Sime~Gen Roleplaying on IRC: Snake River Dam Scenario
Episode #57: Pressing Business Elsewhere (10/23/00)
Sayward knocks at Arat's door. No mean trick with a jar of maple syrup in one hand and a jar of her special flapjack batter in the other. The frying pan and spatula have been banging her leg as they hang from her belt.
Arat is engrossed in reading a letter from Seruffin and had not noticed her approaching his office.
Nick is fortunately a bit more alert, and goes to open the door.
Nick's eyes widen at the sight that confronts him.
Arat had been tuning out the sound and zlin of the door opening, but looks up quickly at Nick's reaction.
Nick: Sayward! Is something wrong with your camp stove?
Nick: ~~ concern ~~
Sayward had the worst time trying to get an unseasoned frying pan and vegetable oil. She hadn't thought to ask among the Sime population until the day before.
Nick likes Sayward, and would hate for her to be without hot food as the weather gets colder.
Sayward: Oh, no nothing is wrong. Just being neighborly.
Sayward: Thought you boys might like a nice hot breakfast.
Nick: ...breakfast?
Nick remembers the flapjacks Sayward served him, and his mouth starts to water as he spots the maple syrup.
Arat decides that this is something Nick can deal with, and goes back to his letter.
Arat is hoping that there will be something about a reassignment in it.
Sayward: Yeah, breakfast. You know, the first meal of the day. [laughs and makes her way to the tea prep area]
Nick's Gen appetite gets the better of his good sense, and he steps back, allowing Sayward to enter.
Arat looks up again in confusion as Sayward enters.
Sayward: Now, if you don't mind a small wait, I'll just fire up the pan.
Arat: What are you doing!
Arat: I am working here.
Sayward: Prepaing breakfast.
Sayward: Don't stop on my account.
Nick smiles weakly, as his stomach growls in anticipation.
Sayward: This will only take a few minutes and then we can all eat.
Arat's annoyance threshold, never very high, is blown completely out of the water by Sayward's response.
Arat puts down his letter.
Sayward takes the tea pot off the burner and puts the frying pan on.
Nick notes the danger signs, and tries to head off the incipient explosion.
Arat: You will not do that in my office.
Sayward turns and looks at Arat.
Nick: It's very kind of you to think of this, but....
Nick's protest is almost drowned out by another stomach gurgle.
Sayward: Well if I cooked them first and brought them over, they would be ice cold by the time I got here.
Nick blushes with ~~ embarassment ~~
Sayward: Ever try to eat cold flapjacks?
Nick's blush is only 75% as charming as Riyyh's, but that is still far better than average.
Sayward: The butter won't melt.
Sayward: This won't take long. Then you can eat. I know your probably starving right now.
Arat stands and points at the door.
Arat: Get out.
Sayward: What?
Nick: Arat, Sayward....
Arat looks furious, although his nager is perfectly controlled. Not that that would impress an OT Gen, of course.
Nick steps between them, projecting ~~ calm ~~ while his hands flutter in almost (well, 75%) Riyyh-like fashion.
Sayward can't figure out what the problem is.
Nick smiles appeasingly at Sayward.
Nick: Arat really prefers not to have visitors when he's trying to get work done....
Sayward: I'm not stopping him.
Sayward: I he has a whole bunch of folks in his office all the time -- whats the problem?
Nick: Sayward, how can the smell of your flapjacks be anything but distracting?
Sayward: Well that is the whole point isn't it?
Nick smiles in a winsome fashion that would do his sire pround. His grandsire too, come to think of it.
Sayward: Half the fun of food is the anticipation.
Nick is left without a quick answer to that, as he can't fault Sayward for thinking that Arat ought to eat more.
Sayward: Nothing better in the morning than waking to the smell of breakfast cooking.
Sayward: Surprises me that you don't cook, Nick.
Nick: Well, I do, a little, but I have to be half starved to eat it.
Arat 's dark eyes dart between Nick and Sayward, and his breath snorts out in offense. This is really too much.
Nick: Truly, Sayward, Arat is in the middle of taking care of correspondence from Capitol....
Sayward: Well this will be good stuff I promise.
Sayward pours the first flapjack into the pan.
Nick: Delicious, I know, but perhaps....
Nick is forced to pause and swallow, as his mouth starts watering at the aroma.
Sayward: Sit. I'll do all the work, don't worry.
Sayward: I checked. There is nothing that a Sime can't eat in the batter or the pan.
Nick: Simes, yes, but Farrises have allergies....
Sayward: Took me a week to come up with a new recipe for these things.
Sayward: Checked on that too. I want to feed him, not kill him.
Sayward: Ooops wrong word I mean murder.
Sayward flips the flapjack into the air and catches it neatly in the pan.
Sayward: Who wants the first one?
Nick breathes a sigh of relief, having thought for a moment that the normal batter was laced with Xylexion or something similar.
Sayward: Should be done in just a minute. Hey Nick, I need plates.
Arat walks around his trestle "desk" and to the door of the small building.
Nick can't help looking at the treat, and then towards the cabinet which houses the dishes.
Arat walks out, leaving the ambient trembling with offended dignity (not that anybody still there will be able to tell that).
Sayward: Get them quick, you don't want this to burn.
Nick is caught off guard by Arat's sudden departure, and is a few seconds late following.
Sayward: Hey, where is everybody going?
Nick: Just a minute... Shen! Arat forgot to put on his robe.
Arat stalks along the rutted path between the dispensary and one of the wards, without any particular intention but putting some distance between himself and Nick and Sayward's team of torment.
Sayward takes the pan off the heat and flips the flapjack again to keep it from burning.
Nick snatches up the Tecton-unifom colored, semi-judicial outer robe that Elte decreed was not likely to appear effiminate to out-Territory Gens.
Nick: I'll be back when I can.
Nick rushes out the door, looking around to see which direction Arat has gone.
Sayward shakes her head. Some people will fight tooth and nail to keep from doing what's good for them.
Nick: Arat!
Nick spots the retreating figure, and hurries after it.
Sayward puts the pan on a trivet and seals her jars. There will be another time.
Sayward decides maybe she should take advantage of the time she has just aquired. She places the tea kettle back on the burner and leaves the breakfast fixins where they are. She has to talk to Riyyh anyway.
Sayward looks back at what would have been a great meal and heads out to Riyyh's office.
Sayward wonders if Nick will catch up to Arat. Skinny as he is he does have very long legs.
Sayward wanders down to the now bustling area that they have managed to confine the outreach to. This is not going to be pleasant. These Sime Territory folks seem to love to be rude.
Sayward asks after Riyyh. She is pointed in the general direction of another tent. Finally she buttonholes the right person who takes her to the right place.
Riyyh is in the Project Tent for another round of back-patting, oohing and ahhing, as they have come up with yet another revision of the bath house design.
Riyyh is always called upon when people want backpatting, oohing and ahhing, because he is so good at it.
Sayward call out for lack of a door to knock on.
Sayward: Hello? Anybody in?
Racknie: ...and with the extra bit of space, we'll be able to have some nice plants in the entryway.
Racknie beams widely, as the presence of plants is one of his passions.
Sayward: Hello, is anyone in?
Sayward can hear voices inside but it would be very bad manners to just walk in.
Riyyh, whose attention span isn't what it used to be, is distracted by Sayward's calling.
Riyyh: Oh, dear.
Racknie's capacity for obsession vies with the general Narosian desire to know everything about everyone, including (or maybe especially) any visitors to Sectuib.
Riyyh has discovered that the Narosian encampment is very successful as a magnet to the nearby unemployed, and assumes it is one of them.
Racknie makes the same assumption, but being Racknie, assumes it is absolutely correct.
Racknie: I've never seen people so eager to be clean.
Riyyh glances at Racknie, sees that he has been distracted also, then goes to the mouth of the tent to see who is there.
Racknie trails along behind Riyyh, frankly gawking over Riyyh's shoulder.
Riyyh is looking extra special today despite his plain cloak. He has his long forelock done in two braids pinned behind his head, and the rest of his hair combed shimmering silver. He is wearing an embroidered shirt with wheaten emblems in gold thread, and a small fortune in Narosian friendship beads.
Riyyh smiles at Sayward.
Riyyh: Sayward! What a pleasant surprise.
Sayward: Hello, Mr. -- er, Sectuib Riyyh.
Riyyh hasn't seen any construction workers down this far before this, and is flattered by her taking the effort to drop by.
Riyyh: This is my son, Racknie. Racknie, Sayward is a manager in the construction site above. She's in charge of all of the workers. It's quite impressive.
Racknie is 75% Riyyh, and so obliges by being ~~ impressed ~~
Sayward: Not that impressive. I just do my job.
Sayward smiles despite her not too friendly encounter earlier this morning with Arat.
Riyyh ignores the play at modesty. It's not a good enough job to rate a compliment on her modesty, and not a poor enough job to rate a gentle jibe.
Riyyh smiles back.
Riyyh: Would you like some tea? Some cakes? We do have the most lovely lemon ginger cakes from this morning.
Racknie: They're very good.
Racknie smiles, with the courtesy of a true Narosian.
Riyyh: Or did you come for a tour of the new facility?
Riyyh hopes that the Narosians won't embarrass themselves in front of a building professional.
Sayward still hasn't had breakfast. Her stomach makes its plea for something to do.
Sayward: Thank you, I would like that.
Riyyh had told them to design a greenhouse-style building because that was the only kind of building that any of the people chosen for this trip had any experience in designing or building.
Riyyh hadn't realized that building anything would be involved, but then that is why he chose to come himself - to see the situation for himself.
Racknie bustles off to the tea alcove to prepare something that won't completely embarass Naros's reputation.
Sayward reminds herself not to get too friendly. She has unpleasant work ahead of her. She has unpleasant work behind her as well.
Riyyh: Please, come sit down.
Riyyh: You must be exhausted after that walk.
Riyyh can zlin that Sayward is in excellent shape, but he does tend toward the mother hen.
Riyyh pulls out a few folding chairs from the table that doubles as the architectural model display.
Riyyh lifts the model carefully away from the edge of the table so there will be room for tea things. The model, cunningly made of paper, depicts a medium-sized glass walled bath house, complete with domes and multiple levels.
Sayward: Thank you. [she decides not to tell him that she walks an average of 20 miles a day on the job site]
Racknie arranges some of the lemon ginger cakes on a plate, wiping a few stray crumbs off of the floral pattern around the rim.
Riyyh re-rolls a drawing and places it out of the way as well.
Racknie thinks that the plate really requires a piece of kale for garnish, the kind with the purple streaks.
Racknie is unable to find any convenient kale lying around, however, and is forced to make due with some molded green candies.
Riyyh flutters about arranging the chairs and making sure there had been water boiling (yes) and that there is a good variety of teas available.
Racknie decides the effect won't completely shame Naros and his Sectuib. Or his father, grandfather, and siblings, either, although that's pretty much the same thing.
Riyyh notices that Sayward still hasn't said why she came... and doesn't seem particularly at ease, either.
Sayward finds the presentation very pretty and waits for an oportunity to broach the reason for her visit.
Riyyh does so like for his guests to be comfortable. It is his duty as a host to help his guests relax and feel good, after all.
Racknie notes that Sayward seems ill at ease, and hurries to set the plate of cakes before her.
Riyyh carries a complete tea tray (brought from Naros) in silver and sets it on the table next to the plate of cakes.
Riyyh: Do you have a preference as to variety? [kindly]
Riyyh: The Rosenbloom is nice, and then we are testing this interesting nettle/lavender combination. I am not sure it is to everybody's taste, but it is unique....
Sayward: No, anything will do. It all looks quite wonderful.
Riyyh decides Sayward is not ready for anything too sophisticated, and selects Lilac Passion, an old standby.
Sayward: You certainly have done a lot with the inside of your tent, Sectuib Riyyh.
Riyyh: Do try one of the cakes, [urges her]. Our Mekelli is becoming quite the baker. It's simply amazing.
Riyyh: Why thank you!
Riyyh, always ready to receive flattery, beams at the compliment.
Sayward thinks of the purely utilitarian nature of her own dwelling. Well she never was very domestic.
Riyyh pours Sayward a cup of tea, places it on a saucer and hands it to her.
Sayward: Thank you.
Riyyh notices she hasn't taken a cake yet, and fetches a small plate upon which he places one of those.
Riyyh places the plate with the cake on it near Sayward on the edge of the table, and supplies an embroidered cloth napkin.
Sayward sniff the tea. After a rather nasty run in with what is called tea this side of the border she is very cautious.
Racknie settles down with his own cup of tea in a chair from which he can admire the model of the bathhouse.
Racknie wouldn't like to intrude if Riyyh and this Sayward really hit it off, after all: the gossip will be worth much more if there is really something to gossip about.
Riyyh hesitates only briefly before taking another cake himself. He's already had far too many, but after all he is here out in the wilderness, and admidst such hardship shouldn't he be able to indulge in sweets just a little more often than usual?
Sayward thinks she smells flowers in the tea. Oh well. It hasn't killed any of the locals so she takes a sip. It isn't too bad.
Riyyh has thoroughly enjoyed having Ali as a companion. The young Gen has yet to come into the phase where he cares what his channel eats, and in fact has quite a sweet tooth himself being still very young.
Riyyh did feel rather guilty at first, in fact very guilty. But with diligent practice he managed to rid himself of most of that.
Sayward decides to take the plunge.
Sayward: Sectuib Riyyh, my employer, Mr. Birch has asked to speak to you about your current plans.
Riyyh raises his eyebrows. "Oh?"
Riyyh: Why, I am so pleased that he is interested.
Riyyh: The hardship of the people is distressing to all of us, of course.
Riyyh wouldn't want to make it sound like he thinks of Birch as uncaring, regardless of the common opinion.
Sayward: Yes indeed it is. I spent quite a while dealing with it when I first arrived.
Sayward: There are two thing in particular that I would speak with you about.
Racknie is glad that this visitor is so concerned with the awful conditions in the camp.
Riyyh immediately becomes attentive and interested.
Racknie has found the scope of the problem a bit too much for him to comfortably assimilate, to tell the truth.
Riyyh: Of course, of course. Please, go ahead.
Sayward takes a bite of the cake. It is very good and chewing gives her a moment to rearrange and translate her thoughts.
Racknie is glad that Sectuib was able to determine that a bath house was the most useful contribution Naros could make.
Sayward hopes her Simelan is now up to the task. She really wishes Cris could have come but the instant she mentioned that she would be cooking breakfast for Arat Cris suddenly had pressing business elsewhere.
Riyyh waits politely.
Sayward: First, there is the matter of the sand that you want to use to make the glass for your bath house.
Riyyh: Yes? The people over in the dumping ground have been extremely friendly and cooperative. I could not ask for better service.
Riyyh beams.
Sayward: That sand is a special grade used for mixing cement. It is hard to get up the moutain and there really isn't any to spare.
Riyyh had completely circumvented ordinary channels and simply gone there in person to sweet talk the most immediately involved personnel into saving some aside for him.
Riyyh isn't entirely surprised that news of this has reached the upper management, although he'd rather hoped it wouldn't be discovered until too late.
Riyyh: Oh, my. Is it? I knew it was not the most ideal grade for glassmaking, but truly it is the most readily available here.
Sayward sips the tea and finds that it goes well with the flavor of the cake.
Riyyh means, because there isn't any native sand very nearby and Mr. Birch has already paid for this other sand to be brought in large volumes.
Racknie takes that sort of... friendly cooperation for granted, where Sectuib is concerned, and is only slightly worried about the possibility of a delay while Sayward and this Birch are persuaded to cooperate.
Riyyh: And surely the amount required by our simple glasshouse could not begin to scratch the surface, when it comes to the amount required for so massive a Dam?
Racknie does not, of course, seriously consider the possibility that Birch and Sayward might not eventually cooperate.
Riyyh looks particularly charming when he is being earnestly innocent.
Sayward: I am sorry, but the expense of porting it up here makes that the most expensive dirt around. There is a sandbar about a mile downstream. The sand is a very fine texture and will probably suit your purposes much better.
Riyyh: We have no facilities for portaging so great a weight up so great a distance.
Riyyh is referring, of course, to the vertical distance not the horizontal distance.
Sayward: Mr. Birch is prepared to offer you a trade.
Sayward takes another bite of cake. She is tempted to ask for the recipe then thinks where would she get the ingredients and when would she have the time?
Sayward may not have been very domestic but she had always been a good cook. Camp cook, house cook same thing.
Sayward looks at the Sime sitting next to her to make sure he is paying attention. He hadn't even responded to her offer of a trade.
Racknie is glad to see his House's hospitality being accepted with such obvious enjoyment.
Racknie did come all the way out here to help make people happy, after all.
Riyyh is indeed paying attention. He always looks extremely interested and attentive when people talk to him. It's one of the things that makes him endearing as a father and a Sectuib.
Sayward: Mr. Birch would like to trade a favor for a favor.
Sayward waits for a response of some description. Maybe Cris behaved more normally because she was born and raised in Gen Territory.
Riyyh obediently says "Why, what an intriguing suggestion."
Riyyh: What did he have in mind, if you are at liberty to say?
Racknie notes that the plate of cakes is rapidly being depleted, and hurries to fetch some more.
Sayward: He is willing to give you the equipment you require to bring the sand from down river for your glass making if you will help up round up the border-crossers before the snow falls.
Riyyh: Venture into Gen Territory? ~quite surprised~
Riyyh makes the natural mistake and thinks she means renSimes in Gen Territory.
Riyyh: Well, we have not done much of that in the past, but we do specialized in disjunction, and most of us are trained in the handling of juncts and unstable renSimes who have not yet killed.
Sayward stares at Riyyh a moment. She runs what he said through her mind again to make sure she translated his question right.
Riyyh: There is the issue of clearance, of course. Is there a local official who could handle the paperwork? We have no retainers, you see.
Riyyh is always eager to help. He's like that.
Sayward: No, the border crossers I mean are Gens who are in Sime Territory illegally.
Riyyh: Oh... of course.
Riyyh waves his tentacles apologetically.
Sayward: Sorry my Simelan fails me from time to time.
Sayward has mastered this phrase.
Riyyh: Your Simelan is quite good, [assures her]. It was simply a case of specifics.
Riyyh smiles, in an attempt to reassure her. This stiff Gen seems utterly immune to his hospitality and charm.
Sayward: Would this arrangement be acceptable to you?
Riyyh avoids answering that question right away.
Riyyh: What sort of assistance would be required?
Sayward: If you could have your Sime personnel spot the Gens and have your Gen personnel round them illegals up for transport down the mountain, we will give you the equipment to transport the sand from down river.
Riyyh ponders that.
Riyyh: How many Gens are to be removed?
Sayward: Somewhere between 2000 and 3000 illegal Gens.
Riyyh: Oh, my!
Riyyh's hands and tentacles dither in consternation.
Riyyh: No, that would be quite impossible. Before first snowfall?
Sayward: Well the thing is if we don't get them out they will die of exposure this winter.
Riyyh thinks that even if the thirty Narosians between them captured 10 Gens a day (doubtful, if they are genuinely trying to evade capture) it would still take more than half a year to clear the woods of them. 1
Riyyh: I do not think that the method you describe would work. [gently]
Riyyh does hate to disappoint people.
Sayward: I am certainly open to suggestions, Sectuib Riyyh.
Riyyh: It seems so... mercenary to place trade value on the lives of Gens.
Riyyh: Could we not simply use the sand at hand, and agree to turn our minds to the problems of the illegal Gens?
Riyyh: I have one or two ideas which may prove useful, but I require some time to think on it. I was not aware of the extent of the problem until just now, you see.
Sayward: Their lives are forfit to the freezing cold if we don't get them out of here before the winter closes down on us.
Riyyh: And I agree, something must be done. [soothingly]
Sayward: The sand, I'm afraid is not negotiable.
Riyyh: Dear Sayward, [smiles at her], you do not have to buy Narosian aid.
Sayward finds that she really hates to disappoint Riyyh. He is Nick's father, after all.
Riyyh: Naros is always prepared to help those in privation and need.
Riyyh: Even if our project is unable to proceed due to lack of materials, we will still help those who require it.
Riyyh: We will attempt to find a solution to the problem of the Gens. I promise it.
Sayward: I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that. I wish there were some way to get those people out of the woods in time but I'm afraid that there is going to be a lot of death this winter.
Riyyh places a gentle hand on Sayward's arm.
Riyyh: I will ask Nick to keep you informed. And please come again any time you wish to.
Riyyh: You are welcome among us.
Sayward: Thank you. You have been most gracious.
Sayward rises to go. There is a heavy feeling in her heart. She thinks killed cold, killed by hunger and some might even be killed by Simes but dead is dead. What can they do?
Riyyh watches her leave, puzzled. He had given up the notion of using Birch's sand and had agreed to help her find a way to help the Gens. Why, then, was she not even the slightest bit pleased by his capitulation?
Riyyh sighs and turns to Racknie. "Perhaps a bit more cloves, next time?" he asks, returning the conversation to the rather more cheerful subject of the cakes.
Notes:
1) The number of Narosians was originally given as 17. Either this is a mistake, or more Narosians have arrived. [return]
Go on to Episode #58: So Shoot Me
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