Chapter Sixteen
Stake bundle straps were being dropped off all through West Side. Several vehicles would traverse routes through, picking up rolls and bundles and take them to a hauler belonging to the Growers Association, parked on the east side of West Side. It would get deliveries from more than their connected thirty-seven blocks, but the rest would be rolled by others. They were about to start the west-most second block when it was time for Nev's uncle to arrive.
He asked Dawn to guide him. He did have one end of the plas being folded to roll in his hands at the time. Danny, Knight and Blade all congratulated him on timing. The others yelled for explanation. Ronnie 'got it' before they gathered.
"Of course! No one's been quite as interesting since she was seventeen!"
"And she hasn't actually talked to him since then."
"Hi-bye with the rest of us. He has a stuffed mansion, Nev."
"The workshop and Bressler memorabilia are his, Stats. The rest is family furniture storage. They'd have gotten rid of both if the city gov had let them. I bought us a twelve-flyer hangar. Danny said four like his and four 'usual.' It'll be ready tomorrow. Ressen said thanks for a profitable idea."
Dawn kept Drand Valens to rapid walk with a brief on who they were, until he saw Nev. Nev held on until his uncle's tight hug loosened, then introduced everyone. After that, he told him he was moving out of the "furniture storage shed," and Dawn's workshop was a copy of his and still bereft of tools. Dawn immediately told him he was her new roommate and she'd make sure everyone knew he was a resident and not a guest. The others burst into laughter.
"T… Nev, why?"
"Because this is where you belong. Everyone here will understand why you're always in a workshop or garage and you can go to Bressler games just as easily from here. And Danny realized you're going to marry Dawn."
"What?!"
"Danny!"
"Nev realized he, and you, are why neither of you have found anyone else fascinating since the two days we spent working with him five years ago, too, Dawn. Case and Stats saw it as soon as Ronnie figured out why Nev sent you to meet him. Going to disagree?"
"No. I've been trying to convince myself I was in love with his workshop and not him, since I was seventeen. Since it was possible and I didn't spend more time with him, I almost succeeded."
"No one else was quite as interesting."
"Yes, they are, but as friends, not life companion. Drand, I'm going to introduce you as my fiancé. You can tell people we only had one long conversation and you're too shocked to know what to say. They'll tell you they understand and suggest we have the wedding in the park, so everyone can come, and they'll help with the wedding banquet for a thousand or so."
"Stuffed pinkfish fillets, Dawn?"
"Mike is dreaming of Chal asking for a recipe. That's his best bet."
"I think his stuffed pinkfish will impress Chal too, Loren, and Chal already yelled he was doing tockle in wine sauce for Kendra and Larry's."
"Well, Uncle Drand?"
"Nev, let's just show him Blade's dilapidated Mosslin Bolt in the garage."
"A Bolt?!"
"Good thought, Knight. Help me remember not to put uncle in front of Drand tonight, guys. The GGN crew are still running around and everyone being careful what not to mention would be contradictory to the party theme."
"Let's roll!"
Dawn grabbed Drand's hand, pulled him to a path and showed him how to fold to roll. In seconds, they were working as a perfect team. At the end of the roll, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He said he hadn't doubted his nephew was right about anything he was sure of since he was three, but he'd needed their hands working together to understand why he was so sure, and time to get over the shock.
She told him they had to move fast to be the first married in the park because Kendra and Doc Larry were quick and wedding plans were being moved up all over the neighborhood. He told her he'd be right back, ran to a house door, chimed and asked to borrow the comm.
"Mom, I'm getting married tomorrow at seventeen, Teal Valley, West Side Park. You're on invitations down there. Include the families of my nephew's bunch. You're also on figuring out what to do with everything but my tools, Bressler stuff and clothes in that house. My suggestion is buy a lake place and ski place up here, furnish both, then see how many more places you need to get to store the rest. My future wife's house is furnished, except for the workshop. I want Dad's great-great-grandmother's rings, your grandmother's wedding gown and my white formal outfit. Get here early enough to buy out a couple florists. Bring Great-grandma Merid's gown, too. It'll fit the bride in the other wedding, a close friend and neighbor of ours. The groom has to have an outfit made. We're spending our honeymoon remodeling flyers and restoring a car with neighbors, which is perfect for both of us, so don't include that traditional gift in plans. We'd like all my tools, equipment and car moved instead, but will bring a bunch of neighbors down to do it, if you look at the size of the job and feel faint. Left my love holding the end of a walk to roll. Comm out!"
"Who?!"
"Dawn! Thanks!"
Drand's mother called his sister and replayed his comm call. It was twenty-three oh eight there, a time zone east of Teal Valley. After her, she called her parents and in-laws and replayed the call. Seven minutes later, Drand's father, Carler, met a crew of twenty at 'Drand's house.' At twenty-three twenty-seven, his wife called with delivery addresses for the furniture. His daughter arrived four minutes later to sort which went where. The crew were nearly done in the workshop and garage. As soon as they were, the MH was pulled out of the drive, Carler moved the car down to the street and a hauler backed up the drive. A transport backed across the lawn to the front door.
Carler ran to supervise the loading of the Bressler 'stuff,' clothes and a great many more personally important things his son had forgotten he had in the house. He knew who his son was marrying. His daughter knew where her son was and his son-in-law had seen it immediately.
A Veil Lake realtor was giggling. Three steaming days, a newscast, a tax refund and the disappearance of IS had combined to sell seven places she had listed on the lake, and one in Frostlea, in a half-hour. She didn't get back to the path she'd been rolling before the comm chimed again. It was the eighth call for a ten-day rental she'd forwarded to MPM since GGN evening news had mentioned "cool" and "Veil Lake" in the same sentence. Before she left the house again, she set the comm to give MPM as rental referral, list properties she had for sale on Veil Lake, list the Teal Valley realtors who had a few, and give office hours for all. The path rolling was about to get too far from her house to hear the chime.
Panner's father had been right. There were so many calling the only realtor listed in Veil Lake that seven buying fast wouldn't seem odd, especially considering the low prices for older lake properties. Drand's sister was given additional delivery addresses before the first hauler pulled out and the second backed in. When the second hauler pulled out, the third backed in.
Carler answered a comm chime, then loudly announced the party supplies had been delivered. The crew cheered. Drand's mother, Milla, always knew what to pay for good labor.
The three going in each hauler, to unload, had chosen their 'new' living room or bedroom sets first. They weren't leaving for Veil Lake immediately. Their families were anxiously awaiting their furniture deliveries and they had a path rolling party to attend, with a great deal more in refreshments than the low-income neighborhood had expected. The other furniture didn't need to be delivered before morning and it was only an hour and forty minute drive.
His son-in-law and he were driving up in the MH and car that night. His wife was collecting everything else on Drand's list and he already had the formal outfit in the car. When a transport pulled up and a man and woman jumped out and ran for the open door, he had no difficulty figuring out who they were.
"Hello! You planning on crashing a pa
rty too?"
"Yes! We've got all the things we know Brim… Dawn would like to have in her home. Not really a lot, but they'd have stuffed the car and the transport has a tow package. We're going to get a boat up there. We just realized a lake place is something we really want and we can afford it, even just for a getaway place."
"A flyer is less than fifty a year to license and our taxes on everything will be incredibly low."
"Income tax was the only thing not outrageous and they'd have raised that if people wouldn't have quit work to go on subsidy, so they had enough to eat. Carler."
"Bart and Jonna. She did talk about your son, in context of his workshop and flyer."
"That's why she's the right girl, Jonna. His mom was sure of it as soon as he gave their honeymoon plans. My daughter says they don't need to hide, but they won't get much done it dozens of people are trailing them full-time and someone is running up to say thanks every few seconds, the rest of their lives. We wouldn't have pushed to do this now, if we didn't think already-had-a-place before somebody figures out it was your kids will keep it down a bit."
"Understood and Pat, Panner's dad, was right about the time being least notable. It's still a steam bath out there."
"About the furniture…"
"That's the third hauler being loaded, Jonna. Does it look bare in here? Four generations of my family and some in-laws had stuffed furniture in here when they got new. We're paying the delivery crews with sets, and may have more here than needed when we're done. There's no charity or disaster relief program that needs it."
"That we knew. We tried to donate a big chair recently. None of them would take it. I saw some kids carrying stuff into an old apt building, stopped and asked if they wanted it, or it would probably still be in the transport. I didn't report it on my taxes."
"We've been trying to donate this place to the U for a scholarship house for eighty-eight years, but the city gov wouldn't let us stop paying property taxes on it. We don't think the U will mind if there's a little extra furniture in it. My daughter's sorting and leaving good stuff for students here. They're getting big and comfortable, so we may have more lovely decorative than we really want, but only my mom buys chairs just as room decorations. Dad's been careful what color flowers he gives her, since she changed one to coordinate with a bouquet of golden teria."
Drand was telling Dawn about his family's several attempts to donate the mansion and the furniture stuffed into bedrooms. He said he lived in a two-bedroom house with an attached furniture warehouse. He'd been a little worried it was going to be a one-bedroom and he'd have to work to keep a path through the warehouse to that bedroom clear, soon. They were headed for the next block when they heard cheering. They began running with everyone else. The cheering meant they were done, at twenty-three twenty-one.
Ronnie's mother finally got someone on comm, Silky. She told him the families had all gotten lake places and Tarse's father and grandfather were coming up that night, then corrected to "Nev's," realized he didn't know what she was talking about and gave him a fast brief. It wasn't as concise as Ronnie's were, but it hit all the high points, including the heat and GGN's mention.
"Nev must have shaken his head."
"What?"
"Fairy dust. We're all sure it's there and just can't be seen because it's the same color as his hair. Tell them two blocks in from the park, the north-most party. They won't have any trouble finding it."
"Silky, stop being sad we weren't there. We wish we had been too, but that was the right time and this is the right way. If we'd been there, we might not have yelled for a place on Veil Lake, and really begun to become friends with five other families. Our kids were friends and that was it. Only two of the three who live in Richland had met. Now, we're making plans together, conspiring to become great lake-place friends and invade the Valen's ski-town place in winter. We've got a huge number coming up there to 'get out of the heat.' Ronnie's grandparents are coming with us and her great-grandparents are scheduling visits to our summer place. This 'impulse' is going to be a long-lasting pleasure to us all for years."
"Nev shook his head."
"We'll see you tomorrow."
"Perfect timing. Time to give Bance the live feed count. Comm out. Four, three, two, one, live."
Bance told Nev his dad and grandfather and Dawn's parents were coming up that night. Nev ran for the comm in the mobile news unit. He finally found his mother and grandmother, cleaning out his apartment. His mom told him Dawn's parents had "started a trend," but most of the cleanout wasn't being brought, just things they were sure belonged in his home. Danny's parents were "carting" her comp system, but they weren't bringing his, or his clothes. He agreed that was unnecessary. He already had a lot that didn't fit. His mom asked what he wanted done with his car.
"Cars at lake places would make flying up convenient, and I know a place you can store them and/or boats, a short walk from private flyer parking and storage in Teal Valley, but I also know someone who'll give you a ride up, if you wish, or you can land at Veil Lake, in the town. Or if there's room for a flyer pad at your summer places, I know two companies that could build those."
"You're definitely a Valens."
He told them he was going to "dump the balance" of the campaign money and Knight's suggestion. They both liked the idea, then his grandmother reminded him he had "a comfortable amount" and he put a finger across his lips and grinned. Both repeated the gesture. He got a list of addresses and approximate arrival time. His grandfather might decide to stop for tea halfway. When he ran back to the party, he organized a wedding gift.
Nev was standing on the walk when his dad and granddad pulled over by the north-most party. He gave them directions, then ran back to the party and waved to Knight. 'Everyone,' except Dawn and Drand knew the 'northwest block' was deserting and why. They knew Drand and Dawn would notice they were gone before long, but Nev had said, "as much surprise as possible," and the group did work fast.
Kendra and Doc Larry were introduced as the "other about-to-get-married couple" and Kendra was given the gown Drand had asked be brought for her. Carla told Larry Drand had said they'd need to find a tailor for him. Bance said he had one "on standby."
Twenty, including Jace, Silky and Essa, began unloading the MH and putting tools and equipment where they belonged. Four knew the way Drand's workshop was organized. Nev knew where every piece went.
Nev's dad and granddad watched the workshop assembled with amazing speed. Nev told his granddad the packing crew had done a very good job "keeping things generally organized." They all thought the pay was terrific. Nev hung the last tool, turned, and his uncle and Dawn were standing in the doorway.
"Surprise?"
"I'm… Thank you! Dad, thank you. Everyone, thank you."
"Oh, I am in heaven! Thank you!"
"Hi, there."
"Mom! Dad!"
"We brought some things, too. We've been spreading them around."
"I didn't see your car."
"We unloaded the transport, then moved it to the boathouse."
"We just moved in containers of your things, Drand. This was first."
"I didn't really have much, Nev."
"Drand, you have no idea how much you have."
"Uh, oh. How much do I have, Dad?"
"You'll be figuring out where to put things a while, but it'll all fit somewhere."
"The important pieces are in the back right bedroom, Drand."
"Thanks, Kail. Dawn, I haven't even been in the house yet and I made a mess. Got to be some kind of a record."
"Well, our favorite room definitely isn't messy."
"No, it's not. I'm astounded. I expected to get help when it got here, but… Thank you."
"Let's go see how much of your stuff we can fit around my junk. I know about what Mom and Dad brought."
"We cleaned out your apartment."
"Oh! I thought you meant from??
? Oh, you worked hard! I left it a wreck."
"Yes, you did, but the dishes were clean."
"I would not leave dirty dishes if I was only leaving for three days, Mom. A living room you had to wade through, but not dishes."
"It wasn't that bad, Drand. We could just tell she'd been busy to the last minute, shoved dishes in the cycler and ran out the door."
"Danny and Ronnie both found time to clean theirs."
"I cleaned mine."
"So did I."
"I didn't."
"Thank you, Nev!"
"Drand, small apartment. Two things out and it's messy."
"Don't tell me that, Nev. You know how relieved I was when she said, 'wreck.' I do clean up after myself, Dawn. Eventually. Except in the workshop. There, I put things away immediately."
"We aren't going to have any habit conflicts."
"Drand, were staying at… Nev's."
"You'll get used to it pretty fast, Dad."
"We're staying at Ronnie's. Tomorrow, we'll all have places of our own up at Veil Lake."
"What?!"
"We have two there and one in Frostlea, Drand. We furnished our and their places, paid the nine delivery people in furniture, and the mansion is still furnished. By the time they were filling the third hauler, the work crew was getting slower. They had to put things down until they stopped giggling and got their strength back."
Nev leaned on Knight and giggled. His dad's smile became a bit softer. He decided it was time for his news. He hadn't been there at the start of the "furniture furor," because he'd been at a meeting, to reconstruct the city charter and begin the electoral process.
They had used Teal Valley's town charter as a guide and it had adapted very well. They'd appointed people, who yelled they didn't want the job, to various city positions and told them to work fast to get an election underway, so they didn't have to do it long. He'd stayed long enough to nominate people fast, to be sure he wasn't appointed. They were putting the record of the meeting and the charter they'd built on the infonet. The group cheered.
They moved the MH to the boathouse and Nev's grandfather 'fell in love' with his boat. Nev told him its sale condition and what he'd paid for it and he stated he was awed. The boathouse itself impressed him, but it was when they used the path and he looked through the windows of the solarium, non-opaqued so Nev could point out where the flyer field was being built, that they got three jobs. Nev's grandfather wanted two and his father ordered one. Nev told them they only had one on the schedule, so far, but he'd check to see if the person who'd ordered one "on the water" was ready for construction to start. His grandfather said he'd decide if he wanted on or above or both, after he saw the place he'd bought. They looked over the house, pool, patios, entertainment system, then finally the message system, sword and shield. Both Nev's grandfather and father knew the shield was what had saved the lives of all in the lab and both agreed with Knight that it shouldn't be shared.
They 'stopped by' to see the workshop of the two companies, then went back to the party. By then, they were remembering to call him Nev. He was not doing quite as well with "Carler" and "Kail." The two men didn't stay at the party long. After introductions to too many to keep names straight, they went back to the house and to bed.
The 'bunch's' families all arrived between nine and ten. All had brought "lake cars," Dawn's grandmother driving hers. Five quickly unloaded cars and spread things out into homes. All the lake places they'd bought had garages, but "possibly store cars" near the flyer lot they noted being constructed gave them an excuse to 'meet' Nev, Knight and Blade. When Nev met with Ressen at noon, both were nearly laughing.
"I thought this was a good idea."
"I had a bunch of onlookers, who just bought places, hook up right on the road. I sold another hangar and he leased spaces while the docs were processing."
"The crew sent them to my house. I rented storage spaces for lake cars or boats, which they haven't bought yet, because it's close to where they'll park flyers, which they haven't bought yet, and have orders for viewrooms for places they haven't seen yet. That steam bath and GGN's newscast is renting, and selling, everything on Veil Lake, and beginning to spread to others, and down here."
"Owning a flyer got cheap, fees on property and taxes went down, everybody got a refund, and it's still steaming south of here."
"I got on comm and bought flyers fast. I think everyone is."
"That 'guest' who gave you the idea for this is getting married."
"It was love at first specification. They hit tool-talk in seconds and by the time we finished rolling the first path, they were making permanent partnership plans. None of us doubt they've found the life companion of their dreams, and I mean no one at the party last night, or his family."
"His dad said they got positive he had the right girl when he told him the honeymoon was customizing flyers and restoring a car with neighbors, and the wedding present was his tools in her still-empty workshop."
"We put them away as ours. His dad and brother-in-law knew enough about his usual arrangement that we got it real close to the one they came out of. You know how that works. If you know what type of tool goes where, 'I know this goes right here' is enough to give you the location of everything else by what gets used most to least."
"I've walked into many kitchens and found the teacups and spoons in the first cabinet and drawer I opened. What do you think?"
"Very attractive. You're going to use the whole parcel?"
"Expanded the plan right down the end this morning. I've had people all over town calling, and it's not really taking any leases from the city lot on the southeast side. Milburton is going to do what you did with a warehouse over there, primarily for cars. She thinks a lot of people are going to leave one up here and fly in, too. The mountain and ski towns are getting people and most are coming out of Richland."
"I've heard 'steam bath' many times today. Who owns the land north of the belt road on the northwest curve?"
"Andrea Pimberly. I don't know if she'll sell. She doesn't really have any reason to. That's outside of town and is taxed as non-developed property. What you want to do with it?"
"Put a golf course front and give it to the town for public use, then reserve the rest for a campus. Were going to need an ag-and-everything-else university up here before very long. I have a lot of money I don't need. If there's land reserved and a fund to build, I think a lot of people around here will help get a university in this region. The U in Mountain City can't really grow much. It's surrounded and they aren't going to get several blocks of businesses, or homeowners, to just leave, so they can expand. Knight said kids here would rather stay this side of the Toll Range and Teal Valley makes more sense for most of the region than putting it out in the middle of it."
"He's right. It's the most accessible from the west and north. He's also right about it being something we're going to need. Now we know why so many women are pregnant. I want to kill those people so bad I'm sorry they're already dead."
"I understand that completely, but I like what they did with the families. The children didn't deserve punishment. I think it was Essa who said getting them all out of a 'toxic environment' was the best way to give them all a chance to 'get well.' I wouldn't have thought of settlement packages and 'exile,' but it sure beats putting them all on trial. It wouldn't do anything to help us. Just gone lets us all put it in the past and get to work on rebuilding."
"We've still got a lot of toxic leftovers out there running around and far too many are armed."
"I've been thinking about that too. Drand's brother-in-law spent yesterday, until near midnight there, in meetings to rebuild the Richland city government, using Teal Valley as guide. It was one of the worries they had. They're worried about small towns if some of those people gang up, and they're not as worried about former IS as some of the former police. IS didn't really run in packs like they did."
"I've got about the same worry. I was thinking about that thing those people have that make weapons not work and wishing I could give one to every town to just set up around the outside."
"That may be exactly what they plan to do, just give it to everyone."
"That's not really good business."
"Where's the profit in what they used? Make a hole in a wall and short out weapons. It's very specific. It doesn't short cars or comps, and probably doesn't other types of weapons, just beam weapons."
"If they hand those over, everyone will be dismantling them to get the how."
"They plan to just give that to everyone."
"What?"
"If they come up with a useful application, they'll make some money, but the theory will just be turned loose. That's what scientists do, publish the theory, then work on applications with a good head start. It's not new tech. It's a new mathematical description of the way the universe works. Those holes in walls were considered impossible. They just proved the laws of physics aren't. Every practical application developed out of that new theory will help this entire world. I think they've shown that's the goal quite clearly. They're not looking for applause and contract offers."
"I was still thinking of it as new tech."
"You don't have mathematicians as roommates. They see the tech as proving a mathematical construction. When the newscasters start interviewing physicists, they'll work very hard to get people past the new-invention mental niche. It changes everything already invented, from the wheel up. It says, 'Yes, but only in these circumstances,' in large-print bold caps. It says we were wrong about 'why' everything works, and there are no exceptions to physical law. It'll probably tell us why stardrive and transpatial comm actually work, why there is gravity and atoms stay together, why there's an electro-magnetic force. Currently, all we do is describe how. This may be the beginning of the answers to why."
"I believe God is why."
"So do I. I'm not afraid of being even more awed. Everything we learn teaches us we're still putting a mental box around 'God is infinite.' Infinite is an absolute. All knowledge gained is finite. Each bit is a rung on the ladder that gives us a wider view, but the view is still finite. Each rung shows us more of the infinite, but it just enlarges our finite view. It can't make it possible to see everything, because there's always more than we can see. That's the absolute definition of infinite. No matter how high you count, there's still plus one. No matter how much we learn and explain, it's still plus God."
"I'm going to tell my pastor what you said. She's always telling us to stop putting walls or borders around God."
"Tell her I don't remember who I plagiarized, but I'm sure they don't mind."
"You really think they'll just give it to everybody."
"It's not a new circuit for a cycler. They could patent the application, but not the theory. Patenting the application, the device, that shorts weapons might be profitable if every law enforcement agency bought it, but every person with criminal intent would use something else if they did. It's useful now, because that's the type of weapon all those bullies have now. Make those useless now, and they'll run away because they don't have weapons that no one else does."
"You're real sure."
"I've got a pair of mathematicians who have carried on many conversations with physicists learning to write in the same language. They're sure."
"That hangar will have power in a few minutes. That's the technician. I'd have forgotten to tell you, if I hadn't seen her coming."
"Fantastic! Were going to give the wedding prep people the house to work from and look over the places where people want viewrooms. In other words, get out quick before we're trampled."
"Good thinking."
Nev ran in the door and yelled get the design for the application to short weapons on the infonet fast and spread word 'everybody' had it and every small town and city suburb was "rapidly making IS and police weapons useless." Since nearly every citizen was armed with a sling or blowgun and all real mad, former IS and police were warned their weapons should be dumped fast, because they were just target markers and an invitation to vent anger. People who still had them obviously didn't plan to dump the old way and help build the new.
Danny sat down at the computer in the kitchen, went to work, turned around less than a minute later, looked at Bance, said, "Your turn," and smiled. Bance commed Hammison.
"Boss, the whole design for the weapon-shorting device, and the theory, is on the infonet! I've got an 'anyone with access to equipment can build it' from the tech bunch. The goal is get it in the hands of every town, city and outlying farm fast. The 'left over' IS and police weapons are only going to be dangerous to people carrying them, in minutes. They're target markers to angry people and that's all. This thing doesn't have to be aimed, just switched on. You could set it up beside the gravway at the pass and every beam weapon that went by would be useless, and it won't affect anything else. It shorts out the beam initiation sequencer. It has no other applications. It's only use is on beam weapons."
"Want a couple? We don't need IS auth to buy the tech to build you several just to sit around the place, but they will run up the utility bill a bit."
"Not as much as the hole-maker, Blade. That takes some real power. But all it does is make holes."
"The math's here, Knight!"
"Boss, I just lost sight of the screen."
"I saw that. You just found it?"
"Danny found it."
"I'm watching for net additions to see if others are going to put charter constructions up, like Richland did. This just came up. I was on the comp. Title: 'New theory application designs on one and two, hole punch and beam weapon neutralizer.' I could build it. Tarn could. It's just plain… simple. And totally… Knight, does that mean what I think it means? The laws of physics just got rescinded?"
"No, Danny, but they got redefined as rules in specific circumstances. They're just… rules for one level of the game."
"The physical description of the universe just had the doors blown open to include all out doors. The math is beautiful."
"It's going to be fun too, Blade. See this function, and this number?"
"Why is that an integer?"
"Let's see if…"
"Knight! Blade! We've got people working on wedding preparations here and jobs to look over. If you start playing, you'll be in the way and we won't have a schedule of jobs to split with Case and Stats. Case! Stats!"
"What, Nev?"
"Hmm?"
"Help!"
"Comp off."
"Danny!"
"Wedding, work, then play, Blade. He said so."
"He's right."
"I know, Knight, but I may cry anyway."
"You've got it, Boss. The people who did it just gave it to everyone."
"Comm out."
"Comm connect Andrea Pimberly."
"Hello, I know who you are, Nev. How do you know who I am?"
"Ressen. I want to give the town a golf course and set aside land for university campus and you own the land I want to do it. North northwest of the belt road."
"My grandfather said, when someone else said land should be set aside for a university, it would be time to tell people it is. Why a golf course there?"
"Another public course is needed or I could get a tee time. There, because the others are south and east, and it's close. It would also get a lot of people to look out over that land, envision an ag-and-everything-else campus and decide to help. I'm mixed emotions. I'm not going to get to say, 'reserved,' and I'm extremely proud another in my hometown has held the dream in waiting a long time."
"No town's ever been prouder to point to new citizens. Since I can't get a tee time either, I'll donate the land and you can donate the construction."
"Agreed. A fund for U construction?"
"Just needs a name change and someone to appoint a committee to tell peop
le about it."
"I've got money for a land purchase I didn't make to go in it."
"I really like you. So does my great-granddaughter. She yelled she and her friends were going to arrange a car breakdown right in front of you soon. There aren't many young people in this part of town, and they've been assumed to be snobs and snubbed before. Most attended Waitley Academy here, and then went to Bressler."
"We just carried scores of containers of Bressler pennons, glassware, sweaters, socks, jackets, coasters and everything else available with the logo, into the home of the couple getting married in the park at seventeen. Tell them to wear blue and gold and come to cheer the Bressler 'boy' with the flyer that's the center of every game parking lot party, Drand Valens. He's moving into the neighborhood and people here don't care if they've got money, if it doesn't make them self-conscious."
"That's exactly what it does, but it's time they got over it. I'll let you know where we're putting a golf course tomorrow, and who's drafted to advertise the U, as soon as we draft some."
"Thanks. Comm out. Carler, do you have trouble spending money for good purposes?"
"Always. You know Drand wants you as best man and Dawn's dad aches a bit."
"The cams are gone, Granddad. Even if they weren't, we wouldn't endanger anyone now."
"That's the answer I really wanted to hear. Get going. We've got a little over four hours, and your grandmother will be back very soon."
"Yipe! Let's go!"
"Why are we running?!"
"Grandmother is about to go into social-occasion-prep mode, Blade. Chal, Mike and Loren will love it. We 'choreograph.' Grandmother orchestrates. She doesn't need errand boys, but she'd write parts in for us. I've stood on chair and been a hem-check mannequin through nine hem checks before. I don't think they actually needed checking, but it kept three of us busy for a half-hour, and you're just the right height."
"Yipe!"
They had the address of the place Dorn Michaelson wanted fixed, so eight, plus the one in Frostlea, to look over. They didn't expect to get to Frostlea that day. They only had three hours and Michaelson's needed an assessment, not just a lookover.
The families were moving in with groceries and luggage. Nev got to tell Dawn's father he'd need his formal outfit, while he, Knight and Blade fixed the reason the house comp was being stubborn. Repair of a faulty circuit in house controls ended 'not accessible' a third of the time. Dawn's parents and grandparents had known the problem, but had no tools. They intended to remedy that fast.
Though four of the places had room for flyer pads, Nev, Knight and Blade recommended they be maintained as yards. Two places were wooded lots and lovely that way. Both had big decks and nice docks. A viewroom would be a complement to their lakefront focus.
Michaelson's and Nev's grandparents places were both on the west side of the lobe and closer to town than the others. Lake properties in that area were often year-round homes. Michaelson had bought a big cabin, a family vacation place. They agreed with his assessment the job was primarily cosmetic. When they got to Nev's grandparents' "lake place," they laughed. It was not a cabin.
The beautiful four-bedroom home was designed for year-round living and entertaining. It had a pool, spa, greenhouse, year-round patio, two wood-burning fireplaces, two decks, manicured lawn, flower beds, triple car garage, large dock, boat house, security systems and seclusion. Nev used the comm in it to call Michaelson about his cabin, and asked him about the house, from which he was calling.
"That was Morl and Vell Haggetty's house, and they've got to be laughing. They just decided it was too much for them, moved into a nice smaller place in town, hired Dollets to get the yard back in shape and listed it."
"Drand Valens is marrying a woman in the neighborhood and his parents bought it, as their 'lake place.' I was wondering about security and seclusion."
"They own three jewelry stores; here, Talon Peak and Teal Valley. They built it that way just because it was outside of town. They didn't expect trouble or have any, but they considered it polite to their guests to assure their business didn't attract greedy people to a party that far from the police, and Vell does have some pretty rocks."
"After seeing this, I wonder what they got in Frostlea."
"A luxury ski cabin with six bedrooms and a loft. It's one of the prettiest big cabins up there; spa, big fireplace, detached garage for six cars with covered walk to the back of the cabin. There's parking for more cars behind the garage. Ritterbach is stunned it was bought for personal use and not as an investment. He had it set up for charter groups of up to thirty-six."
"Sold it why?"
"The owners want to do some real work on the lodge and they offered him a piece. They're redoing the lounge, restaurant and ski shop. They rehabbed the rooms and are working on the lobby and decided to do the rest. That cabin is close and the lodge is going to have good food and nightlife. The slopes are already in great shape. All the ski towns are starting to get ready for a great winter. People are going to have more money to spend, no one watching to see what they can take from them and the weather prediction is fantastic. They were all working on getting ready before this. Now they're excited. Winter Carnival is going to be big this year."
"I hope building a viewroom over there tells people we don't just work over here."
"Oh, now that is going to attract some attention, and there's not a more perfect place in Frostlea for it. Try to put it on the hill on the left as you face it, and see if they'll let you make a walk to it off the loft deck. If they'll let you enclose those two decks in glasselle, fill them with green. On that hill, the room will be a glittering gem from the slopes, and they'll see everything in the valley."
"Knight, how do we pay him a commission?"
"I don't know, Blade, but I'm sure the gleam in Nev's eye means we owe one."
"Your place first. It's going to be steaming down there another six, break a few and come back for at least twenty. It won't really cool off there for another twenty after. We'll see how many of this first batch we can get talking before it hits again. Knight?"
"We'll put some time in. Probably three days, starting tomorrow."
"It'll be ready to rent in three days. Pick your room. Come by mid-morning and show us where you want it. We've got rain coming, so we'll be doing outside first."
"See you tomorrow. Comm out."
"Let's go to a wedding and describe 'glittering gem' to Grandma, and hope we don't need to rent a construction crane for the solarium she chooses."
"Case and Stats are going to need the high-loader too."
"Yes, but the gem is last and they can do two before rain."
"Us four, them four?"
"Yes. Drand is going to be doing flyers with the girls, to start. He won't mind at all. Let's go to a wedding."
"Nev, we know why we really ran."
"Why, Knight?"
"Because if you were there, everyone would turn to you for direction."
"Us, Knight. They think of us as a team, and not of any of us as leader of it. Blade thinks I'm wrong. He doesn't notice how often people ask him for direction because it's most often of a different type."
"I know. You get asked for ideas, I get asked for specifications and he gets asked for wisdom."
"At least it's not me money, you muscle and him dates."
"Date… That's a fruit, right?"
"That's why I told them to wear blue and gold, Blade. They're volunteer colors."
"Ooh, you are so smart."
"We got ourselves into the position of not really being able to ask women on the West Side for a date."
"You got us. You're the person who keeps telling people they're getting married, as soon as they open their mouths to ask for one."
"He's right."
"I know."
"Five of us have schedules to catch up and some inserts, but we can do a lot of prep in the workshop."
"Yes
, Knight, and quite a bit of catch-up on partly rainy days."
"Long days for about eight."
"The flyers won't be done before we get to work on them. Nothing we've done is as much work, and there are four. Danny, Ronnie and Dawn can't work full-time, though Danny will arrange for Dawn to be off a few days. Elise, Essa, Kendra, Day, Kady and Reesa have work. Mike and Loren are on breakfast, so they'll have a bit more time than if they were on lunch or dinner, but no one can work late either. That flyer is a masterpiece of design. You two haven't really seen it."
"True. Here-look-in-let's-go is not really seeing, but enough to know we'd have forgotten assessments if we looked more. Summer may be over before we can start on the Bolt."
"Or the LH."
"Nev, we may not be able to stand to colorbond it. You behind us, and getting out of that battered old once-white thing is a fond memory we really like fresh."
"It's such a contrast to you, and fits you perfectly. And it's deeply reassuring to see you right there."
"Always, Blade. I love you both very much."
The family was gathered and giggling, when they got to the house. Drand and Dawn had disappeared. They'd just been found. They'd been talking about what they need in the hangar, gotten the tools out of the flyer, and forgotten they were getting married. They were nearly done installing the generator in the hangar, when found. Case and Stats had helped them finish, so they didn't wander off from the reception. The judge waiting to rehearse them loved it.
Case and Stats retrieved Drand again, when they got to the park. He'd seen blue and gold and gone that-a-way. The West Siders had heard the hangar story and shared it with the northeast side bunch. They shared stories of Drand's legendary support of Bressler teams, and the flyer that was the center of every parking lot party.
One of the northeast-side girls said attending Drand's wedding wasn't really her dream evening with him, but the looks-brains-talent combo was pretty intimidating. One of the West Side boys said he understood completely. They all agreed the two deserved each other, stopped being two groups and melded into wedding guests.
Knight and Blade were supporting Nev. He'd gotten nervous and they thought it was hilarious. So did Danny and Ronnie. They were maid and matron of honor, and holding each other up. Case and Stats retrieved them and steered them to the bride's pavilion, a small tent. Nev's dad, the groomsman, retrieved him and led him up on the bandstand. Case and Stats retrieved Drand from an examination of the bandstand construction and got him in place. Case noted the judge had left a lot out of the description of usher duties. Stats agreed. They walked up the aisle to the back and took their places on each side. Stats held up crossed fingers and Case matched.
The crowd in the park was huge. It spread past the pavilion and all the way around the bandstand. The parking lots were full, the spaces along the road were full, and every street in West Side that faced the park had cars parked along both sides.
Many had carpooled, but there were still almost two hundred that could become invisible. A very large number had appeared where the belt road went between a tall hedge and a stand of trees just south of West Side. Nearly all of those had carried produce and pinkfish filets to the park.
The portable banquet kitchen in the parking lot closest to the bandstand had been leased from the Brevilla Resort Hotel on the west coast. The staff had come with it, except for chefs. There was a great deal of room to store, prepare and cook food in it, and it was all in use, but the chef and chefs-in-training were standing near the bandstand watching a beautiful woman, in an incredible gown, walk down the aisle with her father.
Bance had told Hammison the first wedding party would only be shown from the back briefly, the whole segment would be short clips, not live feed, and wasn't to be passed. The groom was a fantastic engineer, but couldn't get a job as one. Everyone wanted to give him one as a vice-president, so they could stick his family name on the door. Hammison told him not to give surnames. The wedding went smoothly until the vows. Dawn added, "and help you change out the Tibbet-Beram initializer circuit."
"It's the second time it squealed 'replace me' in a year."
"We could rework the priming system to use a Holber ten-sixteen."
"Good idea. It'll handle a higher power flow."
"Takes more charge to start, so we should probably change the leads."
"We may have to increase capacity from the module back."
"I now pronounce you a matched set and married!"
"Drand, put these on her."
"Dawn, this one goes on him."
"Oops. I love you."
"I love you. Thirty-seven millivolts is well within specs."
"It may be the oscillation curve."
Case and Stats were already climbing the bandstand steps. Everyone else was laughing. By the time they got the wedding party moving back up the aisle, they were. They followed, holding each other up. Drand and Dawn had gotten lost in each other's eyes and their promise to share forever. It had happened millions of times before, but they did have an unusual language of love.
The second wedding started immediately. Larry carried his best man and steered his groomsman up the steps. Kendra held her escort up, as they came down the aisle. Elise and Essa leaned together and staggered down it behind them. The groom helped the judge get on her feet. Knight did manage to keep Blade from collapsing again.
Larry stood in the middle of the bandstand, smiling widely, and watched his bride come down the aisle. She wasn't wasting any time, and Elise and Essa would catch up.
His bride had seen it too. Waiting five minutes would be an anticlimax. The way to make their wedding just as special in everyone's memories was carry the laughter into it.
Kendra tossed him her bouquet, caught her gown skirt and lifted it with that hand and assisted Nev up the steps with the other hand under his elbow. When they got to the top, Larry picked Nev up and set him beside Knight and Blade. Knight grabbed hold and held him up too. Elise and Essa crawled up the steps. The judge managed to get as far as the vows without a laughter break.
"I'll love you forever, and it's such a surprise love like this came to me. I was sure I was always going to be Lone."
"I said, 'Ooh, that man for me,' the first time I saw you. I admit I was most impressed by your muscles at that moment, but it changed as soon as you spoke. I love your beautiful soul and incredible mind, and they're in such a nice package. Forever."
"I think Blade's trying to get the ring out. Thanks."
"Thanks, Elise."
"I want to be married to you. The lonely past is ended."
"I want to be married to you. The lonely past is ended."
"I think you covered everything. I pronounce you married."
"Thank you, Judge. Do you think we should let them try to get down off here?"
"No."
"I think Knight can make it if he's not supporting two."
"I'll get the girls."
"I'll get the boys."
Kendra put a hand under an elbow of each and supported Elise and Essa down the steps. Larry picked up Blade and carried him down. Knight had gotten Nev to the top of the steps. Larry picked him up and stood him beside Blade. Knight made it down before Nev sank. Larry leaned him on one side of Knight, then put Blade over Knight's other shoulder, walked around Elise and Essa, offered Kendra his arm and they walked back up the aisle.
Knight made it halfway and sank. Elise and Essa sank right afterward. Larry and Kendra looked over their shoulders, at each other and kept going. He pointed out they'd forgotten something. At the end of the aisle they stopped. He lifted her veil and kissed her, then whispered, "They don't miss ad lib cues, either." She winked.
Chal said, "Buffet!" Mike and Loren were on their feet and running too, before he got three steps. Loren was going to be a good chef, and Mike was going to be great. That afternoon Chal had told him he wouldn't ask for the recipe for his stuf
fed pinkfish, because it was worthy of being a signature dish, then he'd admonished the staff not to repeat it or share it with others, except at home, and then identify it as Mike's. The staff had applauded.
Andrea Pimberly climbed the steps to the bandstand and held up her hands for quiet. People spread who she was to those who didn't recognize the erect elderly woman with long snowy-white hair. She pointed at Bance and he ran for the bandstand. Jace was right behind him. Silky got off the floor and into his chair. He alerted Hammison the matriarch of one of the oldest families in the area, and on the world, had news. She waited for Bance to nod.
"My family has owned a piece of land since this valley was settled. That land always had a purpose, and all we were waiting for was someone to suggest that purpose. Early this afternoon, I got a call from someone who wanted to buy that land, for exactly that purpose, though his plan did have an addition. Since my caller was Nev, the addition was a good idea too. I'm donating the land and he's building the town a public golf course, so we can both get tee times. That will be due north of here. The rest of the land from the town limits to Harvest Road Two and Tiara to the mountain is hereby donated and reserved for the Northwest Agriculture Science and Humanities campus of Bressler University! This region is now a local tuition area. Scholarship and Building Funds are both accepting donations. Geon, at Mountain Growers Bank, has been drafted to manage the accounts."
"That makes Bressler tuition less than Mountain City University!"
"Yes, Bance. We could have done it alone, but they want to aid us with their accreditation and reputation for academic excellence, and the Board of Regents are sure our kids will help their sports teams standings. I called an old friend for guidance in setting up the various committees we'd need to prepare to build an independent university here, in about fifteen years. She said we have too many who don't go to U because of cost and distance now. We all know it, but it was very surprising to learn they did not only see it, but had discussed it. They couldn't do anything under the old gov. Now, they plan to begin some extension classes here in a year."
"Hello! I'm Milla Holscott-Valens. Our extended family would like to donate a building before the new gov gets quite appropriate, but tedious, large donation oversight structures in place. Should I call Geon, or Wynda at Bressler?"
"Geon. Wynda won't be ready for a request for the architectural firm yet and Geon will call Lambert and Morelli, so he can give you a choice and approximate cost."
Nev sat and giggled. Blade couldn't even sit up. Drand and Tarn were organizing a clearance team of West Siders and the Bressler bunch, so the architects could see the contour of the land. His grandparents had decided to make their lake place their primary residence, before someone nominated one of them for a Richland "city council seat or something." Nev's dad sat down beside him.
"It didn't take us long to learn why you love it here."
"The people."
"Are wonderful. Your grandmother Valens is building her social schedule with Andrea's aid and her mother and sister are talking to a realtor. Your mother has Knight cornered. I don't know what they're talking about, but I suspect our lake place may be growing in an interesting fashion, and we may just move."
"What?!"
"I did my piece of the job in Richland. I don't need to be there to stand between the gov and the company any longer."
"Dad, it gets very cold up here and you'd be bored not working."
"Definitely, but there is a job up here for me that will be a great deal more fulfilling."
"Build a university."
"That's the job. Andrea had to call for what-next. It was the best thing she could have done, but they don't move or think fast enough for these people. They'll be quite happy to dump the job on me and I'll love it. Hello, Knight, my wife worked a personality evaluation into a discussion of work on the lake place?"
"She was a little worried her mother throwing 'real' family money around would stress our relationship. She'd already decided the West Siders will think it's just as fun-funny as when Nev does it. Blade, you're figuring out how to 'at least triple' the area available for entertaining and make it 'Greenly attractive.' I told her there was only one item on the agenda no one has mentioned, wipe out the stigma the gov created to keep people caged in sub districts, so they had a big-budget pocket. She headed straight for Doc Larry."
"She watched him blend their wedding with Drand's to create one joyous, laughter-filled memory of 'matched set' loving union in all these people, Knight. I'd have gone to him immediately, if you'd given me a change-worldwide-perception task. You three were good, but Elise and Essa get my personal award for artistic excellence."
"Dad, we were laughing that much."
"Of course, Nev, otherwise it would have been a show, not wonderful spontaneity. Hello, Andrea, did you learn I'm the harmonic phase module between this high-power system and Bressler's low?"
"Eleven people said they were sure you'd realized it and two new Veil Lake property owners asked I tell you they're interested in employment applications when you design a form. Would you believe things moved fairly slowly here until they arrived?"
"With no difficulty whatsoever."
"It bothers him, Nev. Not anybody else, but she does. Fix it."
"Thank you, Blade. Andrea, this is my dad. We don't need to hide, but we like what we do and everyone knowing would be a real obstacle to being who we wish to be."
"Thank you. Now we can all stop pretending we didn't realize you're six of the students IS tried to murder, as soon as all your families showed up. Ressen said the performance was outstanding and he'd have believed it, if he hadn't been trying to figure out who to kill for a year."
"Someone did."
"Thank you, Knight."
The wedding reception was wonderful. Children playing in the park was the highlight for many. It wasn't helpful to the growth of new grass, but not as bad as the next day would have been and a second seeding was planned for the area.
The local band got to use the bandstand first. They played from nineteen until twenty-one. The reception ended then. The next day was a work day for most, and many went to work very early.
Some cars disappeared on the way home, but not a great many. Through the mine wasn't enough shortcut for most to use, and very few had decided to uninstall a shield yet. All that stopped for an uninstall had a neighbor to follow them to brush out tracks, and to take them to the mine, if they wished to go.