“Step them up?” echoed Riktor. “I have never seen so much food in my entire life. We could feed an army with what is in the warehouse now.”
“We have many armies to feed, Riktor,” smiled Rejji as he waved Plesy over to the conversation. “The problem is that the city is not large enough for them. Six thousand men joined yesterday alone and I do not think we have seen the end of it. I was going to have a lot of supplies emptied out of the warehouse today for our new arrivals. Why don’t we have them take it directly off the ships? That will free your men up to help Plesy with the clearing and lumber hauling.”
“We don’t need any more help,” Plesy interjected. “The new location for the wasooki and clova herds was cleared this morning. The animals are being moved as we speak.”
“So we can start building in the old fields then?” queried Rejji.
“As soon as the animals are all moved,” nodded Plesy. “Bakhai is handling that. He certainly has a way with animals.”
“That he does,” smiled Rejji. “There is your answer Riktor. Have your men start building the new homes that we had planned for the old grazing fields.”
“Can we start construction of the second warehouse too?” Riktor asked. “The new men may take care of what is on the next two ships, but if more arrive we have no place to put it.”
“We have the lumber,” interjected Plesy. “At least the raw logs anyway. I have never seen a forest come down so quickly. There were so many men chopping trees that they were getting in each other’s way.”
“That is a problem,” frowned Rejji. “We are growing so fast that I can not keep track of what we are doing. I don’t know how to handle this.”
“You are taking too much upon yourself,” advised Plesy. “You need to have more people managing things and then report to you. That will give you time to look more long term at things. Right now you are just reacting to each person’s request.”
“I am willing to consider anything that will bring some sense of organization to this,” stated Rejji. “What do you suggest?”
“Put Riktor in charge of supplies,” began Plesy. “Let him handle all of the unloading and distribution of food and tools. If he needs more people, he can ask you for them.”
“Done,” nodded Rejji. “What else?”
“Let Copi handle the lumber portion,” continued Plesy. “That includes felling the trees, transporting them and shaving them. He will also need to handle the distribution to people needing supplies to build.”
“Copi can handle that,” Rejji nodded. “I am beginning to like this already. What about construction?”
“I will handle that,” declared Plesy. “I have a thought regarding that already. I think each tribe that arrives should build their own homes. When their homes are complete, their men can enter the labor pool for other jobs. The men that arrived yesterday don’t know what to do, so they are standing around doing nothing. If we put them to work on their own homes, we will have time to plan what they will work on next.”
“Where does the new warehouse fit into this?” asked Riktor as people started to gather around to hear what was going on.
“Half of the men I used for clearing the forest today will work on it,” answered Plesy. “If we can get the logs shaved, that warehouse will go up in two days. With the number of people Ghala has now, I think we should build a third as well.”
“And put it where?” asked Rejji. “We are running out of room to build.”
“I have thoughts on that,” replied Lakado. “I have been wanting to talk you about it.”
“Any thoughts are welcome, Lakado,” Rejji said. “What are they?”
“I don’t think you should be putting houses in the old wasooki fields,” began Lakado. “That is an excellent area for the warehouses. The city should be expanding towards the mountains along the river.”
“There is not much room between our current houses and the stockade,” Rejji pointed out. “I don’t think you realize how many people are moving into Ghala each day.”
“Oh, but I do,” smiled Lakado as he drew a map in the dirt. “The stockade has to come down or be abandoned. Where it is now should be the city center. We should reserve a large section there for community buildings like stores, and inns. Maybe even a marketplace. Then in this area outside the stockade, we start the new houses.”
“We can’t have buildings outside the stockade,” Rejji said. “They would be too vulnerable to attack.”
“I know,” nodded Lakado. “That is why we will build a new wall way out here, but this one will be stone. There are two benefits to this plan. The first is that we will expand the city enough to house tens of thousands of people. The second is that the approach to the city can be a narrow path through the forest. It will be very hard for a large army to amass in front of the wall. It should increase our safety a great deal.”
“Clearing the land would be a lot easier,” nodded Plesy. “The forest outside the stockade is sparse, but still enough trees to supply the lumber we will need. And we won’t have to haul it either. “
“And there is enough room in the old wasooki fields for at least six warehouses,” smiled Lakado.
“I am not sure we need that much land for the city though,” responded Rejji. “That is a lot of houses.”
“There is more to a city than houses,” interjected Lakado. “Right now we get everything we need from Khadora, but that must change. We need shops, inns for travelers, schools, butchers, healers, and bakeries. I have been to Khadora and seen large cities. Trust me, the room will be needed.”
Rejji’s mind flashed back to his days in Khadoratung and he nodded. “I agree,” he said finally. “Leave room for parks too and a temple. Ghala need not resemble a lumberyard forever. It should be a place that is pleasing to travel to. Lakado, draw me a map that I can keep of what you think the city should look like. You will be in charge of determining where things will be built. The first area you need to layout is where we are going to house all these people.”
“I will have it done within the hour,” grinned Lakado.
“The animals are all moved,” reported Bakhai. “Is this a meeting?”
“Sort of,” nodded Rejji. “Do you want to be in charge of the animals?”
“I think Pfifer would enjoy that,” answered Bakhai. “He has already been caring for them everyday. He will need people to help him though. The herd is getting large.”
“Done,” agreed Rejji. “I think Jheron is a good person to be in charge of trades. He is pretty much doing that already.”
“I concur,” Plesy said. “He has organized it well so far.”
“Rejji,” called Mistake as she ran towards the group. “There is a large army approaching the stockade.”
“Join me, Bakhai,” Rejji said as he turned and ran towards the stockade.
The trio race to the wooden stockade and Rejji raced up the ladder to the platform. Several hundred paces out sat a tribal leader and his army was still riding in from the distance. Rejji had seen this sight several times over the last week, but he still trembled each time. There was little way to determine if this was a tribe that Wyant had sent, or one preparing to attack Ghala.
“Can you hear anything?” Rejji asked Mistake.
“Nothing,” she frowned. “They aren’t talking.”
“Okay,” frowned Rejji. “I am going out.”
“Bakhai and I are right behind you,” assured Mistake.
Rejji nodded to the men at the gates and they lifted the bar for the trio to exit the city. They walked out until Rejji stood in front of the tribal leader.
“Welcome to Ghala,” smiled Rejji. “I am Rejji.”
The tribal leader dismounted and walked up to Rejji.
“I am Adger, leader of the Mutang,” the leader said. “Our mutual friend, Marshal, sent me. He said we would be welcome here. I have twenty-five hundred men and their families. Are we welcome in Ghala?”
“The Mutang are welcome in Ghala,” Rejji smiled. “There is food for your people and soon there will be housing. We will supply the materials and tools needed and show you where your houses may be built. Did Marshal explain the rules to you?”