Chap. 292 Lifting the lockdown
K’ndar had been recruited into carrying a large bundle of the settler’s belongings as well as transport. The whole family had been flown to Healer Hall.
“What plans do you have for the wagon?” he’d asked Landren before they left.
They’d emptied it of everything that could be transported by dragon.
“I don’t. I have no team to pull it, I hope those bloody minded beasts were eaten by whers. I don’t ever want to return to this forsaken place. I can’t imagine why people live here in this horrid barren land.”
“I happen to like it. A lot.”
“You can have it! I’m going back to where there are trees and water. If this is dragonrider land, they’re being cheated.”
“But the wagon? That’s a lot of money you’re throwing away.”
“I don’t see anyone standing here to sell it to! I’m done. We’re going home and I just hope the Lord Holder didn’t sell all my tools. Maybe we’ll even get our cavern back. I’m never leaving it again.”
Something made K’ndar pull out his pouch. “Will you take five marks for the wagon?” That was the sum total of what he had on him.
Landren’s face changed from that of sullen defeat to what may have been gratefulness-and a bit of greed.
“Uh..”
Dor didn’t hesitate. “Deal,” she said. They all knew five marks wasn’t enough to cover the whole wagon, but “Five marks is a lot of money, Landren. It’s more than we have right now.”
K’ndar grinned and pulled out five mark coins. It was a good wagon and he knew he was getting a good deal. Lizard would probably be proud of me, he thought.
____________________________________________________________
B’rost unhitched the bundle Rath had carried. A team of staff members were there to greet them. They picked up the bundles he and the other dragons had carried and stowed them on a wagon, pulled by-an ox. Landren glared at it as he passed it.
Abby had been K’ndar’s passenger.
He unbuckled her. “Don’t jump down, Abby, just step onto his knee and step off.”
“Okay.” The moment her feet were on the ground she yelled, “THAT WAS SO GREAT! Mum! Mum! Did you feel how between felt? And we went way up high in the sky, I could see all the way to the moons! Mum, when I grow up, I’m going to be a dragonrider!” She ran to her mother.
“Did you thank the dragonrider?” her mother said, hugging the girl.
Abby ran back to K’ndar. “Thank you, sir. And thank you, Raventh, you are the most beautiful dragon on Pern.” She patted his neck.
Raventh made his typical goofy sound when being slobbered over by children.
“You’re welcome. And did you know that Raventh is a teacher?”
“He is?”
“Yes. He wanted me to tell you about the word ‘squozed’.”
“Yes. Darcy squozed my delver, that’s why she bit her.”
“Raventh said to tell you, “the word is ‘squeezed’.”
“He understands us?”
“Every word. He hears every thing anyone says to me, even if we’re not near each other.”
“Whoa. Really?”
“Yes.”
“Squeezed.”
“Correct.”
She looked at Raventh and made a slight bow.
“Thank you, songsaengnim. I will remember.”
You’re welcome
“He said, “you’re welcome.” He was bewildered. “Song what?”
“Song saeng nim. It’s an old word from the language my ancestors spoke before they came here. It means ‘teacher’. They were from a place called Korea.”
And I have absolutely no idea where my ancestors came from other than from Earth. Nor do I fully comprehend what a different language might actually be, he thought.
“You’re an amazing little girl,” he said.
“Thank you.”
“Abby? Come along, we have to go inside now,” Dor called from the steps to the Hall.
“Mum, can I have a bath?”
“I’m sure that can be arranged, dear.”
Abby stopped at the entrance to the Hall. She turned to wave goodbye.
B’rost and K’ndar returned the wave.
“That turned out well,” B’rost said with a sigh, “And I’m glad it’s all over.”
“Aye, although for a moment I thought it was going to come to blows, the arsehole.”
“Wasn’t he, though!! I knew the moment he opened his mouth that he was the one we were looking for.”
“Now what happens?”
“They’ll keep them here for, oh shards, who knows how long. Their dead daughter is suspected of being the originator of the disease. Her brother is carrying it and may still be contagious, so they can’t go directly home. But they are no longer my problem.”
He finished rolling up his cargo harness. “I’ve learned that the samples we’ve all been collecting are..odd.”
“Odd? In what way?”
“Well,” he said, pulling out his datalink, “They’ve collected thousands of human samples, many hundreds of animal samples, and about a hundred dolphin samples. Guess how many of the dolphin samples proved positive or showed antibodies for the virus?”
“B’rost. I hate guessing games. Just tell me, okay?”
“Spoilsport. The dolphins had zero positives. And no antibodies.”
“Remind me what antibodies are?”
“They’re your immune systems first line of defense against viruses, bacteria, that sort of thing. When you have an antibody, it means you’ve been exposed to the virus sometime in the past, but your immune system has defeated it, usually without you even knowing. Then antibodies act like watchdragons, the minute it recognizes a virus, it goes into action to kill it.”
“Ah, I remember. Thank you. No positives in the dolphins? That’s a relief and to be expected. They don’t come in physical contact with humans, at least their babies don’t. So what about the human samples? How many have antibodies?”
“All of them.”
It was almost a physical punch in the gut.
“All of them? All of them?” he couldn’t believe his ears.
“All of them.”
“From all over Pern? Even yours and mine?”
“From all over Pern, yours, mine, everyone. Even ones that were initially thought to be negative, like your brother? They checked again. All have antibodies for the virus.”
From somewhere deep in his mind, a little panicky voice began to check his vitals. Don’t I feel a bit hot? Like I’m running a fever?
He felt Raventh’s calming touch.
Calm down. You’re okay. Don’t panic.
Ah, Raventh.
“What, what about livestock? Cattle, horses?”
“Antibodies, in every sample, every species of livestock. In fact, they have a stronger antibody count than humans.”
“What the shaff, B’rost? How can that be?”
“What it means, K’ndar, and please, don’t go blabbing this to anyone. It’s just between you and me because I trust you to be close mouthed. This is information is solely for healers and researchers. We don’t want a panic. What it means is that their tests are wrong, or they’re looking for the wrong thing. Or they’re missing something, or what we’re seeing isn’t quite what they thought it was. You can’t have thousands of people from all over the world with antibodies for a virus that popped into existence a few months ago. Viruses are mobile but not THAT mobile.”
“By the egg, will we be on lockdown forever?” he said, mournfully.
B’rost shook his head.
“Happily, I expect the lockdown to be lifted any minute. With test results like this, a lockdown serves no purpose other than to make life more onerous and people more willing to break it. Now that we have Patient Zero, things can relax. I think they’re planning on releasing your family today.”
“I hope so. I know my mum is dying to see them again.”
As if hearing them, he heard a familiar shout.
“K’ndar!”
Sandriss bounded out of the hall and ran all the way to where they stood by their dragons.
He slid to a stop, his breath heaving, and pounded K’ndar on the back. His two fire lizards erupted from somewhere and cheeped joy at the reunion.
“By the egg, it’s good to see you. Can you and B’rost wait, I’m told we’re about to be released very shortly. You found them, the settlers! I saw them coming in! They’re the originals?”
“We think so. It certainly seems to be the case,” B’rost said. “I’ve not heard of another case after Nattana’s.”
“Hows Natty?” K’ndar said.
“Just as ornery as always. No, that’s not fair, she’s not ornery but she has the energy of your typical three year old. She’s up and running like a pony who’s been on stall rest for a month. You’d never know she was this close to death just ten days ago. Poor Linea, she’s exhausted, she hardly slept and didn’t eat much. She will need a good rest once we get home.”
“Trust me, Mum will make sure she gets whatever she needs.”
“Can you come in with me? I have some bundles for Raventh to carry.”
“I can help, Sandriss,” B’rost said.
“Thank you. K’ndar, no lizards are allowed in the Hall. My two were dreadfully put out, but they obeyed.”
“Thanks. Siskin, roost on Raventh?”
The blue chirped and made the short hop to Raventh’s head. Sandriss’s two perched on his saddle.
Linea was just inside, standing next to the small bundles they’d brought. She looked worn and tired. Nattana gripped her hand with one and clutched her beloved Pony to her chest with the other. hand. K’ndar was amazed at the change in the child. If he’d not seen her on death’s doorstep, he wouldn’t have believed it was the same little girl.
“Hello, K’ndar. It’s so good to see you! And you, B’rost, thank you for all your help.” She gave K’ndar a kiss on the cheek, and then did the same for B’rost.
B’rost blushed.
“You both are sights for sore eyes. I am so ready to get out of here.”
“Journeyman B’rost?” a voice echoed through the hall.
B’rost looked up. It was the Master Healer who’d been with them at the settler’s camp.
“Excuse me, please? My Master Healer is calling.”
He walked briskly over to her and saluted. She spoke quietly with him. B’rost had stopped with his back to K’ndar, so he couldn’t see what the Master Healer did. B’rost bowed, deeply. She shook his hand and then walked into the inner reaches of the Hall.
B’rost came back, his eyes shining.
He handed Sandriss an ornately decorated form. “I hereby release you and your family to return to your cothold,” he said in an official voice, “Healer Hall extends its gratefulness for the opportunity to care for you, for your cooperation in vital research, and wishes you the very best.”
Sandriss pressed the release to his chest. “Thank YOU, B’rost, for being there for us. You saved my Natty’s life. I owe you, sir, and I will never forget it.”
“Thank you,” B’rost said. There was a mix of pride and humbleness in his eyes. Then they brightened.
“B’rost, you look like you just won the Ruatha Stakes,” K’ndar said. He wondered if B’rost even knew of the fabled horse race.
“Look,” he said, pointing at his chest. There was a second badge on his chest next to his journeyman’s badge.
“I’ve been promoted, K’ndar. I’m a full fledged Healer now.”
________________________________________________________
“Won’t you stay for dinner, at least, K’ndar? B’rost?” his mother said. “We have so much to celebrate.”
The entire cothold had turned out to welcome them home. Nattana was overjoyed, shrieking at being home and able to finally run loose.
“I don’t know about K’ndar, ma’am, but you and Cooky put on the best feed in Southern. I’m staying for dinner,” B’rost declared.
B’rost and K’ndar’s datalinks both buzzed at once.
“Yes!” B’rost said first. “The lockdown has been lifted for all of Pern. The virus has been contained and a vaccine is in the works,” it says!”
They all cheered. Nattana, thinking they were cheering for her, hopped in pure joy.
Cooky grinned. “I knew you’d be bringing everyone home, so I made extras of everything!”
After dinner, they gathered around the fire pit that seemed to be ubiquitous throughout Pern.
“Ah, K’ndar, it’s like I won fifty marks at the races,” Mardriss said. He laughed. “Those oxen, they came trittrotting up to the far gate and bellowed as if to say, “Ay, mate, where’s my dinner?”
“So now you have two teams of oxen.”
“Aye. And the team he gave me? They’ll be all right. A season on good pasture and some good trimming and they’ll be as good as new.”
“And the windmill?”
Mardriss laughed. “Once you left to seek out the settlers, we took down the yellow sweep flag. D’mitran flew in, he’d been sent by Lord Dorn to find out what was going on. How he learned about Nattana and you taking them up to Healer Hall, I have no idea.
While here, he saw the windmill. K’ndar, that man about drooled over it. If he hadn’t been on duty, I swear, he would have squatted down right then and there and start putting it together. He’s an engineer, through and through! He’s determined to get it up and running. He says he’ll be coming out here on his off time, may even bring his son to teach him a trade. He thinks Lord Dorn would likely think of installing one on all his cotholds.”
K’ndar grinned. “That’s D’mitran, for certain.”
“K’ndar. Tell them about the settler’s wagon,” B’rost encouraged.
“The settler’s wagon? It was a dandy, solidly built. What of it? We wondered what had happened when the team returned.”
“They abandoned it when they were about to be taken to Healer Hall. They weren’t about to move it by themselves. Somehow they lost an entire team of oxen.”
Everyone roared.
“Where is it?”
“It’s about fifty klicks from here, on Wher Creek, just where it peters out to nothing.”
“What did they plan to do with it?”
“Leave it.”
“Just..leave it?”
“Yes. Landren was so disgusted by the entire affair he washed his hands of everything in it that wasn’t easily transported by dragon.”
“That’s crazy. What a waste! I’d love to go get it, but it’s not mine.”
“Not now, Mardriss, but even though I have no use for it, I couldn’t see it just rotting away, so I bought it.”
“Smart! How much?”
“Five marks.”
“Five marks? FIVE?”
“Five.”
“Including the yoke? Including the traces?”
“Aye.”
Sandriss whistled in admiration. “Lizard once said you don’t have a trader’s bone in your body. Man, was he was wrong.”
K’ndar laughed. “It wasn’t trading smarts, Sand, it’s all that I had in my pouch. Even though the bloke was a jerk, I thought he could use the money. From everything you’ve told me, he didn’t have a mark to his name. Besides, I thought Mard might have a use for it. I don’t. So if you want it, it’s yours.”
Mardriss said, “Thanks, K’ndar, I’ll send a team out tomorrow to fetch it. But I’ve got a good wagon already. I’m willing to bet Lord Dorn will buy it. I’m sure he can always use another.”
Sandriss looked at him. “K’ndar. Sell it to Lord Dorn. For twice the price.”
They all laughed.
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