The Songs of Summer

5. Chester Dugan

This Corilann is really stacked. Things were never like this back when! After Dandrin had told me where the unattached women were sitting, I looked them over and picked her. They were all worth a second look, but she was something special. I didn’t know at the time that she was promised to Kennon, or I might not have started fooling around with her; I don’t want to antagonize these people too much.

I’m afraid Kennon may be down on me a bit. I’ve taken his girl away, and I don’t think he goes for my methods. I’ll have to try some psychology on him. Maybe I’ll make him my second-in-command.

The city is moving along nicely. There were 120 people at the Singing, and my figures show that fifteen were old people and the rest divided up pretty evenly; everyone is coupled off, and I’ve arranged the housing to fit the coupling. These people don’t have children very often, but I’ll fix that; I’ll figure out some way of making things better for those with the most children, some sort of incentive. The quicker we build up the population, the better things will be. I understand there’s a wild tribe about five hundred miles to the north of here, maybe less (I still don’t have any idea where here is) who still have some machines and things, and once we’re all established I intend to send an expedition out to conquer the wild tribe and bring back the machines.

There’s an idea; maybe I’ll let Kennon lead the expedition. I’ll be giving him a position of responsibility, and at the same time there’s a chance he might get knocked off. That kid’s going to cause trouble; I wish I hadn’t taken his girl.

But it’s too late to go back on it. Besides, I need a son, and quickly. If Corilann’s baby is a girl, I don’t know what I’ll do. I can’t carry on my dynasty without an heir.

There’s another kid here that bothers me—Jubilain. He’s not like the others; he’s very frail and sensitive, and seems to get special treatment. He’s the one who leads the Singing. I haven’t been able to get him to work on the construction yet, and I don’t know if I’m going to be able to.

But otherwise everything is moving smoothly. I’m surprised that old Dandrin doesn’t object to what I’m doing. It’s long since past the time when the Singing should have broken up, and everyone scattered, but they’re all staying right here and working as if I was paying them.

Which I am, in a way. I’m bringing them the benefits of a great lost civilization, which I represent. Chester Dugan, the man from the past. I’m taking a bunch of nomads and turning them into a powerful city. So actually, everyone’s profiting—the people, because of what I’m doing for them, and me. Me especially, because here I’m absolute top dog.

I’m worried about Corilann’s baby, though. If it’s a girl, that means a delay of a year or more before I can have my son, and even then it’ll be at least ten years before he’s of any use to me. I wonder what would happen if I took a second wife—Jarinne, for example. I watched her while she was stripped down for work yesterday and she looks even better than Corilann. These people don’t seem to have any particular beliefs about marriage, anyway, and so I don’t know if they’d mind. Then if Corilann had a girl, I might give her back to Kennon.

And that reminds me of another thing: there’s no religion here. I’m not much of a Godman myself, but I realize religion’s a good thing for keeping the people in line. I’ll have to start thinking about getting a priesthood going, as soon as affairs are a little more settled here.

I didn’t think it was so much work, organizing a civilization. But once I get it all set up, I can sit back and cool my heels for life. It’s a pleasure working with these people. I just can’t wait till everything is moving by itself. I’ve gotten further in two months here than I did in forty years there. It just goes to show: you need a powerful man to keep civilization alive. And Chester Dugan is just the man these people needed.