by P J Strebor
“Do as you’re told and you can live out your life in peace. Or war, if you prefer. What you do with your life is of no concern to me. If you want to honor your pledge to your father you will do as I demand.”
“You’re a real prick, commander.”
“Yes I am. Do you agree?”
Nathan lowered his head and nodded.
“I’ll be keeping my eye on you. Make one slip, divulge one secret, and I’ll know about it. I’ll have you back on Mylor so fast it will make your head spin. Understood?”
Again he nodded.
Four days later the reply to Nathan’s communication arrived.
CHAPTER 10
Date: 18th December, 311 (ASC)
Position: Penkovsky homestead, Mullally Province, Planet Kastoria, Athenian Colonial Space.
Status: Rehabilitation.
Caleb Penkovsky stood by the front door as the air-car touched down on the raised pad. For the first time in many a year he had butterflies in his stomach. Nervous at my age? Well, why not? I’m about to become a father again.
Bernice and the boy embarked from the craft and walked to the homestead entrance.
"Hello, wife." He hugged Bernie too him briefly. They would catch up later.
“Caleb,” Bernie said, “this is Nathan.”
“After all of those communications, it’s good to finally meet you in person.”
"Hello," Nathan said, his voice small, guarded.
He looked more nervous than Caleb felt. No, more than that. He was scared to death.
My God, what did those Pruessen bastards do to him?
"Welcome to Chez Penkovsky," Caleb said, guiding him through the front door. He felt Nathan squirm as he rested his hand gently on his shoulder. "I understand you're a big reader."
Nathan only nodded as he was ushered into the large comfortable main room. His eyes took in the soft furnishings, thick colorful rugs underfoot, colors assailing his senses from every direction. He looked as if he’d never seen a room like this before.
"I like to read."
"Well then you're in luck," Caleb said. "I have a permanent link to the Orbital Space Dock, so you can access the net directly from Athens itself. With a week's delay, of course." He paused for a moment but when no response came he tried again. "We also have a cinema in town. It's an open air set up, not as fancy as what they have within the Republic, but we get by."
Nathan’s forehead creased.
"We were planning on going into town tomorrow night to take in the latest offering. Would you like that?"
"What should I call you?"
The sudden change of direction caught Caleb off guard, but he adjusted quickly. "Oh, you can call me handsome, smart, sophisticated, but don't call after hours." He grinned and Nathan returned the gesture with a tight smile. Well, that’s a start.
"Since you’re part of the family now you can call me Caleb"
"Caleb, I have never seen a vid, ah, movie before, but –”
Caleb’s son jumped into the conversation without invitation. "Where did you come from? The core of the sun?"
"Lewis, behave yourself," Bernice snapped.
Lewis lounged indolently on the couch. Caleb could tell at a glance that the evil green monster had taken possession of his eldest child.
"Nathan, this is our son, Lewis," Bernie said.
Nathan offered his hand to Lewis and received a short, token response.
"Nice to meet you, Lewy," Nathan said.
"Don't call me that," the boy growled. "My name is Lewis, not Lewy, not Lew, Lewis. Got it, runt."
"Mind your manners, Lewis,” Caleb warned. “Nathan is a member of this family and you will treat him with due respect, or I will be displeased. Got it?"
"Yes, father." Before turning away he shot Nathan a narrow eyed look.
"Nathan, this is Lucilla," Bernice said.
Caleb considered Lucilla to favor her mother's side of the family as much as Lewis favored his fathers.
"Hello Lucilla."
"Call me Lucy," she said, making a face at Lewis.
"Sure thing, Lucy." A short lived smile.
Dinner moved along at a civilized pace with Lewis too sullen to make further nasty comments. Lucy badgered Nathan with questions until Bernice told her to mind her own business. Still, she was eleven years old. "Nathan?"
"Yes, Lucy."
"When you were a prisoner of the Pruessens, were you scared?"
"Lucilla Penkovsky!" her mother warned.
Caleb could barely believe it when a smile darted briefly onto Nathan’s face. "It's all right, Bernie," he said, still struggling with his words. He sat for some moments apparently thinking things over.
"I don't remember much of it Lucy,” he tapped the bump above his eyebrow, “but yes it was a difficult time." He passed his eyes over the Penkovsky's finally resting them on Caleb. "I'm very glad to be here."
Caleb nodded minutely.
After dinner, Lucy hugged Nathan and gave him a kiss on the cheek before dashing off to bed. Nathan blushed at her uninhibited show of affection.
A short time later Caleb showed him to his room and said goodnight. He stood by the door for only a few minutes before the sound of Nathan sleeping came to him.
***
The scream tore Nathan from a troubled sleep. He sprang upright in bed, bringing his knife to hand from under his pillow.
"What the frig was that?"
"Ricardo," Lucy said. As if it should be common knowledge to everyone she added, "Ricardo Rooster, Nathan."
Being scared to death by a farmyard animal embarrassed him no end. Now Lucy took an interest in his knife.
"Family heirloom," he said, by way of explanation.
"You sleep with it?"
He smiled while trying to think of how to explain to her exactly why he slept with a knife.
"It keeps away the boogie men."
"You said a bad word."
"Oh. Sorry."
"That's all right," she said bouncing to her feet. "Breakfast in ten minutes."
Nathan fell back onto his pillow and rubbed his face. Right now Telford, no more acting like an idiot. These are good people, show a little respect. With those thoughts firmly in mind he washed, changed into clean clothes and joined the family for breakfast. As he took a seat at the table he got the distinct impression that he and Caleb were underdressed. Lucy wore a frilly yellow dress, Lewis a simple but well tailored suit and Bernice a smart pants suit, beneath her apron. She placed the stack of food before him.
"I hope you like pancakes," she said.
"So do I." He had only a vague memory of pancakes, but after the first delicious mouthful he remembered how much he missed them. His last taste had been nearly seven years ago.
Having attended to her family Bernie sat down. As she ate she glanced at his casual clothing.
"If you look in your closet you will find a new suit."
"Thank you."
"If you hurry you will have time to change before church."
"Church?"
"Hello," Lewis cut in, "it's Sunday, you know."
"Thanks for that, Lew," Nathan said, ignoring Lewis’ disagreeable reaction and kept his eyes on Bernie.
"So, do you like the pancakes?" Bernie asked.
"Great." He tried his first tactic. "Is this church far away?"
"Taylor's Bend is only twenty kilometers away."
"Oh," Nathan said.
"Is something wrong, Nathan?" Bernie asked.
"I'm still pretty tired from the trip, Bernie," he said.
From the corner of his eye he saw Caleb pause with a fork halfway to his mouth. Bernie looked up and after emptying her mouth said, "I see."
Nathan sighed. She does see. "My family believed in that…religious…stuff. Right to the end they believed. I don't and I never will."
"Oh, for goodness sake. All you had to say was you don't want to go to church, N
athan," Bernie said. She looked at her husband who had his tongue tucked into a cheek. "You can stay here and burn with the other non believer if that's what you want."
"What do you say Nathan," Caleb said. "Want to burn with a fellow heathen?"
"Sure."
"It could sting a bit from what I’ve heard."
"You get that," Nathan said, returning to the pancakes.
***
After breakfast Caleb showed Nathan around, introducing him to his chores and giving him a feel for the place. He showed him the harvesting machinery shed, the outbuildings and the comm. shack. Nathan seemed more interested in the sensor network than anything else but listened attentively to all he had to say. It pleased Caleb the way he took to his chores without complaint.
Caleb bumped into him in the kitchen and joined him for a cool drink.
"All done?"
"Yes."
"Good," he said. "How did you sleep last night?"
"Fine."
Caleb had checked on him during the night and knew he was lying.
"Feel like taking a walk?"
By the time they reached the ridge that marked the northern perimeter of the plantation, their clothes were sweat soaked. Nathan raised his face to the sun soaking up the warmth as if he had never felt its touch.
From two and a half kilometers away the high, sand colored compound walls stood like a stark rectangle around the parched white bud of the main homestead building. Spiraling forks of coffee trees radiating out from the rectangle like broad green spokes from a hub.
Moving to one of the nearby coffee trees, Caleb scooped a hand full of moist, black soil into his hand and sniffed it. Nathan followed his move without direction, wrinkling his nose at the slightly acidic scent.
"This is the reason my forebears settled on Kastoria," Caleb said. "This soil will grow anything, but combined with the generous rainfall, equatorial humidity and elevation, that are unique to this region of Kastoria, it allows us to produce the finest coffee in any of the worlds of the Republic. It’s difficult to imagine more perfect conditions for our type of crop."
He pointed to the northern escarpment. "Too high up there." He pointed down to the low plains. "Too dry down there. But this is just right. That is why the niche markets in the capital pay top dollar for our product. And if they don't want the good stuff then they can drink that synthetic swill like everyone else."
Nathan nodded then focused his attention to the far end of the valley. Caleb handed him his spyglass.
"That's our nearest neighbors," he said. "The Okuma homestead. They have a daughter about your age. I think you'll like her."
Nathan spent time examining the entire valley before handing the spyglass back. Caleb held it for a few seconds before making his decision. "I understand you have a birthday coming up soon."
Nathan nodded. In a few weeks he would turn fourteen.
"Well then you can consider this an early birthday present." He handed the spyglass back to Nathan. "Happy birthday."
Nathan’s mouth opened but no sound came out. He shifted uncomfortably, his eyes downcast and mumbled a thank you.
“You’ll find a few features on this that are not standard on commercial brands. I’ve had that since my days in the Marine Service, so I hope you’ll take care of it.”
“I will.” Nathan worked out most of the refinements and asked questions until he understood it all.
"Caleb," Nathan began slowly, "my father said you could be trusted."
"Your father always had remarkably good taste."
"You served together during the Cimmerian war."
Caleb nodded.
"What was it like?" Nathan asked.
"What was it like being a slave of the Empire?"
Nathan stood perfectly still for some time before answering. "You had to be there to understand it." Then the point struck home. "I see."
"Well here's something else to understand. You have not earned the right to ask me that question. Anyone who hasn't served in the military and come under fire doesn't rate an explanation."
"I’ll remember that.” He looked down and scuffed his foot in the soil. “I was just trying to understand the man my father was in those days."
"Lucas Telford was the finest man I have ever known. On the day I heard Bellinda had been lost, I wept, as I had not done since I was your age." He brushed the dirt from his hands. "I will tell you this much. We bled together. And during that time we gave one another a pledge. If one of us were to fall the other would take care of his family. Your father considered the possibility that you might be left alone if the worse that could happen, did happen. And so you are here because of my pledge."
"And mine."
Nathan's eyes wandered along the neatly furrowed lines of coffee trees to where the rain forest brushed up against the firebreak.
"I don't want you straying too far from the homestead Nathan," Caleb said. "There are a lot of dangerous animals outside the perimeter."
A short smirk darted onto Nathan’s face.
"I mean it, Nathan," Caleb snapped.
"All right, Caleb." Whatever he had experienced over the last seven years, the dangers of the rain forest held no fears for him.
"Will you show me the rain forest?"
Caleb nodded, forced down his frustration, and took hold of his rifle that hung from a shoulder strap. Nathan had been eyeing the firearm since they left the homestead.
“Do you know what this is?” he asked, brandishing the rifle.
“I’ve seen an image somewhere, but no.”
“This young man is a seven point six two millimeter caliber, bolt action, repeating rifle. It fires a lead projectile powered by exploding gas.”
“It’s really old, isn’t it?”
Caleb nodded.
“Where did you get it?”
“Abner Lawrence introduced me to it some years ago. He’s an old friend of mine, a former marine. You’ll like him. Anyway Abner has a friend who makes them to order. Mainly for collectors and the like but occasionally for people who simply like its brutal simplicity. If you want to see how it works you can join us next time we go hunting. If that appeals to you.”
“It does.”
Crossing the dusty hundred-meter wide firebreak, they followed the track under the canopy of the rain forest. Caleb stopped to give his eyes time to adjust to the relative gloom. Nathan stood with his head cocked to one side, sniffing the fresh moist odors, listening intently to the silence that accompanied their entry into the overhang. He looked like someone who just returned home after a long absence.
Caleb shifted the hunting rifle in his hands, alert for any sound or movement, and followed as Nathan ventured deeper into the vegetation.
They continued along the track for nearly half an hour, exchanging only brief comments. After stopping to examine several types of dry wood, Nathan found a piece that conjured a smile. Caleb looked on as he propped one end into the firm soil and bent the other end toward him.
Nathan was obviously satisfied with his unusual find. “Caleb, do you have any woodworking tools in your workshop?”
CHAPTER 11
Time: 10th February, 312 ASC.
Position: Taylors Bend, Mullally Province. Planet Kastoria.
Status: Settling in
Moe Okuma's family had been neighbors with the Penkovsky's for as long as she could remember. Of course, to her that had only been fourteen years, but the feeling of fond permanency comforted her. Within an environment like the isolated provinces of Kastoria, your nearest neighbors, even if they lived twenty kilometers away, could mean the difference between life and death. The Okuma's and the Penkovsky's were close not just as neighbors or allies but like an extended family. Life in the provinces differed significantly from those who dwelt within the safety of the larger towns and cities. People of the land tended to have a more unwavering affinity with one another.
The newest addition to
the Penkovsky homestead sat, as he usually did at this time of the day, under the huge plocker tree that grew at the north end of the Taylor's Bend High School. The droopy green tree spread its branches across the small knoll that overlooked the curve in the Arbicore River on which the township of Taylors Bend snuggled.
Lunch time at the school usually involved the speedy consumption of food followed by as much fun as could be squeezed into the remaining time. Apparently, Nathan Telford's idea of fun consisted of isolating himself from the rest of the students to sit under the tree, reading. Alone.
Moe had met him twice, prior to the commencement of the new school year, once at her parent's place and once at the Penkovsky homestead. Visits between the neighboring families were all too rare and everyone looked forward to such occasions making a celebration of each get together.
After dinner at the Penkovsky's, Caleb showed a selection from his vid collection, an event that she always looked forward to. Try as she might to avoid doing so, the antics of Laurel and Hardy always made her giggle like a girl, which embarrassed her no end. She found herself falling into uncontrollable fits of laughter whenever the larger one addressed the long skinny one with such condescension. The words, 'Well Stanley, here's another fine mess you've gotten us into,' caused her to shriek with shamefully girlish behavior. She loved her visits to the Penkovskys.
The two times she had met Nathan he had displayed an extremely closed mouthed attitude. When he did speak he did not seem shy, but kept his comments to a minimum. He seemed unusually nervous around her, yet showed no such reticent around Lucy. Then again, boys had always been a mystery to her. She tried to talk to him but he seemed unwilling to make up the other half of the conversation. Moe began to wonder if there was something about her that he did not like.
By the end of the first week at school, Moe came to understand that his wary attitude had not been directed exclusively at her. He appeared to be incapable of communicating with the other students and his guarded attitude kept him in a state of perpetual uneasiness around them.
