Araminta Station (2 page)

Six temporary dormitories, each associated with one of the bureaus, housed the agency personnel. As soon as funds became available, six fine residences were constructed, each outdoing the others in grandeur and richness of appointment; these became known as Wook House, Clattuc House, Veder House, Diffin House, Laverty House and Offaw House.

Centuries passed; work never ended at any of the six houses. Each was continually enlarged, remodeled and refined in its details with carved and polished wood, tiles and panels of local semiprecious stone, and furnishings imported from Earth or Alphanor or Mossambey. The grandes dames of each house were determined that their own house excel all the others in style and palatial luxury.

Each house developed its own distinctive personality, which its residents shared, so that the wise Wooks differed from the flippant Diffins, as did the cautious Offaws from the reckless Clattucs. Likewise, the imperturbable Veders disdained the emotional excesses of the Lavertys.

At Riverview House on the Leur River, a mile south of the agency, lived the Conservator, the Head Superintendent of Araminta Station. By order of the Charter he was an active member of the Naturalist Society, a native of Stroma, the small Naturalist settlement on Throy.

Araminta Station early acquired a hotel to house its visitors, an airport, a hospital, schools and a theater: the Orpheum. In order to earn foreign exchange, vineyards began to produce fine wines for export, and tourists were encouraged to visit any or all of a dozen wilderness lodges, established at special sites and carefully managed to avoid interference with the environment.

With the new amenities came problems of principle. How could so many enterprises be staffed by a complement of only two hundred and forty persons? Elasticity of some sort was necessary, and “collaterals,” in the guise of “temporary labor,” began to serve in many managerial capacities.

The collaterals were a class which almost imperceptibly had come into being. A person born into one of the houses, but denied full “Agency status” by reason of the numerical limit, became a collateral, with diminished status. Many collaterals emigrated; others found more or less congenial employment at the station.

The Charter exempted children, retired persons, domestic servants and “temporary labor not in permanent residence” from the count. The term “temporary labor” was extended to include farm labor, hotel staff, airport mechanics - indeed, labor of every description - and the Conservator looked the other way so long as this work force was allowed no permanent residence.

A source of cheap, plentiful and docile labor, conveniently close at hand, was needed. What could be more convenient than the population of Lutwen Atoll, three hundred miles northeast of Araminta Station? These were the Yips, descendants of runaway servants, illegal immigrants and others.

In such a manner the Yips became part of the scene at Araminta Station. They lived in dormitories near the airport and were allowed work permits of only six months duration. Thus far strict conservationists were willing to bend, but no farther; any new concessions, they argued, would formalize the Yips presence, and gradually lead to Yip settlements on Deucas continent, which could not be tolerated.

As time passed, the population of Lutwen Atoll increased to an unreasonable figure. The Conservator notified the headquarters of the Naturalist Society on Earth, and urged that drastic steps be taken, but the Society had fallen on hard times and offered no help.

Yipton became a tourist attraction in its own right. Ferries from Araminta Station conveyed tourists to the Arkady lnn at Yipton: a structure built entirely of bamboo poles and palm fronds. On the terrace beautiful Yip girls served rum punches, gin slings, sundowners, Trelawny sloshes, malt beer and coconut toddy, all mixed liquors brewed or distilled at Yipton. Other more intimate services were readily available at Pussycat Palace, famous up and down Mircea’s Wisp and beyond, for the affable versatility of the attendants - though nothing was free. At Yipton, if one requested an after-lunch toothpick, he found the reckoning on his bill.

The tourist traffic increased even further when the Oomphaw (the title of the Yip ruler) introduced a startling new set of entertainments.

4. Stroma

Another problem involving the Charter had been settled to a more definite effect. During the first few years, Society members, when they visited Cadwal, were lodged at Riverview House. The Conservator finally rebelled and refused to cope any further with the constant comings and goings. He proposed that a second small enclave be established thirty miles to the south, with guesthouses reserved for the use of visiting Naturalists. The plan, when presented at the Society’s annual conclave (held on Earth), found a mixed reception. Strict Conservationists complained that the Charter was being gnawed to shreds by first one trick, then another. Others replied: “Well and good, but when we go to Cadwal, either to undertake research or to take pleasure in the surroundings, are we to live in a tent?”

The conclave adopted a compromise plan, which pleased no one. A new settlement was authorized, but only on the condition that it be built at a specific location overlooking Stroma Fjord on Throy. This was a site almost comically unsuitable, and obviously intended as a ploy to discourage proponents of the plan from taking action.

The challenge, however, was accepted. Stroma came into being: a town of tall narrow houses, crabbed and quaint, black or dark lumber, with doors and window trim painted white, blue and red. The houses were built on eight levels with majestic views down Stroma Fjord.

On Earth the Naturalist Society fell prey to weak leadership and a general lack of purpose. At a final conclave, the records and documents were assigned to the Library of Archives, and the presiding officer struck the gong of adjournment for the last time.

On Cadwal the folk of Stroma took no official notice of the event, though now the sole income of Stroma was the yield from their private off-world investment, which had more or less been the case for many years. Young folk ever more frequently departed to seek their fortunes. Some were seen no more; others succeeded and returned with influxes of new income. By one means or another Stroma survived and even enjoyed a modest prosperity.

5. Glawen Clattuc

Something over nine hundred years had passed since Rudel Neirmann’s first landing on Cadwal. At Araminta Station summer was verging into autumn, and Glawen Clattuc’s sixteenth birthday, formalizing his transition from “childhood” to “provisional staff,” was upon him. On this occasion he learned his official “Status Index,” or SI: a number calculated by a computer, after it digested masses of genealogical data.

The number seldom surprised anyone, least of all the person most directly concerned; he would long have been counting on his fingers and casting projections.

Since the habitancy of each house was established at forty persons, half male, half female, any SI of 20 or under was excellent, from 21 or 22 good, 23 or 24 fair; anything over was ambiguous, depending upon conditions within the House. A number beyond 26 was discouraging and prompted mournful speculations in regard to the future.

Glawen’s place on the genealogical chart was not exalted. His mother, now dead, had been born off-world; his father, Scharde, an official at Bureau B, was the third son of a second son. Glawen, a sober and realistic youth, hoped for a 24, which would still allow him a chance at Agency status.

6. Days of the Week

A final note concerning days of the week. On Cadwal, and generally around the Gaean Reach, the traditional seven-day week remained the norm. Using a nomenclature based on the so-called Metallic Schedule avoids the ear-grinding incongruity of contemporary equivalents (i.e., “Monday,” “Tuesday,” et cetera).

Linguistic note: Originally, each term was preceded by the denominator
Ain
(literally: “this day of”), so that the first workday of the week was “Ain-Ort,” or “this day of iron.” As the root language became archaic and was superseded, the
Ain
was lost and the days were designated simply by the metal names alone.

The days of the week
: (Ain) -

Ort – iron

Tzein – zinc

Ing – lead

Glimmet – tin

Verd – copper

Milden – silver

Smollen – gold

Chapter I, Part 1

Glawen Clattuc’s sixteenth birthday was the occasion for a modest celebration which would culminate in Housemaster Fratano’s formal salute and his announcement of Glawen’s SI, or Status Index - a number which in large measure would determine the direction of Glawen’s future.

For the sake of both convenience and economy, the celebration would be superimposed upon the weekly “House Supper,” which all in-House Clattucs must attend, with neither age nor indisposition serving as an excuse for truancy.

The morning of the celebration went quietly. Glawen’s father, Scharde, gave him a pair of silver and turquoise epaulettes, as worn by gentlemen at the most exclusive resorts of the Gaean Reach, if the fashion journals were to be believed.

Scharde and Glawen took breakfast in their chambers, as usual. They lived alone; Glawen’s mother, Marya, had died in an accident three years after his birth. Glawen dimly remembered a loving presence, and sensed latent mystery, though Scharde would never discuss the subject.

The bare facts were simple. Scharde had met Marya when she visited Araminta Station with her parents. Scharde escorted the group around the circuit of wilderness lodges and later visited Marya at Sarsenopolis on Alphecca Nine. Here the two had married, and shortly after returned to Araminta station.

The off-world marriage took Clattuc House by surprise, and provoked an unexpected furor, instigated by a certain Spanchetta, grandniece to Housemaster Fratano. Spanchetta was already married to the mild and uncomplaining Millis and had produced a son, Arles; nevertheless, she had long, shamelessly and vainly, marked Scharde for her own.

Spanchetta at this time was a flashing-eyed young woman, buxom and large, with a tempestuous spirit and a great roiling mass of dark curls which usually lay in a cylindrical heap on top of her head. To justify her fury, Spanchetta seized upon the problems of her sister Simonetta: “Smonny.”

Like Spanchetta, Smonny was large and burly, with a round face, rounded shoulders and large moist features. Where Spanchetta was dark-haired and dark-eyed, Smonny showed taffy-colored hair and golden-hazel eyes. Often she was jocularly assured that with yellow skin she might have passed for a Yip, which never failed to annoy her.
³

To gain her ends Smonny was purposeful but lazy. Where Spanchetta preferred to bluster and domineer, Smonny used a wheedling or peevish persistence which rasped away at her adversary’s patience, and eventually reduced it to shreds. Through indolence she failed her courses at the lyceum, and was denied Agency status. Spanchetta at once placed the blame upon Scharde, for introducing Marya into the house, thereby “rolling” Smonny out.

“That is absurd and illogical,” she was told, by no less than Fratano the Housemaster.

“Not at all!” declared Spanchetta, eyes glittering and bosom heaving. She took a step forward and Fratano drew back a step. “The worry absolutely destroyed Smonny’s concentration! She made herself sick!”

“Still, that’s not Scharde’s fault. You did the same thing when you married Millis. He’s out-House too, a Laverty collateral, as I recall.”

Spanchetta could only grumble. “That’s different. Millis is our own sort, not just some little interloper from God-help-us!”

Fratano turned away. “I can’t waste any more of my time with such nonsense.”

Spanchetta gave an acrid chuckle. “It’s not your sister who is being victimized; it’s mine! Why should you care? Your position is secure! As for wasting your time, you are anxious only to get to your afternoon nap. But there will be no nap for you today. Smonny is coming to talk with you.”

Fratano, not the most obdurate of men, heaved a deep sigh. “I can’t talk to Smonny right now. I’ll make a special exception. She can have a month for study and another examination; I can’t do any better. If she fails, she is out!”

The concession pleased Smonny not at all. She set up a howl of complaint: “How can I cover five years of material in a month?”

“You must do your best,” snapped Spanchetta.  “I suspect that the examination will only be a formality; Fratano hinted as much. Still, you can’t get by with nothing! So, you must start studying immediately.”

Smonny made only a perfunctory attempt to encompass the material she had so long ignored. To her consternation, the examination was of the usual sort, and not just a pretext for granting her a passing grade. Her score was even worse than before, and now there was no help for it: Smonny was out.

Her eviction from Clattuc House was a long and contentious process, which climaxed at the House supper, when Smonny delivered her farewell remarks, which escalated from sarcastic jibes, through a revelation of disgraceful secrets, into a shrieking hysterical fit.

Fratano at last ordered the footmen to remove her by force; Smonny jumped up on the table and ran back and forth, followed by four bemused footmen, who finally seized her and dragged her away.

Smonny took herself off-world to Soum, where she worked briefly in a pilchard cannery; then, according to Spanchetta, joined an ascetic religious group, and subsequently vanished no one knows where.

In due course Marya gave birth to Glawen. Three years later, Marya drowned in the lagoon, while two Yips stood on the shore at no great distance. When asked why they had not gone to her rescue one said: “We were not watching.” The other said: “It was none of our affair.” Both, puzzled and uncomprehending, were immediately sent back to Yipton.

Scharde never spoke of the event and Glawen never asked questions.  Scharde showed no inclination to remarry, even though the ladies considered him eminently personable.  He was quiet and soft-spoken, of medium stature, spare and strong, with coarse short prematurely gray hair and narrow sky-blue eyes gleaming from a bony weathered face.