CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The parents of the future New Species at once began to make their new location habitable. Once a quarry, it was surrounded by trees and brush, and well hidden. . In the years where it had been in production, no roads or paths led towards it, making it ideal. . The quarry had not been successful, costing too much to transport the stones to Mexico City before the Spaniards came, and the scattered bones showed him that their masters did not like failure. They abandoned the quarry one hundred years before Cortez and now forgotten except in tales told to frighten children at night
It took some time to remove the vegetation, dig through the soil, take out the stones scattered about as well as a few killing clubs and such. It was an arduous job since they were here in secret and they dared not ask the Mexicans for assistance.
The new inhabitants had better use for the stones, using them as foundation for their houses and as pathways between the now struggling plants. However, they needed a place for storage so they climbed up to find a small cave. It was quite cold and the perfect place for their vegetables until they finished the icebox. Little did they know that years later it would be used for something else
They had plenty of seeds, but they need fruit and vegetable right away so Carmichael sent a few of the men out at night to pick up a few overripe vegetable and fruit left in the nearby fields or hunt for a few game which included stray chickens and eggs. Meanwhile the women prepared the soil and planted the few seedlings which would be ready in a few
As for manufacturing, the men had started making metal instruments, but they could not make the foundry hot enough for steel. Besides, that would mean their detection. They did not have to worry, however, for among the supplies from the ships, were a couple of sewing machines, knives, and several items that would last if they did not rust. Most of the nearby villagers had hand and treadle sewing machines, so they were all in the same fix.
As for heating the houses at night, the men had dug a trench and laid copper pipes (copper being easier to make than steel), after they had constructed a boiler from the parts they jerry rigged from the scuttled ships and they stored any metal they could find, after removing any identification from it, of course. . The women were busy with the infants who appeared more like two months old than new born in spite of their small size. They grew rapidly, and they appeared like little vultures as they drained their mother's milk. Rather than wait until they were closer to a year, the mothers introduced solid food at around one month for tiny buds of teeth started to appear.
In the house of Alfred and Susan Carmichael, Susan had put her four to bed, except that Lewis was behaving rather naughty, making small fists and threw the teddy bear his mother made in the crib. The other three were fast asleep, although their movements sometimes betrayed them. Their mother suspected that they were faking, but she did not want to tell her husband. He would think her a silly goose.
"He's getting to be quite a fighter," said Susan as she watched little Lewis punch the toy while in his makeshift crib. "And he keeps looking at me. It's scary."
"It's the loneliness," said Alfred, "It's getting to you." He put his arms around his wife's shoulder. "How about you take a rest and I'll look after the little tyke."
The little tyke moved his mouth. Was it a smile or was it a sneer? The parents could not be sure. Alfred smiled back at his son, and then went to see the other three.
"How's my little Harold, and my precious Greta and Elaine!" He picked all three of them up and they attempted a smile. For a moment, he thought they said "Fada" but he figured it was just his imagination.
Alfred put them back, and turned to see Susan head for the door. "I wonder who that could be."
"There's twelve families included us here," she said, as she went and opened the door. "Oh hello Morgan. You brought little Brian for a visit and Mary."
"Wife's nursing the other two. She hardly gets out.
"I've started to introduce strained carrots," said Susan.
"All ready?"
"Lewis's starting to teethe."
Morgan went over to the crib and looked at the baby. He felt into his mouth and suddenly withdrew his finger. "Why the little brat bit me!"
"He couldn't have," said Alfred, but he examined Morgan's hand. True enough there was a tiny cut almost like that made by an animal. He went over to his bag and took out a bandage plus some ointment. "That'll keep it from getting infected."
"Someone had better watch that child. Someone had better watch all of them," said Susan. She trembled as she looked at the other babies. They appeared so innocent and yet in their expressions, she got a feeling of superiority. "It's as if they look down at us," and even her husband's pat on her back and "don't worry, dear, they're only babies," did not reassure her.
.
The parents of the future New Species at once began to make their new location habitable. Once a quarry, it was surrounded by trees and brush, and well hidden. . In the years where it had been in production, no roads or paths led towards it, making it ideal. . The quarry had not been successful, costing too much to transport the stones to Mexico City before the Spaniards came, and the scattered bones showed him that their masters did not like failure. They abandoned the quarry one hundred years before Cortez and now forgotten except in tales told to frighten children at night
It took some time to remove the vegetation, dig through the soil, take out the stones scattered about as well as a few killing clubs and such. It was an arduous job since they were here in secret and they dared not ask the Mexicans for assistance.
The new inhabitants had better use for the stones, using them as foundation for their houses and as pathways between the now struggling plants. However, they needed a place for storage so they climbed up to find a small cave. It was quite cold and the perfect place for their vegetables until they finished the icebox. Little did they know that years later it would be used for something else
They had plenty of seeds, but they need fruit and vegetable right away so Carmichael sent a few of the men out at night to pick up a few overripe vegetable and fruit left in the nearby fields or hunt for a few game which included stray chickens and eggs. Meanwhile the women prepared the soil and planted the few seedlings which would be ready in a few
As for manufacturing, the men had started making metal instruments, but they could not make the foundry hot enough for steel. Besides, that would mean their detection. They did not have to worry, however, for among the supplies from the ships, were a couple of sewing machines, knives, and several items that would last if they did not rust. Most of the nearby villagers had hand and treadle sewing machines, so they were all in the same fix.
As for heating the houses at night, the men had dug a trench and laid copper pipes (copper being easier to make than steel), after they had constructed a boiler from the parts they jerry rigged from the scuttled ships and they stored any metal they could find, after removing any identification from it, of course. . The women were busy with the infants who appeared more like two months old than new born in spite of their small size. They grew rapidly, and they appeared like little vultures as they drained their mother's milk. Rather than wait until they were closer to a year, the mothers introduced solid food at around one month for tiny buds of teeth started to appear.
In the house of Alfred and Susan Carmichael, Susan had put her four to bed, except that Lewis was behaving rather naughty, making small fists and threw the teddy bear his mother made in the crib. The other three were fast asleep, although their movements sometimes betrayed them. Their mother suspected that they were faking, but she did not want to tell her husband. He would think her a silly goose.
"He's getting to be quite a fighter," said Susan as she watched little Lewis punch the toy while in his makeshift crib. "And he keeps looking at me. It's scary."
"It's the loneliness," said Alfred, "It's getting to you." He put his arms around his wife's shoulder. "How about you take a rest and I'll look after the little tyke."
The little tyke moved his mouth. Was it a smile or was it a sneer? The parents could not be sure. Alfred smiled back at his son, and then went to see the other three.
"How's my little Harold, and my precious Greta and Elaine!" He picked all three of them up and they attempted a smile. For a moment, he thought they said "Fada" but he figured it was just his imagination.
Alfred put them back, and turned to see Susan head for the door. "I wonder who that could be."
"There's twelve families included us here," she said, as she went and opened the door. "Oh hello Morgan. You brought little Brian for a visit and Mary."
"Wife's nursing the other two. She hardly gets out.
"I've started to introduce strained carrots," said Susan.
"All ready?"
"Lewis's starting to teethe."
Morgan went over to the crib and looked at the baby. He felt into his mouth and suddenly withdrew his finger. "Why the little brat bit me!"
"He couldn't have," said Alfred, but he examined Morgan's hand. True enough there was a tiny cut almost like that made by an animal. He went over to his bag and took out a bandage plus some ointment. "That'll keep it from getting infected."
"Someone had better watch that child. Someone had better watch all of them," said Susan. She trembled as she looked at the other babies. They appeared so innocent and yet in their expressions, she got a feeling of superiority. "It's as if they look down at us," and even her husband's pat on her back and "don't worry, dear, they're only babies," did not reassure her.
.