Battlefield Earth

Chapter 8

Unfortunately for Jo

Chrissie found him. I m awfully sorry we overlooked Pattie. I thought you were coming right behind us and had her, and then when I saw she wasn't there, I ran out again but you had taken off.” Pattie was standing behind her looking at Jo

“But that isn't what I must talk to you about,” said Chrissie. She produced from behind her an envelope and began to take things out of it. One glimpse of them told Jo

“This eleventh-of-a-credit coin,” said Chrissie, “is not too bad. It 's green and you can't see it. The three-elevenths coin, this blue one, is not too awful because you can't see it either. This red metal, five-elevenths coin is barely passing. The yellow, six-elevenths coin just won't do.”

Hearing Chrissie expound upon money was novel. She had probably never used it in her whole life.

“But the smallest to the largest paper bank notes are what you should be concerned about. I told Dries I was very upset! This is the one-credit note. And this here is what they call the eleven-credit note but it says,

"Psychlo number system,” said Jo

. ..

"I’ll take your word for it,” sighed Chrissie, “but that's not what I’m mad about. Here, look at these. This one is...the...one-zero-zero credit note. It says 'one hundred' but it's the same as a hundred twenty-one one-credit notes. Yes, yes, I know...Psychlo numbers.” She showed Jo

Jo

“It’s the face!” said Chrissie. “Look. On the coins they have your face in profile and you can't see it on the smaller ones but you can on the yellow one because it's big enough. The nose! Your nose isn't turned up at the end!”

Jo

“And these bills. I don't care,” said Chrissie, “if it is hard to reproduce accurately like Dries said. They made your skin grayish. The eyes have too big a lid. And Jo

Jo

Great! Less chance of being pointed at in the hills. But Jo

“Oh, it's not that! It just doesn't look like you.”

“I’m afraid it would cost an awful lot and make a lot of trouble to change them now,” said Jo

That seemed to mollify her and she put them back in the envelope and walked off, noting from the way he seemed to have nailed himself down that he might have to be fed lunch there.

Pattie stayed behind and sat down on the floor. She still seemed very thoughtful but she was not as dull as she had been.

Ker came up the ramp, followed by about thirty assorted ex-marines-

Jambitchows, Drawkins, and a couple of Hockners. Ker went on by with a friendly hello. But when the others got abreast of Jo

Jo

“Ker!”

The midget Psychlo walked back to him, leaving his group standing up the passageway. "Ker," said Jo

“Nothing,” said Ker, amber eyes glowing with i

“Well,” said Jo

“Of course!” said Ker. He turned and yelled up at the group. “It’s all right! He isn't mad at you right now!”

They all seemed so relieved, Jo

“Something else?” said Jo

Ha. Ha. Well, it wasn't true that he had been the only one here when everybody including the Mountains of the Moon people had taken off for Edinburgh to help. They'd left their old ones and their kids. And he'd gotten bored just sitting with a blast rifle in his lap up the corridor there and he'd found one of the old ones spoke a fu

The children had been pretty shy at first, thinking he was a monster and all, so he'd told them that he was really human. That he had a human mother and father. But his mother had been scared by a Psychlo and so when he was born, he looked this way.

But he'd be honest with Jo

“Not to change the subject,” said Ker, doing it, “but I heard you say something about handling a problem. I can't wash vehicles forever. When are you going to get busy and nail Maz so I can get this mine going again?”

"I’m working on it right now!” said

Jo

Chapter 9

Perhaps because she had been so weak, it was five hours and Chirk had not stirred.

Jo

The Psychlo's breathing seemed to be less shallow, or was he just being hopeful?

No, he wasn't! Chirk had moved a paw. Very slight, but she had moved it.

After a long time, Chirk let out a fluttering sigh.

She opened her eyes and looked dully about her.

She finally focused on Jo

Then abruptly Chirk hitched herself up on her elbows and said with some authority, “Jo

Jo

He was about to answer when she caught sight of her arms. Puzzled, she said, “What am I doing so thin?”

She hitched herself up a little higher. “Why am I so weak?”

“You'll feel stronger when you've had something solid to eat. We have some very good goo-food now. And even some chew-roots."