by Chris Hechtl
“Nice to see you too Sydney,” Nate said dryly. “Is that a basilisk?” he asked, pointing to the tapestry.
“Fighting a knight, yeah, a tale of past glory and monsters,” Sydney said. Nate examined the portrait. Unfortunately the basilisk was mid way up the tapestry, difficult to get a good look at unless you were across the room.
“I think the woman chained to the stake is a witch. Or bait,” Sydney said.
“Why would they... oh never mind,” Nate shrugged it off. He blinked as the flash went off.
“Damn it, still not right.”
“So? Composite the image from a lot of smaller ones,” Nate suggested.
“Ah. Yeah, I heard a guy was doing that with redwood trees. I'll have to give it a shot. It should give me the detail I want too.”
“Exactly. Make sure you CC me a copy when you’re done, I want to get a better look at this beasty,” he said. He reached up and touched the basilisk, then pointed to the animal the knight was riding “and that one too.”
“Why? You've already got live images remember?”
“Yes, but I'm curious about this animal the knight is riding. I haven't seen it in the stables. Is it to scale?”
“Oh? Whatever,” Sydney waved it off. “They call them Titans. They've got a few in the stables I think, but not here in the keep. Yeah, yeah. Sure thing,” He shrugged.
Nate snorted. “Don't forget,” he said sitting at the table. A servant put a bowl of porridge in front of him. He smiled politely then picked up a wooden spoon.
“Gee aren't we domesticated,” Sydney said. He looked up just in time for the flash to blind him.
Nate scowled. He hated being on the receiving end of a camera. Being flash blinded also ticked him off. “Damn it Sydney...”
“I'm going,” Sydney sighed. “No one likes a photographer.”
“You mean paparazzi,” Nate growled as Sydney made his retreat. He turned and then went to work on the porridge.
<==={}------------>
Zara came out with an elderly woman on her arm. Carefully she guided her to a bench in the courtyard. The woman sat down with a sigh then patted the princess's arm.
“Who's that?” Ryans asked, nodding his chin to the woman. Answorth nodded. “That's an auntie, a retainer of the house. Unlike some that are heartless we don't sack our old and infirm. Auntie Matilda there is also important because she knows how to make the dyes for clothes and perfumes. She has yet to find a successor,” the lad said shaking his head.
“Oh?” Ryans asked.
“Yes, it's quite hard to keep the... I believe you call them formulas?” he asked. Ryans nodded. “Yes, formulas a secret. There are many and some of the ingredients have their own formulas to make. Finding someone to do all that and put up with the noxious reeking smells is hard.”
Ryans nodded. “I'll bet.”
“She has recently been talking to Miss Wanda though. I hope she can help her. Auntie Matilda is having a hard enough time going up and down the stairs,” Answorth frowned in concern. “We lost two last winter when they slipped and fell and broke bones. It sucks getting old,” he said. He scowled and then glanced towards Ryans. “Pardon my lord.”
“No offense taken, you're right lad, it does suck. But it's all a part of the path of life we've got to learn to accept,” Ryans said shrugging. “Maybe Doc can help. I know she doesn't have much geriatric experience, but what she does know could be applied.”
“Could she?” Answorth asked surprised and hopeful.
“Maybe,” Ryans said and then nodded. “Check with her. Ask her if she has any simple ideas, and ask her for me if she could do a health and welfare check on the retainers for me.”
Answorth nodded smiling and scampered off.
“That'll keep the little twerp busy and out of my hair,” Ryans said turning. “Now what was I going to do again?” he asked himself. He snapped his fingers. Oh yes, check in on the soldiers, he thought.
<==={}------------>
Ryans chuckled softly as he watched the marines running around the field. They were playing a scratch game of American football with a group of soldiers and doing a remarkable job of banging each other up.
He winced when Scooter slammed an opposing lineman to the ground. “Damn, that's gotta hurt,” he said and sighed.
“Yeah, but I've seen some of their games, that branack game...” Ginger chuckled. He looked over to her. She had her hair up in a ponytail and was sipping from a water bottle. She was drenched, and had an icepack on her knee.
“Get hurt?” he asked. She grimaced as she pulled the ice pack away.
“Sprain I think. Not bad, but we can't push it too hard, none of us can afford to be laid up right now.”
“Afraid of being in Doc's not so tender mercies?” he teased. She chuckled looking down.
“Something like that,” she admitted. Sue had warned all of them that if they sent her any more injured she'd do some particularly nasty and unmentionable things to them when they recovered out of retaliation.
“What is this all about?” the general asked coming up behind him with his aide. Ginger grimaced and then rolled her eyes just out of their line of sight.
“Scratch game of American football general. What’s it looking like?” Ginger replied taking another sip of water. She got up gingerly and tossed the pack towards the cooler. “I'm going to hit the shower before the neanderthals beat me to it. Let me know who wins,” she said. She waved then hobbled off.
“Game?” the aide asked, disgusted with the very idea. “Children play games,” he said with a disdainful sniff.
“Of a sorts, it's also a bit of a training exercise. American football uses military tactical theory for planning. There is an offense and a defense,” Ryans pointed to each side. “The objective is to get the ball across your goal line... and stop the enemy from doing that to you.” He shrugged as the two groups came together.
“Seems... childish,” the aide said then watched as a runner feinted back and forth then dodged two soldiers trying to tackle him as he sprinted for the goal line.
“What you just saw there was a variation of a flanking maneuver. The other team tried to prevent it but failed,” Ryans explained shading his eyes against the waning light.
“Ah,” the general nodded. The teams set up for a kick off. The kick went though then they set up for another.
“Now that there has been a goal they will go another round. The game is divided into four quarters. This is iron man football actually. None of the men are taking breaks and they are wearing little if any protective gear,” Ryans explained smiling. “It's a good way to toughen them up and build bonds of trust between the men.”
The general nodded again. They watched the kick, then the reception and charge down the field. Ryans turned away as the receiver was caught and tackled.
“What can I do for you general?” he asked. They turned away and started walking back to the barracks. The aides snuck glances over their shoulders from time to time.
“Well, I was ah, was going over the logistics of the march. We're going to either need more trailers towing food wagons, or we're going to have to set up stations ahead of time. Now the problem with the first is it slows the march to a crawl... the problem with the second is...”
Chapter 12
“Hi ya boss, come to dump more on me?” Charlie asked tiredly. She sat back on her stool as he sat on the edge of the desk.
“Feeling a little overwhelmed?” he asked, crossing his arms. Charlie was decidedly frazzled, normally curly hair sticking up here and there and her ponytail was slack. She had circles under her eyes but that was nothing new, they all did.
“Or underwhelmed, take your pick. God, I don't think I've made a dent,” she sighed. She threw her hands up in the air. “What's the next emergency priority project?” she demanded. “More penicillin? More ether for Doc? Glucose? Saline? Bleach? Rubbing alcohol? Soap? No, they've got soap except it's made with lard and sucks... Shampoo? Methane? No? Pla
stic explosives? How about latex for a thousand and one things?” She said throwing her hands up in the air in disgust. “I just had Perry in here chewing my ass about the gun cotton and why can't I just skip to cordite and modern explosives. He pulls that shit again and I'll shove a wad up his ass and light the fuse myself,” she snarled. “God there's so much to do, so many projects; I'm not making a dent in anything!”
He chuckled as she glared at him, and then her eyes finally relaxed as she chuckled as well. “Feel better?” he asked smiling as he got up. He went around her and rubbed her shoulders. She groaned head down, chin on her chest eyes closed.
“God, now I do. Trying to sleep on that straw mattress is for the birds,” she said in disgust. She waved to her room beyond. “I haven't got fleas or ticks yet thank god.” He snorted. He like all the gaijin using the native beds had been thankful of that little blessing.
“Rope and straw. Stupidest combination,” she murmured, enjoying his ministrations.
He sighed. “We'll get it fixed. Even if I've got to yank one of the mattresses out of one of the vehicles or set up an air mattress here,” he said.
She groaned. “God yes, today. Definitely before I go to bed,” she groaned. She sighed wiggling her hands then hissing and rubbing her calf.
“Cramp?” he asked concerned. Sergio looked up, snorted and then went back to work mixing something or other.
She hissed, rubbing it and pointing her toe straight. It didn't seem to help. “God yes, been in this stool too long.”
“Well, we can fix that.” He pulled her off of the stool and then showed her an exercise to relieve the cramp. He had her stand with her forearms on the wall, legs straight and back, toes pointed up as she leaned forward. It stretched the abused muscle, getting rid of the cramp. Once she felt better he took her by the elbow and walked her out.
“Where we going?” she asked. “I've got stuff to do. Not that I'm not complaining or anything...”
“We are going to go nab Doc and maybe Mary and then you are going to put up with me as we eat. You need more water and potassium to keep the cramps to a minimum. Stretching exercises too,” he said. He nodded politely to a guard.
“I ah, need to get back to work...” she said turning but he kept a grip on her elbow.
“Sergio can handle it for now; you're in for a break. Besides, you asked if you're making a difference, I think it's time you saw.”
He led her to the medical wing, and stopped inside. Charlie looked around blinking and wrinkling her nose.
“Yeah I know, bleach, but it got the muck and grime off the walls and floor,” he said smiling. She nodded. “Your handiwork I believe?” he asked, smiling and bowing slightly to her. She nodded again and straightened. “You do realize we're now almost totally out of bleach right?” She shrugged. He smiled a little more and then turned to the open door. “Ready for lunch Doc?” he called.
She waved. “Just a second,” Sue said. She was giving a man an injection, and then she explained something to the nurse on duty. The nurse nodded and made a note on a clipboard.
“The clipboard is from Max, simple lever and spring and a slab of wood. Simple really,” Ryans explained nodding. “Paper was already here, you just improved it with bleach again, and a couple of other chemicals.”
Charlie blinked and then turned to glare up at him. He smiled. “Come on,” he said. He led her over to the patient.
“Who's this Doc?” he nodded his chin to the patient.
“This is Cedric, he got cut by a saw and it became infected. We've cleaned the wound with the wood grain alcohol and now we're giving him some of the penicillin Charlie here whipped up in her lab,” Sue said as she smiled her thanks to Charlie. “Thanks for that, you have no idea how much it's going to impact these people. The bleach too... just as soon as the smell goes away,” she grimaced and waved her hand in front of her nose.
“Can't open a window?” Charlie asked wrinkling her nose.
“We've got a couple cracked open but the damn insects come in and eat everyone alive,” Sue said in disgust. The patient shivered a little. “Relax son, just relax,” she said. She patted the young man's shoulder.
“Muslin, or cheese cloth,” Charlie mused, head down, hand on her chin. “It'll let the light and air through but keep the insects out. Silk screen too.”
“Good idea,” Sue said smiling. “Wish I had thought of it earlier.” She turned to a nurse and murmured an order to her. The nurse smiled brightly and then smiled to Charlie.
“Looks like that was a hit,” Ryans said nodding. “Even the simplest things can have enormous impact,” he said. Charlie glared again as Doc moved off.
“Where did she go?” Charlie asked.
“To wash up,” the nurse answered. Charlie nodded.
When Doc was done she nodded and then joined the two of them. Quietly they made their way through the halls to the kitchen. Charlie moved to go into the dining hall but Ryans intercepted her. “Just a moment,” he said. He steered both of them into the kitchen.
“Call it a surprise inspection,” he said smiling as they walked in. Charlie saw Sue suppress a shiver just as they entered.
Both were surprised by the changes. The dark, grimy kitchen had been cleaned; they could smell the scent of bleach here as well. Some of the counters were now stone or tile, others were still wood. Containers of cleaners with rags were nearby in an alcove.
Clean pots and utensils hung from hooks over counters and the stoves.
Dirty utensils were in a new metal sink. Food was being washed in a separate sink before being cooked. Doc shook her head. “Your doing?” she asked to Ryans.
He shrugged. “Bit of a group effort. Personally I like the stove design,” he said. He pointed to the pair of metal stoves. Each was a box, cast iron and new. They had burners on top for cooking, and ducts to channel the smoke up the chimney. There was even a box for an oven. A baker pulled a loaf of bread out with a pizza spatula and flicked it onto a counter to cool.
“It's new actually, they got it in yesterday,” Ryans said. He gave the nearest cook a polite nod and wave. “They're boiling water in pots until they get the hot water tanks installed,” he said. He pointed to the area where crates and barrels were stacked. “Over there I believe. At least for now, it'll have to be filled by hand until we can run pipe. That's another project altogether,” he said. He shook his head grimacing. They would need cisterns on the roof tops to get a gravity assist as well as pumps. They would need to draw the water from the well, which meant... he shook the engineering quandary off for now.
“I think we get the point,” Charlie said smiling as her stomach rumbled. “Think we can eat now?”
Sue chuckled, “If you insist.”
Ryans smiled as a waiter approached. “Can you set the three of us up with those sandwiches I showed you and Casius yesterday Mich?” The waiter nodded smiling.
“Thanks, we'll go find a table,” he said. He bowed slightly and walked out of the kitchen entrance to the dining room with the girls.
In the dining hall he smiled slightly as both women looked around. Bleach had been used here as well, not as thoroughly and liberally as in the kitchen and medical wing, but it did have an impact. The tables and chairs were scrubbed and cleaned; some of the wood now had a glossy stain and looked almost new.
Deidra spotted them and nodded. She was sitting with a lord and lady near the royal section.
Ryans led them over to a small dining nook and seated each woman. Deidra made polite excuses to her lunch date and came over. He noted the princess's cool expression and smiled. She was dressed in one of her outfits but it had been re-tailored recently to sport more cleavage and leg.
“Just making sure the ladies here get fed. They keep forgetting to keep a regular feeding schedule,” he said with a polite smile.
Both Terran women gave him a dirty look then rolled their eyes to Deidra who was thawing. “Men, can't do anything with them, can't shoot them,” Sue said smiling.
“Amen,” Charlie snorted sitting.
“So, what do you think? Or should we go for a longer tour Charlie?” he asked seating Deidra. She seemed to preen as he pulled the chair out for her and then pushed it in.
“What tour?” Sue asked.
“Nothing and no, I got the point,” Charlie replied, giving Ryans a quelling look.
“What point?” Sue asked, sounding annoyed.
“I was feeling sorry for myself until Ryans here shook me out of it,” Charlie said blushing slightly.
“Men aren't always known to have their foot in their mouths, sometimes we're useful,” he said with a slight twist of his lips.
“Surprising that,” Charlie said smiling slyly at the other women who smiled back.
“Oh ha ha,” Ryans joked as he sat. “I was thinking though, now that you've got the basics down, how about spinning some of it off, and maybe taking on an assistant or two? Or more?”
“Got one. Sergio remember?” Charlie asked. Which wasn't really true, Sergio assisted both her and Wanda and attended to his other duties.
“No, he's got a point Charlie; you need some native help too. You need to teach some of them to do some stuff, even if its basic stuff,” Sue interjected. “I've had a lot of teething problems with my staff, but we're getting them ironed out. The language barrier and reading is still our biggest problems. They're eager though!” she smiled.
“That's a blessing and a curse you know. The last thing I need is for someone to mix oh... bleach with ammonia,” Charlie deadpanned. Deidra gave her a curious look.
“It's bad dear, deadly if you breathe it in,” Charlie explained.
Sue nodded, totally sobered by that idea. “Yeah.”
“Well, we've got to set up the school soon. I'd like to run some of the more flexible adults through it. And some of the chemicals you make could be better made in a factory environment. Bleach for one,” Sue said tapping the table. “Heard you ran out?” she asked giving Ryans a look.
He shrugged. “Only so much to go around. The medical wing and kitchen had priority. Now that Charlie's got the bugs out we can get a couple of people to train to make it then have them make it in quantity.”
