Chapter 29

Port discovers a truth….

    Sarita thought Mandy might be over her anger by morning, but she was cold and had little to say as they helped families who sheltered in the main house. The two women kept the children busy so the parents could collect nut tree fronds and cut the tree grass to rebuild their shelters. Sarita thought about how many of the farms had spare rooms and space where these families could live. She doubted that suggestion would find favor in either place. There was too much animosity, owing to the history with the ‘collections.’

***

    Sarita walked back to the main house slowly. She missed her friendship with Mandy. It had not started well, but she understood the other woman’s acceptance. That was all she knew. What had been done to Sarita was acceptable in this society. At least Spacer had managed to say he was glad Sarita had helped him, because he never wanted to force himself on a drugged woman again. She tried not to think about the impact it was having on her life. Dealing with her newfound powers balanced her pain. Her mother and her uncle were worried that the agreement with the Overlord would be voided because she was not a virgin. She did not want to go back to Utopia, no matter how much she missed her family.

    Mandy caught up with her as she reached the door of the house. “Hey, can we talk? I was out of line with what I said. Now that I know I don’t have to stay working for Spacer, I can think about doing something else. Do you think there is a place for me where you are going?”

    Sarita realized she really didn’t have an answer for Mandy. She had spoken without thinking when they were cleaning up the office. “I was out of line too. I am not sure what is going to happen to me. Let’s go sit in the drying yard. There is a lot you need to know about what was supposed to happen in Refugio.” They went first to check on their rooms and then spent most of the twilight talking in the shadows of the enclosed courtyard. Mandy was shocked that Sarita had agreed to wed a man she had never met.

    “That may not happen now that I am no longer a virgin and I’ve manifested. They are strict about that in Refugio. My mother thinks they may overlook it because it was forced. But my uncle is not so sure. We’ll see when we get there. I don’t want to go back to Utopia, because a forced marriage may happen there, and I have met that man. I would rather take my chances with Megal Morales than live with that spoiled brat of a prince in Utopia.”

***

    “Spacer, both our ships need some work,” Blackie and Julie had come to the Bridge after the meeting.

    “Mine took a battering in that storm. We were able to repair most of it, but it is jury rigged at best.” Julie had explained why the current mast was created out of several tree trunks they found.

    “That last storm did a number on a couple of the ships docked here.” Spacer had heard a similar story from the crews of other ships. The wood from the nut trees was tough in the wind or if you tied something to it, but it would not work as lumber for the ships. That was one thing they needed from the north, wood to build with.

    “Spacer, we need to get a trade agreement with Utopia, or we are going to be isolated and starving again,” Blackie was worried since his ship was also leaking. “The folks in Utopia are right about one thing, we do act like pirates because we sail in there and take what we need. The ships aren’t even ours. We can claim we are just breaking them in like the first sailors did, but you and I both know that is not true.”

    “Any idea how that got started?”

    “According to my grandfather, he was friends with the wood workers who built the first fishing boats,” Julie said. “He had gotten to be friends because he had a done that kind of work back on his home planet. My grandmother was one of the crew who knew how to sail so she helped. O’Malley said they could use the ships until they were sure they were seaworthy, but he was actually wanting to build more. He hinted they could just forget to bring them back.”

    “So, he got to build more ships and we got to keep using them?” Spacer said.

    “Yes, but these need to be fixed. In the past, I understand, they would sail in at night, drop off the ship that needed repairs and sail off a new one. Someone would warn which ever O’Malley was in charge of the shipyard so they took the right ship.”

    “No wonder they call us pirates,” Spacer said. “I guess Gunson and Batchelder have messed that up for all of us. Let me talk to Boats and see what we can come up with. Tonight, I am too tired to think straight.

    “See me in the morning.”