Lewis stood with Lenon and Inu on a clear dock at the far west end of the harbor as the ship raised all her starboard oars and drifted into the pier. The oars clattered on the walkway, seeking purchase as the portside oars dug into sand and water. Her captain stepped onto the pier and strode across the deck to greet them as the ship gently grounded herself.

“Welcome to Ascore, Sir Trun. Come ashore and we shall have a feast on the beach. Allow me to introduce Captain Inu and Lieutenant Lewis.” Lenon said.

Sir Trun stood straight and spoke loudly enough for all to hear. “Thank you, Captain DeLeah. The Development Council has decided to honor your request for aid clearing Ascore harbor. Meanwhile my men and I are at your disposal for performing guard duty, training, labor, whatever assistance you need. All we ask for in return is consideration in the matter we discussed, and, when found, a building that we can use as an away base here. Oh, and you feed us. Are we agreed?”

“A prime building has indeed been located and awaits your inspection,” Lenon replied. “Food will be ready in about five hours, let us go look at that place we found for you in town.”

Sir Trun turned to his crew. “Men, as you know our powers have agreed to help the people who are attempting to settle these ruins. Let us live up to our side of the bargain as we discussed enroute!”

The men, who had been sitting at their oars, grabbed weapon belts and jumped off the sides. Half of them went into the water and the rest surged onto the walkway. As they marched to the beach Lewis saw that they were following a preset plan. Dayen intercepted the column that was headed toward the ruins, and they stopped while she conferred with their commanding officer. The others spread out setting up road blocks on the road at each end of the ruins and some disappeared into the buildings.

Lewis’s team was gathered on the main street into the city, so he went to join them while Lenon took Sir Trun to look at the building they had found.

Blair couldn’t wait, and shouted at Lewis across the fifty yards that still separated them. “What the hell is going on? Are we being…” his voice trailed off as Rollins cuffed him in the back of the head.

Lewis walked up and put his head next to Blair’s and whispered. “If you suspected we were being invaded, it would be far better to fade away than to blurt out, don’ cha think?”

Blair nodded and whispered. “Sorry boss.”

“Don’t do it again,” Lewis said out loud. “Every things fine, the grunts have arrived. Captain DeLeah made some kind of deal. Anyway it makes our job easier. If it comes to a fight try to fade and look for ways to render assistance. No in house brawling, these are the good guys until you hear otherwise.”

He stayed and answered a few questions, then headed off to find Dayen. The team followed him and they found her standing on a box in the street.

She spoke to a crowd of about twenty knights and fifteen locals. “Some of you are familiar with the procedure. This is for the benefit of the ones who aren’t. Each of you has a packet of flags and a board. Attach the board to the door or doorway and hang your blue flag on it as you enter. If you feel that the building is not safe, hang a black flag. Oh yeah, don’t forget to write your name on your blue flag so we know who is where. One room at a time, everything you find goes in the street. Try not to break things, especially plumbing fixtures. Teams will be ten people chosen by a foreman. Be careful and listen to your foremen. When you finish a building put an orange flag on the door.”

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She then went on to pick foremen, who in turn picked teams. Five people were left when the teams went up the street to start.

Dayen turned to Lewis. “You want to play? I have a job for you if you have time.”

“I think we could help for the day, Inu is busy,” Lewis said.

“O.K., Captain Inu had a crewman who did this in Ladzoo, his name is Jarn. He assessed structural damage. I borrowed him from Inu. Some of the black flags are for snakes and lizards; a few are for crazies with guns, but most are structural concerns. I need you to take these workers and Jarn into the black flagged places and if he determines that they are unsafe, then move on to the next one. If its guns or teeth eliminate the threat, so we can get people back in there. Also, computers need to go to Michael, even if they look broken.” Then she smiled. “Don’t lose people over this if you can help it. If the threat is too great, pull out. If that happens let me know immediately, and we will take care of it. Got it?”

Lewis saluted and said. “Yes ma’am.”

She returned his salute DeLeah fashion, right fist on left shoulder. Then she called Michael and asked him to send Jarn. Lewis saw Jarn come up from the harbor carrying a small sack over his shoulder. Jarn looked to be in his forties, there was a little gray in his short black hair.

He stopped in front of Dayen. “My name is Jarn, Inu sent me.”

Dayen looked at him and paced a little, watching him. “Can you assess structural integrity?”

“I was on a crew that did that in Ladzoo for a few years,” He looked nervous to Lewis. “I wasn’t the lead man, but I paid attention. I believe so.”

Dayen gave him a silver coin, and he looked at it appraisingly.

Lewis asked. “Why aren’t you still doing that?”

“The foreman was hot headed, and half the crew perished in a collapse,” he looked downright unhappy. “So I quit and found Captain Inu the next day.”

“Let’s try not to repeat that,” Lewis said. “I have better things to do than to rest in pieces under some old building.”

“Don’t worry, Sir. I was always the voice of caution on the crew,” Jarn replied.

“Good enough,” Lewis said and turned to the others. “Let’s go.”

The first building with a black flag was on the second street, right where Dayen’s map said it would be. It was a large building, ten stories tall and half a block wide. The big double doors had been cleared and stood open. Inside was a big lobby with store fronts on both sides. A row of elevators in the back wall was flanked by stairs that lead to a second floor balcony.

Lewis glanced at Jarn. ”Why do you think they flagged this one?”

“I don’t see any signs of structural problems,” Jarn said. “But it could be upstairs or even in the basement. I don’t think Ascore was hit as hard as Ladzoo, so it’s probably not in the basement.”

“Ok,” Lewis said. “Spread out in pairs. You Knights will each choose one of the local people to go with you. Treat this as a police action, not a search and destroy mission. Anyone found in the building should be detained and taken to Dayen unless they look like a clear and present danger to the team. Animals are food, to be hunted and taken to the beach. Our secondary goal is to gather computers, broken or not, and place them outside the building. Present weapons. Go.”