Bunny shot her a quick glance. "Why would I want to leave Petaybee? I belong here, Yana. Not just because I was born here. I belong here! I belong to this planet." Then she clamped her lips shut and concentrated on her driving.
She had returned to her normal cheerful self when she slowed the snocle to a stop exactly parallel with the steps to Yana's little house.
"I'll unload, Yana," she said. "You go tend your fire. Some of this stuff won't do for freezing."
"Only if you agree to eat with me?"
Bunny grinned. "You mean, you want me to cook for you again?"
Yana waggled a package of dehydrated veggies at the girl in mock threat. "I got me things even I can't ruin."
There had been a most curious selection of foodstuffs available at SpaceBase, as well as basic things like flour, beetshug, and powdered yeast in a can big enough to supply the entire village for the next decade. She had several big tins of pepper and other hot seasonings. She would use those to trade. She had acquired a ream of paper, a box of inked styluses, and a ream of message tapes: the whole village could send one apiece to Charlie. Compared to the village store, the SpaceBase BX was a cornucopia of useful and occasional unlikely commodities.
In an inside pocket she had as neat a little pair of infrared night binoculars as could be found, just the thing for seeing distances on a snow landscape. She had a first-aid kit though some of the contents had long since passed their expiry dates, but she had wanted the compact field instruments more than the medicines. She had a heavy-duty thermal sleeping bag, another quilt, clothing, skis, snowshoes, an ax, a hatchet, cross- and hacksaws, and enough nails and screws to set up a carpentry shop. And much to her delight, she had discovered, lying dusty on a bottom shelf beneath items of uniform apparel, several lengths of prettily figured fabric in bright colors, no doubt left over from the days when the soldiers' families were allowed to visit and trade on the base, too.
Also scattered among the more strictly utilitarian goods, she found other items apparently for sale or trade with civilians: beads, belts, glues for several different types of jobs, a carpenter's last in her foot size, three each of plates, bowls, and cups, a big skillet, two more pots, and a multiple knife with a six-foot run-out cord she had already attached to her belt.
She had a pail of multiple vitamins and minerals with an expiry date two years hence, and three boxes of the trail rations designed for Petaybee conditions. There had been cartons of those, newly shipped in, or so the quartermaster had told her. Plus a big can of freeze-dried coffee and another of real tea, and a few other comestibles that, as she had told Bunny, she knew she couldn't ruin in the serving.
She set about opening the cans she chose to serve, slopping the contents into appropriate pans and arranging them on the stove, which had not gone out. She had coaxed it to a more active state and was determined that this time she wouldn't be distracted from her task.
Clodagh's cat had watched her put things away with very interested eyes.
"Taking inventory, cat? How good do you count?"
The cat blinked insolently at her.
She had the meal prepared, rather proud of herself at producing more than a single pot of edible food. Bunny was certainly appreciative. Then, after dinner, Yana presented her with a length of the pretty fabric, the blue, which she felt would be a flattering color for Bunny. She was totally unprepared for the joy and prolific thanks, the hint of tears in Bunny's eyes.
"I never had anything this grand before, Yana," the girl said softly, holding the fabric to her face and rubbing it across her weather-chapped cheek. Then, with a wide smile, she beamed at Yana. "I'll be the belle of the latchkay in this." Her face dropped and she frowned. "That is, if Aisling can make it up in time for me. She's awful busy as it is."
"Aisling does your dressmaking, too?" Yana had been counting on the woman's services herself, and she ran through her barter goods to think what would be most appropriate.
"Yup, when there's something to do, and something to make with," Bunny said, still caressing the fabric in her lap. "What did ya get for yourself?"
Yana unfolded the deep-green-figured length.
"Ohhh, now that's ace, Yana, you'll look great in that!"
"Think so?" Yana held it up against her. She hadn't had much in the way of feminine frippery in a long time, not since Bry, who had liked her in nightgowns. Which he promptly took off, a habit that had tickled her errant humor.
"Yes, I think so. And Sinead has some beads that would bring out the background green. Why, I can see it made up already. Wait a tic!" And Bunny was out the door, hauling on her parka as she went.
Yana folded her length up carefully, her ringers savoring the smooth finish, and set about clearing up the remains of their supper. She saved a dollop of the protein in the pan and put it down for the cat, who sniffed it then pawed around it as if trying to bury it.
Bunny returned with a flourish, Sinead and Aisling behind her. Without taking off her parka, she rushed over to the chair where she had put the blue and held it up for the two to see, letting the folds fall about her. "See? Isn't it the most gorgeous stuff you've ever seen?"
Yana thought she had never seen anyone get so much pleasure out of cloth.
The rest of the evening was taken up by discussions of styles and decorations for both latchkay blouses. Aisling had taken charge of the two lengths, holding them up against Yana and Bunny, draping them this way and that to see how the finished design would fall and, Yana noticed, smoothing the fabric as if her hands, too, had rarely felt such quality. Sinead was sent back to their cabin to bring up certain trimmings and beads, to be sure that the colors matched, and then that the patterns of beading and decoration were approved.
"Hear you got up to my brother's place," Sinead murmured when Bunny and Aisling were deep in the consideration of cut and style. Her eyes were intent on Yana's face. "Did he show you around much?"
"I think he did. Saw the curly-coats, and those great cats of his."
Sinead grinned, but her expression was as secretive as it was inquisitive, so Yana didn't know why Sinead had brought Scan up in the conversation. Could Sinead possibly know about their trip to the warm springs? That was their business.
"No seals?"
Yana managed to hide her reaction to that softly delivered query. She turned her head and met Sinead's keen eyes easily. "One. It seemed to like fresh water, though, which I thought was a little strange."
Sinead eyed her a long moment and then, with a cryptic grin, turned away. "We got a lot o' strange beasties on Petaybee."
"Oh? Why haven't I come across any yet?" Yana asked good-humoredly, despite the fact that her pulse had begun to race. This was exactly what Giancarlo wanted to know. Did Sinead realize that?
"I think you have to discover them for yourself. Like the seals. Tell you what, why don't you come check the traplines with me sometime? You might be surprised what you see when you know what to look for. Sometime soon maybe."
"Thanks. I'll take you up on that," Yana said, careful not to sound too excited.
Sinead turned back to arranging beads, wires, and trimming for Bunny to inspect.
Then, before Yana could quiz Bunny on the barter aspects of the new clothing, Aisling and Sinead had folded up the two lengths, cleared away the trimmings, and were out the door into the dark cold night.