After the Second Fall Pt. 02.3

Cassidy sighed and nodded. "Well done, Chief: your preparation kept this from being a disaster. What would you recommend now?"

"I think we need to put the villagers under house arrest until the morning so we have time to get it all sorted. We've got plenty of constables, so we'll post one by each of the main entrances of the big building over there and have them rotate through. I'd prefer that we not act like a police state, but I also don't want to lose control in the middle of the night."

"Fine. We also need to find someone that can lead these people, even if it's only for a day. Esther, the blonde girl, is at the breaking point, but maybe one of the others will point out somebody that can take over." The Chief nodded and motioned to Captain Pryor, to whom he explained the situation.

A quarter bell later, two constables escorted over a group of women ranging from their early thirties to late forties -- it seemed that the men in the town were universally distrusted.

Cassidy once again explained what they had learned while watching the women's reactions closely. Two of them showed no emotion whatsoever when she mentioned the missing Adams, and with a hard look to both, she sent them back to the main group, leaving the two youngest.

"They knew, and they just don't care," she muttered aloud.

"I knew about it too, ma'am," admitted one of the remaining women sheepishly, "or at least suspected as much."

"I know," Cassidy replied, pinching the bridge of her nose, "but at least you acted like a human being -- I could see the disgust in your face. What's your name?"

"Joanna."

"And you?" Cassidy asked the other woman.

The woman made some rapid hand motions and Joanna explained. "Her name is Anne, and she is deaf, but can read lips really well. She says she didn't know what happened to the giants, but she misses having them around, especially her grandfather."

"Okay," Cassidy said resignedly, looked back and forth between the two. "Here's the issue: we need someone to take charge of the townspeople for the night, help keep them calm and get them situated. Do you think you're up for the task Joanna?"

The woman looked like a scared rabbit and shrank back into herself. "I... I don't think that's a good idea. Anne would be a much better choice: people actually listen to her."

"I mean no disrespect, but how can people listen to Anne when she can't speak? How many people even know your hand language."

"Everybody," said a relieved Joanna, glad it was just a simple misunderstanding, "except for some of the folks new to town. Anne manages the planting schedule, so she's one of the most important people in town."

Cassidy looked to Anne and reassessed. "Please excuse my false assumption, Anne. Do you think you're up for helping?"

Anne nodded graciously, then rapidly signed again.

"She says she is happy to help, but would like to know what is going to happen to the town," Joanna translated again.

"To be honest, tomorrow is going to be very unpleasant, and it's alright if you tell people that. There will be a trial, during which the magistrate will try to understand all of the facts, and then make a decision. If Roland and the others that knew about selling the giants are forthcoming, it will go better for the town, but I honestly don't believe that will happen, especially since they killed two constables and shot at me.

"My expectation is that there will be a lot of hate-filled words comparing our Adams and their children to animals or worse, justifying what's been done. If we are fortunate, some of those that were sold will arrive in time and can speak for themselves."

Both women's faces showed shock, and then excitement as they signed back and forth. After a hundred beats, Joanna looked at Cassidy again. "That is very good news, ma'am. Is it okay for us to share it?"

"Definitely: talk about it all. Discuss what led to today, what will happen tomorrow, and what you'll do when we leave in a day or two or three. Unless I'm very wrong, the current leadership group won't be here much longer and someone will need to fill the gap they leave. Do you both understand?"

The women nodded, then conversed silently again. "We would like two bells to hold a town meeting."

Cassidy looked to the Chief, whose silence she took for indifference, then at the women again. "That won't be a problem. After your meeting, it will be time for the families to go back to their houses for the night."

Anne's face scrunched and she signed to Joanna again. "She says that may not be a good idea. Some of the families won't be pleased that members talked with you, like we're doing now."

"You think there could be danger for some of them, or for you?" The women shared a look, then nodded. "I realize it's an imposition, but would you show me the backs of your legs, please?"

Joanna pulled up her pants, revealing two healed white scars on one side and three on the other. Anne was reluctant to do so, shaking her head. "She's self-conscious about her legs," Joanna explained.

"Please, it's important," Cassidy urged.

The two village women shared a meaningful look, then Anne undid her pants and stepped out of them completely, causing Cassidy to suck in a shocked breath as the skin was revealed. The amount of scarring was astonishing, leaving her skin more white than its natural tan. Unlike the other townspeople she had seen, the marks wrapped around the front, decorating her quadriceps all the way down to her knees.

Cassidy dropped to her knees so she could look at Anne eye to eye. "The people that did this -- they're still here, aren't they."

Anne, having regained her composure, was able to explain by pantomiming. 'Three men, my father and two of his friends, made most of the marks.'

"Is your father one of the elders?" Anne nodded and pointed to the small circle across the courtyard, then spit in the dirt; Cassidy agreed with a nod. "We'll deal with this tomorrow, too." Standing back up, she centered herself with a calming breath. "Anne, do what you think is best to keep people safe. I'm going to assign two of our Adams -- giants -- to watch over you, just in case. If there are individuals that you don't want around others, we will lock them in our transports for the night."

Anne and Joanna had another conversation, then Anne turned back to Cassidy, slowly mouthing, 'Thank you,' to the Meister. A short while later, the two women walked back to the main circle, flanked by the two promised bodyguards.

Cassidy turned and pulled herself into Stash's chest, not caring who might see. "This fucking town. How can such a beautiful place be so awful?"

Chapter 20

"So?"

"Fuck, Lilith, it was a nightmare come to life," Cassidy said as she collapsed into a chair across from the Executive Director's desk. "Not one redeemable person over the age of forty in the whole place."

"What did you do?"

"Brought in a magistrate and held trials over two days. I barely had time to say 'Bye' to Stash when he came back for the final fight prep."

"How is he doing, by the way?"

"Well enough. He told me he always kind of liked the eyepatch look, and who really needs ten fingers anyway?"

"Cassidy, we don't have to talk about the Vale. Why don't you go sit with him?"

Shaking her head, Cassidy replied, "There's nothing I can do right now. He's resting, so at least I can try to be productive."

"Alright," Lilith responded compassionately. "Well, what was the outcome of the trials?"

Cassidy nodded gratefully, answering, "Seven executions and another twelve sent to work farms. There are barely fifty people left in the whole town, and almost all of the adults are women."

"Woah," Lilith exclaimed, shaking her head, "I thought there were more than two hundred people living there."

"Maybe at one point, but not now. The Vale was slowly dying because they didn't have enough people to work their fields, which is ridiculous, because they have a better setup than anywhere else in all of our territories."

"And now?"

Cassidy sighed. "I'm trying to convince the former residents to move back, but most of the giants -- that's what they call Adams -- are reluctant after what they went through, even with a complete change in leadership. So far, it's less than a half dozen: just the ones with close family ties."

Lilith steepled her fingers and sat back in her chair. "You want my input, or do you already have a plan?"

"I have an idea, but calling it a plan might be too much."

Lilith grinned and held her arms out welcomingly.

After clearing her throat, Cassidy said, "I'd like to borrow the Adams for a while."

"Okay, which ones?"

"Uh, all of them, actually."

Lilith's eyes opened wide in surprise, then she started giggling at the sheepish look on the Meister's face, earning an eye roll. "Okay, yes, fine, you can have all of them for as long as you need. What are we talking about here?"

"The new Speaker's name is Anne, and she's a genius when it comes to crops. She thinks that with enough labor they can catch up with planting that was skipped, and hopefully have a full harvest in the Fall, when they would need help again. If the weather holds off, it would be the first time in seven or eight years that they get yield from all their fields, which would be a boon for the city as well."

"Of course. So how long?"

"About a month now and the same later in the year."

"That's a lot of manpower, Cassidy. They really have that many fields?"

The Meister nodded. "At its peak, the Vale had almost a hundred Adams or their children, so they could cultivate a huge area. Now, not so much."

"So we're talking a month's worth of work for all our Adams every Spring and Fall from now on, right?"

"For a while at least," Cassidy responded, looking nervous again.

"You mean until our washouts arrive again next year?"

"That, too, but they're also interested in rebuilding their population organically." Realization dawned on Lilith's face after a moment, so Cassidy explained further. "Of the thirty or so adult women, there are fifteen healthy enough to have children, and every one of them wants the father to be an Adam."

"Well, that explains why Geoff was asking about why we had three retirees tell him they were going to live there. The women are looking for husbands?"

"Uh, more like donors."

"I see," said Lilith chuckling. "Did the festivities already start then?"

Cassidy nodded. "For one or two, but several are quite a bit more... choosy."

"Let me guess: Pip."

"Yes, but also Mars, and one specific request for Rover. Whenever there's a match, the entire town gathers around a surprisingly large monitor in their hall to watch what they call 'the parade.' It seems Mars' naked dancing after his fight had quite the effect on several of the ladies."

Lilith laughed out loud and clapped her hands. "Okay, hold on a moment," she managed, trying to calm herself. When she had caught her breath, she said, "Objectively, it makes good sense, and my guess is the Adams will enjoy the change in scenery, as well as the, uh, extra attention, but it's not that simple. We need to talk with Geoff since this is his domain, because I'm thinking we're going to need to send a lot more than just the Adams. They will still need to train, and eat, and whatever. We also need to think about the PETs: I'm not sure how they're going to react to having outsiders step all over their territory, do you know what I mean?"

"Absolutely," Cassidy allowed. "There's time pressure here, though: if we're going to help them with their planting for this season, it needs to happen now."

"Sure, if we want all the fields done, but what if we set the goal a little more modestly. Anything we can do to help will be an improvement, so we shouldn't jeopardize our core mission chasing some unrealistic side goal."

The Meister sat back. "I hate it when you point out things that should be obvious to me. I think I might be a little too personally invested in the Vale at this point. What else did I miss?"

"Well, as much as I like the idea of using our Adams in a for-profit Stud service, anything that happens with the women needs to be entirely their choice."

Cassidy nodded her agreement readily.

"I'll call an extended Council meeting for tomorrow, all day, and we'll work out the details. Do you want to bring anybody down from the Vale to present the situation from their side?"

"Yeah, I think it would be good to have Anne. She's quite impressive in her own way."

"Good. Anything else, or should we get to it?"

"You remember Esther, one of the women that gave us the tour?"

"Sure: tall and blonde like her sister, Sheena, but more assertive."

"Right," Cassidy confirmed. "She doesn't want to stay in the Vale with her whole family gone." Lilith shot her a questioning look and Cassidy nodded. "Her grandfather and father were in the seven, and Bart, the brother, will be at a farm for most of the next decade, so it's just her now."

"That's too bad. She seemed like she had potential for something bigger."

"Exactly, and she was the first one to stand up and help us figure things out. I think she'll be a great assistant."

"Wait, what?" Lilith asked, but Cassidy had already risen and called into the hallway. A moment later, Esther stepped into the office, dressed in gray business attire with her medium hair pulled back tightly.

"Woah, look at you," exclaimed Lilith, still reeling from Cassidy's surprise. Getting control of herself once more she apologized. "I didn't mean to embarrass you, Esther, the Meister caught me off guard."

"Serves you right for always doing it to me," Cassidy replied.

Lilith ignored her and continued speaking to the newcomer. "You want to be my assistant -- why?"

Esther, well prepared by Cassidy, replied confidently. "It's a wonderful opportunity to learn about life outside the Vale, ma'am, and it will let me be with Sheena. We'll share a room, so the total cost to the Complex will be very low, and I'm certain that I can make it possible for you to work more effectively."

Lilith shot a dirty look at Cassidy and stepped over to the young woman, giving her a wink and a smile as she did so, then put her serious face in place, walking around her new assistant as if she was haggling for a prize filly. "I'm not sure, Cassidy, I don't like it when my employees are so much better looking that I am: it hurts my self esteem. Maybe we can lop off some of her hair and make her wear two different shoes so she limps.

"And she's so tall," Lilith continued, raising her arm and finding that it didn't reach the top of Esther's head. "I bet she eats a ton. Did you know Rachel told me the other one eats the same amount of food as an Adam? I heard she beat Pip in a contest yesterday."

"Stop scaring her, Lilith."

"Fine," she acquiesced with a smile for her friend, then turned back to the young woman. "Welcome aboard, Esther, but please do sit down for a moment, because there are a few things you need to know." Esther sat tentatively, clearly not sure how to properly do so while wearing a skirt, so Cassidy patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"The first thing," started Lilith, "is that I'm not easy to work with, and even harder to work for. I'm short tempered and abrasive by nature, and not at all patient. I will, without question, hurt your feelings without meaning to do so, and probably won't notice most of the time. Do you want me to go on, or have I effectively warned you off?"

"It's fine, ma'am. I doubt you could be any worse than my grandfather."

"Thanks, I think," Lilith replied with a smirk. "The second thing is that I'm done with all the formal stuff. If you're going to work for me, we might not be friends, but you can at least call me by my name. No more, 'Yes, Director Collins, ma'am.' From now on, 'Okay, Lilith,' is fine between us, and if I need a hug and you're the only one around, you better be ready. Clear?"

"Completely," responded Esther with a grin.

"Good. The last thing is more personal, but I want the three of us to be of the same mind on this. I don't really know you, although what I saw during our tour of the Vale was promising. Conversely, I trust Cassidy completely, and if she says you're worth the effort, we'll find a way to help you thrive, even if it's not as my assistant. Be honest with me and I'll be honest with you; anything less and this isn't going to work out for either of us. Agreed?"

Esther nodded and wiped at her eye. "Thank you, Lilith. I really will do my best for you. May I ask a question?"

"Yes, and from now on, just ask."

Esther nodded. "You were just teasing about my hair and shoes, right?"

Lilith laughed and looked to Cassidy, then back to Esther. "Mostly, but I was serious that you might give me a complex: you're like a Viking princess reborn. I would guess you're taller than ninety-five percent of the men in the city, and your figure is astonishing, probably from farm work in the Vale. If this assistant thing doesn't work out for you, I'll introduce you to Madame Bower; I'm sure she'd love to have you and your sister in her department."

"Thank you, Lilith, but I think you're one of the most beautiful woman I've ever met."

The Executive Director barked out a sharp laugh and shook her head. "You haven't met Maggie or the other PETs yet; don't worry, you will." Lilith held out her hand to Esther, who instead stood and wrapped her long arms around the smaller woman. Smiling, Lilith returned the embrace. Not wanting to be left out, Cassidy wrapped her even longer arms around the pair, giving them a squeeze just hard enough to push air from their lungs.

"That was some hug," Esther said, rubbing her shoulder.

"You should have been in the middle," replied Lilith, her eyes still watering. Cassidy smiled, waved, and stepped to the door with Esther right behind her, but the blonde paused.

"Lilith, one more thing -- did my sister really beat one of the Adams in a food contest?"

The Executive Director nodded. "That's what I was told, although I don't see how it could be possible, since she's even slimmer than you are."

"She's been doing it for years," Esther volunteered happily. "As for where it goes, we always joked that she stored it in those enormous boobs of hers." Lilith smacked her forehead as Cassidy laughed, leading the younger woman into the hallway.

Like the Vale sisters, as Esther and Sheena came to be known, Anne made quite the impression when she arrived, being a full hand taller than either of them. Joanna, acting as interpreter, barely reached the top of her shoulder, but still stood above most of the Council room's inhabitants, and together they naturally drew all eyes to the front of the room. Cassidy chuckled inwardly realizing that she hadn't particularly noticed their height while in the village since they were both quite a bit smaller than her, but here they were extremely impressive. The fact that they were wearing their normal attire, which left their sides exposed, provided additional enjoyment as she watched several of the males in the room attempt to adjust their pants discreetly over the course of the meeting.

With Joanna's help, Anne communicated eloquently, so Cassidy's part in presenting the concept was quite easy              and met with little resistance. The unofficial vote wasn't unanimous, but there were no strong objections, which was a relief to both Cassidy and Lilith. Director Humbolt asked for a full month to plan and prepare, and after some back and forth, the Council adopted a two part approach.

In the first step, up to a dozen Adams would go to the Vale to provide immediate help, with meals and lodging provided locally.

The second step would include the full contingent of Adams, along with much of the support staff, with expected arrival by the end of the asked-for month. In total, almost a hundred Complex personnel would relocate temporarily to the Vale, so Geoff's request was, if anything, on the short end of reasonable. Furthermore, to provide adequate security, two dozen constables would be allocated to the Vale for the duration.