Riverworld, Day 45, Afternoon * * * * Robbie awoke with a start at the sound of Jean's voice. He shook off the Scotch-assisted slumber and spoke in an unusually clear voice. "OCH! What is it laddie? I....Oh bother...." He quickly switched to French. "What? What? Is something wrong? Are we in danger?" he asked. Still trying to get his bearings, he looked around for pirates, slavers or what have you. All the while he gripped his grail by the handle ready to use it like a club, wishing he had a musket or a good, sturdy claymore. Jean pointed to the riverbanks. "We should be stopping for a meal soon, I suggest the west bank. I do not like what I see on the east. Who knows what will happen when the two concealed men are discovered." Robert pondered Jean's council for a moment, looked at the two banks and answered, "Aye...er..Oui, avoiding possible violence is the wisest choice. Lead on noble sir!" Shaw nodded to Josephine. "I simply couldn't wake up. I wish there was more to tell than that." He paused for a second. "Still, I wonder why Freud picked that moment to try and wake me." Josephine listened to Shaw and frowned a little, making sure to keep an eye on him in the future. * * * * Shaw and Josephine returned to the group as Benjamin began to speak. "I agree; we have here an unquestionable Opportunity to make a mutually beneficial Agreement. I am simply not sure what Advantage we can make of it. In exchange for the promised Trust that we will share the metalworking Secrets we find with Mr. Ford and his People, we can ask for... for what? What is it we need now?" He warmed to his exposition. "Once we do find it, however, I am confident that sharing it with Mr. Ford can be to our Benefit, as he can help us make most efficient use of it to build whatever we choose to build. Let me explain. A good friend of mine was a great proponent of a new method of Industry called the 'Assembly Line', which was being used by the British Navy to build their blocks more efficiently. Mr. Jefferson refined the Technique by introducing the use of interchangeable Parts, which allowed our Craftsman to make more and better Guns, which could be repaired easily in the field by any Soldier. These were crucial to our struggle for Freedom and Independency. It is my Understanding that, in the time after my earthly Life, this technique was adopted and improved upon and used for all types of Industry. Perhaps Mr. Ford, since he comes from a time later than mine and since he appears to be a man of Industry, is familiar with the Technique. With the help of his Workers, we could use this Technique to bring the fruits of Industry to many more people than we could ever do alone." "The one thing they can provide us with," Shaw suggested, "is the manpower we will need to take and to hold the source of this metal. Also, I agree with Benjamin in that they would be of great help in putting this metal to good use. Funny how we happened to run into him so close to our goal, don't you think?" "Henry Ford was famous for mass producing these automobiles," Ehrich volunteered. "Before him, autos were built by hand, or in slow assembly lines. He introduced a way for the autos to move from person to person, with each employee performing a quick job as the unfinished autos passed by. Before Ford, autos were amusements for the rich, but after Ford, the average man could own one." Benjamin beamed. "That is exactly the Technique I was referring to, the Assembly Line, so beloved of Jefferson. He picked it up from the British Royal Navy which was making Blocks that way. It sounds like Ford is just the Man we need to take the best Advantage of this Opportunity." "As for industry though, I am afraid, Benjamin, that it has brought harms as well as good. It brought peasants in from the fields and put them to work in soot covered factories. Craftsmen are rarities, as cheap labor is more appropriate to the large industrial concerns. It provides steady jobs though, but the United States and Europe would be unrecognizable to you if you saw them now; and likely unrecognizable to me as well." Benjamin wrinkled his brow only for a moment before responding. "But surely that is simply because it was misused. People worked in Factories in my time as well, but many of them would not have worked at all had it not been for Industry. They could never have had the Education to become Craftsmen anyway. Change must always be handled properly, and it is the greatest and most uplifting Challenge in the History of Mankind to make use of the challenge of Industry to better the Human Condition and not worsen it. I have heard that it was handled rather less than perfectly after my Time before this, Ehrich, but I am firmly convinced that the proper application of Foresight and Philosophy can use Industry to provide Plenty for Mankind. We should not hold against the Idea, the fact that certain persons used it poorly." "Surely you must realize that without the Grails, most of us here would be dying of Malnutrition, probably over and over? Only Industry can save us from that; and only Industry can provide the Time and the Freedom we need to be able to spend Time on Education and Learning, the very things that enabled people of your Time, and later Times, to see and understand the Problems you mentioned. Riverworld is our second Chance, to use Industry properly, aware of the Problems, able to learn from the Mistakes of History, to do it right this time." Jeanne, who had been quiet since her words with Father Gregory about Jesus, joined in. "This Ford seems eager to help us find the source of the metal scythe. If we are joined by a common cause, we will hardly need to bribe him for his efforts." "On the other hand," she added, "if his competition with this Toyota is so fierce, can he afford to leave his town to quest with us? Or even to send many of his subjects with us?" "In my time on earth I spent years of my life devoted to breaking down the barriers erected between races," Josephine said. "This ... competition may be just that, but it may also be lingering resentment from the days on earth. I would not be against trying to combine the efforts of both sides of the river to benefit everyone." Ehrich agreed. "I'm as red-blooded an American as any, but I have spent much time abroad in Europe and elsewhere. And I've found that the average people are the same everywhere, with only minor cultural differences. They all work to feed their families and fight to protect their land. This river is a second chance for everyone, be it a purifying purgatory, a social experiment, or a hallucination in my own head. There are no national borders here, but as we have traveled, we have seen that people start to define the borders all over again. Those few who try to work together are quickly trodden under the feet of others." "Ford is returning," noted Freud. "What shall we tell him?" "Boat approaching," Shaw warned, pointing upRiver where a small sailboat with two passengers was heading steadily toward them. The sailboat reached the makeshift pier on the western Riverbank, and two tall men stepped out, one's hair light brown, the other's a darker shade. They noted the mixed group of people eating together near a considerably larger boat, and the welcoming committee of the locals. "Greetings, strangers," said one of the villagers in English, stepping out from the band. "Welcome to New Detroit." The darker-haired man translated the words into French for his companion. "Who are you and what are your intentions?" the villager asked. * * * * Sly was unusually silent as he walked, but observing the go-carts from their place of concealment, he broke his silence and sneered in Shaka's direction. "Wot's dis, some sort of kiddieland mate?" He looked over the go-carts. They seemed well-built, and effective on downhills and flats, but would be difficult to ride uphill; the efforts to attach pedals to them didn't seem to be successful yet. He came to a decision. "Let's steal a couple, eh mate?" Shaka peered at the Orientals making the carts and puzzled. At Sly's words he frowns and rolled his eyes before asking, "What manner of thing are these? I know of carts such as these, but they have no oxen to pull them. I see no use and they make no sense." Pointing to the person making the pedals he asked, "What sort of contraption is that? Are these things machines of some sort?" "Ya push 'em with yer feet," Sly responded. "Not much guid for up, but fun for down. Those're "pedals", loik a machine, yah. Makes yer feet pushin' turn the wheels." Shaka considered this. "I see no reason to take one, we have nothing to make them useful to us." Sly looked directly at Shaka. "Do ya know where we're going, anyway, mate?" * * * * Louis' heart skipped a beat as he watched the Celt and the woman. He thought she looked like Heloise, but then he realized he was mistaken. It had been such a long time since he had seen Heloise, let alone made love to her...to any woman. He sighed, more annoyed than despondent. Louis pushed those thoughts from his mind and focused on the metal at the Celt's waist. Was that a knife? Perhaps the source of the metal was near and this hadn't been simply a trap. He glanced over at Pala and frowned. Bad ruti.... Yes, it was clear now. Louis stood and walked straight to the Celt, carrying his unopened grail with him. As he approached, he slowed and let the Celtic chief notice him. Louis smiled disarmingly. "Good afternoon," he said in English. The Celt looked at him without comprehension, but responded with what Louis recognized as a greeting in Gaelic. Louis decided he would play Gaul to the Celt, and smiled warmly at the chief's woman. The chief's frown, however, quickly convinced him not to kiss her hand. Louis opened his grail, and held it up, motioning with his hands. The chief seemed to accept this invitation, and sat down with Louis to eat, regarding him quizzically. While they ate, Louis subtly examined the object at the chief's waist. It was indeed a knife with a fairly crude iron blade, set in a hilt of bone. Louis also noticed that none of the Zulu joined him, preferring to eat in their own community.