There were five hundred members in Group Seven, of which he was included. They had all started off down the road in a tightly packed group following the LDC officer, chattering brightly. Now, after a couple of kilometres, they had become well spread out, and subdued. Horst was close to the rear. His joints were already creaking in protest, and the need for a drink was rising sharply. Yet the air was so moist. Most of the men had shrugged out of their jump suit tops and T-shirts, tying the arms around their waist. So too had several of the women. He noticed that all the locals on power bikes were in shorts and thin shirts; so was the LDC officer leading them, come to that.
He stopped, surprised by the amount of blood pounding away in his cheeks, and gave the seal catch at his neck a full ninety-degree twist. The front of his jump suit split open to reveal his thin powder-blue T-shirt, stained a shade deeper by sweat. The lightweight silk-smooth garment might be ideal for shipboard use, and even in an arcology, but for dealing with raw nature it was ridiculous. Somebody must have got their communication channels fouled up. Surely colonists hadnt been arriving dressed like this for twenty-five years?
A little girl, about ten or eleven years old, was looking up at him. She had that miniature angels face of all young children, with straight shoulder-length white-blonde hair, gathered into two pony-tails by small red cords. He was surprised to see she was wearing sturdy ankle-length hiker boots, along with baggy yellow shorts and a small white cotton top. A wide-brimmed green felt hat was tilted back sharply. Horst found himself smiling down at her automatically.
Hello, there. Shouldnt you have got on the bus back at the spaceport? he asked.
Her face screwed up in indignation. Im not a baby!
I never said you were. But you could have fooled the development company officer into giving you that lift. I would have done it, if I had the chance.
Her eyes darted to the white crucifix on his T-shirt sleeve. But youre a priest.
Father Horst Elwes, your priest, if you are in Group Seven.
Yes, I am. But claiming a lift would have been dishonest, she persisted.
It would have been sensible. And Im sure Jesus would understand.
She grinned at that, which made the day seem even brighter to Horst.
Youre nothing like Father Varhoos back home.
Is that good?
Oh, yes. She nodded vigorously.
Wheres your family?
Theres only me and Mother. The girl pointed to a woman who was walking towards them. She was in her mid-thirties, a strong face with the same fair hair as her daughter. Her robust figure made Horst sigh for what could never be. Not that the Unified Christian Church forbade its priests from marrying, far from it, but even in his prime, twenty years ago, he had been curved in most directions. Now he was what his kinder colleagues described as cuddly, and that was after treating every calorie like an invading virus.
Her name was Ruth Hilton, she told him briskly, and her daughter was Jay. There was no mention of a husband or boyfriend. The three of them started walking down the road together.
Its nice to see someone was thinking along practical lines, Horst said. A fine band of pioneers we turned out to be. Ruth was also dressed for the heat, with shorts, cloth hat, and a sleeveless vest; her boots were larger versions of Jays. She was carrying a well-loaded rucksack; and her broad leather belt had several devices clipped on to it. Horst didnt recognize any of them.
This is a tropical planet, Father. Didnt the Church give you a generalist didactic memory of Lalonde before you left? Ruth asked.
Yes. But I hardly expected to be undertaking a route march the minute we arrived. By my personal timetable, its only been fifteen hours since I left the arcology abbey.
This is a stage one colony, Ruth said, without any sympathy. You think theyre going to have the time or the inclination to wet-nurse five thousand arcology dwellers who have never seen the open sky before? Do me a favour!
I still think we might have been given some warning. Perhaps a chance to change into more appropriate clothing.
You should have carried it with you in the zero-tau pod. Thats what I did. Theres an allowance for up to twenty kilos of personal luggage in the passage contract.
The Church paid for my passage. Horst answered carefully. He could see Ruth had what it took to survive in this new, demanding world; but she would have to learn to soften her somewhat mercenary attitude or he could imagine himself trying to calm a lynch mob. He forbade a grin. Now that would be a true test of my ability.
Know what your problem is, Father? Ruth asked. Too much faith.
Quite the contrary, Horst thought, I have nowhere near enough. Which is why Im here in the remotest part of the human dominion, where I can do little or no harm. Though the bishop was far too kind to put it like that.
What do you intend doing when we reach our destination? he asked. Farming? Fishing in the Juliffe, perhaps?
Not likely! Well be self-sufficient, of course, I brought enough seeds for that. But Im a qualified didactic assessor. She grinned roguishly. Im going to be the village schoolmarm. Probably the county schoolmarm, seeing the scraploose way this place is put together. Ive got a laser imprinter and every educational course you can think of stored in here. She patted the rucksack. Jay and I are going to be able to write our own ticket with that. You wouldnt believe the things youre going to need to know once were dumped in the middle of nowhere.
I expect youre right, he said without much enthusiasm. Were all the other colonists experiencing the subtle feeling of doubt now they were facing the daunting physical reality of Lalonde? He looked round at the people nearest to him. They were all plodding along lethargically. A gorgeous teenage girl trudged past, face down, lips set in grim misery. Her jump suit top was tied round her waist; she was wearing a tangerine scoop-neck T-shirt underneath, revealing plenty of smooth skin that was coated in sweat and dust. A silent martyr, Horst decided; he had seen the type often enough when he put in a stint at his arcologys refuge. None of the males nearby paid her the slightest attention.
You bet I am, Ruth boomed irrepressibly. Take shoes, now. You probably brought two or three pairs, right?
Two pairs of boots, yes.
Smart. But theyre not going to last five years in the jungle, no matter what fancy composite theyre made out of. After that you make your own. And for that you come to me for a course in cobbling.
I see. You have thought this out, havent you?
Wouldnt be here if I hadnt.
Jay smiled up at her mother with complete adoration.
Isnt an imprinter rather heavy to be lugging about? Horst asked curiously.
Ruth guffawed loudly, and ran the back of her hand across her brow in a theatrical motion. Sure is. But its valuable, especially the newest technical courses, stuff this planets never heard of. Im not about to leave that in the hands of the spaceport crew. No way, no how.
A chill of alarm slithered through Horst. You dont think ...
Im bloody sure they are. Its what Id do.
Why didnt you say something back there? he demanded in exasperation. I have reading primer books in my container, medicines, communion wine. Some of us could have remained with it for security.