Chapter 141

"Roweea, I am glad you are in the kitchen because Deimeta has already had some of your bread and it is her favorite," I said, and I could tell it pleased her even though she said anyone could make bread.

I stood up and gave Dalia, Shelalliea, Jaada, and Geera a good kissing and then went to the kitchen to molest Roweea and Dieta also. After I released Dieta it hit me there were many new people here now and I had just left them outside. I told my mates I was going back out there to help them get settled.

I guess I was trying to get a minor panic started for myself. I couldn't even remember right now how many new members we had acquired and I sure as hell didn't know where to put all of them. Luckily, when I got outside, I saw Georgo had taken over and Barago, Raalto, Colonto, Caato, and Racaato were there helping Georgo get things organized.

When Raalto saw me he came over at once, telling me there was something he needed to show me. I asked him to let me check with Georgo first and said then we would go back inside to talk. He agreed and waited while I asked Georgo if he had everything in hand.

He told me he would take care of things and he assumed all the latest arrivals would be eating in my cave tonight. I said I thought it would be best and left it with him to return to Raalto.

When Raalto and I entered my cave again Jaada began pouring us both a mug of coffee and she handed them to us as we reached her. I thanked her and then Raalto and I headed for my office. We didn't make it there though, since I saw what was obviously a new entrance to somewhere. It was between my office and the bathroom and looked like it must go straight through where the corners of the two rooms must nearly meet. I stopped in place.

"Is that what you needed to show me, Raalto?"

"Yes, it is. I discovered it yesterday morning. I was just sitting at the table drinking my coffee and I saw it. No one else seems to have noticed it, but it is plainly visible," he said.

"Have you been in it already?"

"Yes," He said.

"What is in there?"

"More caves, and it is very big in there. It also looks like it is arranged into quarters similar to those we all live in. It isn't the only new cave though and it isn't the biggest. There is another new entrance on the other side of our space and it leads to an even larger cave. There is enough room in it for all the people in the entire camp with much space left over. It is hard to explain by talking, maybe we should look at them together," he said.

"I think you are right Raalto, let's go."

We headed into the new entrance and it was only a short walk to a large open area. I could see that it was meant to be a gathering area and there were dozens of smaller living spaces opened into it. There was room for fifty or more people to live in here and closer inspection showed me there was a bed in every separate room. There was also an entrance leading back to a communal bathroom which would easily accommodate everyone who could live here. I didn't wonder why since I knew exactly who had done this.

A closer look and then a quick count told me it was set up for fifty people to live here and each have their own bed. In the middle of the open area was a kitchen setup similar to the one in my cave, but not as over done.

There were only two sinks and two dishwashers and the refrigerators and pantries weren't as large, they were close, but not quite as big. There was a hall leading on past the open area and it went to an opening into the canyon. It wasn't a very big opening but it was an outlet big enough for five or six people to use at once. I didn't comment and we turned around and went back into my cave.

We went through my cave and into the quarters of Raalto and the others who had been living here for a while. At the end of the connecting walkway to their outside entrance the passage had been extended and when we walked through even I was amazed.

This area was easily two or three times the size of the largest cave on the other side of the river. There were separate rooms for each bed but they were open to the remainder of the cave with more of a half partition than a wall. It gave the illusion of some privacy, but really didn't provide much. It was more than they had where they were, but there was no real bedroom exactly.

The whole thing was basically a giant circular room, probably twelve hundred feet or more in diameter. It had rooms all around the circumference with full partition rock walls between them and a half wall separating them from the larger cave. Nearly in the center of the cave was a large circular wall surrounding what I found to be a big communal bathroom. It was twice as big as the one in the former largest cave, but it still had only one urinal and I was sure I would have a good view if I were standing at it.

Between the rooms and the bathrooms were several kitchen and dining areas scattered in the open space. As if it were meant for people to prepare their meals in small groups and eat together. The kitchens seemed to have basically everything mine had but not so much of it in any one. Counting them, I found twenty separate dining areas in here.

I had seen enough to know everything had been planned by the aliens to accommodate all the people in camp to move to this side of the river. It seemed I should be a little pissed off about it, but I wasn't. It would be much better than our present layout and I might have even asked for it myself, but wouldn't have had the nerve to.

I knew they had purposely made sure Raalto was the only one to see the new caves and I thought they probably intended to make him forget everything if I didn't agree to use it, but there would be no need for it. I was happy that everything was done and even happier I hadn't been involved in the planning.

The smaller area we'd explored first was undoubtedly intended to be the unmated women's quarters and I'm sure Argent probably figured it would be the main selling point to convince me. He didn't have to know it wasn't really needed to close the sale. I'm glad he'd done it the way he had, but even if he hadn't I would have still accepted the giant cave for the rest of my people. I knew Raalto was probably expecting some kind of comment from me.

"Raalto, it looks as if the spirits intend for everyone to move to this side of the canyon."