Strings of Fire/4

"They came in the storm, John. Took almost all of my stock. Old John Miller's place they lost half ther land great holes where they took the earth, trees, everything." "Hold on now, no one was taken were they? No one was hurt?" The small crowd formed in a semi circle around the door of his home was restless, some of the men held wood axes, or hoes as if they actuly ment to use them as weapons. It had taken almost fifteen minutes to quite them down so he could understand more than the fack that livestock was taken and farms ruined "Now we got people, some young men, running out to the far farms and word was sent to the other cities, but so far no one was taken or hurt." Jake Corn, was an old man, as old as they get and when he spoke of young boys he could mean people John's age, but people began to get quite when he spoke and by the time he finished there was silence. "Ok Jake, you head to the millers place with all the women and children and enough men to see them safe, I will take the rest to town to see what we can find out." There was realy no discussion, only which men were to go where. It seemed that every generation or so had its problems with the outside world, and as far as the outside world was concerned John was the most informed, or so everyone beleived. Two years ago a ship crashed that had been carrying a family of five, there were three survivors. And though there were elder and wiser men, everyone had come to John. Surly being outside so long he would know what to do. John had went into the city then with 5 other men to contact the libaray. Two days later a ship desended over an open field, a massive thing, about half the size of the city. A Monk for the libabry came and took some data from the survivors, loaded the remains of the ship and the bodies and attemped to leave. To the people of the villiges the people of the libarary were just well educated folks who gave into technology and gave up the search for God. But to the people of the city, they were the closest things to Gods. John had shook the librarian's hand, passed the basket of fruit to the man who attened the librarian, and was wishing him a safe trip, when the lights and siriens came blasting in from the west. The villigers had seen hovercars, before and like before they moved off, when ever the men from the city came outside. But John was not quick enough, he was cought up by the new commers. A strange effect it had on the librarian, he threw up the hood of his cloak, talked in only one or two word answers, and left quite rudly, though the folk from the city didn't seem to mind. They had taken photos and recordings of the whole event, yet they never got closer than fifteen feet. John wasn't looking forward to reentering the city, its temtations still called to him, when a boy came running up. He spoke quickly. <BR><BR>"The Stevens, Hawkers, Rinkibos, there farms are gone no sight of them, or there families. The grass... The grass... ITs all burned... ash and dirt... Me mum said to tell you fast." <BR><BR>Everyone looked at him now, the boy still panting for breath. "Jake get everyone to the Miller's, you get a list started then have everyone head to the city. You keep a list of who is inside." <BR><BR>There were started gasp, and everyone started talking right away, but John only had to clap his hands once and the crowd turned into a flurry of movement.