The reed snapped in half, and Kelton growled at himself. Each time he had closed in on his task, something new would ruin his plans. It took days to discover the right pattern of stacking the cloth scraps, more days of lessons from Yanda on how to sew them together. It was then he figured out that moisture from his own breath ruined the effectiveness. He meant to insert reeds between the layers to hold the cloth bowed, to disperse the breath across the whole surface.

The reeds were brittle thin and did not bend easily. Once in a great while, Kelton could make one shape to his will. It was rare at best and frustrating. There had to be a way. The reeds had the right thickness and weight. They held their structure well if he could only mold them to the proper curve.

"It is winning," Kelton said, dropping the latest broken reed on the bed. He would have thrown it across the room, but Yanda was there. She had a calming effect on his anger.

"We see Glenda," Yanda said. Their communication had improved dramatically. A second visit to the library and Yanda's help with pronunciation had allowed Kelton to mix the two languages into something that enabled them to talk and understand. Not that they needed words.

"She won't understand," Kelton argued. "It's these reeds, they don't bend well. Mayhap, some fresher ones. But then, it would be a seasonal thing. Arggg."

"You not listen," Yanda said, her face a mask of determination. "She know much, and know those who know." She moved closer and cradled Kelton's face in her hands. "You listen, you grow smarter." Kelton smiled. Yanda's words were orders delivered with loving care.

"Aye, we go see Glenda," Kelton agreed. Not that he would deny Yanda. She kissed his forehead, her favorite thing to do whenever he acquiesced to her wisdom. She took Kelton's hand and led him out of the room. He didn't realize she had meant to see Glenda at that moment. It was late, well past regular hours.

"Yanda...Kelton, is there something wrong?" Glenda asked. She looked as if she were preparing for bed. Kelton felt like they were intruding and was about to apologize. They should never have come to her room as late as it was.

"Kelton has problem," Yanda said. "It not good."

"Kelton! What have you done?"

"Nothing...," Kelton said in a panic.

"Nothing? Are you so strong headed you can't see what you're doing to her?"

"I didn't..."

"Kelton break stick," Yanda said, holding out one of the broken reeds. "Worry, worry about sticks."

"Ahh," Glenda said, her face softening. She took the reed from Yanda and looked at it. "Is this your secret project?"

"Aye," Kelton said "I am close, and then the reeds started breaking. It upset me and..."

"Then Yanda got concerned," Glenda said nodding as she examined the reed.

"It has to hold a bow," Kelton said, pointing at the reed. "A half circle about the size of my fist. I got a few to bend without breaking. Most snap before they're halfway there."

"How many do you need?"

"Many. Many more than I can count."

"It is time you tell us why," Glenda said. Yanda nodded in agreement. Two against one. Kelton sighed.

"Before I had my lesson, I spoke to a man who knew he was bound for the mines," Kelton began. "After talking to him and others, it is the dust in the mines that weakens the body. They speak of ten years at best, before the sickness consumes. Even the King's law declares the sickness as necessary for profits." He held up a set of thick sewed-together layers of cloth and placed it over his nose and mouth. "This stops the dust. But there must be space between the mouth and the cloth. The reeds will do that if they don't break. You see, I can sew them into..."

"This will stop the mine sickness?" Glenda interrupted.

"Mayhap," Kelton said. "At least it does in the shed. It will have to be tried."

"It a good thing," Yanda said to Glenda.

"A very good thing," Glenda agreed. "Well worth the mess Kelton made of your room." It wasn't lost on the Kelton that Glenda had declared Yanda owner of the room. "Eyrus...she would know. She made baskets at one time using reeds like this. They were bent tighter than you need and held their shape without snapping."

"Glenda know," Yanda said to Kelton, her pride displayed on her face. Kelton nodded. She would be difficult for the next few days. Yanda enjoyed being right and made sure Kelton knew it.

"Come, we'll go see Eyrus," Glenda said, exiting her room. Yanda took Kelton's hand and followed.

Eyrus was a heavy woman. Not break-the-horse's-back heavy, but carrying more weight then legs desired. She was pale of face with bright blue eyes, though being just woken up, they were half hidden by her lids. Disheveled dark black hair completed the picture of a woman recently disturbed from slumber.

"Shh, don't wake Lillian," Eyrus said, not wanting to fully open the door. "Why so late Glenda?"

What followed was a repeat of the discussion Kelton, Yanda, and Glenda had completed a moment ago. It was no longer Kelton's problem, it had been assumed by Glenda with the support of Yanda. Kelton had to lean in between the two to point out some of the discrepancies in the description.

"A thinner one may work better," Eyrus said as she examined the cloth and the broken reed.

"Thin ones break easier," Kelton said.

"That's because you didn't soak them," Eyrus corrected. "Lay them in warm water for a short time, and they bend easily."

"Water?" Kelton asked, surprised at such a simple solution. "Will it not wet the cloth."

"Shape them, let them dry some, then push them into the sewn pockets." Eyrus looked at the layers of cloth. "I will do it."

"I didn't..." Kelton began.

"Aye," Glenda interrupted. "And I and others can do the layers. We would only need to know the pattern." Yanda nodded her agreement.

"Master doesn't know," Kelton said, thinking he was crossing a line and involving too many people.

"We use our time," Glenda said with a shrug, "and these are just scraps. Nothing to interfere with our duties or master's coin. Best if he doesn't know until you're sure it is done."

"It's like a dog muzzle," Eyrus said, holding the cloth over her nose and mouth. Glenda laughed, followed by Yanda. Kelton thought it wasn't a bad comparison and was about to say something when a cry came from inside the room.

"Ahh, we woke Lillian," Eyrus said with a roll of her eyes. "It will take half the night to get her back down." She held out the layered cloth. "Can I hold this? I'll try to fit the reeds tomorrow?"

"Aye," Kelton said with a smile of thanks. Glenda did know who knew. It wasn't the first time or the last that Kelton realized that understanding that you don't know everything is a sign of wisdom. It was a simple concept, and Yanda was there to remind him if he forgot.

A subculture in house Tarvakian developed in the days that followed. A house within the house spent their free time developing and modifying the muzzle, as it had become known. Eyrus had no trouble shaping a series of thinner reeds to add structure to the cloth. Glenda and Yanda redesigned the threading pattern to allow the curvature to conform to the reeds without bunching. Many problems solved, yet another reared its ugly head.

"It won't seal," Kelton said. He placed the muzzle, which had four ties coming off it, over his mouth and nose. Yanda secured the ties behind his head and neck. Kelton used his finger to show the gaps that existed in places around the perimeter of the device. Air, and thus dust, could flow freely without the hindrance of the multi-layers of cloth. What made matters worse was that different faces developed different gaps. It was useless if each one had to be hand shaped for each face.

"Not good," Yanda said. Kelton removed the muzzle and sighed. Yanda took it, examining it as if the answer was hidden in it.

"Tea," Beldon announced as he entered. "I did not forget, and no one reminded me." He was pleased with himself. "Master was by the day last. Said he was pleased with my work. Found it heartfelt, he said."

"Ahh, thank you, Beldon," Kelton said. It was hard to be unhappy when Beldon brought tea. "It is a good thing you came by. It's been a troubling day, and it's nice when something goes right."

"Aye, aye," Beldon agreed as he set the kettle on the slate atop the shelf. In one pocket was a bag of leaves, the other contained the infuser. He had forgotten nothing. "I am to be trusted. Master has told me that." Kelton noticed a slight tremor in his hand when he placed the infuser down. Age was catching up to Beldon.

"Tea will make the day end well," Kelton said as he began to pack the infuser with leaf.

"You muzzle her?" Beldon asked surprised. Kelton laughed when he saw Yanda attempting to seat the mask over her face.

"Nay. It is something we're working on. The cause of my troubles," Kelton said. He turned back to his task of preparing Yanda's tea. "It won't seal about the mouth and nose. Faces are too uneven."

"Ahh, it needs a skirt," Beldon said and began to leave.

"What?" Kelton asked. "Wait, Beldon, what did you say?"

Beldon stopped and poked his head back into the room. "I am busy now. Things I must do for master."

"What you say?" Yanda repeated for Kelton.

"You put a skirt about it," Beldon said as if it were obvious. "I worked leather before I brought tea. It was an important thing. Master will tell you about the coin I made for the house."

"Skirt? What kind of skirt?" Kelton asked.

"Leather, tanned right. Sewed proper, it will pillow and seal." Beldon demonstrated with his hands, though it made little sense to Kelton. "Leather be skin, face be skin. They like to be together. See, I remember things. That's why master tasks me with important things."

The skin to skin sounded right to Kelton. He wasn't sure about the description of the pillowed skirt, nor what tanned the right way meant. With Beldon, it could mean nothing or everything.

"You show?" Yanda asked.

"I don't work the tanner anymore," Beldon said. He held up his deformed hands. Joints larger than they should be and fingers not quite straight. "It is hard work and master says I've done enough of that. Leave it to the young, he says."

"But you could tell someone how," Kelton said.

"Aye, but I'm not master," Beldon shook his head. "Nor silver."

"We can ask," Kelton said.

"Others help," Yanda added.

"Master say and I will," Beldon said. "Many important things I do for him. He doesn't want me to do other things. His tasks only, he says." Kelton sighed. Master was only trying to keep Beldon out of the way. Kelton didn't want Tarvakian involved yet. Better that his owner didn't know what was coming until it was there. The laws they had him reading could be used to alter things if his timing was right. And if the device worked.

"Aye, if master says," Kelton surrendered. "We thank you for the tea." Beldon smiled and left.

"He not show," Yanda said, holding out the mask.

"We will figure it out," Kelton said and went back making the tea. His thoughts drifting to ways of getting Beldon to disclose his skirt idea without involving Zello or his father.

"Glenda," Yanda said and started toward the door.

"Tea," Kelton corrected. "Tomorrow will be soon enough." He didn't want to make a habit of ruining everyone's private time. Yanda grunted and returned to sit on the bed. Her frustration weakened when Kelton handed her a cup of tea. Kelton decided he didn't want to wreck their time as well. He had begun to look forward to having Yanda alone. Sometimes, people needed good company and nothing to do.

That night, under the blanket, Yanda curled into him. Her arm cradled his chest, and her soft breasts pushed into his back. It was an intimacy with no requirements. There was a welcome comfort in it.

"We do good," Yanda whispered.

"Aye," Kelton agreed. As sleep took hold, reality shifted to a dream of another's arms. Juno held him.