Lennier followed Dr. Carter towards the camp. By the time they
got down, the wind was howling all around them and the rain had
started. People were running about, trying to get some things
under cover, including themselves.
Carter hugged herself, scowling. She cursed very loudly something
about leaving her jacket at her office. The temperature had dropped
considerably and Lennier could see that, through her curses, her
teeth were chattering and she was shivering all over.
Without a second thought he wrapped an arm around her, so that she was also
under his cloak. She seemed surprised, but none the less accepted the warmth.
they walked the rest of the way down and she directed him to the tent at the
center of the camp.
Before they reached it, a tall, dark-skinned man with a white beard stopped
them. He was using his jacket for cover and was grinning.
"Dr. Carter," he shouted above the gale, "I'm so glad you made it back!"
Carter peeked her head out from under Lennier's cloak, "Oh yeah, I'm so glad to
be home," she said it with an edge of sarcasm. "Please tell me that you have
some tea ready!"
He nodded, "Definitely! For you and your friend." He then turned and led them
in the tent, which turned out to be the mess tent.
There were several tables, around which were huddled several people. Most of
them were eating, playing cards, or talking loudly, while a few read. At the
nearest table they were playing Poker. One of them, a large man of about 40 with
blond hair, blue eyes and a beard, looked up when they entered.
"Oi!" he exclaimed as Carter came out from under Lennier's cloak, "Carter's
found a new friend!"
"Blow it out your ass, Huntington" she said, smoothing out her short hair. She
then looked at Lennier, who was surprised to see that she was blushing. "Thank
you," she said, sheepishly. He was a little dismayed by her embarrassment and
wondered if it was something he had done.
"Your welcome," he said quietly, and followed her to the table. Besides
Huntington and the man who'd brought them in, there was only another man and a
woman at the table. The woman was of an indeterminate age, had a long braid of
light brown hair, and was wearing glasses. The man sitting next to her, was
middle-aged, had dark hair and beard, and his face seemed to be set in a
permanent scowl.
Carter made the introductions, "Lennier," she said and then pointed to the
woman, "this is Dr. Amelia Kendle, she's our mineral expert," Dr. Kendle
inclined her head towards him, and he did the same. Carter then pointed to the
man who'd come in with them, "this is Dr. Sam Foster, he's our medical guy."
Lennier shook Dr. Foster's hand, liking him instantly.
"And this obnoxious bastard," Carter said, indicating Huntington, "is our
technical expert. He makes sure all the equipment is working."
"Oh is that what he does?" Kendle said, "I thought he was here to drink and
sing badly," she sighed, "No wonder nothing ever works," she muttered.
Huntington roared with laughter, "She's just joking! Aren't you love?"
Kendle gave him a look that said, "No I'm not."
Carter chuckled and then indicated Lennier, "This is Lennier, he's gonna translate
all that writing for us." Lennier bowed his head slightly. Huntington came up to him
and slapped him on the back causing Lennier to stumble forward slightly.
"All right!" Huntington exclaimed, "maybe now we can get that bitch to open."
"You hired him, did you?" asked a quiet, weedy voice. It was the dark-haired man
with the scowl, looking at Carter contemptuously.
She bristled, "Yeah," she said, full of attitude. She put her hands on her hips and
proceeded to stare him down.
"Without consulting me," he accused, "need I again remind you Dr. Carter, that before
you can hire new people-"
"That's for the diggers," she said, acidly, "my contract says that I can hire people
which I believe can help us with research, or to expedite the dig." She said these last
words with a note of finality, denoting an end to the discussion.
He narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what his next move should be. Then he gave
up and left the tent, giving Carter a warning look on his way out. As soon as he left
she snickered and then burst out laughing, as did the others. Lennier couldn't help but
feel he was missing something and felt lost.
Eventually Carter managed to calm down, and she stood, bent over, trying to catch her
breath. The she stood up and said, "That was Henry Devone. He represents our investors,
and he's here to make sure we behave." She started laughing again, "he's probably gone
to check the contract."
Devone tromped off to his tent. Everyone else shared tents, but he had his own. Carter
had once made a smart-ass comment about who his job was to keep her from spending money,
but he had to have his own tent. He replied to the effect that he needed his own private
space away from her and her ill-mannered, boorish cretins. She'd rolled her eyes and said
something about at least no one will have to live with him, only it wasn't so polite.
While he was preoccupied, he banged into someone. He didn't know the man's name, only that
he was a digger. "Watch where you're going oaf!" he shouted and stomped off to his tent.
The digger watched him go, made a very rude gesture and walked away. He quickly got to the
tent he shared with about twenty other men, which was at the very edge of the camp. He was
about to enter when a quick movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. His gaze
followed it to a group of small Edenberry bushes nearby.
He peered at them, curiously. There was another quick movement, and he moved in closer to
see what it was. The leaves rustled and he leaned down to get a better look.
Something jumped out at him.
He yelped and fell back, landing with his butt in the mud. He then looked up to see a
small rodent staring back at him. He got up and angrily kicked some mud at it as it ran
back into the bushes. He turned to go back to his tent, but hesitated when he thought he
heard a strange snapping noise. The digger decided it was just the wind and went to bed.
got down, the wind was howling all around them and the rain had
started. People were running about, trying to get some things
under cover, including themselves.
Carter hugged herself, scowling. She cursed very loudly something
about leaving her jacket at her office. The temperature had dropped
considerably and Lennier could see that, through her curses, her
teeth were chattering and she was shivering all over.
Without a second thought he wrapped an arm around her, so that she was also
under his cloak. She seemed surprised, but none the less accepted the warmth.
they walked the rest of the way down and she directed him to the tent at the
center of the camp.
Before they reached it, a tall, dark-skinned man with a white beard stopped
them. He was using his jacket for cover and was grinning.
"Dr. Carter," he shouted above the gale, "I'm so glad you made it back!"
Carter peeked her head out from under Lennier's cloak, "Oh yeah, I'm so glad to
be home," she said it with an edge of sarcasm. "Please tell me that you have
some tea ready!"
He nodded, "Definitely! For you and your friend." He then turned and led them
in the tent, which turned out to be the mess tent.
There were several tables, around which were huddled several people. Most of
them were eating, playing cards, or talking loudly, while a few read. At the
nearest table they were playing Poker. One of them, a large man of about 40 with
blond hair, blue eyes and a beard, looked up when they entered.
"Oi!" he exclaimed as Carter came out from under Lennier's cloak, "Carter's
found a new friend!"
"Blow it out your ass, Huntington" she said, smoothing out her short hair. She
then looked at Lennier, who was surprised to see that she was blushing. "Thank
you," she said, sheepishly. He was a little dismayed by her embarrassment and
wondered if it was something he had done.
"Your welcome," he said quietly, and followed her to the table. Besides
Huntington and the man who'd brought them in, there was only another man and a
woman at the table. The woman was of an indeterminate age, had a long braid of
light brown hair, and was wearing glasses. The man sitting next to her, was
middle-aged, had dark hair and beard, and his face seemed to be set in a
permanent scowl.
Carter made the introductions, "Lennier," she said and then pointed to the
woman, "this is Dr. Amelia Kendle, she's our mineral expert," Dr. Kendle
inclined her head towards him, and he did the same. Carter then pointed to the
man who'd come in with them, "this is Dr. Sam Foster, he's our medical guy."
Lennier shook Dr. Foster's hand, liking him instantly.
"And this obnoxious bastard," Carter said, indicating Huntington, "is our
technical expert. He makes sure all the equipment is working."
"Oh is that what he does?" Kendle said, "I thought he was here to drink and
sing badly," she sighed, "No wonder nothing ever works," she muttered.
Huntington roared with laughter, "She's just joking! Aren't you love?"
Kendle gave him a look that said, "No I'm not."
Carter chuckled and then indicated Lennier, "This is Lennier, he's gonna translate
all that writing for us." Lennier bowed his head slightly. Huntington came up to him
and slapped him on the back causing Lennier to stumble forward slightly.
"All right!" Huntington exclaimed, "maybe now we can get that bitch to open."
"You hired him, did you?" asked a quiet, weedy voice. It was the dark-haired man
with the scowl, looking at Carter contemptuously.
She bristled, "Yeah," she said, full of attitude. She put her hands on her hips and
proceeded to stare him down.
"Without consulting me," he accused, "need I again remind you Dr. Carter, that before
you can hire new people-"
"That's for the diggers," she said, acidly, "my contract says that I can hire people
which I believe can help us with research, or to expedite the dig." She said these last
words with a note of finality, denoting an end to the discussion.
He narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what his next move should be. Then he gave
up and left the tent, giving Carter a warning look on his way out. As soon as he left
she snickered and then burst out laughing, as did the others. Lennier couldn't help but
feel he was missing something and felt lost.
Eventually Carter managed to calm down, and she stood, bent over, trying to catch her
breath. The she stood up and said, "That was Henry Devone. He represents our investors,
and he's here to make sure we behave." She started laughing again, "he's probably gone
to check the contract."
Devone tromped off to his tent. Everyone else shared tents, but he had his own. Carter
had once made a smart-ass comment about who his job was to keep her from spending money,
but he had to have his own tent. He replied to the effect that he needed his own private
space away from her and her ill-mannered, boorish cretins. She'd rolled her eyes and said
something about at least no one will have to live with him, only it wasn't so polite.
While he was preoccupied, he banged into someone. He didn't know the man's name, only that
he was a digger. "Watch where you're going oaf!" he shouted and stomped off to his tent.
The digger watched him go, made a very rude gesture and walked away. He quickly got to the
tent he shared with about twenty other men, which was at the very edge of the camp. He was
about to enter when a quick movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. His gaze
followed it to a group of small Edenberry bushes nearby.
He peered at them, curiously. There was another quick movement, and he moved in closer to
see what it was. The leaves rustled and he leaned down to get a better look.
Something jumped out at him.
He yelped and fell back, landing with his butt in the mud. He then looked up to see a
small rodent staring back at him. He got up and angrily kicked some mud at it as it ran
back into the bushes. He turned to go back to his tent, but hesitated when he thought he
heard a strange snapping noise. The digger decided it was just the wind and went to bed.