Small World

Chapter 5 Who Is Really Running This Show?

"So what was that we just ate?" Books asks as he and SheBird exit the community dining hall. 

Their breakfast, which resembled eggs, bacon and oatmeal was apparently none of those things, though they tased like versions of those things he had in the past, at a super-exclusive restaurant, mostly unknown to the average consumer, but frequented by the wealthiest and most privileged people who thought nothing of paying $200 for a bagel rumored to be made from seaweed. Books had to wonder, aloud, if Chef Joseph, the culinary artist that experimented in such gourmet establishments, had been along for the ride when the Settlers left, after the Ways Scans School Kids, he and SheBird with them, departed to bring the School Kids to Small World. 

"Is the Chef here?" he voices, wondering how SheBird would answer this time. So far, She had managed to change the subject, distract him in some clever way, once with sexual suggestions he greatly enjoyed, rather than give him a straight answer. He knew she knew the person he is referring to because Chef Joseph is known, in both worlds as The Chef, universally accepted as a food master and agro-environmentalist renowned, this part of the Universe included.

" Oh, look!" SheBird exclaims, again changing topic as she points to the largest tree in the human's compound. " It's story time. Let's go hear what tale the Old Man will tell today." she proposes, running toward the tree and off his topic as Books follows her, joining the crowd and taking a seat next to Bobbie Turner, around the tree to listen.

"Does he really call himself Old Man?" Books has to ask Bobbie Turner, one of the original Way Scans Group, who started the first Way Scan School in 2025. Bobbie's hair may be greying but his vision is as good as ever and he always sees what is going on in any situation. "That guy is not more than 50 years old." Books notes. 

" Old enough to be interesting but not too old to be discounted as a relaible source." Bobbie shares. 

Bobbie is there with his teen-age kids who are trying to look bored with the whole community thing but are so excited to hear what the Old Man has to tell, that they shush Books to silence, so as not to miss a word of it. Bobbie Turner, who never misses a thing, is sure his kids really love the stories but need to assert their coolness, when they say these occasions are just for "little kids." Bobbie can see how they learn and grow from listening to these tales, so he "insisted" they come. All such power-plays are indicative of family dynamics, as usual, on Small World. Teens are still teens

"He's not much older than me, truth be told." Bobbie whispers to Books. "He calls himself Old because his stories are old. Sometimes from before time started." Bobbies kids shush him, too, as the Old Man begins to speak

" In the beginning, when all possibility was perhaps, something happened with sound that set All That Is Not running for its life, with All That Is chasing it. The ensuing mish-mash of protons, electrons and let's not forget the neutrons began forming worlds left and right, downside up and upside down. It seems there was no end to complex compounds and the complexities of life forms popping in and out of being, as space took form around what was going on and myriad materials began to take form within this space. Some combos of atoms and molecules lasted seconds, to see what being that was like. Some combos lasted for moments, others virtually forever, while still moving through time and space, which expanded to take All in. This start of creation was a really, really, really (and I could go on forever saying really) big idea. 

"Obviously, compaired to the scope of this idea, the little worlds created in parts of it, individually or in collection with others, are pretty small potatoes. It is however, worth noting that the Big Idea was most interested in the little ideas about almost any topiic, including small worlds. Their study interested the Big Idea. Ideas most noteworthy to All seemed to poke fun at things, especially if they were funny, exploded loudly or had a striking color palette. If they told a story that explained a vision, a way of seening and beliefs of their maker, ALL itself, they were especially loved. All loved the stores that seem to bring ideas to life."

The Old Man paused to read the room and take a drink of water. Even though the room was under a tree, his audience was focused on the tale and ignoring the noisy fight over nesting materials in progress above them. The crested crane couples wanted the space on the highest viewpoint of the tree for their nest and were in conflict over which nesting mom would be getting that spot. This took the form of them stealing broken branches from the nests of rivals, destablizing those nests, so they could make their own. The sounds they made while doing so were obviously laughter and the non-violent conflict resolutions taking place were highly entertaining. 

" In one case this audience may be awre of, Big Idea created a Small World and brought over sea water, birds and sea animals, from a place she loved a lot, Planet Earth." the Old Man continues. " A few Cested Cranes, as you can see, made the trip. This was probably a good choice because though they compete for territory, they do so with the utmost grace and good humor. You can hear them above us, laughing at their own tricks and antics."

"It was hoped that such a sense of humor and purpose, by Beings on Earth could be transplanted, along with the coral reefs, sea critters and as many birds and insects as possible, to bring Life to this place. As many species of mushrooms and other fungi and algae as possible, also came to seed Small World for Earth Humans, to grow the barren soils and to help plants thrive here. All this to enrich this Panet so Earth Humans, who had the best ideas and a great poltential for humor, which was rare even in a universe with infinite possibility, could thrive, too. It should be noted that those interested in making the trip had many, many generations of ancestors who could take a joke, remember it and tell it, usually from their cultural perspective and enough wisdon spread on that cracker to make it as good for the listener as it was for the teller. To accomplish this they needed to be the kindest people, with the most conern for others. This worked to stop audiences from hating and killing them for what they said and kept them working where others welcomed them, because they "got the jokes." This allowed all thier families to make it through the hardest of times. People arround them wanted them alive to help make everything else that was going on, bearable. These days we call those folks storytellers and artists." 

That said, the Old Man stood to take a bow, flexed his legs a bit to make sure they were still walking and took off away from the crowd. There are a few applause then a buzz of conversation that showed people had been listening. The Old Man never took questions.

" No one ever could tell me how Oceans, marine life and birds came to be here." Books tells Bobbie. 

"That may still be true," Bobbie advises. "What you heard may just be the Old Man's version of what happened. Further study may show that another planet collided with this one and left sea life behind. Of course birds in the air might have survived that, too, and we know that mircroorganisms and fungi can tough it through a lot." 

" I'll take the sense of humor version, any day. It is a survival skill as evidenced by my family, alone." Books shares. " They talked themselves out of so many scams gone wrong, by being far more entertaining than anyone else in a Kingdom or a Corporation. People always wanted them around even when they were known charlitans and told people what they did not want to hear. They fit right in under most Capitalist systems and governments. "

"That does help explain why you are here." Bobbie admits. 'A good song and dance man with clever stories and a tall tale is as welcome here as anywhere."

*****

"So how did we decide who runs the Small World?" LeRoy Fryer asks his daughter, Big Penny, as they harvest some of the fruit from the food trees planted in the Mobile community Garden. Penny wants them to take the seeds and soils with them when they leave in a few days to go on the Small World. " Do they elect me President, maybe Chief of Agriculture or what?" LeRoy asks.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Big Penny tells her dad. " There was a real problem with you being such a capable and productive leader, here on Earth. I mean, you have coordinated different peoples from different parts of the world to cooperate and pull all this together in just a few months time. The group relies on your experience and advice and trusts you with everything. The change from that has to start here, before we go."

"Some of these folks, kind and capable as they are, have not worked on the land for generations. They are well-intended and cooperative but haven't got a clue." LeRoy admits." I do try to inflence what they do."

"That may be true," Big Penny shares, " but if you continue to lead them the way you are doing, as an enlightened and capable despot, you will build yet another unsustainable system and this project is doomed to fail."

"Are you calling me a dictator?" LeRoy asks, astounded at the critical nature of her remarks. " I only tell them what's right."

Penny pauses and looks at her dad. He might look like a hick farmer from way back beyond nowhere but the man knows his world history and knows it well. 

" That is what all Dictators say, in' it?" he asks.

"Pretty much." Penny replies. " Well, you know how those things turns out. On small world we need your help to find another way."

What can I do to help?" LeRoy asks. "Should I not go?"

"That would probably cancel the trip for about half this group and Small World really cannot suceed without everyone."

" So what should I do?" LeRoy wonders. He has never been one to not help whenever there is a need he knows about.

" You need to lead with love and respect and know from your heart that any fair and inclusive society must be just that, fair and inclusive in all it decides. There must be no "others", those identified as incapable or lacking in ability because of race, culture or background. Do you have the heart to see that? I think you do."

"I do have family that nobody expected to survive with next to nothing but a mighty hunger, out of slavery. and enough sense to get away from those who would kill them first, if they could." LeRoy admits. "If Fryers could believe in thriving in a world with so little to start with, beyond the gifts that Creator gave us, I guess I can trust these folks to figure out, whatever needs to be figured, with the bounty of knowledge they bring from all parts of the globe."

" You also have some great tech and minds that know how to work it, to help you." Penny reminds her dad.

" Those moving platforms the kids can operate will come in handy." LeRoy admits. " No mules coming along, at least for now."

" Not using other species, except Plants who will live and thrive there with our help, if they chose to, and help and the permission of that Planet, is also part of what guides our group. As a collective, we figured out that humans have no right to contain or control other living things. Even minerals chose or do not chose to be part of our lives and livleihoods, as they wish. So far clays and soil compounds are in with the plan, but metals, other than those we brought with us in containers and carry platforms, will not be made there by mining or industrial processing. They talked it over and just said "no".

"Metals decided that?" LeRoy asks, wondering how a modern, functioning agricultral system, not to mention human habitations with plumbing systems would function without metal.

Then he recalled that the Romans had aquaducts, baths and plumbing made first with ceramics and then from lead pipes that poisoned most people of influence, rich enough to use the pipes in their stately homes. It was lead poisoning that brought down an empire. 

" Never mind." LeRoy tells Big Penny. "Point taken. If it is what our people and Planet decide, who am I to challenge that? We did not do so good taking care of the Planet here, doing things the way we did them. We can be different and do different. Maybe together we know more and can do better."

to many challenges we faced and are still facing." Penny assures him. "I actually think we amuse all these others involved in making decisions with us. What we think of, like digging up minerals and crystals out of the earth to use them to make devices to communicate, had them laghing at us for days. Imagine humans who thought it was OK to blast off the top off a mountian to get at its copper? How could that ever pass a Planet test?"

"They use their minds, hearts and speech, to communicate ideas to us? Do they like that we made songs, poems and clothing art, like costumes, to celebrate ideas and stories?" LeRoy asks. He was the one who suggested Books come along on the trip when he saw the man doing ancient planting dances from Africa, simlar to ones his family did before putting seeds in the ground.

" Those communications serve us well in explaining our intent and are part of what they take note of, when deciding on projects we put forward for change.." Penny shares.

" It sounds like not having a dictator, even a knowledgable or benfolvent one, is the way to go." LeRoy admits." they might never listen to the voice of one man but the collective voices of all our people can be persuasive."

"Having everyone and everything involved, in pretty much everything, develops a sense of belonging and inclusion with All. " Penny admits. " All have great ideas how they can help, in their most positive ways. That is hard to beat and hard to say "no", to, when all agree to a plan, a decision or a course of action."

"Does it work well enough to be sustainable?" asks LeRoy.

"Just about all the other systems that humans devised, and used in the past, were not sustainable for people, other species and the Planet." Penny reminds him.

"Not true." Small Penny puts in as she joins them. " Don't forget the Etruscans you told me about." 

" A happy people who loved art and appeared to party a lot." LeRoy recalls. " Big hunters and gatherers, they used Pine nuts for flour. Didn't someone from the Way Scan School Kids claim to be from those People? Crystal Pau, I think it was. She invited anyone who did not know their ancestors to be official Etruscans, for International Etruscan day. They could spend the day partying with others and playing games or creating artworks, whatever they enjoyed. No work allowed unless it was fun, like making and enjoying delicious food," 

" I've got to meet that child, before we Settlers leave." Chef Joseph called out as he passed their group and overhearing their conversation, he stopped to join them. " I'm Etruscan, myself, and it will be nice to meet one of my People who knows who we come from and what to do with all that, in the modern world. She's the one who invented the air car, isn't she?"

" And the only one who can drive it." Small Penny shares. "She is big enough to take the wheel. Can you imagine her driving test at the DMV to get her license? I hear she had the whole place laughing when she came in to take it in the Air Car."

" A DMV with the whole place laughing? A miracle in itself." Chef Joseph admits. "Do you think she'll take me for a ride, before you all leave here?" he asks. "I would love to see the vehicle in action. I don't think we had them in Etruscia, but all the Etruscans supposedly disappeared, as legend has it. Maybe they escaped the violent and intrusive Romans by air car transport. Who knows?"

"Maybe Crystal does." Big Penny hopes." I know they were a fair and inclusive society and would love to hear more about how they did that. " 

" Me, too." admits Leoy. " Let's hope I was Etruscan, too, and can recall how to let people rule themselves, have fun and be kind. Then I can enjoy our development process along with everyone, including the Planet." 

" Enjoy was how the Etruscans did it. " Chef Joseph advises, delighted he will have an ally on Small World. " Hey, I think we may be long lost relatives, LeRoy. Etruscans from another mother..." 

" My people were from North Africa." LeRoy admits. " Legend has it they were joined by people who came in ships, to build a civilization that rivaled Rome. Maybe we worked together on that."

" Maybe we will do that again," Chef Joseph proposes. " or have fun, trying."

******

Books is getting ready for his evening class at the Performance Center, to share a series of Hopi dances and songs that help people learn that they are among brothers and sisters, even though most of those at the session are not Hopi. It is an inclusion ritual that traditionally welcomes youth to take their place as adult Members of the group.. He loves the rythms of the music and he feels as though arms of love wrap themselves around him with sounds that cradle him in their arms, as he sings the words: "We cannot survive without belonging and we all belong, everywhere."

"That is so beautiful." SheBird tells Books, watching him apply the katchina make-up to his face, masking his appearance as he takes on the visage of CoCo Katepetal, god of lighting and instantaneous healing, snake charmer and musical clown, woven together in CoCo's movements, sounds and look. Books jumps about the room, getting into character for the role of the gester diety that people both love and fear. They love Coco for his flute music that makes them laugh with joy, but fear the surprising tricks he plays that can seaparate them from nature by fear or forgetting. As they become adults that are too busy with life, worries and cares, their fear for their children and survival of their people, worries many. CoCo to reminds them of beauty, joy and the shocking surprise of humor he brings, that these changes sometimes holds hands with disaster. CoCo warns the People they must remember who and what they are, so as never to be lost to Mother Earth and to her People. 

*****

Books reminds SheBird of her grandfather, Freemont, dressed as a cross between a tumbleweed and a lightening bolt as he sang and danced at their wedding. Freemont's sharing of Tiger Country music and his dance brought visions of the Tiger's homeland, as the Big Cats were hosts to humans, for the eons of time, Tiger County Humans were Big Cat visitors. This lasted until humans destroyed the land, with a catastropic chemical spill that killed Tigers and everything else. One man, one woman and their daughter were the only ones who escaped, sheltering in sacred caves that protected them. 

When she heard her grandfather singing, She-Bird saw the place in all its natural glory, living and vibrant in her mind's eye. Freemont was the last man born in Tiger Country and her mother, Alberta, was the last woman born there, left on Earth. They were both human ambassadors to and for Tigers, hoping to keep this key species alive, so as to keep Earth existant. Tigers held it anchored to this plane of reality with their presence and awareness. Without this connection, Earth would cease to exist. Humans fighting to save Tigers instinctively knew how important they are to all life on Earth and even held a Tiger Simmit, in 2021, to save the last of these Big Cats, fighting for this as though their existance depended on it. It did. 

Freemont, Betsy Ross and Alberta were key to the continuing Earth clean-up efforts and helped remaining Tigers to survive there, scattered around the world as emmisaries to humans, when Tiger Country was destroyed. Though they missed Tiger Country they realized that all of Earth was Tiger Country. Tigers, in one form or another, lived in all land-based climate zones, in all parts of the globe, at one time or another. It was their Planet. Freemont never knew if the human efforts to help the Earth made a differene to Tigers but he did what he could to help everything he could help, and carried the vision of Tiger Country and the Vision of Earth, healed, with him in his heart, his songs, his dances and his advice to all others, humans included.

*****

"Let's go share this session with everyone." She Bird proposes to Books. " I think some people have felt left out of the picture, since we arrived. It's days since we left Earth, to us new arrivals, but it's 20 years without including us in their lives, for them. Your do your inclusion cerimony and we can do a dream share, afterward, with my best friend from high school. Betsy says she's "an old gal with three kids, now" , and I haven't aged a bit, but she all but invented the Dream Shares. She has not really spoken to me since we got here, so a dream share is definetly in order. "

*****

" Why do you want to talk to me?" Crystal Pau asks Chef Joseph when he comes to call at the Mobile campsite her mom and dad set up with the other Wayscan School families. " I'm just a kid."

All the Way Scan School Kids have homes nearby but for solidarity and inclusion they and their families have joined the international community of Settlers, those who travelled from near and far to join the human transition to Small World. Located in Mobile's newest neighborhood, designed to accomodate travelers from many lands, the place is built to make people feel at home. For some it is the first time in generations they or anyone in their family leave their homeland to go elsewhere. They would never do so if this was not a trip to a new Planet. Their harmony with their place on Earth and with their ability to adapt to change, in peaceful and positive ways, is why they are invited and encouraged to make the trip. Things will be hard enough on Small World without human people in conflict. 

Part of the reason for siting this community together is to find out how well they all get along. Chosen for their ability to live in harmony does not necessarily guarantee they will do so all the time. Planning the trip, what they need and how they will use those resources is the task for these people with generations of diplomacy and problem solving in their backgrounds. Those with history of solving problems by consensus are valued and are where the search for Settlers started. Those who do not tune with the group will be noted

 Better to find that out before we make the trip than after." was the consensus among all groups who joined the neighborhood as their pre-trip living accomodations. 

It took about a month for families to arrive and a few, single arrivals, like Books Wunder, Jr.. to join them. Books was singular in his skills and gifts but did not remain single in his relatonships for long. He fell for She-Bird Brightfoot the moment they met and they were married three days later. Simlar hook-ups took place with youth from varied groups who met and joined with others. This helped to provide unity between groups and families and held the promise of genetic variation, also needed for survival and health, on Small World. The option of not marrying your "own kind" was the first resolution voted on by the All-People Congress when it met, before their departures. The need for marrying, to breed with people of different cultures, backgrounds and to add the variety needed for genetic and physical health and to minimize inherited disease, was discussed for several days before the vote

It was decided, with no opposition, that partnering with people from other groups should be encouraged but no one should ever be told whom they can or cannot have as a partner, no matter what their background. Those from societies with arranged marriages no longer needed to identify families with kind, influencial people, for their children. All those chosen as Settlers were chosen for kindness, ability to work with others, intellegent decision making and ability to include others in problem solving. Even babies voted to pass the resolution

Late arrivals to the party, like Chef Joseph, who were brought aboard the project for specific skills and talets, were watched closely to see if they got along well with people. In his case, people had been watching him in person, on TV and at public events about food and nutrition for decades. He was world-famous and a champion for both good eating and good nutirtion that respected plants, animals and even spices and oils, whenever he cooked. People waited lifetimes to sample one of his meals but they still needed to know how well he got along with many and varied people, in order to be included in this journey to a new world

In answer to Crystal's question about his motivation to speak with her, the Chef explains: "You are a critical insider. You invented the Air Car and it's key to these efforts and you are the only one who can fly the thing. I bet you know everyone who will have anything to do with the trip and as a new arrival to the Settlers group, I want to find out what you think about this traveling road show." 

" Why do I want to talk to you?" Crystal asks. "What's the energy exchanged here? Few people ask our opinions. They just assume the Way Scan School Kids will go along with everything, out of pure interest in what will happen, what can happen and what does happen and to solve the problems as they arise."

" People do have tremendous faith in your group and your part in all this." Joseph admits. "But I've asked around and most here are going on Faith and Hope that you know what you're doing. They also have been advised by their own kids to do this, Most here are smart enough to listen to that advice. They call you super-geniuses with your finger on the pulse of the Universe, but so are most of the children on this Planet. Big people are finally listening to them, thank Creator."

" But no pressure." Crystal laughs. " Are you ready to watch us go off into whatever emerges as a pathway to the Planet that Preacher Ike Ham has been watching for decades? His telescopes have shown it evolve over thousands of years and he belives it can be humanity's next home. You've seen his video about Small World, too. It is our next place to play but this time, without wrecking the place."

"You're smart enough to involve me, to come along to cook for you, so your adults obviously have good judgement and some idea what they need, once there. Otherwise, monotonous food choices and meals without imagination or joy could make your new world hell, no matter how much you want it to be heaven off Earth."

"My dad said we needed you because you know so much about mushrroms. That's his specialty, too. Apparently spores traveled on feathers of the birds that went through ages ago and are now part of the land-based food systems. They are a big part and perhaps the only food growing that humans can eat, at the time the Settlers arrive. We hope that this is true for the survival of humans and land birds that eat mushrroms." Crystal explains.

Chef Joseph is famous for producing dishes that resemble a variety of Earth foods, but have a mushrrom base. " So that is why I was invived." he muses. "Soil health and our ability to grow food, trees and plants in good variety depends on fungi and soil organisms.". he adds. " I do know a lot about how they help grow a variety of food, trees and plants."

"My dad has an old book he got from a guy he calls "The Lama", that tells about food and medicines from mushrooms. Dad is bringing some spores with the Settlers and Big Penny will tell us what else is needed. The Lama was supposed to come along with us but Dad got a note that the man needed to help us about 25 years before the Settlers get there, so he went on ahead and did his thing there. I think LEB is bringing some soil samples from his family farm, too, so we can grow corn there, if we get permission."

" Every little fungi helps." Chef Joseph adds. " I will go talk to Big Penny, next. She may have some idea of what we need to bring to boost the health of plants they decide to grow." 

"The Ways Scan school kids will be leaving in a few days but you and the rest of the group are still waiting for LEB to arrive. " Crystal reminds him. "In the mean time, you should try some of the food cooked by those here, representing all parts of the world. Their favorite food abounds and cooking for such a varied crowd may be a challenge without some foreknowledge. Some of those old family reciepes will be hard to beat."

"I'll take a lot of notes." The Chef promises."My specialty is secret family reciepies made from plant-based sources."

" We have no food on the Air Car but you'll have a couple of decades to prepare for us before we arrive. I look forward to what's for dinner. " Crystal tells him in parting. 

No one knows exactly what else Chef Joseph talked to Crystal about it is rumored that this was the day the Old Man charater became part of their expedition, with Chief Joseph taking on that role as "Old Man" and cultural ambassador of food for the group. As far as food is concerned, the Chef is the Books Wunder of human culture and history. His presence on Small World is instrumental in its sucess. 

*****

The Dream Share is not totally unknown to the Way Scan School kids, when they arrive on Small World. Their school and the others like it around the world are a product of a series of Dream Shares, advocated by the Way Scans Youth Group, when the Message is heard around the wolrd. This group, made of Five Members: Winston Bridges Brightfoot, Bobbie Turner, Emaline Wilson, Ruth Finestein and Toni Leonardo. They begin their international work with this Way Scan School project. Before that, they were a local group of teens who helped in their own neighborhoods. Since Mobile became the world center for Planet Cleanup, that was a big neighborhood. One of the group is Howard Beau Brightfoot's younger brother, Winston, who helps spread the dream group concept of problem solving to many groups, in many nations. He is the diplomat of the Way Scans group. Dream Shares, as envisioned by Howrd Beau's younger sister, Ramona Star, is also a High School student. At this time Howard Beau, their oldest brother, was head of the Mobile Chapter of Friends of the Planet, later to become head of the worldwide plan for Planet clean up, coordinated and inspired by Alberta Jackson Brightfoot. Alberta, one of the three survivors of the Tiger Country disaster, a current Mobile resident, who marries Howard Beau. They are a Lu-Mae and SheBird is their daughter

Many of the students at Mobile High school, at the time Dream Sharing begins, stopped going to classes and just met at the picnic tables to share their dreams. Howard Beau's younger sister led the groups, realizing they were the only real learning that she and her friends were likely to get there, if they were not maths majors, taking Calculus as a pathway to creers that required higher Mathmatics. Even then, the math wizards at her school often left class early to attend the Dream Sessions. They tasked themselves to find mathmatic equastions that matched the verbal descriptions of time and space variations described by the dreamers. Jerome's daddy, Luke, was one of those maths guys and his mom was one of those maths gals. No wonder their son Jason, a current Member of the Way Scan School group, is such a maths wizard.

All students are welcome at the Dream Shares and all were encouraged to share their dream of the Earth healed and at Peace with All that lives. Not only did students reveal their dreams but groups listening were encouraged to problem-solve and share ideas on how to make those dreams come true. Special sessions, to turn nightmares into better outcomes for All, were especially popular. Several ideas, like better alternatives to the money and effort spent on priisons, formed the foundation of positive changes that became public policy. Several other community projects, to help include others in solutions that made a difference, emerge from these sessions. Turning schools into Community Resource Centers for healthcare, interactions with people of all ages, use as community shelters and for training for new, sustainability careers, were among the ideas first realized. School buildings, including the dream-share picinic tables, proved to be of use to more people in their community than just the picnic table dreamers. "These stories we tell ourselves are the living future but we must share the dreams so All can be part of the change." Howrd Beau Brightfoot told delegates to the United Nations, when he was appointed World Coordinator of the Tiger Preservation Project. 

" My wife, Alberta, knows more about Tigers and everything else, than anyone I know and she used the knowledge and wisdom of Tiger Country to develop the Rules of the Game and the basic principles of the Clean Up we can all play, world-wide."

It is not long after this speech that the Way Scans Schools and their educational programs begin to rapidly proliferate,, as models for schools, health centers and locations for neighborhood help, in all parts of the world. The greatest beneficiaries of these changes were the rich kinds, in private schools. With Way Scan Schhol programs they got to view new worlds of seeing and believing that were a lot more fun (as well as more kind) than their "privledged" education gave them. Suicide rates and drug use among this population went way down and many became dream leaders in businesses their parents owned. 

Private schools, with ample money and equipment resources also did outreach to less affluent schools to share teachers, equipment, books, and ideas between teachers and students from differently focused schools. In some cases, the best teachers were the children and youth from poorer schools who could share experiences, ideas and perspectives with those from privledged homes. The happiness and joy in life, shared by those from neighborhoods they would never enter, to develop skills and perceptions they would never gain from experience, were some of the greatest engines for driving innovative community and regional changes from those with wealth and power. Fueled by all student guidance, the power of their ideas and dreams transformed them and their world.

With Way Scan Schools supported by teachers and Administrations, most families and School Boards, a majority of youth and children attended Way Scan Schools, world-wide by 2030. It was about this time that there was a serious drop in the numbers of new children being born, around the world. It was not certain why, but this generation of youth had other tasks at hand than relationships, regular jobs and being householders. Families were still important but they had other things to do, first.

At the time of the Way Scan School Kids arrival on Small World, Dream Shares were so integrated into the lives and minds of the human populations, people could have dream shares during their sleep. They could work on projects together, often invited other species to join them, since everyone was speaking dream and could understand others. They could also watch and experience suggested solutions taking place in dream time, to see how ideas worked or did not work, at all. From time to time, groups of people met in person to hold dream development sessions. These were open to all, to allow for inclusion and personal choice for innvolvement of any who wished to be part of the process. 

*****

SheBird's Dream Share, with Books observing, is well attended and her best friend Betsy is one of the first to arrive and requests to speak first. 

" I would like to thank Books for his inspiring presentation." Betsy shares. " I feel the inclusion and unity of All here, both old Settlers, like me and newly arrived Way Scan School Students and our friends She-Bird and Books. I now see that our dream of unity here is realized, no matter when or how we come. All are united and in harmony." 

" I have listened to and heard the dreams of the whales." LEB puts in. " They are with us in unity and again speak their welcome to the new-comers. They also carry a new message of the arrival and inclusion of many new inhabitants here, detected by their connection with our Planet and its connection to All that is.. This world has granted permission for several new life forms to live here. They wanted me to announce this to everyone in our Dream group, today." 

There is a hum of concern from the seated group, many worry about life-forms not their own coming to SmallWorld. After decades of experient, most trust that the Planet controls what happens. All changes of plant life, use of lands and development of human structures requires Planet approval. They are sure what is decided is in the best interest of all, themselves inclded.

Old Man, watching and listening at the edge of the crowd, stands to show he would speak next, as LEB sits, finished with his message. 

"Dream of these ones that come. " Old Man proposes. "They come by way of you, yet they were existant before you were thought of, even on Earth. Their dreams are part of you and support you and come here with and to you."

Howard Beau stands as Old Man returns to his seated mediations. "Let us follow Old Man's advice and dream on this, then come together, again, to learn more about it from our dreams. "

People nod and agree to return the next day to share knowing and provide more information. The group breaks up to return home and workplace, as She-Bird begins packing her recording equipment assisted by her friend from High School. Books poses for selfies with dozens of people, his COCO makeup and costume show that popularity for this Mythic character has not waned. CoCo is still Universally loved. 

END OF CHAPTER FIVE

Chapter Six - Can It Get Much Better Than This? 

Books tracked down the Old Man by following a trail of speculation and surmise, advised by those he met along the way. Though it took him pretty-much everywhere in the small community that comprised Settler City, or Settler Shitty as it was referred to for a while, before they got their sewer and water purification system operational, when they first arrived. Now the place just smelled like a small town, a bit more dusty, as there was no need for paved streets, but otherwise a breath of fresh air, compared to most urban areas on Earth. Books found the Old Man in front of the surface entrance to the mushroom caves that were Jason Pau's office, in the foothill area behind the town. 

" Good. You can help me bring back what's for dinner." The Old Man tells him. " My helper, Margaret Luis Arapaho , will move the transport wagon back to the kitchens but we need help to load it. She's busy connecting to Small World gravity, at the moment, so let's get the stuff on board." 

Books follows the Chef through the cave entrance as the Old Man continues, " Jason's crew harvested for us and stacked baskets we will take. Grab a couple and put them on board. "

Chef Joseph picked up a woven basket that Books recognized as a traditional California North coastal People's basket. On close inspection, he sees that the baskets are exquisitely made, with a bird-pattern design on the one Books holds, looking at it, marveling at the closeness and uniformity of its weave.

" They could make baskets tight enough to cook in, using heated rocks to boil water" Chef Joseph shares, "but we just use them for transport and storage. Load now and look later. There are some beautiful examples here." he adds, as he puts baskets on the platform that is now off the ground at waist level, ready to go. 

" The grasses they needed to make these were one of the few plants we found growing along the shores when the Settlers arrived.. They came on the sea birds that flew in as part of the coastal shoreline area that made the trip from Earth. The women from West Coast groups recognised the plants from ancient baskets in their homes and in museums and collections. They planted seeds for these grasses, saved for generations and brought some with us, too, and planted more when we got here. Their skills for making baskets was not lost either and they taught others. Their work on containers and fiber clothes, were one of the first things we were given permission to do on this Planet" the Chef explains. "Those plants also form a part of the water filtration and sewerage disposal system we developed when we first arrived." 

" What do you mean by, "Got permission" by the Planet?" Books asked. "How did you do that"

" LEB helped." Chef answers as they men continue to load the platform."Even as a kid his hearing allowed him to understand some of what the Planet told him and he could speak to some birds and fish. I have to hand it to LEB, he had challenges explaining things, as human motivations are often hard to understand. Communicating why we needed baskets was difficult to explain. A Planet carries things but implements to do so are not required. We got some help from the birds, though. The ones who made nests explained to the whales, who told the Planet about holding things so they don't break. Then we got the OK."

Books is beginning to understand more of what he sees as part of the complex process of planning and development here. As The Old Man loads the last basket and gives the nod to Maggie who gets seated on the platform, closes her eyes and the platform, loaded with mushrooms and fungi-filled baskets begins to float out the door. Old Man and Books follow on foot. The platform moves smoothly and slowly, barely dipping, as they head for the Community Center and its kitchens and food processing center. Next to it, the community storehouse where food supplies are stored, is partially underground for uniform temperature in soil-insulated space.

" Bring all this right inside, Margaret. I'll be using most of it for lunch, today." Old Man tells their platform pilot as he and Books enter the building. 

Books view of the kitchen shows dozens of youth trainees and makes clear their wonder and delight as Chef's helpers. These teens and youth, are busy chopping dicing and slicing a variety of foods, some known to him but most a mystery, as Books unloads baskets from the platform. The cooks seem to know just what they need and approach the Platform, quickly empty it and it slowly floats to the back of the room, out of the way until it is needed for bringig cooked food to the lunch buffet. It settles slowly to the ground and Margaret opens her eyes, jumps off and grabs an apron to help in the busy kitchen. 

Chef, arms laden with handled baskets returns from the storehouse with ingredients needed to complete the planned lunch dishes. 

" You've all been hard at work." Chef yells out. "Good Job!"

" Thank you Chef!" the group yells back, in unison.

" Best kitchen crew in the world." Chef tells Books. 

" We are the only kitchen crew, Chef." an eager-eyed youth with the name "Terry" on his ID badge, pipes up and the others laugh. 

" My point, exactly, sir." Chef answers and they laugh more.

Chef Joseph begins pulling jars and packets from the bags and the cooks come to grab what he holds or catches what he throws at them and then return to their work at counters. Some take places at the stoves, singularly or working in groups of two or three, to coordinate the cooking. A line of stoves, fueled by bluish flames, is activated as the cooking begins. 

"Cooking with methane?" Books asks the Chef. " Isn't that toxic to human lungs?"

" This is not methane gas." The Chef explains. "It is a flammable gas that is formed under the surface of this Planet. They call it 'blue fire'. The Planet is happy to have us use it for heating, cooking and any kind of energy production we need. It keeps the lights on for the community and could be used for industry, in the future."

" There must be a lot of it, to do all that." Books guesses. 

" If we don't use it, it eventually blows up in uncontrolled and random explosions." The Chef explains. 

" I once heard Creator liked making things that explode. That's is what you said in your story. " Books reminds him. " But does it also mean we are sitting on a potential bomb site, here?" 

"Every location has its drawbacks." Chef Joseph admits. "We monitor conditions closely, but you know us humans, we need not only an energy source but also cannot live without a bit of danger to keep things interesting."

" True enough in my line of work. " Books agrees. " About half the things I sing about tell stories of battles, enemies or some evil forces, that mess with humans, nature or or other entities. Dances and stories about great floods are my specialty. " 

" How are the love stories playing?" Chief Joseph asks. "I hear that SheBird is carrying your child."

" Love is always popular around my house." Books shares. "In almost every house, truth be told. How did you find out about the baby? We barely knew before we came."

" That is part of the reason you travelled with the kids." Chef tells Books. "We had noting set up for maternity care, even though a few women were pregnant among the Settlers. You know that most people on Earth had stopped having children and we think that LEB was the last child born in North America."

" LEB - Last Earth Boy." Books recognized." Clever."

"We hoped People on Small World would have children and so did this Planet. It likes the noises children make when they play."

"Obviously, Settlers did have kids." Books comments, looking around the room that is busy with youth cooking, joking, laughing and having fun with it as they work . "I remember that people asked Big Penny about that when she went back. She told them Kids were back in the picture here. That may have motivated people a bit. " 

" Many of our Settler families had children and I think they wanted their children to do the same." the Chef advises. "Strong family units were key to protecting children from harm, on Earth. If people stop having families, kindness has no roots to grow. Without children on Small World we would be doing a good-bye song and dance here, too. As it is, we got permission from the Planet to build a birthing Center, the closest thing we have to a health Center, as our first human structure."

" Good priorities." Book agrees. " I bet the next thing built was the water system. I heard there was a river near by that is the water source for the Settlement. Do you also use it in your farming?"

" What farming would that be? " The Chef asks but Books has no answer to that question. "Let's go up to the roof to get a good look at the land." Old Man suggests. 

Chef checks on the progress of each dish being created for lunch, determined that good progress was being made, tasted a few dishes and made a few suggestions and then led Books to a stairway that wound around the dome of the Performace Center to take them to a viewing platform that overlooked the vast expanse of land inhabited by humans on Small World, What Books saw both shocked and surprised him. 

*****

"You will all have a different, perhaps a much closer relationship with the Planet, on Small World." Big Penny tells the Settlers in a group lecture, the first session of the All-People Congress, called to order to discuss the challenges and benefits of the life before them on Small World. "There will be time for questions at the end of my very brief talk." she adds, seeing the faces of those eager for any information, hoping for answers to the many questions they all have. 

" Certainly, nobody needs to play this game if they don't want to." Penny begins. " This is one of the basic rules of the Game for Earth cleanup and those who do not want to play on Small World do not need to go. No shame or problem if you change your mind."

There is a murmur of concern in the room, a Ways Scan school auditorium, now an abandoned building as there are no longer any kids in Mobile, to attend this school. It is filled by meeting attendees, at the moment. Most of them wonder why they might change their mind, as they look at their beautiful, but empty surroundings. The school had not been used in years and many like it, around Planet Earth were also empty.

*****

The current Way Scan School Kids, born in the Mobile area, such as Crystal, or whose family travelled there to be in city and a school with other children, such as Penny, herself, have a special classroom built for them on the Bidewell estate. The classroom, previously a well equipped stable for long-dead horses, ridden and kept in very nice cages by the estate owners in the 1930s and 40s, made the perfect classroom, once skylights were installed and the walls of the horse cages removed. 

The walls were replaced with learning areas where no one was held captive and that were open to others from outside learning centers, like colleges and universities, to share knowledge and get knowledge from "The Kids." There were climbing bars and an elevated moving platform for Lester, so he could get out of his wheelchair and move about in the space above everyone. Elevated computer stations and access to play equipment, also elevated for all the Kids use, fill several levels of the upper areas of the room. At times they are all up in the air with Lester and never touch ground for the whole school day. 

*****

" Why would we change our mind?" an enquiring mind in the back of the School Auditorium wants to know. 

" Many of you come from an agricultural family," Penny explains. "You have been the ones to decide what your family does on the land, by the rivers and at the shores. Though most of human history is spent hunting and gathering, walking around looking for food and later hunting for it, in the last several thousand years, most of us here had family that settled down and farmed or raised herds, maybe had orchards or had agro-relationships with the land. This involved human efforts for changes to the land and sometimes other animals to accomplish these changes." 

There are nods of recognition and agreement from the group. Most are proud of the relationship they have to family lands and the decades, sometimes centuries, they cared for that land, improving it a little every season. They could not imagine doing otherwise. 

"On Small World we must ask the permission of the Planet to do everything." Penny explains, then pauses. She can hear jaws dropping all over the room as people realize what she is saying. 

LeRoy Fryer, Penny's Daddy stood up to comment, then sat back down again, recalling their prior conversation about his no longer needing to lead everything, even things he knows everything about, like farming in the toughest spot in Alabama if not the continental USA, done by his family for generations.

Penny sees that he decides to keep silent and gives him her nod of approval. LeRoy sees that she sees and sits back with a smile on his face, ready to watch the fireworks that usually occur when anyone tells farmers how to farm. Several others stand up and many are so upset they are speechless.

"Let me just add, we are aware of the great care all of you took of your lands and how hard it is for you to leave them, but recall that much human farming and land use in the past 200 years was not the best thing for this Planet. It was not the best thing for other species here and was not even the best thing for humans. We tried this and that and the other thing and were barely able to keep our species alive, for many reasons."

Some of those standing, the ones listening, heard her words and knew they were true and sat down

"Choices were made and people got paid for destructive and foolish uses of lands and waters, to grow food for other animals that were often not helpful for humans to eat." Penny continues. "Farms got bigger and more and more land went to grow fewer and fewer kinds of crops, using more and more chemicals that polluted waters on land and the seas. What would have happened if we paid attention to what is best for the Planet. Instead, less food for human people and more human people without food became the order of the day. If we listened to the Planet and worked with it, instead of against it, would the terrible famine of 2025 have taken place? 

There is silence in the room and all left standing take their seats.

" 'Can it get much better than this?' Humanity asks. We know it can but do we know how to do this better? How can we live on a Planet without wrecking the place? " Penny asks, then sits down. 

The room explodes with conversation and comment.

"HOLD IT!" shouts out Toni Leonardo, one of the original Way Scans Group." Don't tell me this is the first time you've heard you are not God's Gift to the world? "

The room goes silent and then people bust out laughing. Toni is a Way Scan group Member and Mobile's resident comic. She can never resist the opportunity to go into her act, as she is want to do in any danger situation, to lighten the mood and open some minds. 

" So we funked it up here on Planet Earth. Should that stop us from trying it again on another world? When has funking things up and doing it bad, ever stopped humans from doing anything?" Toni asks to scattered, nervous laughter.

" Never!" comes a call out from the back of the room. There is more laughter. 

" What about wars." Toni proposes. " You know those hoedowns that destroyed environments, places and things we all love, including our mamas? Anybody ever asked the Planet if we should start a war?" More laughter. 

" Guess what the Planet would have said to THAT request." more laughter that dies down. "

" Well maybe, just maybe, we need to listen to what the Planet needs. " Toni proposes. " You've listened to your soils, your trees, your crops and even to the sky bringing you rain. But the whole Planet, discussing and weighing each decision, having many minds at work besides our puny, human brains." Toni pauses and a few laugh, some clap. "How could THAT help?" 

Tony leaves the spotlight of attention of the group abruptly, to applause and laughter, as the diplomat and " consiliari" of the Way Scans group, Winston 'Bridges' Brightfoot, comes forward.

As usual, Winston will begin the negotiations with all participants, as is done in all major decision-making efforts involving their group. As per their usual routine, in hundreds of negotiations and in all kinds of locations, from Gang Wars to the floors of the United Nations, anywhere important stuff is being discussed, the Way Scans are there to help. 

" How can we involve everyone here in deciding on this matter?" Bridges begins, as he has begun all their negotiations, since the Way Scans began working in the world together, as teenagers.

" I will begin with sharing my view of things." Bobbie Turner speaks out.

Bobbie is the Way Scan Group Member best known to the world as a keen observer, who is well informed from many sources, both foreign and domestic, and who has a keen ability to see through scams, smokescreens and disinformation that cloud the real issues in many negotiations. Bobbie misses nothing worth noting and often sees the dangers and the benefits of decisions. He helps most by identifying what the question is that needs to be answered. 

" This seems a clear issue we are deciding on." Bobbie shares. " Do we use and develop a system to understand the opinion of the Planet and follow those directions in the planning and development of this new world?"

Bobbie sits and Winston asks. " What do people say about that?"

Big Penny stands. "I must tell you. We do have such a system in place on Small World. That's part of why LEB is there. He can hear the Planet's answers, a distillation of the voices of thousands of species and inhabitants, even the rocks, minerals and soils. Fungi always have a lot to say and when we humans listen to what they recommend, things seem to work well. " 

" What do they NOT want us to do? " asked LeRoy Fryer, unable to contain his thoughts and feelings about control over his destiny. Fryers have been fighting for their best destiny since their trip on board a ship in 1619. He fears other than his own good sense in deciding things that affect him, his land and his family. " As I see it, one thing Humanity has learned in the past 30 years is that we do not know everything. Is there something that we should not bring with us to this new world? " he asks. 

" Thank you for that key question, LeRoy." Winston comments. "Do you have an answer, Big Penny? What has happened using this system of planning, asking the Planet, then following the guidelines or advice of the world you all live on?" 

" There have been some significant "NOs as far as development of industry," Penny shares. " No mining of any kind, for example. We have to recycle or reuse all the metals we need. "

" No surprise there." Toni Leonardo calls out from the back of the room. "Imagine asking any Planet if you can blow off the top of a mountain to mine copper. What sane Planet would say yes to that?"

" Point taken, Toni " Winston agrees when the laughter dies down. " Now who else has a comment on this subject? Is it yes or no to trying things the Planet's way? Give your opinion and why you hold it. Then we vote tomorrow after sharing what we dream about this, tonight."

*****

Their circling climb of a thousand steps, around the Community Center to the dome of the building, gave Books a great view of all in Settler City and the surrounding wetlands and ponds. Their water system, created to divert some water from a near-by river moves through the series of waterways that clean and purify their drinking and waste water. Clean water is then channeled back to the sea, providing some water at rest stops and shelter points between their City and the shore. This allows the Settlers, with the Planet's permission and a lot of negotiations with sea birds and ocean fish, to seed these river waters with fresh water clams and crawdads LeRoy brought along from the Mobil bayous. This creates a source of food for humans and for the soil bacteria needed by many Earth plants to support soil evolution along inland and fresh water rivers and streams, especially those connecting with the sea where salt and fresh waters mix

" Before we came the land was essentially bare with rivers that flowed directly to the sea, very little vegetation in or near the rivers. It was kind of like the glacial runoff seen in high mountains in the arctic. Just water, rocks and land. Plenty was going on in the ocean and some birds had spread seeds with their feathers and their poop, but not much was happening, even on the coasts. " the Old Man explains. "Most of what was growing on land were shoreline plants and shrubs seeded by birds or that were carried along when the ocean came.

" Oh, yeah, that colliding planet idea." Books recalls. " I personally like the other theory, that the whale singing opened a door in time and space and they came though a worm-hole and landed here with part of Earth's Ocean. " 

" That must have been some song.+" the Old Man agrees. " Maybe they heard some rumors from the Planet to get out while the getting was good, before people started filling the seas with plasic and pllution."

"Good song and good timing." Books agrees. "Sounds like a hit." 

" But as you can see, most of this land is pretty barren." Chef Joseph explains. " We have not got permission to do very much here. Truth be told, though, many of us humans were hesitant to try anything, considering our track record on Earth. Precaution ruled the day."

" Too bad we did not use more of that, sooner rather than later, on Earth." Books acknowledges.

" Have you heard the story about Emeline and Ruth, the two Way Scan group members who did not come to Small World? It was a song that kept them on Planet Earth, a song of healing they took everywhere to ask for forgiveness for our seemingly never-endingly dumb human behavior while on the Planet. It reminds humans why we came to Earth to play, as a small effort to say sorry, we blew it and to make sure it does not happen again. That song is quite popular here, too. There is a movement to make it our anthem, so we never believe in nations, just in unity. "

" That is some song, too." Books agrees. " Looking out at this barren place, makes me realize how abundantly lush and beautiful Earth was and still is. I hope the people left on Earth realize that it does not get much better than that. We will do our thing here, cooperate with the Planet, but will it ever be the vision the Earth is. Earth heals itself and grows ever more beautiful as its days pass."

" A good Planet is hard to find." Old Man agrees. "So is a good meal if I don't keep an eye on things in the kitchen. Got to go." he calls back at Books as he vaults the platform railing and takes the zip line back to the kitchen entrance.

*****

"Mission accomplished" LeRoy tells Big and Little Penny as they meet for a family discussion after the Community votes. Both Pennies abstained from the Universal voting on the issues, as niether of them could be impartial about the outcome. " The People have said yes to listening to directions from the Planet and following its recommendations. " LeRoyconfirms.

Big Penny breathes a sigh of relief and Little Penny dances for joy at word of this decisiion, tapping her energentic response.

" We can go now and LEB is coming. I can feel it in my bones." Big Penny states.. " The Ways Scan School Kids leave tomorrow, so pack you tap shoes, sis, and get ready for the trip." 

" LEB will come right after." Little Penny shares. "He will be glad you're here to welcome him and tell him all about his wonderful self. I bet he does not know how important his abilities are. Do you think the People around him treated him like a freak because everything speaks to him and he understands it?" Penny asks, worried. 

" I will tell him different, but remember, LEB and his parents live on a mechanized farm. There are no other people around and his Parents have not told him anything except he is very good at what all people can do and should do: pay attention to their world." 

"It is so good not to be afraid of your gifts." Little Penny ackowledges. "That is why the Way Scan Schools work so well. People can use the abilities they are born with. We are all geniues. That means it is in our genes."

" We share 99.8% of our genes with other animals." LeRoy reminds his daughters. " Yet another reason to trust all points of view on land, sea and air. The rocks I am not sure about but I like to think the minerals bring in other points of view, like water and air, the more molecular and elemental citizens of the Planet. I have recently learned that trees communicate using soil minerals, teamed up with soil fungi. They speak to each other." 

*****

Abilities to speak with various life forms are honed and encouraged on Small World as part of the advisement system for Planet decision making. This process has been happening as long as worlds exist and is expanded on Small World when the Earth Oceans, birds and microorganisms arrive there. Some humans talk to the soils, some to the birds, some to fish, some to rocks and minerals. All rocks and minerals spread knowledge and ideas far and wide as part of the bedrock of any Planet. Crystals, large and small, connect everything, understand and respond to ideas for change and integrate ideas and opinions of other decision participants."

" Trees soil and minerals also communicate dangers and changing conditions on the Planet to plants and animals. All this is the process of inclusion and guidance of tree behaviors. Humans can learn from trees and that is why we need trees on Small World.", Settler Peter Wohlleben speaks up, at the first meeting of the All-People Congress on Small World, after the Settlers arrive. " Trees and people go together." Peter adds. " We came out of trees and learned to read them there. Many humans have forgotten how, but trees have never forgotten us. Fortunately, trees do not hold a grudge." 

Like his ancestor before him, Peter Wohlleben speaks out for trees, at almost every All-Human Congress held on Small World. "Trees are an important part of knowing things on Planet Earth." Peter's great, great Grandfather, for whom he is named, often said. 

That Peter was a man from Germany who worked in the forests there, learning from the trees and teaching humans. That Peter, author of "The Power of Trees" first published in 2021, was followed by generations of students, his namesake included, who learn from his ground-healing work

"Trees will continue to teach us, on Small World, if we allow more of them, in mixed forests so all trees can learn together." Settler Peter adds, requesting that a stand of trees be created near their settlement, to provide learning opportunity for plants and animals, teaching All with their perception, adaptations and evolution to a new, Small Planet environment. 

"Trees adapt and change to seasonal variations." Peter explains. "What they do is complex but we can all be guided by what they do and how they do it. Trees are an advance warning system for many species. The oceans have such plants and animals but land systems do not have any on land, above ground. Trees need to be planted to add to our knowledge and for education of all living things."

Small World Planet was particularly impressed with the role of trees in communication with soils and minerals and how they adapted to changing conditions in water availabilty, soil organisms and in changes in sunlight and temperature, as reported by Peter and many others, when the request for a small forest was made. Trees' role in helping stabilize Earth's climate and the risks of changability of even this Small World, is not lost on Small Planet or its animals, vegitation and minerals. Through the voices of many humans, all educated about the work of Peter Wholleben at the Way Scan Schools they attended, the life forms that speak with humans get the message and pass it along to other life forms. When the Planet agrees, humans know the Planet said yes, because their contacts tell them so. They began work on planting their first forest, surrounding the center for communication, the spot where the Air Car landed when the Way Scan School kids arrived." 

*****

" I'm making bread! " the Old Man yells across the kitchen, as Books enters. " Come and help." he calls through a halo of flour dust, as he attacks the dough poured from an industial-sized mixing bowl, onto a flour-covered bread board that fronts a wall of ovens heating up to accept the baking trays that line the table, waiting to be filled. "Grab a hunk and roll with it! " the Cheft exclaims as he slices the mass of dough with his sharpest bread knife and throws pieces ascroos the table to Books

" I know you are good for more than dancing around and asking a lot of questions." the Chef shouts " Cut these pieces in eight parts, round them up and stick them on the trays. Our helpers will get them into the ovens on those baking carts and we'll all have fresh bread for lunch. Chop! Chop! " Cheff adds wisking a cut piece of dough up, rolling it in a few practiced strokes and tossing it on a tray, to show Books the dance of it. Books learns the steps to it, immediatly.

Books can follow the Chef's lead and instructions perfectly, calling on a lifetime of training his body in any movement he sees, copying it and reproducing it exactly. Bread is soon following a perfect arc to land on a tray that is filled and then whisked away to the six-tray baking rack and into overs that line the walls. The huge pile of dough on the table is soon reduced to scraps, which The Chef is now using to make a perfect braided bread ring that will be used to honor some Member of the Group, or other, for their hard work, ingenuity or creativity, that day. Sometimes it is given for bravery, or ingenuity or sometimes for other reasons but most people love this special honor, look forward to recieving it and celebrate and congratulate others for achieving it. 

" Just one question. " Books asks as they are cleaning off the bread board to make it ready for the next bread baking. 

" Shoot." Old Man agrees

" I saw no wheat growing anywhere on these lands and you have been here 20 years. Where did the flour come from?"

" There are three hundred and eight-six types of flour, many are mixtures of several foods but flour can be made from everyting from potatoes to nuts that grow on trees. from mushrroms, seeds, plant juices and grains that grow on river banks. There are flours that grow on trees. " The Chef shares. " It is up to us to make flours that taste great in combination, do not strain supplies from one organism and that provide a healthy nutritional source of vitamens, minerals and amino acids that Humans need to keep running the machine we call our body."

" It looks like just regular flour." Books says.

" Several million years of human testing and ingenuity and some very helpful advice from almost every cook here, with tasing samples and a list of ingredients they use, plus directions in how to grind it, cook it and store it, did the rest." The Chef admits. "It was a complex process but the results seem to be universally well recieved. Gluten be dammed, this bread is good." he adds. 

" Baking it is fun." Books shares "Can I come and learn how you mix the dough?

" Chef Joseph came as close to exploding as Books had ever seen anyone come, as he ponders that question. Then the Old Man calms down and admits. " I am the only one who knows that recipe but I am not getting any younger. Someone needs to carry on when I am gone, to avoid wasting hundreds of hours of everyone's time trying to figure it out, again. Come tomorrow at dawn and I will show you." the Old Man promises. "But you must keep the recipe secret. At least a hundren people claim we are using their old family bread recipe to feed this bunch and I don't want to hurt any feelings." 

'The secret will go to my grave with me," Books promises. " AFTER I pass it on to at least one other baker before I die."

END OF CHAPTER SIX

Chapter 7 - Where Am I and When?

Any way you slice this pie, this is really weird." Big Penny tells Little Penny as the two same-sisters say good-bye to each other.

Big Penny will stay behind on Earth and Little Penny will go with the Way Scan School Kids on their journey to Small World in the Air Car. This is understood as the strategy to provide what is needed for both the development of the Small World by Settlers, over a 20 year period, and to allow access to data of the Air Car's trip. Earth's Supercomputers, track their trajectory and identify the amount of energy (or whatever else is necessary) to allow their trip and show what is needed for the much larger group of Settlers to travel the same path, but to a different time.

The both-Penny arrival, back on Earth, at a specified time and place, confirmed that trips to Small World are successful and without detectable problems for travelers. This safe return of the two, as planned, assured Settlers of the safety of the project, before the Way Scan School Kids are sent. Both the long and short term consequences of this kind of time travel are also proven to be without danger for both the adult and child versions of the same person. Multiple trips, made 20 years or three days apart also appear to be safe for people and for the Air Car.

What does have Big Penny worried is the issue of whether she should return to Small World, at all, as an Adult with the Settlers and with child LEB. Adult LEB will be there when the Way Scan School children arrive, as he was and is an important part of Small Earth's evolution and is essential to the Settler's communication with the Planet. Child LEB will be age 7years, to help the Settlers leave. Both LEB and Small Penny travel together when she returns as a child and they grow up together, from the Settlers' trip. They are more than best friends. As they grow they realize they are destined to be together, are a Lu-Mae, a couple who would not realize their best self without the other person. Child LEB will be trained by adult LEB to continue communication with undersea worlds. Penny is not sure if her return to Small World as an adult will in some way disturb the unfolding of the future, It is the main unknown about what could happen to Penny and LEB as adults who are Lu-Maes.

Lu-Maes have been known to cross continents and oceans to be together, to overcome obstacles that separate them, from prejudice and legal sanctions to gaps in ability to speak, move or communicate. Penny is not sure about the space, time and plane of existence factors and how this may play out. She just knows that she misses LEB a lot. Will Small Penny have that connection of person and being, with a grown LEB, when Little Penny meets him on arrival? How will Small LEB react to his grown self on the new world?

Big Penny has not told Little Penny about her current, adult relationship with LEB. He will be a grown man by the time the Way Scan School kids arrive and Small Penny meets him. Will the LEB that travels with the Settlers, so needed for the success of their venture, have a similar connection to Little Penny and be aware of the years they spent together? Will his connection to Big Penny be essential after they return to Small World? Little Penny told her several times that LEB needs her to make the trip, to feel safe leaving Earth and that there is something about their connection that reassures him and allows him to use his gifts to help the Settlers travel. Little Penny is sure Big Penny needs to be present for the Settlers' trip. Who knows and will time even tell, if it does know?

*****

Winter weather on Small World is cold. The Planet has two seasons, Summer and Winter, with a mild summer growing season that ends abruptly, as the planet tips away from its sun, for the other half of the year. The warnings of the switch, detectable by complex communications between plants and the soil, then to other creatures, are lost to the Settlers before they are allowed to plant trees. Trees give off many visible and even audible signals, information about the weather, temperature and light changes, that are complex. Most people who pay attention to trees can decipher these signals because trees give big signals that almost all humans can understand, if they know what to look for. SheBird learned these signals from her daddy, Howard Beau, who could read the trees in the swamps and lands around Mobile, a varied wet and forested terrain. Hot in summer and sometimes cold in winter, SheBird learned the language of trees there. She warns Books of the changes that signal winter being flashed from these rooted weatherpersons, in the Settlement's nearby forest and from the large tree in their compound sited for human as well as weather story-telling.

Despite her warnings the first cold front to hit after their arrival made Books happy to enter the warm community kitchens to help Old Man mix the bread dough for the community meals that day. In order for yeast to rise, the bread making area has to be kept at a warm enough temperature to encourage fermentation. The "sponge" that is the basis of all their baked goods, except cakes and cookies, needs protection and reliable temperatures, light and radiation levels. Chef Joseph, sensitive to such conditions his whole life, owes his successes with both breads and mushrooms, to these skills. He well knows how to keep his kitchens warm enough for baking success.

Books woke that Winter morning feeling so frozen he feared he would never warm up. SheBirds insistence that things would come right in a few days did little to assure him. The down jacket and a pair of ski pants, contributed by a Settler who took pity on him, helped a lot. Books' morning run to the kitchens for the early morning dough mix, did the rest to help both his body temperature and mood get back on track.

" The buildings here are designed to moderate the temperature within them, in all seasons." the Old Man shares. "They rely on sturctural design and directional placement, cross ventilation, use of certain building materials and heat exchange, to control interior temperatures. This abrupt change of seasons on Small World does require several days for the buildings to adjust, to return the interiors to an even temperature, both in summer and winter. " The Chef explains. " People take off or put on layers of clothing, depending on personal preference."

" I guess I can heat and cool myself, with a little help from the architecture." Books admits. " If ancient Egyptians could cool their desert palaces with air flow and water-based cooling systems, I guess we can do that too, with the nature tech here. Do you have options for underground eco-heat pump systems?"

 " Don't need them,." Old Man assures him." Our buildings do the heavy lifting through air circulation and human body heat. We closed the open skylight in the performance arena, last night. You get a large group of humans in there, get them dancing and the place will heat up quite nicely. Birds will shelter there under the eves at night, for most of the winter. They used to shelter in sea caves, and some still do, but they like it here better. Their perch comes with a dinner of insects, drawn to the building lights at night. What more can you ask for than dinner and a show? "

" I'll try to do something entertaining for them." Books promises. "There are lots of folk songs and stories from Earth's Northern lands, that may be new to many of our group. I could do a whole series of Troll stories from Denmark."

"Trolls were the Nature Spirits that protected the North and people of many species and kinds." the Chef agrees. "Those giants dancing shook their world and their songs brought the beauty of the Northern lights"

" I'll get She-Bird working on that light show." Books suggests. "What a finalie!"

*****

The reason SheBird did not want Books and the Old Man interacting, when they first arrived, was that Chef Joseph wanted to marry her, when she was only seventeen years old, Though her Great, Great, Great, Great Grandmother and many generations of women in both Tiger Country and in the Brightfoot Nation, married and had families at age 14 to 15 years of age, often to mature men able to hunt and secure family safety, She-Bird did not wish to follow such a tradition and declined the Chef's advances. 

In the early 2020s people got smart enough to ask some of the right questions about what helps humanity and the Planet. They often found that there were things that helped both. They discovered that keeping girls out of early marriages and making good family planning resources available to women around the world, topped the list of changes that helped the most. It was with such changes that humans began to make progress with climate issues to save many species, including humans. 

SheBird did not think Books was from a tradition of early marriages and did not want her past history to interfere with a relationship Books andhas with The Chef. She knows that the Old Man can teach Books a lot about living in community and relationships with people. SheBird argues with herself about letting him know about this past history and makes a list of reasons not to tell him: 

Her reasons are:

It really is not his business

It happened a long time ago

It relation to the Universe it did not last above a billionth of an instant in time

In relation to human history it did not last above a millionth of an instant in time

In relation to personal experience there is no such thing as time

In relation to reality all things are happening in all time and all the time so it is all neither relevant or irrelevant. 

It no longer matters to me.

It no longer has power within me

It no longer holds a place in my thoughts and actions

Wait a minute...where am I and when is now?

Let's hope the Universal Mind has a better memory than do I..

With that, herstory left the building leaving the door wide open for now. 

SheBird informed The Chef of where she stood on the matter of their private story and the Old Man agreed that helping Books fit in as the only "new" adult male of their group was an important part of his role as the Old Man. He worked to find ways for Books to contribute more than songs and dances to the Community. All the Settlers quickly found out, there are more needs for work on Small World, than they ever imagined. Everyone needed to find many ways to help, Books included.

*****

" This song and dance are used to celebrate the entry into adulthood for young hunters in the Far North, now present day Sweden and Norway. " Books explains to the group of men around a small fire at the edge of Settler's village. "The hunters would gather after hunting all day for their youth to tell of their hunt and to show the animals they killed, to help feed the people over the winter. The young people needed to be both skilled at hunting and at telling the stories about the hunt, to entertain the group and dancing was, of course, included for all to keep from freezing their balls off. A good amount of strong drink was also involved."

" Women got to stay inside and celebrate? Smart move, ladies." Jason Pau admits as he passes around mugs of spirits made from a special kind of medicinal mushrooms, gauanteed to both numb the body and elevate the mood of the drinkers. " Keep it moving, guys." he told them "This brew will stop you feeling the cold but can't stop the balls freezing. Your dancing has to do that.

Books jumps up, as do the rest, and begins to lead the group in a backround humming chant and a vigorous dance of walking, hopping and turning, in a circle around the fire. They make space and sound for hunters to tell their stories of past hunts, challenging those in the group to share ancient tales, told by their people back on Earth with its countless generations of hunters. Tiger Hunts in India, Boar Hunts in German forests, Big Cat hunts on the plains of Africa, Wolf Hunts on the Stepps of Russia and Buffalo Hunts on the Plains of North America all are part of human history and all tell of the danger and difficulty of such fights for survival. 

" All the stories you told tonight are from times before humans had guns. " Books acknowledges. " You tell about the hunted ones being the humans, as the other animals, rightly so, are hunting the hunters. Now I will tell you of another hunter from Far North. He is still honored in his homelend."

"There was once a youth who came to be known as Halvar, Defender of the Earth. He gained adult status at the young age of 12. This was for more than his cleverness in tracking a Giant Stag, which some thought was a God come to Earth. It'd emmense size and the spread of its antlers, as well as its intellegence, made it King of the Forest."

"This animal was rarely seen by humans" Books explains,"being too clever to go anywhere near humans or their settlements, protecting not only self but many creatures that followed him to be safe and to access areas of the forests and mountains under his protection. Bears, wolves and other predators did not bother the creatures that moved in the mountains and valleys with The Stag."

With that brief explaination Books begins the dance that shows the youth's hunt for the Stag. The men around him continue to hum, dance and watch the story unfold. Books becomes the young hunter, moving through the forest, climbing trees to scout the area, climbing mountains and crossing rivers in pursuit, sleeping in caves and in trees for the night as he travels farther and farther into the forests, always looking, always tracking, always listening to the forest and its inhabitants, praying with each rising sun, eating what he can find, taking shelter from rain and snow where he can, as he follows the signs of The Stag and his entourage of creatures

Books sings a song of the journey, first in the old language of the North, then in English. His voice has the high tones of a youth age 12 and often cracks and changes as his journey and his song continues. 

I am Halvar, son of the North

I seek The Stag, Father of the forest

I look for my Father on the Mountians high

I seek him in mountian meadows and snowfields

I watch for his signs in rivers and lakeshores

I follow the paths of the creatures that follow him

I seek their guidance and protection

I will meet and give thanks for their protector

I will thank him for my people and our land

I will thank him for the Gods of Nature

I will praise him for the abundance of Forest and Stream

I will celebrate all he sees and believes.

I will credit him with his teaching:

There is more than one way to capture

There are many ways to hunt.

For these teachings I give him thanks and praise

For lessons learned following his

As Books finishes the song he continues his dance and moves through the imaginary forest of his creation and steps into a clearing and sees the light of a full moon that shillhouets the Great Stag, surrounded by the creatures that follow him. He is frozen by the sight and cannot do anything but go to his knees before such splendor and power. Then he sings:

I Havar, son of the North

Greet The Stag, Father of the Forest.

I followed your signs on Mountains high

I followed your river crossings

I followed the path left by you and your Protected

I thank you, Forest Protector.

For your lessons and your teachings

I give you thanks and praise

May I work like you, Earth Protector, all my days. 

With the end of his story, Books returns to his usual identity and voice to say, " The men of his group admitted Halvar into their ranks, though he brought no food for winter. He brought something more to their group. He brought the knowledge of the need for protections of all creatures from harm. We have heard this evening the stories of human hunters, from all parts of Earth and all cultures and nations. Hunting has been part of the human world for eons of time. We have even hunted and killed each other, beyond measure. This is the story of the need for protectors, as they are part of Nature, too, and part of our nature as humans."

The group goes silent, stops dancing and returns to the light and warmth of their homes. Many are thinking about the human request, now being considered for submission to the Small Planet Council of Species. This request is to allow for the introduction of new plants and domestic animals, beyond humans, to Small World. 

*****

Big Penny is very glad she went to Small World with the Settlers, so as to help prepare them for the current debate about other than human lifeforms on Small World. Most of the history of humans on Earth is the history of humans interacting with other creatures, everywhere humans go and, in most cases, detroying both lands and the other creatures, sometimes slowly but often rapidly and many times completely. Humans often harmed places, eventually changing the Planet so much that fewer and fewer creatures could survive. It would take humanity more than a trip to a New World to change such patterns of disasterous behavior, to walk a Planet in a different way, no matter how loving, compassionate or empathetic the humans. It would take time and agreement of those invloved to make other than destruction happen.

Penny began this process with her father, LeRoy, a leader of the Settlers group, before they left Earth. She talked to LeRoy before they had the first Settlers' Congress, to be held before they left Earth, to give people a chance to stay behind, if they chose not to go. Some might not agree to the need to ask the Planet, and All on it, for permission to make any changes to their community. Penny knew they would need to get OKs for building their structures and homes and for accessing the Planet's resources to plant, extract or harvest, to provide for their needs or feed themselves. Such requests to make change were not completely new to human history. Many First Nation people, such as those who inhabited Tiger Country and most indigenous people around the world, asked for permission from the Planet, from the get-go. These practices allowed them to survive for many genaerations in harmony with many lands. Even so, such practices to ask permission had been lost for most people on Earth, They just did what they wanted to do, whenever they could, no matter the consequences.

The Settlers agreed to try this on Small World and few of them left the Settlers' group. However, the scope of this agreement, though understood, was absract when they agreed to it, before the trip. It became very real when they arrived on Small World, faced with the facts of day to day living with both human and planet needs to be met. "Everyon and every thing on the Planet has the right to be part of the decision making, humans included." Big Penny told the Settlers when they arrived with their human stuff, toothbrushes included. " It will be a bumpy ride." Penny promises, " But we do make it and are about to begin the expansion of our human settlement, after our first twenty years here. Let's see how that goes."

*****

The first permission granted by the Small World Planetary Council was for water purification and sanitation systems for human waste. The ocean and its creatures had many examples of effective cleaning systems to do this and they helped a lot with the planning and implementation of the human's project. One of the Settlers, Walker Van Dee, a graduate of the Pokee Prison Chior carceral system, also created such natural filtration systems as part of his release term, from prison. as a youth on Earth. To be released from Pokee, he had to identify and complete a project that helped other people and the Planet. He picked cleaning polluted water from farms and industry, as his work. His sytem recycled both human and farm industry wastes to keep chemicals and bacteria out of streams that fed the bayous as well as the Gilf Coast around Mobile.

" I guess I can do that here, on Small World." he told the first Planet Congress." Water from this settlement will be cleaner that water from the river that runs off your mountains. I guarantee that. We can imorive things, us humans. Not just harm them."

Settlers quickly realized the need to re-use and recycle everything they had and the Planet agreed to that, right quick, as a high priority. The thought of having human stuff disturbing the balance of their many ecosystems on land, air and sea, upsetting their current balance, was not welcomed by these well-functioning Planet environments. 

It was also quickly decided that the many mushrooms humans needed for human food, medicines and chemical compounds should be cultivated underground. The caves were excavated and expanded by many organisms, earthworms in particular, with their significant presence on dry land and below the sea floor, throughout the Planet. Bacterial life, worms and chemistry from minerals and metals working together created the caves where much of their food now grew. providing base soils and media for mushroom growth and for the stability of the growth chambers. 

When it was found that fresh water shellfish actually both cleaned river water and provided food for birds, that source of food was approved, too, along with plants needed to stabilize river banks, like wild rice, long a significant part of human diet on Planet Earth. Lotus plants in ponds and along rivers came next as both a food and fiber source with papyrus plants for fiber that could be used for paper and clothing needs

Soon after the expansion of food and plant-based industry options came permission to build a human Birthing/Health Center. It was the health center that also dealt with work-related accidents and clashes between humans and microbes, that often occur. Finding a balance between humans and germs, so not one or the other had too many casualties, took a lot of work and coordination. People on Smalll world gave birth to children, too. Home births were usual but places for people to learn about pregnancy and childbirth, to address the stress of having a baby and to build support networks for both physical and mental health, for both new parents and experienced parents with growing families, was lacking. People on Small World needed ways to deal with birth, illness, death and teenagers, as is part of life on any Planet.

Human death was a part of human life welcomed by the Planet. This came with a swap of nutrients promissed when Settlers died, allowing for the return of their bodies to the Small World soil or to its seas, along with all the organisms they carried. People had a choice of disposal sites for their last resting place and made it known where their final resting place should be.

The metal containers the Settlers brought with them helped them shelter from the first rainstorms they encountered but they quickly saw the need for better shelters and began working on resolving this issue with a Planet-Wide conference on what to use for building materials. Consultations with a variety of species and many with minerals and soils helped the settlers find resources of clay-type sands that, when combined with water and certain minerals and fungi, formed building bricks that hardened in sunlight and actually got harder with rainfall, drying to cement-like structural units, after getting wet. It seemed that water molecules became incorporated into a crystal structure, perfect for brick by brick constructions of any size or height. The extraction of these soils and making the bricks was a major activity for Settlers for a decade of building. 

The first building erected was the Birthing Center, then the Settler Homes and Kitchens, the Ways Scan School and then the Community Performance Center. This Center was built with interior areas open to a hillside where different life-forms could watch and listen to the meetings and performances that humans created. Bird attendance, from on high, was robust as well. 

After the fuel and energy supplies they brought with them proved insufficinent for long term needs, especially in winter, the permission for use of the Planet's Blue Fire, for lights and to cook their food was granted and gave way to the use of this energy for other purposes. Creation of small industry for recycling much of what they brought with them, to avoid need for mining or extraction of metals was one such use. The lighting and sound systems at the performance center required electric power to share Earth Culture with the planet's other creatures, including soil creatires and minerals. The blue fire was approved to create that electricity. Charging the few cell phones still functioing and used for emergency communications also used that power.

The creation and building of a Way Scan School, as a center for learning, was quickly approved when proposed, with a variety of ways for both people, other creatures and the Planet, itself to learn with humans. The Communications Center and its connections to sea life and land species on the Planet was also quickly supported. One of the first broadcasts to ocean life, from the School was the children's chior that shared human music. The whales, dolphons and even the sharks, sang along. 

*****

Books tries to get up to the rooftop of the Performance Center every time he is near the place, as a way to figure out what in the world is happening on this World. All he sees is the development of some basic infrastructure and the use of the blue fire for energy. What surprises him most is that there is no observable human agriculture in the lands that surround their Settlement. There is a forested area nearby and a pathway to the coast with several human structures along the way. He can just see the entrance to the mushroom caves at the base of the hillside near the city, and knows there are extensive, underground growing areas. He makes frequent visits there, to gather food stuffs for their meals and Jason Pau guides him through that he could never find his way out again, were he to venture there by himself

"The growing spaces range in size from a shoebox to a dance studio." Books tells She-bird. "Jason has a couple of helpers but I am the only one he lets go in and out. He is trying to control the contamination from outside to reduce the amount of mutation from other spore sources."

"The growing spaces range in size from a shoebox to a dance studio." Books tells She-bird.

"Jason has a couple of helpers but I am the only one he lets go in and out. He is trying to control the contamination from outside to reduce the amount of mutation from other spore sources."

" There are other spore sources?" SheBird asks. "Who else comes to Small World, besides us?"

" There are apparently some spors that can be dormant for decades, then suddenly appear. They might come on asteroids or other materials from space".

" Things can get complicated." SheBird agrees. " Maybe we brought some on the AirCar...on us for that matter."

" Asteroids, alien visitors, spontaneous generation or species mutation. We will probably never know until we crack the mushroom codes for communication." books admits. "They use minute electrical charges that move through the soil or the material the scrooms are growing on. I am told that the Way Scan School Kids are working on a translator, as we speak. Are the kids happy with their new school?"

They are still intigrating with all the ways to learn and teach here." She Bird reports. "They like my photo-journalism class and are working on a history of Small World, recording what has been done to promote our communications with the Planet and all. That helps them learn about the place, so all good." 

" That sould keep them busy for about 15 minutes." Books observes. " Maybe I should do a daily class with them, too. Teach them the songs and dances of us humans here."

" Teach them how the animals and plants sing and dance, too." SheBird suggests. "That should take up the rest of the hour."

END OF CHAPTER SEVEN

Chapter 8 - Have I Been There and Done That?

When SheBird walked into the Birthing Center and Community Clinic she could tell it was not the usual health care facility, as seen on Earth. For one thing, she walked through an overgrown forest of plant life before she got to the check-in desk.

"Had I known I would have brought my machete." SheBird tells Belly Sommes Petersen who greets her with a hug.

"Make life not war." Belly responds. "You've just been screened, literally, by the Plant wall that can detect any dangerous microbes or parasites, fungi or viruses that might cause you harm, inside you or out. If you live or breath anyting like that it sets off alarms and we need to see you in quarantine."

" How do plants know if I'm a danger?" SheBird asks. 'Do I smell or something?"

" You'd be dis-harmonized. " Belly explains. " They can hear the sound of a disease in your body. The ones that harm are very noisy as your body fights them off. Plants pick up the conflict and dis-harmony. Better than xrays and lab tests, I'm telling you. They registered that baby you are carrying before you stepped inside the building. Good vibes. "

" I came for a pre-natal check but I am glad to know I am otherwise well." SheBird acknowledges.

They did pick up some tension about being on a new world. Change can do that to a person." Belly shares. " I don't know what I would have done without Ed, when we first arrived."

" Belly is about to tell you not to ever tell me that." Ed Pedersen remarks, coming to the check-in desk. He gives SheBird another hug and adds, "Like she really needed me to build this health Center. We maintain the illusion that I keep the place running as she oversees every human birth, for the past 20 years. Truth be told, Belly talked the powers that be into allowing this Center and took their advice on all that we do here. I just follow orders and make sure the plumbing works."

" The plumbing and everyting else." Belly advises. " SheBird is just in time for our Mother Brain workshop. Can you show her the way, Ed? I'm going to get the tea."

" The group meets every week at this time and is a great way to meet the other pregnant women and the Mother energy of the Planet. You will all be great friends." Ed tells She-Bird as they enter a hallway heading to the back of the clinic. Ed leaves her at the door of the sunny birthing room where five other pregnent women are gathered at the tea cart

" My cue to get out of here." Ed comments, heading toward the exit out of the building. " Men have to leave during this time and I have a standing chess game with the Lama."

" The Lama is here?" SheBird asks. "I have not seen him."

"Here, there and everywhere." Ed calls back as he walks to the exit door. "I'll tell him you say Hi." "

"High is right." Belly comments, joining SheBird at the door, carrying a steaming pot of tea. "Let's go meet the other women."

*****

"Why didn't other Faith leaders come to Small World?" Books asks the Old Man. "Certainly there were others on Earth that led religious groups represented here. The number of Unitarians alone, warrented at least one Pastor. They were all but running the UN during the war of Construction, so their diplomacy and peacmaking skills were obvious. " 

 i got elected by a convocation of faith leaders of all earth religions." The Chef explaines. " I was chosen to take care of the Spiritual needs of this bunch, avoid conflict about religious matters and to provide spiritual and nutritional sustinance to this flock.."

"You are a chef, not a guru. " Books observes. " Why you?"

" They could not agree on a single religous orientation but that group, true to form, are a bunch of foodies. They figured food and god or goddess were close enough and I did know all the food prohibitions and requirements of every religion. This, for some reason, is so important to many people of faith. Fortunately, mushrooms are forbidden by no religion, so we're pretty safe here."

"They say that mushrroms were the mana from heaven that appeared overnight for Moses and his people when they left Egypt." Books agrees. "Lots of other groups use them for religous ceremonies and rites of passage. I have danced a few of those, myself. Highly enlightening."

" So you won't be too surprised that mushrooms are a part of pre-natal care, here." The Chef explains. " It is both a nutritional and a unity thing that Belly calls the Mother Brain develpment program."

' If SheBird does not already have a Mother Brain, with all that Brightfoot family around her, I don't know who would. So many Aunties at our wedding and they were spectacular... " 

" That heritage is part of why She was chosen to come here. Some of our Settlers were the only child in their family and their extended family, too. It was so rare for people to have kids, back on Earth, that many women here think they don't know what to do with a baby. They do not know their own Mother Mind. Such a mind is in all our DNA and has allowed humans to survive in some very tough times. Creator knows that anyone who had a child in the early 2020s should be given a medal for valor. Things were such a mess then. "

"So you think SheBird can help other mothers?" Books asks, realizing it would certainly be true to form for her.

"Baby photos all around and an attitude of unbounded love." Old Man shares. "She comes from a long line of mid-wives, too, and has assisted at a number of births. Belly is not getting any younger and may look to train She-Bird to take her place."

" You know SheBird pretty well." Books comments. "Better than I do, as a matter of fact." 

" I worked under her grandmother at several restaurants and Betsy Ross often watched the child after school. In her culture, in Tiger Country, the grandparent bond with grandchildren is very strong and so I met SheBird many times as she grew. I do know her well."

" Am I good for her?" Books asks, still uncertain about his ability as a husband and a father.

" Well enough to say I'm glad she met you. Her grandma would have loved a song and dance man, like you, She connected with one, herself. Freemont could have ruled a world with his grasp of the realities of human nature and his ability to convice anyone that good ideas were their own, not his. The man could sing and dance but instead of ruling, he just changed the world around himself and everything else."

" Is that all." Books marvels. " But no pressure."

" He got the most notice for his system of the investments by US Workers to support real development projects, in the USA and in nations around the world. Their finacing made the difference in so many countries and ecozones." The Chef acknowlwdges

"SheBird told me about the legion of investment counselors that moved through his Tomatoe Millionaires program, then went back to home countries to oversee development of plans sponsored by the UN War of Construction. Not millions but billions of dollars working for good instread of for big oil and big military weapon corporations. Freemont's Growers helped investments in projects that saved lives and lands, around the world. "

" All from the Quickie Mart in the Mobile Stock Exchange and with the help of many, able and well connected friends in that building. I am not talking about the Stock Exchange guys. They just kept playing with the same few billionaires that owned much of the world economy. I'm talking about the important people, the ones who grew food and small businesses around the world. That building wasn't called the Big Old Ear of Corn building for nothing." Old Man explained. "The International Food Exchange was there, and they helped stabilize food production, processing and distribution that fed the Planet's people, human and animal, through some very hard climate changes and stressful economic change. Betsy Ross, She-Birds grandma, was an advisor to that program and had me helping with it, too. We made sure food that was eaten by people was sent to those people. That help made sure they lived to grow food and small but essential businesses, whenever they lived, through the toughest times. Food and clean water, then rebuilding better. " 

*****

Readers: If you would like to read about this Global Food and Fuel Distribution system you can find that story, in detail, in The End Game, also on line to read for free, at EarthNeighborhood.com. You can read about Freemont and the Tomato Millionaires in the 2nd book in this series, Mobile Tales, Short Stories for Positive Change, also available in digital format to read from major book sellers, on line. 

*****

One of the other people who was instrumental in the international food and fuel distribution system was Faith Leonardo, the mother of one of the original Way Scans, Toni Leonardo. Toni's Mom could grow almost anything, almost anywhere and knew where most foods grew best. She was one of the People called in to find the best place on the Planet to grow almost any food that humans and their animals eat.

"My mom was the one who identified the Big Old Ear of Corn building, in downtown Mobile, as one of the Planet's best places to grow tomatoes." Toni Leonado tells the group of Settlers, meeting in a Settlers Congress working group, to propose a larger role for human agriculture within in the Small World food security system, as well as providing work option for humans on the Planet. Books attends as a spectator. 

"The light, humidity, altitude and soils were perfect for abundant tomato crops that were grown for the entire region, with distribution to Selma, the state Capital. The International Food Exchange was a large commercial building with garden space on its roof and window ledges, and produced the tomato plants for Mobile and beyond." Toni explains. "Agriculture does not need to impact land use. It can be a strictly urban prospect. It is a human and plant business and should not be stopped by the environment concerns of other species.. "

"What about ground water? " asks Walker VanDee, still their water expert and advisor. "Most agriculture on earth depended on water from the aquifer, water that had been depositied over tens of thousands of years, stored underground until humans tapped into it and just about sucked it dry, by the year 2026. Those tomatoes may have used grey water from the building to water the plants but Big Agro grew most of what humans grew and that was dependent on ground water. In many places these below ground water sources were used for agro industries, too, like dairies and livestock raised for food. Water was running out for all these mega farms and agro industries, that depended on ground water to function. It was killing the soil and the Planet, too. Don't you think the Planet and the Ocean need to have a vote on the amount of water your agriculture will need to grow food, in ground or on rooftops?"

"Maybe we could Plant more trees to help it rain more." suggested LeRoy Fryer. He missed the forested swamps and the bayou wilds that surrounded the Fryer Farm he left behind in Alabama. LeRoy would love to see such tree-filled swamps reproduced on Small World. ' Trees are also good for stopping sea- level erosion and to prevent flooding of urban areas." he reminds the group. " That's good for fresh water fish, too. "

" You just want to go fishin' again and then have a big ol' fish fry." Toni told LeRoy, laughing. "Fish may object to that, bro, and here they have a vote." 

" You just want to make your mama's spagetti sauce with real tomatos." LeRoy countered and the room laughed with them.

"Culture wars about menus, aside. " Walker reminds them all. " We all know that water means life on any Planet. Ignore that at your peril and I doubt this Planet will ignore anything. Remember, it was a essentially a big rock, before the Ocean arrived and Small World is having lots more fun since water and sea life came. It knows how important water is to everything here."

" But things here are very different than they were on Earth at the end of the 20th Century. Both Big Oil and Big Agro industries were living on borrowed time and water use was un-sustainable. While they promised humanity un-ending food supplies and problem-free power sources, they were using and polluting oceans of water underground. " Toni shares. " Either they were lying through their teeth or having a psychotic episode, or maybe both." Tony added, as nervous laughter moved through the group

"This worked until the animals started dropping like flies in a bottle, including human animals." Toni continues. "The antibiotics and hormones they gave their livestock no longer worked against the bacteria that made animals and humans sick. Humans never stopped viruses at all. Unfortunately, many living creatures in oceans and on land and skies, joined the legions of people who died of mysterious causes in the early 2020s. They called those times the Big Extinction." 

"Animals raised in warehouse cages joined humans in " leaving us" to live in other life forms to play on Planet Earth." Calypso Fryer, reminds the group. "It was a mass extinction of humans and the end for many varied life forms." the group was dead silent until Jason spoke out. 

" But didn't they just become micro-organisms? So they all had millions of choices there, if you counted viruses." Jason Pau asks. "Many chose the forms most abundant on Planet Earth, and took the form of fungi. These are consious and aware beings, that can appear and disappear in a day, almost anywhere they choose on the planet. What fun!"

The crowd is strangely quiet, considering the amount of mushrooms in their current diet. Becoming a human form again as an option of their current food chain, puts a whole new slant on chow time. "I

"It sounds like all the folks my family lost at the turn of the century may be here with us now, in the mushroom caves. " Toni comments. "That explains the mushroom that looks just like my nona, down in the caves. I swear it winked at me."

The room explodes with laughter and one hoot from the back of the room shows someone knows that story from personal experience.

Toni continues, "The brokers did not seem to care that they made fortunes by buying and then selling these failed shares in oil wells and defunct Ago-industries, for much less than they bought them. They had been using the retirement funds of millions of USA workers to keep these bogus industries afloat. The big investors sold high and the wealthy made even more on these financial tragedies for most working people. They got out in plenty of time before the bottom went out of these industries. No wonder this Planet thinks ventures by humans, are not such a good idea. We seemed oblivious to these ruinous patterns of bad investments and ruined soil and water supplies for far too long."

" Nobody here thinks it's a good idea to do agriculture that way." Calypso reminds her. " Capitalism also used food growing to grow racism, slavery and colonial Control. Do you think that our agriculture here will do that, too? " 

" Land use concerns, by the Planet, are well founded." Toni reminds the group. " Agriculture is the basis of environment disasters and social systems like slavery. I can see why countless life forms, on land and sea, are wary. Maybe our agriculture, if we farm here, needs to be urban-limited systems, like growing only in human areas, with water we gather and store ourselves."

" We own no land and no buildings." LeRoy points out. "Other than The Chef growing the culture for his bread mix and Jason Pau's mushroom caves, the only food we are raising is the shellfish and clams in the creeks and the seaweed growing off the coast that we harvest. What more do you suggest? Tomato vines off the Performance Center?"

 If we can get the tomatos to agree, maybe" Toni proposes. "The plants have to be part of any ago-agreement or forget it. 

*****

"Don't think that meeting last night was the last of the discussion of human agriculture you will hear." The Chef tells Books, as they roll dough for their daily bread, the morning after the Agriculture discussion. "This bunch will have many more sessions before such a proposal is taken to the Small Planet Congress for consideration, even if urban agriculture is all they propose."

"They were talking about tomato plants, not giraffes." Books proposes." It's not like we have to plant a forest for them to feed on. They need pots with dirt, add seeds and water and sun and you get tomatoes."

" You obviously have never grown anything before," the Old Man advises. "or created a society that helps us transform ourselves. That was Freemont's gift to humanity. He never grew a plant in his lifetime but he knew how to live in harmony with all there. He always created systems where people could bond with trust and take care of one another. They were always ways people could find shelter and help, but they were never anyone's tax shelter or an organization that made people feel less able to care for thelselves or for each other. He was a genius in this way. He knew the real purpose of business, art and religion. If a world needs to get on with surviving it can get along without business as long as the art and the religion remain. The business of life needs to be supported by both. No surprise that the Tomato Millionaires created business and finance that saved the Planet."

"I guess any plans to include agroculture, including both wild and domestic animals that must go with it, have to be well thought out to avoid many problems." Books acknowledges.

" In the mean time, you may want to do all the Planting and Harvesting songs you know to show how art and religion are part of human efforts to live in harmony with a Planet. Let Small World get a gander at as many of our good ideas about farming, as possible. You know many songs and stories about all that."

"Many are thousands of years old." Books remarks.

"No harm reminding us moderns of those old ways, too. " The Chef advises. "Some of us may have forgotten just where our tomatoes came from. They were sacred fruit to the Gods in South America before being worshipped by Pizza fans around the world."

*****

" Welcome to our Unsung Hero Celebration. " Coordinator Aimes Worth announces to the crowd of Settlers, gathered on the riverbank. "We are here today to honor the foundation of our farming commuities, our first soil builders, the earthworms.

" This is a worm celebraion?" Books asks She-Bird " I thought we were here to share Planting Songs?"

" Before planting comes the soil." She Bird reminds him. " I will start with the story and you will follow with the songs. " 

SheBird invites the group to be seated and stands before them to begin. 

" Welcome everyone. This is our long-overdue celebration of the founders of the land-based living systems in our colony. Can anyone guess who that is?"

She is greeting by silence and a faint whispering arises from the group. 

" Santa Claus! " that guy at the back of the group calls out and people laugh out loud. 

"Good Guess." She-Bird replys. " But pretty far from the truth." 

"Selena Kahn, a six year old at the edge of the group stands and speaks out " Earth Worms!" 

" Pretty close, kid." She-Bird advises. " But just half a worm." There is more laughter and a low level of surprised murmuring as She-Bird begins the story. " And I am here to tell you how that unsing hero, just half a worm, changed a world."

Once upon a time a half a world of ocean, a world of sea creatures and a sky full of sea birds, a slice of ocean shore and a few miles of rocky, plant covered shoreline travelled to a small planet that was, pretty much a pile of rocks held together by mass and gravity from its parent star and a counsiousness of this Planet as itself. This small world knew itself and appreciated the addition of much more, coming as it did out of a hole in the sky, to land with its life-filled gift that plopped down right in the middle of it. Not all was covered by water, but the waters and the skys above the water came alive with new creatures never seen before. The vast majority of these forms were underwater and along with them came a hunk of seabed of considerable thinkness and a vitality of its own, as a home to plants, animals of all kinds and many places for fish to thrive.

It was a living world down there, under the water surface but under that water was even another world of life. It was in soils and animals that lived underground. Some of these things were big and some were so tiny as to be invisible, Many of these tiny things existed in great numbers as to be a foundation for all the other life in the sea world and for the air and shore above the waters.

Also along for the ride were birds in the skys above the sea and shore. Some of these birds ate worms. There was one bird so surprised at being whisked across the galaxy he dropped the earth worm he was eating and that earth worm fell to land on Small World.

Go Get'um Earth worms!" that guy calls out. "Let's hear it for that half-worm!

Spontaneous applause and cheers comes up from the crowd, mixed with laughter and joy of gratitude from the many people there who know first-hand how much soils depend on the presence of worms. They learned this from the soils of the homelands they knew on Earth. 

"So it was this first half a worm, able to regenerate and digest soils, to bring germs and fungi with it to the soils to create living soils where there were just rocks and dust." SheBird explains.

Of course, worms and bacteria, miscroorganizsms from the ocean underground and the ocean and sky creatures helped. They died and their bodies were consumed and became part of the soils under sea and on land. Sea birds and shoreline critters shared the job of spreading sea life and bacteria. Many many generations of worms and thousands of generations of bacteria and fungi worked their way from the web of life in the sea to the web of life on land. All this began from the first half a worm. Then we humans came to join all that is here. Can we make it a more alive place with what we bring here? Can we do better than half a worm?

The crowd is quiet. Thnking about their role in the evolution of Small World. " Let's hear if for the worms and the Settlers!" shouts that guy. Cheers, laughter and a few calls of "Let's Hope!" ring out.

As the crowd quiets, Books steps forward, dressed in the tunic of an Egyptian farmer and is joined by Four Women, carrying baskets of roots and seedlings.

" A reminder of what we do bring to our Planet is contained in human songs that are part of our agriculture." Books calls out. " We are here to plant along the river that goes from mountains to the sea. This song is from Ancient Egypt and was sung when women Planted seeds, when the Nile waters withdrew. Four of our women will sing these songs, sung for generations by women who represent the four directions, North, South, East and West. Hear them now." 

The Woman of the South steps forward and sings:

The time has come for Planting

We put seeds in the Earth

We make our prayer to Isis

So she may bless with Bounty

All that we plant here. 

The woman of the West steps forward and sings:

Our future here is in your hands

For famine or for plenty.

We make our prayers to Hathor

Our foods grows with Earth's blessing

All that we plant here.

The woman of the North steps forward and sings:

The fertile land below us.

Guide us to use it well.

Ancestors that teach us.

Your guidance we retell.

All that we plant here. 

The woman of the East steps forward and sings:

To Ra the light of all Life

To you we make our prayers. 

Bring your life to this world

And all that we grow here. 

To all that we plant here.

Books turns to the river as the women move behind him. He sings to the plants growing at the water's edge, planted there with the Planet's permission, to stabilize the river banks, the water course that flows through the human settlement to the sea.. 

Books sings: 

Ah, mud that brings us life

Your richness more than gold

The symbols of our land you hold

With you, all can grow.

Papyrus and the Lotus

Our Pharoh and His Queen

Here beside our river.

Making our lands green,

Your Lotus grows in rivers

Your roots we use as food.

Your flowers bring us beauty

And all of you is good. 

Papyrus stands beside you.

He holds our written words.

Recording all we we wish to keep.

The knowledge of our world.

Papyrus and the Lotus

Our King and his Queen.

Here beside the River

Our treasures can be seen..

Books steps back and She-Bird Comes to stand with him and speaks:

We tell this story today and share these songs as our human creativity is a part of farming and harvesting, practiced throughout our lives on Earth. We will continue to discuss, among ourselved, those crops and foods we want to plant and harvest. We keep in mind that what we plant will affect this world. We hope it will be a way to share beauty and harmony with all."

"We take these requests to the Planet, for the needed permissions." Books reminds the group, "We ask to extend the planting area along the river for lotus and papyrua and for our medicine plants. The Planet gave us permissions to plant them and for flax to make linen for clothing. All should be done with respect and as a helpful addition to our shared world. "

"Let's get to work! " shouts that guy and they rise to get to planting.

*****

"I thought that went well, today." She-Bird shares with Books, when they return to their quarters at the end of the day. " I wish you could have sung the songs in Egyptian, though. Too bad no one living speaks that ancient language."

" If no one knows a language, why speak it?" Books asks. " What we do know is how their artworks speak to us. I am not sure there are even songs in that old language of the Pharohs. I will ask our Settlers from that part of the world. Maybe children's songs or songs hidden because their sounds have too much power. "

" You may find it in their music, too. Music and language hold knowledge in sounds and the Planet's magic in its tones. " She-Bird replies. "Language is how the People communicate with their Planet, in all places on Earth."

" We must have other ways, though." Books admits. " We are supposed to work with Small World so how do we to know what this Planet wants?

" We know because various parts of the Planet speak to various people in our group. They are chosen as emmisaries." She Bird explains. " A lot of what is here is actually from Earth, so we share a common Planet. Making connection is not that hard for humans and other animals."

 Like we represent the interests of the rocks, because they tell us what they want?"

" Not everyone makes those connections.. There are a few rockers. I'm a birder, myself. I was told when I arrived. The birds welcomed me and since I understood them, I got that message."

" Logical and pretty straight forward. " Books admits. " I mean your grandpa and your dad talked to birds, you do, too. What about others? What about the Chef? Bobbie Turner? Ida Mae ? Does everyone here stand in for a part of the Planet?"

The Chef reps the fungi, as he did on Planet Earth. No surprise there." She Bird explains. " Obviously LEB communicates with Whales and dolphines and they pass on messages and concerns for hundreds of species of undersea life."

" What about on land?. Who does those? Who does the trees, the water? Who does the blue fire!" Books asks, his mind racing. "What can I do?" he wonders aloud

" Don't stress about it. The elementals here have been watching you since our arrival. They will let you know if they want your help, to speak for them." She Bird assues Books. " We are meeting about the agriculture proposal soon and I'm sure they will let you know before that process starts." 

" What process ?" Books asks. 

" We come with our proposal and the word goes out for questions and discussion." She explains. " The various stakeholders, including the Planet itself ask questions through those who speak for them and we all work together for the best answeres, negotiate on modifications to the Plan. That takes daily meetings, until there are no more questions. Then we all vote if we haven't abandoned the project as unworkable and just left things alone."

" Humans giving up and leaving things alone?" Books wonders. " Unheard of in human history. What did they give up on?"



" I wasn't here but I heard that some kids wanted to build a tree house in the forest but the trees thought it was disrespectful and annoying. They did get permission to build earth forts and castles as a play area near the school and plant trees around it, as an alternative." She Bird explains. " Wow. Who or what might I represent in these negotiations?" Books asks. " Think about what speaks to you." She Bird proposes. " That will tell you more than I can." " Find out what speaks to me?" Books asks. " I better start listening a lot better."

END OF CHAPTER EIGHT

Chapter 9 - Did I Say That Out Loud?

"How's your career in Show Business going?" Old Man asks Books as they pop the day's bread bake into the kitchen ovens.

" OK." Books answers hesitantly. " The Birds still seem to love it and literally are flocking to performances. The young humans here, maybe not so much. They say I am too old-fashioned and they want to change traditional songs and dances. " 

" Those oldies and goodies were new, once, too. The product of young people when they were first created. No doubt they changed a bit with each new generation." The Chef reminds him. " Everything always changes

" I try my best to perform them as I was taught them, since I am not really a Member of the Group they represent or the originators of the stories and lessons they tell. Just the messenger not the Message." Books reminds The Chef

" So the kids do not feel entirely comfortable with that. How is it working for Humanity with the Planet listening in?"

"It does give an accurate picture of how we lived on Earth." Books admits. " Real truth-telling about wars, religions, vested interests, values and focus on human needs. Not a lot of odes to waterways or rainforests, except from indigenous groups. They did know how to thank and praise a Planet, before we decimated both. Then lots of songs of loss and sorrow, a few war dances invoking the help of the Ancestors and still a lot of birthing songs..." 

" Teach those to She-Bird" the Old Man suggests. " I hear she is one of the Mother Mind group, learning from Belly. That Old Lady has been delivering babies here for 20 years and our increasing population demands more guides and Counselors. Doulas they call themselves and for hundreds of generations they have been helping at births. They should all learn those Birthing Songs to help fill the ears of the new arrivals. Birdsong and human birth songs should help new folks stay with us and not move on to other life forms, just yet. "

" I was taught father songs, the ones men sing when the baby comes but She-Bird knows the Mother and the women's songs from many groups. She told me that her Grandmother learned these songs from many groups at the many international restaurants where she worked." 

"Food and songs were always a part of her menus" The Chef agreed. "She taught many to SheBird who can teach them to the Mother Mind and the Mother Minders here but who knows how they will change and adapt them on this new Planet?"

" The Birds must help her. " Books admits. "She talks with them all the time and declines to comment when I ask how things are going at the Birthing Center. "

" I am going there tomorrow to talk with the Doulas about their diets." The Chef advises. " I want to remind them what they need to eat more each day to keep having healthy Babies here. Food is super important and sometimes our food choices are limited. This is one of the reasons we need at least some human agriculture here. As our numbers of pregnant women grows, so does our need to nourish them. "

" What do they need that we don't have now?"

" Beans, grains and greens, to supplement protein we can harvest from mushrooms and the foods we can glean from the sea. We need to harvest and to grow, without damaging stress to the ecosystems, but more food will be needed by humans in the near future. Higher protein in some foods can come from stock animals or hunting but that will be a hard sell to some Settlers, let alone this Planet's creatures.." Old Man points out, "Fish help but we cannot overdo that, or the ocean balance for its large mammals is effected."

" No wonder so many birds are laying eggs around the Birthing Center" Books shares." She-Bird brought home enough for an omelette, a couple of times last week. She said the birds gave it to her for the egg she carries. "

" Speaking of Birds." the Old Man reminds Books. " Do you know what part of the Planet you will represent in the negotiations for human agriculture? Has anything spoken to you to take their part in the discussions and the voting? She-Bird will speak for the Birds, I'll be presenting the human position, Jason Pau will be fronting for the fungi. No small job, that, though the soil organisms will be repped by LeRoy Fryer, also no mean task. What do you hear from these days? "

" I am not sure." Books admits. " No clear messages so far. At least none I recognize. " 

" Don't worry, kid." Old Man assures him. " You'll get the message," 

*****

"How was your Birth Training today?" Books asks She-Bird. "Belly was always a performance artists, as I recall. Is the Mother Mind entertainment, education or both?"

" I learned the most important lesson Belly has to teach and she was clear about sharing that knowledge. What a great teacher - simple, effective and the Goddess truth. Anyone who sees this film has the key to a healthy birth and a healthy life. She also knows how to tell a joke, The woman could do stand-up. "

" All in one session?" Books asks

"The basics." She-Bird explains. " The rest we need to work out among those currently identified for doula training and maybe a few will train as midwives. But there definitely needs to be as many educated community-members as possible. It takes a village...as they say. We can help with the birth and a brief period afterward. Everyone needs to help with the long-term stuff."

" I know that I know nothing about babies and very little about parenting." Books admits. " Other than ancient naming ceremonies, nothing about being a father. Frankly, I grew up pretty differently than most people so I don't really know too much about being a kid, either. I worry about this at times."

*****

To say Books is scared about She-Bird going through childbirth is like saying the Ocean is a wet thing. The idea of her in labor has him so fearful with concern for her he cannot even speak of it to her. He usually tells her everything. Books is aware he knows nothing about childbirth except that at times, in human past, many women and children died at that time. Maternal child death was one of the leading causes of death for eons, in some parts of the world. Human history of famine, disease and war tells only part of that story but, for a period, at the time of the Message, humans stopped having children, for the most part. Birth of children, at the time the Settlers left there, was a rare occurrence. No one was sure why but Books hopes it is not fear of death stopping them, now. 

"So, what did you learn? Is it an immense secret, passed down through many generations of women? Can you share it with me, with a man? What is it?"

She-Bird laughs as she often does when Books says something that he really does not need to worry about. This is often for things he thinks are needed when there is no real need. Sometimes it is his concerns about what he lacks, when she knows he can easily figure out several solutions, if he relaxes and thinks about how to do it best. Books' other option, asking for help from the right source, almost always works for whatever concerns him. He recognizes her laughter and keeps silent, hoping she will be the source of the answers he needs. This turns out to be his best move because what he needs to know is also what she needs to know

" Belly told us that we already know how to give birth. It is not something that can even be stopped, once it starts and that women's bodies know exactly what to do, when to do it and how to do it. " She Bird explains. "Belly explained how pregnancy and birth works, what goes on, what goes where and why and how it all works together with a bit of time, patience and support. That's what birth partners are for."

"Is that me?" Books asks, nervously." How do I do it?"

" Belly will meet with dads and birth partners next week, to tell you." She-Bird informs. " She'll teach you all of what we learned and all of what you need to do to help."

"Like what?" Books asks nervously. " I don't know nothin' about birthin' no babies, Miss Scarlet."

She-Bird bursts out laughing, joined by Books and a couple of birds flying by outside their window. She grabs her belly where their child is no doubt laughing along, too. "That probably was not true during the US Civil War when Captive young women were present and supportive at almost all births for both white people and Captives. That young black woman with Miss Scarlett was probably and experienced doula, from childhood. Doula means Woman Slave, in Greek. She knew what to do."

"So, what do I do?"

" Apparently the main job of the father is to not have the mother more worried about him than she is worried about herself." She Bird continues

"How do I do that!" Books asks.

" You already know how to do that by taking good care of me and the kiddo inside me for nine months. The rest you will learn from Belly." SheBird adds. " There will be several doulas there, too. They take care of moms, dads and whomever else is along for the ride when moms give birth."

" Sounds like a party? " Books wonders.

" Think of it that way." SheBird assures him. " We will need music, so bring your flute and maybe a few small instruments, so everyone can play along. I'll be dancin'." 

*****

Books left SheBird talking to some birds outside their window. He wanted to catch some fresh air after their conversation about childbirth. He felt better and was hopeful about the information and direction for fathers and birth partners, thinking it over as he left to walk a little as the sun was setting. For the first time since finding out about SheBird's pregnancy, he began to stop fearing it

The sudden roaring of wind and the flocks of birds in flowing flight all around him, singing loudly as the wind danced them in its grasp, caught Books by surprise. The usual quiet of Small World, transformed the air around him to a living mass of sound, movement and power. Books was turned and twirled by the force of it and seemed to become one with sky, along with masses of birds on wing, large and small. They beat the air around him, forming a powerful exhalation of amplified sound. Caught off guard he reacted with leaps into the air, becomes airborne himself, in the power of wind currents but untouched by myriad birds, as he joins them in their movement in air, as one with it. 

As suddenly as the winds and birds came, they left Books to the quiet of the evening and the sounds of birds in the trees and buildings, as they sheltered for the night. Books looked upward, to see the stars of the night sky filling the world with lights.

" Message received." Books agrees. "I guess when you stop worrying, stuff happens."

So, Books agrees to speak for the air at the upcoming negotiations, at the Planetary Council Meeting for the expansion of human agriculture on Small World. He knows that he knows nothing, but he does have some idea what he needs to find out and who can help him do that. 

" I think we need to start by identifying how human activity has impacted air, since humans arrived." Books tells SheBird as they make their way to the Performance Center for a community meeting.. "What is in air goes into water and soil. It is essential information."

"First, we need to elect a new Mayor, to speak for humanity at the upcoming negotiations." She Bird reminds him. "We're filming the candidates for the job and people will vote this evening. We need a powerful spokesperson to represent us at the Planetary Conference."

*****

Books is helping She-Bird bring her filming equipment to the meeting and realizes this is part of the help she needs, before their child arrives. He also realizes that he can help her to train the Way Scan School kids in videography and sound recording skills, so they can take over, at least for some of this work, after their child is born. Training on the equipment, sound recording skills and then archiving what is filmed, is also a necessary and a growing task. Their future will require trained people to carry on and expand her work. 

" The filming of the Childbirth Classes that Belly teaches are just the beginning of an archival record of human tasks." Books reminds her. "There is so much more we need to record and document."

" Don't forget the Father Mind classes, too."

"If we do begin to increase human agriculture here, we will need to record the teachings of other experts in the ways to grow and process foods." Books adds. " People like the Chef, Belly and Ed and so many experienced farmers sharing what they know! We will need to teach many how to use your camera and sound equipment. I can help you train helpers, to fill those needs."

" 'We're only as good as our help' my Dad always said" She Bird observes. " I hope our new Mayor understands that and knows how to include people in planning and process."

" This Mayor's Forum Town Hall should help us figure out who will best do that." Books reminds her. "Howard Beau has done a great job here, for 20 years, he is right. It is time for a mandate vote for new leadership, as we go into a future with or without human agriculture. Both options have their challenges and tonight we will hear how different candidates plan to cope with them. Keep those cameras rolling, She Bird. History will be made here" 

Books begins the Mayoral Candidates Town Hall meeting addressing an audience of just about everyone in the Settler community that can walk, run, swim or be carried there. It is a representative view of all human residents and some of their pets, in the audience. Children are there, as a long-standing policy, carried forward by the current Mayor's father, Wilhelm Brightfoot. Wilhelm advised that meetings of any importance should have children of any age present. As all are children at one time or another, as well as one age or another, groups always bring their kids along, as a critical thing to do on Earth and on Small World. The pets mostly come to laugh at the antics of humans but are often instrumental in correct decision making. Between the sounds of kids laughing and playing and pets vocalizing, a creative mix of musical sounds punctuate the audio component of any important human meeting. A room full of anxious, crying babies and children and wailing pets is a pretty clear indicator that topics humans are discussing are on the wrong track. Human people have learned that much, so the kids and the pets are welcome

To support such inclusion Books shares a song and dance from the early 21st Century, to open the meeting, assisted by the Way Scan School kids: The Children' Song

We sing, for Earth The Mother

Her children are her treasures

Her hands are always open

She gives all gifts and Blessings

Earth teaches us her manners

With kindness we proceed

To walk a path of caring

Provide for all in need

All needs can be our guidance

The voice of all creation

Voices raised in harmony

Provide the best solutions.

So speaks to us the Mother

Creator of this land

Speaking in all voices

Of minds that understand

Let us hear all voices

Let us understand.

Let us speak for All

Then we make our plans.

*****

This song is well known to all the humans there, though they may have learned other versions of it in their homelands, on Earth. The Children's Song is usually shared before group decisions or problems are discussed, anywhere on that Globe. Thus focused, People give thoughts, reactions, bring up possible solutions or at least identify what is needed. This makes solutions work well for the most people and for the Planet as is everyone's goal. 

So few fights ensue and no wars ever starts, once this practice goes world-wide. In most organizations where decisions are made, the youngest people in the group are the ones who have the final say in what is done. As the youngest, they will be the ones who live the longest with the decisions made at these meetings. Oftentimes, these children and Youth are able to communicate best with the world around them and know good or bad ideas better than older adults. Humans finally accepted these facts and act accordingly

*****

Books calls the meeting to order and asked for Candidates for the next Mayor to come forward to speak to the gathering. The first to speak is Bobbie Turner, a Member of the original Ways Scans group who never misses a thing ans was the eyes and ears of the group. Working with the other Ways Scans, and a variety of social, political and cultural groups, in Mobile, he helped to solve a variety of issues. First, they made sure that adults did not mess things up so badly as to do harm rather than good.. Then Way Scans involved all groups and Bobbie shared points of view, facts and situational imperatives with all sides of the equation, He pointed out what was happening with all groups, to help them find the best solutions for conflicts, community planning, strategies for campaigns, coordination of resources and responsibilities for action. 

 If I don't learn more from this job about ways to solve problems, " Bobbie told the crowd." I will resign. I may be the eyes and the ears and perhaps the mouthpiece, at times, but you are the heart, brains and creativity. You always teach from your knowledge, your experience and your dreams. It's my job to listen and help your issues become clear to all involved. Then all stakeholders decide."

The next candidate is also a former Way Scans member, Winston Bridges Brightfoot. He is the outgoing Mayor's younger brother and Winston "Bridges" Brightfoot, was the "consilieri" of the Way Scans group, bringing opposing ( sometimes warring) sides together to negotiate. Bridges was the chief negotiator to settle the seemingly endless wars and conflicts in his home area and throughout the USA. He helped settle the world's final war, within the State of Israel - Palestine, with some help from his Sister, Ramona Star Brightfoot.

" We face critical negotiations that call for agreement not just among humans, but which include permission of a Planet. Small World's elements and its various species are in communication with humans and must be considered. Small World's ideas of its own future must also be part of the solution. ." Howard Beau proposes

There is a murmur of surprised concern from the audience, after his last remark. The concept that a Planet must help decide for All, was something never consciously tried in human diplomacy

" Did I say that out loud?" Winston asks. " Well, it needs to be said. This world, like any world, has its own destiny. We may or may not be part of that destiny, but it makes it no less true. We will attempt to work in harmony to expand life here, to grow and thrive, but change that does not destroy and that benefits All must be our goal. Otherwise we best go play our games elsewhere."

There is a smattering of applause and a gentle rumbling of the ground beneath them as Winston leaves the spotlight to return to a seat in the audience. 

The third Candidate for Mayor is less known than the others running for office. Her name is Precious Lotus Blossom Hui. She comes from a long line of artists and entertainers and she retains a faded but classic Chinese Beauty, known throughout most nations on Earth for the singing commercials she made when she was in her early 20s. Her singing advised the world on new technology and on green innovations developed in the mid- 21st Century. All needed to be put to use as soon as possible for rapid social and environment change. Her singing let people know such help was available and took decades off the time humans needed to make such change for a world-wide sustainable transformation. 

Precious, as her friends called her, bowed respectfully to the audience and began her speech.

"I am far less qualified than these gentlemen with such very special skills." she tells the audience in the still-magical tones, that so caught the world's attention. " If I am elected Mayor they will be part of a trio of leaders: myself, Howard Beau and Bobbie, to see us through this time of change. What we learn from each and what we do with what we know will be through communication to All. That can only be accomplished best by the three of us working together." She ends quietly and bows to all, before returning to a seat in the crowd.

Her speech is followed by thoughtful silence, even from kids and pets. 

"There will be a vote by all Settlers tonight at the dinning hall and an announcement of who is elected." Mayor Howard Beau reminds the crowd. " Now go on home and get ready to cast your vote this evening."

Settlers rise and parents call to children, children get their pets and the Planet takes note of the comments from both underground and airborne listeners, asking them to spread the words about their choices for human leaders in the upcoming negotiations. 

*****

"We will begin interspecies discussion tomorrow morning." Books reminds those gathered after dinner to review the outcome of the voting. " Tonight you will consult with your human team, to review what they think, tonight. The question: Should human agriculture come to Small World? If so, how should it be managed and supported to be of least problem or concern to humans and to other lives and beings. What are your team's concerns and suggestions? What questions do they need answered? Continue to speak and share information with the Planet, before we meet with the major stakeholders and spokes-species, to hear everyone's input and conclusions, if any. We may get a clear indication from that process or go back to the farm to grow some new ideas and strategies."

The crowd is on its feet and talking among themselves as Books calls after them. " Don't forget to Have fun and Be Kind, everybody. Them's the rules of the Game!" 

End of Chapter 9 

Chapter 10 - That's Entertainment!

A partial run-down of those Settlers who have reliable communication with aspects and entities on Small World. Some Settlers work on these contacts alone but most band together with others who might specialize in paying attention to similar aspects of life around them. Some groups pick spokespersons, some let each speak one speak to a special aspect or issue, after they have deeply researched, in conjunction with the aspects with which they best communicate.

Just a few of these groups are:

LeRoy Fryer speaks for Soils and is on close terms with most of the land near their settlement, where they plan to begin farming. He has an expert on planting soil fungi, LaMont Saratoga, who trained with Jason Pau, their fungi expert. LeRoy also has a mineral expert, P. T. Olone, who advises on soil make-up and plant communications using mineral crystals. Wanda Dupont is a soil water expert, who speaks to the watershed in their proposed growing area. All take advisement from the tree youth, Armondo Salinas, who has input from the settlement's forested area. involving many aspects of tree abilities. Issues like an increase of rain and how water stored in soil can be best used, as the forest area expands, all need to be considered. Trees can predict the increase of their numbers over time and which bring down more atmospheric moisture as rain. This will help to plan for rainfall, as their forest grows or if other tree crops are added as agroforestry food sources. 

Jason Pau has only a few people on this team, focused on above-ground fungi species which are now raised in the caves. His son, Curious One ll, helps Jason read what is told in the ancient Chinese book on fungi, brought with them from Earth. The Lama drops in, from time to time, to help sort out the Ancient Chinese language that describes the thousands of fungi opinions. These collaborations are heard by humans and fungi who help decide whether or not fungi they should leave the caves and establish themselves around the Planet. above ground, as they did on Earth. Some species would rather remain beneath the soil, some in caves and some want a Planet-wide presence. 

Many fungi miss humans and the appreciation humans have for them that comes from medicine and in cooking. Among the many other vital fungi/human interactions, these impacts span many generations of human and fungi. Most fungi live and breathe without any human contact at all. Resolving these varied points of view is daunting, especially since fungi came aboard Small World when the Oceans and first sea birds and sea animals arrived. They continue to evolve with the Planet and all are powerful forces there

Fungi could have taken on and destroyed the puny, newly-arrived Humans any time they decided to do so. The Fungal jury is still out on that option but the Children's Song does give them pause to reconsider whether this "final solution" is needed. So far human presence is just entertainment to most Fungi on Small World.

Walter Van Dee is fully immersed in the group representing Water, with rainfall, snow, freshwater ponds and rivers, brackish swamp lands and marshes, spoken for with others in his group. LEB communicates with deep sea creatures and animals of the Ocean floor. Many of these lives also work with humans who have special relationships with sea plants, like kelp and coral reef animals. The coastlines North and South of the human settlement have vastly complex sea and bird life that most Settlers never see. LEB requested fact-finding in these areas, both for under water and shoreline area and whales and dolphins help tremendously, with this input gleaned from myriads of land and sea entities and creatures.

tures. Sea cliffs have a lot to say and are nervous about human uses of sand, a component of the materials used for building human structures. Sand, clay and sea mosses mix with a species of fungi, form the materials for human homes and buildings. If the human population grows, many wonder how this would impact essential supplies of these materials?  Sea Caves, where thousands of sea birds take shelter, are concerned about the guano deposited by generations of sea birds, nesting and taking shelter in the caves at night. Rumors about human wars over guano, once used as fertilizer for human crops on Earth, reach birds and then caves, through various listening sessions at the Way Scan School. Human history is taught there and lectures are well-attended by more than humans. Birds and earthworms, are ever present and hear it all and are rightly concerned about the past violent displacements and wars on Earth, over bird poop. Small World Settlers had not yet discovered these caves but would likely do so in the future.

After his clear message from Air, Books happily realizes that She-Bird is in his group. Her ability to speak with Birds allows their group to survey air quality, to gauge current human habitation's impact on the Planet's air. Birds help them compare air quality at different altitudes and varied distances from human settlements. They found significant pollution from human buildings, activity, human breathing and the Settlement's lighting systems, at night.

Birds gave them readings from different altitudes as well as at ground level. 

Other bird fact-finders, the sea birds, reported on the movements of flocks of birds and on schools of fish in the oceans. Fish often flocked like birds do and also migrate. Way Scan School kids, made migration maps of species on land and undersea animals for fish and mammals. This helped fill in the blanks on what lived where and when they were found there. All species impact air and water quality. This helped make the case for expansion of human activity, as all lives have their impact, humans and humpbacked whales included

The Planet itself has some things to ask humans and Toni Leonardo, and her group kept in touch through the ground beneath their human feats. The impacts of their Settlement and forests, changes to the river near their village and the impact of waterways is researched and shared with the Planet. The human use of Blue Fire and how it impacts land stability and electromagnetic balance is also reviewed. . Presenting these changes as positive is the goal of Toni's group. What comes next in human change, would be discussed in terms of several choices that could meet both human and other species' needs. 

*****

" The Planet knows we are trying not to wreck the place." Toni tells the Settlers and other species gathered at the opening of the meeting of the Planet Council. "We are trying not to harm but we are changing things. How our actions have made changes for others needs to be reviewed, so no harm results from human activity. Keep in mind the Planet has enjoyed watching us do things. Apparently, as on Earth, we are a highly entertaining species."

Surprised laughter from the crowd is followed by silence as Toni reminds them, "This Planet knows the bad with the good, from observing us for 20 years and from learning a lot about human history. Our bad was often disastrous, with long-term results we would like to now avoid. Fortunately, humans have learned many ways to not repeat those human ways. We hope! "

The Planet and the humans share nervous laughter, as Toni turns the meeting over to the next speakers, the trio of newly elected Co-Mayors.

"Let's have a brief look at what humans have done here, so far." Winston Bridges Brightfoot, one of the Tri-Mayor-elect suggests, diplomatically. " A review of changes made and their impacts, helps us know what to do or NOT to do next." 

*****

It should be noted that having three Mayors elected to serve as Community leaders is pleasing to the Planet. These changes in human leadership promise stable and varied leaders to provide several points of view to help influence what happens. This is much like the Planet's own systems of balance, through varied inputs of a number of views, strategies, abilities of varied players. Small World always uses such systems for environment change and evolution of habitats, species and climate. The influence of varied forces are always at play, with or without humans involved. 

*****

"First, we worked with the land and earthworms to expand a stable cave system to grow human food, mushrooms and fungi." Mayor- Elect 2, Bobbie Turner reviews. "From this project we learned to mix various materials for housing and human structures and worked perfecting our water filtration and sanitation systems for clean water. The land we took for rerouting the river was not harmed, as we made changes to the river banks to slow water run-off and reduce water pollution from soil erosion. These both helped ocean environments and coastal stability and allowed us to increase the areas of marshes, marsh grasses and habitat for ocean crustaceans and brackish water fish and shellfish along the waterways . More food for people, seabirds and shore birds and more stable water flow, between land and seas, for water quality. You're welcome salmon and trout."

"With your permission we then planted trees." Mayor 1, Precious Lotus Blossom, adds. " You agreed to that for flood management and watershed management. Trees on land were a wise move. With the help of the kelp forests underwater, you saw our need for tree forests on land. Fortunately, we now have a mixed-use forest that can continue to help with both water and wind management and does contribute significantly to the human food systems we are here to discuss."

"Expansion of food production on land can be increased, depending on how that food is grown." Winston Bridges, Mayor 3, reminds all. "We can also use the Blue Fire that arises from magnetic changes within your planet's core. This change may be more helpful to the Planet than anything else we do. It helps assure the stability of your continents and land masses. We may ask to use more of this energy source to process the foods we grow."

" Please count these services to your Planet as a small offset for the clays and other soils and fungi we extracted, and the roles that minerals and crystals play in our brick-making formulas, helping us create stable buildings." Precious added. "We all give credit to all elements and all aspects and resources that advised us as we built our homes and community Centers. This allows us to live and thrive on your world."

"Let's have a round of applause for interspecies and inter- element cooperation for sustainable change!" Mayor 3 proposes. 

A cheer goes up from humans, birds sing and a rumble of vibrations from the Planet seems to give credit where due. 

" We built on your lands. We planted and seeded the riverbanks, we planted trees and all of these changes were done with your help. For this we give you thanks and praise and we celebrate how Small World is thriving." Winston adds.

" Because of this cooperation. we expect the human population to grow." Precious reminds All. "To support such an increase in our numbers with healthy foods, in a variety of nutritional forms, we need to consider agriculture,

" Fortunately," Mayor 1, Bobbie Turners notes, " we have come up with several ways that worked well on Earth, to grow the most food, in the greatest variety, with the least impact on water use or pollution from food waste, to discuss with all here. Together, we will review what goes right and what might go wrong. With our combined minds we hope to prevent past harms to other living systems. We did so on Earth and hope to do so, again." 

"Here to explain choices we need to discuss is a man we all know as the one who can fix whatever is broke, Ed Pedersen ." Bobbie adds.

The 3 Mayors withdraw as Ed Pedersen begins the current negotiation choices for their project. The choices he presents involve human agriculture, both ancient and modern, in forms refined by several generations of farmers represented on Small World. These are Farmers who have used these methods on earth, know their strengths and weaknesses and promise a plant-based human diet that meets the needs of their group and generally improves the places where such crops are grown.

Small World knows of Ed Pedersen from countless stories told among the Settlers, of his abilities to bring together solutions that always involve using materials at hand, as a foundation to spark innovation and inspire the creativity of those around him. 

Ed began his handiwork in Neighborhood 7 District 7, shortly before the Message is heard, in the then, poorest-resourced neighborhood in the City of Mobile. Ed was smart enough to involve neighbors from around the world to design residential and commercial systems that revolutionized urban living. Ed and his spouse, Belly, saw 7&7's transformation into a model for sustainable, urban ingenuity, using methods gleaned from countless cultures and generations of humans who had little, but did much.

Ed was also groundskeeper of the Mobile Way Scans School, Master Gardener of the neighborhood 7&7 community garden and rebuilt the old carriage house on the Bidewell Estate to create the first Way Scans school. The schoolroom became the inspiration for international, intergenerational learning, world-wide. It is now universal, as the first human school on another Planet, to teach children and adults how to live in a Neighborhood that transforms and inspires positive change in people and place. 

*****

"We're here to take a look at three different options for growing human food." Ed explains. "Some will be very familiar to you and some will not, but all worked well on Planet Earth, to allow humans to thrive. This will help us decide on the choices for how such goals might be achieved, and to identify what problems may arise for other species here, if we make such a choice or choices. We don't have to pick which one is best but we should try to pick which one is best for the most of creation. Since we are the least of creation here, we really need the assistance of All to make sure your needs come first. Fortunately, we are assisted by spokes-persons from many groups. These will work with All on Small World to find the best ways." 

Ed proceeded to explain three of the choices that Settlers believed would both give them the foods they need and could be easily expanded to grow more, as their population increases, with the least disruption of other life forms..

"You got your raised bed systems." Ed shares. "This confines a mixture of different plants within the confines of a planting bed that is filled with soil and organic matter but open at the bottom to allow water to move through it and soil organisms and earth worms to come in as the plant and tree roots to reach down into the Planet. This is the most controlled water use by a restricted by drip irrigation and from water we gather when it rains. There is usually very minimal soil erosion from such systems and the soil improves with the use of plant waste and compost made from plant waste."

There is a murmur of discussion to show support for such a system. 

" Then you got your hydroponic systems. " Ed continues." They use a lot of energy and some water but essentially have very little interaction with the world outside their growing systems. We feed them with specific nutrients mixed with water, for each type of plant. The water provides them with their food. There is little additional water used once the growing systems are primed with the chemicals. Light from artificial lighting systems grows perfect plants very quickly. Each kind of plant is grown only with its own kind and there will be little to no interaction with other species or ecosystems outside the grow units." Ed advises. 

There is a murmur of concern from the Settlers as every bird at the meeting, listening to the human presentation, rises up and flies away, circling the meeting below with angry music of their cries and noisy protest

" Not my first choice, either." Ed comments, looking up at the angry flocks.

"Then there's a method that uses wood chips, which we fortunately have on hand, thanks to the forest. Tree bark, limbs that fall and wood from dying and decomposing trees always allowed natural forests to thrive, in Earth's past. A guy smart enough to ask for help for his garden, took a page from the forest's success and started to use tree waste in layers. in his garden. He discovered many ways to allow trees and soils to help him grow food. We can discuss details of how this works." Ed finishes. 

Many birds return to the tall tree and a number of Settlers stand to applaud, showing their support for this last method. 

*****

"That walk-out by the birds was pretty spectacular." Old Man voices to Books, as they head for the Father-Mind meeting at the Birthing Center, after the Planet Congress finishes for that day.

" More of a fly-out, but very entertaining." Books notes. "I think She-Bird almost went with them. She said that birds want to have more interactions with humans, not less. Maybe they are hoping for a change in diet, too. They used to eat a good portion of most gardens."

"I think the hydroponics must have been a man's idea. It is the most masculine way to control a completely feminine process of growing food. A seed is planted and grows to produce more seeds with a bit of help from pollen. That's the guy part but the rest is pure Mother Nature." Books admits. " A hydroponic system is science but that's man-made growth. That's entertainment for science guys." 

" Let's talk with the Fathers about it, at our meeting. Maybe the women around here, human or otherwise, need to have the most say in what happens, for both childbirth and agriculture." the Chef suggests. 

" The Old Bachelor and father of none, is getting the picture." Belly advises, as she approaches the Fathers, who are gathered to learn ways to support healthy mothers, childbirth and families. " I also want to get your input, Chef. Pregnant women and young children need certain kinds of foods. How can we get them on the menu if we can grow more food and what we grow is as important as how we grow it. We need to remind fathers to let Small World know what and why we need to get that growing. Men in agro made the biggest problems on Earth and our Fathers need to advocate for what supports people and Planet, first, not just Human people, either."

" Tell us about it." Books suggests. " Some changes may be needed to educate our men before we educate the Planet."

*****

The group working with plants and seeds the Settlers brought with them from Earth is meeting to see what the Earth Plants want to do on Small World.

"What should be grown first should depend on these seeds, shoots and DNA input from the hybrids." voiced Settler Leticia Stubs Mathai. "They need to want to grow here and give permission to be planted and consumed.".

Leticia refers to plant seeds brought with the Settlers when they came and stored carefully on Small World, to both get used to the place and to be viable and available if Settler Humans want to Plant them. 

"Of course we need these Plant's permission first." Knowland Luigi, one of the original Way Scan School kids who came with the original group of Settlers, twenty years ago, tells the other humans on the Seed and Plant Communications Team. "No forcing plants into subservience to human needs. All must be willing participants to be considered by the Planet and all on it. Too much invluntary use of plants happened for too long on Earth. How could any Plant ever agree to burn a rainforest to plant food for cows?"

" Many plants do want to be considered, though." Jerome Musani, one of the current Way Scan School kids, spoke up. "For some reason tree crops seem to be particularly eager to grow again. Maybe because our forest does so well." 

There were several Way Scan School kids, born on Small World, to help the Adults in their groups. These Children quickly show aptitude in communicating with the Planet and help in each group, as they get ready for the meeting of Settlers and Small World emissaries. The kids have started preliminary contacts and have feedback and share findings and questions that aspects have, which need to be answered or issues resolved before the formal discussions with adults begin

" The Planet has already approved our newest request to allow us to expand our forest. They want its help with water production, water management and air quality." Knowland reminds their group. 

They are meeting among the trees in the forested area, so the trees can hear their discussion and contribute opinions, voiced through the tree-speakers among them. 

"We could focus on other tree crops as part of our proposal." Knowland agrees.

" The Three Sisters, corn, beans and squash, are also advocating for no till options to grow together." Wanda Prado, interjected. " They have been part of human agriculture for so long they would strongly object to being mono-cropped in any way, ever again. No need for inputs except which kind of compost we can produce from plant waste and trees. Any objections from those plant seeds that anyone knows about?" she asks. 

" I'd love The Chef's input on the range of foods he could add to his menus, that his cook trainees can handle and what tree crops he would like to include. There are thousands of trees commonly grown for fruits and nuts and we have seeds for many of them. Do they object to growing here? " asks Mumbi Wawinda, dreaming of the mangoes she ate as a child. 

 Don't forget the greens that would help us, too?" interjects T.J. Wheelright. "Our current food supply has everything we need nutritionally but tends to be fungi or kelp products. The foods you just mention would add some color and spice to the mix.

The youngest member of their group, Ann Marie Patel, a kindergarten student at the Way Scan School who talks more to the classroom plants than she does to any of the other students and teachers, asks the question. " Why don't we let Small World and the Plants that want to grow here talk about it and decide?".

The adults in the group are struck dumb by the simplicity of her statement and the younger humans involved just nod their heads in agreement.

"Humans need to tell the Planet what we need but so do the Plants." Fred Mendoza proposes. " Some plants may help the Planet more but be useless to us. Our group may not be interested in doing work that's just for the benefit of Plants." 

" Baby steps." Ann Marie reminds the group." That's what my mom told me and so does Small World."

" Ann Marie is right." Fred agrees. "We need to identify our best choices, say why we choose or need them and then listen to questions the Planet has and if problems or disturbance comes from our choices. The Planet can discuss the choices with the Plants, through us, to decide what will work best for All."

" Let's begin with options for tree crops and for garden plantings for food, and includes plants for plant-based fabrics for clothes."

" We focus on plants that want to live among us and that provide what we need. Let's share what we have found out from our nutrition and food experts, to make a list to begin." Knowland Luigi proposes. 

*****

"Women around the world were almost always in charge of clean water supply and use of water in agriculture and health." Belly tells the group working on Water Communicators.

They hope to identify what might complicate making changes they want in their food supply. Large amounts of water to grow or process foods needs to be considered as well as the needs of their expanding population and expansion of land areas used for human foods and medicines. " What will stand in the way of what we want and need to do to assure water quality?" Belly asks the group

" There are options for growing almost anything inside human structures." Maranda Canidas reminds the group. Miranda is the horticulturist at the Way Scans School and runs the hydroponic units and a few greenhouses they salvaged and built from the materials the settlers brought with them. She is an expert on water use for plants grown in human buildings

" Light and temperature needs in the growing structures are met by many clear crystals who volunteered to act as part of the window systems. " Maranda explains." They help moderate the temperature and bathe the many plants in rainbows of light that plants love."

The comings and goings of humans and their interactions with the plants at the school tell invaluable stories to Small World about human interactions with the Plant world. The crystals alone pass on this information to Small World about a wide variety of topics. Particularly important is the use of water in agriculture, for indoor growing projects and what happens to wastewater from the school.

" There is no doubt that plants filter and purify water, hold soils with their roots to stop soil erosion and can enrich soil with every growth season to make new soil. Both water and soil should like plants a lot." Maranda advises the water group. "Has anyone heard any complaints about our plants, from any part of Small World waterways, in particular.?" 

" The Ocean is not happy about the increase in rainfall since the forest has grown and expanded." Karen Chou voices. " Trees mean more water from ground to sky and that means higher levels of water vapor that make more clouds and rain. " 

"Can we use that extra water in our human systems for agriculture or industry." Ramona Marcheski asks. "Making paper and the fabrics we need, not to mention dying it, takes a lot of water. Unless we plan to go naked here, we had best start making some fabrics we can use for our population, especially for winter

" Fashion is fun, too." Sara Owino comments. " My friends and I have been using fabric scraps from old clothing for most of our lives but even those scraps are getting scarce. We need some fab, fabrics to make new work clothes, for starters."

" I would hate to have a fashion emergency that calls on us using our treasured, traditional costumes for fabric." Carolyn Gardeau added. "They are part of our history and are important to our future art. Clothing was our first art form and should not be our last."

There are murmurs of concerned support from the group and the Members are tasked to figure out ways to use water for human needs, including needed industry, so an expansion of tree agriculture will not change the volume of the flow of water into the ocean at the mouth of their river. "If it's a problem make it part of a solution." Karen advises.

End of Chapter 10 

Chapter 11 - Penny from Heaven

Some came to see and speak with Big Penny, when she visited their area because she was their first encounter with someone from outer space. Most came to hear how relatives and friends were doing on Small World. Penny knew that everyone on Small World would want to know how things were going on Earth, and those they left behind, so the curiosity was mutual.

The situation on Earth, with few children being born and increasing numbers of elders"leaving us" to move on to other life forms there, or elsewhere, did not surprise Penny much. The Seven Beans that came to play on the Planet they named Earth were still playing there. A surprising number had become otters, whose lives at sea and in rivers appeared to be quite popular at the time she began her travels. When Penny learned more about their lifestyle on both land and water, floating around, playing and eating delicious and abundant shellfish, it made sense. They were a very kind species and having fun seemed to be their principal occupation. Rumor has it they also tell a lot of great jokes that get both dolphins and whales laughing, though crabs rarely get them.

As Penny flies over the USA landscape in the Aircar she finds that much of the land below her has returned to the wild. Many cities, such as Mobile, are virtually empty with a few high-rise buildings, usually ones critical to the on-going United Nations Food, Fuel and Tools program, are still run by the IFC out of the Big Ear of Corn Building. It stands out of the sea of green that now carpets the City. The International Food and Fuel Exchange, operating there, uses small aircars to access their offices from the roof garden.

Penny takes several Earth months to move about the Planet, but sees change is happening rapidly there with most agroindustry gone and small clusters of farms and small scale industries the principle, regional food centers.

Many Indigenous communities appear to be growing in human inhabitants, through use of their skills to live and work with natural systems. These systems provide all that is needed by people ( of all species) and Planet, for all to thrive. Communication with the world of nature has never been lost to these groups and is an active part of their DNA heritage, in both their home areas and Planet-wide.

Other groups, once in control of everything, had finally let them lead all human activities, with land-back movements that call on this knowledge and experience needed to save both humans and other species and allows better adaptation to the natural changes that Planet Earth wishes to make as part of its own evolution.

Much of this is explained to Penny when she visits the Hopi People near Window Rock, One of the Planet's best windows to communicate and understand Planet speak, still used by InDios humans to do so.

"When I left Small World we were about to ask the Planet and other creatures there to let us begin agriculture." Penny explains to the woman Gardener she finds tending gardens near a Spring in the shelter of a cliffside that shields the crops from full sun at the hottest part of the day. Penny notes that the " three sisters", corn, beans and squash, are there, with herbal plants thriving at the edge of a spring, protecting its banks.

" We proposed the Three Sisters as self-supporting systems for our food needs and soil improvement that has worked here for countless generations. " Penny shares.

" This garden is not for food." the Gardener explains. " This is for ceremony to honor these ancestors for their endless help and for healing. Now these Plants grow wherever they wish and usually together. We gather our food and still do some harvesting of those plants and animals who chose to offer their lives to us, for our survival. Our ceremonies are an exchange of energy for nutrients and we still engage with them."

Though similar exchanges of support actually have kept the people of Small World alive through several generations of Settlers, Penny is astonished to hear that agriculture, as a source of food honored by the Hopi for thousands of years, is not, now, a principle means of feeding their population. Apparently now the Planet provides a number of other resources that benefit both humans and other species, as well as the Planet itself. This helps control the numbers of some animals that would upset the balance of food and water, without these controls.

Penny saw the Hopi villages, as she moved over the land, noting that they house and shelter a great number of humans, a much larger population than exists on Small World. She realizes that grouping people in small communities, rather than large cities, might be key to allowing the interchange between humans and Planet to provide All needs to thrive.

When Penny realizes that the debate about agriculture on Small World would benefit greatly if humans there knew about this Hopi system of energy exchange, and a focus on honoring all Species to play an active part in such a system, it might be a game changer for the Settlers. Such a Game worked well in all natural systems, even in such seemingly inhospitable environments as the Southwest desert. Penny thinks such systems work well beneath the Small World seas. She also knows that Books Wunder and many Settlers know ceremonies and prayers that allow communication and energy exchange for the benefit of All. She is hopeful that they might go the Hopi way.

" The bounty of this Earth is great." the Gardener shares with Penny. "Humans always tend to underestimate a Planet's understanding, wisdom and generosity. Some think we must provide everything ourselves, never asking for help.".

" So true." Penny agrees." Thank you for sharing. Small World has actually supported us with a bounty of resources, for decades, and it may be our human fear that is limiting our acceptance of All that helps."

" Replace fear with gratitude." the Gardener suggests. "There are many ways to do that and you can find more examples of this in your travels. Share them with your Brothers and Sisters on Small World so we do not make mistakes there that we made here. "

Penny admits. " Going back allows me to share what I learn here, as their decisions are made by All and will determine what we do there. It can also determine what is done for us."

" Let the Planet teach you." suggests the Gardener. " You cannot be too late or too early, as there is no such thing as time. You will always be exactly where and when you need to be. In the meantime, have fun and be kind. That is the Universal Law on both Earth and Small World. Humans finally realized that." the Gardener recalls. " The Big Cats brought that knowledge to us, in modern times, when they came down from the Mountaintops and out of the Jungles and deserts, after the Message."

"Word has it that a human Tiger Country Woman, Alberta Jackson, wrote the rules of the Game, right after the Message, and guided our species to change for the better." Penny recalls.

"Changes here allow Tigers and Big Cats to thrive again in all parts of the world." the Gardener shares. "Tiger Country still lives but without humans. They are taking no chances this time around."

" I will visit India." Penny promises. " I want to see Tiger Country healed, even if only from the air. "

" Check with Tigers and Big Cats, in all parts of the world, though." the Gardener suggests. "They return to areas throughout this Planet, where they once thrived. Mountain Lions do visit us here and have opinions on whether other land animal species may want to go to Small World. They may wish to join their many underwater and airborne brothers and sisters.

" Will do. Creatures from here must be willing to leave/" Penny promises. " None would be forced to go there."

*****

Penny takes off, headed to visit the People of the North, experts on hunting and gathering from their environment on both land and Ocean shores. She wonders if their experience with horses, an important part of life for many generations, is still active as she passes over the grasslands of Mongolia. Her questions are answered as she sees below her the vast Asian prairies dotted with large Mammals, horses, bison and sheep, migrating in herds, below her.

The herds of wild horses, running across the plains below, their whinnies call out to her and remind Penny of the the schools of dolphins on Small World. They come to surround and speak to humans on any boats the Settlers use to travel offshore. LEB often took her out to sea when he went to communicate with these dolphin cousins and with the sea birds that never come ashore. The visits in boats give him a more complete picture of life in and above the Water World.

" Don't fence me In." LEB translates for her. " The Dolphins wish to go everywhere they can on this world."

Penny is sure the horses below her feel the same way. It seems a mistake to consider putting them behind wagons or carriages for humans, instead of running free. As she heads North across vast forests and mountains, into arctic zones, agriculture, of the kind practiced in the lower 48 states is not successful. Even after global warming changes the temperatures there, she sees no farms. Penny notes with interest that groups that harvest the waters and have herds of animals like reindeer still live by following the herds of animals and can be seen fishing. The numbers of humans she sees are small and she will try to find out if they thrive in the far North or perish with the changes. She knows that humans in that part of Planet Earth lived there for many generations, before the Message, but may have been greatly impacted with the warming of the Planet from climate change. In this

case, the Planet is changed and humans are required to adapt and change with it. Did they do so and if so, what changes are made? Penny wants to know.

*****

Small Penny spends a lot of time with the Communicator, as she calls LEB, often acting as a Messenger to deliver his reports from the Water Worlds to the Settlers. He tells about the deliberations of animals, plants, coastal areas and sky zones, the changes in weather patterns and the birds' view of fish migrations. Penny updates the groups of Settlers engaged in proposals to modify both fresh and salt water environments, at the center of much of their planning. The trees they were given permission to plant use water, controlling floods and at the same time help to increased rainfall and enable distribution of more water underground, throughout the Planet. There root systems, alive with fungi and minerals communicate with

each other and the trees. Plants' ability to stop soil erosion along rivers and coastlines is a "big sell" in the world of water and measures to help stabilize coastlines are heavily supported by many water species, both on land-based waterways and in undersea realms.

Whether these plans involve human food or not is of secondary importance to the coastal landmass. It does however, matter to undersea food sources such as kelp and seaweed. These plants still recall how both land and sea pollution affected their ability to thrive on Earth, depriving myriad sea species of habitat, and food sources. If anything, these underwater forests hope to spread to many more coastal areas on Small World and hope that Humans can use them for food and in making many of their products, like medicines and fiber, and as fertilizers for other land crops, as did their Earth ancestors. The plants are growing to like the idea of more plants, in more places on Small World.

" Less wars when plants are fertilizer instead of bird guano." the Kelp fields remind the Small World emissaries.

"Keep kelp in the picture of positive change." the Coastal Zones suggest. "They also help with higher oxygen levels than land trees and most other plants, which would allow land and sea creatures, big or small, more breathable air. Plants like kelp help this Planet to breathe easy"

"Other land creatures?" Small World responds, slightly startled at the prospect. "

I have heard rumors about another species called "chickens" from our observations of human discussions at the Way Scan School." Small World admits. "I thought these were pets the children kept for their amusement."

"Not so." Water Essence reports. "Humans had huge industries to raise these chicken creatures for food. They seriously polluted waterways and soils wherever they were sited.."

"Alarming." admits Small World, knowing that Water penetrates all parts of the Planet, from mountain rivers to the seas. Water even weathers its way into solid rock, which eventually make up the world of crystals and minerals. Pollution spreading throughout soils across the planet might interfere with communication, magnetic balance and really stink up the place. Water that is pure and unpolluted is essential to all life underground and undersea,

everywhere.

Elementally, these mineral crystals also form an important part of the underground network of fungal communications that is spreading throughout the Planet's land-based soils. The fungi is originally from the land's seafloor that came with the waters and the many life-forms from Earth. Water learned from fungi about effects that human agriculture had on Earth, hearing about it in the Way Scan School discussions about agriculture. It was

clear that Water should never be underestimated for its impact on many aspects of the environment.

The reports also tell how lands and soils are changing due to movement of water from mountains, where snow packs are gradually building glaciers, as year-round Ice formations, due to increased rain and snow from expanded tree cover. There is discussion of changes to soil temperature, in the fungi world, due to this ice build-up. Human modifications of soil cover, using tree buffers and forest-floor cover built up through the years since trees were planted, is also being heavily debated in the fungal world. Mushrooms are still a critical part of the human diet on Small World, so no one wants the fungal world unhappy about human plans or their plans to expand food sources. Water temperature and the spread of fungi that can support plant growth and survival are topics that are heavily reported and debated. The Planet takes note.

Discussions and deliberations in the Water World, the realm of undersea plants and animals, is vastly important and Small Penny must visit LEB daily for updates. She goes after school and, after a short discussion, takes his computerized summary of the Water World Report to her father. LeRoy shares it with all other groups that work on the human plan for food production, for a growing human population. Penny's career as a diplomat starts here and continues when she returns to Earth to see what is happening there since the Settlers left their home Planet

*****

LEB uses his ears and eyes to report on the water world. His ability to hear and understand the reports of fish and other sea creatures are unique in human evolution and are renewed with each generation, in order to maintain and build on such skills. LEB's Uncle, Bobby Rae Vandee, used his skills and honed them listening to the Earth's Music. Bobby Rae had help from LEB to identify the right frequency in order to use the energy of dark matter as the power source for the Settler trip, through time and space, to Small World. Now. LEB, he uses those gifts to listen to the water world and report back to others.

As with Penny, as she guides Settlers and the Air Car through time and space to other worlds, as a child and as an adult, her gift as a navigator must be preserved. Many Settlers are happy that Penny and LEB became friends as they grow and many hope they are able to produce a child that might inherit both their skills, to listen and to lead, perhaps to other worlds or to return to Earth, from time to time.

Books Wunder tells tales of many worlds beyond Small World, as a part of the heritage and stories of Earth People. The children born on Small World seem to show the best aspects of their family gifts and blessings. There is an idea, not often voiced or discussed, that Small World may not be the last human home where Earth folks settle.

*****

Meetings that involve song, dance and cultural sharing, are held at the Performance Center, led nightly by Books Wunder. Jr. They provide great places to share history and cultural wisdom and often involve ceremonial practices, along with updates of the reports from the water world and all land-based and sky-based issues. Communications from Human groups, representing the committees formed to communicate with the Planet, share

here and allow discussion on various topics, for feedback from the group at large. "Apparently, chickens are all but off the list of human interventions for increasing the supply of food." LeRoy Fryer shares with the group, showing his obvious disappointment. " Our human history of factory farms has nixed this option."

" Doesn't the Planet know we would never make that mistake again?" Co-Mayor Bobbie Turner asks.

A loud squawking of the Parrot that always travels with the Way Scan School kids, draws the attention of the group. "I'm the Watcher", the Parrot sounds. "I don't miss a thing" " The Watcher let the Planet know that we won't make that mistake again and that chickens help loosen the soil and fertilize it with their poop." says Ripley Bunderwise, the Watcher's Caretaker at the meeting and a third grader at the Way Scan School. Ripley knows

what chickens can do from their classes about plants.

"There is a spy among us who should be reporting on how well humans have learned to compromise, not on past mistakes". LeRoy notes, eyeing the Watcher who is in flight above the Settlers.. "We stopped operating factory farms of all kinds in 2025. All foul were returned to the ways chickens and ducks help on small and medium size farms. Report on that, Watcher!"

The bird took flight but not before a rumble of discontent and concern rose from the Settlers began to quiet. Many wonder how to replace such helpful animals on farms and tables. Many fear that cows would be banned, too.

" There goes your dream of a fried chicken dinner, LeRoy." the voice of Toni Leonardo breaks the grumbling into laughter. "You could try it with Parrot, instead of chicken." Laughter increases as LeRoy replies, " No thanks. That bird must be 200 years old. Too tough for me."

The group returns to discussion of the role of animal herds in human history, focusing on farming and other practices that never slaughtered other animals involved, such as the Hindu protection of sacred cows. There are many songs and stories about partnerships of birds and animals to support humans and plants. Books also tells about humans who become other animals and other animals becoming human. Stories are shared about Buffalo who guide humans to their herd locations for humans to survive by hunting them. Stories of giraffes and antelope turning into women to help first humans to survive, are shared. Help like this between species is common in human history. There are also songs and stories of the ways that animal

life and death is honored, in ceremonies and reports of rare events when death is the animal's choice, to support another species or a Planet's survival.

"Most of this was long before humans used money to determine the worth of life. We knew about how to help another species." Books reminds the group. "But, perhaps this was common in our million years of human history, as hunters and gatherers, before we domesticated other animals and even some humans for personal survival and for profit. A look back can teach us something now and it may not be something new." With that, the evening session ends and Books and SheBird head home. Books is carrying her equipment, assisted by her trainees, some of the older Way Scan School students. As they leave the performance center, one of the students asks, "What does chicken taste like?

"Just like Chicken Delicious Mushrooms?" Rawanda Farbre, the best cook at the Way Scan School proposes. She has never tasted actual animal chicken before, having been born on Small World. Contented sighs of satisfaction arise from the students as they recall Chicken Mushroom Stew. She-Bird elbows Books to keep him from commenting on any differences.

"That's right, and mushrooms are better nutritionally than chicken." She- Bird adds.

"With the added benefit of never having been served at a political fundraiser." Books adds. " All that politicking for money stopped in 2026 when people running for office took only public support. They had equal media coverage for their campaigns. Chickens were as happy about that as were humans."

"What's a political campaign?" Rawanda asks.

"Review the footage of our discussions about chickens" SheBird advises her students. "When people need to vote on anything, you have campaigns for different choices involved to sway their votes. You are in the middle of a campaign right now."

*****

"Why does it look like Las Vegas, Nevada here?" Big Penny asks, as she stands atop a sleek skyscraper and looks out on a vibrant, Alaskan cityscape, with elevated trains carrying citizens from one part of the town to another and covered walkways busy with people moving between buildings.

"Las Vegas looks nothing like this now." Pepe 'Jamaica' Wolfgang, Sky City Mayor, responds to her question. "Vegas has no reason to anchor their buildings to rock shelves dozens of feet beneath a melting permafrost, to keep folks out of the muck and the dead Caribou. We needed to condense our city spaces and build upward or we go under the swamps. We're the youngest metro area on Planet Earth and it will still be decades before

these swamps and marshes dry out. Fortunately, they still filter our water and provide heat energy with their decomposition. We get through the winter with the methane gas they exude and the water vapor that rises is collected for our clean drinking water supply."

"I see no oil and gas extraction. Wasn't this area riddled with oil derricks and pipelines? How did you get rid of them all?" Penny wonders.

"They're still here, sunk under the permafrost and waterways, when warming unfroze the frozen North. It took the highways and the pipelines with it and gave a whole new meaning to the phrase " Keep it Underground." Pepe shares. " By the way," he adds, "Las Vegas is now green with ground cover and rife with migrating Buffalo, antelope and of course, ruled by bobcats and mountain lions. A few years of cover cropping and winter rains brought

the return of key species panthers, wolves and coyotes. It looks like East Africa out there but with American Buffalo and Antelope species. Grassland or Madrone Trees, instead of baobab and acacia trees, but you get the picture."

"What will happen here when the permafrost dries up and blows away? " Penny asks. "Will pine forest move in as it did South of here?"

"Come back in about a hundred years and see for yourself. " Pepe responds. "Changes are the way of this world in many places. It seems that Earth has its own ideas about what it wants to be. We're just along for the ride."

*****

A worried Books Wunder catches up to Ed Pedersen as he exits the Father Mind group at the Birthing Center the next day. Books and the others in the new Father's group have just attended a lecture on the amount and kind of food that pregnant women and new mothers, who are breastfeeding babies, need to eat, to get the proper nutrition. It is a lot of food. "Has anyone thought about limiting the number of births at one period of time?" Books asks Ed.

" We have two more families pregnant, this month. Shouldn't we try to space the additions to our population in some way?"

"What way would that be?" Ed laughs. " You tell people not to have sex? I mean you. Will you tell them to hold up for a couple of months or should I? "

Both men laugh at the thought and both realize it is no joke.

" Smart Animals, unlike humans, pay attention to food supply, weather and take note how many of their young die before and after birth cycles, each year or two, before mating. This triggers whatever gets triggered for them to have offspring in numbers their world can cope with. " Ed shares.

" Hold up." Books stops in his tracks. "We should wait to see how many kids die?" " And Mothers, too." Ed reminds Books. "The overall safety of birth and maternal/child health should really determine our numbers and our birth patterns. That's why those smart animals don't give birth in the Winter."

"Can we get smarter about all this?" Books asks. "Should we be discussing this in our deliberations about agriculture systems? Should we just ask Belly? She seems pretty clear about calories and foods for healthy births and babies."

" She has been working on all that with women and the Chef, to figure out the right number of births and deaths, over time, for a stable population and what it takes to feed it. They know what they need but how to balance that with our population is the issue."

" Who will convince people to follow such limitations?' Books wonders.

" NOT men!" Ed shouts. "We're the last ones to know anything about it that is reliable. Women are the ones to lead, here. How do they do that with us bull-headed guys? You got any songs for that?"

Books tries to recall a song or tune from any culture but comes up blank.

"I'm pretty sure the Planet and others on it are discussing this topic." Ed advises. "They know our numbers and know we can do the math to figure out what we need. They may have a different way of managing their populations but they know we need to do it, too. They can see that a good number of our current humans are coming to the age when humans reproduce. A plan to manage that might be essential, to know how to provide for that increase, and may show that agriculture is needed with the Planet's permission to expand what we grow. "

"There has to be a song or dance appropriate to the topic." Books speculates. "I bet a woman wrote it. I'll ask She-Bird. She may know it."

"Sing that one, man." Ed laughs. " If such a song was ever written and sung, let's hear it."

End of Chapter 11

Chapter 12 - Just Listen

Books' search for the perfect words and lyrics for a song about not having sex and making babies was cut short by the birth of his own child. SheBird went into labor, a few days after his conversation with Ed, and revealed a song that resonated with so many women and many men, in the past.

"She recalls the song, now, in detail." Books explains to Ed a few days after the birth. " Childbirth reminded her why women sang it."

Though highly focused on allowing her body to lead during childbirth, participating in that process helped SheBird to recall the song first titled 'Women's Work', that was heard around the world, at the time in human history when having children was not the primary focus of women or men. People pretty much stopped doing it and the Planet's human population dropped rapidly over the next twenty years. It was most popular in places that banned abortions, leading to more maternal deaths in those regions than at any other time in human history.

Some of women's hesitation to have kids came from the fact that many less humans were getting married. Some thought this was because of a horrific period in history where climate was uncertain, wars were many, hunger was rampant because of war and vast inequalities existed between very, very wealthy people and very poor people. Lots of people considered "the middle class" were doing what they could to keep themselves and their kids alive, let alone having bigger families or encouraging their grown kids to do so. It was touch and go for about 75% of the human population, no matter where they lived. Many women decided not to be mothers and did not get married or have children, even if they did marry. Bridal dress shops and wedding photographers had to rethink their career choices. Many birthing centers closed and both women and men hummed the song under their breath, especially after it was outlawed in most nations by censors who were afraid, if it caught on, they would not have a census to censor by 2050. Politicians upheld the ban on the song because there is nothing more desperate than politicians without people to elect them to office, so they can boss people around and make rules for others. In 2023 they tried banning abortions, then banned the song, then known as " Stay Out of My Vagina, You Creep", aimed at having men mind their own business, instead of women's reproduction function. A lot of the women who did not die in childbirth, took up the song and sang it everywhere. Men began singing it too. People stopped having kids.

Eventually the Song was all but forgotten and those with stable lives and stable cultures returned to limiting family numbers where only the healthiest and most stable folks were encouraged to procreate. Families with a history of kindness and good sense often decided on which people ( married or not to each other) to encourage to have children. Often families pledged help and support for these "chosen parents". Parents and others then had the resources to be able to spend time birthing and raising those children. The saying " It takes a Village To Raise A Child" was taken literally and many children living among a score of Aunts and Uncles, never could tell which were adoptive family and which were actual blood relatives.

This was a realistic foundation of support for another 20th Century euphemism " No child left behind".

Despite Belly's assurances that childbirth was completely natural and that She-Bird's body knew exactly what to do and when to do it, Books saw that his beloved wife was in the throws of the process that appeared to be highly stressed and uncomfortable, at best. No wonder she recalled the best song in human history to stop that happening again. Who could fault her for that recall at that time"

"The biggest muscle in her body went from the size of a grapefruit to a sack that now holds a 7 pound baby." Ed reminds Books, when they are asked to leave the birthing room because Books looks like a man about to faint. " Now the kid is kicking around in there to try and get out and that big muscle called the uterus is contracting to help that." Ed reminds Books, as he holds the young man's arm and hands him a glass of water. " We talked about this in Father Mind class. This is not an easy process, though it is a natural one. It's the biggest muscle cramp, ever."

" Got it. Got It." Books agrees. "But it sure helped her remember the words to that song, didn't it? She started humming it last night and this morning she recalled the chorus." Books is referring to She-Birds high volume rendition of the 2024 Top-of-the-Charts classic, 'Out of My Vagina." "I think they heard her singing deep in the mushroom caves." Ed admits.

" Do you think she was singing to keep me out forever or to motivate the kid to get out sometime in the next 24 hours?" Books asks.

Books is glad to have the song to share with the Settlers but is concerned it is a hit too close to home.

There is a loud sound, something between the scream of a human orgasm and the triumphant sound of a red-tailed hawk's cry, resounding from the sky, that came from the birthing room and She-Birth began to sing the song again, this time to a Tiger-Country Beat. " I'll go in and accompany her on my flute." Books proposes. " If it is to call the kid out, I want to be a part of that." " Spoken like a true dad. " Ed praised him. " Mother and baby first. We're here to give them what they need and to keep away what they don't need. That's getting with the Father Mind, Books."

*****

Though Penny left Earth and grew up on Small World with the Settlers, she now returns to the world of her birth as an adult. Things are changing rapidly there and may have been doing so, unknown to her child self, but now understood as a grownup. She finds that many changes are relevant to issues on Small World. She is not sure if it is because she is an adult seeing Earth and all its varied people for the first time, or because she is not recognized as one of the Way Scan Kids and is just a regular person, among many others, that helps her observations.

Her years growing up do help familiarized her with the languages and cultures of many of the groups represented on Small World as she visits their people on Earth. Penny still marvels at the human capacity for creative change. The jokes told by People on Planet Earth are brilliantly funny, a part of human life that now delights and entertains her as a grownup. Big Penny goes to stand-up comedy performances, sometimes in clubs, sometimes at parties, fairs or cultural events, and finds great delight in the variety of ways and in the variety of comedy "schticks" performed on Earth.

This proliferation of jokers, comics and fools is explained to her by a Jewish Man whose family has lived in Palestine for thousands of years, and stayed even after most Jews left, in 2026. So ashamed were they, after a failed attempt to reproduce the holocaust with Palestinians as the victims, many returned to the nation of their birth or the birth of their ancestors, to try to keep pretending they "did not know."

Many were consoled by humor, after seeing the global insanity that had moved to do such harm. To them it was the ultimate joke possible as it destroyed their legitimacy to run a nation, which died but remained a testimony to the need for Peace, worldwide. " We really killed." was the summation of their performance as a nation.

Now as an old man, Jacob, lives by the Wailing Wall and tells jokes, almost non-stop to those who pray there.

" I could pray, too," Jacob tells her " but Creator has heard them all and, though he laughs almost non-stop, he is not laughing at me, only at Himself for what he once-called, mind you that was a long time ago, his best invention, the human race. We have been replaced by otters as Creator's current favorite. They eat, swim and poop. I tell you, no wars. They do have fun, though. You can't blame Creator for putting us at the bottom of His list. Chosen people, my tushie." Jacob shares, walking off still talking to himself.

Penny watches as a Palestinian woman approaches Jacob with a cloth-covered plate of food and hands it to him as he sits to eat it. His clothes are threadbare and he bows respectfully to thank her for the food and drink. He covers the plate with the cloth, so as not to touch her in any way, handing the plate back, knowing he is forbidden under both Islamic and Jewish custom to touch this woman.

As Penny travels to other parts of the world, other comics explain how they work laughter and fun into the conversation in schools, churches, social clubs and varied community entertainments, including public meetings and government. Once Cities had Urban Poets. Now all cities have City Comics, charged with training both children and adults in comedic expertise. Each person is encouraged to find their own, particular brand of Comedy.

"Why is being funny so important here, now?" Penny asks. "So many people doing this? What for?"

" Comedy has replaced war and aggression in the human bandwidth of behaviors." a Stand-Up Comic from the former Soviet Union shares. " Humans who do not have the capacity for laughter are likely to make war. Call funny a survival skill."

"I think I know what may be standing in our way on Small World." Penny admits to herself. "The only species laughing there seem to be not human. I'm sure the fungi think we are a joke, but humans, not so much. "

Penny recalls the kindness and generosity of the Settlers in caring for others and for the land but she has to admit they are a rather serious bunch. They were always sharing songs, stories and dances of their people but inside jokes? She was glad that Books Wunder had joined them on Small World. Books is a natural clown and with the help of Toni Leonardo, the closest person they have to a Comic professional, they might just lighten the mood to get in more laughs.

" Thank Creator Books is there. We needed him 20 years ago but he was only six years old, then. He's a new arrival but he does know how to share delight and humor in many ways. Books has his hands full letting the rest of us in on the cosmic joke that is humanity."

Penny admits as she makes her plans to return home. " But I believe he can do it." Big Penny gets the picture it is time for her to return to Small World to guide the Settlers on what is going on in human evolution on Planet Earth. She has seen what is changed in agriculture, and in human relationships with other animals and with the Planet. Relationships have become give and take interactions, much as on Small World. Earth activities and the plans of humans are now made with consideration of other species and the ecosystems involved. This is what Settlers agreed to do, before they left Earth and this is what humans who remained on Earth do, as well.

As Earth humans follow suit, communication with other species, particularly animals which are part of farms and agriculture, began to change. Human relationships with wild animals, with humans staying out of non-city places, is just part of a bigger change. Realizing that the lives of all in an ecosystem that thrives better without humans, should be respected and left alone, is also part of it. Only those who approach involvement with reverence, usually as part of a ceremony directed by the Planet, but conducted or energized by humans, are the main human interactions with the Wild on Earth.

Penny wonders if the Small World communication with other Species has now come to Earth. Is there somehow a conversation between the Planets, as there is communion between cells of a cosmic organism? If so, is this part of a revolution in both agriculture and species awareness that allows humanity to enter into conversation with the universe? Penny wants to share these questions with Small World. She is eager to return. Penny also misses LEB like crazy and wants to find out if humor-as-a-problem-solving-strategy is part of the World of Water.

LEB has made reference to the fact that dolphins are the jokesters of the deep, always singing and dancing. They also tell him the most about negotiations and concerns going on under water and at the coasts. LEB is the water world's human contact in the current negotiations about agriculture and she hopes the dolphins are not playing with him, in their reporting. Joking is fun but these negotiations are no joke. She has been away from both for too long.

*****

Jason, Curious One Pau, is helpless with laughter at his negotiating meeting, as the human representative to the non-human world of Fungi. His son, Curious 2, had taken to calling him the Ambassador Mushroom. When Fungi heard about his new nickname the fungi laughed and then told him how funny humans were to them. He had to laugh along.

" We are pretty funny." Curious 2 agrees. His usually serious Science-Guy father explains the joke.

"I'm not an ambassador as much as the humble kitchen boy watching the fire in the castle basement." Jason acknowledges. "I thought I was the head chef but I found out I am too lowly to even touch the food in the kitchen."

"You are the human representative to the world of soils and fungi." Curious 2 reminds him. "Have a little dignity, Dad."

"The Ambassador has no clothes. " Jason admits. "Imagine we thought we controlled anything about agriculture and forestry. We can't even digest anything we eat without fungi, let alone grow food without it. There wouldn't even be a shit creek to be up, without their help."

"What about cows?" his son asks. "We were thinking about them for the bacterial flora in their stomachs that makes such good milk not to mention their manure, if we want to build topsoil here. We need help, even if we grow in raised beds with plant compost. If chickens are not in the picture, how about cows? "

" Animal waste is home to millions of bacteria and fungi needed for food's nutrition quality, and more efficient functioning of our digestive systems." Jason reminds his child. "We can't digest grass, for one. There is too much lost without varied animals eating and excreting."

"Do you think fungi would support cows as our grazers of choice for grasslands and soil building? We can't even plant ground cover without the help of something grazing and pooping out there.

" Cows need fungi to operate their digestion, too." Jason advises. " Dairy products would be lost without the right bacteria. Don't forget the earthworms, though. They are grazers under the soil. "

" I vote for horses." Curious 2 puts in. "They are fun to ride and I hear the dolphins see themselves as horses of the sea, roaming far and free. They might support horses as part of our farming systems.

" Let's take this back to the Human Advisor Group meeting tonight." Jason suggests. "Maybe there are other animals who can provide what cows and horses can do but are a better fit on Small World. I remember lamas have some attributes for clothing as well as their grazing skills."

******

"I'm so glad we had our meeting with the birds before the baby came." She-Bird tells Books as they wake at dawn to their child's crying.

" Two Birds, one stone." Books agrees. "Pardon the expression, but together the Sky, Birds and Settlers decided that we need to welcome bees to Small World. We also agreed on our daughter's name and Bee Wunder still sounds good to me. Two big decisions with far reaching effects."

"Reach far enough to get me that diaper." She Bird requests. "I like her name, too, but having bees come to Small World will help so many things, even if we don't have agriculture here. It will allow pollination of other plants that can thrive here for many purposes. Bees have great attitudes, as well, and we can use their gifts for healing and in other industries and development projects. I wonder if bees can return with Big Penny. How can we get word to her?"

"Spoken like a true human." Books acknowledges. " Ask not what you can do with nature, ask what nature can do for you."

" What bees can do for us most is help to change that human attitude." She Bird advises. "Cooperation, communication, even patterns for expanding and accommodating more and using and sharing resources with other species, Bees are masters of organization. We can learn a thing or a million things from them."

"Maybe we'll learn how to speak to other worlds, they are so smart." Books suggests. " Ask our Bee to call them with that voice of hers. I am sure they will come." The twittering of waking birds, outside their windows, show that Birds agree with what is said and their song serves to quiet the cries of Bee Wunder, as she listens to their morning greetings. She buzzes her tiny lips in answer.

*****

Many human groups met to discuss the various aspects of change on Small World. They hope to present a structure for transition to other Settlers and to the Planet's myriad other life forms. The communications with various aspects of each element was an on-going, daily activity for the past month. Members of each group and faction join the discussion through a combination of meditative practices, active listening to translations between species and in some cases collective dreaming. A few meet-ups for each group and it soon became clear who was really able to get the word, understand and translate it to the rest of the group and lead productive discussion. No issues were hidden and all were the source of negotiations, based on practices that had worked well on Earth.

"Sooner or later we all came from Earth." Precious Hui reminds All, human or otherwise. "We can and we must all evolve together."

The use of trees and possible expansion of tree cover, in planning for rainfall and climate management, was one such area for negotiation for a controlled environment change. Buildings were another option for creating safe shelter, on land, sea and shore and another area for mutual benefit. Planting along other rivers and lakes, with some contouring of the land, promised water species in both salt waters and fresh waters, options to increase their numbers. Conditions needed could be provided by combined efforts of humans, birds and soils and microorganisms. Help needed for transition to both habitat and food sources for human people could be part of the benefit of such support. Crops such as wild rice could be expanded along some rivers for people and water fowl, as an example of a win, win change. This discussion for expanding what is working well on the Planet led to the discussions of other species needed for healthy ecosystems not currently found on Small World.

"Salmon do not do well without Bears to control their numbers and forests suffer, too, without bears and salmon carcasses, to fertilize the trees. The trees are needed to cool some areas of streams and rivers so the fish can thrive and spawn there." Radiwan Kwadari explains to the part of the Planet Mind that is working with Humans on fresh water environments. " Many fish, like salmon, need varying temperatures, changing water speeds and different food sources, to thrive. Humans, like eating fish, and fish like to eat insect larvae. I won't even go into the role of mosquitos in this life cycle."

" What is a mosquito?" the Planet Mind asks.

*****

Big Penny is so happy to get back to LEB she dives into the Communication Pool to greet him under water when she leaves the Air Car. The whales and dolphins present, who by this time are used to their interactions when together, applaud and cheer as the young humans embrace and kiss. Dolphins nudge them to go up for air when they remain lip-locked for over three minutes.

" I have a question for you to take to the seas." Penny states, an hour later and out of danger of drowning, as they exit the water and are sitting poolside.

They are interrupted by greetings from various species who come to welcome Penny back. They know her well and are glad that LEB's assurances that she would return are true. Penny is happy to see the greeting party and hear from LEB about progress in the negotiations for agriculture on Small World. Penny explains what is going on with human growing systems, farm animals and land use, on Earth.

"There seems to be a new relationship between humans and the rest of life. " she explains. "Humans tell the living world, both plants and animals, and even the weather, what they need and the world gives it to them. "

"That sounds like Tiger Country." LEB admits. " An Elder named Freemont told me all about Tiger Country when humans lived there as the guests of Tigers."

"Freemont Jefferson Jackson? " Penny asks. "We learned about him at school. He's the grandfather of SheBird Brightfoot and he is credited with so much positive change. The stabilization of a world economy, for one, with the thousands of investors he trained at the Tomato Millionaires program. He also helped remake the City of Mobile and the ways things were decided in that town. He helped change PetroChem Corporation to BioClean Industries. His is a long story but I thought he was dead."

" He said he came back for his grandchild's wedding." LEB told Penny. "The instrument he played at the ceremony was the Shimmer, or as he called it, ' Forget About Time and Space.' Anyway he told me all about Tiger Country where he was born. Tigers are both kind and excellent hosts. Whatever humans living there needed and asked for, the Tigers provided it or asked other animals to help. Monkeys threw fruits down from the tops of trees.

Other animals sacrificed themselves so the humans could eat. Birds gave them eggs and helped rid the human areas of insects or pests. Very fine hosts."

" So that is how a natural world works? " Penny asks. " My question is this: Does life undersea work like this, too? Do animals and plants ask for what they need and are given it to fill their needs? "

" Great question. " LEB acknowledges. "Why have I never asked this before? The answer could change everything!"

****

" Today we just listen to the reports from each of our Human Ambassadors and from the various Elements and Aspects. Then we can offer comments, make suggestions or ask questions." Precious Lotus Blossom Hui proposes that evening at the Assembly of Settlers who have reports to give. The rest of the Settler community is watching or listening to a broadcast of the session from the Cultural Center Performance Hall. "But First a convocation from our Living Cultural Library, Books Wunder, Jr."

Polite applause greet Books as he takes his place before the Presenter, heard by all via broadcast..

" I begin tonight's sharing with an audio presentation by the newest member of our community, my daughter Bee Wunder."

A howl of hunger rose from her tiny mouth, so mournful and in need that there was instantly not a dry eye and many dripping breasts from nursing mothers, in the house or listening in over radio broadcast.. As often happens, one crying child triggers grief music from other children and soon the whole building is awash in the sound of hunger that also fills every listening home or gathering place. She-Bird quickly moves to breastfeed her child and silent witness of satisfaction and joy takes the place of the sound no parents ever want to hear from a child, the sound of unfilled hunger.

" Agriculture was the way we sought to stop the sound of hungry children, on Planet Earth." Books explains. "First we came out of the trees to move about and hunt and gather, to stop that sound. Then we settled to plant and husband other animals. We fear that sound more than war. We will exploit and plunder, use and abuse lands and animals and other humans, not to feel hunger. It is the fear we have at the level of our cells and in our DNA. It is DNA that forms our world from the smallest organism to the wealthiest and richest human. No one control empires and nations, churches and corporations, lands, skies and seas without this fear of hunger."

" So we devised our best ways to stop hunger. Unfortunately, on Earth we stopped consulting with the Planet to feed our growing numbers and forgot to share the wealth of this bounty with All, among our species, and with others. We forgot to do this the way our Planet does this, through changing conditions in weather and the coming and going of species through adaptation, extinction, migration and by changing numbers to fit landscapes and seascapes, through time. This variety of existence became fearful and we use our ingenious nature to try to stop it with more and more human people and things. If we cannot adapt to changes, we change things or perish, until we cannot do that any more. What we have learned is that a Planet must fulfill its own nature and we need to change to adapt to that or we will be no more."

" This is true on Planet Earth and is true on Small World. " Books finishes. " At least, this time we are trying to change with this world, instead of just changing this world. Will this keep us and our children from Hunger? It may or may not, but if it can purge from our DNA the fear of hunger and instill in us the trust and awareness we need to survive anywhere, then our task here, or anywhere, is accomplished."

THE END