Thanks, Adak,” Sean said, grinning as he recognized the man’s tacit willingness to disobey the orders he had just been given.
“We need to get in touch with Johnny Greene and Rick O’ Shay.”
“They’re airborne,” Adak said. Special missions.”
Sean and Yana exchanged glances.
“What frequency are they on?” Yana asked.
Adak grinned more broadly. “Happen I just got word of ‘em.” He settled the ear piece again and held his finger over the keyboard. “Who’ll I get ya first? Johnny or Rick?
”I’d say Rick,” Sean replied.
Yana and Sean took turns explaining to Rick what was going down, what they wanted him to do, and how they thought he could accomplish it. Rick had already heard enough rumors to know almost as much as they didand he was willing to help.
“Hell, all I’m doing right now is figuring out what roads are passable. A lot of equipment might need to be moved,” he said, his voice taking on a gloomy tone. “Johnny’s up and doing the same thing to the west. We’ve both had to swear allegiance and die-for-it oaths to Intergal, but shit, we crossed everything we could while taking it.’ The customary lilt was back in Rick’s voice. “Lemme get Johnny in on this where there aren’t any ears to hear us.”
“They’ve been monitoring you, then?” Yana asked, not too surprised.
“Not on this frequency, and I did a little twiddling with the bug they put in the cabin so you don’t have to worry. Soon’s Adak came on, I disconnected a wire. Shouldn’t leave it loose much longer. But I’ll leave word with Adak when Johnny and I’ve done what’s needful. Might even get in one trip tonight if I can finagle it.”
“You’re top of the finaglers at SpaceBase,” Adak said approvingly. “Code it?”
“Better. When I come on, ask me the mud level on the road to Tanana Bay. If I say it’s ankle deep, that means Yana and Sean can meet me where Uncle Seamus collects water. If I say it’s knee high, I’m having trouble. I’ll get back to you soon’s I can. Over and out.”
“Hell,” Adak said, rubbing his ear thoughtfully, “it’s more than ankle deep and knee high everywhere. And I don’t mean just the mud.”
“Keep yourself out of trouble if you can, Adak. We need you at the comm unit,” Sean said.
Adak laughed. “Those new guys don’t know doodly about this here comm unit. It don’t take kindly to rough hands and always goes all static and wheeing.” He grinned. “Only old Adak knows its ways.”
“We’ll stop in at Clodagh’s now, if you should need us,” Sean said, guiding Yana toward the back exit.
The less-frequented paths actually showed some sturdy grass growth as they made their way behind houses and detoured back into the forest to avoid the new Intergal housing. One of the cats met them halfway to Clodagh’s, and the tone of its greeting suggested that it was pleased to see them.
“No trouble?” Yana asked, not quite sure she was interpreting the creature accurately.
Sean grinned, but he kept looking at the ground as they went from mud to snow to the new grass. “No, no trouble. Except …” He frowned. “We might just have the longest growing season ever and we’ve got to plan, also, to take advantage of that! It could prove crucial.”
Yana felt a shiver up her spine and agreed with him whole heartedly at the word “crucial,” knowing that Sean and the others were concerned about what would happen if Intergal cut the planet off from outside supply lines entirely. Though Petaybee was largely self-sufficient, the growing season usually was too short to provide enough fruits and vegetables and other plant-derived products. A longer growing season would mean less reliance on outside sourcesand yes, that certainly could be crucial.
Evening was closing in as they approached Clodagh’s house. They could hear banging and pounding and the sound of boards being shifted, and Yana grinned: someone was doing some of the muchneeded repairs of a structure that had been held together by ice in the winter but needed nails and mortar now that the weather was warmer. All over the village people were engaged in similar pursuits. Yana peered around the corner of the house where all the banging was, to tell Clodagh they were there, but as Sean opened the door, she saw that Clodagh was inside. From the look of the interior, the big woman had also been thinking along the same lines as Sean.