C j cherryh, p.3
C J Cherryh, page 3
“What’s to stop them?”
Amos gave him one of those guarded looks and bit thoughtfully at the sandwich, swallowed again. “Well, Mr. Merritt, it’s just well known onHestiathere’s things in the forest that don’t like axes; and some of them are downright clever about showing it. Little trees nobody misses; but you cut down a big one, now, a really old one, well, your fences could fall down or your livestock could die or your house could catch fire.”
“Truth?”
“Truth.And another truth, friend-when you start building your dam up at Burns’ Station and backing a lake up into the Upriver, you’re going to flush a few things out of there that none of us are going to want for neighbors. But the lake has to be. We’ll solve the other problem when it meets us on our own grounds.”
“Maybe the dam shouldn’t be built there. Maybe it would be better to create several smaller reservoirs up-river.”
“Huh. You’ll getHestians into the Upriver when rain falls up.”
“Because you’re convinced something lives there. But you tell me then, Mr. Selby, how a group of minded beings could have been missed in the first survey and then live next to a human colony for a hundred years without leaving something in the way of tangible evidence they exist.” “We got plenty of evidence.Dead men and livestock.”
“Animals could do that. It doesn’t takesapients .” “Didn’t claim theywas human.But clever and mean, yes. Friend, you’re in the middle of civilization right now. When you’ve lived next to anUpriver woods for a month or so, you’ll believe in a lot of things.” He galvanized himself into sudden action, put down the food and took the wheel, for they were coming into shallow water, little ripples to the starboard side. A house sat on that side, between trees and inlets of floodwater. Heaps of flood-borne brush were banked along thehighwater mark, and what land was not flooded was pitted with small lakes permanent enough to grow reeds in profusion. “See that place?” Amos asked.
“Looks like that farm is lost.”
“You set foot out there and you’d go in up to your knees even where it looks solid.Can’t work it any more, no way. Only survival crops will grow there now, and that just summertime vegetables.Nothing much. The river used to keep its banks here and this was a beautiful farm. There were levees and a house nearer the river when I was a boy. They lost two children when the first house went. Rebuilt then. The old man lost his wife in the flood this spring. Now he sits in that house with the windows all out and not enough to eat and takes shots at anyone that comes onto his land. He may be dead now. I passed this way by night and didn’t see a light. So he’s likely gone, or out of lights.Same with this whole forsaken riverside. We know the score, but it’s our world, and we’ll stay in spite of all them that try to make us go. You want to understandHestia , friend outsider, well, understand that old man. Understand us that lets him stay. We got no use for Earthmen and Earthmen’s attitudes. Mother Earthain’t our mother, and I don’t know why you come out here, but I’m sure you’ve found out by now that we haven’t got it. We’re a little touchy in temper; a lot shy of outsiders’ help. But you help us on our terms: that’s help. That’s help we can do with. Maybe you got the sense to see that. I hope so.” “If I have to build where you say build, I can’t guarantee anything; but if that’s the way you want it, that’s what you’ll get. I’ll tell you my opinion on it, but I’ll do it if that’s my only choice.”
“You know, thereain’t a man or woman onHestia that don’t know they could pack up and ride the next starship out. But no one’s done it, not one. We’re stubborn. We stay.”
“You think you have the resources to stop the river?” Amos frowned. “Well, about that, I don’t know.I seen the river win every round so far. But we just give a little when it does.” Merrill had expected the boat to tie up at some dock to spend the night: it was a good many days’ traveling to Burns’ Station. But well after dusk she was still running along at a much reduced speed, with nothing in sight but the distant lonely lights of an occasional house on thesouthside ridge. The slap and suck of water at the moving hull, the monotonous slow sound of the engine, were all alone in the dark. Celestine held the center of the channel, with one dim lamp burning outside the wheelhouse.
At last, while Amos took the wheel again after a long rest, Jim opened up the only cabin space Celestine had, a low-ceilinged and poorly ventilated hole under the wheel-house, into which it was only possible to crawl. Jim went first;
Merritt followed, found thin mattresses and a nest of sheets, cushioning from the bare planking. A little light found its way through louvers, and a cold wind relieved the stifling warmth; but the engine made a deafening racket and sent a vibration through the very planking of the deck, making sleep doubtful. “It’s the best we got, Mr. Merritt,” said Jim. “I know you’re used to better, but that deck gets cold before morning. There’s more comfort here.” Merritt worked his way to the center of one pallet, and fought the sheet and blanket into order in the dark. The sweat began to run on his face. He rolled onto one arm in the narrow space and began to work himself out of the jacket and boots, with the slow chug of the engine jarring his bones. “Do you go at this by shifts, you and your father?”
“Yes, sir.At least on this stretch, where there’s no safe dock to tie up to. Can’t run a cable to shore just anywhere, ‘less you’re willing to take on all sorts of pests. That’s why Dad andme do most of our sleeping by daylight.Safer that way.”
Merritt turned on the pallet, drawing a single sheet up against the roughness of the blanket. “I guess there might be something in it. I don’t seem to appreciate just what you do have to contend with-or a lot else onHestia , for that matter.” “It must be something-to travel aboard one of the star-ships.” Merritt frowned at the unexpectedly wistful tone, regarded the boy curiously in the barred light from the louvers. “I didn’t thinkHestians entertained such ideas,” he said, and almost before the last word had left his mouth he guessed he should not have said it.
“Did they tell you that?” the youthasked, suspicion hard in his voice.
“What?”
“That I’m halfoffworlder ? Or does it stand out that bad?”
“No, no one mentioned it. I didn’t know it.”
The boy sank back, bars of light rippling over face and arm and into dark. “No matter, then. Forget it.”
“Do you ever think of taking one of those shuttles offHestia ?” Merritt asked. “No.” And a moment later: “That’s a lie. But I got too much here and too little elsewhere. There’s a lot of downriverHestians that have my kind of beginning; and they just stay downriverHestians -whichain’t much, if you knowHestia .New Hope ’s a sinkhole. But this old river- he’s something else. This isHestia . You don’t know ustil you know the upper valley. And that’s the thing the star-ships have never touched. -Yes, I’ve thought of leaving. I’ve thought of it every year I watch one of those big silver ships go up out of sight. But I got no idea what they go to, and I know that the Millers and theBurnses and so on are waiting for Celestine. So we’re back upriver again.”
Chapter 3
Burns’ Station hove up against a cloud-rimmed sky, sun-stained wisps of fleece against black, bristling bills, and the station itselfless farm than hill-fort, house and girdling walls andoutstructures of stone set high on a promontory where the river bent. The facing height was dark with woods, but the trees were cleared back at a considerable distance on the occupied side, providing a measure of farmland and pasturage.
Dusk was settling thick by the time Celestine chugged in to the floating dock. Two blasts of the whistle brought a stir of life from the hill, gates opening, lantern-bearing men hastening down the face of the promontory on wooden steps. There was no lack of hands to receive the cables: Jim hurled one coil from the bow and Merritt cast the second from the stern, hastened to help Jim run out the plank, while the engine fell away into silence and Amos joined them at the gangway.
Hands reached to steady them, friendly faces lantern-lit, all male and most bearded. Jim went first and shook hands and pounded shoulders; Merritt followed into the commotion, ignored for Amos, who came after. “Engineer,” Amos said of him, and there was a cheer and no scarcity of hands held out in welcome. “My equipment,” Merritt protested as the lantern-bearers began to climb; but some men stayed and began to unload for them, and he let himself be guided up the wandering board steps, up and up to the station’s open gates. Another group waited inside them, in the dirt yard, where there was a blaze of torches, where slits of windows in the stone house showed yellow of firelight, and big square windows on the upper floors blazed friendlier welcome. A great red-haired fellow came out from the rest to Amos and grasped his offered hand in friendly violence, then looked at Merritt, face frozen in a remnant of a smile.
“Frank,” said Amos, “meet Sam Merritt. We got ourselves an Earthman engineer.
· Sam, this here’s Frank Burns. The Burns, head of station.”
Burns grinned pleasantly and thrust his big hand toward Merritt. “So they heard us. But-“ heasked suddenly, looking beyond them to the others, “wasn’t there supposed to be more of you? You got no crew, no helpers?”
“I’m afraid not,” said Merritt
“Wait a minute now,” said a balding man to Burns’ left. “Earth promised us at least two men and a work crew.”
“I’m sorry,” said Merritt. “I’m all you’ve got.” There was an angry murmuring from some present, that made Merritt suddenly doubt his welcome and his safety, but Burns set a heavy hand on his shoulder and looked at the man who had objected.
“Mr. Merritt,” Burns said, “wantyou to meet Tom Porter. Tom’s a neighbor ofours, come up to wait out whatCelestine’d bring us. Tom Porter’s holding’s big as ours and right next, lots offamilies in Porter’s Station, but they use our landing.”
“Mr. Porter.” Merritt accepted the offered hand. “Glad to meet you,” Porter said, belated grace. “Fact is, we’re glad to get any help at all, but we’d hoped for more.”
“I wish I hadhelp too,” Merritt said. “But I’m told you can supply manpower and some supplies; we’ve precious little of the latter.” “We’ll manage,” said Burns. “Hey, I don’t know what we’re standing out here in the wind for. Ken, Fred, you boys set what gear there is in the shed, and baggage in the main room, anywhere you like. -You timed it right Amos; Hannah’s just got dinner on the table.”
“Good,” Amos grinned.“Been looking forward to a winter with Hannah’s cooking.
How’s thingshere?”
“All right.Mostly all right.”Frank Burns hailed them into the open doorway of the big main house, into light and warmth; and behind them the outer gatescreaked shut and most of the crowd followed.
It was a grander house, in its stone and bare-beams style, than the governor’s mansion inNew Hope ; and it was newer. The floors were split planking, massively solid; the walls were hung with necessities, rope and other such items; the furniture was hand-hewn and use-smoothed, and the air smelled ofwoodsmoke and savory food. Oil lamps and an enormous fireplace gave light, castshadows back into retreating hallways and to a balconied upstairs. Women and children hastened this way and that setting the table; an ignored baby screamed indignation. Outside, cattle lowed and sheep bleated; and inside, human voices shouted over the confusion.
“We’re hotel as well as farm,” said Burns. “The last place on the river, the highest ground in flood: half a dozen farms round about do their meetings here and their trading at our dock, and come here when it floods. Same with Tom’s place downriver. How long do you figure to stay over, Amos? Did I hear you say all winter?”
“Don’t really know,” Amos answered. “I’m supposed to stay by our friend here and provide him the use of a boat when needed...” He paused to grin at some elderly acquaintance and to shake hands and exchange words briefly. There were the center of all the gathering now, old and young clustered about them, the children dancing about and asking for some treat brought from downriver. It was impossible to talk at length. “Give it up,” Burns said when Amos tried further. “Shed the coats and sit.”
Merritt unzipped the jacket and surrendered it to a child who held out her hands for it, turnedtableward and let himself be placed near the head of the long board, next Burns himself and Amos and Porter, and Jim on the other side. An older woman came up drying her hands on an apron and offered her own welcome. “Hannah Burns,” she said of herself, the while a boy shouldered in at Merrill’s other side to put down a cup of tea, and food was appearing in huge bowls and kettles, seized and passed one to the next with great care. “A pleasure, Hannah Burns,” Merritt said. “Sam Merritt. Thank you for making room for us.”
Hannah Burns gave a short nod and something caught her quick eye: she shouted a name and instructions about serving and was off again. Merritt blinked, noting the unbroken line of male faces at table: neither women nor children. All at once there was the feeling ofdifference, his own manners, his machine-woven clothes and smooth-shaven face an alien distinction. “How soon,” asked Porter, leaning forward with a spoon in hand, “how soon you going to get started, Mr. Engineer?”
Merritt paused to let the girl making the rounds with the kettle of stew ladle some past his shoulder to his plate, thanked her with a nod and leaned forward again. “Well, as soon as I can. It’ll take me some little time to look over the possible sites-“ “We did the looking,” Porter shot back. “We don’t have the time for you to take five years at this project, Mr. Merritt. We got families down there in the lower valley that are going to be washed out next spring, that are praying now the floods don’t get worse before winter stops them. We need help now, quick. We got no time to wait.”
Of a sudden the table chatter had fallen away. The bustle of women and children faded. The whole room was listening. Only the barking of a dog sounded outside. “If what we build doesn’t hold,” said Merritt, “I don’t need to tell you what will happen next spring. That would be a disaster, Mr. Porter.” “I think,” said Burns from the head of the table, “the site we have in mind is a good one. It’s just half a mile upriver from here, where the canyon narrows the river down. There’s a good deal of rock there to be used, and the canyon splits the upper valley basin from the lower. We can’t get men or supplies any farther into the Upriver, and building the dam downriver would wipe out the best farmland we’ve got.”
“It sounds reasonable,” said Merritt. “But I’ll still have to see the place myself before I can start making any plans. I’m aiming at a spring deadline too, Mr. Porter. I saw enough of what you’re talking about on the way up the river that I very much understand what you mean. But I don’t want to waste our limited supplies or risk lives and property by jumping into this without study. I can promise you I’m going to be working steadily from now on, and by the time the water falls so that we can start working, I hope to have some plans drawn up. You can help now by finding a crew to work.”
“Burns and I can raise a thousand in a month,” said Porter. “Do you need more than that?”
It was a fifth the total population ofHestia . Merritt considered the two of them, one side and the other. “What we’ll need depends on the time and the site and the amount of rock we’ll have to move.”
“You’ll have all the help we can give,” Burns assured him. “You understand, Mr. Merritt-we’ve seen a lot of land and no few of our friends and relatives lost to that river. It doesn’t get easier to be patient, knowing we’re within sight of an answer. I can’t tell you how anxious we all are to see this project underway, but we understand the difficulty involved. We’ve tried it twice ourselves and lost.”
“Well, I’ll get out to that site of yours first thing tomorrow and see what I can learn.”
Burns made a deprecating gesture. “No, no, Mr. Merritt. Take a day to catch your breath; I’m hurrying no guest out into the edge of Upriver. I’ve got some charts of our own may interest you, and lists of the supplies we’ve been storing toward this project for years.”
“Frank,” said Hannah Burns, coming to lean on the man’s chair-back, “I’m sure those things can waittil late tomorrow. Let ‘emeatin peace, for pity’s sake. I’m sure they’re tired.” She lifted her eyes to Merritt, smiled tautly with a crinkling of sun-wrinkles. “Room’s waiting on you. Good meal and steady land underfoot and you’llbe wanting it. Trust it more thanold river : good walls and lots of folk around you. You’ll sleep here, no worry.” After cramped, sweltering nights and cold days on Celestine, the little room upstairs in Burns’ house was luxury: quaint, with the same rough furniture and handmade rugs and a pillow-soft bed. Merritt tested it fully clothed, lay back in it with the billowing mattress rising about him and shut his eyes a moment,opened them again to watch yellow lamplight flickering on dusty beams. Adam Jones seemed incredible from such a perspective.
