Derek leaned over. “Sheridan—the wall.”
“One thing—anyone who lives towards the highway and to the north of us will have to be moved south of us. If civilization—and our government—has indeed fallen the escarpment forms a wall of defence that we will be capitalizing on. Living outside the wall means I can’t protect you,” she explained. “Which means some people are going to have to open their homes to strangers to share. I am one of those people.”
“What wall?” asked a man. “Did I miss something here?”
“Yeah, what wall?” came another voice.
Derek whistled and they quieted down.
“I’m turning the floor over to Derek, who is handling defences.”
Sheridan stepped to the side and Derek stepped into where she had been.
“Basically, along the escarpment we want to build a wall. At first, it will be a timber wall to prevent foot traffic from easily slipping past our defences if we need to defend our resources,” Derek began.
Lorraine did not like where this was heading. If Derek thought it was necessary, then they were in dire straits and she could tell she was not the only nervous at the disclosure.
“Listen to me,” came Sheridan's voice. “This is going to be the hardest thing we have ever done, or considered doing. And if it’s not necessary, then fantastic—we lost nothing and kept our hands busy while waiting this out.” She took a breath. “But if it is necessary, then the two ounces of prevention will beat the pound of cure we will need if it comes to it. I would sleep better at night, knowing we took the precaution rather than not, and I know you all would too.”
It seemed to settle matters, but Derek’s next words did not. “That means we need volunteers to help build this wall and I won’t lie and say it's going to be easy—especially without power tools. That’s why we need to share tools. Axes, saws… if it can knock down a tree and dig a trench to sink these poles into, we’re going to need them. And eventually we’re going to be making a stone wall to reinforce that timber wall.” He took a breath. “It is going to be back breaking and hot work in summer. But we still need to create temporary measures in a timber wall made from leaning logs and lashing them together and that will be both back breaking and cold.”
“Can we not create an ice wall instead?” asked the same man that had been the most vocal.
Sheridan tried her best to spot the man who asked the question and it was Derek who answered, “It's something to think about, certainly. And would make the eventual permanent wall easier to build around if we didn’t have to take down the other wall.”
“Excuse me, sir,” said Sheridan. “You seem to be quite interested in this. Can I ask your name?”
“Dr. Rick Kuretsky, Director of the Goodman School of Mines at Laurentian University,” he answered. “I’m surprised Derek didn’t recognize me.”
“No kidding,” admitted Derek. “What would you suggest, Rick?”
“Well, everything you have so far is good, but building a timber wall in the winter is going to be brutal. The ground is rock solid frozen and finding good trees that will suit is better done near the end of the growth season,” he suggested. “If we pack the snow, it will settle solid like cement just as well as any rock wall and we have months until the thaw, if I’m not mistaken, which means the wall will serve the entire winter and can be erected far easier and faster than what you’re suggesting.”
“Can you oversee that?” asked Derek.
“So long as I have someone helping me, sure,” he answered.
“Done,” agreed Derek. “With that being said, what do we have in the way of expertise in the room right now?”
“Before you start yelling up at us with what you can do,” interrupted Sheridan, “those who have professional or near professional medical experience, whether human or veterinary, go to the kitchen. If you have some sort of engineering background or trade skills in construction, go to the dining room half of the living space. If you have culinary—professional or not—stay in the living room. If what you can do doesn’t fall into that, move into the entry area under this balcony and we will figure it out individually.”
Everyone reorganized themselves accordingly.
“Okay, let’s get this party started,” said Sheridan in a lower voice as she turned to Derek. “Derek, can you sort out what is going on downstairs?”
“You got it,” he said as he headed downstairs.
“We’ll reconvene when we all have a sense of what is what,” said Sheridan. “Keep it short. We still have others we need to save.”
She leaned on the rail as she watched everyone below and Marissa walked up to her side. “Do you really think it’s all gone?” asked Marissa.
“I have no idea,” answered Sheridan, shrugging her shoulders. “But even if it hasn’t we have a responsibility to keep those we can alive until help arrives. If it has, then we have an even larger responsibility.”
“Do we?” asked Marissa, lifting a brow. “It seems to me like someone is taking too much onto her own damn shoulders again…”
“… Wonder who that could be,” agreed Lorraine as she joined them on the landing. “Why not concentrate on what’s under our roof before worrying about the rest of the area, Sheri?”
“Because I can,” answered Sheridan.
“Can does not always equate to should, Sheri,” pointed out Marissa as she watched Derek climb the stairs. “Like should also doesn’t mean you can. Just remember the difference.”
Derek jogged up the stairs to the landing and noticed Lorraine had joined the group. “Hello, Lorraine, I’m a bit surprised to find you up here.”
“Sheridan wanted my input from the ground, so to speak,” said Lorraine.
With a nod, he stepped up into their little circle as Shiloh joined them.
“So, what do we have?” asked Sheridan.
“In the trades you have Rick with engineering degrees of some sort. In skilled trades we have four Masters—Tyrell is a Master Welder, Pavi is a Master Stonemason, with landscaping experience. We then have Jason and Jean who are both Master level mechanics. As for the journeymen… well… we have a bit of everything. We also have two apprentices. One is an apprentice wood framer and the other is a roofer. We easily have what we need to rebuild if it comes to it,” said Derek. “A little of everything may not be great on one thing, but at least we’re not missing anything critical.”
“That’s a good thing,” pointed out Marissa.
“So, if civilization is truly gone, we have those here who will be able to preserve and teach our next generation,” said Sheridan, and Derek looked up sharply. “Also critical to a healthy community.” She quickly moved on and looked over at Lorraine. “Gramma?”
“Well, of those in the kitchen you have everything you could need support wise. A lot of homemakers and at least one professional chef from the city, as well as a dietitian.”
“And, in my corner we unfortunately only have me as the only licensed medical doctor... or doctor period. But, we do have four nurses and three personal support workers,” sighed Sheridan. “Other than Shiloh… as the vet. With that, I can run a small clinic and emergency hospital for triage. I can’t do anything intensive with what we have right now, but it’s better than nothing.”
Derek looked over at her with a quirked eyebrow. “Not even a MASH unit?”
She punched his arm playfully and he rubbed it while sticking his tongue out in her direction. She turned serious and looked at the four of them. “Okay, we need to run a town and I guess since there’s at least twenty of our neighbours here that the Manor is now Town Hall. We automatically assume that anything outside is hostile until proven otherwise,” she decided.
“Who leads this dog and pony show?” asked Lorraine.
“We call for a vote,” suggested Sheridan.
“Oh hell no,” said Derek. “I have no issue with helping people and sticking our necks out, but voted out of your own home? No way. Sorry. You’re the Mayor, Tow
n Reeve, or whatever you want to call yourself and I’ll back you up on it.”
Sheridan looked ready to object, but Marissa quickly added, “If they don’t like it, they can fend for themselves.”
“I’m with Marissa on this, Sheri,” said Derek, sighing and shaking his head. “This is your house—bought and paid for by you and Terrence and with both of your money. With his death that makes it completely yours. You can share what you have so we all survive, and they will make things both easier and harder on us. We could have survived without them here—but they will make life easier later. If you want to smooth alliances now, that's all fine and good. But you need to stay in control.”
“Why Sheridan?” asked Lorraine. “Why not Shiloh?”
“I don’t own the property,” said Shiloh. “It has to be Sheridan.”
“If I’m the ‘Lady of the Manor’ as you put it, then we will need to present a unified front. No countering or questioning me in the open. I have no issue with concerns brought to my attention, but there is a time and a place for it,” she decided finally. “Are we together on this?”
“Absolutely,” answered Derek.
“About time,” breathed Marissa as she looked up at the sky.
Lorraine paused. “I still don’t like this whole thing, but I’ll stand by it. Derek made his point abundantly clear and I’ll stand by your decision to agree with it.”
“None of us like it, Gramma,” pointed out Shiloh. “But it’s the only way to survive this and still come out ahead.” She looked at Sheridan. “I’m behind you all the way.”
Sheridan nodded and then turned to face the crowd below, whistling to get everyone’s attention. Derek nodded to Sheridan to come forward once all was silent.
Sheridan looked down at the expectant faces and realized, Every single last person here is counting on me to bring them through this… Now I’m about to place myself as their Lady… perhaps even their Queen. Can I do this?
She looked over at her family. Derek nodded as he knew what she was thinking and Sheridan took another breath to steel herself. Should I do this? She looked down again. What right did she have to demand the equivalent of fealty to her in exchange for survival?
Sure, it was her property—they were here on her sufferance.
But they were living, intelligent beings and she was about to proclaim herself their Lady to whom they owed their lives and if they didn’t like it… leave? But then again, what choice did any of them have? If she did not lead them there was no way any of them could survive the winter.
She took a few moments, considered her choice. She said, “Ladies and gentlemen, after careful consideration I have decided that there is only one real way we can possibly survive the winter and then the future. If civilization has indeed fallen, then it falls to us to create it anew. In this room is more than enough talent and expertise to do that. Each person here has a purpose—a reason to be here.
She paused to let her words sink in. “If Canada is truly no more, then what are we left with? So many of you have already told me that on your way here, when you checked on your neighbours, you told me that over three quarters of them were already dead. Frozen to death in their sleep or while trying to huddle around a long dead candle.
Again she paused. “We know that if we are seeing that here and now, then it is likely everywhere. I hope not, but the reality is this means only one thing—our government has collapsed in on itself. There is one predominant historical precedent and that was Rome. I believe we are seeing the end of ancient Rome all over again in Canada. I hope it’s only in Canada and that eventually international help may yet still come but I have my doubts. If it were coming it’d already be here and our radios filled with at least their reassurances—not that we have any power for them.”
People were exchanging eye contact as she described out how bad things had become. Someone was finally saying out loud what everyone already knew within themselves.
“So does that mean we fall with it? No!” she cried out. “Does that mean we let it all crumble around us? Again, I say no! Not when each of us can rebuild it. We have the artisans, the tradespeople and the scholars among us to preserve it. We have the ability to rebuild it—even if in this little corner of our world. And perhaps, like another great Empire that eventually built itself out of the ashes of fallen Rome we may do the same.” She paused for a second and shrugged. “Probably not in our lifetime but it is an aim we can aspire to.”
There were some chuckles in the crowd while Sheridan took a short breath. From the despair of knowing the world had ended, Sheridan had provided them with a spark of hope in its place. The easy part of regaining that hope and giving it back to them was over.
Now came the hard part.
“But we can’t do it without leadership and someone at the helm of this ship. Someone pointed out to me that we are using my land as the core of our new community and that you are looking to me for leadership,” she added. “Which means I will be that leader, and anyone who does not wish to follow me is free to leave. I will not force you to stay or share, and you are welcome to return later. But make no mistake—this is still my land and you are all on my property. It is because of what I have built here that you now live through another night. It is because I have decided to allow this and defend you past the wall on that escarpment that this becomes possible.”
All eyes were focussed on Sheridan as her words redefined their world. The silence was profound as small conversations suddenly stopped in shock.
“So… you’re our Queen now?” Rick's voice was hesitant.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” she answered and she was more than a little horrified at the thought.
“Why not?” asked another in a thoughtful tone. “You have a point. This is your land and we’re here on your mercy. You could have turned us away or turned us out, but you didn’t. You could have then demanded we accept this… and you didn’t. I’d say that sounds like a right and proper Queen.”
“First, I don’t have enough territory to go that far,” answered Sheridan honestly. “And this house is far from a castle or a fort. Call me Reeve, Mayor or some other term. Or call me the Landowner… or even call me what I worked the hardest to get and that would be ‘Doctor Wither’ and you’d be correct and I’d answer to it. I’m not pompous enough to go past that and all the way to Queen.”
“Fair enough,” admitted Rick.
“Anyone who doesn’t agree with this decision is free to leave at first light tomorrow morning,” said Derek as he pushed himself up straighter as he leaned on the rail in view of everyone. “We won’t force you to make any snap decisions. Think on it and sleep on it. If you’re still here by noon tomorrow, we’ll know you’ve decided to stay on under our terms.” He looked around. “Now, I’ll ask if anyone has decided to stay, even with those terms, then I need some volunteers. We said we wanted to go after survivors. We need to discuss who can go look for survivors and can start out at first light tomorrow.”
Hands went up in the crowd and the number surprised them.
“All of you?” asked Derek, the surprise clearly in his tone. “Who is actually leaving—doesn’t like the terms?”
“Can I say something?” came Jeremy’s voice.
“Go ahead,” said Sheridan.
“I’m with that other person who said you should be Queen. I think I speak for most people here. If you want to keep us around, you’re the boss and we’ll gladly work under your terms as you’ve laid them out. You’ve treated us fair and been honest so far I can’t see you suddenly changing now.”
There were nods of assent throughout the crowd and Sheridan smiled as she looked down at everyone. “Good… can I come down from here now? I do my best thinking on the ground and in the team, not above it.”
CHAPTER TEN
Daniel knew that there would be another attack soon and he was glad that Lescelle had ordered everyone to increase the solidity of the barricades.
The barricades now resem
bled to a wall made of cement and other bits and pieces of debris. Sharpened spikes and barbed wire topped the wall to prevent anyone from climbing over the barricades.
The wall would prevent the square being overrun by gangs of half-wild raiders.
“Should we open fire?” asked Lescelle.
Daniel shook his head. “Why are you asking me?”
“Could use the input here,” admitted Lescelle.
“Only if they look like they might actually breach the wall. If not save the ammo for when we need it,” suggested Daniel.
The clamour from outside the wall was almost deafening and the chanting was sociopathic. But the chanting and taunting was all meant to do one thing—get those inside to do something incredibly stupid by going outside, thereby opening the gate for the now neo-barbaric horde to swarm inside.
Lescelle let out a deep sigh and said, “I shudder to think of what happened to any of the better citizens of our city got left outside.”
“I’m not very happy about this either,” answered Daniel. “But we’re not much good to them if we’re dead.”
“No argument there,” said Lescelle. “We will have to venture out eventually to find supplies. What’s left inside that cafeteria and the few vending machines is now running dry. We’re out of food.”
“Assemble a team, then,” said Daniel. “Send them out at the break of dawn to see if they can find anything, but make sure to send them in the opposite direction of the mall. I think the gangs are coming from there.”
Lescelle nodded and as Daniel turned to leave he whistled to get his attention. “How’s Fitz doing?”
“Better,” answered Daniel, finally smiling. “Already being a pain in my ass, as usual, but better.”
“Looking forward to meeting this lady who not only kept two of Harnet’s henchies off your ass, but managed to survive on snow melt and by keeping herself warm using the mail room’s supply of paper as kindling,” said Lescelle, as he shook his head. “The others are calling her Iron Lady.”
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