This Week's Reading

“Good morning! I’m Jumond—I’m looking for Hermione Chockswindae and I understand I’ll find her at Keeper’s Cottage?”

The young woman looked up at the stranger with eyes that wanted to see more. She sat on a log bench outside the Hospice Tower Gate, six children enjoyed nap-time on the lawn at her feet and she kept her voice low: “Yeah. Keeper’s Cottage is just after the next fork, cross this bridge, cross back at the next one and another bridge—all left. It’s the first one you come to after that. Red cabin with a rainbow picket fence and a porch all around. Naomi usually takes tea at this time, bet you find them on the swing.”

“Thank you.”

“Sure you got it?”

“Two bridges left and a red cabin.”

“Uh-huh… You’re on Hermione’s crew?”

“That’s correct.”

“She’s been real nice… Are you married or… ?”

Jumond laughed: “Yes I am.”

She sighed: “We never see fresh faces… ”

“I’m sorry to be a disappointment.”

A brave smile appeared: “Well… It’s not like I’m lonely.”

“Then you should be happy. Tell me your name?”

“Caroline DuChine.”

“Perfectly lovely. Thank you again.”

“You’re welcome. Have a nice visit.” Caroline watched his jaunty step until he went around the fence, smiled wistfully at strong legs, solid bottom and rocking hips, long fingers and arms, smooth shoulders: she knew the dreams for this night already and it was a long time to wait…

Jumond was full of admiration himself. He loved gardens and rustic homes, designs meant for children’s adventure. Tight picket fences secured off-limits country and the rest of the grounds featured colors, swings, play-lots and climbing structures. The faces were happy and the voices full of fun.

He caught the infectious grin, it matched his standard look.

Jumond was an experienced space navigator familiar with hundreds of planetary systems, he easily followed Caroline’s simple directions.

As predicted and he expected, the women shared the wide bench seat hanging from chains beneath the eaves.

They saw him, Hermione waved and called: “Good morning! Right on time—naturally.”

Naomi: “Come on in. Tea?”

Jumond opened a garden gate, beads and bells laced around the pickets chimed. “I could use a drop, thanks. Nice walk getting here.”

“Jumond, this is Naomi Mukourji.”

Naomi/Jumond: “I’ve heard a lot about you… ”

They laughed that away, Naomi rose and hugged him when he reached the porch.

Jumond took a bench, Naomi went in for fresh tea.

Hermione: “Did you walk all the way from the Almanor?”

“No! Somebody’s letting me use a tent. There’s a campfire near the warehouse part of town.”

“I heard about that.”

“Most of the crew are there… Very nice. We like looking at the stars.”

“Twinkling… That’s what I miss… I wake when everybody’s asleep and sit out here—the peace is amazing. I could get used to it.”

For a moment silence, only bubbling creek and twittering birds. Then somewhere nearby a baby cried, a piercing shriek followed by unhappy wails. An adult’s perturbed voice muttered soothing sounds but the singer wasn’t satisfied.

Jumond smiled at the noise.

Hermione saw his contentment and nodded with empathy.

Naomi reappeared with a full pot and an empty mug.

Drank up and traded talk.

Finally, serious business:

Hermione put finished tea aside and rose, she faced Jumond: “Let’s go see them.”

He stood, Naomi took his cup.

Hermione: “We won’t be long—an hour maybe… ”

Naomi: “Lunch will be ready around then.”

“Good! So, let me be sure… Her house is a mile up the road off of a long uphill driveway?”

“Uh-huh—Last one on the road, there’s an ugly wall around it. She picked a site where there’s no high ground looking over, it really stands out.”

“Then we can’t miss it.”

Jumond and Hermione went side by side down the porch steps and out to the path, the gate rang their exit.

Fifteen minutes later they strolled up to Lucy Haines’s estate.

The forest opened around a cleared flat with panoramic views, a brown concrete wall occupied the center, the glazed peak of the house’s skylight roof rose behind it, a green copper spire topped the union of seven hip ridges. In front of the gate there was a camp: black clothed pavilion tent with three sides, a second green tarp sheltered a field kitchen and five logs made seating around a pit of ashes.

A dirty, red-eyed, stubby haired man sat, nursed a cup of coffee, there was a crust of blood in the middle of his scalp. “Who are you?” he snapped in a cracked voice.

“Ignore him—just a drunk!” a female throat shouted from within the tent. A thin woman with limp red hair and orange tinted glasses emerged from the shade, a baby rode on her hip. She watched the newcomers suspiciously, but said nothing more. A lean tall man appeared at her rear, and a long legged blond woman.

Hermione and Jumond skirted the camp and approached the gate.

The merchant shouted toward the wall: “Hello! Anybody home?”

Jumond picked up a fist sized rock. He pounded on the gate.

Silence, then footsteps on gravel. The bar traveled in its slot and the gate swung out enough to let a woman step forth: curly red hair, beefy shoulders, taller than most: “I’m Lucy Haines—this is my home. What do you want?”

“I’m here to see Corman Braye. Tell him Hermione Chockswindae will speak with him.”

“You’re expected. Come in.” Lucy had weary eyes and weak posture, voiced with little energy.

“No. Bring him to me, alone and unarmed. If Corman wants to travel on my vessel that is the only condition I will meet him under.”

“Yeah—makes sense. Wait, I’ll get him.” She went back behind the gate and slid the bolt.

Hermione and Jumond stood in patient silence.

The delay stretched.

When the gate opened Lucy emerged with Corman. His hair and mustache were untrimmed, clothes were dirty and slept-in, eyes red and receded.

Hermione didn’t wait for an introduction: “Hello, Mister Braye. I’m here to inform you of how you will make passage on the Almanor. This is not a negotiation, I will dictate terms and you will agree or remain here until the colonists finally drag you out. Am I clear?”

“Yes. I understand.”

“Good. You will work on my ship—Apprentice Mates, with full wages and benefits. You and your associates will be discharged from my crew once we make call at a suitable port, which will be Crossroads Station. While aboard the Almanor you will not communicate with anybody and you will be separated from your associates. There will be no mutiny plots. I have a strong rapport with my crew, their morale is high, you will not turn their loyalties.” She indicated the man at her side: “This is Jumond, my First Mate and your supervisor.”

Tall, trim, a wide-hipped strut, long rectangular face, coffee colored with gray eyes. He offered no handshake: “Ever work on a ship?”

“No.”

“Figures. At least you can swab decks.”

Hermione: “The Almanor departs in five weeks. You will come aboard the day before launch, after a thorough body search.”

“Very well, I agree.”

“Most sensible of you. Come, Jumond, we’re finished here.”

Off-worlders made a sharp about face and strode away.

Chowder: “How’s Synoveh?”

Achen: “She’s in bed with Sunrah. Taralisa’s sitting with her. She wants quiet.”

“I looked at Jason, Luenda clobbered him good. I think she killed him, he hasn’t dropped yet, that’s all.”

“Where did they take him?”

“A shallow cave at the base of the basaltic ridge. Remote spot—nobody goes there. Marcus and Luenda and Jody and Hildy are digging up rocks. They’re gonna wall him in.”

“Entombed alive?” Achen shuddered: “Too grisly. If we’re going to kill him we should do it cleanly.”

“A lot of people want to speak about this. There’s a meeting tonight on the Branch House lawn, we decided. Karma and Suthra are running up and down the Vale with the news.”

Achen nodded. “Why not at the Hearth? We don’t need this discussion around the kids.”

“There are a lot of the refugees at the Hearth. Jason might have friends with them, they’re could be trouble. Some of these newcomers aren’t settling in easily.”

“I hadn’t heard.”

“It’s just starting to arise. Some of them are drinking somewhere but they’re not going to Drunkard’s Den. The Village is pretty upset.”

“What kind of people did we bring into our community?”

“Beaten down folks that never learned how free people act.”

In the afternoon seven friends held a social in the large room of Keeper’s Cottage:

Hermione: “ …Jumond once captained a ship, but he wasn’t her master. He operated an ore shuttle in the Dagoba system.”

Jumond: “Two hundred on that crew and they weren’t free men—neither was I.”

“I met him in a spaceport lounge on one of the outer satellites—Dagoba’s industrial hub. He was drunk and hitting on me, I thought he was cute and funny so I let him buy my drinks.”

“I knew I would score… ” he grinned.

“I listened to his talk about his work and I realized he must be a good pilot, and I had just divorced Darryl, my best navigator. Suddenly Jumond looked like a way to fill out my crew so I actually got interested in him.”

“Made me even more encouraged.”

“But I had an appointment with the Harbor Master—I only ducked into the lounge to wait for the hour.”

“I didn’t see that she wasn’t drinking alcohol… ”

“So I got up and left.”

“I thought she went to the bathroom. Took me two more drinks before I realized I’d been stood up. Then I needed at least another two, three… lost count. A hot babe from Calico came in and so did this miner reeking of paydirt. Him and Me had the same ideas about her. We had a civilized discussion about the matter… I broke a chair over his head, he got up with one of the legs in his hand and returned the courtesy. We wound up together in a jail cell and sharing the space with twenty more of the finest men in all of Dagoba.

“Middle of the next morning and the cops dragged me out, said I was bailed. I said ‘What?’ ‘cause nobody I know would pay it—and not the transport company that held my contract, either.

“There was Hermione with the bondsman and she had my contract too—bought the last two years from my boss… ”

“And the renewal option, that was the costliest… ”

“Yeah, right. She takes me back to that bar and buys me breakfast and tea. She tears up that contract while I’m dunking my toast and tells me that I’m a free man, then she offers me a berth on the Almanor.”

“I like to gamble on people, Jumond looked like a long shot. He paid off… ”

“Thanks—but I still want to go to bed with you.”

“Not in this lifetime. And Holly might object.”

“Darn shitting she will. Keeps my leash tight.”

“I won’t buy your way out of that contract.”

Chuckles grinned the tea-time party.

Jumond: “I’d be a fool to break it.”

“He’s been with me eight years now and they’ve been married six.”

“She’s ready… ”

Naomi: “And you?”

“Can’t raise kids proper on a spaceship, be like growing up in a prison, always walled in.”

Hermione: “This is a good place for children… ”

“Yeah—that’s plain. Holly likes it… ”

Homer: “I’m already getting results from that poll… even from Homestead—and those guys never use the network… You and the crew are popular, there aren’t any strong objections. Glad we didn’t have to call a meeting.”

Patricia: “People wouldn’t come in—we’d never get a quorum.”

“So, anyway, if you still want to join, you’re in.”

Hermione: “Thank you. I’m glad to have a home at last—just don’t try to tax me.”

More grins and chuckles.

Cookies came out of the oven, Naomi brewed more tea.

The afternoon socialed on.

They heard the bells on the Keeper’s Cottage gate chime.

Naomi: “Excuse me… ” she rose from the conversation circle and went to the door. Her guests followed with curious eyes.

Sweaty from a run, Volmer was on the porch. He glanced at the small gathering within, then addressed Naomi: “There’s been a problem at Branch House. Synoveh would like you to come.”

“Right now?”

“It’s kind of urgent.”

“What sort of problem?”

Volmer hesitated, spoke softly, only to her: “Synoveh was attacked, we want your counsel.”

Behind Naomi Homer was up from his seat: “What’s going on?”

Arrolon stirred too, and Patricia, Charlene remained seated.

Hermione and Jumond watched with interest.

Volmer didn’t want to speak in front of strangers: “Branch House, Hospice business. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

Patricia went to the door: “Tell me.”

“One of the new men raped Synoveh, there’s a gathering to decide how we’re gonna deal with him. We need Naomi.”

         “And she’s going. I’ll take care of these guys.”