|
Post by Evangeline on Nov 23, 2008 19:17:57 GMT -5
"Some say it's that, and others argue divine intervention." Zoe answered. "Our disputes on the origin of species make the creationism vs. Darwinism debate on this side look tame. Debates have been known to degenerate into three-way shoving matches that border on demo derbies."
Laurie popped her head around a corner. "Looking for me?"
"It also takes will." Rachel added "Backbone, like they say here. I heard that that was an increasingly rare quality in the pre-blowup West."
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Nov 23, 2008 19:24:01 GMT -5
"Ah, religion of course." Stefán said. "Something that will always screw up logical debate."
"Yeah." Babel said. "We're getting ripped off. I would be asking the farmer for some kickbacks but whenever I talk to a male you assume I'm having sex with them."
"Nah." Aron said. "It's more of an issue of where the will is going."
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Nov 23, 2008 19:39:19 GMT -5
"Not me, I know you better by now." Laurie said. "You have to convince Aron and the others. Anyway, when you go out and talk to them, let Margo know and she'll go with you. She can smell a con game from a mile off and nobody's gonna argue with a two-ton truck."
"I was just reading about the pissing matches that Pericles had with the Ecclesia of ancient Athens." Zoe smirked a little. "Nothing new there."
"You have a point." Rachel sighed. "All that environmentalist hysteria prior to the blowup here. Not to say we don't need to manage things with care, but the caldera kind of made it all moot."
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Nov 23, 2008 19:57:06 GMT -5
"Wait, you want me to deal with this?" Babel asked, unsure if she actually meant that, giving her such a load of trust.
"I'm not quite sure what to believe." Stefán said. "Steinþór told me that the elves are even religious, it appears in few of our own myths, though they build their churches facing the wrong way and such."
"I think the warming period hysteria was just a hysteria, there were a lot of evidence of tossing facts aside, such as about the unusually warm period in the middle ages. I mean, who would believe that?" Aron said sarcastically. "There is no way it was warm then, because there were no factories or cars around." He continued in the sarcastic tone until he took a deep breath and sighed. "We're going to have to say that you being here will not affect the atmosphere, there would be a lot of people trying to get you out of here."
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Nov 23, 2008 20:12:29 GMT -5
"By now, I'm certain that there is some sort of divine intelligence," Zoe looked up at the sky, "Whether it dwells in the heavens or in each of us in a little spark, I don't know yet. But one thing of which I am certain is that it has a sense of humor, as evidenced by the continuing debates that make their participants look like raving idiots."
"You won't be alone," Laurie reassured her, "And Margo will happily teach you all she knows of catching sellers' tricks and getting the most bang for the buck. She used to be an assistant buyer for a chain of parts stores and the same general rules apply to the sale of any product."
"I would agree." Rachel nodded. "But we have somewhat greater flexibility for our fuel options than native machines did. We don't put out half the emissions of those." She then grimaced. "But the ones who listen to reason aren't the ones who give you grief."
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Nov 23, 2008 20:28:25 GMT -5
"I have been the Caliph's translator." Babel said with a smirk. "I was more surprised you would let me have this job, given where I've been for the last few years." She had been put through some grief from locals realizing where she was from, she had been able to stand her ground in most cases, but refrained from talking about it or the other cases where she wasn't able to stand as steady as she wished.
"Most of us have abandoned god in any form or image." Stefán said. "I guess the enslaving of our people did the trick."
"That is the first time I've heard that, but it doesn't make it any less true." Aron said.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Nov 23, 2008 20:34:13 GMT -5
"I think my swelling's gone down a bit," Rachel remarked. "The form might need some re-adjusting soon."
"It's what people DON'T know that can get them." Laurie shrugged.
"I can understand." Zoe brought her eyes back down to the level. "You would find my grandfather to be of a like mind."
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Nov 23, 2008 20:40:46 GMT -5
"What were the consequences?" Stefán asked, trying to get an insight into his and the Icer's situation.
Aron climbed on the scaffolding to look over it. "We were hoping it would do, but I guess it isn't." He said. "I can see what's wrong. We need to do a follow-up."
"We can't lose this supplier." Babel said. "He is according to the numbers our biggest strawberry supplier. But if we cut him off, we will not have enough strawberries to make drinks with strawberry taste before it would go rancid."
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Nov 23, 2008 21:17:07 GMT -5
"He's going to take a delicate touch." Laurie agreed. "Watch how Margo handles him, and see how you can apply those techniques. Now that she's aware, she'll maybe make him a little bit afraid of losing our business, so he'll want to butter us up. Subtlety is what does it."
"My grandparents and the four others fled with those of their minders who had turned against the government." Zoe rested her elbows on the fence top, fingers interlocked. "About thirty CF-100's went with them, and a few others. Then came the riots I told you about. They found an airbase that had been abandoned after World War 2, but still had usable facilities, located on an atoll in the pacific. They kept their heads down for the first twenty years, but worked as mercenaries and couriers in that region and collected enough capital and assets to form a corporation."
"By the 80's, the family had some serious money and increasing influence, and no one was going to jerk us around again. Now, we are our own microstate, Iyaroak - means "Apple of the Eye" in Inuktitut. We even issue postage stamps, though it's mainly the collectors who go for those."
"When my father was in the dock, they had to adjust it every other week." Rachel remarked.
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Nov 23, 2008 21:35:54 GMT -5
"One of our main income right now is the Icelandic horse, both for regular stock and slaughter stock." Stefán said. "We get some extra capital from relic hunters in America, even though they know just about nothing about US history. I have a collection of stamps from Iceland, but they are next to worthless here."
"I'm sorry Rachel." Aron said. "You're my first ship I've had to deal with, I'm more of a fan of fixing cars. I really aught to read the general books instead of those just on cars."
"Thank you for the trust anyway." Babel said smiling. She checked the clock and saw that there was still some time. She picked up the radio and keyed to Margo.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Nov 23, 2008 21:59:17 GMT -5
Zoe noted Jessica passing by. "She and her daughter have an Icelandic mare. Very pretty one, good gaits, sort of a bay silver color." She then noted the comment about stamps. "We've already seen relic hunters and traders come in with things for us to look at. One guy had a whole bunch of comic books and storybooks with anthro-vehicle characters, figuring we might be interested in that. We pointed him on to Mark Harmon, the Land Rover, because he's procuring ephemeral material for a university collection. That includes children's books. They might also be interested in stamps."
"Don't sell yourself short, Aron." Rachel smiled. "You all did a damned good job with what you had to work with."
Margo came up after the radio call. "We're gonna see a bunch of people this afternoon." she looked towards the service entrance. "Some new folks from the south too."
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Nov 23, 2008 22:06:23 GMT -5
"It would have still been better for you to be moved home." Aron said. "But you're right, it was a good job all-in-all."
"What are they going to offer?" Babel asked.
"Well, I left those at home." Stefán said. "Maybe you could bring Mark to Misturflói, and I would be able to hand the stamps over to him. We can accompany a fisher ship or smaller."
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Nov 23, 2008 22:35:04 GMT -5
"I know what we have to accomplish here." Rachel shrugged. "And I don't intend to leave a job undone. I'm doing just fine."
"They have blackberries." Margo answered. "And possibly an alternate source for strawberries as well. The current supplier might feel a little bit of pressure when he finds out, just enough to keep him honest."
"I'll mention it to him." Zoe said. "They were looking for first-day covers in particular, but any collection in good shape they'll consider. I do a lot of flying around, I might have even passed over your place once or twice."
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Nov 24, 2008 2:28:12 GMT -5
"So whom do we talk to first?" Babel asked.
"We're not here to cause an international incident." Aron said. "Well, that kind of international incident anyway."
"My dad actually 'subscribed' me to the stamps. So I got them in good quality and both stamped and unstamped." Stefán said. "This is currently in bunch of sealed folders, so I wouldn't know about the stamps. None of them are used."
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Nov 24, 2008 14:47:56 GMT -5
"We deal with them in the order of the sign-up sheet." Margo's wiper handed Babel a clipboard. Outside the gate, there were several wagon-loads and an antiquated local truck apparently running on producer gas generated from charcoal.
"I know." Rachel said. She sighed and tried to relax a little while the crew was assembled to re-adjust the form.
"Just a moment." Zoe stepped out of the kennel shelter and waved Mark over.
|
|