Chapter 18: An Unyeilding Focus

The field had been reploughed, the earlier broken and uneven furrows now aligned in neat rows. And while nothing was yet sprouting, they planted a variety of different native plants. Now they awaited fresh rains to encourage the crops to grow.

The set aside for returnees was long finished and while it didn’t stand out, it was separate, sheltered and clearly marked, so anyone arriving would know how to reach the village, rather than stumbling through their new crops. And the local villages were encouraged to welcome them, what to tell them and most importantly, where to send them.

Arriving early, Ty and the others bypassed the field entirely, headed directly to what they now referred to as the “returnees’ refuge”, the name possessing a pleasing familiar ring.

Motioning his animals to halt, Ty indicated for Anna to see whether anyone had arrived. She entered before turning and shaking her head, as expected. They still had time. Stopping to talk, they heard plaintive bleating. Surprised, Ty headed in himself, verifying it wasn’t his imagination.

Inside there was a furry, white sheep with what appeared to be a full coat ready for sheering. Only it bore some sort of black jacket. Cautiously approaching, it was accustomed to humans, looking pleadingly at him. Apparently the coat covering it was too heavy to easily move about.

Once more issuing soothing sounds, he knelt, examining it. It was an interlacing network of thin leather straps, sewn together, delicately holding more delicate instruments against its fluffy coat. He found the release catch, as the others stared, few having seem such an animal before.

“It’s a sheep,” he explained. “Someone head back and get Di and Mila, Di needs to see this. It needs to be sheered and as it’s only defense is running away, we’ll need to assign a shepherd to watch over it anytime it’s grazing outdoors. We’ll also need to build a barn to keep it safe from marauding animals at night.”

“All that, for such an awkward, defenseless creature?” Tiss asked, the three girls glancing in.

“As I said, it’s defenseless, yet the wool it grows makes for durable, warm, well-insulated clothing to keep us warm on nights when the temperature drops substantially.”

“Oh,” she answered, not expecting such a detailed explanation for such an insipid creature.

“One, by itself, like Phil the fox, isn’t useful, as it can’t reproduce. Thus, I anticipate receiving another. Yet we’ll still need to keep careful watch, lest the species is doomed.

“So find me those seeking a new occupation and I will guarantee their and Di’s success, as shepherds employ their entire family. It’ll take time, yet soon, everyone will be wearing her fine, warm and comfortable clothing, which we can then sell, far and wide. Our home and all our people will be more success, comfortable and secure than ever, long after we’re gone and only a distant memory.”

“So, we wait to see if it arrives next week?” Anna queried.

“First, we investigate what they sent with her,” he clarified.

“Her?” Tanya asked, just to verify.

“Yes, it’s definitely an ewe,” he said, emphasizing the pronunciation. “The ram should hopefully arrive next week. Rams are better able to defend themselves with curved horns and a thick skull, though again, likely not succeeding here.”

The girls hesitated, though as he seemed done, Tiss and Lor took off, carrying out his instructions.

“What was it carrying?” Anna asked.

Ty held one of his recovered items. “Sheering scissors, made from reinforced steel, unlikely to wear down over years of repeated use. My sharpener works on it too.”

“And?” she pressed.

“Get Mila, as she received the gifts she requested, exactly as specified and Di too, as she needs to see this.”

Beks snapped to attention. “On my way,” she stated, hurrying back to their village.

“For a military man, you know a lot about sheep.”

“It’s common knowledge,” Anna said. “I, again, didn’t remember until he mentioned it, though when he did, the one detail triggers our memories.”

“Always one step ahead,” Tanya noted, “though it appears he’s well past the amnesia the rest of us still suffer from. Which is likely why they’re no longer sending those who know him, it’s no longer necessary.”

“Still, how would they know? I can’t see how they’d determine it from one conversation consisting of mere yes or no guesses.”

“Clearly, they’ve been feeding him whatever he needs to know as he needs it.”

Ty held up something else and all conversation ceased. “Naturally, knitting needles, though we’ll need to build Di a new loom, though there’s a variety of other weaving tools, most of which I can’t name, but there’s a lot of them.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Anna assured him. “The technical names are unimportant, what is, is determining how to employ them.”

“We’ll need to help Di with the tools, explaining how and why each is used.”

“Which again triggers more memories, so once we train her, we can then teach someone else how to deal with it, once we determine how to construct a sturdier weaving stock.”

It didn’t take the girls long returning with their targets, staring at the strange beast as they neared. “Is what they say true?” Di reached out, running her hand over the ewe. “It’s extremely smooth and soft, though I never heard of weaving until you mentioned it and have no clue how you ... turn this ‘wool’ into ... whatever it needs to be.”

“Yarn. You spin wool to make yarn, and the pattern you use determines how loose or tight it is, which determines how warm, cool or comfortable it is. Combing it, also creates a tighter weave.”

She backed up, staring at him. “How do you know so much about it? Have you ever ... weaved something?” She paused, her eyes widening. “If so, could you teach me?”

“No, I’ve never done it myself. I’ve observed others knitting, though it’s only the final step. With all the necessary tools, we’ll need to determine the process, as usual. Yet, there’s a difference between knitting and darning. With weaving, you twist the cotton into different strength threads for different purposes. ‘Darning’ is used to make fine lace, such as women wear close to their skin, as the fine, intricate patterns highlights the beauty of their natural skin tone.”

Tanya drew back. “I’m sorry, but now you’re scaring me. As you mentioned each, I recall what it means, though I still haven’t the slightly clue of the steps involved.”

Rather than answering, he handed her a small pamphlet. “This came with it, detailing the whole process. Since Di can’t read, we’ll have to read it to her, repeating it enough, she remembers each step.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier teaching her to read?” Anna asked. “We’ve already taught two and they’ve undoubtedly taught several others. That way, whenever she’s unsure, she can simply consult your notes.”

“That’s definitely beneficial, though we’ve already given her multiple significant responsibilities, beyond just making clothes.” He turned to Mila. “Ask the girls who they recommend to care for the ewe. If you ask, it’ll mean more than if we do, as they’ll see themselves as a part of the whole process. They’ll take better care of the animals that way, realizing the stakes in personal terms.”

Di led her new equipment-laden ewe back, as they’d thoughtfully provided a leash. Once safely penned, they’d try it on the more aggressive creatures, though Ty was doubtful it would last if they were determined to escape. These were wild animals, tamed, yet still essentially the same capable, aggressive predators.

“But paper won’t last long,” Ty continued, “so always consider it a temporary solution until we can determine how to securely bind books and safely store them long term. It’s not an easy or straightforward process. For now, the best approach is to relearn how to create papyrus, which hasn’t been used for thousands of years. We’re unlikely to ever recall the precise process, nor have the necessary components.”

He paused, his eyes again glazing. “Don’t ask how I know, but the papyrus plant is found in very specific swampy locations, like our babfoo.”

Tanya neared, lifting his lid and peering into his right eye. “He denies knowing anything, then recalls it immediately after. I suspect they implanted something besides simple monitoring tools in his brain.”

Anna’s eyes widened. “In other words, he’s not recalling a thing, they’re actively feeding him the necessary details to figure it out on our own.”

“Seems like it.” Tanya continued examining his eye, unsure what she was searching for. “I don’t know the role of the triggering comments, are they also implanted? We have no way of knowing.”

“The hell we don’t!” Anna insisted. She turned, spotting Mila approaching. “And the person to figure it out just arrived.”

After catching up on the latest events, Mila again covered his eyes. “Phil?” She then uncovered them, continuing. “Good. We definitely appreciate the ewe, though have additional questions.” She nodded, a grin spreading over her face. “We already know you have ways of feeding information to Ty and probably all of us returnees. So do you implant the triggers in Ty?”

This time, the ridges of Ty’s iris spun in two different directions. “So, you refuse to answer or can’t answer immediately? Ah, I see. So are we discussing minutes ... hours ... So hours.” She nodded, grinning.

“We’ll expect an answer relatively shortly. After you do, we’ll discuss it and decide what else we need to ask.”

Moments or seconds later, Ty’s eyes widened, dilating as he straightened.

“What?” his sister prompted.

“It’s only a partial answer, they’ll send a more detailed one with a later delivery, next week. But as we suspected, Phil was warned not to directly communicate with us, since it appears he’s unfairly favoring us.”

“You knew him personally, just as you knew each of us returnees. Why is the one beneficial and the other forbidden.” Anna sighed. “That makes as much sense as sunshine hail storms.”

“Hail? What’s that?” Tiss asked, the girls returning from accompanying their charges, staying long enough to ensure the ewe was taken care of, then returning, eager to see what else they’d uncovered.

“Hail is when rain freezes into small balls of ice. Since it happens in the upper atmosphere, far above the earth, once it freezes, the other water strikes it, adhering and freezing too. Thus the hail stones are significantly larger, as freezing water expands.”

The girls glanced at one another. “I’ve never seen ice. We’ve seen our water bowls get a thin crust when it’s cold, but—”

“That’s ice. It’s what makes water essential for life, as ice rises to the surface, insulating the water below, keeping it from freezing, preserving everything living there. The colder the temperature though, the thicker the ice becomes. Sometimes, especially on a still lake, the ice can be nearly a foot thick. Enough to support a small hut keeping fishermen warm for hours.”

Glancing at one another, Ty held his hands roughly a foot apart, they nodded their understanding.

Lor shivered, despite the warmth. “I hope it never gets so cold here.”

“It will, though not for a long, long time. Once the two suns separate, the one grows larger while the other diminishes. I suspect whenever they pass each other, the one steals fuel—plasma—from the other, feeding the first while starving the second. And those few, isolated exchanges likely moves them so far from each other.”