Chap. 229 Innovation

 

Chap. 229 Innovation

Breakfast over, he walked to his office. The concept of having a workspace all to himself was still something he was learning to accept.

The red sky told him that wet weather was coming. Harve had said they were expecting a storm.

I want to return those ropes, he thought. Serengeti will be heading for Southern...but do I wait until I know they're there? Or...

Arggg. Do I want to go to Ops to see if that idiot has actually posted the weather for Cove? Or figure out how to work it myself on the datalink?

Siskin chirped on his shoulder.

"Duh," he said to the fire lizard, "I'm such a dolt!" It'd been a while since he'd used Siskin as a courier.

He sat down at his desk, took a pen-such wonderful things pen and paper were! and dashed off a note to Harve.

Hello, Harve, K'ndar here. I'd like to return the ropes. Please return this message with your estimated time of arrival at Southern. Thank you for the skull, it arrived safe, if stinky.

Folding the paper, he harnessed Siskin with the special mail pouch. I don't have a Landing badge for it yet, he thought. I don't think Landing HAS such a thing, so few of us have lizards. I'll fix that!

He tucked it into Siskin's mail pouch. The fire lizard, recognizing the special harness attachment, chipped excitedly. He loved going on Special Missions.

"Siskin. Take to Harve. Harve? The ship?"

The fire lizards eyes whirled a delighted bright blue.

He launched and disappeared.

Harve surveyed his desk. He'd spent most of the last morning organizing it. Lefsa was a good scientist but her desk had been 'messy'. I wonder if this will get that bad, once I really get to...hello, what's this?

There was a tightly capped container on his desk, and a note.

For an instant he was bothered. Someone had been in here. Memories of last night's altercation with Marsh rankled. But this was an office, among the many here at Landing. It was a place of work, not a home, and he couldn't expect it to be sacrosanct, like his quarters.

The note said, K'ndar, welcome to Landing. This bottle contains powdered smanda saliva. As you were the first person to learn (the hard way!) what it does and how it works, we here at Research and Development thought you might be willing to experiment with our refined and synthesized product. The anesthetic substances have been removed from this specific blend. We're calling it 'smanglu'. Please use it or give it to someone with the caveat that they must let us know how it works in the field. As a reminder, in its present form, it's a powder and easily handled when dry, but when it's wetted, it's extremely sticky, expands and solidifies into a waterproof coating. We're already experimenting with it on clothing. If you have any questions, I'm Nashua, in R&D, 3200 Eridani. Thank you!

He took the bottle, resisting the urge to open it. He knew only too well how hydrophilic it was and how sticky it could be.

Smanglu, huh? Interesting. He put it aside. What to do with myself today? It will take the Serengeti several days to get to Southern. I could...yes, I'll go and uncover the skull. Harve said it still had tissue on it and...

Siskin reappeared, chortling.

He's happy this morning. He loves going on missions. He's seen the ship Raventh said.

The fire lizard glided to the desk top and shoved his chest forward, proudly.

"Good lad! Do you have a message for me?"

Siskin arched his neck, proudly.

"You are the VERY BEST lizard anywhere!" K'ndar said, wishing he'd brought a treat. But praise worked just as well, as well as a good head scratch.

He scratched Siskin's head for several moments, then removed the lizard's harness. Opening the pouch, his note had been refolded and the blank side filled.

Hello, K'ndar!! We're still here at Cove Hold. Once we emptied the holds, we found several leaks and are working to stop them all before we depart. Cap'n Disko said we aren't going to be leaving until this storm is over. Looking at it, I think it will hit us this afternoon and go on for a day. So, if you can, return the ropes this morning. Harve

K'ndar ran for his harness.

_________________________________________________________________________

"Smanglu"? Captain Disko held the bottle gingerly.

"Yes, sir. It's a long story, but essentially, this stuff in the bottle? It's a powder. Be very careful it doesn't get wet until you have it where you want it to get wet, because once it's in contact with water, it gets sticky. Then it expands and solidifies and as long as it's in contact with water, it's waterproof. Harve mentioned your ship has some leaks? Would you please, use this and tell me how it works? Because you're my test case. Tell me how it works or if it doesn't work, that's part of the deal with Landing." K'ndar was on the wharf next to the Serengeti, a beaming Harve crowding behind him. The ship's First Mate looked skeptical.

"Smanglu," Disko repeated. K'ndar saw his focus turn inward, and knew the man was exploring the possibilities in his mind.

"Cap'n,.." the First Mate said, "I'm wondering if it would work on the leaks?

"Firstie, I'm thinking the same thing. Take this bottle below, and..." He was thinking hard, "put this stuff on all the leaks on the port side of the hull. Mark the 'smanglu' leaks with a double circle, so we know where it's been put. Don't unpack the leaks that've already been packed. Sprinkle? the powder atop the oakum. Hmm, okay, if a leak hasn't been packed yet, put this stuff on the leak FIRST and then oakum. I don't dare unpack the leaks, so we'll see if this stuff works with oakum or without. K'ndar, I trust your judgment, but...this is an experiment that I'm concerned might not work," the Captain said.

K'ndar grew anxious. He wanted this to work, and he wanted his friends to benefit. And he wanted to repay the Captain in SOME way.

"I understand, sir. But, if you look at my fire lizard's hind legs, see the scars? That's what it did to skin. It solidifies on just about anything, as long as it stays wet. The smanda is an ugly little creature that lives in the marshes far south of here. It's an 'amphibian', a creature that needs to be wet. It makes a nest for the dry winters, a round capsule made of reeds. It lines the INSIDES with this stuff, allows water to enter it, sealing the nest full of water. The nest holds water for as long as the smanda is hibernating, even in dry, hot weather. It works. Remember, it's a powder, now, and is sticky when wet, and I mean STICKY. Once it dries out, it returns to powder form," K'ndar said, growing increasingly excited. "I've seen it work, sir, and I bet my lunch it will stop any leaks your ship might have."

"Why...why me, K'ndar? Why my ship?" Disko asked. The concept-if this stuff worked, every seaman on Pern would want it. It could be extremely profitable.

"Sir. You said it, I'm family, so YOU are family. You shipped that skull for me despite the fact that it cost you sleep and clean air."

The Serengetis laughed.

"Only because Harve's my best nephew, K'ndar. Otherwise it'd be back on the bottom with curses to keep it there," Disko said.

"That, and you loaned me your ship's ropes, and had a net damaged. I would like to repay you for the damage, and the busted block."

"You will NOT," Disko growled, in a voice that brooked no dissent.

K'ndar nodded his head.

"Tol' you so," Harve whispered.

"I know. That's what Harve said. But, sir, if this works, will that work as compensation?"

Disko looked at him, his mind awhirl.

"K'ndar, if this stuff works, it will be a gold mine. Every captain on Pern will be clamoring for it. Will I be able to be the one to make money on it?"

K'ndar shrugged. "Sir, I know nothing of trading, or making money. Landing creates things to make money so that it can keep creating things. I will be your advocate for, um...I don't know the word," he said, realizing he was now out of his depth.

"Agent", said Firstie. She had grasped the lucrative possibilities it immediately.

"Agent. Sir, I don't know how to arrange these things, I hope you understand. But if you come to Landing with your report on how the smanglu worked, they might be willing to give you a..a..contract?"

Disko looked at K'ndar with an unfathomable expression. Firstie nodded. Had she the authority, she would have signed one right then and there.

"I don't promise a report right away. Serengeti is still so new that I expect leaks to pop up. An empty ship handles differently than a fully loaded one, and we're done with fishing for the year. So I'll get a message to you, one way or another, on how it works, and I'll meet with the people at Landing."

Firstie was about to leave with the bottle when she turned. "You said it get sticky when wet?"

"Too MUCH!"

"If it gets on my skin, what do I do?"

"Whoa, great question. Vinegar. That'll dissolve it in an instant," K'ndar said, "I'm sorry I forgot to mention it."

Disko looked at the sky. It's getting on, he thought.

"I don't mean to be rude, K'ndar, but I have a ship to run," he said.

"Aye, sir, and thank you, again," K'ndar said. He looked skyward at the gathering clouds.

"I'd better leave, I don't want to be flying in storm weather," he said.

"Safe skies," Disko said. He shook K'ndar's hand and returned to his ship.

"Safe voyage," K'ndar called after him.

He headed for Raventh, who had landed near the wharf.

Harve came with him. Once he was out of hearing of the crew, said, "Thank you, K'ndar, for returning the ropes so soon. I sort of went over the Captain's head doing that. After the fact is not a good thing."

"Harve, don't do that again, hear me? I don't want you getting into trouble."

"I was worried, okay, I was scared. But Cap'n is a good man and my best uncle. But still, thank you. And it was good to see you," the boy said.

"You, too," K'ndar said.

Harve hesitated. It was clear he had something on his mind.

"K'ndar, I don't know how to ask this but there's something I'd like to have..."

"You want?"

"A fire lizard. It was such a thrill to have Siskin appear over head and he went chipchipchip! to ME! HE remembered ME!"

K'ndar smiled. "He's smart, Harve, and he knows who my friends are."

Harve beamed at Siskin. Siskin beamed back.

"I'd like one because..well, because of the communication abilities. You are here because Siskin passed the message like THAT!" he said, snapping his fingers.

K'ndar had a thought pop up. If a fire lizard was good, a datalink would be better.

He pulled his datalink out of its pouch.

"I can get you a fire lizard egg, Harve, when, I can't say as I don't know when someone will have a clutch to sell. But in the meantime, would you rather have one of these?"

Harve looked at the datalink.

"Is that a datalink?"

"It is. And Landing is making them for whomever might want one."

The plan blossomed in his mind, complete in form. Yes. I'll get you a datalink AND a fire lizard egg, Harve.

Harve's eyes lit up. "Whoa. That would be wonderful," he said. Then he frowned. "But they're expensive, I bet."

"I was given this, so I'm not sure," K'ndar dodged, "but I'll find out."

No matter, Harve, yours will be free. I've plenty of money, he thought.

"This way, you could contact me or anyone with one, from ANYWHERE on Pern. And talk to me, and check the weather, and ...the possibilities, Harve! I'm just learning how to use it, and it's ..well, I hate to say this, because I love Siskin, but it's far more convenient than a fire lizard."

Siskin hissed.

K'ndar was shocked. The blue's eyes whirled an upset orange.

"He..I'm so amazed at how they understand what you say," Harve said, "He looks insulted!"

"His feelings are hurt!" K'ndar said, unhappily. He began to stroke the fire lizard, trying to change the orange to blue. "The more I know of him, the smarter he gets. I'm SO SORRY, laddy, you're the best fire lizard on all Pern. FAR better than any datalink!"