L'Gem

  Chapter Seven

  They boat shopped. Nev did end up buying one. It had been beautiful, and it had been fast. Currently, it was a bit shabby and didn't run. It was a big boat, a lake-size yacht, and looked rather odd on "the trailer to fit" behind the T, but the car had more than enough power to pull it. It also had enough shield to cover it. The car and boat disappeared around a curve. A few moments later, Knight, Blade and Nev were working on new applications in the mine and a dozen other people were working on the boat. Eleven hours, twenty-eight minutes later, at eight forty-nine, Nev invisibly backed the boat into the warehouse. It was beautiful and fast, but it didn't have a shield.

  When Nev parked the T in the garage, they unloaded the first message systems. Installation in Knight and Blade's car was very simple, so they did it. The one for the house wasn't, so they left it and the other two on the kitchen floor and went to bed. At thirteen thirty-five, Case woke Nev.

  "I saw what you did all night. Where else were you?"

  "In the warehouse, making a huge, drabby old boat that didn't run, into a floating mini-mansion that purrs across a lake fast."

  "Perfect. 'In the warehouse' is what I needed."

  "Uh, oh?"

  "No, just friends trying to find you for an after-boat-shopping get-together. Need more sleep?"

  "Of course. We've had about four hours. I'm up. They were running on less yesterday."

  "I know."

  "I'm fine. Actually, I'm terrific."

  "I know, but you don't usually admit it. You've always been 'more' than the rest of us, including Danny, though she's in a class by herself in programming."

  "I'm not what they are."

  "No, there are two of them. You do belong with them, Nev. We know you chose you because you could… not intrude on what they share. At the time, we all knew you were right, but we didn't see that made you a perfect fit for all of you. Danny's in a little slump."

  "Why?"

  "She's not sure you understood what she was telling you."

  "Spa and pool and I missed it."

  "Wherever she is, there's a place for you. Not just-us-forever, but for you, her door is always open. However, you may be fixing breakfast for three."

  "I've got company. Fix for three."

  "That's the one. She wants to live alone, but not be left alone. You're still her special buddy, and she's feeling one of the girls and she's not. She sees the time coming it chafes a bit to live with two others, even Ronnie and Dawn. Do it this way for just a minute. Ritzi wants a spa and pool, Tarse. You get to build them. You figure out which goes at her place and yours. Don't duplicate. Take a shortcut through the warehouse."

  "She'd swim, dammit, alone. She'd use the spa alone too, but that's not as bad. I wish she was next door instead of through a block-wide warehouse."

  "It's better than three K."

  "True, and it's a quite narrow block."

  "I noticed. Did you find out why?"

  "Fellister's on Carat. The store was already there. If they'd put the street where it should have gone through, they'd have taken two cens of wall. The Maddens were not displeased they didn't jog back, until they got a big warehouse, instead of a house with a big yard, across from them. They put the wall behind them and at the other side of their yard, the other side of the vacant lot. They're ours. They were better than the backs of those warehouses and quieter. They didn't buy the land around them because they wanted neighbors."

  "Well, you've got a bunch coming, and that warehouse will become a useful part of the neighborhood."

  "Not until the roof gets lower and the color is changed."

  "I checked. That's considered a barn, because of its construction. You don't have to have a building permit."

  "You're kidding."

  "No. You can use it as a workshop, or storage, but not office space or housing."

  "I knew that. Gessee was quite specific on what I couldn't put in it without doing secondary construction, build a building inside it. It is a barn."

  "They aren't that color, but there are some built the same way around Willaville. Now I know why the business behind you has a detached office."

  "I haven't gone that way."

  "You've been busy, and probably will be again soon. People will start calling for them tomorrow."

  "I wonder how long it would take for a barn lowering."

  "About six hours, with all of us working."

  "Girls too?"

  "Yes. They need a relief from comp work. Why did you buy a boat?"

  "Why does a bartender put two one-cred chips and a five credit note in a tip jar? And it had been so beautiful."

  "You couldn't stand it."

  "It's a good excuse."

  "Is the warehouse all the way yours?"

  "It should be by now. The houses will take about three days. Tax designation is being changed."

  "The lot?"

  "I planned to mow… The lawn equipment is his."

  "Knight and Blade need some. We're going to need some for other jobs."

  "Let's go get it before they wake up. I'll check on the warehouse."

  "We'll run out of daylight."

  "I'm sure they need worklights."

  "The things in the kitchen?"

  "If Knight and Blade wake up before we get back, one will be in. If not, we'll still do this one first. By the time it's done, they'll have figured out how not to build it into the rental house. I don't have to worry… Is that the house you want?"

  "We talked about it. We'll talk some more when we see the others."

  "Good. They'll all be empty in a few days."

  "All?!"

  "The real influx starts in about fifteen days. That's when the five to ninety-day rentals start. You need to do work on cottages."

  "She wants them ready in fifteen. Tomorrow, it's going to rain. Two days, starting this evening."

  "Let's get the outside work done."

  Knight and Blade were almost done when Nev and Case got back with the LH stuffed and pulling a trailer. The trailer was stuffed with fairly large bushes. By the time they finished the installation, Nev had the lot mowed and was moving the side hedge to be a front hedge.

  The girls, Case and Stats arrived at a run. Knight and Blade ran out and got "rain coming." Knight took over the power shovel and the hedge moved faster. Nev ran for the power rake and Danny ran for the seeder. By the time the hedge was moved, the lot was ready for rain. All the equipment went in the garage and Nev ran for the LH. He unhooked the trailer and drove around the corner and into the warehouse, came out with the boat and parked in front of the house. Knight and Blade still didn't know why they were all running, until they saw Case and Stats setting up the scaffold.

  "You're kidding!"

  "It's a barn, Knight! We don't need a building permit! The deal went through! It's his and we've got today before the weather and the comm go nuts tomorrow!"

  "We've got lights, colorbond and bushes! Those are new. The rest is used and for work, including the trailer. Don't ask how much he didn't spend. I don't have time to start giggling again."

  "I told you the fairy dust is in his hair."

  "There's no point in looking for it there. It's the same color."

  "I like Willaville too, Knight, especially today. They were having an auction. I saw a woman with what I wanted, made an offer and we went through the licensed dealer before the auction. Then I saw the trailer. We did the same. The nursery is having a sale. Case left out the bondcoat mist head I got at the hardware store sale. It's an annual pre-season event and every business in town has a sale. We saw four people we knew from here and Case saw someone he met in Veil Lake."

  "How did you decide Willaville?"

  "A sign to visit their display at the 'auction yard' on the building behind us. I'd just told Case I'd never been that way, so went that way. This is going to be close, but I think we can get the bushes i
n before downpour, with the trencher if not the power shovel."

  "Put Blade on the blade. It won't take as long as I think."

  "Case said six hours. He has seen Blade with blade."

  "He won't mind if were a bit under."

  "Knight! Power wrench!"

  "Got it, Case! Let's do it!"

  In twenty minutes, they began to have an audience. In an hour, it was a cheering section. When they had six panels past half lowered, Ronnie ran for the colorbond mister. She did the roof panel two down from the one they'd just started, went to the end, then began the lowered section. They moved to the section which she'd started, just as she reached the panel which they'd just finished and the still-growing crowd cheered.

  When the lights came on, the crowd got bigger. Tarn, Donce, Chal and Barrett set up a huge canopy in the street. They assured people moved a bit east and to the vacant lot side, so access to the drive, trailer and LH weren't blocked, with food and drink. By then, everyone knew they were racing the rain.

  The police blocked off the street. Chief Dennon was there and his officers were ready to get the barricade moved fast when the boat, then the trailer loaded with equipment were moved into the warehouse. They also kept a turn lane clear of cars parking along the belt road.

  When Ronnie caught up, they were on the last panel, but that was also the end. She racked the mister head and ran for the garage. She came down the drive with the power shovel. She started beside the door on the belt road. She was halfway down the backside when Knight leapt off the scaffold.

  Ronnie ran around the warehouse and unracked the mister head. The roof panel was moved on to the lower frame just as she got around to the front. She began at the top and had it finished when the group on the scaffolds moved them around to 'the end.' She went to the back and finished the last section just ahead of Knight. She went around the warehouse to finish the last section.

  Knight went back to the belt road end. He came around the corner just as she finished. She racked the head, pulled the unit across the street and ran the flush and clean cycle. She ran down the drive and got a bush out of the trailer.

  Danny and Dawn jumped off the scaffold and ran for the trailer. Ronnie opened the personnel door on the side, from inside, just as they got to it and came out as they went in. Blade dropped off the scaffold and ran for the trailer. He picked up two bushes. The crowd cheered when Danny and Dawn came through the door and went around him, as he got to it. Ronnie came out not far behind them.

  Nev dropped off the scaffold and ran for the trailer. He picked up two bushes and headed for the door. The crowd cheered when the backside watchers reported the bushes were being set from the ends to the middle.

  Knight stepped past the door and Blade walked out right behind him. Case and Stats dropped off the scaffold and began disassembling it and the crowd roared approval. Nev came out the door, stepped past Blade and got two more bushes. Ronnie ran up the drive and came down with hand shovels. Danny and Dawn went through the door with bushes and Ronnie followed them through.

  Case and Stats carried the scaffold to the trailer and each picked up two bushes. When Nev picked up his bushes, he went to the belt road end and the crowd cheered. Blade carried his through. Ronnie and Dawn went toward the end of the warehouse. Nev picked up two and carried them to the end. Knight went around the end of the warehouse as Ronnie set the first bush at the corner of the front side. The backside watchers reported the three men were getting the bushes planted fast.

  Knight pushed the power shovel across the street, moved the remaining bushes to the back of the trailer, went back to the end of the warehouse with a container and returned with it filled with tools. He set it over the side of the trailer. He loaded the equipment from the garage and beside the trailer over the side. He jumped into it to move things over, twice. When he finished, he moved the remaining bushes to the end, picked up two and headed for the end of the warehouse. The crowd applauded as he went by. They'd just stood and watched, many with food or drink part way to mouth, while he lifted equipment that 'should have taken two,' to chest height, on him, and gently set it in. He didn't come back around.

  Stats came around the road end and began carrying bushes. A short time later, Case came around, laid his shovel in the trailer and began carrying bushes. The backside watchers were ushered the rest of the way around the belt road end, by the police, and reminded not to block the vehicles, or get run over by the people. They laughed and moved through to the canopy, stopping and dashing between the six getting bushes.

  Knight and Blade came around the corner. Nev carried two bushes to the end and didn't return. Knight and Blade were halfway down the front side when he came around the corner tramping the soil around bushes. Danny and Dawn set their bushes and went around the end of the warehouse. A short time later, the lights went out on that side. They came out the center door and carried the lights to the trailer. They picked up bushes. People began to realize the eight were going to finish together, when Nev ran for the LH and Case, Stats, Danny, Dawn and Ronnie lifted the last bushes off the trailer.

  Nev pulled the LH, with trailer, around the corner, opened the door and drove in. Stats began stamping and Case, Ronnie, Danny and Dawn walked to the lights and began shutting them down. Nev drove out and Case left lights to help hitch the boat. Nev drove into the warehouse with the boat.

  Case collected lights and carried them in. The lights on the end went out. Danny, Ronnie and Dawn finished theirs and the three men and three women met at the side door to carry the last equipment in. Case walked back out with them, as Nev drove back around the corner. He pulled into the garage walked down the drive and eight walked under the canopies together, accompanied by wild cheering and applause. Chal had eight plates of aromatic scrumptious waiting.

  "That was the most beautifully choreographed thing I ever saw."

  "We finished twenty-three minutes early, Chal, and Case did the estimate."

  "I knew we were good, Nev, but I'm amazed at us."

  "Good evening, Chief."

  "That was an incredible show."

  "It wasn't intended as such. It was get it done before the rain starts, because they're going to be too busy to help, starting tomorrow."

  "I hope you don't mind I said no news coverage or cams. We'd have had the whole east side down here, too."

  "Not at all, Chief Dennon. We greatly appreciate the patience and assistance of the police. It wasn't an advertisement. We were happy to see you, and those roadblocks."

  "We didn't plan to engender a street party. We would definitely notify you in advance if we did."

  "We know you didn't, Blade. We're all glad we were here to see it. Now I know how you boys got my daughter's place fixed so fast."

  "The ladies don't do what we do, but we've worked on cars with them in the garage and know how well they handle tools, and Nev would have drafted several more to get that roof lower and the color changed, if Case hadn't said eight of us could get it done, and didn't need a building permit to work on a barn."

  "I was sure you wouldn't be doing it without one if needed, but we checked anyway."

  "It's reassuring to know you check anyway."

  "Quite."

  "You did buy that thing so you could lower the roof."

  "Admitted, but I did come up with something to do with it that could make it appear it was for other reason."

  Three minutes after the six hours were over, the first spatters of rain hit the canopy. People began running for home or cars. Many had left as soon as work and applause had ended. It wasn't going to be a light rain, and it wasn't going to let up for quite some time.

  Police in rain gear quickly moved barricades to establish a loading lane, with barricades along the side of the canopy to keep people from stepping into the path of cars. When it became a downpour, police cars came through the loading zone to ferry people to vehicles.

  The number under th
e canopy dropped fast. When it was low enough, Tarn shouted a warning. Officers in rain gear picked up the canopy poles. Chal and 'team' picked up everything under it. They walked down the street to the drive, then up it until the canopy edge was under the roof overhang of the garage. The police team was applauded for the "great turn" and thanks were shouted. The drive end of the canopy was kept clear, so police cars could get under to load people, for a while.

  People were warned the "ferries" were about to return to regular duty and the crowd diminished to a group in the next few trips, with more cars spaced between police cars. Chief Dennon yelled, "Last ferry run," and several more left. His car was 'tail.' Thanks were shouted again, as he got in his car and the police in gear removed the barricades and cleared the area. There were about twenty people, besides the eight, remaining and most had been there before.

  Knight and Blade had 'cleaned' the kitchen, before they'd joined those working in the yard, so it was ready when remaining food and drink were carried in. The equipment for preparation was already packed and in the garage. The canopy could have been left standing, but there wasn't a need for it. Knight and Blade, in swimbriefs, went out, dropped and rolled it, then set it in the garage at an angle to drain. Nev handed them towels and closed the garage doors. When they walked into the living room, dressed, he handed them glasses of champagne.

  "The only thing one can see out the window right now is a rainy night. However, that's a great view. Even on a night like this, that ugly yellow thing would have been visible above the hedge. My soul-felt thanks to the team who aided, and my heart-felt thanks to the good neighbors, who saw a way to aid, for their hard work and generosity. To the West Side Bunch, great neighbors making a great neighborhood!"

  "To us!"

  "To us!!"

  "Nev! Did you really buy the whole thing?"

  "No, Tarn, you already own your house."

  "He bought the four facing the warehouse and the four behind them, when we yelled we each want to buy one, Tarn."

  "I thought I had two probable buyers after I finished upgrading. Since you were stunningly correct in your analysis of the reversion from rental to resident-owned in this area, four more between tenants and tax bill, while I could get a very good price, seemed a good business move. Since the 'confirmed interested buyers' did the labor to increase the property value, and greatly eased my pained sense of aesthetics, I will pass along the bargain price to them."

  "Best excuse I've heard for giving friends a real good deal."

  "Best I've seen, Donce. Everybody around here is real happy you did something about that ugly yellow monstrosity. It's actually attractive, and I didn't think that was possible."

  "Blade is the designer, Tarn."

  "The 'design' was chop off top, change the color and put bushes around it. I had to come up with something fast. He was about to change our business to building removal and construction. The idea of working outside half the time this winter was not appealing. Not taking any other jobs, so we didn't have to work outside, wasn't really attractive, either."

  "He's a great partner. He sees me start to consider methods and comes up with something that works well, looks great and doesn't take long, fast."

  "Then he works twice as fast as I think is possible and Nev shakes some fairy dust out of his hair. The cost plummets, the job is done and I'm giggling. Knight told him he's going on the business license as a partner."

  "We didn't know he wasn't done celebrating with shopping, until we got up and he was gone."

  "I wasn't going to wake you. You worked all night and that shabby old boat I bought is once again a beauty that runs beautifully."

  "I wasn't sure you guys slept."

  "We've been finding a place to fit some in here and there, Barrett, but we hit bed hard this morning. Case woke him with a time estimate and weather forecast."

  "Danny, you get the spa. I'd be worried silly you were swimming alone, if we put the pool at your house. It goes here. Don't swim alone. Yell for other company if we're not here."

  "Yes, Nev."

  "Danny, do not swim alone."

  "Yes, Ronnie."

  "Danny, do not swim alone."

  "Yes, Knight."

  "Everyone! One, two, three!"

  "Danny, do not swim alone!!"

  "Yes, everyone! Thank you, Dawn. I'm sure that saved hours."

  "Nev, we just seeded the side yard. Where is the pool going?"

  "Behind the house, Blade, with nice tall rinkin trees all along the wall, so we don't see tall, ugly buildings over it when we look that way, either."

  "He ordered them from the nursery for pickup in three days, along with plants and trellis to go around the pool and spa. He ordered those and covers while we were at the hardware and building supply store."

  "It was silly not to buy them while they were on sale, Case."

  "You ordered a pool?"

  "Actually, I ordered a liner and everything to go in it, except water, Knight, and of course, the materials to build the place for the liner. It was a great sale."

  People didn't stay late. By twenty-two thirty, they'd 'ferried' everyone to cars or homes, then they took the two message units to the other two houses. Knight and Blade had figured out a way to install the unit, without building it into the house, at the girls'. When they got home, they tested all the units, including the one at the mine. Dayton messaged, "More done. Stop. Receive codes soon. Stop." Knight, Blade and Nev went to bed at one twelve. They thought of it as early.

  In the morning, Danny checked on gov center, and giggled. 'Altars' were being discovered all over the continent and the bureaucrats and IS were in an uproar, but they hadn't noticed the program, or that six were gone. She didn't expect they'd notice six, if other things kept them busy a while. They had noticed an interesting parkland lease proposal. Since the four with a plan for profit weren't in the land management department, a counter fee schedule went back to the "forest farm consortium."

  Knight and Blade put Nev on their license and answered comm calls until ten thirty. They built a schedule, made sandwiches to take along and went to the first job on the list. They stopped for lunch at noon. At twelve oh six, a little light in the car flashed. Knight tapped, "Ready," on the touchpad, that didn't look like one, on the dash. The light flashed, "L8 6 no notice. Stop. P land moving. Stop. Dinner here 18. Stop." Knight tapped, "Be there. Stop." They finished that job at thirteen twenty-eight and went to the next.

  There wasn't a garage they could get into at that one, but they'd prepared. The cover on the LH was unfurled to make a covered walkway from the equipment to the door. They finished that job at seventeen twenty-two, furled the cover and went home to get ready for dinner. There was a canopy over two parking places in the girl's drive. Knight pulled in beside Case's car and they walked into the garage. They hadn't taken raingear. They'd been sure dry arrangements had been made. The others were standing around the message receiver.

  "The informer is going from café to café listening to conversations. He's literally driving away customers. No one local will go in when he's there, and visitors don't stay long. Our main problem is he's making our people mad and they want to do something about him."

  "It's time, Danny. I prefer not getting wet, but I'll dry."

  "Blade, if he's just going from café to café…"

  "Dawn, I don't know where or how yet, and I don't plan to leave before dinner, but our people need to know he's about to be an un-problem. All of them have already demonstrated they don't ignore them, in one fashion or another. The first step is decide if he's going to have a very un-suspicious accident or serve as a method demonstration."

  "Blade, you aren't going alone."

  "Knight… I'm not going alone."

  "Thank you. Tell them he's an un-problem soon, Danny."

  The next morning, they went to work at seven. At ten forty-three, they started the second job. At twelve oh
four, they were eating lunch in the car when the light flashed, "Problem now! Stop. 5 Main Wville. Stop." Knight sent, "Received."

  Nev picked up his tea and sandwich and got out of the car. When it 'disappeared,' he opened the garage door. A short time later he closed it and got to work. There wasn't a great deal left to do. If it took Knight and Blade more than two hours, they'd find him at the next job on the schedule.

  Knight and Blade discussed accident or method on the way to Willaville. They put off the decision, when they saw the informer's car before they got there. They turned around and followed him. When he parked the car, got out in rain-gray raingear, and walked into the forest, they parked, turned on their personal shields and followed. When they realized where he was going, the decision made itself.

  Blade cut a branch in a flicker of his shield. Knight flickered his to show he was going around. Blade finished sharpening the spike as he swiftly caught up. He turned off his shield as he drove it into the man's neck. Knight turned his off, picked up the man, pointed and switched it on. He carried him away from the huge Forest Growers Association equipment barn at the junction of Mountain Harvest Road and the gravway between Willaville and Teal Valley, one-point two K north of where it joined the Northeast Loop of the belt road. Blade carried the bomb.

  Knight chose a place, switched off his shield and dropped the man. Blade turned his off and set down the bomb. Both turned their shields back on and ran for the car. They were on the belt road going west, when the sky behind them lit. The man 'had an accident.' His bomb went off too soon.

  Knight and Blade were still a bit damp when they reached the house where Nev was beginning to load equipment into the LH. Blade slipped through the slightly open front door, then turned off his shield and closed it. Nev opened the garage door. Knight switched off the car shield as soon as it was in. He didn't get out. Nev and Blade carried the last of the equipment out and Nev pulled the truck out.

  Knight backed out and turned around while the garage doors closed. He got the passenger door as close to the front door as possible, then opened it. Blade sprinted for it. Knight tapped a receiver code, then, "Done," when the light flashed, "Ready." Nev was unfurling the cover, when they got to the next job. They just sprinted for it. All were a bit damp when they got inside.

  "What a mess!"

  "These people didn't know where the trash cycler is."

  "I hope we can save the carpet under this. It looks like it might have been nice."

  "I'm afraid to learn why he said we couldn't get in the garage, Knight."

  "I know what you mean, Nev. I'll find the damaged bedroom wall."

  "Blade?"

  "A bomb should be carried a carefully."

  "I certainly would. The waste cycler is nonfunctional."

  "I'll reserve opinion on the landlord, on the basis the damaged wall and mess may have been the reason they didn't call."

  "Trash is why we can't get in the garage. However, it's somewhat prepared for removal. Damaged wall?"

  "There's a six-by-ten cen hole in it at waist height. Whatever hit it, hit hard. I didn't see anything we can't get out of the carpet. That?"

  "Minor, but not cheap. The flash head is history."

  "More trash."

  "A quarter of the garage in stacks. Why didn't they take it to a public waste cycler when they had it bagged to go?"

  "I have no idea."

  "They may have been doing something else."

  "Such as?"

  "Getting moved. They weren't going to get a good reference with a hole. The trash does not indicate well-organized people."

  "I want to go home."

  "Why, Nev?"

  "I need a part for this. It's going to stop raining at eleven tomorrow. That's a better time to move trash. This job is assessed for need. It can be started then."

  "I agree completely."

  "Let's go home."

  They got the part on the way home. They were still slightly damp when they got there. Nev told Knight and Blade to wait, went into his room, came out in a fluffy light blue robe and gave a white one to Knight and light brown one to Blade. He went to the kitchen and turned on the brewer. And the comm chimed.

  "Answer comm. Hi, Case."

  "You too, huh?"

  "In for the evening, I hope."

  "Us too. We saw you go by. Watching the rain out the window is nicer than being damp, too."

  "Every time we got dry, we made a six-step dash through it."

  "You got dry? Sub channel three two three. Great comedy starts in twelve minutes."

  "Want to come over?"

  "It was a rec, not a hint. I may get Stats out of a hot bath by then."

  "You don't feel good, either."

  "I don't feel bad."

  "Neither do I. I'm beginning to wonder if I should add 'yet' to that."

  "If there is a virus floating, it usually lands on Stats first."

  "We were in Willaville with many others. Knight and Blade have been listening. I think I'm about to be a bundle on the couch."

  "I was overheard, too. Bundling just went by."

  "Here they come."

  "Comm out."

  "Put your hand on the pad. Computer, check for elevated body temperature."

  "Temperature in normal range, Knight. Variance computation indicates it is rising."

  "I'll bring your tea."

  "Thank you, Blade. I'm seldom selected as a residence."

  "I'll make you some tassip pod soup."

  "Sounds wonderful, Knight. Ah, a view that isn't yellow."

  "I may have seen a more unpleasant color, but not on anything that big. Comm connect girls."

  "Uh, oh. If he's sick, I don't stand a chance of fighting it off."

  "Case is also being 'bundled,' Danny. Willaville shopping may be timing."

  "If it was there, it's everywhere, and someone already had it. I'll check on what I've probably got coming and let you know."

  "That was next. Comm out."

  "I'd rather stay home without an excuse. I have trees tomorrow."

  "They'll get home."

  "Thanks. Computer, entertainment sub channel three two three."

  Knight and Blade didn't take off the next morning. There was a strong possibility they would lose workdays. They did get trees and get them planted, then went back to work until eighteen twenty-six, when they finished the second job of the day. They put in a long day the next day, too. They were on the fourth job for the day. The first three had been simple maintenance and prep. The one they started was colorbond and carpet. They finished it and another fast one the next day and were headed for third, when Knight turned off to go to Teal Valley. Blade followed him home in the LH. They learned Stats had gone home at ten forty, when they got there.

  Blade didn't get it, but 'everyone else' did. Preparations for the season slowed all over the area. Treatment was available for those who had to work by the second day Knight was sick, but the local clinics requested people who weren't required for light-customer days just stay home, so they had enough for those who couldn't and those it hit hard, though there weren't many. Symptomatic treatment aided, but didn't give energy.

  Five days after he got sick, Nev 'helped' make dinner. He sat at the kitchen table and watched Blade fix for eight, three real meals and five sick. Case had called and said he was sitting, not laying.

  By the next day, both Nev and Case were back to light duty. In the mine, people were still going down, but there were some they were sure weren't going to get it there, too. Like Blade, they'd already had an influenza close enough to give them immunity. Blade wouldn't let Nev "push," but they got two easy jobs done that day. Knight was ready for real food that evening. Danny called and said she was moving, slowly. She'd made it to the computer to keep watch every day, but gov center had been 'getting sick' by the day after she was.

  Kendra thought it was hilarious. Public Health
didn't have anyone who could predict the course of the epidemic in any fashion, and they couldn't find anyone. Local clinics decided who should be watched for problems, and they didn't tell them, either. A flu bug had thoroughly demonstrated the Public Health Department budget was being used for something else.

  By the day after Danny and Knight got up, IS was getting hundreds of sick calls. Everyone on their feet was taking advantage of it. Knight and Blade 'raided' a water treatment facility in their area. They collected the unit that added spermicide. Danny assured the comp didn't report it.

  Labs that made it began making something else for the gov, as soon as they learned the dosage being added. Kendra had found a mild immune system booster that would be about the same price to produce. Danny assured the gov 'knew' that was the formula and product name that had 'always been' ordered. Knight and Blade put the unit back. Until the epidemic, they hadn't known there wasn't anyone in Public Health, who knew anything, who'd know the difference. All agreed it was worth five days of being sick.

  Since the standard order quantity and price didn't change, the game program didn't notice the change. The political system and government were developed on levels one through seven of the game. You couldn't use them to 'dump money' into the search for the discovery that got you off the lock-step level, though you could reduce government spending to lower taxes to encourage it, but not in essential services, like Public Health or water treatment.

  It was the development level for the next four. You had to build enterprise to be ready to compete in interplanetary markets. The epidemic had given them relief from the greatest fear, destruction of water treatment facilities and ensuing widespread disease and death.