“Unclaimed as far as we know,” Anders said. “Remember that third treecat body. We all agreed that from Scott’s autopsy evidence that it really looked like another clan was involved, like this wasn’t infighting in one clan. If we find that other clan, then we can add their location to the map and color in the zone with their probable holdings. No one knows exactly how much land a treecat clan needs, but from hanging around with anthropologists I’ve learned that hunter-gatherers—like treecats—need a lot of it. I think we should go find out how much the other clan—if there is one—is using, where it is relative to our Skinny ’Cat Clan, and how badly it’s being pinched by the human-occupied areas.”
Jessica nodded. “It sounds like a good idea to me. And I was going to call you anyway. I’ve got some babysitting money saved. I called the discount warehouse and they have a crate of freezer-burned poultry they’ll sell me cheap. I was going to drop it off for the Skinny ’Cats.”
Pleased that she hadn’t rejected his theory out of hand, Anders risked teasing. “But what would Dr. Hidalgo say? Aren’t we interfering with a pristine indigenous culture?”
“I am, and with pleasure—and so are you, Mr. Population Pressure. Somehow, I don’t think you plan to stop with coloring in a map.”
Anders grew serious. “I don’t, but I think we’re going to need some help. I almost messaged Stephanie with this, but I remembered that she’s giving her big talk today. I’m sure she won’t have any trouble at all, but I didn’t want to distract her. Still, if anyone can help us talk the SFS around to relocating Survivor’s people, it’s going to be Steph. Let’s get her all the ammunition we can.”
“I’m with you,” Jessica said. “I’ll pick you up, then we’ll get the stuff from the warehouse, and go. Mom’s already given me the day off. She’s taken all the kids over to the Harringtons’ steading. Some sort of berry is coming ripe. The bigger kids are going to help pick and we’re going to have berry ice cream. I was told you could come, too.”
“I’d love that,” Anders said. “Okay. Listen, since you’re giving me dinner, let me chip in for the treecat chow, okay?”
Jessica paused, but she was too practical to be proud. “Okay.”
* * *
Dirt Grubber was pleased by the taste of Windswept’s mind-glow. As soon as she awoke that morning, she turned to the image showing thing and studied the images she and Bleached Fur had captured of the Landless Clan. Her sorrow for the terrible straits to which Keen Eyes’ clan had been reduced flowed to him through their link, and with it the determination to do something about it.
That determination stayed with her, burning in the depths of her mind-glow as she bustled about, clearly preparing for another lengthy trip. Relieved that she seemed to want to go where he did, Dirt Grubber concentrated on convincing her to pack extra healing things.
He knew the boxes in which they were kept, both within the large stone place where the family lived and in the flying thing. The problem was telling her she should bring them, and he resolved it by taking the smaller box from the flying thing and going and sitting on the larger box. When Windswept called for him, he bleeked until she found him.
He tasted the interest and delight that flashed through her mind as she figured out what he wanted. The surging cadence of mouth noises she made meant nothing, but the efficiency with which she gathered a large selection of items from the bigger box and moved them not only into the small box he held but into another box showed she was willing to help many more than Nimble Fingers.
When they got into the flying thing, he snuggled up close to her, patting her and purring. She chuckled warmly and patted him back. Wrapped in the warmth of mutual love and approval, they sped off to collect Bleached Fur.
* * *
Valiant was first out of the air car when they set down a short distance from where they’d found the Skinny ’Cats the day before. He bleeked at them, holding up his hand in the stop/wait gesture, then flowed off through the branches.
“I hope he’ll be okay,” Jessica said nervously. “Things seemed to go pretty well yesterday, but we know these ’cats aren’t exactly friendly to everybody.”
But Valiant was back before Anders could frame a reassuring reply. With him were two other male treecats. Anders thought they might even be the same ones from the day before. Valiant leapt down to join the humans, bouncing up on the lid to the air car’s storage compartment, just in case they’d missed that they could unload.
“I’ll take the ’cat chow,” Anders said. “Even with counter-grav, it’s a big enough crate that steering it through the trees could get tricky.”
Jessica tilted her head and thought. “Let’s stack all three boxes, and then I’ll go in front and steer. You can be manly and push.”
“Aye aye, Captain,” Anders said. When the boxes were stacked, he found he could just see over the top. Following Valiant’s guidance, they quickly came upon the treecat clan’s settlement.
Jessica looked at Valiant. “Food first?” She asked, tapping the crate. “Or medicine?”
“Bleek!” Valiant said, pointing to the crate of poultry. “Bleek! Bleek!”
Freezer-burned or not, the poultry proved to be a huge success. Soon the surrounding trees were filled with treecats shredding their way into what might have been their first big meal in weeks. Anders found himself particularly delighted by a cluster of kittens who had claimed an entire bird for themselves. One even climbed right inside the body cavity, like a particularly furry bit of stuffing.
“Look,” Jessica said softly. “Those ’cats are carrying food to some of the others, even though they haven’t had any themselves. I bet they’re feeding the injured ones.”
Her guess proved correct. A moment later, Valiant returned. He picked up the smaller first aid kit and motioned for them to follow him with the larger box, into which Jessica had dropped quick heal, bandages, sponges, and a huge thermos of hot water. She’d had only a little of the other medications Dr. Richard had approved for treecat use, but Anders had insisted on buying more at a local pharmacy before they set out.
“I’m not a doctor,” Jessica was muttering. “I’m certainly not a vet. Survivor was unconscious. Most of these are awake.”
“I’m not a doctor, either,” Anders said. “But Valiant believes you can do what he thinks needs doing. We’ve got the guidelines Dr. Richard wrote down for you so you could care for Valiant in an emergency. If we come across something we can’t deal with, we’ll com Scott. We’re in this together, remember? If you take the risk of getting bitten or clawed, then so will I.”
She smiled bravely. “Thanks, Anders. That means a lot.”
Valiant seemed particularly eager that they treat one of the younger males first, even though his injuries were not the worst. He’d been badly slashed, though, and seemed to have trouble moving. One eye was swollen nearly shut, as well, and the tip of an ear missing. Giving him a dose of pain medication first, they concentrated on cleaning and disinfecting the ugly, open wounds, spraying them with quick heal, and gently washing out his injured eye with the same sterile solution Richard Harrington used for similar injuries. They followed that with a Richard Harrington-approved broadband antibiotic and, although neither of them would ever confuse their skills with those of a trained xeno-vet, they were pleased to see him sitting up so that he could chew on a chicken leg when they’d finished.
They didn’t stay to watch, but moved on to others, starting with those with more recent battle wounds.
“Frankly,” Anders said, spraying on more quick heal, “it’s easier to figure out what to do with a cut or a gouge than the older injuries.”
“I agree,” Jessica said, “but I want to look at those, too. We have a couple of the same inhalers Dr. Richard used for Valiant and the twins. Maybe it’s not too late for some respiratory therapy.”