Chapter 96

With that decided the talking was over. After everyone finished eating, Raalto, Racaato, Barago, and I went to the horse cave to get the wagons. Danlo, Jonoco, and Nadlo had left before us and were well on their way to having the teams hitched when we arrived.

Raalto, Racaato, and Barago helped me load the scythes and pitchforks into the big wagon and some manure forks into the other wagon while the wranglers were finishing hitching the teams. After it was done Barago took my original wagon and Raalto took the big wagon up to the center of camp.

From there they were going to gather some men to help. Racaato and the wranglers returned to my cave to prepare for the shooting lessons and I saddled Red and rode him to the wagons.

Bigglieo and Galto were aboard with Barago and his group and they were leaving just as I got there. Bigglieo, Galto, and Barago all had their M1s and I'm sure they intended to alternate to keep one lookout watching the work to make sure no predators approached. It was doubtful even a big cat would come upon so many men together, but it wasn't unthinkable.

Caato and Colonto were going along with Raalto to provide the same service. Raalto had drafted about thirty men to help with the hay and Barago had taken about twenty men with him. As we were leaving I saw Daaggo and ten other men starting on the coverings for the cave openings.

After we got to the large meadow it didn't take me long to show Raalto and the men how to go about cutting hay and then how to load it into the wagon with the pitchforks. I could tell freighting the hay was going to consume most of the time. We were only about four miles from camp here but it would still be a lengthy trip. Only three or four men would need to go for unloading though and the others could just keep cutting hay while they were gone.

I mounted Red then and headed for the ramp. When I was up on the plateau I started toward the spot where we had confronted the two men last night. Even to my eyes, recognizing the location where the dead man had bled out his life was no problem and it was fairly easy to backtrack them to the south. Losing the trail a few times was normal, but it was usually no trouble to pick it up again and I finally arrived at the site where they had climbed out onto the top.

The reason they had chosen this place for their climb was apparent at once. There was almost a trail up the canyon's wall at this point and I could tell it had probably been used on and off for years.

It was a good place to gain the plateau and coming at night was an excellent plan as far as sneaking around went. Almost no one did any sneaking around in the night since it was dangerous as hell, as ahlf of the first two man team had already discovered, right at the last.

The trouble with this scheme would be apparent to the next few who tried it, since it was also an excellent place to lay in wait for thier sneaky asses. We would be Johnny on he spot to ambush them. There was even a small scattering of trees a half-mile away where we could conceal the wagon. This would mean we wouldn't have to send for it later, and after looking the area over carefully I remounted Red and we returned to camp.

I got back just as the first load of hay had been unloaded and saw the big wagon was headed back for more. Of course this rapid progress would not have been possible without Argent's help. The hay couldn't have dried enough for storage under normal circumstances and if the Aliens were not going to be watching over it we could expect a fire, from spontaneous combustion, in a few weeks. I'm sure Argent understood this, but I was going to point it out to him just in case.

I unsaddled and groomed Red and then put him back into the pen. Heading back to my cave I was hoping I could persuade my mates to fix me an early lunch. After entering I saw Waaya first and asked her if she could be convinced to feed a hungry man and she agreed, calling Winna, and Jaada to help her while I went back into the practice cave.

My wranglers weren't wrangling this morning. They were all practicing when I got to the firing line. After they finished this round I asked them how they were doing and Racaato told me they were all progressing nicely. He volunteered they had all done well with their Glocks, too.

"That is good news. One of them may need to dispose of Cardiato for us."

This gave them all pause for a few seconds when they realized what I meant.

"I will be happy to help in any way I can, but why would one of us need to do it?" Nadlo asked.

"Sometimes you will be called upon to do things that are distasteful. I will not force any of you to kill a man if you are set against it."

"It isn't what I meant. Of course I will kill him if you think I need to. I was only wondering why you made a point of saying one of us might need to do it," Nadlo said.

"It would normally fall on one of the main leading men, but I have already asked them and they would rather not. Remember, whoever kills him will be responsible for taking his mate. It seems Racaato, Raalto, and Bigglieo already have all the mates they want for now. In fact, it seems all the other leaders do."

I guess it was inevitable and Danlo pointed it out at once.

"Daaggo doesn't have a mate yet," he said.

"Daaggo does not want a woman for a mate," I told them, and left it at that.

"So one of us will need to kill him and take his mate?" Danlo asked.

"I am asking you to do it. I am not going to force you. You are the next in line in order of responsibility though, and the woman will need to be taken by a man with authority. She is a leader's mate after all."

"I will do it then, unless Nadlo or Jonoco want to. I am already accustomed to having more than one mate and I would gladly have Daria as another. I have seen her and she is very attractive, even if she is older than I am. It is said she is a good woman and a hard worker also," Danlo said, surprising me.

"I envy Danlo's confidence. I would rather not be called on for this task if he will take it," Nadlo told us and Jonoco was quick to say the same thing.

"It is settled then - if we have to kill Cardiato we will try to arrange it so Danlo can do it for us. You should probably concentrate on your rifle and pistol abilities heavily Danlo."

"He is easily proficient enough already, but I will make sure he has plenty of practice. I do think you should go over the drawing of the pistol and firing quickly with us all though. I am not certain even I am as good at that as I would like to be," Racaato said.

"I am going to go and do some thinking for a while and probably eat something. I will come back here with you after you have eaten your lunch," I told them, and then went back to the kitchen.

Waaya, Winna, and Jaada were all in the kitchen and Ameliea was with them. I sat at the table and Ameliea came to me with a plate and a mug of beer. She brushed her petite self against me as she put them down and when she'd done it she stayed where she was. Thinking I knew what she had on her mind I still didn't touch her.

"Am I not desirable to you John?" she asked, in a small voice after half a minute.

"You are very desirable Ameliea and I can only keep from touching you with great difficulty."

"Why do you do it then?" she asked, and actually seemed puzzled.

"Because I remember your temper and I don't want to start it again. I told you I would not force myself on you and would wait for you to decide you truly wanted to be one of my mates."

"Well I have decided, and you need not keep from touching me any longer," she said, with a relieved note in her voice.

"Good," I said, as I put my hand on her leg and slid it up to cup one of her glorious ass cheeks.

She smiled and then leaned down to give me a good kissing while I got my other hand on her other cheek. For a few minutes she kept kissing and I kept feeling, eventually sliding a paw up to claim a handful of big firm titty for some gentle squeezing, but she finally broke the kiss.

"It is much better now I can tell you want me and I can hardly wait until the sun goes down," she told me, breathily.

"If I hadn't promised to help Racaato with the firing lessons we wouldn't even wait until after I finish eating," I growled.

"Would you take me in the day then?" she asked.

"I will probably take you in the day often and then on into the night," I promised.

She was smiling when she went back to the others and they all put their heads together to begin talking and giggling. The rest of my mates, who were over listening while Frank went on about something quit their studies and joined the hen party I had gotten started. I finished my meal to the sound of many giggles and no doubt some teasing.

After I was done I went to the bed, took off my boots and lay down. I was asleep and in Argent's presence almost at once.

"You did well with the two spies, John," he told me.

"Yes, but they won't be the last."