From Sand to Nand

Chapter Nine

Productivity continued as usual. Once everyone had stable shelter and all of Pei's projects were completed, workdays shortened drastically. What originally began as 12 to 14 hours of daily labor became barely 3 to 5 hours of upkeep, which included washing clothes, hunting, fishing, cooking, and more. Of course, some groups like the scavengers, hunters, cooks, and rope weavers kept innovating, but with very little obligation other than to have a task with which to occupy themselves.

Every day, a new use for the island's natural resources was discovered. A few women had learned to make thread from strands of different plants while one man collected flowers for dyes. Together, the two groups started making colored clothing, fabrics, and other decorations. To Pei's astonishment, a vast number of artistically minded folks created small knickknacks out of various materials.

One very talented woman had used the dyes and some natural plant oils to paint clay ornaments she had kneaded, shaped, and fired herself. The brushes she used were handmade and each provided a different function. She made one brush from small pieces she had cut from her own hair and another from thicker strands of rope and plant material. For canvases, she used dried pig skin that she salvaged from the cooks.

The captain asserted caution when the cooks wanted to expand on their cuisines and unwritten menus. Luckily, prior to using mushrooms he had found, one man asked Pei if it were safe to do so.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "Just set it aside for now and don't use it until I find someone who can identify it." Later, Pei managed to consult a woman who was a taxonomist and a man who had knowledge of primitive survival to determine that the mushrooms were likely poisonous, as indicated by their spots, lines, and colors. The consultants even suggested that anyone who handled the fungi ought to wash their hands thoroughly to avoid spreading the spores. The head chef from aboard the Elevation was disappointed by the news. He was not alone.

People were slowly becoming bored with the lack of variety in the food supply and its bland flavor. As thankful as they were just to have food, several weeks of the same taste discomforted them. The cooking methods matured, but the selection was still the same: fish, pork, fried or raw fruit, and occasionally, an egg or even a head of wild Napa cabbage (sometimes fermented). Nearly everyone fought over any animal fat or oil they could get. Rarely, an unfortunate, unlucky marsupial found itself at the dinner table, as well.

The chef tried to process some of the ingredients he could derive from the few sources he had, but the resulting flavors were not too different. Pei alleviated some of the man's displeasure by suggesting he attempt to boil the sea water and collect the salts that doing so would leave behind. The idea of using spices and salts encouraged the cook enough to keep him occupied for the time being. He and the other cooks then became enraptured to learn of Asystasia as well as Lantoro beans that grew abundantly on the island.

When Pei heard of this breakthrough, he wondered how he had ever missed the small detail.

Asystasia's leaves are edible, much like salad. Incredibly, it grew all over the forest floor. Lantoro, or the white lead tree, produces beans that can be eaten or dissolved into water, much like tea or coffee. It also grew abundantly across the island.

Around the same time, a man who had previously made a living on a vineyard revealed to everyone that he had been secretly brewing large amounts of fermented fruits into alcohol. His announcement also suggested that he believed his vile concoctions would be ready for consumption soon. These new options excited the group.

Thanks to the alcohol, they partied nearly every night and danced the evening away. Some of the instruments survived from aboard the Elevation, but most were island-made. Some people fashioned themselves pigskin drums, while others made wooden instruments and flutes out of bamboo and oud. A lot of the musicians were quite talented and managed to nearly replicate almost any popular song request from the outside world. The various bands even produced an enlivening karaoke.