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    Britches
    Britches
    Britches
    Ebook142 pages2 hours

    Britches

    By D. E. Harrison

    ()

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    About this ebook

    A red planet was added between the second and third of a small system. The addition destroyed most of the people on the second planet. A family survived in the North valley. The weather became colder. The father moves his sons and their families now or perish. Crossing the mountains, they find warmth and good soil. Six generations return to the soil and their valley is full.
    They search their ancient father’s records. They find a plan to expand and grow from where they currently are. A Royal meeting of the robed Elders prepare for the expansion, rest the land, and mix their blood. It requires 50 seasons to complete the move, a short time as they count generations.
    A head strong female wishes adventure and is a direct descendant from the North valley. In her schooling she finds an ancient scroll before the red planet was added to their system. After much study she decides to try and find the lands mentioned in the scroll.
    She rides a horse better than most men and have little use for any man. She is impossible to find no less court. Her attitude is “If they can catch me, they may court me.” A stranger arrives at her home after she has left. The father provides horses and help to the stranger to overtake his daughter on her adventure.
    They meet at the harbor and she wishes nothing to do with him. However, he has purchased the animals and supplies she needs. It is either take him and the animals or not go. They sail the Mother of all Waters for many orbs and are left at the mouth of a huge river.

    They explore the smaller rivers and he insists they bury supplies so their return will be easier. They continue to disagree on every item, and she falls in the river trying to help him catch fish to dry. She considers him a crude, rude, fish eater. He insists fish meal be added to everything to stretch their supplies.
    His remarks that she needs to lose weight to help her horse results in dishes being thrown.
    They find in a huge valley many mounds grown over with tress. One building has observation slits and the sights still usable. He makes many readings and predicts where and when many stars will appear. All except one, the one they sail by?
    She digs the largest mound but finds the door and wall at ground level are now at the top of the not so small hill. They clear the top and find in a stone chest a leather scroll written in an incredibly old language like the one at school. She takes the scroll from him.
    They have been gone many, many cycles of the lessor orb, and their supplies are gone. They ride back to the waters, digging and eating nothing but fish. They are found by a boat going to port before the stormy season starts.

    Back in the city it is the Joining time and the city is full of people being Joined. He tries to find a room but there are none. He happens to find a room when a couple leaves early. He finds the man hater and they go to the room. She is happy then furious. The room is the largest, most spoken of all Joining rooms. Famous blood lines all started here.
    He brings planks, ropes, and blankets to divide the room. He is fast asleep which makes her only madder. In the morning, most things are broken, widows nailed shut, blanket torn apart. She throws his boots out the widow, he tosses her best riding britches out and climbs down the wall to leave. They meet on the street and he orders her to pay for the room next year. She does, expecting him to return her britches. But he does not. They will stay for a season in the middle of the road, protected by a shelter, and waiting for the next Joining period.
    He returns to the North valley; she studies the ancient scroll. Soon she can make better metal than any factory. Then using the extra heat, she makes bricks stronger than anyone.
    Time rolls on and it is time for the Joining to start. Her britches are still on the street in a small enclosure to protect them. Will this Joining take and what will their future generatio

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherD. E. Harrison
    Release dateMar 5, 2019
    ISBN9780463759394
    Britches
    Author

    D. E. Harrison

    I am trained as a theoretical mathematician. I am an emeritus member of the American Mathematical Society for fifty odd years. I have lived in Seattle since 1967. I starting writing fiction after writing a family history.

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      Book preview

      Britches - D. E. Harrison

      Britches

      By D. E. Harrison

      Copyright 2001 by D. E. Harrison

      Smashwords Edition

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Table of Contents

      Prologue

      Chapter 1 Meeting of the Robes

      Chapter 2 The Trip South

      Chapter 3 The Old Ones Have Returned to the Dust

      Chapter 4 The Migration Starts

      Chapter 5 The Red Brother in the Heavens

      Chapter 6 Many Generations Have Passed Away

      Chapter 7 The Journey Starts

      Chapter 8 Two Cycles Before the Aunts Were in Town

      Chapter 9 The Valley

      Chapter 10 Time to Leave the valley

      Chapter 11 The 1000th Celebration

      Chapter 12 The Lost Scrolls

      Chapter 13 Scrolls Put to Use

      Chapter 14 Time to Build

      Chapter 15 Time is Growing Short

      Chapter 16 The Room

      About D. E. Harrison

      Discover other titles by D. E. Harrison

      Prologue

      In the narrowest end of a spiral arm of a rather small galaxy is a system with four planets that has recently under gone the agony of adding a fifth one to their system between the second and third planets. The second planet not only suffered most of the trauma during the capture of the fifth planet but also added a small orb as a moon. Almost the entire population was destroyed in the upheavals and climatic changes that occurred.

      The new planet has settled into a somewhat stable orbit outside the second planet with their orbits still in resonance. In addition, there are still many wanders passing through this section of the galactic plane and several large rock comets or near sized planets are among them. It would take several super computers many years to attempt even a crude guess as to where they would all be at any time in the future.

      But of more interest are the adventures of the remaining inhabitants on this second planet. Their struggles with nature, their taming the wilds, and of course the inevitable conflict when a male and female of any species which must live with one another.

      Daleth is a large, strong willed, statuesque female. Bocaccio is a match for any four legged or more creatures but what of those with only two legs?

      Chapter 1 Meeting of the Robes

      On the second planet, it has been hard for the few survivors to eke out a livelihood for the first few seasons after the capture of the red brother. The inhabitants are continually scanning the heavens looking and fearing what they can see and what they cannot see. Such a couple is out tonight.

      From the woman comes, The heavens are so clear tonight it seems you could reach up and clasp a hand full of orbs. It seems like only yesterday that we had trouble even seeing for a few units at night the beauty of the heavens.

      Her husband responds, "Yes, it is wonderful to still be alive after the terrible destruction the red brother caused before it became a stable fellow traveler.

      "Come my dear, it grows colder it seems every season. Father says we may have to move everything further south where it is warmer, so we may continue to grow our crops. After the next season’s harvest, I expect we will move. Father sees into the future better than anyone of us.

      The children need to be put to bed before they destroy what little we have here. Yes, they are good children, just young. May we have many more to bring us joy!

      They walk from a huge downed tree they have been using for firewood and return to a clearing with several huts constructed from logs and the cracks filled with leaves and clay to stop the wind and cold.

      It is nearing harvest time and the fields have taken much longer to ripen than even last season or the season before. The orb shines as brilliant as ever but the air is still cooler than last season.

      His father’s concern is that the rains will start before the grain is ripe enough to harvest. If the grain is not fully ripe it will spoil or may even start a fire after it is stored. This morning the mist does not raise until all the animals are feed and the first meal’s dishes are cleaned and put away.

      The next orb, father is up before the minor orb leaves the heavens and is over shadowed by the major orb. He has been in study and in communion, dressed in his full robes. They are as the rainbow in their colors and brilliance. His wife knew he was up, and she never returned to sleep. He comes out of his small private room with a worried look on his face; she knew he ate a light meal before resting, so he must be very hunger now.

      She can count on four fingers the number of times she has ever seen him in his full set of robes. Each time the family has faced difficult times. She knows that this will be no different.

      She says to him, Dear, would you like me to fix you a light meal? It will soon be time for the second meal.

      After I talk with my sons, I will eat.

      His wife asks, Do you wish that I should go and fetch them?

      No, I will go myself! his voice is firm.

      This disturbs the Mrs. greatly only once before has he left his dwelling so fully robed.

      Many of the grandchildren are out working on chores or playing. None ever remembers seeing grandfather in his full robes. Although some of the older ones have seen their fathers in less, colorful robes once or twice. Young legs spread the word to each household before grandfather arrives at the closest one.

      Here he invites his eldest son to join him in his walk to each of the other houses, after he places his robes on.

      The small village goes very silent as each son walks behind their father, in the order of their birth. They return to their father’s house and walk past their mother with never a glance one way or the other. In his private room, the father takes the head of a small table. The eldest stands to his right and the other three on his left in order of the birth. When father sits, they all sit down.

      Father speaks, We must prepare our families to be moved. The coming cold season will be too hard for our animals and us where we are now. We will start to prepare the plan to move and tomorrow in the afternoon we may be able to begin to harvest the south field.

      Father, we hear your words. I think we all see the events and now better understand that we must move. We have only the harvest to worry us now. But I wonder how we will move so much fodder the long distance for the animals that we will be able to feed them through the cold season, is spoken by the eldest.

      His father replies, "Son, the high ridge to the south will stop most of the cold from flowing any further south. We will be able to store some of the animal feed here. I plan on using this settlement in the summer to grow some food plants that can handle the chilly temperatures. The animals will have the feed they need to work this land and we will not have to bring back what they need.

      I had you plant the south field on that steep south slop to get the most benefit from the orb most of the time. It needs only the dew off to harvest. There is enough grain, even if we can harvest nothing else. While you harvest, I will go south and find a place with water and good soil. One of you will come with me and we will carry as much of our settlement’s supplies as possible. The women and children will come with us except those old enough to help you here. We will return as soon as possible to help you and make more trips south if the weather will allow us to move more supplies.

      While this discussion is going on the entire village appears to be deserted. Everyone is staying in side, even the animals can sense something is in the air. The sons leave, with the eldest being the first from the door. The rest follows quickly.

      Chapter 2 The Trip South

      Orbs before this meeting with the father and his four sons, the wives of the four sons are talking around the dishes they are washing with their mother-in-law.

      You are all like daughters to me. We should be ready for whatever the future may bring. I would like to see all our foods stuffs listed, let some of the older children visit those smaller streams and let them catch many of those red fish. We can build drying racks for them. Consider what is necessary we need to carry on with and what is really not needed.

      Mother do you know something we do not? comes from a daughter-in-law.

      It is always wise to be prudent and prepared, mother responds.

      Yes mother, we will do as you counsel, the oldest daughter-in-law says.

      After the meeting with father, it takes the four sons two orbs to assemble the women, kids and all the household goods to be moved first. It appears to be organized confusion, but the orbs of lead-time provided by mother makes it all happen quickly. Many pack animals are loaded with their remaining foodstuffs, several carts are filled with the smaller ones, and kitchen pots the women will never ever leave behind. The older children not staying, oversee the flocks of animals, as they start south. For once the orb is out

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