9. House Issues
2035 Words
As the crowd commented and parted, Llewellyn looked at his House members and realized something was wrong. Diana was now trying to shield herself behind Lorenz, a feat that would nay have been possible except for his wide shoulders. Lamar and Beatrice seemed to be edging away, and Andrew went from walking with a bit of a swagger to looking more like a whipped Kreppie than the knowledgeable negotiator he needed tomorrow. That problem needed immediate resolution.
“Andrew, will ye meet me at the Maca"s Tower?”
Andrew seemed to swallow and nodded. “I was headed there anyway.”
Llewellyn laid his hand on LouElla"s and bent to speak in her ear. “A word with ye Mither.” They walked toward their flivs.
“Do ye ken what tis wrong with the members of our House? Has any asked for your advice?”
LouElla turned at his fliv and shot a glance at the others departing in their own flivs.
“Nay have mentioned anything. Diana will be at my place tomorrow for lessons. Did ye wish me to ask if ere tis wrong?”
“It might be better to just get her chatting. What about Andrew? He met with Rurhran this morning and just came from an assignment at the Laird"s and Lady"s Station.”
“The rumors that are floating around Thalia say that Rurhran tis nay cooperating.”
“That tis nay surprising, but which issue?”
“I dinna, but then Andrew kens all that information about credits. I suppose I will need a few lessons from him too now that I am Guardian.” She held her arms up and they embraced before climbing into their flivs.
Andrew had arrived before Llewellyn and he was pacing in his Great-grandfather"s Tower office when Llewellyn entered.
He almost shied away as Llewellyn reached for him and remembered that all Thalian"s embraced. Kit had embraced him when he left at Lorenz"s call about needing him present at a House challenge that all must attend.
Andrew"s response was perfunctory and Llewellyn placed his hands on his shoulders.
“What tis wrong? Has Rurhran refused to meet with ye tomorrow?”
“No, Grandfather Mac, but they are part of the problem.” Andrew took a deep breath. “I fear, I am not Thalian enough for your tasks and I have just committed a colossal error in judgment.”
“And that would be?”
Andrew"s face took on a determined look. “I just had s*x with that young woman you sent me to teach accounting for farming operations.”
Amusement lit Llewellyn"s eyes and he pulled Andrew close and hugged him again before releasing him. “At last ye have had a Thalian bedding.” A huge smile lit his face.
“Tell me did ye nay enjoy it?”
Andrew was standing frozen, looking at his Great-grandfather, and blinking his eyelids. “She is an employee. It is not something a competent manager does with a subordinate. It can cause all sorts of problems.”
Llewellyn shook his head. “This tis Thalia. We bed. Did the lassie resist?”
“Uh, no, you might say her kiss rather initiated the, ah, event, but that isn"t a gentleman"s remark.” His face was flaming.
“A remark like that might have Thalia thinking ye are a tad backward. Again, did ye nay enjoy it?”
“Of course, I did.” Andrew exploded. He straightened his shoulders.
“Grandfather Mac, she doesn"t know enough about math or writing to be able to do the entries. She needs an elementary instructor. How she knows the amount of seed to order is beyond me.” He saw Llewellyn raised eyebrows.
“I can"t imagine why you sent me there except to set me up for that incident.”
“Nay quite.” Llewellyn grinned at him and pulled two mugs of brew from his cold cabinet. “However, we were getting worried about your monkish ways. Mither suggested it.” He left out the part that he had instructed Kit long before LouElla mentioned it.
“If you will notice Great-grandfather, my grandfather and I are not Thalians.”
Llewellyn interrupted him. “Dinna ye ken, Lorenz tis bedding Diana. He has always been a lusty laddie.”
Andrew sank into the chair. “I thought she was too crippled.” As soon as he said the words he realized how ridiculous he sounded.
“He tis probably begging forgiveness from his Gar each time, but it does nay stop him.
“Now, Andrew, what tis this about Rurhran?”
“They are refusing to release any of their books or rather allow me to look at the crystals with the information about the by-products from their sheep holdings. That leaves Don with three choices and you would have to approve any of them.”
“And they are?”
“I stick on a ridiculous percentage rate over what they say the sheep earn, we accept what they say, or Don takes the sheep back.”
“Why do ye nay believe them?”
“They are using the lanolin for something; perhaps some type of oil that they sell or utilize. I have no idea what Thalia needs in the way of that type of oil. They refuse to let me see what percentage of the wool is mixed into the clothing, blankets, rugs, upholstery, etc. I know it"s something, but not the percentage. The fabrics here do not feel like the fabrics back on Earth.”
Llewellyn nodded. “They could even be using the lanolin in processing the material. If we do take the sheep, how do we make cloth or any product from the cloth? That tis an industry that has been Rurhran"s since the Justines gave them the sheep. Ayran does use some materials for making the armor, but other than that, Rurhran has produced clothing and related material. At one time, most Houses did produce some of their own clothes or drapery.”
“According to the crystals I"ve studied, the House of Manufacturing was once situated here on Don. Clothing is one of the items mentioned. Betron seem to have a lock on all the wood working, but they too use imported oils. I"ve noticed that all the continents were allowed swine and chickens. Was there a reason for that and not the other animals?”
“Ye are thinking of the ever growing larger operations on your own planet, aye?”
“Yes, that is true.”
“People complained too much if they could nay have their own eggs, sausages, and smoked meats prepared in their own manner. It seemed easier to allow each continent to maintain their basic flocks of pigs and chickens.”
“Which still leaves us with the problem of where would you direct me to place the sheep and who would care for them. Right now Rurhran is upset over losing all of the cattle and Pawpaw has managed to really antagonize them.”
“What did he do?”
“He is being a Texas cattleman. He dresses in his Levis and boots, and rides a Zark when all the Rurhran hands or keepers are on their feet or some kind of mechanical carrier. Pawpaw has no problem making them all look like amateurs. As usual, he"s has that commanding look on his face that brooks no opposition.”
Llewellyn sat back with a satisfied smile. “Aye, and his brither was an even better rider.” Then he frowned. “And, of course, like all cattlemen, he hates sheep.”
He brought up a map on the wall behind Andrew. “Would any of the keepers on Rurhran be interested in relocating to Don if we take the sheep?”
“Yes, about the same percentage as the keepers for the kine, I imagine. The problem, as I see it, even if we have the sheep, there may or may not be any market for the lanolin or the wool. Rurhran may have stocked piled a great deal. I don"t believe there has been a huge output of clothing or anything for close to one hundred years. I think they have produced only what is absolutely necessary.”
“That may be true for Thalia, but the Kreppies drained a great deal of the produce, oil, and materials for their world. Their world tis (or was ere Mither got finished destroying so much of the planet) overrun with beings. Mayhap we can sell the raw materials to them. They will need to rebuild. We"ll ken more when Red returns with the Golden One.”
Golden OneAndrew"s face still looked troubled. “We don"t know how long that will be, nor do I have any idea where you want the sheep or who will be responsible for them. Then there is the problem of how do we shear them and who processes the meat.”
“Processing the meat can be done at our current plants. As for where to put them, take a look at the map behind ye. The Skye Maist Mountains bisect Don. The northern parts of both sides are colder than the southern. Nay live there now except wandering Land Abs. The portion just above Donnick could be used. If we cross the Skye Maist Mountains, we would need to equip Keepers with weapons as the Land Abs would raid any herd nay protected.”
Andrew swiveled the round chair and looked. “What about the area along the foothills on this side? What happened to any cities or towns in between?”
“The Justines forcibly moved all that were left of Tris to Donnick. All towns and cities are abandoned. Gar kens what condition they are in now.”
“Then have someone look, Grandpa Mac, you are forgetting about the Tri settlement on the other side. I have a hunch they would take some and would know how to spin the wool into material.”
Andrew stood. “I"ll have Linen find someone to school Kit.” He saw Llewellyn"s eyebrows rise.
“If I have time after this blowup with Rurhran, I"ll stop by her place some evening and see how she is progressing.”
“Ere ye go, have ye heard any mention of dissention in my House?”
“Not that I know of, Grandpa Mac. Most people try to avoid me. I"m too cold for them. They aren"t accustomed to a money-making Yankee.”
“Lamar or Beatrice have said nay then:”
“Grandpa Mac, he probably likes me even less than he likes Pawpaw. Pawpaw at least is a Warrior to them.”
“Andrew, I sorrow. Ye have been too much alone.”
“I"m fine, Grandfather Mac. “I"ve had time to study more about the history of Thalia. There was once a Maca of Manufacturing and Trade that worked with all the Houses and allotted different monopolies to them all. Most of the Houses did make their own apparel. Only Jolene, Guardian of Ayran, has been able to hold onto her facilities. That means she has the crystals that would make the various plants on the other continents work again. If we buy from her, I"m sure Linan will know which building housed which trade or industry.”
“She will charge dearly.” Llewellyn stood. “We have an appointment in two days. Jolene tis bringing the red crystal promised when the Sisterhood was defeated. We have an agreement, but if I mention the missing Maca of Manufacturing and Trade, she will try to devise a way for one of her Directors to fill that empty space in the Guardian"s Council.”
“So will Rurhran.” Andrew grinned. “I"m sure you"ll be a match for them both.”
Llewellyn gave him the Thalian hug and had two last instructions as Andrew turned to leave.
“Dinna forget to refer to me as Eldest Fither or the Maca when in public. Also, ye are to visit Kit again.” He smile was wide.
- Writer
