He realized he still had the reins in his hand and he looked up at the green sky, the mare's pretty head silhouetted against it. She made a farrumping noise and blew down in his face as if apologizing for finding him there.
You've the makings of a good horseman, Ben said as Ken scrambled to his feet. You held onto the reins. With no more comment, Ben linked his hands to give Ken a knee up. Before he realized it Ken was mounted again and Ben, riding beside him, patiently explained the elements of equitation just as if falling off a horse was an everyday occurrence. As Reeve was soon to learn, it was.
He took the bay mare down to the river next and found that he preferred the sorrel mare Socks. The bay mare minced her way in a bone-jerking fashion and had an annoying habit of tossing her head constantly.
Back at the shed, Ben set about teaching his four pupils how to groom their animals.
Todd's too small to curry a horse. He might get hurt, Ken said anxiously.
I will not. I didn't fall off, Todd reminded his father pointedly. I'll stand on that, he added, indicating a plastic crate, and then I'll be tall enough.
The child doesn't fear the horse so why should we? It is good to catch them young, Ben said with a grin which included Hrriss too.
It took Todd a little longer to finish but he worked willingly and well. The little gray mare he had been assigned stood obediently throughout the ministrations. Hrriss and Hrrula both had an additional hazard in that their tails were painfully trod on several times by their charges. Todd had merely wrapped his pseudo-tail around his waist.
Bill Moody and Alfred Ramasan appeared at the shed door, eyeing the horses nervously.
Mr. Adjei, Bill began tentatively. Ben was crooning to the horses and did not hear the boy's properly modulated tones. Mr. Adjei, and Bill blinked startled at his own unaccustomed volume, we were told to help you.
We're finished here but we could use your help with the cows, Ben declared, pointing to the placidly chewing beasts.
Fifteen minutes later his helpers were back to the original four. Alfred was being taken to the infirmary with a crushed toe and Bill willingly accompanied him. Bill was, well, frightened wasn't kind unaccustomed to livestock.
I'll be back tomorrow? he had asked and Ben, impassive, had nodded consent.
At least he is willing, Ben remarked cheerfully after the boys had left.
Ben, you'd never have made an animal husbandman out of me, Ken groaned. Hrrula, Hrriss and Todd, yes, but not me.
Ben's eyebrows went up in surprise. "Do you think I made no mistakes the first time I met animals?" I lost the thumb nail because I left my finger too long in a cow's mouth." Ben grinned reminiscently. "My foot was broken when a stallion reared and I've lost count of the bones I broke falling off horses before I learned." He gave Reeve a friendly shake on the elbow. "No, no, Ken, you'll do fine but it takes a little time."
Yeah, but look at those, he said, indicating Todd and the two Hrrubans.
Hrriss and Hrrula are used to animals, Ben replied with a shrug. I'd be surprised if they behaved otherwise. And Todd, well, Todd is in a separate category altogether, Ben added with a grin.
What makes you say that? Ken growled.
Ben's grin widened. Akosua has told me much about young Todd. No, do not frown. The boy sees things with different eyes than most children. I think, seeing him today, he sees more clearly. Plainly he was meant for Doona, not Earth.
Yes, that is painfully obvious, Ken agreed.
No, no, Ben said earnestly, he is right. On Earth he took too large a step; on Doona, we do not step wide enough. Look at Alfred and Bill. On Toddy I can rely. And on Hrrula. Tonight, and his voice became businesslike, you must return after the evening meal to help bed the stock down. I shall require Toddy's help too.
Ken snorted with self-disgust. Ben laughed as Reeve stumped off to Solinari's work gang.
Chapter XVI. BARN RAISING
BY AFTERNOON, the cargo was all sorted and stored, and that which could be left for the Hrrubans put in one shed. The women and children spent the rest of their first full day on Doona in an orientation meeting. This, too, like most of the colonists' original plans, had been revised. But the newcomers were shown slides of the various animals though they were unlikely to encounter a mda during the short time they'd be on the planet and the flora, including live samples of the rroamal vine and the ssersa bush and berries. Although the children were sternly restricted to the Common and such wooded areas as were adjacent to their homes, rroamal was a creeping parasite, springing up everywhere, and so were the ssersa bushes.
Ken Reeve completed this truncated orientation with a lecture on what had been observed of Hrruban manners and customs. He made everyone learn by rote a few basic words and phrases and repeatedly emphasized the parallels of exceeding politeness and friendliness.
A grin is the same thing for Hrrubans as it is for Terrans. If you don't know what else to do, smile! he ended his comments.
That evening, after the women had struggled to cook real food on the unfamiliar apparatus in their private kitchens, the adults gathered in the mess hall for the next day's assignments.
I'll learn how to produce an edible meal on that that contraption, Kate Moody vowed, if it's the only thing I do on Doona.
Sally Lawrence, who had been softly strumming on her guitar, struck a major chord and sang out a jingle:
What can I do, do, do on Doona?
What can I do, do, do on Doona?
What can I do, do, do on Doona?
Learn to cook, learn to cook, learn to cook!
Hu Shih stood up as the laughter and applause subsided.
A very good introduction for me, he smiled. However, we cannot spend all Our time perfecting cooking techniques or collecting treasures. Now I estimate that we have about four or five days before one or the other of the three Departments send us transport.
Not if the Spacedep wants us to search the planet for an alien touch-down burn-off, Eckerd remarked.
One thing sure, Codep won't get Kiachif back here short of four-five weeks, McKee added, and one of the crew told me his is the only transport in this Sector.
"Gentlemen, please!" Hu Shih called them to order and waited a moment until the murmuring died down. "In view of the emergency and our repeated requests for transport I cannot hold out any hope to you for a prolonged stay. Particularly when Alreldep is so anxious for us not to complicate their contact techniques.
"As I said, I feel we have four or five days minimum. Lee and Ken agree with me that it is doubtful that the transport can accommodate the livestock which we had hoped to breed here. Ben tells me there is insufficient feed for their return journey. Pending subsequent approval, there is no reason why the animals can-not be given to our Hrruban friends who have already evinced considerable interest in them. It would be comforting to know that at least one facet of the colony's original purpose will be thus realized: the preservation of these all but extinct species.
"Therefore, it has been suggested that we begin the construction of a more permanent structure to house the animals, for the present accommodation is inadequate and the females will shortly reproduce.
Ben has in fact suggested this to Hrrula who appeared excited at the prospect, if you can imagine Hrrula excited about anything. Hu Shih smiled tolerantly and won a few smiles from the audience. Sam and Macy believe that a good-sized, snug barn, utilizing one of the heat converters, can be built in two or three days, thanks to the Hrruban rlba preservative. That would still leave us time for our personal enterprises. However, this is just a suggestion. The project is not compulsory. I will leave the matter open to discussion and suggest that it be voted upon.
That heat converter? I'm not sure we should leave them such a sophisticated artifact, Lee protested.