The Deepcombers

Chapter Twenty Nine

Lon and Saeya entered The Working Place together to find Zed busy stamping flasks and Mel and Val already concentrating on their tasks at the table. The sun was hot and the air moist from the dribbling wall at the back of the all-natural gable.

Yet with Melcart so close, Lon didn't feel like talking. He merely nodded at the others and took his place, ready to do his part. He said hello to Zed and accepted a jar of purcloine to start.

It was another hot day and soon their fingers were slick with sweat. Zed asked them to be careful not to smear the labels. Lon lifted a jar and studied again the strange alphabet printed on the paper. Was this Calbian? Or was it some other strange tongue? It was all lines and loops, dots, and dashes; Zed said it was the directions for how to use the remedy.

"Did you sleep okay Lon?" Melcart asked.

"I slept fine."

The old sage looked at both males and became aware of the tension.

"We looked for you last night, but nobody could find you," the rogue continued, mercilessly. "You should tell someone before you disappear like that."

"Where did you sleep?" Val asked. She didn't suspect anything.

"Nearby," Lon replied. That was true. The sunflower patch was just above the grotto. Mel snickered.

Lon didn't say anything, but this was hard to ignore. His skin blushed. He saw Valari and Saeya trade glances but thankfully they didn't smile.

The young lad closed his eyes to concentrate and complete another infusion. He would not play the angry rooster, he would simply outperform the miscreant instead.

Without appearing to watch each other, Lon and Melcart competed. The two young masters each kept a running count and it became a clandestine struggle for dominance. For the next half hour nobody spoke and the crew worked their way through the top three cases. The white-haired lad was pleased to note that his output was about twenty percent greater than his rival's contribution. But what made it even more satisfying was that Mel knew it too and that explained why he begged off mid-morning to go for a swim when it was still too early for such dalliance. He was losing and so he wanted to escape and ignore the secret trial and pretend it never happened.

The silence remained after Mel left the table. The troublemaker splashed about in the pool and it was peaceful until the brunette girl broke the silence. 

"Why no mail this morning?" Valari asked.

Zed hesitated and that meant he probably knew something. Everyone watched him for clues. Mel returned dripping wet.

"There's an issue in port," Zed said. "Certain events may have temporarily disrupted the rider."

All four masters stopped what they were doing and searched him for more information. He continued about his business and ignored their spontaneous work stoppage.

"What's happening in town?" Val finally asked. Zed pretended he didn't hear the question.

"Croleans?" Lon ventured, and everyone looked at him. That was the first time he'd mentioned the Crol and they all likely wondered how much he knew about them? Or who they were.

The old medico must have realized that he had to tell his staff something of the world beyond the walls. "Yes. Crols patrol the road to..." Zed started to say but then he noticed the candle had burnt low and he retrieved a fresh pillar and lit the new wick. Saeya cleared her throat to indicate her impatience.

"...The fish ponds," Zed continued. "It's not quite in the port you understand," the bearded medico began and his young audience perked up to glean as many kernels as possible. "But it's where I deliver my quota. Last evening, I was stopped by two swads. Meanies. I guess they must have been Crols."