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could use yours and not with cropping, either. You know Nehera?"
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"The smith? Of course. What of it?"
"Take a walk with me," Karl said, taking a couple of sandwiches, then urging
the boy away from the rest of the crowd.
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Petros shrugged and followed him.
"I have a problem with Nehera," Karl said, handing the boy a sandwich and
taking a bite out of the other one. "He hasn't gotten the idea that he's free.
Thinks he has to belong to someone, and he figures that someone is me."
"Poor you."
Karl let a bit of steel creep into his voice. "You think I own people, boy?
Ever?"
"Well, no, I've heard about you."
"Better, then. As I was saying, I can't break him of the notion."
"Damn dwarves are supposed to make lousy slaves. That's what my mas what
someone who used to own me said."
Karl shrugged. "That's the theory. His spirit's broken, though. And I don't
know how to go about fixing it.
That's your job, if you want it."
"Broke spirit?" Petros snorted. "How am I supposed to fix that?"
"If I knew how, I wouldn't need you that's your problem. I want you to play
apprentice one day out of three. I'll clear it with the Engineers. While he's
busy teaching you about smithing, I want you to teach him how to be free.
Interested?"
"What's the pay?"
"Not much. You get to work on your own tools, and while you're playing
apprentice, you eat out of
Nehera's pot. Might even pick up a few skills while you're at it."
Petros shook his head. "My fields take too much time "
"Nonsense. All you're doing between now and harvest is a bit of weeding. If
you didn't have to spend so much time gathering food, you'd have plenty of
spare time on your hands."
The boy considered it. "Maybe. That your best offer?"
"What else do you want?"
"Next planting, I want the use of a horse and plow."
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Was that an honest counteroffer, or was the boy pushing, testing him?
Karl shook his head. "Just the horse. I've got plenty of horses. You'll have
to rent a plow yourself."
"Deal." The boy stuck out his hand. "Shakeonit."
"One more thing."
"Well?" Petros eyed him suspiciously.
"You smell like an outhouse." Karl jerked his thumb toward the lake. "Take a
bath. Now. You can pick up a cake of soap at the schoolhouse. Tell Aeia I said
so."
"Done. But I'll be back in time to vote. Nobody taking my vote from me."
The boy walked off toward the lake, trying his best to hold back a smile.
Karl didn't bother trying; he just turned his head away.
Go ahead, Petros, think of me as a sucker
.
Standing on the speaking platform, Ahira pounded his fist against the metal
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gong. "Your attention please,"
he called out, his voice even louder than the gong. "The twenty-third Home
town meeting is hereby called to order. Get the food off the fire and plug the
kegs," he called out to the cooks. "There is a decision to be made."
"...and the offer is a good one," Chton said, for the eighteenth time. Karl
was sure it was eighteen. As he lay back on the grass, propped up on his elbow
next to Andy-Andy, he hadn't had anything better to do than count.
Oh. Before I forget. Ahira says that there's a mountain lion around Petros'
farm
*Such as it is.*
Right. It would be kind of convenient if that lion got itself eaten
.
*Consider it munched.*
"...what are we here? Just a few thousand, barely eking out a living from the
soil and what we have to trade our blood and dying for."
That did it.
Enough of that crap. Point of fact, please
.
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*Who? Moi?*
Chak, please. And cut out the Miss Piggy imitation; you don't have the right
intonation down
.
*Then you don't remember it clearly; I stole it from Andy-Andy's head, and
she's got a better aural memory than you.*
"Point of fact," Chak said, leaping to his feet.
Chton tried to go on, but Ahira interrupted him. "Point of fact has been
called. Your claim?"
"I don't remember Chton shedding any blood. I don't know him all that well,
but I thought he was just a farmer."
Correct that, and quick
.
Chak's eyes momentarily glazed over. "Pardon me, I didn't mean to say
something bad about farmers.
What I was objecting to was Chton's taking credit for the blood that the
warriors and the Engineers shed not him."
Ahira nodded judiciously. "You may continue, Chton, but omit taking credit for
prices you haven't paid."
For a moment, Karl thought that Chton was going to burst a blood vessel. "
Haven't paid?
How about
Werthan, and his woman and child? Were they not farmers? Is a farmer's blood
any less red than a warrior's? Would they not be alive today instead of lying
in cold graves if we were under the protection of
Lord Khoral?"
Karl kept his face blank, but he couldn't help how his fists clenched. A
child, body sprawled on a rough wood floor, her life-blood a pool that would
stain forever...
A murmur ran through the crowd.
*You'd better answer that, Karl. If that wasn't addressed to you, I don't know
what is.*
No
. There wasn't an answer; there wasn't an excuse. Ihryk rose to his feet.
"I'll answer him, Mr. Mayor."
"You?" Chton sneered. "One of Karl Cullinane's hirelings?"
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"I don't remember that sneer in your voice when Karl pulled you and me out of
the slave wagon, Chton. I
don't even remember you at Werthan's houseraising." Ihryk raised his fist.
"But I'll tell you this Werthan and Anna would have spent their lives with
collars around their necks if it weren't for the likes of Karl
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Cullinane. And so would you and I."
"Yes," Chton shot back, "the noble
Karl Cullinane, the great man. Who just happens to be the richest man in the
valley. If we join with Therranj, we'll all be as rich as he is, have as many
servants as he does. Is that what bothers you, Karl Cullinane? Is that why you
oppose Lord Khoral's offer?"
*Karl, I think it's about time. If he calls for the vote now *
I know
. Karl rose to his feet. "Point of personal privilege, Mr. Mayor."
Ahira nodded. "You may address the point."
Karl walked to the platform, forcing himself to move slowly, knowing that a
hurried step might make it look as though Chton's taunts had scored.
He stepped up onto the rough wood and turned to face the crowd.
"About damn time, Karl," Ahira whispered. "This better be good."
"It will be." He raised his voice. "Chton has made a point, and a good one.
I... guess I should be ashamed.
Yes, of course, the reason that I don't want Home to become part of Therranj
is that I'm afraid for my status. It's only logical, isn't it? If everyone is
better off, then it only follows that I would be worse off...."
He wrinkled his brow. "Wait. That doesn't make sense. Wouldn't I be better
off, as well?" He nodded. "I
know what Chton means, though." He picked a familiar face out of the crowd.
"Harwen, I was just talking about it to you the other day, remember? I was
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