Charlinder's Walk by Alyson Miers

they could build enormous boats that sailed across oceans. Now, looking at how much of those higher latitudes was covered in solid ground, mostly Canada and Russia, he marveled at how far one could travel around the world by land. You wouldn't need to be in possession of a large boat to do that. Only a lot of time.

    But why did he suddenly care enough to see this?

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Five
    Children

    Charlinder's place in the labor scheme was beyond categorization, as he was the schoolteacher. His position and that of the village medic lay outside the usual divisions. Since he was busy with preparing and giving lessons, making paper and ink for the children to use, and synthesizing older works into new teaching materials, he was not expected to play a regular role in the agricultural work that other Paleolans performed, except for when harvest time came.
     
    The council was open to anyone whose neighbors would nominate them, and it was generally agreed that serving on the village's administrative committee was a responsibility in addition to, not instead of, one's daily and seasonal chores. Therefore, it caused Miriam no end of annoyance when her fellow council members acted as though making a few decisions from the council table was all the work they needed to do. It was an annoyance that she decided to vent one day to Charlinder while they took a part of the sheep flock out to graze.

    "...and if it were just the old guys with arthritis in their hands, that would make sense, but it's all of them that do it, so there's no excuse," she ranted while her hand-spindle lowered to her ankles.
     
    "Maybe we're just in such good shape, they figure there's not much that needs to be done," suggested Charlinder, who was busy feeding a milking ewe some clover blossoms from his hand.

    "I'm sure that's what they want to tell themselves," she said exasperatedly, "but even if we don't have any shortages, there's always something that could be improved."
     
    "Like what?" asked Charlinder. He was interested in hearing what Miriam would come up with on this.

    "Like, even if we have enough food to get us through the winter, there would be nothing wrong with having more than enough," she offered. "Or they could start thinking about ways to make the cabins warmer in cold weather, so we don't have to shiver for three months."
     
    Something about these suggestions was bothering him. They brought to mind something he hadn't given any thought in some time.

    "Miriam," he interrupted, "not too long ago you said something about 'Heaven forbid a guy should do anything productive around here.' Do you really think that? Do you think Benjamin,” he referred to her brother, “doesn’t do any real work?”

    “Oh, pfft. Benjamin has a sense of humor, he knows what I mean.”

    “I’m sure you mean that old rhyme of ‘Man works from sun to sun, but woman’s work is never done.’ Is that what you’re getting at?”

    “Yeah, actually, it is pretty galling to spend all day hunched over a set of knitting needles and then find out a few young punks were so bored they thought it would be funny to mix up the weaving supplies as a joke. If you’re pulling pranks to fill up your spare time, you’re doing something wrong.”

    “That happens maybe a handful of times a year, so do you think anyone who isn’t in the Never Done department isn’t being productive? Really?”

    "Of course I don't mean you," she said. "You're always helpful."

    "With my spinning and weaving, sure, but what about my teaching?"
     
    Miriam seemed to deflate with the breath she exhaled. She started walking to the other end of the field to hold the sheep in. When she turned in his direction again, she found Charlinder still watching her, waiting for an answer.

    "Nobody says they don't want you to teach," she called out from her spot some distance away. "They just wonder if it's necessary for you to teach all the children all those things you talk about in that