L'Gem

by Sharon L Reddy

  Chapter Eleven

  Bance chimed their new neighbor's door, made a fast plea for assistance and said the door was open. The new neighbor yelled for plas, then said welcome.

  Silky was happily planning where to hang each painting and place each sculpture in his art collection. Bance winked at Jace and suggested Silky "make friends" with a cute girl, who never forgot anything on a to-do list, because he and Jace only remembered where they were going next, after he reminded them several times. Silky wondered if she liked art and Jace and Bance grinned. They'd told Essa the "exquisite Bammiger bronze on the console" was a piece of the collection that was overflowing Silky's apartment, or he wouldn't be moving. Jace 'worked on' Bance bit. Dawn hadn't been the beautiful woman who kept glancing at him that evening.

  At twenty-two forty-three, Bance and Jason ran into the apartment and grabbed. At twenty-two forty-eight, they got the pads, pillows and toiletries out of Silky's way and he sat back down at the console. At twenty-three twenty-seven, they drove the station mobile broadcast vehicle into their garage. Bance's car, stuffed with containers, was already in it.

  Another station employee had driven it from the station parking lot. There wasn't a parking space for it at the apt complex, nor room for what was in it at Silky's. The containers were moved to Bance's room fast. They'd need the big car to move things in the morning, they hoped, but they were the primary mobile crew and they might be told to get-to at six.

  They showered and changed quickly and walked out their back door into their path, to join the party they'd heard warming up, as they drove from place to place to watch last-minute rush preparations. Soon, they were on the path north. Knight pulled them out of pillows at Tarn's.

  "Chal has your dinner ready. He spread word he was fixing, or it would probably have been ready thirty places. It was obvious you didn't have time for more than a fast snack, if that."

  "One of the station techs threw sandwiches in the window as we drove by, hours ago. Have you done that yet?"

  "Yes, made the block circle. The loading crane was fun too. The program is set. You push a pad to call, then one for one of the three block destinations, when you're in the container. People started out carrying hand lamps, but they were just leaving them anywhere light was too low, in minutes."

  "Someone lit ours. Knight, thank you. It became important to us to be more than guests tonight."

  "I knew it had when you yelled for wrap help, Bance. Chal, Bance, Jace and Silky, now west side neighbors."

  "Welcome. Everyone's heard, so expect to hear that and more names and addresses then even you can remember tonight. You just came from my house. I decided adding more kitchen, garage and a bath was the solution to not wanting to move even two houses farther from Tarn and bought it."

  "We saw the construction in progress, Chal."

  "We're doing it ourselves, but that means we've had a lot of neighborly help making sure we don't have to work outside this winter. Since it's not really a kitchen remodel, just an addition of workspace, it's not an inconvenience and an old table in the middle of it is already helping."

  "I know who you are. I've tasted this before. If I could afford the Ore Room often, it would be many times before."

  "Thanks, Bance."

  "A lot of people are buying here."

  "Yes, Jace. Tarn predicted it. We looked around, decided he was right and asked prices. A lot are moving across the street or down the block, but some are doing what we are, figuring out the 'only reason' the house they're in isn't perfect and how, how much and when to change it."

  "Ours is perfect. If I described what I wanted, someone would have pointed to it."

  "The owner might sell that one, Silky. He's only got that one here. He lives in Veil Lake and just bought a fourth on the lake."

  "Silky, you don't move and you yelled, 'a wall for the Deavonner,' when we walked in. You've spent all the time since we saw it planning where everything will go and saying, 'and there's room for,' about something you want, every third sentence."

  Essa arrived before they finished dinner. She and Silky were discussing sculpture garden construction for "greatest aesthetic harmony," in moments. They didn't really notice when Bance and Jace left with Knight and Tarn.

  Knight wasn't worried about Silky recognizing her. It had been seven years since two Kellerton police had beaten an artist and destroyed her work, because a man gave them a hundred credits to empty the sound-damped place, with a nice view of the bay. They hadn't lived long enough to spend it. The man hadn't lived long enough to offer a hundred credits to someone else. Keppid's most famed work was titled "Avenger of the Muse." Stats had recognized Essa as the model. Eventually, Silky would, but he'd mourn the loss of four Keppid paintings with her.

  As they followed the neighborhood trail, which included every street crossing that had been devised, among many others on the route, Knight realized the three were others all of them trusted to know 'everything.' They trusted Chief Dennon, but wouldn't tell him, until he was forced to choose a side. In both cases, the others had given their trust first, but Chief Dennon had given his personal trust. Bance, Jace and Silky had shared the close-held secret of their profession.

  They knew people weren't changing to swimwear before they reached the house. Nev had expected it and word had been spread families, who didn't want children exposed to nudity, should visit early. Several had, but most of them had said nudity in context wasn't a problem. They'd come early because play in the pool would aid in getting children to sleep in quiet rooms the places they planned to attend noisy parties. Nev had watched the childless couples who had 'just started early' watching them play. He'd told Knight it had been difficult to keep from telling them they'd have children to give their love soon. Blade had said, "Beginning in two hundred six days."

  None of them had wanted to leave the remaining stock of spermicide, anywhere, but Blade had calculated how long the supply and the effects would last in Teal Valley. If the stock hadn't been low and resupply due soon, or if that had been coming from a warehouse stock, Knight and Nev would have helped him find a way to divert the dosage, but there wasn't a warehouse stock. Each water district received a delivery when restock was due.

  Like thousands of others, some in the area had taken gov jobs, because someone had to or people would suffer. A number of the convicted rebels had been gov employees for that reason. When they got to the house, Kendra was 'hosting.'

  "My turn! Most aren't far behind you, depending on who stays how long where. Blade's with Nev to 'pry him loose' and keep them moving. Since you're here, and Chal didn't do popcorn fungi, he'll probably get him out of your place too. We all plan to visit and stay places later, but the neighborhood trail is first."

  "It is for a lot of people, Kendra. Most parties have alternate hosts, right now. We'll all head for the places people will look for us soon, but I get to play in the pool while my alternate's refreshments are more of a draw than I am."

  "Talk will start later. This is whoopee time."

  "The crane ride is fun. Go east to start the trail."

  "Thanks, Knight. Oh, if you're not in the kitchen, nobody will come in. I left and there was a toilet queue waiting by the door, when I got back."

  "I wondered why you were in here. Have fun."

  "Whee!"

  "Guys, I'm on toilet direction duty. Go play a while."

  "He won't be alone. I just want a chair."

  "I watched a lot of why, Bance. I'm going to find my lady. I'm pretty sure she's here. We're getting married. She's pregnant."

  "Yes!! Tarn, you two are going to be fantastic parents."

  "Just for the record, wedding plans came before baby plans."

  "We all knew you were just waiting for her to ask."

  "Waiting for her to realize she wasn't going to follow a new interest, someday. Hard work keeping her interested long enough to notice she was happy in our rut, but it's a
habit now and I don't plan to break it."

  "Knight, will you tell me why you barely kept from jumping around in joy?"

  "You're noticing the wrong woman, Bance. I'm on the steering committee. The only one in the neighborhood not on it is Ronnie, Veronica Dell. She's as comfortable in a conversation about great literature as technology, and loves both. She noticed you."

  "Jace was subtly steering, too. I have to pay attention when he's being subtle. If I don't, he gets disgusted and whacks me over the head to get my attention."

  "It worked. I haven't had to whack in a while. I'm going to hit the pool."

  "I'll be here. I'll borrow the pool sometime when I can swim in it. You're not going to tell me, are you, Knight?"

  "After why comes who, what, where, when and how. Since I have absolutely no be-careful response to you, we'd be halfway through the list before either of us noticed."

  "Thank you. I don't really have control over it. Silky frequently yells, 'Wrap!' as my mouth is opening."

  "You're deeply friends."

  "I'm youngest by three years. Silky's two years older than Jace. Silky's from Talon Peak. Jace is from Ambertown. I'm from Dancy Valley, a farm kid. It began as 'teach this kid everything that people don't see about reporting.' The friendship didn't really begin to deepen until Hammison put us in the mobile unit. It was an experiment. Good reporters went out to cover news events, but the one's people saw most were covering Teal Valley. He wanted to reduce the feeling Teal Valley got the stars and they got who was in the office. We're not an on-call crew. We're the ones who are sent to cover on-location events, especially the all-day-over-a-wide-area type; the Ambertown Boat Show, the Roundin Lake Water Festival, the twelve-day four-town Winter Carnival, the Willaville Auction. We also cover a lot of breaking stories for the evening casts. It worked. I'm the one people expect to see. If they get someone else for a breaking story, it's because I was too far away or I already went home. We made a good team. As we spent time riding around together, we really got to know each other, and the teamwork got better, but until we both moved in on Silky, we didn't realize it had gone a lot deeper than a work-based friendship. We lived together in Silky's stuffed apartment, with no friction. We didn't need to get away from each other some of the time. Jace and I dragged Silky out of the apt, and we went places together. I wouldn't have gone alone either. Jace always went places alone."

  "Day plans to change that. I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but the last one, of the five who told me, forgot to remind me. I'm on that steering committee too, though it's more of a 'point Day were Jace went' job."

  Nev and Blade arrived just ahead of 'the bunch.' Case said everyone's safety precautions were "getting a workout," but all were proving adequate, including theirs. The cams that kept the posine from draining when someone was on, or approaching, the path, and the signs reminding people to check the charge and drain lights had both been needed.

  By two, Ronnie had Bance's interest and Day had Jace's attention. The pool area wasn't quiet, but it wasn't packed, as it had been an hour earlier. The garage had become more popular. By three, the pool was quiet and the party had moved into the house, but that was rather quiet too. Everyone knew there was one "party party" that would continue until six.

  At three thirty-six, the last group left the house. Nev shut the kitchen door. The garage and pool were left open. They expected a few to decide on an early morning swim. Nev noted he'd done what Chief Dennon asked and even he was amazed. That's when Knight told them Tarn's news. They were feeling very pleasant when they went to bed.

  Danny and team had checked what IS was doing at intervals, from the time construction had begun. At five forty, she read reports and smiled. No one knew what to do. Black plas-wrapped neighborhoods had sprung into existence all over the world, and still were. Where plas hadn't been available, blankets, sheets, table cloths and anything else available had been used. Most areas had plas and cloth mixed, and nearly all had devised ways to cross streets.

  Many reports were complaints of not being able to find anything to eat. Snack shops were "empty," vends were empty and restaurants were closed. IS officers weren't showing up for duty. Some had even sent resignations. Everywhere, signs on closed businesses said, "in compliance with Internal Security orders."

  IS couldn't pinpoint where it had begun. Teal Valley was mentioned, but plas-wrapped neighborhoods had appeared "at the same time" an hour east on the long, narrow center continent.

  Grocery stores were the only large retailers open. They had signs saying, "compliance arrangements" were to allow people to stock up. All reported gave a closing time. Large private businesses had closed, citing closure of public transportation as the reason. Lists of event cancellations filled entire hours of news broadcasts. Only large private business closures were announced. 'Everyone knew' every large business that served the public had closed. Large hotels had minimum staffs to serve the very few people stranded by public transportation closure, but lobbies were closed and food was only available from room service.

  It hadn't happened all at once, but it hadn't taken long. The transportation industry had shut down gradually, beginning at ticket counters and boarding gates. Only people enroute or returning were allowed to board, but all return tickets were honored, no matter when the return had been scheduled. People had waited for arriving passengers in cars, in parking areas with arrival times listed.

  At seven ten, Silky made a comm call. He apologized for calling early, then explained he was about to lease the house, but had realized he'd prefer to buy it. He had financing "set up," to make immediate cash purchase, if he could get a good price. He'd also made arrangements with the former tenants to refund for their remaining lease period. Essa decided to help.

  "Nev said he'd loan and Danny said pay back whenever. Silky wants to never move again and this house is the right shape for his art collection. Tarn said you're moving rental property investment up there and might be willing to sell the last one down here. Nev knows you already got the tax thump and can't give Silky the same type of pre-tax bargain he got on other houses. Oh, Silky is the editor in the Channel Forty-eight News mobile unit. Bance and Jace are staggering-toward-brewer roommates. Nev's got it all set up but a price, so it will go fast you want to, and ask reasonable for the house."

  "You boys did a great job yesterday, Silky. Fifty-four eight, less than it's worth, but I inherited it and that's what the property up here that I want will cost me. I also want an autographed holo of you three with me at the Fishers' Fair, whenever it happens."

  "I'm stunned, and very flattered. You have a sold house. Comm add Nevin Curran."

  "Good morning."

  "Nev, Gen Michaelson gave me a price I feel a little guilty accepting, fifty-four eight and an autographed holo of us with him."

  "It's all I need on a cash deal. It'll get me a place up here that's need-work price and enough to really fix it up, including a 'viewroom' like you put up. I already heard the price you quoted and I figure this will get me on the top of the list."

  "You're on top and that's for one with a walk. I won't tell you how much less without one because the house price is already fantastic."

  "I want it on the water with a walk. I'm going to make a big old cabin in a beautiful spot 'the' place for two or three couples to vacation ten days. The lease will include a boat to use and I'm putting in a spa. I checked and the place only looks like it's falling down. You were the choice to call to change the looks, if I got it, before I watched you put up that viewroom."

  "Thank you, Gen Michaelson. It sounds like a fun job. Document coming on screen."

  "I'm copying it to use to get that place. I can figure out what to change and take out. I couldn't figure out the language the last one I got was written in. The words were all familiar, but I still needed a translator. Signed."

  "Your turn, Silky."

  "Signed."

&n
bsp; "Money moving."

  "Received and deposited. My grandson didn't mind not going to a beach party last night. I got all I needed, for the house, too. Thank you."

  "Thank you and you're very welcome."

  "I'm scheduled to call MPM at eight. Gen Millert let us in last night, so we could be neighbors, not guests."

  "I'll take care of it, Silky. Help get them moved, Nev. They'll probably be running again. I'm sure IS is working on how to change that order to get exactly what they want."

  "I'm sure they are too, Gen Michaelson. Supplying their officers in the field must be difficult and expensive. We'll get them moved and be ready to comply when they refine the order."

  Essa danced Silky around Day's living room, shoved a cup of tea in one hand and towed him out the door by the other. Day was waiting in his car to take them to Silky's, then get another load. Hammison had given them until ten to get as much done as they could. He needed them on the road making the circuit for morning news updates.

  Silky, Essa and crew were 'assembling' the house, as carefully transported art and sculpture arrived. Some of the crew were getting the yard ready. The owner of Teal Greenery Lawn and Garden would have a trailer, loaded with things that went in it, ready for pickup.

  One of those things was a solarium, but it wasn't going up on tall columns, just high enough to view the sculpture garden. Nev had already picked up a load of materials from the builders' supply loading dock and Case and Stats were building the pedestal for it in the shop in the boathouse.

  Neither business was open, but everything had been comp ordered. The owners hadn't minded being awakened by a door chime, when Bance explained the back-on-the-road-by-ten situation. Even if Silky hadn't gotten the house, though all had felt sure he would, the lease would allow what they were doing in the yard. Unlike the columns, the pedestal could be removed.

  There were many people working, not just the fifteen 'usual' and Bance, Jace and Silky. Other neighbors with capacious vehicles were moving loads. There were people at both ends to pack, load, unload and unpack.

  Case and Stats delivered the pedestal on the loader. They had it set when Nev arrived with the trailer. They moved the snowy white solarium from the trailer to the pedestal. It wasn't so high they needed the high-loader to work comfortably, just high enough to mow under, and so sunlight reached the under, so there was something to mow.

  Case and Stats set up a low scaffold to work on the solarium and Nev moved plants, benches, trellises, three fountains, one into the solarium, and patio furniture, with the loader, then put it on the trailer and took it back to the boathouse. He unhooked the trailer and drove to the apartment. People began loading the LH as soon as he parked. He ran into the apartment and smiled.

  "We're going to have everything done by ten, Bance."

  "I'm alternating between reeling in shock and giggling, Nev. Under two hours is 'not possible.' This is all that's left and Knight and Blade patched, color-bonded and cleaned carpets, as soon as we got rooms clear. We've got five sculptures we want them to move, and probably ride with. They're not just heavy. They've got protrusions we can't pad well enough to assure they wouldn't snap off."

  "When and with whom do you want them to go? This room needs to be clear before patch and color-bond, anyway. We can come back to finish it."

  "All the drivers are careful and good, but I don't know whether we should put them in an open or enclosed vehicle."

  "They really worry you."

  "They're Silky's great-great-great-grandmother's work. That's older than it sounds. They're not the most valuable, but they're the most important. Over here. These."

  "I'll be back with a base pad and enough strapping to double-web them."

  "Thanks. They're actually why Jace and I insisted the sculpture garden be lockable. We weren't worried about theft, just that it will be a pretty place to play and 'oops' could happen too easily. When they saw them, the neighbors all agreed."

  "We'll try to get them there before you leave, but if it's noon before we're sure they're ready to transport, that's when."

  "Thank you. He loves it all, but these are the ones he touches. To him, they're the expression of his family's settlement on this world."

  "Point me to Knight."

  "Front bath, I think."

  Nev gave Knight a fast brief. He said he knew which sculptures and agreed webbing was best. He expected to have the living room patching done before they moved them.

  Nev got back to the LH as the last of the load was being strapped in. He pulled out and Dawn pulled into his place in Knight and Blade's car. The LH was unloaded just as fast. Nev collected every strap they had in the garage and shop, then went back to Silky's new house and got the straps they'd collected. When he got back to the apartment, there were several there. People were leaving. Everything but the five sculptures had been moved.

  Knight and Blade carried the sculptures to the LH and Nev base-webbed them, as they set them in. When all were in the LH, he added diagonal straps to the 'square web.' The upper webbing took much longer. Each sculpture was done separately at the height least likely to cause breakage, if something did cause it to shift.

  Knight, Blade and Dawn came out with the equipment as he finished the last piece. The euipment went in the car with Dawn. Places for Knight and Blade had been left in the back of the LH with the sculptures. They carefully worked their way into them, then signaled they were ready.

  Nev drove north to the belt road, with Dawn following. He increased speed when he got on it, but not a great deal. He hadn't been on it long, when he picked up a police escort. The officer, in the car that came up beside him, signaled to keep going, then got in front and turned on flashing lights. He had two in front and three behind when he reached the northwest curve, and saw why.

  The lead police car pulled in front of one IS vehicle and the rearmost car went around them and pulled up in front of the other. Both officers in both cars got out. One from each car had two hot-take containers in hand. Nev worked to just smile as the other two police officers signaled the 'caravan' to pass between the two IS vehicles. They made it around the curve, out of sight of the IS vehicles, before Knight and Blade burst into laughter.

  The other police cars caught up before they reached the house. The officers in the one that went past were grinning widely. When they got to the house, Chief Dennon was there.

  "That was great!"

  "Thanks, Knight. We sent a car with food to every one of them, here and in other towns. We knew they were setting up for you, but they may not have. Or they smelled food and didn't give a damn. They haven't been supplied and were going from snack shop to snack shop, trying to get enough to eat, until they suddenly went 'that way.' The age and delicacy of those pieces was plenty of excuse for an escort in transit to the installation in a sculpture garden. Silky's flustered. Their first assignment this morning is him telling about those, and the help they got moving them. The head news editor, Wilt Hammison, is doing the live feed from the mobile unit. Essa is holding Silky up in the backyard, and we're about to be on cam."

  "Fantastic! Thank you! This is just a pan of the escort, you and the way the sculptures were transported. We'll do all the talking in the backyard. Silky is not ready to be in front of the cam and Jace and I plan to tease him into relaxing and talking about these the way he has to us. The chief said play you guys down little this time."

  "Please. Special attention from the IS isn't calming. We're very grateful our police are watching over us, as always."

  "Sending those men food didn't hurt a bit. These boys aren't as bad as some, or they couldn't send them here. Right now, we're the ones who fed the dogs and they probably like us a little better than their masters. We at least pretend we're not looking down our noses at them. Our mothers taught us showing it was impolite."

  "Sometimes that's the best you can do."

  "Let's get these loose, carefu
lly."

  The sculptures were gently un-webbed on top, then one-by-one on the bottom. The talk began as the first one was placed. Bance and Jace teased Silky into a blush. He groaned, then relaxed and talked about the sculptures and the history of one of the founding families of the area. He moved from piece to piece, not as they were placed, but in the order in which they came in the story.

  Case and Stats finished setting up the last fountain before he finished talking about the last sculpture, and the sculpture garden was done. Everyone got out of it and Jace panned around, then backed slowly into the house. The last shot was the high white gates in back swinging slowly shut, framed by the paned double doors, with white lace curtains showing through them.

  "Yes! Silky, the boss said he's awed. Check the time."

  "Perfect! I'm only surprised because I'm in here and not out there, Bance. However, he now knows how easy my job is with you two. They're home. This is where they were created. The house was south and east, but it was on the west side. It's beautiful. The whole house is. Thank you all, our wonderful west side neighbors. I dreaded this so much, and it's been an overflowing cup of joy, thanks to you. At this point, the appropriate gesture would be to fix you all great brunch, but I figure we've got a half-minute of thank-you time left, before the boss says hit the road. Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one…"

  "Hit the road! Thanks all!"

  "Thank you!"

  "I'll lock up!"

  "Thanks, Essa!"

  "We'll see you on the news! Mike and Loren have a feed at their place, everyone! They told Chal it was their turn! Come along, Chief?"

  "No, thanks, Nev. I should have already headed back, but I couldn't leave while he was telling about those. He left no doubt they were worth a five-car police escort. Go east two blocks, down and back. Put them both in the boathouse for now. I got you into a little too much attention yesterday. Every good parent and grandparent of a young adult on this world is grateful I did, whether they know it or not, but it's time to get you out of view and off the agenda."

  "I'm going to eat and go back to bed. A lot of us are."

  "This is an amazing amount of work in three hours."

  "I primarily drove around. They patched the walls where those paintings hung, color-bonded and cleaned. All the others packed, loaded, unloaded, built and put this place together. We told some to stay in bed, so someone would be conscious after ten."

  "That's the way we're running today, too. It's going to be real quiet tonight, but nobody's taking the wrap all the way down yet."

  "I don't have an urge to get rid of ours. Most just tucked it up where needed. Chief Dennon, I really like you, but right now, I hope I don't see you soon."

  The chief burst into laughter, nodded and walked toward his car. Nev got in the LH and joined the traffic going east. He smiled when the chief turned around and went west.

  The 'dayshift' were also at brunch on Mike and Loren's patio. Mike noted they were needed to feed people too tired to lift a fork. Blade said he was, but his taste buds and empty stomach were teaming to keep it moving.

  Knight, Blade and Nev had just gotten in the front door, when a lamp came on. They went to the kitchen. Knight tapped, "Ready." The little light blinked, "People united. Stop. 30 days max. Stop. Impossible habit. Stop. Sleep well. Stop. Doc." Knight sent, "Thanks. Stop. We will."

  IS high command still hadn't figured out what to do. Part of the reason was they were losing people. They were parking the IS cars, getting in their own, going home to get something to eat and not going back. IS didn't attempt to do anything about it. If they had, most of their personnel would have run.

  Maintaining comm monitoring had become a problem. There were squabbles over Bremp's 'personal income,' the list of people who paid not to have a secret told, and those who paid, they thought, not to be monitored. Information flow through the computers that monitored conversation in public places was down, so it was doing keyword monitoring on many calls. As the night progressed to day around the world, more hungry IS officers went home.