"Who do you think is going to make you go to school?" Weston asked, laughing - and Hickory's crazed look, well Weston thought that if Jared looked panicked, then Hickory's worry made Jared look like he was skipping through the tulips!

"My Ma." Hickory said, like it was obvious - and in a way Weston had to take in another factor - relationships, people - he was making sure to understand who had power in his domain, his territory, planning for the future and he had to add a name. Apparently the most powerful woman in Red Hills wielded a wooden spoon and could make Hickory - the most powerful man Weston knew, go to school, "People don't want a dang school house, else they'd use the one we got right now!"

Weston felt his throat tighten, "Hickory, that's because it's closed, there's nobody to pay the teachers. You're hoarding your points and I don't understand why, you haven't built anything since the Chapel, we have to figure out -"

"Well, it was gonna be a surprise." Hickory said, looking proud, "I was just waiting for us guys to get together, but seeing as we're all here I guess nows as good a time as any."

They all turned - the other talk stopped -

"I wouldn't have been able to do these things without your help, that I'd done realized I'd been selfish buying all them special things for my Hatcher-"

"Hick, you got to stop being such a puss -"

"I am! I'm done wallowing over it, I see that, ya set me straight, but also I see how much I've come to count on ya, I've taken ya'll for granted with neigh a word of thanks and that's gotta be rectified."

Weston didn't know what was -

"Me first!" Hunter did -

What happened next probably shouldn't have been surprising, shouldn't have -

Hickory held his hand out to Hunter, and Hunter grabbed - snatched it.

Weston's jaw had to have hit the table, that the bar music abruptly changed to Punk Rock, Beastie Boys, shock music - that made them react -

"What the hell?" Chase said -

They reacted to the music shift, but not that Hickory just handed over the Book!

The music got louder -

Of course Hunter was ignoring it, just flipping through the pages like it was a Victoria Secret catalogue, giving soft oohs and ahhs, ah-huhs - and he was even licking his finger each time before turning the page! Weston was gasping, he was sick, he was -

"Oh baby, this is the one!" Hunter said, pointing and sliding the book back to Hickory - "I'm gonna need wood, that it damn near broke me buying it from the crafting shop and the Construction Skill ain't worth shit without lumber, those prices in there are stupid!"

"Alright, you got to find a place though, it does a whole mile, them trees ain't gonna grow in the center of the town and I ain't having all them roots snagging my line at the river."

"Yeah, yeah, hey Weston, any way you can sell me some land?" Hunter said, turning. "I was flipping through in the Town Hall looking to see if I could buy anybody out, ya'll own damn near everything!"

Hickory passed the book to Chase, who was flipping through - "Holy fuck, how you read this shit?"

"Right? I reckon that's why ole Jared had them glasses, feel like I'm damn near goin cross eyed every time I try to string it all together."

Gage looked at Weston - Weston looked back, 'I will.'

"Weston! Stop moon eyeing and sell me some property you stooge." Hunter said.

"I don't want any of this dumb shit." Chase said pushing the book at Gage with a hurt shove, "There ain't a baseball stadium, there ain't a titty bar, there ain't nothing worth a fuck."

Weston was gasping, felt Gage punch him - "One beer." Gage said and slid it over - stop acting like a fool, you're embarrassing yourself -

Weston chugged it, it was still morning, the air crisp - it was quiet outside the bar, he had a full day, a busy day in front of him, hours of interviews, he needed a Master's of Business Administration - yesterday -

"One beer." Weston said, after he finished the first -

"Oh, it's one of them sorta days?" Hickory said laughing, "I'm in for it, I could use a bit of that myself -"

"No!" Hunter shouted, "We got to go make my forest first, just soon as Weston sells me some property."

"This one." Gage said sliding the book, "Lot of people gonna end up needin horses, and it damn near surprises me when I think about a mustang it's got four legs and I like it that way. We'll put it at his place." He jerked his head at Weston.

"That ain't fair." Hunter said, "That's gonna be like Weston getting two picks, ya'll playin partners like this ain't Texas Hold'em."

Gage was out of his chair and knocking Hunter to the ground - Hickory was laughing, passed Weston the book and then turned around to watch 'em.

"Get 'em, Gage, teach him to stop flapping them lips, get 'em!"

"What the fucks going on with this music, who changed it from Reba, I like Reba."

"Good shit. Got a kick to it." Hickory shouted over the bedlam, he was rocking his body causing the legs of the stool to kick, he was riding it - spinning his hand in the air like it was a lasso - "You gonna get me a horsey, Gage? I reckon it does sound like a hoot to go trotting about, bet May would like to see me on a horse, that she might just ask for a ride if she saw that."

"Yeah, yea, you'll get the first foal-"

"Not until -"

"And Weston will draw up some leases. He can't sell you property, not yet."

This caused Weston to pause, finally blink - Gage already knew the bylaws? Had he read though it?

Hunter also froze from where he was struggling, "Really, you'll lease it to us -" Then struggled a bit more - "How much?"

"He'll do it for a marble, three generations. A hundred acres each."

Everybody was staring at Gage now, including Weston - and this was Gage's power, his right - The Right Hand of a Covanger Heir - that there was no way he could have known that yet, no way he'd read the histories that throughly, it was almost never done, never for that time, never for that price.

Gage didn't care - he acted as he always did, an older brother -

"What land?" Hunter asked, "I ain't taking no marshy fiefe, Weston's stingy, he's gonna go giving out a bunch of boulder ruins with them ugly oil pumps on em that smell like farts, my trees need a good bit -"

"Stop being a greedy girl!" Chase shouted, throwing a marble at him - "Gage ain' gonna let Weston fuck ya."

Hickory burst into laughter, still riding his chair pony - "I'm naming my horse Tackle, Getty Up, Tackle! Let's go girl, let's catch 'em!"

"Get your head out of the river Hick, it's gonna be years yet fore you can ride a horse, they got to go in heat first -"

"That ain't how these things work, we caught a magic fish but hours after Weston turned it on! She got to be fast, Gage, she got to be able to catch anything - my Tackle."

Gage nodded, serious -

"Ya gonna let me go?" Hunter grunted - Gage looked at him, forced him to meet his eyes, Hunter blushed and nodded - they got up.

Weston had the Book. In his hands. He...looked down at it, as all this chaos had gone on, and - he had no desire to run out the door with it -

Of course he thought about it - from a purely ontological perspective, a probing moment of curiosity. He hadn't even opened the book yet -

He'd killed a man, seen miracles, Angels - and yet...just to be so trusted, again and again, to be undoubted, embraced -

Weston was selfish - Had in fact planned to lease them each 100 acres of the rocky land with the oil pumps now useless. Even with all that, not one of them had raised an eyebrow at Hickory passing him the book, not one of them looked surprised at the decision -

Weston tried to imagine a similar scenario occurring in the Study. He couldn't -

He opened the book, and began to read, he got all the answers he needed to make the best decisions, for both their settlements, to finally make a plan and put down the answers - Weston looked at every available choice in Hickory's book - first looking at the choices the others had made -

Forestry Environment Generator

Cost:1500 | Upkeep: 150

A structure that converts the surrounding area into a deciduous, evergreen, or dynamic forest environment for a ready supply of hard and soft woods for commercial or aesthetic purpose. The trees propagate in a range of one mile from the center of the structure and trees stemming from the artificial environment experience rapid growth.

Animal Husbandry Enhancement Area

Cost:1500 | Upkeep: 150

A method for development of various livestock for production of goods, the Animal Husbandry Enhancement Area allows for the enhancement of a singular species for the maximized productivity of the animal through a rapid breeding enhancement protocol.

The process is a long-term investment that requires the cultivation of a particular line with dedicated purpose and results dependent on multiple factors.

And while Weston did glean important information, he wasn't able to answer his nagging question - When is the Upkeep? How often?

He could also tell Hickory was planning for it as well, that he had a large cushion of points. He intended them to take turns picking, but had enough points now for any one choice plus the combined upkeep costs of all the structures.

Weston saw that Hickory had 2018 points in total. And that the number under Font - 3648, did indeed match the population number in their Town Hall.

That he was so focused he didn't notice what was scratching at his thoughts, not until it was said outright - he was so consumed with his new plan, his solution - he'd missed the forest from the trees...

Comparing the book he saw the reason Hickory hadn't built housing was he didn't know it was available yet. He hadn't purchased the upgrades for the Town Hall. The same reason he didn't have Roads, Street Signs, etc...

But what Weston was truly focused on was how to win all the chips, to make everybody happy, because he saw the perfect choice, or rather combination - and realized there was a way, that he was going to be giving more then land away today...

"The Seeds." Weston said, and then explaining how he was going to pay for the other, "And the Embassy."

"I reckon that school ain't so important now after all, is it Weston." Hickory said, laughing and -

"No, Hickory, I'm doing this for you - "

"I changed my mind, I'm picking that school." Chase said.

"What?" Hunter gasped, pretending to fall out of his chair.

"Shut up."

"Why?" Hunter shouted -

"I ain't telling you, you already laughed at me."

"Chase, now that ain't ri-"

"Nope, man's got to have some secrets."

"You gonna be a doctor, ain't ya?"

Chase just shrugged -

"His sisters. Same damn reason he don't let Hick over -"

"That's the reason?" Hickory said, "I thought it was over them taters... that I didn't ask before takin that third helpin."

"Hickory, will you do it?" Weston asked, interrupting - it was like herding cats.

"You really gonna go dump your car dealership in the pit just so we can get all them buildings today?" Hickory said, "We can just wait a bit, we'll earn the points closing them bubbles."

"My family has a debt to you, Hickory - and, I need to tell you something, a lot of things."

Weston took a deep breath -

"You didn't kill Jared, I did." The music died off, "The reason you got that head in your book was because, well somehow I opened a power, from that Blood Book, that the way I killed him took a bit of power from each Covanger that had drank, and that all of them had drank from your Font."

"You killed a man? Why?"

Weston shared the rest of the story, how his family now had a Book, why him and Gage had been absent, now he told them how that came to be -

"That don't make sense -"

"Of course it does, Hick! Think of the Chicken Coop! I built it and it showed up in your book!"

This of course made Weston's eyes pop again. He hadn't known Hunter had built the coop, that the blueprint had showed up after, and with the head - the conversation faded and Weston felt pieces coming together, what he had begun to scratch at, felt it rattling, and -

Hickory nodded, "Yeah, I just had this funny feelin is all, but - but that don't matter right now, Weston, are ya good? Has it got you heavy like it did on me, it's alright to ball like a baby I'm telling ya I did, they won't make fun and you'll feel a ton better."

Hickory had cried? Weston had missed that, too - he was being hit with too much, and he was so excited about what he'd realized, he just wanted to get past it - for he could go test -

"Fuck." Weston said, "Hickory, I didn't realize you'd be effected like this but, even if I had, it had to be done. Jared, perhaps he wasn't evil, even if it was just ignorance, we aren't in a world that has room for second guessing. I do feel...something, but - I feel worse that you're hurt rather then any concern over Jared, perhaps I should feel remorse, because it was -"

"Dirty deeds." Hunter said -

"What - no, that -"

"Listen."

The music was playing again - AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap -

Chase was slapping the table with the bass rhythm -

"It's just a song, it's random." Weston said. Everybody stared at him -

"We're all thinking it." Chase said, "You whacked somebody. It was dirty, a man's dead - "

"It could have been you, it almost was, dumbasses!" Hunter said.

"We're in this together, we need to help each other, even if it's..."

"Dirty." Gage nodded, "There's not time to talk shit out, I fired, I could have killed him and I would have, it wasn't my property he stole, I'd of done the same for any of you -"

They nodded, they all would -

"I should have." Weston said, "But...there's things that a man has to do for himself, the reason I asked Gage -"

"I'm minding my own business!" Hickory held his hands up, "Don't need a reason, I just want you to know that I can handle a bit of guilt a lot easier than I can have losing a buddy."

"Yea."

They were nodding, Weston watched - it wasn't - well a lot wasn't said, like who ordered the round, if it was with a thought or a whisper - but whiskey rose from the table and it wasn't a toast...but an agreement? To what?

To hold themselves accountable, to each other - but also to understand that they weren't afraid, to make hard decisions and live with them if it meant each other kept living - that how did you not doubt? How did you know that the decision would be right? You did it together -

They took the shot, it was serious, it slid down and burnt his throat and settled in his stomach with a finality, and Weston expected to take a long moment of silence, to think, to under-

"We gonna build that forest now?" Hunter asked.

"Damn it, Hunter!" Gage said, but he was laughing, they all were.

"Wait." Weston said, "There's more."

"You killed somebody else!"

"No." Weston said, clearing his head, that it had clicked - "Hickory, when did all those machines show up in the Book?"

Hickory paused, thinking, "Oh, it's been over a week now."

"Do you remember what you were doing when it did?"

Hickory looked at Weston in exasperation -

"I'd built that damn market...and - I'd damn near given up on that book after what a nasty trick that market was with no balloons like it promised, I just layed about, that I was just tired and needed a break."

Weston sagged - it'd only been a shot, he'd just -

"You don't lay about." Chase said, "You can't sit still for one minute without a fishing pole in your hand or a woman in front of you."

"We'll of course I was fishing." Hickory said, "That goes without saying, I don't think I'd been since everything started, I'd been spending all my time hunting them ugly monsters, this was fore ya'll were helping me sort em out, that I'd not had more then a bit of peace so I was catching up with everything, spending time with the chickens cause they were all sad I hadn't talked to 'em in a handful of days."

"Livestock. Fishing." Weston said feeling that hope roar back again, "What else did you do?"

"Oh, you know, just the regular, I did my gardening, watered Ma's roses and picked up the garbage that gets blown in. I retied my traps, got that coyote, it was a mangy thing, that I don't think it's what was getting them chickens, didn't even skin it, the sorry bugger -"

"It could have been a fox."

"It coulda been! Those foxes, they are hard to trap, I rerigged them traps hoping to get lucky though, made all the knots smaller, it's the coons that foul 'em, getting the bait and not springing it, they'll gnaw a fish head off quick now, especially with the rope I'd been usin, it's just not fine enough and I'd been struggling with the knots cause that was before the Skill, you got to do them just right or it won't work at -"

"I've heard this story near a hundred times, what's it-"

"Shut up." Hunter said, his eyes gone huge and Weston nodded at him, "What else did you do Hickory?"

Hickory looked just proud as could be, that nobody ever listened to his stories, not like this. Weston realized he was caught between a blush and leaning forward - learning his throat and grinning -

"I know I went fishing, of course I told ya, it was my first day taking a real break as I said, all I'd been doing was fighting up til then, I just killed monsters, ate, slept, and tried reading that book, that I'd looked for ya'll but -"

"What'd you use as bait?" Hunter practically panted, and Hickory looked ready to hug him -

"Hunter, I used them red worms! I got that bathtub out back I throw all the eggshells in, and anything not eat from the garden. It's my worm farm, you've seen it before but I can show it to you again, you want help making one, it's damn simple, and I'll just bring some of my worms over and get you started and it won't take near as long, it'll be like our fishing baits related, too, like worm brothers or something."

Hunter just nodded, but his eyes were wild -

"The bar-"

"That's when Hunter talked ole Maybel into selling us beer for marbles."

"The piano!"

"Hickory's belt, Hickory, let me wear that belt." Hunter shouted reaching -

"What about my story?" Hickory asked -

"Nobody cares about your story right now, pay attention to what Weston is saying, you get buildings by doing shit!"

"That's not true." Gage said, shaking his head. He looked almost convinced, "The coop - why not a Pattern for the Bandolier? Or the shirt?"

Weston sagged - why not?

"Too specialized - they're unique!" Hunter shouted, "They can't be copied, my coop was made with just regular ole crafting wood and the Skill, May must be using something more then that! My coop ain't got nothing special to it."

"Yes!" Weston shouted and jumped up, hugging Hunter, "Yes!"

"Then why not every ole thing?" Chase asked -

"What the hell are you talking about?" Hickory said looking more put out by the second.

"This changes everything." Gage said, seriously - looking into the distance, "We can't be the first to figure this out."

"Which is why it's so important." Weston nodded, "We're probably behind."

"Tell me what -"

"Hickory, everything in that Book is from something somebody did -"

"That drank." Chase added -

"Or -"

"Used a power, somehow - or it's just the skill, but I think the power has something to do with it as well."

"My power's Consideration?" Hunter said, "That sounds -"

"It's another name for money!" Weston shouted, "You built that coop with marbles you earned, but to you it was more than marbles, it was...important, I think, to you, a gift to Hickory - which is why it showed up in his book."

"Fuck."

"It's all shit he cares about, Hickory tending the chickens, the garden, Ma's roses, them coyotes and traps and the knot skill and rope, all stuff he cares about more than normal."

"How'd you know?"

"The buildings aren't the same." Weston said, "That in Covanger Fields, they didn't have them, and using my power on another settlement, killing a man with it -"

"Holy shit, are you kiddin me? What do we do?"

"Everything!" Hunter shouted, "We have to get Hickory to use his power, Weston, too, to do everything we can think of - no, I bet it won't work that way, I bet -"

"It's got to be authentic." Weston nodded, "Perhaps we can -"

"The contracts! For the land!"

Hunter ran out to the truck coming back with a binder. Weston was surprised to see long lists of numbers, ^ abbreviated - items bought and sold, drawings and -

He wrote out a contract for the terms stated, a marble, 100 acres, three generations - signed it. Weston signed it -

"Check the book!" They were all breathing down Hickory's neck.

"I'd like to know exactly what -"

"Give it to me!" Hunter shouted, grabbing at the air, Hickory just pushed it over and ordered a beer, blowing air from his nose - "Nothing. It didn't work."

"We have to say where! We didn't put where on the contract!" They ran to the hall, Weston and Hunter, that was, then ran back - filling in the coordinates of where he'd picked, the addresses, everything -

"Check it again! ...What the fuck."

"We were wrong..." Hunter said - "Or...or! It's because there's no contract law, I bet. No way to enforce it."

"Oh." Weston said - "Damn..."

"Unless...what if we list a...penalty. How else would it work with no cops, no judges?"

"Consideration!"

"How would it know?"

"The spirit. That's what this is all about, isn't it? The spirit? That's what we're not saying, that it...it would have to see everything, know everything, we've been thinking about it as inside us but what if the spirit is outside, too, what if it's - "

"Everything?"

"It'd have to be."

It was chilling - and not unreasonable, but apparently also boring, because Hickory's head was down on the table -

"What do we put? Isn't it just one marble? That it would go back?"

"Your left nut!" Chase said, "You go reniggin on that land deal, that's what it'll cost you!"

"No!" Gage spoke up - then looked away, "The - the left eye or something like that."

Weston looked at him in disbelief? He didn't want to be a cyclops of any sort -

"It don't matter if you don't break it." Gage said.

Weston nodded, that was true - he'd never do that, no matter what - filling it in -

And then it happened - "GrandUncle? You ain't even out of highschool!" Chase said, looking over the paper. It had morphed into thick vellum - two copies, authentic, become like Weston's deed, he'd heard the splash of a marble, so had Hunter who still looked upset that it had cost him now two marbles, apparently - they each had a copy.

But even more importantly there was a new book - in the town hall. A book of contracts - next to the land, a book of leases -

Was it truly that exciting? Yes! They'd gotten closer, they'd found an answer, thought through it - even Hickory seemed pleased now.

"It says I got a reward, a free Town Hall expansion module." Hickory said, and Weston told him to do the Embassy, to do it right now!

Hickory tore the page, not having to leave his seat and tossed it - the ball of water shot out the door and spiraled out, they followed it -

"It's level two now." Hickory said, surprised, "I didn't know that could happen, how do I get that Hatchery up to level two!"

"Catch fish!" Then he was excited, more excited then the rest combined - that Hunter had to remind him that he'd promised - that he didn't want to be a liar -

Which hardly made it through Westons mind with everything going on, everything they had to do - he felt like a chicken with his head cut off, that he was barely holding onto his dignity in the excitement, that Hunter was bouncing off the walls, and even Chase was getting into it - with no explanation as to why -

Spitballing ideas -

Magic - that they were all dressed like a bunch of country bumpkins half-way to hick town, and they'd be the last you'd expect to be standing in line to board the Hogwarts Express? Magic -

There was something for everybody in this world, it was going to be a better world -

"The shitters!" Gage said - and they all followed him, then herded people back from the 'Offering Pool', those in line to use it, the folk had confused faces as Gage pissed in itl!

"You've got to be kidding." Weston shouted even though he knew it would work, he was going to need a sling for his jaw if he kept dropping it - but it was so obvious. It was for refuse - no more waste - the sewage problem was solved all along...

Why there was sewer pipes in the Book and no sewer!

Weston rushed to rearrange his schedule, changed everything - turned the interviews he'd planned into physicals, problem solving - he paid the men interested in work a days wage and told them to move the cars from the car dealership to the scrap yard - watching how they worked, who had leadership, energy, teamwork, who was lazy -

One after another, they pushed cars, turning them to build points instead of marbles -

"You didn't say you'd spend all the points you were giving me." Hickory said -

"We have to build all those structures today, not one at a time, I'll make sure there's enough for the upkeep." Weston said - which mollified him, but he also wanted Hickory to be excited, to understand what this meant! "I'll pay the men, they'll all fish after we're done working today, to try to upgrade the Hatchery."

That worked...

Even more, word was spreading - people were caught up in the excitement, that the town had been - hesitant, before today. Holding together, unbalanced, unsure of the future, everybody was taking things one day at a time - stressed -

Weston realized this was another opportunity, sent Tate to notify - the Covanger Family would provide dinner for all - it would be a feast! A celebration. That for his plan to work, this, too, was necessary -

What was his plan?

To tie their cities together, of course - that the people of Covanger Fields were distrustful of the Font, they'd only seen the bad, they were hardly making it - that from the stories Weston had gotten from preliminary interviews, Jared had tried everything. First he'd tried to convince - he had been poor at it, then bribe, then cajole - finally he threatened - and then said fuck the consequences, he used fear to rule.

He'd built the Chapel first - built everything around it and the chapel was the most 'Powerful' structure, for personal power. Jared had hoarded that power and unlocked upgrades that made more power for him, but it had been shallow -

Which meant Weston had nothing to build that could help Covanger Fields - Hickory hadn't, somehow he'd unlocked structures that empowered the people - Weston had to convince people to use them, not just Red Hills...

The people of Covanger Fields had no trust for the Font, for the Fontiff, they didn't want it - sure they took the food they offered, they were hungry, but it wasn't enough - not for them to drink, to keep them from leaving, it would take more - and who knew how long?

The solution was simple, why recreate the wheel when one was already rolling, he didn't have to do anything special, he already had Hickory's settlement to copy, he just had to imitate it - and he'd realized how -

The marbles, the key to everything - he had the ability to build roads already, he could build one straight here - defend it - that the people could trade, could come to fish, to use the market, the skill store, and seeds - until Weston could get his own unlocked, but more importantly -

They would come to see -

What a Font could do for people, and who had helped make that happen, who had been there the entire time cheering it on, paid for it - who had given their property instead of taken? Their food, their leadership? What family?

Covanger...now that name sounds familiar, isn't our town named Covanger Fields?

That Weston perhaps didn't even need to build all those things, that why should he duplicate effort, shouldn't trading partners balance each other, be good at different things? Covanger Fields had plenty of farm land, where Red Hills was all grazing land, it was difficult to grow crops, and they had the river - which is why Hickory wouldn't want to build the seed farm, why Weston needed to pay for it -

They could irrigate, bring water next to the road, build canals - They didn't need electricity, but certainly that, too, could be a building! A Waterwheel or a Dam or something - but they had to unlock it...people had to unlock their powers...

A plan was unfolding in his mind, a plan that helped Hickory, that made Weston's family happy - they could spend the Covanger Fields points on whatever, argue over them endlessly - and it wouldn't matter, as long as Hickory's town remained free market, people could trade for what they needed.

The notes coming from the Loom changed - May had arrived - and it was still early, but she'd caught the vibe as well, was flicking out a jig, her music a folksy mix of ragtime, a foot tapping, working rhythm - what would she make this day?

"I think somethings happening." Hickory said, rubbing his stomach.

"It's good?" Weston said turning, and he nodded -

"I think so, it feels like, like I got to burp maybe? That somethings building and it just needs to get out."

Weston sagged - "Hickory, I thought it was the Font."

"It is!" He said, "Though a burp would be good, too, I just had that beer, but this is different, this is - something else."

Weston nodded - and then thought, thought about what his Grandmother had said, knows when it's special - and, "Hickory, can you declare a holiday?"

"A holiday? Like Christmas?"

"No." Weston said, "I mean like thanksgiving, or even New Years. This is, I think everything is going to get better from here on out, I think today marks the turning point, that people don't have to worry anymore, that it's going to just keep getting better, we just have to show them that."

Hickory looked at the people spread out in the park wandering the market, the cars being pushed in the scrap pit, you could see others gathering at the bar, the word spreading that something was going on - excitement - Gage was directing some of the applicants to set up a bar-b-que, and Weston saw Covanger vehicles coming to deliver food, beef to be grilled and given out for free.

"They ain't been happy?" Hickory asked, and he looked hurt -

"Hickory, they didn't know sadness, not like they could have." Weston said, "They've been afraid, unsure of the future - they'll know soon enough, just how lucky they were. If anything this is your holiday, you did all this, I don't know if anybody else could have, I doubt there's many places like it on earth right now all because you trusted people, you let them choose, you shared your Book and..so much more."

"So I should show more people?"

"No!" Weston shouted, the words blurting out, "I mean, of course it's your choice, but - you have to also realize this could be lost if the wrong person got it, that..."

Hickory nodded, he was rubbing his gut, and then he spoke -

"Then it is a Holiday. It's - uh, Hunter!"

"What?"

"What's a good name for a holiday, for today?"

"Well you said we're fishing, so Fishing day? It can be, uh - Fisherman's Moon? Angling moon? It's a full moon tonight, I always fish better with a new moon, the reflection, the bugs fly right down -"

"Fisherman's Moon." Hickory said, nodding - "I declare it a fishing holiday!"

He said it and - nothing happened.

"Well I reckon that was disappointing." Hickory said - "You went and talked it all up, I thought something special was gonna happen."

Weston shrugged - "Maybe it will, maybe it takes time, maybe years from now - but we'll spread the word, everybody will fish tonight, we'll all get our poles and go down to the river, Hickory. We'll fish to thank you, try to upgrade that hatchery."

"All for me?"

Weston nodded, and Hickory was grinning - he ran off, to tell May, his mother? Hunter chased after him - he was going to get that forest -

Weston smiled. Felt a little bit of the pressure building up fall away, a bit more pride for what he was doing, what he was accomplishing -

Life is supposed to be easy - you just have to let it -

May nodded, as Weston spoke into her ear as she'd played, in fact she'd already been following, planning herself, had felt the potential of this day, the rhythm in the air - that the pieces that were being produced from the Loom were all bright, all hopeful and cheery, they would become lovely sun dresses for the ladies.

What a tradition - to wear clothes the following year made from the previous, to make each year better then the last -

Julie Lynn and Amy, and the surprising fourth member of her sewing sisters, Mrs. Waynecock - and she'd been valuable, she moved in different circles, it was networking...she handled a bit more of the 'colorful' members of the community - with aplomb, that she was a lady in her own right, had a language very similar to May's own, once she'd began to parse it's context -

It could be spicy -

That Mrs. Waynecock had begun to perhaps mentor her in things that even her mother wouldn't hint at - Mother was no seductress, certainly father was happy, they'd been married since near May's age and mother had her own system, she was classy, delicate, whimsical - it worked for her -

May was branching out, trying things, new styles, new fabrics - secretly - playing with ideas, strategies, and preparing -

"A Fisherman's Moon..." May told the gathered ladies, her expression... "Men can be so..."

"Blunt?" Julie Lynn asked.

"Predictable." Amy pouted -

"Niave." Mrs. Waynecock reminded, applying a shade of lipstick that May wouldn't dare - and yet, "I think it might be a Catcher's Moon tonight..."

Amy gasped, Julie Lynn blushed, May...waited - it had a ring, better than Fishermen's Moon - certainly?

"All that competition, who can catch the most fish, who can drink the most - and at night? The river, moonlight - you ladies be careful, you never know who's angling for what."

They nodded, of course thinking about that loathsome bar, those sluts were like slugs after a rain, intent on climbing all over their men - at least Amy and Julie Lynn were -

"I mean, you'd probably not even know your own neighbor out there, especially if you didn't know exactly what they were wearing, bright colors so everyone can see you, we don't want any surprises."

Mrs. Waynecock smiled like a friendly aunt, just concerned - that a Lady should not be taken advantage of, of course May understood by now, that her advice could also be taken as the opposite -

That May, perhaps - if she could get away, there was a few...fantastical outfits, surprises, that she was careful to tuck away, that she'd been working on, and with a few finishing touches...

"A Catcher's Moon sounds much more -"

"Romantic?"

"Poetic?"

"Exciting."

"Let's spread the word, Ladies, and perhaps it would be a good day to showcase what we've been working on, let them finally unwrap some of those presents?"

They looked to each other, nervous and excited and -

"What I wouldn't give - to be young again." Mrs. Waynecock said.

Hickory danced until he darn near thought he was gonna pass out, that he didn't know how many women were in this town and that they wanted to dance with him! That he hadn't really known how to dance, not with a partner, not to this very day!

This Holiday! For him!

"It's gonna be a whole day of dancing and eating and fishing, now that Hunter's happy. We got a new school, we got them seeds and plenty of points, we got it all!"

That May still hadn't danced with ole' Hickory - she was always out of reach, that she'd yielded that magic piano to one of her friends that could put on a nice dilly of a beat - and it was just going faster and faster - that just when the partners switched Hickory would reach only for May to be scooped away!

It was his holiday!

That he was dancing in circles trying to keep her close, picking up some of the women and carrying them to make sure they went the right way -

"Why Hickory, you sure know how to lead a gal." Mrs Waynecock said, as Hickory lifted her up by the waist and spun, setting her down softly right next to May -

"Ya always have the nicest things to say to me, Mrs. Waynecock." Hickory grinned at her -

"Call me Ilene, if you'd flatter me." She said and Hickory blushed but - what the hell, it was a holiday -

"I reckon I'll do just that, Ilene." He said proudly, and held onto her for another dance, she wasn't that much taller than him and a fine dancer, that she found ways of telling him how to lead her, where he could put his hand - well...

That Hickory was almost surprised when the music pounded - over and over again, loud saying time to switch and there was May - sliding right into his arms, he'd never danced with her before -

That she, too, was taller, that it was that soft blue top, light blue, bright blue, that grazed across his nose, and he peaked up - she'd put one hand on his shoulder, another in his, held outstretched -

She wasn't looking right at him, but away, that he was able to follow the curve of her neck, the soft white skin, up to her pink lips and smell - it was a good smell -

"May." Hickory whispered - and the banging music pattered out to a beat and he almost forgot how to dance, though he'd been practicing for hours, but he was no fool it was just almost, he danced, spinning her wide, soft and slow, letting her roll out of his arms and then back in where he had both hands on her waist, just above, he could see the back of her dress was more open then the front, that a string tied it -

It was a knot, not a simple knot, either, that held it together, that kept that slit from coming open and giving him more then just the smallest glimpse of what was right neath it - Hickory knew how to untie that knot, he had a Skill for them knots, didn't he?

That it wasn't that simple right now? What was a man to do -

He spun May back around to the front, and had to be careful with his chin as to where it could fit, just perfect, just slide right between -

The dance was over, the piano banging, and Hickory didn't like that one bit, that he tried squeezing his eyes shut, tried willing that piano to play proper - to keep on with this song, for he didn't have to change partners?

"I just don't see what good it is to have a bunch a magic if it don't do what I want!" Hickory complained to Hunter, finally leaving the dance floor and getting a beer -

"At least you have magic - poor Gage and Chase." Hunter cackled with laughter as marbles pelted him -

"I'd rather not have a power then have one as stupid as yours." Chase said, "You don't even know what your power does."

Hunter just popped his fingers imperiously - and shrugged.

"Do you know what it does?"

Hunter paused and took a deep breath, concentrating, closed his eyes and pointed at the marbles on the floor - wiggled his fingers, screwed his face into a serious expression as Chase's eyes widened, everyone was staring at the marbles - then Hunter farted.

"Ah!"

"Damn it!" Chase said punching him over another round of laughter -

"Hunter?" Amy said, causing Hunter to spin - and Chase to finally join into the humor at his friends embarrassed reckonin'.

"Hey, Amy." Hunter said, "What are you doing, are you enjoying the holiday?"

"I am." She smiled sweetly, brushing her hair back, "I - wanted to give you something."

Hickory's eyes widened - as Amy produced a small wrapped present, and Hunter looked with surprise, he turned around looking at Gage, at Chase, back to Amy -

"Me?"

She nodded and smiled again, Hunter took it, unwrapping - "It's for the marbles. Your marbles, so you'd have a place, it ties to your belt, or your pocket or -"

Hunter nodded, "Try it." Gage coughed obviously and Hunter did, fiddling in his pocket he pulled out a handful of marbles - it went in, he pulled out another handful, dumping them in -

"May helped me finish it." Amy said, "I don't have the knack -"

Another handful -

"It holds a hundred, which with the bank, it's not really that useful, I guess, so if you don't use it -"

"I'll use it every day." Hunter said, staring at the bag - "I love it."

Amy blushed, and Chase was choking with laughter, so much in fact he didn't notice -

"You didn't think we'd leave you out, Chase." Julie Lynn said, sliding into the bar stool next to him - she made Chase look so big! Blinking up at him - and it was his turn to be laughed at as he unwrapped a sheath - for his bat.

"It can go over your shoulder." Julie Lynn said, and she was much more aggressive, the way she grabbed his hand, his arm and put it over his shoulder, "Now that you're using guns, too, so you still have your bat, it doesn't do anything magical."

Chase smiled, looking at her - "Let me try it."

He grabbed his bat from where it leaned at the table, slid it in - the way it was made let the bat rest anywhere he wanted - it was tight so that it barely fit, that the bat would stay where he had it - ready to be grabbed, or all the way down, out of the way.

"You can adjust the straps." Julie Lynn said, showing him, "You can wear it anywhere, around your hip, your thigh -"

That made Chase's eyes widen as she adjusted it on his thigh - almost like a holster - he nodded.

"It's neater then neat."

The girls smiled, the guys staring at their gifts, a long silence and -

Gage stood up, "Would ya'll like to dance-"

"Back the fuck off!" Chase shouted swinging around, Hunter's lips open but beaten to it, Gage just chuckled - the ladies had wide looks, and -

Chase gave Gage a glare then got up - "I ain't much of a dancer."

"I am." Hunter said, "I can dance cir-"

Hickory could hear him bragging all the way out the door until the piano drowned him out -

Weston couldn't be disappointed, seeing how full everyone was, a day of dancing in the sun, watching the stress melt off, they were certainly tired, too tired to fish?

His family had come, they'd made sure to be seen - then left, back to work on Covanger Fields and Weston felt - well it was a start -

They were focused, competitive people, that what they were doing was important, but this was, too - only one of his aunts, Rebecca stayed around, and she'd always been a black sheep of the family, unmarried - unexplained.

That the Covanger women - the Daughters - it was certainly a different existence, Weston couldn't imagine the pressure they felt, sent off to school young, they had the best education, and they - well it was a secret, wasn't it? It went unsaid -

- Women's Work -

That they were trickling back in one at time, from whatever work they handled for Grandmother - the other half. Weston understood the important tasks they did, that the reason he was so ahead of his peers was partly do to their tutoring, but it was so much more then that - the men handled only business - Men's business.

The women handled the Men - handled everything else.

Which had been why Weston had been so upset, when he'd seen her in Hickory's home, it was obvious - that she was telling the maids what to do, Spanish, ignoring him -

Of course they ignored each other - in public - but...

Weston shook the thought off, it was too complicated, that Hickory's mother had spoken to her so casually - a nice woman, if - None of his business...Gage had told him that, point blank, it was the first time he'd ever heard them say it, so bluntly, so definitively -

Hickory's mother - Hickory loved his mother, it was wonderful, that she was everything, in a way, that he thought Grandmother was without the deeper undertone - gregarious, grouchy, funny and folksy - that she'd forced them all down at the table, pushing them, she was a bigger woman -

It had felt so familiar. A family table, maybe how it had all started long ago...but Weston hadn't been ready to see that at the time.

She cooked for them, made them eat every bite and somehow knew when each and every one of them couldn't eat more - she was...an excellent cook, her skill was worthy of Covanger Fare -

She didn't offer them a beer, of course. And -

She didn't act like she'd met Aunt Rebecca recently - and perhaps this was just Weston over thinking things, tipping his toes into Women's Work and he was mentally reprimanding himself for these wondering thoughts, all because he happened to glance, to encounter her here and be reminded...

She was watching Hickory dance, she was smiling - she seemed to be enjoying herself, she was eating one of the ribs, holding it delicately in two fingers - careful not to let it drip on her designer dress, her clever shoes, she was a lovely woman. Covanger women tended to be.

They were also spys. Of the highest caliber, Weston was certain, certain that - they were assets. That there were many reasons why the Covanger's had met such success in so many industries, crumbled industries now, perhaps - that...

It would never be openly stated, even remarked on, questioned - how much did they know?

He needed May -

Checks and Balances, that was it. He was being paranoid, Weston knew - Wasn't he?

Certainly, the Men made the decisions - Grandfather was in charge - his word was final - he just, almost never really said anything.

Rebecca was smiling at Hickory, didn't realize Weston was watching, and it was good - he was being paranoid, this was the response he wanted. His family to enjoy this holiday, to see it for what it was, to understand, to change -

Rebecca was a step in the right direction, that whatever, whoever had sent her - Mayor Covanger, his father, Grandfather, one of his Grand Uncles - which ever one had asked their wife, and -

Rebecca was here, she didn't have a face of guile, that day at Hickory's house, she hadn't even used any of the signals - she'd actually looked surprised, and -

They were all actors. Layers and layers, he was going to go crazy, this was not a Man's Business, this was - too complicated for him, he had to do what he felt was right. He needed to dance with May, to swing her -

He needed to have fun, too - Be seen, but there was always one more thing, and watching, seeing the people leaning back on the grass of the park, a few walking through the market browsing, eating steak with their fingers, fish on sticks - roasted corn, but most looked ready to bed down with the fading sun - Hickory would be disappointed -

Few had their poles out, and even they looked too tired for fishing. It had been an overpromise, Weston realized, that - people were certainly happy, it was certainly a holiday they wanted to enjoy, even last forever, but it didn't look like it was going to be a Fishermen's Moon, just a relaxing moon as people stayed seated as it got darker and darker.

Except - There was a blueness - to the buildings. That they glowed as they always did, that now the grey had a blue tint revealed with the coming night - and the music changed, it was soft at first, it could have been just a song May was playing if she'd put just water in the Piano, like when she'd first been experimenting with it - it was whispering, trickling -

She must be doing that - for Hickory, trying to recover, trying to force it, encourage, Weston had asked for her help and she always did her best - she played so well, so perfectly, and as the moonlight grasped the land, as it reached the instrument - the people had slowed their dancing, it was soothing, not jaunty, hardly rhythmic just impressive -

She was amazing - it sounded like she had twenty hands up there, how the music just flowed, and then Weston saw her also looking at the Loom, saw her blue dress - bright blue - staring -

There were gasps, ahhhs and Weston watched as the loom lit up like it had that first day, and the beam of light that spouted from it was as refreshingly blue as the buildings, that it shot up high into the sky and looked to hit the very moon itself and then did! It looked so real! The water crashed against the moon turning it's bright white into a foaming white rapid, a turgid, bubbling spray that practically splashed -

It was in the distance - Weston saw people pointing, new gasps, and felt his eyes widen, thought it was another mass attack, not the random monster they'd grown accustomed to - the glowing shapes - as they flowed closer and closer and was already aflame, but they were too gentle. A wild display of colors, bright and shiny, they moved and darted in a close school - bunched and swarmed.

The music crashed now, resounded, what they had been hearing before had been hardly a trickle, or the sound of something moving beneath the water, something moving the water, churning it -

The lights came closer, they were minnows - darting across the sky, thousands of them, coming from what must be the Hatchery, spreading far and wide as though the air was a river itself, and then he heard the splash!

The music crashed!

The Font! That it was a monster! A fish that more resembled a dragon then any sort of thing you could catch with a hook emerged from the direction of the Font, cresting the buildings, a mist of water that cooled the warm evening rippled out from where it shot into the sky, it's languid body sinuous and sleek, glistening. It wiggled it's wide fins, it's gaping mouth both horrendous and fascinating, then spun it's head toward one of the unwary schools of minnows, swimming across the sky.

It swam - lunging, the school closest scattered, seeking refuge, streamers of light that poured across the sky, some leaving their grouping to hide. They swam through the town, over the roads, up to the buildings, circling, some even entering, people catching them like giant fireflies then shouting in surprise -

The beastly fish soared behind them like a 747 zooming past, mouth wide, tail thrashing through the sky right overhead and Weston was hit with a splash of water, a burst of air - it was really there...

There were frightened screams now, people shouting, ducking - others gaped in wonder or clutched their children and Weston -

What the fuck was this?

He ran, ran to find Hickory who was standing on the Loom, the light - like water rushed past and over his body, pulling his shirt up, tumbling his hair as May ineffectually slapped at him - he stared at the dragon-fish, he had his sword out, a blade growing longer and longer, taller then him -

Don't kill it -

That - Weston felt that, it wasn't going to attack, that this was the magic, the holiday - He saw Hickory's face, saw the look of wonder, the joy, the love, the challenge -

He wanted to catch it - He was trying to turn his sword into a fishing pole? He could do that?

The minnows dove and ducked, moved perilously close, but the frightened schools stayed clear, stayed just ahead of the chasing monstrosity as the stragglers were swallowed, they passed right overhead again, then the loom!

The waterfall that now seamed to be a turgid, rough rapid, the schools of fish converged on it, all heading toward Hickory as they attempted to escape the monster, to flee! And they did!

They flowed up it, up into the sky - the river monster realizing their escape swung back, the blue tail sending clothes fluttering, a cold wind - the sky rippled, splashing in it's attempt to eat, as it dove after, following the flow, higher and higher and then Weston gasped in wonder as they seemed to reach the moon - they flowered like a firework, exploding out in every direction, a splash of sparks - the monster furious -

A long, garrulous accusation, a hunger, its ornery nature, an intention - to catch the fish that now escaped beneath the surface of the sky, like rain drops on the horizon's palette and it splashed last, mightiest - right behind - a cannon in the night.

People gasped, relaxed as they stared at the wake of it's journey, the last of it - a ghost of sparkling light now fading away like diamond dust, like snow -

It hadn't been real - Weston thought with disappointment, but - it had looked, it had felt, so real...that everybody was wide awake now. That they were no longer exhausted, terrified briefly, but relieved and laughing - Hickory was shouting, cheering like a football game, the final score -

"Fishermen's Moon! It worked! It worked! Happy Fishermen's Moon!"

Weston almost felt bad for him, May had stolen his holiday - rebranded it as people muttered the unfamiliar name, and you know? He almost deserved it, thinking he could handle a woman like May - that he hoped...

"I guess we're fishing." Gage said, walking up to him, a look of bemused disbelief, one worn by many this night, maybe from now one -

"I guess we are." Weston nodded -

Was it the best day of fishing in Hickory's life? Was it cause he caught the most he ever had? Yeah, but -

"These ain't real fish!" Hickory shouted, throwing his line out again, "It took all them points and it ain't giving me fish!"

"This is better!" Hunter shouted, the girls were giggling, tossing the lines out bait-less into the water - underhanded, careful not to let it hook on their loose dresses - but as fast as they could -

They reeled in the glowing fish and usually - the fish just vanished, just dissolved into the air, but one in ten, one in twenty? They shrank down into a marble -

"You're so lucky." Amy laughed, as Hunter helped steady her catch, holding the line as the fish flopped he grabbed it -

"Not this time." Hunter said, when the fish just faded without leaving a prize. What a dummy!

"They don't smell unpleasant." Julie Lynn added, "This is far better than regular fishing! Oh, Ohhhh!" She'd brought her pole straight up into the air, the fish spinning around her, threatening to slap someone before Chase's hand reached out and snagged it like a line drive - the fish dissolving into air, the hook safely stilled.

They fished for hours - until what must have been midnight, catching less and less fish, Hickory reeled them all in one at a time - that it was clear he was the best fisherman, that even if they weren't real, that he just got marbles and dropped them on the ground at his feet - he'd still win - that the others had all given up!

They knew they didn't have a chance, that they'd thrown in the towel, they'd snuck off to go pout and suddenly Hickory was alone, all alone - smiling, thinking about how this night couldn't get any better, a holiday just for him, all his buddies, so much fun, food, he got to dance with so many ladies, with May, and that he'd even talked Ma into coming out for a bit, that Weston had been nice enough to send Hickory with a car, a driver, to bring her around it all and even have a plate to eat.

Then she wanted to go back home, and Hickory of course offered to stay but she said she was happy, for him to go enjoy the Fishermen's Moon - Ma had smiled though, she'd gone outside and she'd smiled...said to have fun and he did! He did!

It couldn't get no better then this, it was - it was all good, and that's when Hickory heard the splashing, heard the -

And it couldn't be...

"Oh, now that's a magic fish." Hickory whispered, in awe, and it was something...that he was feeling for his pole, because - "You're a mermaid."

It was a legend of course, that - that such things didn't exist, but it was dark, and in the water and Hickory gasped seeing that Mermaid and it was shy -

Hickory heard just a giggle of laughter, soft and sweet, and she had - well he knew it was a she because what she had there, those bobbers, but - there was an outline, in the moonlight, like two moons reflected right there in the water, perfect - more perfect then he'd even imagined...

Had he been drinking? Well he was fishing, wasn't he? And it was a holiday - that maybe he'd stopped counting at some point, and - ya don't supposed to swim when you're drunk, but -

Of course Hickory knew it was just an outfit - That he wasn't - that drunk, it was part of the magic. It's just - it also was a mermaid, and wasn't a real one - more believable? That he whispered, almost not sure...

"It's really you."

Another giggle, a splash, an invitation and Hickory - Was he ever shy about jumping in with nothing more than a smile? That he had something a whole lot bigger then a smile just then - well you'll just have to imagine, that it wasn't his first time in such a scenario, that it felt like it, it always did for him, always the first, the best, always perfect and even the third time -

That fightin them monsters didn't work if you couldn't handle a few blows to the head -

It was draining. When it ended, when he was laying out on shore staring at the stars, the moon - them spinning above cause he was drunk - on the moment, on life, empty of all his troubles, not a problem he could think of - that he began to drift off asleep like that wondering if it was really a dream, it was so perfect...

Of course he didn't fuck no mermaid, didn't fuck at all, that this was just a bit of -

It was starting to a be a problem again, it was tryin -

Hickory grinned, he couldn't stay up no longer, that laying there on the bank felt just as good, that soft skin, with him, warm - it was only when he woke up that he realized what a cruel trick, that the trouble he'd got himself into, this time - That everyone had seen him good and drunk before they left...

Hunter shouted, "Ya'll I found him, come look! He's nekkid!"

"Oh, go away, Hunter." Hickory said, stretching, proud as can be and not embarrassed in the smallest - "Don't be jealous that I out fished ya'll, that I caught so much more, just maybe a bit of tail..."

"Oh did you now! A bit of tail?" Hunter shouted, "That her laying right next to you?"

Hickory turned to look, there was a giant catfish laying in the grass next to him - now how did that get there?

"Hunter, no, I had me a legend last night, a mermaid and -"

"A mermaid!" Hunter squealed, "Hickory, you got catfished!"