Chap. 402 The Frozen Gear

“Who’s that coming?” Danno said.

Even at the distance, K’ndar recognized the typical gait of a dragonrider. “It’s my coworker, P’jar. He rides brown Falconth.”

When P’jar reached them, he looked at K’ndar in astonishment. Then he scanned the team, in heavily coated ash coveralls, the piles-small ones-of solidified ash, the horse, peacefully grazing and finally, the wagon.

“K’ndar, what in the world are you doing here? I thought you were repairing a water line?”

“And you, what are you doing here? With shovels? Aren’t you on dragon standby?”

“This is some kind of screwed up. I WAS on dragon standby, then somehow got switched to repairing a water line with a trio of louts from Engineering.”

“That’s what I was originally tasked for, and yet, here I am, helping Chief Orlon “open’ this ash covered building.”

“Huh,” Darnell said, bitterly, “Admin strikes out again.”

“I don’t believe I know you, P’jar, I’m Orlon, Chief of Maintenance.”

“Pleased to meet you, Chief, K’ndar has always spoken highly of you.”

The brown dragon rider tossed four shovels into the back of the wagon without asking. Then he joined the others in the shade of the wagon to   glare at the innocent horse.

There was a heavy silence as the men tried to sort out P’jar’s presence. I don’t know what it is about this man, but he’s as big as a dragon and looks twice as mad as one. I think I’ll be extra polite to him, Darnell thought. “Four shovels, mate?” he asked, warily.

“Yes, four shovels, and do you know, not a damned of them works all by itself. Can you believe it?”

“No! REALLY?” Jorge said, laughing.

“I can,” Orlon said, “Especially as those shovels are mine. They vanished months ago. Thank you for returning them, but I’m wondering, what the shaff?”

“Shaff it is, Chief. This morning, I got a message on my terminal that I’d been switched to repairing a water line! I knew K’ndar was scheduled for that task, and with the datalinks being down, I met with Jansen for clarification. She was so angry about the switch she was almost in tears-and that girl’s tough. Chief Raylan went to argue with Admin and I obeyed the tasking order like a good boy.”

“You’re right, P’jar, we WERE supposed to repair a water line-that’s what my division does. But, once again, somehow, things got changed to ‘open building’. Which we’re NOT supposed to do, but somehow, it gets dumped on us at the last moment,” Orlon said.

“Again,” Darnell snarled.

“So, you’re saying YOU got shifted to repairing the water line? By yourself?” K’ndar asked.

“Yes and no. A trio of louts from Engineering was supposed to do the work, but turns out, I was the only one digging holes.”

Orlon swore. “I’m not surprised.”

“Yeah,” Darnell said, “This is the eighth or ninth time this has happened.”

“We’re not supposed to be opening this building,” Jorge protested, happy to find an ally. “We’ve been stuck with these jobs two years now.”

P’jar nodded. “I found this group of jerks in the middle of the commons, waiting, I guess for the shovels to start working all on their lone. One of them struts up and says, “About time you showed up, Peejar.  Ha ha, get it, pee in the jar? I’m team leader and you will address me as such.’ I was SO impressed,” P’jar snarked, rolling his eyes. “Pee jar, yeah, I’ve heard that more times than I can count.”

“Let me guess,” Jorge said, “That team leader managed to make it so that you were doing all the work and he was laying on his arse.”

“You were watching?”

“No. But we can all attest to that sort of crap from Engineering.  They can’t get their hands dirty, you know? Might tear a fingernail.”

“They watched me dig about five or six holes, then two of ‘em found excuses to leave. Then it was just the team leader and me. All I dug up was hard soil. There’s a building on the far edge of the commons. I’m a botanist, not an engineer, but I said, wouldn’t it make sense to check the building first?” he said.

“Duh? That’s the first place we look, not go digging around in the common. That’s a waste of time, usually.”

“Did you check the building?”

“Nope. Team leader absolutely refused to even consider checking the building for a leaking water line. He said, don’t bother with it, it’s empty.”

“Raventh told me that the team leader threatened you,” K’ndar said.

“He did. He was laying down in the grass, I guess working on his tan. He said, “At this rate, we’ll be here ‘til Turnover.’ I said, your mates left and you’ve not done a thing, so I’m not either. I’m not digging another hole.”

That’s when he told me that he owned me, it’s his job to ‘monitor’ my work!

I dropped my shovel and refused to dig. I wanted to put that shovel up alongside his head, but thought better of it. That’s when he threatened to report me to Admin AND Lord D’nis for disobeying an order, and when that didn’t work, he mentioned how fast he was with a dagger. Falconth heard that and roared.”

“We heard them!” Danno said.

“It was all of them, P’jar, even the bronzes.”

“Did he actually come through? Did you allow him first strike?” Orlon said, “because if he did, all bets are off for him. Finally, we might be able to stick these louts back.”

“Nah,” P’jar said, “He didn’t have the courage. Honestly, I was hoping he’d actually try. It wouldn’t be the first time I had to kick someone’s arse after he threatened me.  He was already laying down!  And lucky for me, Fafhrd showed up, team leader didn’t see him, but Fafhrd heard and witnessed the entire thing. Grafton will know what happened. I’m not worried about any sort of punishment, now.

Then the team leader ordered me to keep digging while he went off to get his lunch.”

“You’re to keep digging while he’s filling his gut?” Jorge shouted, furious.

“Aye,” P’jar said. “But, as you can see, I disobeyed. Again!”

“Yup,” Darnell said, seething, “That’s definitely Engineering doing that crap.”

“Huh,” Orlon said, “The repair ticket was opened  for that building a few days ago. We aren’t informed when a building is about to be used, for whatever purpose, that’s Housing’s job. WE opened it, not Engineering, and it was empty, without a need for water supply. Not to give them any credit, but maybe the leak IS in the commons. Even so, I’d have waited until he left, then checked that building.”

P’jar laughed. “I did.”

“Well DONE! Did you find a leak?”

“No, because I didn’t actually go in, but I did SEE in. It’s not empty.”

“Ah ha,” Orlon said, ““I kind of thought that. What’s in it?”

“Furniture. I could see a kitchen, with a stove. A database screen on the wall, fully functional. And, oh, a woman.”

“A woman? What type of woman?”

“An angry one. In her early twenties, very pretty but Very Privileged. Where have you been, she shouts, Wendall called in the repair ticket four days ago and she hasn’t had a shower in all that time. And she’s Noble Blood, she’s not used to going that long without bathing.”

“I know the type,” Orlon said, “we have to deal with that sort all the time.”

“Who is Wendall?” K’ndar asked.

“I’ve no idea,” P’jar said, “But given that Team Leader was adamant that I don’t go near the building and that it doesn’t need to be checked, my money is on him being Wendall.”

“But you didn’t actually go inside.”

“No, but don’t worry, Chief. While I was talking to her, Fafhrd appeared behind her, inside the building. He flew around, got a good look and I’m certain sent images to Grafton. When he’s got the information, he’ll be sure to contact Admin. Maybe even the Council. They’re not stupid, they’ll know right away something’s not right here.”

“Clever little beast, Fafhrd is,” Danno said, “It makes you wonder if this Wendall has a little birdie in that supposedly empty nest.”

P’jar shook his head. “If so, he’s a crib robber. That girl can’t be more than 21 if she’s a day, and he looks older than me.”

“Are you going back there? Now?”

“No, I’m hungry, too! Unless I get called for dragon transport, I’d much rather stay and help you, doing whatever this is, even though it looks hard, hot and dirty work. What in the name of Pern IS this, anyway?”

He picked up a hunk of ash.

“Don’t handle it, P’jar, not without gloves!”

P’jar hurriedly dropped it and wiped his hands on the grass.

“It’s twenty five hundred year old volcanic ash, covering this building. It’s a real pain in the arse to remove, but it DOES serve to preserve what’s inside, if anything. The database started shouting right after Incognito went into effect that it needs to be opened NOW,” Orlon said, “The database doesn’t make demands like this without a reason. I’m betting it’s got something to do with the Incognito shutdown.”

“And once again, it gets dumped on us,” Darnell groused.

K’ndar pointed at the piles. “These hunks of ash are caked on, Maintenance doesn’t have the right tools. It’s heavy as rock. These men, they’ve done it many times, today, they’ve done twice as much as I have, and still, it’s going to take a week, maybe more? before it’s done. Right, Chief?” K’ndar said.

“K’ndar, don’t you discredit your work. You’ve loaded two wagon loads of ash chunks, driven them to the dump, unloaded them, cleaned the wagon and come back, and immediately went to work on the far end of the building. You’ve not shirked. No way,” Orlon said. His team nodded silently in agreement.

“Thank you, Orlon,” K’ndar said, relieved.

“Okay, then, tell me what you want done and I’ll…”

Suddenly, both dragonriders froze, their eyes looking inward.

Then K’ndar jumped to his feet and shouted “Wooohoooo!”

“What? What?”

P’jar began to laugh. “We both got messages from our dragons, from Lord D’nis! You, Chief Orlon, and your team, are to stop work on this building IMMEDIATELY. After lunch, you and your team are to repair the water leak reported at 7006 Regulus.  He wants me to hold the team leader at the spot where I’d digging. I’m not to tell team leader this, but they’re going to be informed that he and his team are ordered to ‘open the building’ on Galileo, after lunch.”

The men echoed K’ndar’s victory whoop.

“You got all that from your dragons?” Jorge asked.

“Yes, but not quite as detailed. That we fill in. Lord D’nis related it to his dragon, Corvuth, who then contacted my Falconth and K’ndar’s Raventh, and they told us.  It’s a clunky system but it works, like it did long before datalinks and paper,” P’jar said.

“You’ll be going back then to wait on the team leader?” Orlon asked.

“Yup. I’m sure Fafhrd passed what he saw to Grafton, who reported to someone. I’ll let team leader think he’s dominated me, he will believe that I’ve reconsidered and will start digging holes.”

“They didn’t contact the team leader?”

“They can’t,” K’ndar said, “All datalinks are down at the moment. The team leader has no way of communicating other than physically talking to someone. Someone will have to personally track him down and inform him. That’s where dragons and fire lizards are so valuable, it’s instant and secure.”

“And remember, the one most pissed off about this whole scenario is Evvelin. You know her taskings and duty roster are absolutely sacrosanct. You’re better off punching a councilman in the nose than cross Chief Evvelin. She’ll wait until she’s got all the information, then she’ll yank the snare team leader’s stuck his head in tight,” Orlon said.

“Maybe he’ll go to the mines?” Jorge snickered.

The others laughed, but it was with a shiver.

“In the meantime,” P’jar said, “I’ve got a plan, it’s still in my mind, but I know there’s a way I can get even with him. So, I’m begging your pardon, Chief, but for the moment I won’t be able to help you. If nothing else, you’ll see where I dug all those bloody holes.”

“It’s okay, P’jar, thank you for the offer. You’re still welcome to join us for lunch.”

They’d all piled into the empty wagon for the ride back to the Maintenance shop, where they promptly shed their coveralls and masks. K’ndar felt enormous relief. Send Siskin, it’s safe for him to be with me now he said to Raventh.

The brown laughed. He killed and ate a few crawlers, now he’s sleeping. When he awakes, I’ll send him.

“K’ndar,” Orlon said, “Would you please, return the wagon to the barn and turn the horse out?”

“Don’t you need it to repair the water line?” K’ndar asked.

“Nah. It’s not that far from here, the heaviest equipment we need is a couple of shovels and a pipe wrench, and we’ll need to walk off lunch before we get to work.”

“Which, by the way, my stomach is saying it’s empty,” K’ndar said, not wanting to cheat the horse out of proper care but still beginning to be HUNGRY.

“Don’t you worry about that, K’ndar,” Orlon said, “It’ll take us half an hour to clean all the equipment and put it away, while you’re turning the horse out. We’ll wait for you, if that’s what it takes. I’ll make sure to save a few of my wife’s meat pies for you.”

“Don’t be too sure o’ that, boss,” Jorge said, “Your mate makes meat pies to die for, and all that work this morning has given me an appetite.”

Orlon gave him a faked harsh look. “And I’ll tell her you left NONE for K’ndar. She’s fond of him, you know.”

Jorge backed up. “Ohhhhhhhkay, boss. You I can deal with. Her? No way, she’ll cut me off just for being snarky.” They laughed.

“I’ll get the tools we need for this afternoon,” Darnell offered.

“Thank you, Darnell,” Orlon said, and went into the shop, followed by the others. Darnell came out within a few moments, with a leather tool bag.

He went to the horse and gently patted his neck. “There’s a good lad,” he said gently to the horse, “You look exhausted.”

K’ndar was astonished at the comment. “Darnell, he’s no where near exhausted. He’s been grazing for most of the morning.”

Darnell put up his hand to stop his words. He looked hard at him. “K’ndar. Do you honestly believe those bloody jerks will treat this beast kindly? I don’t. They’ll triple load the wagon, sure as sunrise.”

K’ndar scowled. If they treat humans this badly, will a horse be better off?  But there was something surreptitious about Darnell that made him laugh inside.

“Look at him, K’ndar. Don’t you think he’s exhausted? He’s been worked hard.”

K’ndar shook his head. “I think I know where you’re going with this, Darnell,  but I’m a horseman to my bones. I’d sooner shoot arrows into my foot before I’d purposefully hurt any horse. I don’t want anyone thinking I overworked him. He’s fine, really.”

Darnell nodded. “I understand, K’ndar, but,”

“I will say that he needs the rest of the day off. He DID do a lot of work today without complaint.”

“Not a day, K’ndar. A week, maybe more.”

The horse turned his head and nickered. “See?” Darnell said, “Even he says so.”

“I agree, Darnell. But I don’t know how to keep the engineers from putting him back to work today. You said yourself it’s going to take a week, maybe longer, to open that building. And they’ll be wanting to use the wagon.”

Darnell grinned. “Well, now that you bring that up, I DO want to check that gear. You said you had to jump on the bed to make it drop to level?”

“Aye. It doesn’t make sense to me, why it’s harder to put down than up, but it’s true. You have to really jump on it to force it down.”

“That’s not a safe thing to do. We don’t want those pissant engineers falling off and getting hurt, do we? There’s a special tool for just this issue in the tool bag,” he said, as he rummaged in its depths. “Ah. Got it. Okay, let’s crank the bed up so that I can adjust the gear. I think that’s all that’s wrong,” Darnell said, a crafty look in his eye.

It took them both to force the crank mechanism to lift the bed. The gear shrieked in protest, hurting everyone’s ears. They finally got the bed lifted as high as it was able. “You weren’t kidding about the cranking being so hard,” he said.

Darnell looked at the horse.  “Okay. Do me a favor? Go talk to the horse, keep your back turned.”

“What? Why….”

Darnell looked around to see if anyone was watching. “Ignorance is bliss, you know? Just check on the horse, okay? Maybe his ears got hurt from the noise.”

K’ndar grinned, and moved to the horse’s head. But he still peeked out of the corner of his eye.

Darnell crawled under the wagon and almost immediately emerged. He brushed the soil off his knees.

“Okay. That should do it right. Let’s crank it down.”

“Should I jump on the bed? It’s the only way to get it to go down.”

“No. It’s too dangerous. Let’s just use the crank.”

The two grasped the crank bar.  It didn’t want to move. “Push! Hard!” Darnell said.

The bar moved slightly-then the gear snapped with a loud SPANG and fell to the ground in three pieces. Darnell quickly retrieved the pieces. The special tool went into tool bag. He forced a dismayed look. 

“Oh. Damn. It broke! Who woulda thought? And the bed won’t go down for love or money now. No loading ash in it now, what?”

K’ndar bit his lip to keep from laughing. “Does this mean the engineers are going to have to use handcarts to move all that ash?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Isn’t that a shame,” Darnell said, shaking his head. “We don’t have spare parts for this old wagon, we’ll have to have new ones custom made. It will take Lord Dorn’s metalsmith a while to make a new one, IF we can convince him a wagon gear is high priority. Last I heard, he was backed up six months.”

“Why did you have me look elsewhere?”

Darnell said, “What in the world are you talking about?” with a feigned look of puzzlement on his face.

K’ndar got it. “I know nothing..”

Darnell grinned. “Leverage. You gotta love it. Someone long ago said, “Give me a place to stand and I can move the world”