Chapter 53

We rock ‘n’ rolled through the next few days. I got some shooting time in at the McKesson Creek Shootery, as it was called. They even had a place I could practice with the rifle. I got pretty good ... at taking apart the guns, cleaning them, and putting them back together. That broadside of the barn could still rest easy.

I called Clearwater’s office and was told that he never came in anymore, he was out at the plant. They gave me the number, and I called him there. Naturally, he wasn’t in, but he’d call me back. When I finally got to talk to him, I started to tell him I was coming in, but he interrupted me. He already knew. He had a big whoop-de-doo celebration on the books for Friday. So much for my surprise.

“How’s Gerry doing?” I asked.

“He’s doing okay. We got him set up in a little shed temporarily, to work in, and he’s looking at some catalogs. He’s already talking about setting up a network, like they have at Intel. He’s spending a lot of time in the plant, looking at the partially finished chip parts, and talking with the Intel guys when they’re not working. I couldn’t believe the process they have. Automated equipment.

“He wants to know if he can buy some computers. Note that I said plural computers. You can go over all that when you get here.”

Sunday came and there were three passengers for Cap’n Jack’s delivery service. Surprise for me! We got delivered to Burnside North’s new airfield, still unnamed. The plane got tied down in its parking place, to be tended by the airfield crew! Wow. I was impressed by the progress that had taken place. Cap drove to his own place, in far off Gallup.

Rock was there in his borrowed Blazer from the Navajo council. “Wow,” I told him. “You guys have made a lot of progress in just a few weeks.”

“Hi to you too!” he replied, laughing. “Once the cement trucks started pouring, they didn’t want to stop.” He laughed. “You should see the plant! It’s a wonder. No office equipment, yet, but they’ve got it working. The Intel guys are taking a bus every day from Burnside.”

We drove out to ‘the plant,’ as everyone was calling it, I soon discovered. Aside from a couple of parked vehicles inside a security fence, there was nobody around. Well, there was a guard at the gate, but he waved us through.

Rock was acting as guide, since he knew where everything was. With Linc, Big Tex, and about a mile of electrified fence surrounding me, I felt plenty safe. Plus I’d never had any trouble down here in Naabeehó Bináhásdzo. “They’ve got me being a part-time guard when I’m off school. Got me some spending money.” Linc looked at me. I remembered, but I wanted to slip him the money I’d gotten privately.

We entered and went to a viewing area. “This is it,” Rock said. “Unless you want to go in. If so, you need to get gowned and go through the cleaner.”

“Cleaner?” I asked.

“Yeah. It’s a multi-step air sucker thing that takes particles off you and prevents you from contaminating the inside of the plant. Then in the last stage, you get gowned: shoes, clothes, hair net, and a mask and goggle getup. It’s a hassle.”

“Umm ... We’ll pass. We can see plenty of stuff from out here,” I said.

Bill Clearwater came out of the office section, to the side. “Hi Lexi, Linc. Good to see you again. I’m Bill Clearwater,” he said to Big Tex, sticking out his hand. He took in the cowboy boots and the six-shooter holstered at Tex’s side.

“Tom Whitherspoon, but call me Big Tex, or just Tex.” He shook Clearwater’s hand. “I’m the bodyguard for Li’l Whirlwind here.” He pointed at me with his thumb.

“Oh,” Clearwater said. “Have there been any troubles?”

“Nope. And I mean to see there aren’t any,” said Big Tex.

“Just the one,” Linc said. “Nothing directed at Lexi. I’ll fill you in later.”

Clearwater nodded. “Some setup, isn’t it? We had to get the equipment in through the doors, with a big, and I mean BIG, forklift.” He pointed at some big overhead doors to the side. “It was all asses and elbows when they started to come in. We had the semis stacked up like cordwood for a while. Amazingly, everything fit together, just as the Intel teams said it would. They were amazing. Intel had a whole crew out here putting everything together.

“See the guys with the blue coverups? That’s the Intel operators. The guys in white are ours. There’s usually two of ours learning from the Intel guys. Shift’s over at 4:00. Everybody goes home then. We could run two or even three shifts, but there’s no need,” he explained.

Red, are you seeing this? It’s amazing. It started out with nothing, me in nowhere, nowhen along with just you. And now it’s getting real.

[It is wonderful, Lexi. I am proud to be part of your accomplishment. I have checked next week’s Navajo Peacepipe – that’s the local weekly paper. They have a big spread on page one about Friday’s celebration.]

[By the way, Intel’s circulating a memo from Niccolo Asandro to all Intel personnel announcing the Intel/Navajo joint plant opening on Friday. It’s only a preliminary draft. In other news, they’ve started getting shipments of the new substrate material. Mostly it’s from Nepal. So, that part of things is progressing too.]

[Oh, and before I forget to mention it, last week we unloaded Intel from your public holdings. It’s due to take a big jump in the next two weeks on speculation from the announcement. We can’t take a chance on insider trading, so you’re missing out on some profits. We’re loading up on Intel from the Isle of Man accounts, of course. We’ll unload it in three weeks. I estimate a profit of just under $14 million.]

Red, you are getting to be quite the comedian. ‘before I forget to mention it.’ Ha Ha Ha.

[Caught that, did you? I liked the casual way I threw that bowling ball in there.]

Bowling ball? That’s enough. What are you trying out for, Mel Brooks impersonator?

I just stared through the double pane windows at all the activity. It may have been routine to the workforce. But to me, it was a miracle. Somebody brought me a chair, and I just watched, wide-eyed. All the others drifted off, except Rock. He sat next to me.

“Astounding, isn’t it?” he said quietly. “I still remember meeting you at the sweat lodge, with Wild Mustang in his BVDs and you all wrapped up in tape. Everything was nothing more than words. And now it’s this.”

“I remember the BVDs with all the Navajo designs. Don’t forget you stripped down to a flap covering your privates. And all done up in warpaint,” I said quietly.