treasurer?”

  Mike smiled as he looked pointedly at Penny.

  “Done.”

  A month later, a list had been made placing a value on many commodities such as chickens, horses, seeds, soap, hand sewn clothing, handmade tools, saddle-making, loaded ammunition, homemade black powder, wages per hour for a man and woman, furniture and a myriad of other things. The initial list consisted of over a thousand items that the committee considered important. Other items and services would be added as needed. It was posted in the center of town and in leaflets they passed out or allowed people to take and share.

  A chemical engineer from Bishop and a few others initiated a method of producing insulin which was based on an article printed from Dr. Bones’ DoomAndBloom.net in 2011. Caroline had found it in the resource library at Avalon.

  This valuable medicine was made from beef or pork pancreas, finely minced in a large grinder and treated with 5cc of concentrated sulfuric acid, appropriately diluted, per pound of glands. This same formula and process had received a Nobel Prize when it was initially developed. The mixture was stirred for a period of three or four hours and alcohol was added until the concentration of alcohol was 60 to 70 percent.

  Two extractions of the glands were made. The solid material was partially removed by centrifuging the mixture, and the solution was further clarified by filtering through paper. The filtrate was practically neutralized with Sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The clear filtrate was concentrated in vacuum to about 1/15 of its original volume. The concentrate was then heated to 50°C, which resulted in the separation of lipoid and other materials and then removed by filtration.

  Ammonium sulphate (37 grams per 100cc) was added to the concentrate and a protein material containing all the insulin floated to the top of the liquid. The precipitate was skimmed off and dissolved in hot acid alcohol. When the precipitate completely dissolved, 10 volumes of warm alcohol were added. The solution was then neutralized with NaOH, cooled to room temperature and kept in a refrigerator at 5°C for two days.

  At the end of this time, the dark-colored supernatant alcohol was decanted off. The alcohol contained practically no potency. The precipitate was dried in a vacuum to remove all trace of the alcohol, and it was then dissolved in acid water, making it readily soluble.

  The solution was made alkaline with NaOH to a logarithmic measure of hydrogen ion concentration (pH) 7.3 to 7.5. At this alkalinity, a dark-colored precipitate settled out, and was immediately centrifuged off. This precipitate was washed once or twice with alkaline water of pH 9.0 and the washings were added to the main liquid. This process was carried out fairly quickly as the insulin was destroyed in alkaline solution. The acidity was adjusted to pH 5.0 and a white precipitate readily settled out.

  Tricresol was added to a concentration of 0.3% in order to assist in the iso-electric precipitation and act as a preservative. After standing one week in the ice chest, the supernatant liquid was decanted off and the resultant liquid was removed by centrifuging. The precipitate was then dissolved in a small quantity of acid water. A second iso-electric precipitation was carried out by adjusting the acidity to a pH of approximately 5.0. After standing overnight, the resultant precipitate was removed by centrifuging.

  The precipitate, which contains the active principle in a comparatively pure form, was dissolved in acid water and the hydrogen ion concentration adjusted to pH 2.5. The material was carefully tested to determine the potency and then diluted to the desired strength of 10, 20, 40, or 80 units per cc. Tricresol was added to secure a concentration of 0.1 per cent. Sufficient sodium chloride was added to make the solution isotonic.

  The insulin solution was then passed through a Mandler filter and the insulin was retested carefully to determine its potency. There was practically no loss in berkefelding. The tested insulin was poured into sterile glass vials with aseptic precautions and the sterility of the final product thoroughly tested by approved methods.

  The method of estimating the potency of insulin solutions was based on the effect that the insulin produced upon the blood sugar of normal animals. Rabbits served as the test animal. They were starved for twenty-four hours before the administration of insulin. Their weight was approximately 2kg. Insulin was then distributed in strengths of 10, 20, 40, and 80 units per cc. The unit was one third of the amount of material required to lower the blood sugar of a 2kg rabbit, which had fasted twenty-four hours from the normal level (0.118 percent) to 0.045 percent over a period of five hours.

  In a moderately severe case of diabetes, one unit caused about 2.5 grams of carbohydrate to be utilized. In earlier and milder cases, as a rule, one unit had a greater effect, accounting for three to five grams of carbohydrate.

  Other medicines were formulated in an old computer chip factory on the outskirts of Fitch that had been quickly abandoned at the onset of the war. It was important for the citizens to have access to as many medicines and formulations as was humanly possible.

  Each step forward improved living conditions. Other factories were built or reopened. Joshua Edwards took over a small warehouse out and away from the city limits of Fitch and converted it from an old tire storage area into two manufacturing centers. One was for loading ammunition and the other was for manufacturing black powder the way it had been done in pioneer days. Although the powder was corrosive, it was still a useful propellant and explosive for moving dirt.

  Another man and his wife took over an abandoned apartment complex and moved in trundle sewing machines requiring no electricity. They began making clothes to sell or trade. They rounded up abandoned clothing and cut the cloth into manageable strips that could be sewn into colorful shirts, pants and jackets. It was amazing how much fabric they were able to accumulate in a short period of time.

  Fitch, Avalon, and other small towns in the area, became hubs of trading, manufacturing centers, and repair centers. Further away found less people due to the casualties of the war, the plague, and, in many cases, the slavers.

  The initial “State Fair” became a weekly event that people loved. They could gather and share in conversation, make new friends, and eat homemade goodies brought there for sale or trade. Always a festive atmosphere, many played instruments and entertained the crowd that passed by or stopped to enjoy the tunes. Most came on foot, but many came by horseback or in horse-drawn wagons.

  The tranquil weather was ideal for outdoor activities. April was historically wet, but there was a high pressure area that hovered over the valley. The small store fronts erected at the fairgrounds went up each Friday afternoon and came down Sunday morning.

  Those who participated in the fair were very conscientious about cleaning and picking up at the end of the fair. They had a good thing going and no one wanted to see it come to an end. The unwritten rules dictated: “If you make the mess, you clean-up the mess.”

  It worked.

  People adopted the new manner of living and enjoying life. There was no TV, no movies, and only the occas
ional radio. People made their own entertainment. They erected a small stage at the fair and lit it with lanterns. After the small booths closed, some performed in plays and short skits during the evening.

  In homes, people once again gathered around board games. One gentleman made them from old cardboard boxes and India ink, drawing and coloring by hand. Chess and checkers were popular, and tournaments flourished. The people worked hard and played equally as hard. Baseball was very popular and so was touch football. Someone suggested a rodeo and it quickly became popular, as well.

  The Governor was lost in his thoughts. Contemplating all that had happened and how quickly the people had adapted to their new manner of living, he realized that, in many ways, it was better than before the war. Back then, people didn’t have time for each other and now they seemed to look forward to each new gathering. Every time something new was scheduled, the participation was staggering.

  Marcie, the love of his life, came into his office. “Whatcha thinkin’ about, Gov’ner?”

  “Things could be a lot worse.”

  He looked into her blue eyes and thought about the first time she had come to his office asking for a job. He fell in love with her immediately. They walked down the aisle a year later, and she looked beautiful in her gown. He wore his only suit… a dark blue one he had bought in San Francisco all those years ago when he attended a law enforcement conference. It was a little tight, but he wore it anyway.

  He didn’t need a lot of clothes these days, and he considered his Sheriff’s uniform adequate. He was the County Sheriff twenty-four hours a day, so why have a lot of clothing that he would never wear? Now that he was the Governor, he wondered, what does a Governor wear? Well, he was told he could wear both hats, so for the time being he would be the Sheriff… in dress, anyway.