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Two days later Elizabeth and Bluemud were on the porch again. That morning they had
been at the Station watching the induction of the new recruits from Lettuce. Afterwards
Elizabeth had prepared their lunch out here and now they stood looking out across the
valley towards the white water on a distant river bend to the south and the crags of the
eastern ridge, rising from the climbing woodland. The day was fine but blustery and the air
was chilly out of the sun. Bluemud had his arm about his daughter's waist. 'It's beautiful in
this valley, isn't it? I wish your mother were here to see it. Do you miss your mother,
Elizabeth?' 'Sometimes, I do.' 'You and she never did get on very well, though. Looking back, it often seems to me that once you had passed the age of two you never said a civil word to each other. I think it's been hard for you to have close friendships with other women ever since.' 'Father, it's true that I no longer get on with a lot of the sort of people you meet at Shining River. But I do have friends. Angel is my friend.' 'She is? I sometimes think you might have picked a better friend than Passareil's daughter.' 'Oh, Angel is alright. We never talk about anything... difficult. All Angel wants to talk about is boys. Anyway, she's honest, at least, I think she is.' 'Next thing you know she'll be wanting to come down here.' 'Well, do you think that would be impossible? I mean, if I really thought she could be trusted? You'd trust me, wouldn't you?' 'I'd rather not have to make the choice.' Bluemud kissed Elizabeth and hugged her to him. 'It's cold. Be winter soon. I'm going to leave here at the same time you do.' 'Oh?' Vision of hundreds of extra mouths to feed crossed Elizabeth's mind. 'Don't worry, not recruiting. No, I need a rest, I'm tired. There's nothing I can do here this winter, anyway.' 'But the people need one of us here to help them if there's any trouble.' 'Why? They've survived without us up to now, haven't they? They don't need us to show them how to stay alive. Teaching them the finer points of living can wait till next year.' 'Very well, father, if you say so.' Elizabeth was annoyed. It was so like him to start something and then loose interest. 'Now, Elizabeth, don't be like that! If the winter turns out bad there's nothing you're going to be able to do. Besides, I've got a reason. I'm going up to the Capital to find us an apartment. We need to be more visible there. That Tutor of yours was too suspicious. He knew you haven't lived there in years.' This news cheered Elizabeth up and she squeezed his arm. 'You might even think about finding yourself a husband.' This was only a joke but Elizabeth reached angrily,' Father, what a thing to say! How could I get married?' 'You've got to get married some time.' 'Why?' 'Everyone does, I suppose. Society demands it.' 'And so must I?' She broke away from him. 'Who would I marry? They don't give you much choice, you know! How could I bring him here? What could I tell him about Granite Gorge?' 'I don't know,' he said irritably. 'Someday I would like to have an heir. I'm not young, you know. Who's going to carry on after me, and you?' 'You should have thought about that before you had a daughter. A son could have taken any old whore, no questions asked!' 'Yes,' said Bluemud, Elizabeth thought sadly but in fact he was merely sorry that he had upset her. He stared at her sewing which she had taken up again. 'Haven't you finished that yet?' Time passed and the moving air lifted the dress continually, making sewing difficult. 'I hope the men aren't going to be a problem,' said Bluemud eventually, to himself. 'I'd have gone down and spoken to the men about the food before now, while you were away, in fact, but I didn't think you wanted me to.' 'No, that's right,' said Bluemud rather sharply. Then he said, quietly, 'O'Grady told me you were at the induction of the Dentonsville men.' 'I just wanted to be sure Charlene gave them the injections properly, that's all,' she said, huffily. 'Now, don't get me wrong, Elizabeth. When you speak to the men in your official capacity, that's fine. But it isn't a woman's work to be anywhere near those men.' 'I don't see why. I can do as well as...' 'Now don't let's get into this argument again. You have plenty to do with organizing the village. Someone's got to do it and you're the only one I've got. It's what you're trained for. We've all got to eat and go on eating if we're to succeed.' 'But it doesn't take up all my time. I tell the women what to do, that's all. I don't go and work with them.' 'Perhaps you should.' 'Don't be ridiculous, father! Perhaps you should go and work in the mine. Dig a bit of coal yourself instead of neglecting the men the way you do.' Immediately Bluemud was angry. 'You had no cause to say that, Elizabeth! I'm going for a walk.' He stalked off and Elizabeth watched him go, walking along the grass border with his hands thrust deep into the pockets of his coat. |
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