Soldier at the Door (74 page)

The
Yungs winked at each other.

Dormin tried lamely to gesture, but his arms couldn’t even obey him. He just gaped.

Eventually words stumbled out of his stunned mouth as he stared at the scene in front of him.

“Oh . . . my . . . I . . . just . . . didn’t . . .”

The Yungs laughed.

---

Mahrree felt, for the briefest of moments, a thrust of heat and energy and amazement. It came out of nowhere, filled her completely, and then, just as swiftly as the feeling came, it slipped away.

She hadn
’t imagined it; it had been real—so painfully, acutely real. It stopped her in her back garden, as if an invisible hand had slipped into her and yanked her soul. She still felt it, even though it was now only a fast memory.

And the loss of that moment—of that wonder, that fear, that knowledge that so quickly rushed into, and then out again—panged her heart. Something extraordinary was, at that moment, happening somewhere in those mountains.

And she was missing it.

She
had
to miss it.

She could never leave her husband or her children. They were a
family. Without her family, she was merely a fraction of what she should be.

There would come a time for her, the woman had told her. That notion both fascinated and terrified her. When that time would be, she had no idea. For now it was just easier to push aside the worr
ying yet captivating thought. So until
that time
. . .

Until then, there was nothing more she could do.

Except . . . the laundry.

She sighed loudly, turned back to the basket on the ground, and forced her arms to go through the motions of hanging her daughter’s dress on the line. Tears of frustration leaked from her eyes, and e
mbarrassed, she brushed them away.

There was nothing more to see, or to know, or to imagine.

Except a strange little thought that floated like a tiny puff of cotton through her mind, so quietly that she nearly missed it, but she caught it at the last moment.

It said,
Where—exactly—is your family?

---

“I can’t help it, that story always puts me in the mood for berry pie.”

The two thirteen-year-olds stared at the old woman as she looked thoughtfully into the sky. Pulling weeds in the pumpkin patch had been forgotten hours ago.

“Aren’t either of you hungry?” she asked the teens. “I’m starving. And look—the raspberries are ripe. Surely someone’s mother somewhere has a raspberry pie?” she hinted.

The girl scoffed. “Muggah, you can’t be serious—”

Her cousin Vid jumped in. “Oh Hycy, yes she is. Look at her eyes. Pie eyes.”

Muggah smiled slightly. “Can’t go on without pie. I’m so frail, so needing of sustenance . . .”

“But,” Hycy exclaimed, “You didn’t tell us if Shem—”

“Forget Shem,” Vid cut her off. “She didn’t get to the part when they went to—”

“Ohh,” Muggah sighed loudly and put a hand dramatically to her forehead. “Need pie. No more words until pie. Memories . . . fading . . . only restored by . . . pie.”

“Oh, for crying out loud!” Hycy rolled her eyes. Vid nodded in disgusted agreement at the old woman sitting in the garden with them. “We’ll find you pie, all right?” Hycy said.

Muggah winked at them. “Pie for words, then. And don’t worry—the story will still be waiting for you,” she promised as the teenagers stood up and brushed off their clothes.

“And a glass of milk would be nice to go along with it,” she a
nnounced as they trudged off. “And a napkin. I’m not a filthy Guarder just sitting out here in the dirt, you know.”

She grinned as they groaned loudly.

Then she looked up at the warm sun and laughed.

Here’s a s
neak peek from the working draft of

Book Three:
The Mansions of Idumea

Lieutenant Colonel Perrin Shin looked at the report in front of him dated the 36
th
Day of Planting, 335.

He groaned.

“Well?” Major Karna asked with a sly smile.

“Chief Curglaff is an idiot. Still.” He cleared his throat and read in the nasally tone of the chief of enforcement.

“‘The continued thieving problems in Edge are not a result of teenage mischief but may indicate a Guarder presence, therefore all thefts and concerns should continue to be under the jurisdiction of the fort.’”

He tossed the document on the desk. “We established that years ago! It’s just another
decree that his men aren’t going to do anything more than sit on the corners and attempt to direct traffic this season. Didn’t he promise he was going to retire this year?”

Karna grinned. “At the end of Weeding Season. Can you deal with him for that much longer?”

Shin scoffed. “I’ve been dealing with that hard-nosed goat for fifteen years now. Where’s my medal for that?” He patted his chest filled with patches and insignias.

Karna laughed, and there was a knock at the Command Office door.

“Come in,” Shin called.

The door opened and Master Sergeant Zenos leaned in. “Oh, sir, I can see this is a bad time.”

“I wanted to see you anyway, Zenos.” Shin waved him in.

Zenos walked in
to the office and closed the door behind him. “I’ve seen that look on your face before. It says, ‘Curglaff’s an idiot and when is he retiring?’”

“Very good, Zenos,
” Karna chuckled, “but even I could have read that expression.”

Shem sat down on a chair next to Karna
. “So he’s still refusing to direct enforcement patrols in the village?”

“Naturally,
” Perrin spat. “All the thieving this season is Guarder related, supposedly.”

“Where’s his evidence?” Karna asked
, knowing full well what the answer would be.

Perrin rolled his eyes.
“Since when has he ever needed evidence?”

Zenos sighed. “I’ve been through this with him before. The fourth time we arrested Poe Hili for thieving, he admitted he had
buyers for the goods, but he’d never met any of them. And no one was more prolific than Poe.”

“Since he was released I haven’t seen him around. Where is he
anyway?” Karna wondered.

“Not around here, that’s all I know!” Shem sighed in relief.

Perrin shrugged. “Been what, two years now? The couple of times I’ve had the unpleasant pleasure of running into his parents, they didn’t mention him. I don’t think they even know what happened to their sweet yet misunderstood lamb.”

“Lamb in wolf’s clothing,” Karna breathed. “All o
f those boys. Your son excepted, of course, sir,” the major added quickly.

Perrin chuckled. “Thank you, Karna. Although Peto’s so small and wiry he’d be an excellent thief. Just doesn’t have any muscle on him to carry anything.”

“But if he did,” Shem said, “he’d be stuck in your wife’s class with all the other ‘special cases’ she gets to teach.”

Perrin’s eyes twinkled.
“And that’s probably the main reason he’s remained such a good boy—he doesn’t want his mother as his teacher!”

The three men chuckled.

“At least Mahrree’s in a position to see if any of those boys are looking at Jaytsy,” Karna said off-handedly, picking up a page from the desk, until Zenos exploded.

“Why s
hould they be?” Shem nearly shouted. “She’s only fourteen!”

Karna
flinched at the master sergeant’s volume, dropped the page, and held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry, sorry . . . it’s just that she doesn’t
look
fourteen. I keep forgetting her age.”

The lieutenant colonel winked at him. “So do I, Brillen. And she’s
almost
fifteen. Doesn’t help that she’s taller than her mother. And . . . and more, uh,” he gestured lamely with his hands, finally balling them into protective fists.

“Yes . . . all
that
.” He sighed, not quite sure how to describe his very mature-looking daughter who he still thought of as only four years old.

“Better
not
be looking at her,” Uncle Shem mumbled, his shoulder twitching.

Perrin stifled a smile and picked up the report from Chief Curglaff again.
That quickly sobered his mood.

“In a way, Brillen and Shem, I almost miss outsmarting the Guarders. Chasing down and chaining up Edge’s sons is far less r
ewarding and far more disturbing. Home grown criminals. I don’t like it, and I’ll never get used to it.”

“Agreed,” Karna whispered while Shem nodded.

“So,” Shin said breaking the quiet moment, “have the new duty rosters ready, Zenos?”

“Right there, on the corner of y
our desk. I put it there before Curglaff visited.”

Shin nodded and picked up the pages he hadn’t noticed before. He smiled faintly. “You already put the soldiers on patrols again in the village, hadn’t you?”

“It’s Planting Season again, after all. Weather’s warming up, so our lizard-like thieves will be coming out of their slumber.” Zenos’s normally sweet expression turned crusty. “I knew Curglaff wouldn’t take on the responsibility, and with this past Raining Season being so long, we’ve got 250 soldiers itching to get out and do something.”

“Very good, Shem,” Perrin said handing back the duty roster. “Just continue like that for the next two and a half seasons, until it gets cold again and the boys go back into hiding.”

“Yes, sir.” Zenos smiled and stood up. “Anything else, sir?”

“No, thank you, Master Sergeant.” Perrin got up as well
. “I’m going to make my sweep of the village. Some of those new shop keepers with the Idumean goods wanted to have a word with me about ‘security’ issues.” He rolled his eyes.

“Curglaff referred them to you?” Karna guessed.

Perrin grumbled back. “You have the fort, Major,” he said as he put on his cap. “Headed to the stables, Zenos? I’ll accompany you.”

Out in the forward command office, the lieutenant colonel no
dded at the older, gnarled sergeant major.

“Grandpy, I’m heading out for the afternoon.”

Grandpy Neeks saluted and grinned his weather-beaten smile. At fifty-three, only ten years older than Perrin, he looked more like the last survivor of the Great War 135 years ago.

“
Lemme guess,” he drawled slowly, “them lovely shops in the center are getting their fine wools coming in. Worried about them being pinched.”

Perrin chuckled. “It’s Planting Season, Grandpy. The wools are going
out
, the silks and linens are coming
in
. More valuable. More anxiety causing.”

“A shame,” Neeks said slowly shaking his head, “that a man like you is reduced to having to know what kinds of cloth are in fashion.”

Perrin and Shem laughed.

“I know about the fashions only because I have a teenage daughter that’s been growing
non-stop for the past two years.”

Neeks winked knowingly at the men as they trotted down the stairs.

“That’s probably why he never married,” Shem said quietly as they walked through the reception area, returning the salutes of younger soldiers. “Doesn’t want a wife pestering him about fashion. A shame,” he drawled like the sergeant major.

“So is that why you’re still not married, Shem? A strapping not-so-young man of now thirty-four? Men will start calling you Grandpy soon, too.”

Shem elbowed his commander. “I look nothing like a Grandpy! And neither do you, I might add.”

“I thank you for that,” Perrin nodded formally, “And by the way, you now finally look like
you’re twenty-one. I thought I saw a whisker on your chin the other day.”

Automatically Shem’s
hand went up to his chin to find it.

Perrin burst out laughing.

Shem shook his head and chuckled. “Not funny,
sir
,” he sneered.

“Mahrree’s still on the lookout for you. Though I have to r
emind you again, single women your age are getting scarce.”

“We’ve been through this before,” Shem sighed as they walked out of
the compound toward the stables. “When I’m ready, I’ll find the right woman. Or she’ll find me, and then I’ll know I’m ready. We’ve just never crossed paths yet.”

“That’s because you don’t walk on any paths except when
you’re on duty, Shem! You need to go out and find some new paths.”

Shem looked around to make sure they were out of earshot
of any nearby soldiers. “So, what, you’re saying you’re tiring of my company, Perrin? You’re ready to find a new little best buddy?”

“Look,” Perrin said with a smile, “what you do with your life is your life.
” He put a hand on his master sergeant’s shoulder as they made their way to the stables. “But you know Mahrree. ‘Nag him a little, Perrin!’” he said in a high-pitched voice. “‘Tell him how
wonderful
marriage is!’ Just doing my duty to my wife, Shem. Get married. Have a
wonderful
life. There. It’s done.”

“Good man, Perrin. I’ll tell Mahrree you did your duty, and I’ll take your words to heart,” Shem said
gravely.

“You must be the biggest liar in the army, Zenos!” Perrin chuckled as they neared the stables
, but then each man assumed a more formal demeanor.

They nodded to each other, took their respective horses readied for them, exchanged complicated facials expression that said,
Mahrree’s expecting you for dinner
, and
I hope it’s steak,
then headed out in different directions.

Shem set off for
the forest’s edge to monitor the training of the newest set of ten recruits, while Perrin rode a brown mare towards Edge to show the village that the Eyes, Ears, and Voice of the Administrators was
there
for them.

Comforting the citizenry
, was what his father called it, with an appropriate grimace. Another idea pushed forward by the Administrator over Culture which the High General of Idumea had to support. Let the villagers
see
their commanders, every day if possible.
Assure
the citizens that the leaders of their forts are working hand in hand with their magistrates and chiefs of enforcement to quell the thievery problem that had been plaguing the world for over ten years. People feel
better
when they see their leaders out and working for them.

Perrin smirked to himself. It was stupid, but it seemed to work.

He accomplished very little on his daily outings except to make Edge feel better about things, although things never changed.

If only Perrin were allowed to publicly argue this, he could demonstrate how inane all of that “perceptive thinking” really was.

So it was likely a good thing debating had died in Edge a long time ago, or the army wouldn’t be so appreciated now.

Edgers loved the commander and his soldiers. They waved to Perrin
every day, beckoned him over to share a few words, and begged him to visit their shops and homes to promise them that nothing would be stolen.

He’d tell the
m to lock their doors, shut their windows, and, if they really didn’t want anything valuable to be taken, simply don’t possess anything thieves find valuable. It worked for him and his family. No one ever tried to take their books and old maps, but then again, who would dare burgle the lieutenant colonel’s home? He had swords and long knives, and the rumor was they were hidden all over his house and his family knew how to use them.

He knew of the rumor, because he had Shem spread it for him.

But in another way, Perrin sighed as he thought of it, so much had changed in the sixteen years since he first came to Edge that he couldn’t see how anything would be better again.

H
is horse plodded along. He still wasn’t too fond of this animal, but the stabling sergeant told him she was the strongest and fastest animal they had lately. Together they reached the last ring of houses bordering the farms, and he nodded to the workers out there.

When he first came to Edge it was children with their parents out working in the fields, but now there were no children left during the day. Full School had been in place for over a decade now, and children were forced into gray blocked buildings for seven hours a day. How Mahrree put up with it, Perrin would never know.

He cringed whenever he thought of his daughter and son trapped in the buildings that looked a great deal like the incarceration building, forced there to learn whatever trivial drivel the Administrators thought needful for them to memorize that year so that they could regurgitate it on tests twice during the school year.