They Call Me Fog

Writers: Jane, Kaysea
Date Posted: 23rd May 2007

Characters: Lineal, Fog
Description: Lineal seeks out his cousin Fog and they catch up.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 4, day 11 of Turn 4

"My father tells me that you get called Fog now," Lineal said, having sought his cousin out where the other man sat on the lower deck in amongst the cargo eating his midday meal.

What Jesten had actually said when he had thrust half a cob loaf and a wedge of cheese at his son was that Fog could do with a bit of reassurance that Lineal hadn't changed. "Go down onto the main deck.
He'll be there somewhere, eating his meal. And don't hurry back."

On his first day of learning the ropes - to use a seacrafters' metaphor
- being told not to hurry back was surprising enough that Lineal didn't protest; just did what he was told.

Fog had glanced over his shoulder at the sound of approaching footsteps and was aware of Lineal's approach. He had tried to stay in the background since Lineal and his family had arrived. Surreptitiously watching his cousin and family, gauging them. He felt shy around them all, but especially Lineal who would remember him as he was.

"Ye...yeah. They call me Fog, because of ..." he tapped his head, "I..I forget things, sometimes." He kept his head down, not willing to see that look in Lineal's eyes. The same look he received from passengers who had never travelled with them before.

"Do you want to be called Fog or not? No reason for me to learn a new name if you don't even like it," Lineal commented, sitting down on a low pile of ... something. Something wrapped against the weather. He hoped it wasn't breakable.

"I'm used to it now." Fog shrugged, "I was told once, dunno by who, but people only get nicknamed if they're liked, so I guess I can handle it."
he looked Lineal in the eyes, finally, and was surprised to see they didn't look much different than when he talked to others. "You.. you don't seem surprised by the change in me," he stated bluntly.

"Huh! _Everybody_ has changed, for me. Aunt Vaheri's really _old,_ and your dad's got grumpy. Denna's ... well, she's not as thin as she used to be, is she?"

Fog gave a harrumph of amusement, and a slow easy smile crossed his face. "You're right, I never thought of that. I was worried you wouldn't see _me_ as I was, never thought of everyone else changing, too." He shook his head slowly, "Dunno if I would have considered it before, either." He gave a shrug. "Call me Fog, Lineal. I answer to it better these days."

"All right. Jesten says you're working with your father on the engines.
Do you like that?" When Lineal had left the riverboat for an apprenticeship under sail he had missed the noise of the boilers and engines and mostly the swish-swish of the paddlewheel that until the day his father handed him over to the seacrafters had been a constant in his life. All the same, he didn't think he would now want to go back to the hot grimey work around the engines.

"I've been doing it a long while now Lineal, Dad may be an old grump, but he knows his stuff. He's taught me well, even with this." he pointed once again to his head. "I may never make engineer on the Sungazer, or any other boat, but I will be a good and knowledgeable worker, thanks to him."

Lineal tried to remember if Follen - Fog, now - had had any ambition to be engineer. There was always only one who had the title, though many of the crew worked with the engines at some stage. He couldn't remember, but then he wasn't sure in his own mind that he had ever imagined growing up to be Captain. "I'd be happy to be that, all right, but my father wants me to know everything he knows - and more. I can't imagine that ever happening."

Fog gave a short burst of derisive laughter again, "Lineal, think man."
he turned and faced his cousin full on. "If I, with this thick head, can learn from my father almost everything he knows, _and_ manage to remember even half of it. _You_ will have no problems learning from your father."

"I might be able to learn, but I've been away all my adult life.
There's twenty-five Turns of knowledge missing." He shook his head.
"And then there's the expectations of people. When he goes my father's going to leave big boots to fill."

"And he wouldn't have chosen you, if he didn't think you could fill them."

"He wants his son to inherit," Lineal said honestly. "But the good news is that I'm not expected to be the pilot!" He laughed. "I don't think I could handle the pressure."

"He would have chosen the best person for the job, Lineal, son or no son." Fog was confident of that, though he knew he would never had stood a chance, even if he had not been so dense, now.

"Well, time will tell," Lineal suggested, hoping that it would tell that his father's faith had been justified. "But not if I don't get back to work." He got to his feet. "Rahona tells me your daughter made friends with Lihona last night when she was feeling homesick." He laughed. "I can't imagine you having children - but sometimes I can't imagine me having them, either."

"My daughter?" for a moment Fog looked puzzled, "Oh, you mean ....
Linli?" he gave a nod, his injury had meant that for almost a turn he hadn't recognised or remembered the girls as his children. It pained him now that it always appeared like a prompt when someone mentioned them. "I've been lucky," he answered, "Neke has taken care of the girls for me, since...since their mother left."

"Did she? Oh." Lineal tried to remember if anybody had told him that or not but there had been so much catching up to do that fact could have been lost among the rest. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"You weren't to know. They're beautiful girls and have had a lot to cope with." He shook his head, still pained by their circumstance. "Never mind now, Lineal, you had best get back to work, we'll have time later to talk. Welcome back, man."

"Thanks, Fo- Fog. It's good to be back."

Last updated on the May 25th 2007

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They Call Me Fog