“What!”

Just when being ignored was starting to feel relaxing, this. I tensed up, sweat starting down the back of my neck. "Who else knows?"

Clacks shifted a bit and shivered his carapace cases. “George, Henry, Lisa of coursse,and John. Also anyone they have told. It is general announcement. For those I felt needed immediately to know, or asked to be told – problem is?”.

“Of course not." My head began to throb. So this is what its like to be in the center of things. I felt attacked personally, as if the camp and everyone in it was after me, not just the barbarians beyond the gate sort of thing. I smiled wanly at Clacks, who couldn't register the expression anyway. "Just, surprise, is all.”

“Is human reaction?”

“Very. Might as well get the ship back down here then.”

“Will be here soon. Thought you would need to share thoughts with those told, Is OK?”

I sighed, and rubbed the sweat off my neck. “Sure. So,the details? Where, what are they doing, how many, origin? What do we know?”

“Your terms, A caravan 200 miles from here, the camp is 400 miles from here.”

I knit my brows in confusion “I don't understand. Which is it?”

“All correct, many are on their way here, from that camp.”

In a few minutes all save for Henry, who was still immoble, had crowded into the dome. Clacks repeated the news.

John grunted. “Well, now we know where the skiff that shanghaied Rouk was off to. I'll get some barriers up around the camp and mount the Addagio to the lander's bay. You ought to get the civilians out of the tents to shelter around the ship and dome for safety. I'd suggest having 'em dig in, those as can manage a shovel. I'll use the jeeps to find good forward positions and spot their approach. Keep me updated.”

He turned to hustled out.

"Wait!" John hesitated, and turned back. "Lisa, can you get the campers to start an orderly move to safety, and have any with tools at hand to help build a barrier?"

Lisa nodded and wide-eyed me. “I'll start getting the people to the ship.”

George Huffed, then turned to me. “I can get some operators together an' put a dozer at John's disposal, We got two of em gassed up. I can use the other one to mound up a redoubt near the ship. Probably displace a bunch of tents though.”

"That would be good, George. And talk to Lisa about what the colonists can do to help. Bring them some shovels so on, if you've got any."

I opened and shut my mouth a few times, then caught at George's sleeve. "We don't know that this is an attack. Don't rile people up. John, I want you to call for a parlay. No slug throwing then asking what they want later. Talk to George about the best use for that dozer. Arm his crew, if you two two can work together. George, if John wants a dozer he'll tell you when, and where he wants one, don't just drive one up. We have a few hours yet, so work together on all this.”

“But ...”

"Let him tell you what he needs. Ask about fortifying the ship, what he wants done.”

George scratched at his chin stubble,then took a breath.“Got it.” John nodded and followed George out of the tent.

As he left, one of Clack's minions appeared and scritched something. Clacks wheeled towards me.

“More news is.”

I couldn't guess what else could possibly be going wrong, but my gut told me another shoe was dropping, or maybe an anvil.

“What? They stopped? Turned back?”

Clacks shook a little. “No. But perhaps good news is?”

"That'd be nice...different. Like what?”

“The Matriarchal ship is coming. Should arrive in four hours.”

Ah. The anvil. So the bug moms would either arrive at the start of a war, and terminate the colony, or at the beginning of a trade festival meet and greet.

"I dont suppose theres any way we could delay them? Ask them to survey the asteroid deployments for Earth or something? Anything?"

Clacks flexed down on his legs despondently. "Do not think they will want to do that. There buisness is here, with the colony."

Inanely, a few lines of an old doggerel poem ran briefly through my mind.

Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,

The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;

And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,

But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out.

I ran, not walked. Toward Henry's tent.