Chapter 166

After finishing my first mug of coffee I found I wasn't going to have to do any cooking. Jaada came out of the bedroom and headed for the pots and pans. She took time to refill my coffee mug and I pulled her into my lap for a few kisses before I let her up to cook.

"Jaada, why aren't you wearing your shiny shirt?"

"I don't know, I just didn't put it on this morning. I usually don't wear it if I'm going to be inside all day," she said.

"Would you start wearing it all of the time for me, at least until we find out what is going on?"

"I will if you want me to, but why? Do you think someone will try to kill us?" she asked.

"No, I don't, but you are often near me and there is no telling when an attack might come. It is very likely if a spear is aimed at me and it misses it could strike someone near me. I want all of you to humor me and wear your mail until this is over. I even want Deimeta to be sure and wear hers. It would break my heart if something meant for me harmed one of you."

"I will go and put mine on as soon as I finish cooking your breakfast and I will tell the others to make sure to wear theirs too," she said.

"I think I will go and ask them myself while you are cooking. That way they won't have to come back and change like you are going to have to."

I went to the bedroom then, coffee mug in hand, and found most of them were up and all were awake. Dieta, Geera, Gema, and Kateata just hadn't rolled out yet.

I made my request and they all promised to honor it. Taaheita said she would go and get Deimeta soon and would make sure she understood about wearing the mail at all times without telling her why. Satisfied, I went back to the kitchen and found Jaada had my breakfast ready.

I did my best not to think of my troubles while I was eating and I was doing a pretty good job of it until Racaato came in. He had a good mood written all over him and I knew I was going to have to destroy it in a few minutes. I'd let him hang on to it until after he'd eaten anyway.

Just as Racaato sat down Raalto came in. Good, this meant they would finish eating at about the same time and I could break the news to them together, with a conference in my office. Seems I was getting a lot of office conferences going lately.

I told them I needed to talk to them after they'd eaten and then left for my office. Once inside I sat at my desk, again lamenting the loss of the video feeds, and kicking my own ass for not using them to peruse the activities in my own camp while I'd had them.

Just then an icon started flashing on my desktop. It looked similar to the message icon I'd used to communicate with Argent and the others while they'd been here. I clicked it.

John: Once again let me apologize for the current situation. It is not of my choosing, but that hardly matters to you and it doesn't make your life any easier.

If it is absolutely necessary you may communicate with me via the same message interface you have always used. It will not function as a chat at this distance, but if you send a message I will receive it in the same manner you received this one. Time for the transmission to be completed is approximately twenty hours one way.

Argent

Well it was something anyway and I was glad to get it. I definitely thought it was absolutely necessary and so I began my message to him. I wondered what he would think when he got it.

I didn't really want to twist the knife in Argent but I didn't see any other way to do things. He was basically my only contact with the aliens who had made the agreement with me and then put me here. I was confident Argent was doing his best for me in whatever kind of committee meeting he had been called to, but I knew a little about the conduct of such meetings. Usually they were for the purpose of wasting a lot of time arguing over things which really had little to do with the facts of war in the trenches.

I also knew news of a desperate situation developing in the real world had a way of driving the ass kissers back under their rocks and releasing those who were acquainted with the realities to go and get the emergency taken care of.

After all, those who had risen to the top via the application of their lips to the asses of even higher ass kissers didn't want anything disturbing, which could be traced back to them, happening. Even brown nosers realized while more committee meetings would be held, if disaster could be pinned on them, other asses would be covered and they would likely be outside looking in during the next get together.

So, in my best estimation of the dynamics of meetings I decided to inform Argent of the impending disaster. I had no way of knowing whether I could cause anything to happen or not, but I was betting whatever this was all about I was at the center of it and my death would not help the position enjoyed by anyone at the meeting. I sent the following message.

Argent:

John

I hoped it would get his attention and more than that I hoped it would get the attention of whoever called him back. I didn't really consider them in breach of any contract, but I didn't have to tell them.

I did intend to stay close to my cave, but what else could I do anyway? It had finally stopped snowing, but there were nearly three feet of it on the ground outside, to say nothing of the drifts. I probably couldn't get far if I wanted to.

Meanwhile, I intended to talk things over with Raalto and Racaato and then with the other men I kept close, to see if we could come up with a plan. I was also going to ask my mates to make sure a few of them were in the residence cave at all times during the day. I was hoping they could find things to help the other women with which would allow them to observe closely without seeming to be doing so.

It seemed to me we already had a good handle on who was intending to do away with me, but I wanted to make sure there weren't more men involved. When I made a move to deal with them I wanted to get them all. If I missed a couple I was afraid they would dig in deeper and then try things another way later.