Read Online Inherit the Sky (Lang Downs 1 ) by Ariel Tachna - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ariel Tachna
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Macklin said.
“I didn’t mean that,” Caine protested. “I’m fascinated with the solutions to problems that hadn’t even occurred to me to consider. Believe me, I’m not poking fun. So how many people live on the station?”
“About fifty year-round,” Macklin replied. “More in the summer when we’re shearing, lambing, and the like. Once the breeding’s done, most of the seasonal ones will go home for the winter. A few might decide they like it here enough to stay on, a fair number like it enough to come back from year to year until they find something more permanent, and a few decide Lang Downs or sheep aren’t for them and we never see them again.”
Macklin pulled up in front of the main house. “I’ll leave you here to get settled. Dinner is at seven in the canteen if you want to join us. Kami is probably already in the kitchen. Don’t disturb him or dinner will be late,and you’ll be very unpopular with the entire station.”
“What do I need to do for my hand?” Caine asked, somewhat bemused by the sudden dismissal. “You said we’d need to treat it better once we got here.”
“Wash it with soap and water, use some peroxide on it, more ointment, and a Band-Aid,” Macklin said, his voice impatient as he dragged Caine’s suitcases from the back of the Jeep. “The bathrooms should be stocked with everything you need. If not, ask Kami.”
Before Caine could answer, Macklin had hopped back in the Jeep and driven off. With a sigh, Caine shouldered his backpack and picked up the bags from the shopping trip in Boorowa. He’d get those inside first and then come back for his suitcases. He traipsed up the path to the veranda of the only two-story building in the main area, obviously the station house. He felt odd opening the door and walking in without knocking, but there wouldn’t be anyone to answer or care. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, blinking to help his eyes adjust to the dim interior. The front room was open and spacious with a rustic couch and chairs that had seen better days, and a big stone fireplace against the far wall. Caine smiled as he recognized the room his uncle had described to him in so many letters. Setting his backpack down, he took another step into the room until a honk and an angry shout outside reminded him of his suitcases. He rushed back outside. “Sorry,” he called to the driver of the truck. “I couldn’t carry everything at once.” He grabbed both suitcases, lugging them out of the road. Once the truck had rumbled on, Caine carried one, then the other inside.
“So I guess I should figure out which room I’m going to use,” he muttered. “Or maybe I should tell Kami I’m here first. I don’t want him coming after me with a cleaver because he hears strange sounds in the house.”
Deciding that was the wiser course of action, he wandered toward the back of the house in search of the kitchen. He found it, finally, at the end of what was obviously an addition to the original structure, a long, narrow hallway that opened out into a huge industrial kitchen. “Hello?” Caine called, peeking inside.“Kami?”
“What do you want?”
“I’m Caine Neiheisel, Michael’s—”
“I know who you are,” the cook interrupted, stepping into sight from the pantry, his arms full of potatoes. His pitch-black skin was wrinkled around the eyes, like he’d spent too many days squinting in the sun, although he didn’t look that much older than Caine himself other than that.“I asked what you wanted.”
“Just to let you know I’d arrived,” Caine said, “and to ask if there was a room I should use.”
“Any room but this one,” Kami said, “and I knew you were here. I heard the door slam outside.”
“Okay, then,” Caine said, not sure how to act in the face of the apparent hostility. “I’ll let you finish cooking. I’m going to unpack if you need me.”
“What would I need you for?” Kami muttered, dumping the potatoes in the sink and
“I didn’t mean that,” Caine protested. “I’m fascinated with the solutions to problems that hadn’t even occurred to me to consider. Believe me, I’m not poking fun. So how many people live on the station?”
“About fifty year-round,” Macklin replied. “More in the summer when we’re shearing, lambing, and the like. Once the breeding’s done, most of the seasonal ones will go home for the winter. A few might decide they like it here enough to stay on, a fair number like it enough to come back from year to year until they find something more permanent, and a few decide Lang Downs or sheep aren’t for them and we never see them again.”
Macklin pulled up in front of the main house. “I’ll leave you here to get settled. Dinner is at seven in the canteen if you want to join us. Kami is probably already in the kitchen. Don’t disturb him or dinner will be late,and you’ll be very unpopular with the entire station.”
“What do I need to do for my hand?” Caine asked, somewhat bemused by the sudden dismissal. “You said we’d need to treat it better once we got here.”
“Wash it with soap and water, use some peroxide on it, more ointment, and a Band-Aid,” Macklin said, his voice impatient as he dragged Caine’s suitcases from the back of the Jeep. “The bathrooms should be stocked with everything you need. If not, ask Kami.”
Before Caine could answer, Macklin had hopped back in the Jeep and driven off. With a sigh, Caine shouldered his backpack and picked up the bags from the shopping trip in Boorowa. He’d get those inside first and then come back for his suitcases. He traipsed up the path to the veranda of the only two-story building in the main area, obviously the station house. He felt odd opening the door and walking in without knocking, but there wouldn’t be anyone to answer or care. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, blinking to help his eyes adjust to the dim interior. The front room was open and spacious with a rustic couch and chairs that had seen better days, and a big stone fireplace against the far wall. Caine smiled as he recognized the room his uncle had described to him in so many letters. Setting his backpack down, he took another step into the room until a honk and an angry shout outside reminded him of his suitcases. He rushed back outside. “Sorry,” he called to the driver of the truck. “I couldn’t carry everything at once.” He grabbed both suitcases, lugging them out of the road. Once the truck had rumbled on, Caine carried one, then the other inside.
“So I guess I should figure out which room I’m going to use,” he muttered. “Or maybe I should tell Kami I’m here first. I don’t want him coming after me with a cleaver because he hears strange sounds in the house.”
Deciding that was the wiser course of action, he wandered toward the back of the house in search of the kitchen. He found it, finally, at the end of what was obviously an addition to the original structure, a long, narrow hallway that opened out into a huge industrial kitchen. “Hello?” Caine called, peeking inside.“Kami?”
“What do you want?”
“I’m Caine Neiheisel, Michael’s—”
“I know who you are,” the cook interrupted, stepping into sight from the pantry, his arms full of potatoes. His pitch-black skin was wrinkled around the eyes, like he’d spent too many days squinting in the sun, although he didn’t look that much older than Caine himself other than that.“I asked what you wanted.”
“Just to let you know I’d arrived,” Caine said, “and to ask if there was a room I should use.”
“Any room but this one,” Kami said, “and I knew you were here. I heard the door slam outside.”
“Okay, then,” Caine said, not sure how to act in the face of the apparent hostility. “I’ll let you finish cooking. I’m going to unpack if you need me.”
“What would I need you for?” Kami muttered, dumping the potatoes in the sink and
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