Chapter 9

I woke the next morning feeling refreshed and happy, looking forward to working on the corral. I worked my way loose of all the grumbling female flesh, since it was not even dawn yet. I went to the bathroom, luxuriating in a nice shower under the falls. Going back into the bedroom, I saw the women were in different stages of waking up.

I wrapped each one into my arms and gave them a big kiss and a grope to an ass, pussy or tit, then with a bounce in my step, and much grumbling from the women for leaving them unsatisfied, I walked out to the main hall and fire pit. The same woman who gave me my coffee the other day was there and gave me another cup. I smiled at her and she smiled back.

Sitting and drinking my coffee I watched her carefully, she was older than all of the other women, most likely in her late fifties, and for these people that was very old. I remembered seeing her once at the other camp, but I never spoke to her.

"Tell me, mother" I said hoping the honorific would show my respect for her age. "What is your name? You are the first one here every morning when I come out to get my morning coffee, and the last one to leave the fire. Have you no one to go to in the evening, or someone to wake with in the morning?"

She looked up at me from the fire, and gave me a smile and nod for my show of respect. "My name is Nadilla, many years ago when I was young and beautiful I was the seer for the Clan. Bertil the Clan chief at that time, many, many summers before Mearto, felt I was lying when I told him the Clan would be attacked by Roamers, but could not give a date ten summers after the fire in the sky, also I foretold great changes in our lives brought about by the Spirits, but again without a time. Egged on by Bertil, they all ridiculed me and beat me. They are all dead now and forgotten, and I am just the old woman of the clan that lives on. They feed me and make sure I have clothes and a warm place to sleep, because they fear what might happen if they make me leave the Clan."

"Tell me how old are you, Nadilla." I could not believe her story, but then yet again mine is just as fantastic.

"I will be one hundred and two summers in three moons," she said proudly.

"Wow, you don't look that old. Nadilla," I said. "I am sorry to see that no one has taken you into their family and watched over you and honored you the way you should be. I want you to go see Allison my head wife, tell her that I said you are to become part of our household. She is to bath you, clothe you, and give you a warm comfortable place to sleep at night. I know my family will give you the respect you deserve for your age and wisdom, but not given all these years."

"Thank you, Mighty One, but do not worry overly much for me, my time is almost here, and I will get to see the stars as promised me by the spirits long ago."

"Yes," I said, "You will see the stars and long before your time is nigh. Go see Allison, tell her what I said and your story, perhaps she will tell you one of equal wonder also."

She shuffled off to find Allison while the rest of the women started breakfast. It went by quickly, and the men came to me so that we could start working on the corral.

We took all the travois and loaded them with all the picks, shovels, posthole diggers, and saws I had. We also loaded the chain saw and two rolls of baling wire, along with work gloves and four six inch galvanized hinges. Once loaded we headed out to the box canyon. As we approached, I noticed the vegetation was moved, but from out to in. I mentioned it to Mearto, and three men moved off with their spears and bows to go ahead of us. We had just reached the entrance when we heard shouts and cursing.

We ran into the canyon and there was a cave bear with three cubs. The three men were keeping her at bay with their arrows, but were running out. I pulled my M1 and started to fire right into her chest, it only took several shots since the arrows had already mortally wounded her, and she was down. The three bowmen took care of the cubs. We were all laughing and congratulating ourselves with how well that went, when another two bears came out of the tall grass to the side of us, to check on all the noise from my rifle. I yelled for the men to retreat and followed them. The bears first stopping to look at the dead female gave us some breathing room. When we had about one hundred feet between us and the bears, I checked my ammo. Seeing four full clips, I took aim at the further brute and started a steady stream of fire at his head, when the clip ran out I dropped it and inserted a new one right away, and started at the nearer one, I kept firing until they were both down and not moving. The men were quiet and shaken, I on the other hand was ecstatic.

I looked around to all of them and said "Men, my Clansmen, shake away your fear, for never before was a Clan ever able to take a Cave bear without losing several of it members. Today not only did you wound one, but killed its cubs also. This was a historic moment for you, and I am proud I could be here with you to celebrate."

Slowly they realized the importance of what I said, and started laughing and cheering. One of the men ran back to get the women and more travois for the bears and their meat. He came back with a good number of women and older children. They attacked the bears with gusto, it took many trips back and forth, but soon enough only their bones were left. I told them to take the bones and give some to the wolves.

The men and I went back to our work as the women and children worked on the bears. First, I had two men cleaning away all the shrubs with picks and rakes. Then going to one of the trees nearby, I cut down a young sapling. I measured it off at six feet and trimmed it. Bringing it back to the entrance, I showed them how to measure the distance and dig at the end of the sapling, I had two men start with making the postholes. I showed them where in the center I wanted an eight-foot opening, explaining they had to work from both ends to reach the center evenly as possible.

The rest of the men I took with me, and we started cutting down trees to use for the posts and rails. I cut with the chain saw and they limbed and cut them to size. By the time we were done and on our way back with the lumber, the front area was completely clean, a fire started to get rid of all the excess brush, and most of the postholes dug.

I started showing how to set the posts. One man had to hold it straight while another back filled, and yet another tamped it down to make it strong. In no time, I had one crew of three and two crews of four working together to see how fast they could work. The last two posts were eight inches in diameter, and when installed were seven feet tall, these I made to hold the gate.

A couple of the women had stayed behind and started making us some late lunch. Therefore, as soon as all the posts were set, we sat down and ate. The men were excited with how the work was going, and the men from Rollo's camp were amazed that we were even considering building something like this.

After lunch, we were back at it, only this time it was for the rails. I showed how to hold the rails to the posts then lash them together with the baling wire. We had one accident where Mearto did not wear his gloves and cut one hand. As I cleaned and bandaged the wound, he sheepishly admitted he messed up, soon enough, though, we were off again. The fence with three rails was finished, all we needed to do was build the gate, I showed them how to build it then I set the hinges on the gate, once that was done I had them hold the gate to the post dedicated for that purpose, and screwed the hinges onto to the post. Then taking some twisted cable wire and a turnbuckle, I connected one end to the outside part of the gate and the other to the top of the post, and tightened it. I explained this would stop the door from sagging over time. Lastly, lashing some rope on the outside corner of the gate, I looped it over the post next to it and the gate was shut.

Once I announced the project completed, the men all shouted clapping each other on the back and laughing, I told them they did a great job, and that now we had the means to hold our horses until we can train them.

One of Rollo's men asked, "Mighty One, what will you train the swift runners for. We thought that you built this so that it would be easy to kill them for food."

"These runners are not for food, youngster, we will train them to carry us where we need to go, and to pull our travois when we go hunting." The two young men were looking at me as if I was crazy. "Give me two weeks and I will be able to ride to your camp in one day, and bring everything I will need to visit for a week."

Looking back to my men, I could see that they were in awe of what I had spoken, also. I wanted to get their minds off the outcome and start working on the now. I called them to surround me and with pictures in the ground, and using my hands, I made them understand I wanted a second enclosure of approximately three hundred feet around, with one regular entrance to be used as an exit, and a second with a chute to be used as entrance.

Again, they broke into their own chosen squads and started working, by the time Marno came running telling us that it was time for dinner, the area was cleaned and postholes had already started to appear. We called it a night, congratulating each other on a job well done. We walked back with all the men talking about what needed to be done tomorrow, and speculating what the next project will be.

Marno and I had held back from the group walking together, with my hand on his shoulder, enjoying a quiet moment, just father and son. As we walked, I saw Mearto glancing back several times, so the next time he looked I motioned him to come back and walk with us.

I was in a very jovial mood from the experience of working with these men, and accomplishing something for this era that is to be considered no less astonishing than the building of the pyramids, in my estimation.

"What is it, my friend," I asked Rollo

"Jason, I do not understand this, never have I seen the men so happy about doing something, and working so hard together with no fights between them. If I told them to do this there, would be many arguments before we even started. What magic have you put on them, and will it stay."

I laughed slightly, "There is no magic, Mearto, all I did was give them something to make them think, rather than doing the same routine every day. Now they have something to look forward to, so when we tell two of them to hunt they will do it quickly and well so they will be able to work on my projects. They do not realize that today they worked harder than any other day of their lives, but look at them, they are dirty, tired, and definitely hungry, but they walk with a bounce in their step because they know they finished something important today, that they will be able to show their children and their children's children."

"That, Jason, is the true magic of which I speak", said Mearto. We walked together, with Marno walking between us without saying another word, each lost in his own thoughts. Entering the cave, we were assailed by wondrous aromas of food wafting towards us. The women looked at us and told us to go clean up because dinner was ready. We all went to our respective homes, cleaned up quickly and hurried back out. As soon as we sat, the food was passed out. The children had already eaten, and they were sitting to one side playing with each other. As I sat eating and talking, I saw Meela come walking towards me. When she reached me, she put her hands up in the classic 'pick me up' gesture.

"Daddy, is it ok if I sit with you, I missed you today, I did not see you at all, and I thought you left me like my other daddy"

I hugged her to my chest and kissed her forehead. "Meela, my little angel, I will never leave you if I have my way. I will see you grow up into a beautiful woman, and when you mate, I will make sure it is to the best hunter and husband possible. I will do this for you and all your sisters."

She hugged me and sat on my lap while I ate. After dinner I gave Meela to her mother, as she had fallen asleep on my lap, then excusing myself from the evening chat, telling the men I had to think about some of the work needed tomorrow. They said they understood, so I got up and went into my home and headed for my office.

Entering, I was treated to a sight that had me laughing so hard I almost fell over. Ali was standing in the middle of the room dressed only in her panties and collar, with a very upset Gleebo and what looked like two high-ranking military officers, as far as I could tell from their insignia. I could not hear a sound until I closed the door.

"Furthermore, Gleebo," she was yelling, "What right do you have to come into our home without even announcing yourself. What if I was having sex with my husband or one of my sister wives, would you sit and watch?"

I put my hand gently on her shoulder, wrong move. Moving faster than I had expected, she whirled, grabbed me, and had me on the floor, without realizing who she grabbed. Once she saw who it was, she was on her knees with her head on the floor.

"Oh, My GAWD, Master, I did not realize it was you, please forgive this worthless slave. I did not realize it was you. Do you wish for me to bring the crop, so you can rightly punish me in front of these men?"

"I will be beating no one tonight, unless it is just for pleasure and it involves you, me, and maybe Alaina," at the mention of Alaina's name Allison perked up a bit. "Now, my pet, what has your ire so enflamed that you would strike out at me. Rise and speak as my wife not my slave."

She rose hesitantly, "Jason, my Master, they are trying to cheat us, I wanted to see what Gleebo and his people could do with changing some of the items I wanted to order, so I went into the computer and pulled up their contract. I read though the part I needed, and the next section was for re-supply, being curious, I started reading and got very angry. It seems according to their contract, we are entitled to one container every six months as you meet project goals, one container for every Clan we encounter and convince them to join us, and one bonus item no matter what it is if we exceed the expectations of the project outline."

"Now, according to Gleebo, he and his people will be leaving and not coming back for a minimum of four years, since it takes almost two years to get home. That means we should be supplied with a minimum of nine containers. Two for each year they will be gone, and one for Mearto's Clan. I will not include Rollo's Clan as they have not come here yet, or the bonus."

I looked at Gleebo and asked, "Is all this true, my friend?"

Shaking his head, he started to speak "Jason, you must believe me, I checked the files and read that you were entitled to only one container per year. I even went to the High Council contract files and they say the same thing. That is why, when Allison e-mailed me with the information, I got so upset I grabbed the General and his adjunct, the Major, and transported right down. That is when we found Allison sitting at the computer in such a compromising position. She was in the process of giving us a proper dressing down when you showed up."

The General spoke then "Mr. Stevens, you must realize that tampering with the high council files and contracts is tantamount to treason. We had to make absolutely sure of these accusations; but we would never come down unannounced if we thought your slave er ... um ... Wife would be naked." He seemed to be having a problem with his eyes as he spoke.

"Yeah" I said, trying to get him to relax, "she tends to shed clothes when she is in our home; she has become very uninhibited in front of our family since we came back in time. You would not have anything to do with that would you, Gleebo?" I smiled and he smiled back. "Now General, let us sort this out, Allison, do you have my copy of the contract?" she pulled a rather large folder and flipped to an indent she had on it. "Well, gentlemen," I said after we all had a chance to read the marked section and look at the council mark at the bottom of each page, "as you can see, this is an original document. What are we going to about the situation?"

The Major looked at the General, who nodded and spoke up. "Mr. Stevens, obviously we cannot give you the nine containers, otherwise the culprits will know we are onto them. I propose the following plan, first your trip will be extended to two weeks, then you will be allowed to fill ten containers, as I am sure the General will agree with me that this Rollo fellow's Clan is sure to join you within the next week or two. You should fill the containers in order of need, making sure the bulk of the items you need now are in the first five containers, then in descending order with the rest of the containers. We will dispatch robots to your home to help pack all the items you purchase. Once the initial shipment is made and we have left the star system, I will personally make sure that Gleebo activates the AI in orbit and instructs it to deliver you one new container every two months or as needed, so in a span of ten months you will have all your supplies. Will that suffice?"

I stuck out my hand, shaking first the General's, then the Major's, and finally Gleebo's hand. I could tell this was well thought out before they even thought of transporting down here.

"Gentlemen, it is an excellent and more than sufficient idea. Now, I have one more question for you. Gleebo told me that you are being called away because of some violent teams that have been inserted into the experiment. I would like to know how far they are from me, and what Clans, and their sizes, are within a fifty to seventy five mile radius of my home."

The General spoke this time, "Sir, the good news is, at this time one is in the central part of the adjoining continent, one is on a totally separate hemisphere and continent, and one team was destroyed when they used explosives they were not familiar with. The bad news is that the strongest and most dangerous is the one on the central part of the adjoining continent. The good news is we do not expect them to reach you before we return, as their only means of transportation are horses."

"Well now, General, I hate to burst your bubble, but what if you are not back in four years as you expect, or what if this guy knows about me from his insertion team, and is waiting for you to be out system, then make a concerted effort to come get me, what then? I do not mean to be presumptuous, Sir; I am sure that you have much knowledge in warfare, but I was in the military also, and the one thing I learned was to be prepared for any eventuality."

"Hmm, I see what you mean, young man. You are right, of course. I think I have a solution for you. I will provide you with an armory container that you may fill yourself. You will be able to purchase ordinance and weapons of your period only, excluding nuclear weapons. I will not allow you or them, if possible, to escalate this into a nuclear war. The armory will be made of half-inch titanium steel, and have a secure five-digit combination lock that only the AI will be able to access. He will be monitoring the other teams' actions, when and if the AI feels that the southern team is or will be a threat to you; he will release the armory and lock, to make the contents accessible to you."