*  *  *  *

Riverworld, Day 69, Morning

Before breakfast, Matoaka had come out of the hut wearing a strange
brightly colored towel-dress, a straw fan in her hands.  She walked
towards Shaw's hut and stopped in front of it, her eyes seemingly
looking at the void before her.  She pulled our a cube of dream gum
and started chewing it; after a few minutes, Matoaka had started
humming an exotic tune and began swaying and slightly bending at the
knees.  Slowly, she picked up the pace and started stomping the ground
still swaying and bending.  Her humming grew louder, sounding as if
she were possessed by some spirit.  After a several minutes dancing,
Matoaka abruptly stopped facing the hut.  She looked at it for a few
seconds, seemingly exhausted, before returning to her hut and changing
clothing.

Cixi, watching from the door of their hut, saw the dance, and found it
disturbing and barbaric.

Matoaka was a bit disappointed at the results of her dance. In the past,
the dream gum had given her a strong connection to Okee, the Great
Spirit, and she had hoped Okee could heal whatever evil had possessed
Shaw, for the good of the village. But the gum left her drained and
sluggish, and she received no vision of hope.

The others came to join Charles and Culwyn at the door of Helga's
hut-cell.  Charles was only mildly dismayed at the Helga's
absence. Culwyn, however, was considerably more confused and irate.
He spoke rapidly to the guards; they swore, he said, that they had not
slept and that the woman had not left. The hut had no other exits, and
no windows.

Charles left Culwyn to the investigation, and went down to breakfast
with the others.  To a questioning look from Jeanne, he shrugged.  "It
is best that we turn our attention to the larger problems, however we
must address these same issues of property, privacy, possession,
ownership, these intrinsic values of mankind.  It is more imperative
than ever before that we have some sort of Carta, or written laws for
this area."

But the others seemed to be engaged in quite different conversation.

"I fear the 'manes' refer to Shaka's Lion God," Louis said
sarcastically. "They are famous for having things disappear. Do you
remember Mishima?  Shaka and I were en route to this Grailstone or
another down the River--I do not remember--we turned away and Mishima
vanished, with no sign of his footprints.  Unless he grew wings of
course...." He ate morosely.  "We are being toyed with, just as if we
were puppets."

"You must not lose heart," Jeanne said to Louis. "Our lives have
purpose, even if it is hidden from us currently."  Unfortunately, she
sounded like she was trying to convince herself of this as well.

"In my.. former life.."  She spoke the words haltingly, uncomfortably.
"I knew what I was destined to do. Here, I am learning what it is like
to be a normal woman, without spiritual guidance. But I must believe
the Lord will still watch over us."

Louis sighed wearily.  "Jeanne, in my former life I helped relieve
France from the tyranny of the Aristocrats.  I had a purpose as well.
But here...we are simply being mocked and toyed with.  I haven't given
up; I am just...waiting, I suppose. For what I know not."

Looking around like a trapped animal, almost afraid to speak, Matoaka
ventured, "Manes not only long hair, but also spirits.  Beware of the
manes maybe beware of the spirits.  Us wanted to contact spirit, maybe
not wise, maybe evil spirits."

She relaxed a bit, casually pointing at the mine and the plain around
them.  "Blood in veins like iron in stone, maybe trying to say
something about mine.  We live in plain, we near river."  She
shrugged.  "Is significant tree near here?"  Matoaka looked at Diana
when asking this question, but addressed it to everyone. 

Diana smiled. "Every tree is significant," she replied, "but I do not
understand. Do you mean to say you tried to contact spirits last
night? Held a sort of seance?"

Ehrich nodded. "Shaw seemed to fall into a trance, and said, I think
it was...'Veins, plains, the tree and the river and the reins, beware
of the manes.' And then, later, ' No! Beware. Fine minds find kind
hide ride don't look inside.'" He glanced at Freud.

Shaw looked astounded. "I said that? I don't remember it at all."

Jeanne frowned, and exclaimed irately, "You spoke to spirits without
me? Did the spirit identify itself? Did it speak with Shaw's voice?  I
may be an ignorant peasant but I know how to listen for prophetic
voices better than anyone else here, I dare say!"

Ehrich responded sheepishly, "No, it was a high-pitched voice..."

Matoaka continued her exposition.  "Reins, we trying to harness
something prohibited, maybe spirits, manes, river, iron, me not know.
"Fine minds find kind, maybe keen people find own people... hide ride
don't look inside not looking in own mind, nor hiding, but riding,
going out looking."

Finally, she turned to Louis and asked, "Who Shaka?"

Ehrich didn't answer, but added his own insights. "If we're expected
to understand this other than in hindsight, then we may do well to
stick to the clearest meanings.  Manes probably is the Lion God,
although there may be other meanings.  Veins may mean blood, but we
sit very near a vein of ore.  Reins or rains, the tree, and the
plains, I know not, but we may run across them in the future.

"'Don't look inside...'  Well, we looked inside, and Helga wasn't
there.  'Fine minds find kind', we've done that, most of us are
somewhat famous figures, some of us are extremely famous, and we found
each other.  We can certainly keep looking.  But I don't understand
the last part.

"Sadly," Ehrich concluded, "just like all the seance hoaxes I viewed
during life, we end up with vague pronouncements with many meanings."

"The Gods give us messages that we must interpret," Cixi
suggested. "The wise will see its wisdom; the fool will see its
faults.  Consult the oracles only with a clean heart."

"What is Lion?" Matoaka asked. When Benjamin explained that a lion was
"a great wild Animal", a large fierce cat, she inquired, "What is
meaning of Lion God, you worship Lion God?"

Benjamin answered again. "Shaka, who used to be one of us, told us of
Dreams sent to him by a Lion God who gave him Instructions.  Now we
don't know if there was such a Lion God.  Most of the Instructions
were just what Shaka would have done anyway -- try to conquer.  But
Shaka did know the location of the Mine, which he claimed to have been
told in such a Dream.  And others of us had Dreams with strange Truths
in them, more so than in our prior Lives."

			      *  *  *  *

Most of the rest of the day was spent about the tasks of the village:
working in the mine, building a large communal building to serve as a
town hall, beginning work on some small boats, and other such
pursuits.

Robbie, reeking of ale, went looking for Benjamin after lunch.
He found him helping to erect the town hall.

"Ben- I was just thinkin'," Robbie said, "All this laborin' would be a
great deal more efficient an' easier om my back if we had, say.. a
couple o' oxen, or horses. But ya know I dinna remember seein' even
one land animal at all since we a' woke up. Not even an insect!
Whomever created this world was na' thinkin' about me... He coulda at
least resurrected Meg- no better Mare e'er lifted leg..."

"Aye, 'tis Truth itself," Benjamin agreed. "This Life is little better
than the last one.  We have escaped Death, though, Robbie my boy, that
must be worth something to you."

Robbie turned away, adding, " Perhaps we should construct some sort o'
water wheel as that..."

Benjamin grinned. "Now, my boy, when you have an Idea, you have an
Idea... 't'will take some doing, but if Ford's lads haven't already
done it, no doubt they can do it... and I'd wager Toyoda-san too, at
the selfsame Moment of Time, no less..."

Robbie continued on, slurring slightly, " ...as the River can work a'
day an' a' nicht. Only fish?..."

"...exactly!" Benjamin exclaimed. "And though we have no Grains to
mill, still the Power could be used to many a productive End in our
Efforts. Robbie, you must present this Idea of yours at the our very
next Congress... I mean, Meeting."

Robbie wandered off, vaguely nodding, as Matoaka arrived.

Benjamin eagerly called her over and resumed his explanation of
democracy.  Though the difficulties of language forced him to continue
to use small words and sentences, he no longer approached the subject
as if teaching a child, impressed by Matoaka's intelligence and thirst
for knowledge.  At one point, frustrated by language difficulties, he
asked Matoaka if she might teach him some of her language, when time
was available.

"How you know so much about republic and democracy?" Matoaka asked in
English.

"During my Life, my previous one that is, I read every Book and Newspaper I
could.  I read the Writings of the greatest Minds of Europe and shared in
their Wisdom, through the wonder of the Written Word.  I founded the first
Library on my Continent, and I hope to do that again here, someday."

Lowering her voice, she changed the subject again, answering one of
his earlier questions. Hatred burned in her eyes as she said, "Me was
married to paleface.  Me not married now."

Sensing the anger in her voice, Benjamin dropped this subject quickly.  He
struggled for a moment to think of some other subject to bring up in its
place, when he was saved from having to think of one.

"Me saw you make wood statues, why?  Me carve, too.  Me like to see
them."

Benjamin was glad to show her the statues and explain to her the game
of Chess, delighted by her curiosity and her interest.  He asked if
she had any of her own carvings to show him, and talked to her about
her approaches to carving without the metal knives to which he is
accustomed, hoping for an exchange of ideas.

Matoaka surprised Benjamin by revealing that she was familiar with the
game.  "Incredible!" he cried. "We shall have to play when the Set is
complete!"  Then after a moment's pause, he added, "That is, if you
wish to."

Matoaka seemed troubled, but nodded in agreement.  As if stung by a
bee, she suddenly dragged him to her hut and pulled out finished and
unfinished carved objects.  She showed Benjamin the wooden bowl she
had carved out and explained its making and its use -- crushing
berries and herbs to create the ink she used for painting herself.
The bowl was sturdy, stained and incredibly smooth from being handled
every day, but she treated it with great care. She then showed him her
current project -- a wooden comb.

Benjamin expressed his appreciation for the fine work and they spent
some time comparing and discussing their carving techniques.  After a
time, Matoaka turned the subject again.  "Who is Shaw to be
predisposed to accept spirit?  What you make of last night?"

"It is possible that here, we are the spirits.  But I know not why
Shaw would be first to accept a spirit.  Had you asked me, I would
have said that Jeanne, had she been there, would have been first," he
concluded.  On mention of Jeanne, Benjamin turned his eyes away from
Matoaka for a moment, but when he turned back, he looked no different.

Matoaka instinctively looked in the same direction and saw nothing.
She continued, "Why you think that?"

"Well, she has a History of being sensitive to Spirits, at least in her
prior Life," he answered.

Matoaka looked at him, saying nothing.

"I don't know if we should make anything of the seance," he
continued. "Strange things have happened here, strange Dreams and
Visions.  We were guided to this Mine by one.  But just the same, this
may be naught but a Joke, and if it is not, we will know soon enough."

"Where help needed here?" she asked. "Me can want to help."

Benjamin smiled and left the hall-raising to the others. He walked
with Matoaka to an area near the mine, where wood had been piled.
"You can carve. We can carve molds for tools which we will make from
the iron. Shovels and axe-heads and picks."

She nodded, and the began working together. Benjamin began inquiring
about Matoaka's language.  Surprised, she stopped for a moment and
ask, "Paleface never interested in learning about us!  No people speak
Iroquois here.  Why you want learn?"

"But you are wrong," he said. "There is at least one who speaks
Iroquois here."

For a moment, Matoaka's eyes lit up and then she sadly said, "You mean
me?"

Benjamin nodded.  "And soon, another," he said, pointing to himself
with a merry smile.  "And there may be more we will meet later.  But
one does not learn solely to use Learning for Profit, one learns for
the Joy of it.  Here in this place, we have no Books, we must be one
another's Fonts of Knowledge."

She stared at him distrustfully.  "What you know about Indians?
Indians live in your time?"

"Yes, they did.  Though I fear that my own People, of my own Time, did
not understand them, and those that came after me treated them rather
poorly.  We who came from Europe brought our own Persecutions with us,
which I fought my whole Life, but worse, we invented new ones to
inflict on those with whom we should have shared the New World.  I
grieve at what I am told happened after my Death."

Matoaka finally cracked a smile and agreed.  "If you help me with
English, me help you with Iroquois." She began to name words for wood,
ground, carving, and other relevant ideas. He listened raptly.

			      *  *  *  *

"You know what of military ma?" Cixi asked Shaw, as they took their
turn patrolling the perimeter of the village. Her voice was cold, but
not unfriendly.

Shaw nods, "I know much of the military, I spent almost my entire
adult life in the service, and I have studied quite a lot of history,
including military history, and you?"

Cixi holds her head in a dignified manner, "If you study history than
you know me.  In my time, best fighters, best commanders, all gathered
around me.  I lead them. Lead China. A woman!"

Shaw pauses for a moment, deep in thought, the suddenly his face lights up.
"Yes! I do believe I have heard of you, although I must admit I didn't
focus on China as much as I did other places."

Cixi's smile was cold, but not unfriendly.

			      *  *  *  *

Louis looked at Jeanne. "We can continue with your reading
and writing, if you wish.  It is unfortunate that we do not have a
Bible here; I am sure you would relish every word."

Jeanne's face lit up with delight.  "I would indeed! Perhaps we
might... reconstruct it? If we could fashion paper from the bamboo
fibers, and a pen -- I know not how!  But I do know some passage by
heart, and I am sure Charles would know others. And Benjamin, he knows
it even if he does not follow it."

"I wouldn't know where to begin, Jeanne.  I will certainly endeavor to
fulfill your desire.  Perhaps we should ask Benjamin; he was a printer
and a librarian in his former life.  If anyone would know how to make
paper from the bamboo, he would."  Louis smiled.

Louis and Jeanne sought out Charles, and together the three found
Benjamin and Matoaka sitting by the mine and carving wooden molds for
tools.

Jeanne approached. "I wish to make writing utensils, Benjamin. You are
skilled in the fashioning of items from the materials we have been
given here. Could you show me how to carve a pen? Do you know how to
make paper?

"I've been thinking about this myself," Benjamin said, "and I think we
will be able to start making the Tools of Writing within a Month or
less.  What we first need is a Method of grinding and pressing, and
that requires more Power, such as that which we might get from a
Waterwheel.  Robbie just suggested such to me earlier today and I've
encouraged him to propose that as something for us to build.  With
that we could grind up Bamboo to a fine enough Grain and then press it
dry enough.  It will take much Labor to make the Screens for pressing,
but I don't see why we can't do it, once we have progressed enough to
be able to spin Iron into Wire.  The Wheel and Press can be made
mostly of Wood, once we have made Saws to cut something stronger than
Bamboo.  We will likely need some metal Gears, which may prove
difficult, but which can be done."

"Pens again should be well within our Grasp; we need only wait until
our metalworking abilities are advanced enough to build Nibs.  These
can easily be mounted in a wooden Handle, and the result will be
clumsy but serviceable.  What may prove most difficult is Ink,
however.  An Ink that will dry just fast enough, but not too fast, for
writing or printing, is not an easy thing to create.  After Robbie
proposes his Waterwheel, I will ask the others if any know of a way to
produce an Ink from herbs and berries we might find here.  It will be
an inferior Ink at best," Benjamin concluded, oddly concerned and
disturbed, "but we must make do with what we have to hand."

Matoaka nodded. "Can show you how I make ink," she said, pointing to
her face-paintings. "Perhaps that will serve."

			      *  *  *  *
Just before dinner, Matoaka searched around Helga's hut, hoping to
find a trail. She found no footprints other than those of the
guards. The hut's walls were solid and did not appear to have been
breached.

			      *  *  *  *

At dinner that night, Charles told the others some of his plans. He
was going to send Shaw to Ford's camp in the morning as a trade
emissary. He was excited about the prospect of the waterwheel and
urged Benjamin to make its construction his first priority.

"And we must establish a city guard," he said. "Some of you I know
about, but others I do not. Let us say what military experience we
have each had, that I can put each to best use in protecting the city."