Decision at Doona

Chapter XVI. BARN RAISING

BY AFTERNOON, the cargo was all sorted and stored, and that which could be left for the Hrrubans put in one shed. The women and children spent the rest of their first full day on Doona in an orientation meeting. This, too, like most of the colonists' original plans, had been revised. But the newcomers were shown slides of the various animals – though they were unlikely to encounter a mda during the short time they'd be on the planet – and the flora, including live samples of the rroamal vine and the ssersa bush and berries. Although the children were sternly restricted to the Common and such wooded areas as were adjacent to their homes, rroamal was a creeping parasite, springing up everywhere, and so were the ssersa bushes.

Ken Reeve completed this truncated orientation with a lecture on what had been observed of Hrruban manners and customs. He made everyone learn by rote a few basic words and phrases and repeatedly emphasized the parallels of exceeding politeness and friendliness.

“A grin is the same thing for Hrrubans as it is for Terrans. If you don't know what else to do, smile!” he ended his comments.

That evening, after the women had struggled to cook real food on the unfamiliar apparatus in their private kitchens, the adults gathered in the mess hall for the next day's assignments.

«I'll learn how to produce an edible meal on that – that contraption,» Kate Moody vowed, «if it's the only thing I do on Doona.»

Sally Lawrence, who had been softly strumming on her guitar, struck a major chord and sang out a jingle:

What can I do, do, do on Doona?

What can I do, do, do on Doona?

What can I do, do, do on Doona?

Learn to cook, learn to cook, learn to cook!

Hu Shih stood up as the laughter and applause subsided.

“A very good introduction for me,” he smiled. “However, we cannot spend all Our time perfecting cooking techniques or collecting treasures. Now I estimate that we have about four or five days before one or the other of the three Departments send us transport.”

“Not if the Spacedep wants us to search the planet for an alien touch-down burn-off,” Eckerd remarked.

“One thing sure, Codep won't get Kiachif back here short of four-five weeks,” McKee added, “and one of the crew told me his is the only transport in this Sector.”

"Gentlemen, please!" Hu Shih called them to order and waited a moment until the murmuring died down. "In view of the emergency and our repeated requests for transport I cannot hold out any hope to you for a prolonged stay. Particularly when Alreldep is so anxious for us not to complicate their contact techniques.

"As I said, I feel we have four or five days minimum. Lee and Ken agree with me that it is doubtful that the transport can accommodate the livestock which we had hoped to breed here. Ben tells me there is insufficient feed for their return journey. Pending subsequent approval, there is no reason why the animals can-not be given to our Hrruban friends who have already evinced considerable interest in them. It would be comforting to know that at least one facet of the colony's original purpose will be thus realized: the preservation of these all but extinct species.

"Therefore, it has been suggested that we begin the construction of a more permanent structure to house the animals, for the present accommodation is inadequate and the females will shortly reproduce.

“Ben has in fact suggested this to Hrrula who appeared excited at the prospect, if you can imagine Hrrula excited about anything.” Hu Shih smiled tolerantly and won a few smiles from the audience. “Sam and Macy believe that a good-sized, snug barn, utilizing one of the heat converters, can be built in two or three days, thanks to the Hrruban rlba preservative. That would still leave us time for our personal enterprises. However, this is just a suggestion. The project is not compulsory. I will leave the matter open to discussion and suggest that it be voted upon.”

“That heat converter? I'm not sure we should leave them such a sophisticated artifact,” Lee protested.

“We'll bury it too deep to be found,” Sam explained. “They'd never find it, but those stupid animals'll need more than walls during a Doonan winter. Ben says they'll need time to get acclimated.”

“Say,” and Lee Lawrence rose again, “have we ever determined whether these Hrrubans are hibernators? There's not much sense in leaving the horses in a warmed barn if no one is going to be awake to feed them.”

Hu Shih turned questioningly to Ken who had increasingly discovered that he was considered the Hrruban expert.

“Don't ask me, Shih. I've had more evasions on that subject than any other. However, there are those southern villages. They may all go there in the winter.”

“Then why do we build a barn for the horses here?” Aurie Gaynor asked with some asperity.

Ben was on his feet instantly.

“You noticed the chill m the air this morning,, and again tonight. It may be spring but the temperature still plunges down into freezing. Right now that could be fatal to these barn-bred air-conditioned beasts. Also the cows will soon calve, the sows farrow and the eggs for the fowl species will soon hatch. These young animals must be protected. The barn will not be wasted effort. It will also show the Hrrubans how much we value these animals. I intend to start cutting timber for the barn tomorrow whatever the vote may decide.”

Akosua leaned toward her husband to whisper in his ear. He listened imperturbably and only shrugged in answer.

"Oh, what the hell," Gaynor exclaimed into the momentary silence following Ben's calm declaration. "I've never built a barn before. It'll only take a couple of days.

What'll we do, do, do on Doona?

What'll we do, do, do on Doona?

sang Sally in a laughing voice.

What'll we do, do, do on Doona?

Build a barn, build a barn, build a barn

most of the colonists joined in.

It took three days, even with the Hrrubans' help, to cut, trim, notch and stack the timber. The women prepared the sap, a less arduous but equally time-consuming occupation.

“Everything turns into a language lesson,” Aurie Gaynor remarked the first evening when the colonists still had enough energy to congregate in the mess hall.

“If a language lesson is accompanied by such willing hands, I have no objections how many I take,” Ben had replied.

Gaynor had rumbled a monosyllabic objection as he inspected the blisters on his hands. With massive antihistamines he was able to associate with the Hrrubans but the drugs made him slow and sleepy.

“At the rate we're going,” McKee said, “we really will raise that barn in two more days.”

Reeve eased his aching shoulder muscles, cramped from hunching over the wheel of the power sled. It took more skill than a man realized at first, to keep the drag load from jackknifing. He'd thought about it all morning and wondered if it wouldn't have been easier to drag the logs by animal team. He'd suggested it to Ben at the lunch break and received a long humorous look.

“Those horses and cattle have been pampered too long, Ken. They just aren't suitable for heavy draying, but their descendants will be.”

“Well, one thing sure, we'll all sleep tonight,” Ken remarked now, rising and gesturing to Pat, who was deep in conversation with Kate Moody. Still trying to apologize for Todd, Ken decided from the tense look of her face; not that it had been Todd's fault-exactly.

The Hrruban youngsters had come along with their parents that morning to play with the Terrans. Todd had pre-empted Hrriss's company and, with Bill Moody and another cub, had gone off to the village to play some Hrruban game.

Hrriss's mother, Mrrva, had brought Bill Moody home with a split lip, a black eye, and shaking with sobs. Todd, not bothering to hide his disgust, much less his own honorable battle scars, had listened unrepentantly to the bilingual conversation.

“I'm not blaming Todd, Pat,” Kate had said. “But how can Bill possibly cope with a rough-and-tumble fight when he's never had a finger lifted against him in his life? But there's not a cowardly bone in Bill's body.”

“Of course not,” Pat agreed loyally, looking at Ken who hastily agreed.

“It just made matters worse to have Todd pitch in and settle the argument,” Kate concluded grimly.

Ken groaned inwardly. Todd was seven years younger and at least fifty pounds lighter than Bill Moody.

“I simply haven't understood how a fight started in the first place.” Pat frowned, perplexed. “The children were supposed to make friends.”

“I was given to understand wrestling between evenly matched youngsters is a friendly sport,” Ken said dryly.

Both Pat and Kate turned on him indignantly.

“Hell, don't look at me like that. I don't invent Hrruban customs,” he protested.

“I honestly don't think we'd better let the children leave the Common, even in the company of the Hrrubans,” Kate said thoughtfully. “For one thing, there's not much point in letting them spread out if we only have to box them up again. Yet I hate to see them lose the opportunity, no matter how short it is. Why, none of them has ever been to a Square Mile!” She turned to her husband who had just entered. “Where have you been?”

“Painting scratches, lacerations and numerous contusions, removing splinters, and aiding abused digestive systems.” Ezra took things literally.

“I beg your pardon,” Kate and Pat said with a certain amount of understandable irritation.

“Pat, lets go to bed,” Ken said firmly and drew her away.

The second day was, in some ways, worse than the first. Everyone was sore from unaccustomed exertions, and tempers were short. Yet they were able to turn out an incredible amount of work. Ken, jouncing on the tractor-sled seat as he drove it back toward the barn site with the day's final load of logs, gazed out across the meadow where the horses were grazing. Hrrula, who had worked as hard as anyone, was stalking the stallion. Reeve grinned. Hrrula's fascination with horses was surpassed only by Todd's obsession with Hrruban tails.

Ken hoped there hadn't been another crisis involving Todd today. Kate and Ezra had been generous yesterday but Todd – Ken stopped that line of thought. It wasn't Todd's fault that he was different from the other children; that he refused to be conditioned to cramped spaces, to play games that required no space, that he made noise and could not be pressured into unchildish quiet.

When he reached the front yard, there was Todd, happily and dirtily erecting a series of twig houses. His arms and legs were scratched in countless places. The heel of one hand was skinned and there was dried grass in his hair. His coverall, fortunately made of an indestructible fabric, was encrusted with mud.

“Hey, Todd, how'd you do today with Patrick Eckerd?” he greeted his son cheerfully. The wary look he received in return braced him.

“Patrick Eckerd does not know how to swim,” was Pat's opening phrase.

“Huh? You mean Todd does?”

“Evidently,” Pat remarked with lavish sarcasm. She hastily turned down the heat under the pan she was tending and then devoted her entire attention to the day's episode. “As nearly as I can understand it, Hrriss and another cub joined Todd and Patrick in the calm pool below the falls at the village. Patrick was picked because he was too big for any of the other cubs to fight with.”

Ken groaned and sank to the couch. “Go on.”

“Todd caught a huge fish and was, according to him, doing great. However, the fish pulled him in although he says he wasn't in any trouble at all in such shallow water. Anyway, Patrick plunged in, thinking Todd needed to be rescued, only he lost his footing and had to be hauled out. Don't laugh, Ken, the boy could have drowned. And I don't know who'll go with Todd tomorrow. Everyone's scared to be with him.”

It was clearly a problem and it was clearly to be his problem, Ken realized. It was also obvious that Todd, even though he was undismayed by his environment could not be left alone at six years of age. Nor was he to be left with his mother.

“Okay, Todd will not go to the village tomorrow. He'll be confined to this side of the river with the rest of the kids.”

Todd was not very happy about this because there was no way to tell Hrriss ahead of time. Nor could an adult go over and back with such a time-consuming message. One of the McKee twins was assigned to keep an eye on him around the Common.

The logging crews, Terrans and Hrrubans both, completed the cutting, peeling and notching of the logs by the end of that third day's hard labor. Ken, with thoughts of dinner only, wearily turned down the path to his cabin. No aroma assailed his hungry senses. The kitchen area was empty. Ilsa, hearing his step, came out of her room, round-eyed.

“Mother's at the McKees,” she began, washing her hands in dry anxiety.

“Goddam, what happened this time? Todd duck out to the village?”

«Oh, no, daddy, he stayed here all day. But we all took a walk in the woods this afternoon to look for pretties – you said we should. Something bit Maria and her arm is all swollen up.»

Reeve raced to the McKees' house, his heart pounding in his chest, wondering what poisonous thing it was. Pat and Todd were sitting, very stiffly, at the kitchen table. Ken could hear Moody's voice, answered by Maria's quavering whimper.

“Why didn't they send for Ezra earlier?” he muttered at Pat, limiting his communication with Todd to a fierce glare.

“Todd only got her here a few minutes ago. It happened about an hour back he thinks.”

“Todd, what was it?”

“Rroamal,” the child replied with a perfect pitched vowel. “I told her it was bad stuff but it was blooming and she picked it. Can she yell!” He rolled his eyes expressively. “All the other girls ran away, screaming.” His tone indicated what he thought of them. “And then she started to hurt. And cry. I had the worst time with her.”

Pat groaned, shaking her head slowly.

Moody came out of Maria's room, also shaking his head.

"I've given her a massive antihistamine, I've used a poultice to draw out the toxic fluid but the edema in the hand is incredible. I never thought – " and he shook his head again. "These kids – they just aren't suited to such conditions. And we haven't time . . ."

McKee came out, his face dark. When his glance took in Todd, his lips tightened over clenched teeth.

“She says Todd warned her and we mustn't think it was his fault this time,” and he emphasized the last two words slightly.

“I got her back as soon as I could, Mr. McKee,” Todd said softly.

“I know, son. The others ran off and left you. They, thought Maria was a mda screaming.”

Reeve put his hand on McKee's arm, trying to convey the secondhand guilt he felt. He was mixed up, for somehow it still seemed as if Todd emerged as the guilty one.

"It's not your fault, nor the kid's," McKee muttered dejectedly, sitting down heavily. "Like Ez says, these kids – they're not used to this. Oh, we showed 'em films, pointed out the dangerous weeds and animals and stuff. But they've lived all their lives where things that snap and bite are behind bars or in books – " He trailed off. "She's never hurt anywhere in her life. How do you explain pain to her?"

“Doctor?” Dot's voice called. Ezra, roused from his thoughts by the panic in her voice, rushed back into the sickroom.

“I'll fix something to eat for all of us, Mace,” Pat offered and busied herself in the kitchen.

They were ready to eat before Pat called their attention to the fact that Todd was no longer there. Full dark had settled when Ilsa knocked apologetically at the door.

“I waited and waited and I'm awful hungry, mother, and is Maria all right?” she asked tentatively.

“Oh, good heavens, I completely forgot we don't have an automat feeder,” Pat cried, full of remorse for her neglect of the biddable child. Spoon half-raised, she whirled from the stove to her daughter, her eyes wild. “Isn't Todd with you?”

“No, mummy, I thought he was here with you.”

Swearing words he didn't realize he knew, Reeve charged out of the house, up to the office for arms and power lights. Just as he reached the porch, he caught sight of torches on the bridge. Squinting, he was just able to make out a small group of Hrrubans Three of them and yes – that smaller figure must be Todd. They were headed straight for the McKees.

When Ken joined them, Todd came to a halt.

“I broke my promise,” he said in a defiant voice, “and we will have to leave Doona but Mrrva has something that brings down rroamal swelling.” He pointed to Mrrva who carried a pottery bowl carefully in both hands. “Only you gotta use it as soon as possible.”

Hrrula stepped out of the shadow. “He said it was a matter of life and death and too much time had already passed. That is why he broke his promise. He said he tried to tell his mother but she did not listen. We came as quickly as possible. Will your man of healing allow Mrrva to attend to the child?”

Christ, thought Ken irreverently, they have professional ethics, too?

“Mrrva has used it on cuts of Todd's so we know it will not have an adverse effect on a bareskin,” Hrrula added after Mrrva fluttered a purr at him.

Reeve hurriedly ushered Mrrva on to the McKees, and into Maria's room, explaining quickly to Ezra. Dot McKee jumped up with a cry and pulled Mrrva to her daughter's side.

“Anything, anything,” Dot cried. “Just look at her arm. What can I get you? Water, bandages?” she asked, peering urgently into Mrrva's face.

The Hrruban pointed to the pan in which cloths had been soaking. She gestured the level of water she wanted and Dot rushed out, muttering incoherent thanks.

Leaning slowly over the bed, Mrrva touched Maria's cheek gently with one soft finger. Maria was unconscious of her presence, moaning and restlessly turning her head from side to side, oblivious to externals. Her arm was immense with the edema, up to the shoulder. Mrrva took the pan from Dot and soaked a clean cloth, wringing it dry before dipping in the salve which she then began to spread generously on the child's shoulder. She motioned to Dot to imitate her. Side by side, the two women worked, laving the girl's arm in the yellow substance. Tenderly but firmly and ignoring the child's cries, Mrrva turned the hand so that she could see where the rroamal toxins had burned into the tender flesh of palm and fingers.

Then she repeated her ministrations, beginning again at the shoulder. The original application was already absorbed by the taut skin but it was obvious that the swelling had ceased its ominous spread.

“Well, I never,” Ezra sighed as he examined the result closely. “I never.” Then, because Mrrva looked up in concern, he hastily added in hesitant Hrruban, “This is good thing. We give you all thanks.”

Mrrva's jaw dropped into a smile and she nodded her head in acknowledgment before she turned back to her patient

Reeve and McKee left the sick room and joined the others at the table. Todd stopped eating, looked quickly at Hrrestan and Hrrula as if for reassurance.

“I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, Todd,” McKee said, holding out his hand to the boy. “You tried to tell me.”

Todd took the proffered hand and nodded solemnly. He immediately took up his fork and concerned himself with eating as much and as quickly as he could.

“I would ask a favor of you, Rrev,” Hrrestan began as Ken sat down facing the Hrrubans. “A very great favor,” he added, laying a hand on Todd's shoulder. The boy gave him a quick wide smile. “Concerning this very small one.”

With a pang which Ken had to admit was jealousy, he realized that Todd had never smiled at him with such spontaneous affection. Christ, what kind of a father was he, anyway?

''I'm sorry Todd is such a nuisance," Reeve began apologetically.

Hrrestan's upheld hand stilled his argument

“No, he is not a trouble to us,” Hrrestan continued, inclining his head in a courtly gesture that robbed his remark of any hint of discourtesy. “It would seem, however, that when someone is set to watch this young hayuman, it is the watcher who comes to harm,” and Hrrestan's glance traveled from one adult to the next around the table. “Yet it is not the fault of Zodd. The Bill misunderstood a friendly contest between Zodd and another cub of the same age and received small injuries. The second day, an older boy appeared to believe Zodd was in danger when he stepped into the stream to land a very large fish,” and Todd beamed up at Hrrestan. “Today, although warned, the watcher of Zodd plucked a flower that is poisonous. Are my facts correct?”

The Terrans grimly agreed.

“Already he speaks our not-so-easy-language. He understands what we say to him.” Hrrestan paused, his eyes carefully examining the faces of each adult before he continued.

«My cub, Hrriss, has spent the day unhappily,» he said with a sigh. «All morning he waited for the small figure of Zodd to come down the slope to our village. All afternoon he lay in his bed, sighing deeply and sad.» Hrrestan's jaw dropped and he shrugged in a very human fashion. «After today, I think Zodd will have no one to take him over the hill to our village and Hrriss will continue unhappy. Hrriss has ever been a lone cub – which happens to some – but in Zodd he has found a heart that reaches to his, and a mind that understands all that is not easy to say in words. This is rare. It is too bad to part such friends. If you are willing, may Zodd come to our village each day? Mrrva has suggested it and is willing to assume the watching of this young cub. There will also be an elder who instructs our young in the traditions of the Hrruban. We hope that you will permit Zodd to listen to this elder who is wise and kind. I believe it will be of great benefit to both our villages that one of your young becomes close with one of ours.»

Ken noticed that Hrrula was watching him intently, the green eyes of the Hrruban brilliant, the body unnaturally tense. Hrrestan on the other hand was relaxed and now smiled encouragingly at Pat.

“Ken, that would be the most terrible imposition,” Pat temporized, but there was an incredulous hope in her eyes.

McKee broke the impasse by slapping his thigh and letting out a muted crow.

“Sorry, Ken,” he apologized absently, “but it's an ideal solution. Honestly, I've got nothing against Toddy but . . .”

Pat grimaced. “There's always a 'but' when discussing Todd. Oh, I'm his mother but I'll be honest. I'm the first one to agree with you. After all, I've had to put up with him longer than anyone else.”

“Now wait a minute,” Ken said, feeling control slipping from his paternal hands.

“Hey, man,” McKee protested, “don't refuse. They offered, remember, so it's their idea. And just think of it from the standpoint of colony relations.”

“What colony?” snapped Ken. “He's my son. It's his good I'm thinking of.”

“Then remember he's a natural at their kind of life,” McKee said. “Furthermore, when Alreldep gets here your Todd'll be an Hrruban expert compared to the rest of us. Man, your son might be your passport into improved status. Think of it from that aspect.”

“Bargain my own son?” Ken exclaimed.

“You'd better,” Pat said, her lips thin, her eyes anxious, “if you don't want to go back to Aisle 45 and Proctor Edgar with Todd!”

Inwardly Ken shuddered and looked across the table at Todd. The child had fallen asleep, his head resting against Hrrula's velvety arm, his dirty, scratched hands limp on Hrrula s encircling tail. Todd back in Aisle life?

“Please consider Hrriss.” A soft purr fluttered behind him, and Ken turned to see Mrrva, her deep green eyes pleading.

"It is extra work for you – " his voice trailed off as Mrrva made an impatient gesture at that protest.

“Mrrva made the suggestion,” Hrrula spoke up. “Hrriss will come with us in the morning to meet Zodd at the bridge. That way Zodd will continue to keep his promise to me.”

“How do you say thank you, Ken?” Pat whispered urgently, trying to smile at Mrrva at the same time.

Shortly afterward, Ezra Moody appeared to reassure everyone that Maria's arm was appreciably better, so Ken and Pat excused themselves and left, Todd sound asleep in Ken's arms.

“I have to admit it'll be a relief to come home without worrying about what colony-shaking crisis Todd has precipitated during the day,” Ken remarked

“You don't think we should have discussed this with Shih, do you?” Pat asked anxiously.

“He's got enough to plague him and it isn't as if we were giving Toddy away or anything.”

The moonlight touched her face, pensive and withdrawn.

Pat rebelled against putting Todd to bed without washing off some of the surface dirt. However, once he was tucked in for the night, Pat was, to Ken's delight, anything but pensive and withdrawn.